The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Timothy — Section 82

Good (1<CL\dv~ with reference to Gen. i. 10, Acts of the .A.postlea and the Epistlea. 12, eto. To be ref1ll!ed (u,rdj'l>.71.-ov); only The whole body is called.;, cr.3,>..tf)&.- 71 ,, "the bere in the New Testament, but found in brotherhood " (1 Pet. ii. 17; v. 9). A good cl1LBeical Greek, and not uncommon in the minister (~1&,covos). The applioation of this LXX. and other Greek versions, for that term to Timothy, like that of /,r{a-,co-rro, to whioh ie "u11clean," or "abominable." If presbyters (eh. iii. 2), is an indication of it be reoeived with thanksgiving. This the early date of the Epistle, before t.he dis- olearly refeni to "every creature of God," tinctive names of the Churoh officers had and is the oondition on which it is good quite hardened down into a teohnical mean- in relation to the receiver. Nothing can ing. Nourished (lv.-p<tf)Oµ.evos); here only be clearer or more certain than that the in the New Testament, and not used in the apostle is not arguing agai11st the Mani- LXX.; but in classical Greek not uncom- chean doctrine of the evil of matter, or the mon in the sense of "brought up iu," works of the Demiurge, but e.~ainst Jewish "trained in from childhood." In Latin, scruples about meats. "Every creature of innutritus. The phrase, "nourished in the God." he says, "is good "-words which words of the faith," etc., explains the tta>.os would h&ve no force if the creatures in 81.i,covos, and shows what a man muat be to question were not admitted to be the works deserve the appellation-one, viz., who is of God, but thonght to be the works of the nourished in the words of the faith, etc. Deminrge. But &pplied to the Jewish The faith ; here again objective, ILi! in ver. 6 scruples, the words are perfectly relernnt. (see note). The good dootri.ne, etc. In Every creature of God ie good, and on no opposition to the "doctrines of devils" in account to be treated as common or unclean ver. I. The different epithets of this true (.A.ot.s x. 15, 28), provicl.ed only that it be Christian doctrine are .;, 1<a>.r, (as here); Ii received with thanksgiving. vy,aivouua ( eh. i. IQ ; Titll8 i. 9 ; ii. I); 71 ,ea.-' Ver. 5.-Through for by, A.. V. Ii is sancti- ,oa-el'!eiav 8,Sau,ca.>.la (eh. vi. 8); and in eh. fi.ed through the Word of God. Considerable vi. I we have simply .;, 6,3a.a-HMia., without difference of opinion prevails among com- any epithet. In like manner, -1, -rr(u.-u, .;, mentatoni u to :he precise me&ning of this a.>..718,ia., .;, ,ou,/j,la, severally denote the venie, especially of the phrase, " the Word Christian religion. Whioh tbon hast fol- of God." Some refer to Gen. i. 4, 10, 12, lowed until now (if -rrap71,co>..oul/-fi,cas). This etc.; othen to Gen.. i. 29; ix. 4, ILi! contain- is a rather more faithful rendc,ring than ing the original grant of meats for the uae of that of the A.. V. ; it is, literally, which thou man; others to the ecriptnr&l phr&aes em- 111ut kept close to, either for the purpose of bodied in the words of the ivnuEis, the prayer imitating it, or, as 2 'fim. iii. 10, for the pur- of thanksgiving. Another podeil,le refer- pose of observing it. Or, to put it differently, ence would be to the Word of God recorded in one case so as to teach it identically, and in A.et. L 18, 15, 28, by which that which in the other so as to know it perfectly. In had previously been nncle&n was now made this last aspect it is also used in Luke i. 8. clean or holy; or, lastly, it might mean The classical 11Se is "to follow closely any .. the blessing of God" given in answer to one's steps," or "the course of events," when the "prayer" on each occe.eion, which suits used literally; or, metaphorically, "to fol- well the present tense, ir.;,,&(~.,...._ Prayer low with one's thoughts," " to understand." (,vnuEu; see eh. ii. l, note). Ver. 1.-UntogodlineJleCorratherunlo god- Ver. 6.-Mind for remembranu, .A..V.; lineu, A..V. The R.V., by putting a full stop Chrvt JeJJW for Juw <Jhrilt, A.. V. and T.R.; after " fablee," disturbs the natural flow of nou,ri,ih.ed, for flOUrUJMa wp, A.. V.; the faith the thought. The two imperatives -rrapa,Tou for faith, A.. V.; the good for good, A.V.: and ;,r!µ.va(• con11ect and contrast the which thou /,,(Lill, folwv,e,d, until now for where- thoughts in the two clauses of the verse, as unto thou luuit attained, A.. V. If thou put the A.V. indicates by the insertion of the brethren in mind of these things (.-c,v'Ta "rather." Profane (fjefjr,>..ous; eh. i. 9, note) "1ro.-.6iµ.evos .-ois a.3,>.f/>o:i's); if thou euggut Old wives' (-ypao,6m); only here in the New these things to the brethren, lay them down Testament; not used in LXX.; rare in classi- a, flf'inciplell upon which their conduct is to cal Greek. Exercise thyself unto godlinesa be bued; or, enjoin them (Liddell and Scott). (-yvµ.va(, a-•aVT&v). The verb -yuµ.vd.(u11 It only occurs in this metaphorical sense occurs in the New Testament only in thia here in the New Testament, but is very place, twice in the Epistle to the Hebrews common in classical Greek, and not unfre- (v. 14; xii. 11), and once in 2 Peter (ii. queut in the LXX. It has often the mean- 14). In tile LXX. it occurs only once (2 ing of" to advise" or" counsel" Of courd6 Mace. x. 15), but is common in classical "hypotheais," tht: 8.Sl!umed bas's from which Greek. 'fhe metu.phor is dru.wn from train- you 1:1!.e.rt, is the •1m1e root. The /:,rel,hren ( Tois ing for gymnastic exercises. As regardl ~.>--,.o,s). The distinctive n.ame for the the whole passage, it seelllS that there were membera of Christ's ChlllCh., Uiroughout the ounent among the Jew■ at thi.l time many Clf. IV. 1-16.] THE FIRST EPISTLE TO TIMOTHY. 71