The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Timothy — Section 101

more blessed to reme.in in virginity or celibacy th1m to be joined in me.rrie.ge, let him be e.ccursed." In the se.me line superior se.nctity, or specie.I merit, is connected with e.bstinence from meats. Thus the prophecy received striking fulfilment. TV. REFUTATION OF THE SECOND POINT IN THE HERETICAL TEACHING. 1, Posilion to which it is opposed. "Which God creRted to be received with thanksgiving by them that believe and know the trnth." God has created mea.ts,and he has created them for the use of all. At the same time, it is trne that the purpose of creation is only fulfilled in the case of them that believe and know the truth. They alone ca.n e.pprecie.te the condition attach!'d to the use of meats, viz. receiving with thanksgiving. "A brutish man knoweth not; neither doth a fool understand this." But those the.t he.ve expe- rience of the truth e.s believers are! sensible of their mercies, and give God thanks for them. 2. Substantiation. (1) Broad principl,e. "For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be rejected, if it be received with thanksgiving." This is one broad principle on which practice is to be based. "And God saw everything that he had made, and, behold, it WIIS very good." We must lay bold-against a. raise asceticism- of the essential goodness of whatever God has made for food. It may have to be refused on the ground of health, on the ground of moral discipline as expressed in 1 Cor. ix. 27, on the ground of benefit to others as expressed in 1 Cor. viii. 13. But ape.rt from such considerations, to which only their due weight must be attached, a c,ree.ture-comfort e.s good in itself has no unholiness to ns, if the condition is fulfilled, viz. receidng with thanksgiving. It is a very important consideration, which we must not lose sight of in fL·cling the claims of abstinence, that by our creature-comforts God is seeking to make us glad, and to attach us to himself in thankfulness. (2) Elucidation of the good creature of God having no u11holiness to us. "For it is sanctified through the Word of God and prayer." By conversing with God through his Word we rise above our own low ideas and aims, and get into the region of his thoughts and purposes. We get at the principles which are to regulate us, and the feelings which are to animate us, iu our daily life. We thereby connect God with our daily life, and are prepared for sitting down to the meals of the day. But we are to connect God more immediately with our meals by prayer. We are to a.sk Gcd, from whom our table mercies come, to bless us in the use of them, and to accept our thankfulness for them. Here is a very old form of grace before meat: "Blessed be thou, 0 Lord, who bast fed me from my vouth, who gi vest food to all flesh. Fill our hearts with joy and gladness, that, having ~!ways what suffi.ceth, we mav abound unto all good works, in Christ Jesus our Lord, through whom be unto thee honour, glory, and power, for ever and ever." By such reasonable acknowledgrnent of God before our food is it sanctified to us. We can partake of tt as a holy thing, as that which we have as a covenant privilege. Nothing is said about the first point in the heretical teaching. But it can be refuted on much the same f:!l'OUnd. God has instituted marriage for our happiness. 'l'he end of tae institution· i, carried out in the case of them that believe and know the truth, by their thanking Go,: for the happiness which is thus mini~tered to them. The married life is made !Joly by being connected with the Word of God and prayer.-R. F. Vers. 6-lU.-Guidance of Timothy. I. As TO THE TRUE FAITH. 1. Poaitively. "If thou put the bre1hreu in mind of those 1hings, thou she.It be a good minister ofOhrist Jesus, nourished in the words of the faith, and of the good doctrine which thou hast followed until now." The apostle has beeu referring more immediately to the principles of &Sceticism which were to have theirde\'elopment in subsequent times. 'l'hat Timothy should put the brethren (not excluding holders of office like himself) in mind of these things, was the condition of his being a good minister of Christ Jesus. Whereupon Pauf takes occasion to give his idea of "the good minister," under a particular aspect. He iB one who makes the Divine words his continual nourishment. As there are foods which are nutritive for the body, so what is nutritive for the soul is what God says to us, especially about himself and his feelings toward ue. These Divine words are words of faith, or words which require faith for their apprehension. They are also words of good doctrine, or words iD which instruction ie given. It iH well that there are infallible wordB for faith, and that we are not left to the unreliable guidance of reason. It is upon these that teaching must be founded, if it e&n be called good. The good minister '" Oll8 who haH his own soul nouri1hed in wordB which he cordially believes, and io JJH, IV, 1-16.] THE FIRST EPISTLE TO TIMOTHY. 91