John Chrysostom, On Timothy

he accomplished when present; but those things that brought honor rather than had praise, these he entrusts to his disciple, I mean the ordinations of bishops, and all the other things, whatever needed some further correction, or, as one might say, a more complete organization. What do you say, tell me? Are your affairs to be corrected by another? and do you not consider the matter shameful, nor that it brings shame upon you? By no means; for I look only to the common good; and whether it be done through me or through another, it makes no difference to me. Thus ought the one who presides to be disposed, not to seek his own honor, but the common advantage. And you should appoint, he says, elders in every city. Here he means the bishops, as has been said by us elsewhere. As I directed you; if any man is blameless. —In every city, he says; for he did not wish the whole island to be entrusted to one, but for each to have his own care and anxiety; for thus his labor would be light, and those under his rule would enjoy more care, if the teacher were not to go about to preside over many Churches, but would have leisure for one only, and adorn it. If any man, he says, is blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children, not under accusation of debauchery, or insubordinate. For what reason does he bring such a one into the midst? He silences the heretics who slander marriage, showing that the matter is not accursed, but so honorable, that with it one can even ascend to the holy throne; and at the same time he also punishes the licentious, not allowing this office to be entrusted after a second marriage. For he who has kept no good will toward his departed wife, how could this man become a good leader? And what accusation would he not be subject to? For you all know, you know, that although it is not forbidden by the laws to enter into a second marriage, nevertheless the matter is open to many accusations. He wishes, therefore, that the ruler should give no handle to those who are ruled. For this reason he sets down, If any man is blameless, that is, if his life has been free from accusation, if no one has had cause to censure him in his life. Hear Christ saying: For if the light, he says, that is in you be darkness, how great is that darkness? Having faithful children, not under accusation of debauchery, or insubordinate. Let us consider how much provision he makes also for the children. For he who could not become the teacher of his own children, how could he become the teacher of others? If those whom from the beginning he had with him and 62.672 reared, and over whom he had authority both from the laws and from nature, he was not able to order, how will he be able to benefit those outside? For if there were not great negligence on the father's part, he would not have overlooked those over whom he had authority from the beginning becoming wicked. For it is not, it is not possible, for one who has been reared from the beginning with much care to become wicked, having also enjoyed much diligence; for sins are not by nature, so as to overcome such great providence. But if he put his children's affairs in a second place, being occupied with money, and did not pay so much attention to them, so too is he unworthy. For if, where nature compelled, he was so without natural affection, or so senseless, as to care more for money than for them, how could this man be raised to the throne and to so great an office? For if he was not able, the accusation of negligence is great; but if he was not diligent, the censure of want of natural affection is great. He, therefore, who neglects his own children, how will he take care of others'? And he did not say simply not profligate, but not even to have such a slander against him, nor to be of a bad reputation. For a bishop, he says, must be blameless, as God's steward, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not given to wine, not a striker. 2. For the secular ruler, since he governs by law and constraint, naturally does not in many things share the opinion of those he rules; but he who ought to rule over willing subjects, and those who are grateful to him for his rule, if he so establishes the matter, as from his own

κατώρθου παρών· ἃ δὲ τιμὴν μᾶλλον ἔφερεν ἢ ἔπαινον εἶχε, ταῦτα ἐπιτρέπει τῷ μαθητῇ, τῶν ἐπισκόπων λέγω τὰς χειροτονίας, καὶ τὰ ἄλλα πάντα, ὅσα ἐδεῖτό τινος ἐπιδιορθώσεως, ἢ, ὡς ἂν εἴποι τις, πλείονος καταρτισμοῦ. Τί λέγεις, εἰπέ μοι; τὰ σὰ προσδιορθοῦται; καὶ οὐχ ἡγῇ τὸ πρᾶγμα αἰσχρὸν οὐδὲ αἰσχύνην σοι φέρειν; Οὐδαμῶς· πρὸς γὰρ τὸ κοινὸν κέρδος ὁρῶ μόνον· εἴτε δὲ δι' ἐμοῦ, εἴτε δι' ἑτέρου γένοιτο, οὐδὲν ἐμοὶ διαφέρει Οὕτω τὸν προεστῶτα χρὴ διακεῖσθαι, μὴ τὴν ἰδίαν τιμὴν ζητεῖν, ἀλλὰ τὸ κοινῇ συμφέρον. Καὶ καταστήσῃς, φησὶ, κατὰ πόλιν πρεσβυτέρους. Τοὺς ἐπισκόπους ἐνταῦθά φησι, καθὼς ἀλλαχοῦ ἡμῖν εἴρηται. Ὡς ἐγώ σοι διεταξάμην· εἴ τις ἀνέγκλητος. -Κατὰ πόλιν, φησίν· οὐ γὰρ ἐβούλετο πᾶσαν τὴν νῆσον ἐπιτετράφθαι ἑνὶ, ἀλλ' ἕκαστον ἰδίαν ἔχειν φροντίδα καὶ μέριμναν· οὕτω γὰρ αὐτῷ τε εἶναι τὸν πόνον κοῦφον, καὶ τοὺς ἀρχομένους πλείονος ἀπολαύσεσθαι τῆς ἐπιμελείας, εἴ γε μὴ εἰς πολλῶν Ἐκκλησιῶν προστασίαν ὁ διδάσκαλος περιέρχοιτο, ἀλλὰ σχολάζοι μιᾷ μόνῃ, καὶ ταύτην κατακοσμοῖ. Εἴ τις, φησὶν, ἀνέγκλητος, μιᾶς γυναικὸς ἀνὴρ, τέκνα ἔχων πιστὰ, μὴ ἐν κατηγορίᾳ ἀσωτίας, ἢ ἀνυπότακτα. Τίνος ἕνεκεν καὶ τὸν τοιοῦτον εἰς μέσον παράγει; Ἐπιστομίζει τοὺς αἱρετικοὺς τοὺς τὸν γάμον διαβάλλοντας, δεικνὺς ὅτι τὸ πρᾶγμα οὐκ ἔστιν ἐναγὲς, ἀλλ' οὕτω τίμιον, ὡς μετ' αὐτοῦ δύνασθαι καὶ ἐπὶ τὸν ἅγιον ἀναβαίνειν θρόνον· ἐν ταυτῷ δὲ καὶ τοὺς ἀσελγεῖς κολάζων, καὶ οὐκ ἀφιεὶς μετὰ δευτέρου γάμου τὴν ἀρχὴν ἐγχειρίζεσθαι ταύτην. Ὁ γὰρ πρὸς τὴν ἀπελθοῦσαν μηδεμίαν φυλάξας εὔνοιαν, πῶς ἂν οὗτος γένοιτο προστάτης καλός; τίνα δὲ οὐκ ἂν ὑποσταίη κατηγορίαν; Ἴστε γὰρ ἅπαντες, ἴστε ὅτι εἰ μὴ κεκώλυται παρὰ τῶν νόμων τὸ δευτέροις ὁμιλεῖν γάμοις, ἀλλ' ὅμως πολλὰς ἔχει τὸ πρᾶγμα κατηγορίας. Οὐδεμίαν οὖν παρέχειν λαβὴν τοῖς ἀρχομένοις τὸν ἄρχοντα βούλεται. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο τίθησιν, Εἴ τις ἀνέγκλητος, τουτέστιν, εἰ κατηγορίας ὁ βίος ἐλεύθερος αὐτῷ γέγονεν, εἰ μηδεὶς ἔσχεν ἐπισκῆψαι ἐν τῇ ζωῇ. Ἄκουε τοῦ Χριστοῦ λέγοντος· Εἰ γὰρ τὸ φῶς, φησὶ, τὸ ἐν σοὶ ᾖ σκότος, τὸ σκότος πόσον; Τέκνα ἔχων πιστὰ, μὴ ἐν κατηγορίᾳ ἀσωτίας, ἢ ἀνυπότακτα. Σκοπήσωμεν πῶς πολλὴν καὶ ὑπὲρ τῶν παίδων ποιεῖται τὴν πρόνοιαν. Ὁ γὰρ τῶν αὑτοῦ παίδων διδάσκαλος γενέσθαι μὴ δυνηθεὶς, πῶς ἂν ἑτέρων γένοιτο; Εἰ οὓς ἐξ ἀρχῆς εἶχε μεθ' ἑαυτοῦ καὶ 62.672 ἔτρεφε, καὶ καθ' ὧν καὶ παρὰ τῶν νόμων, καὶ παρὰ τῆς φύσεως εἶχεν ἐξουσίαν, τούτους ῥυθμίσαι οὐκ ἴσχυσε, πῶς ἂν τοὺς ἔξωθεν ὠφελῆσαι δυνήσεται; Εἰ μὴ γὰρ πολλὴ νωθεία εἴη πατρὸς, οὐκ ἂν ὧν ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἔλαβεν ἐξουσίαν, τούτους περιεῖδε γενομένους κακούς. Οὐ γὰρ ἔστιν, οὐκ ἔστιν, ἐξ ἀρχῆς μετὰ πολλῆς τραφέντα τῆς ἐπιμελείας γενέσθαι κακὸν, καὶ πολλῆς ἀπολαύσαντα σπουδῆς· οὐ γάρ ἐστι φύσει τὰ ἁμαρτήματα, ἵνα τοσαύτης περιγένηται προνοίας. Εἰ δὲ ἐν δευτέρῳ τὰ τῶν παίδων ἐτίθετο, περὶ τὰ χρήματα σχολάζων, καὶ οὐ τοσαύτην αὐτῶν ἐποιεῖτο σπουδὴν, καὶ οὕτως ἀνάξιος. Εἰ γὰρ, ὅπου ἡ φύσις ἠνάγκαζεν, οὕτως ἄστοργος ἦν, ἢ οὕτως ἀνόητος, ὡς μᾶλλον τῶν χρημάτων φροντίζειν αὐτὸν ἢ αὐτῶν, πῶς ἂν οὗτος ἐπὶ τὸν θρόνον ἀναχθείη καὶ τὴν τοσαύτην ἀρχήν; Εἰ μὲν γὰρ οὐκ ἠδύνατο, πολλὴ τῆς νωθείας ἡ κατηγορία· εἰ δὲ οὐκ ἐσπούδασε, πολλὴ τῆς ἀστοργίας ἡ μέμψις. Ὁ τοίνυν τῶν παίδων ἀμελῶν τῶν ἑαυτοῦ, πῶς τῶν ἀλλοτρίων ἐπιμελήσεται; Καὶ οὐκ εἶπε μὴ ἁπλῶς ἄσωτος, ἀλλὰ μηδὲ διαβολὴν ἔχειν τοιαύτην, μηδὲ πονηρᾶς εἶναι δόξης. ∆εῖ γὰρ τὸν ἐπίσκοπον, φησὶν, ἀνέγκλητον εἶναι ὡς Θεοῦ οἰκονόμον, μὴ αὐθάδη, μὴ ὀργίλον, μὴ πάροινον, μὴ πλήκτην. βʹ. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ ἔξωθεν ἄρχων, ἐπειδὴ νόμῳ κρατεῖ καὶ ἀνάγκῃ, εἰκότως οὐ πολλαχοῦ τῆς τῶν ἀρχομένων γνώμης κοινωνεῖ· ὁ μέντοι ἑκόντων ὀφείλων ἄρχειν, καὶ χάριν αὐτῷ τῆς ἀρχῆς εἰδότων, ἂν οὕτω τὸ πρᾶγμα καταστήσῃ, ὡς ἀπὸ τῆς οἰκείας