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Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you through prophecy. Here he calls teaching prophecy. With the laying on of the hands of the presbytery. He does not speak here of presbyters, but of bishops; for indeed presbyters did not ordain the bishop. Meditate on these things, be in these things. See how often he exhorts him about the same things, wishing to show that a teacher must be diligent in these matters above all things. Take heed to yourself, he says, and to the teaching, continue in them. That is, attend to yourself, and also teach the rest. For in doing this, you will save both yourself, and those who hear you. He said well, "And yourself." For he who is nourished by the words of teaching, first reaps the benefit himself; for in exhorting others, he also pricks himself to the heart. For these things were not said to Timothy, but to all. But if to one who raised the dead he gives such exhortations, what shall we say? And Christ also alludes to the matter of teachers, saying: The kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out of his treasure things new and old. And again the blessed Paul exhorting the same thing says: That through the patience and the comfort of the Scriptures we might have hope. And above all things he himself did this, being educated at the feet of Gamaliel in the ancestral law, so that even after these things it is likely that he attended to reading; for he who exhorts others in these things, would have exhorted himself first. You see him therefore continually 62.566 using the testimonies of the prophets, and considering the things in them; Then Paul attends to reading (for it is no small benefit to reap from the Scriptures); but we are indolent and listen carelessly? And of how much punishment would we not be worthy? For that your progress may be evident, he says, in all things. 2. Do you see that he wished him also in this to become great and admirable? For this reason he spoke thus, showing that he still had need of it. What is it, "That your progress may be evident in all things?" Not in life only, he says, but also in the word of teaching. Do not rebuke an elder. Does he mean the office now? I do not think so, but concerning any aged man. What then, if he should need correction? Do not rebuke, he says, but as if to a father, he says, you would approach one who has sinned, so also speak to him. Older women as mothers, younger men as brothers, younger women as sisters, in all purity. The very nature of the thing is something burdensome, I mean, to be rebuked, and especially when it is done to an old man; and if also by a young man, the presumption becomes threefold. He therefore mitigates it by the manner and by gentleness. For it is possible to rebuke without offense, if one wishes to practice this; for it is a matter of much prudence, but it is possible. Younger men as brothers, he says. Why did he exhort this here too? Again alluding to boldness on account of age. Therefore it is necessary here too to mitigate the matter with mildness. Younger women, he says, as sisters; and he added, "In all purity." Do not, he says, tell me of the sin of intercourse only, but do not even give suspicion, he says. For since conversations with younger women with difficulty escape suspicion, and this must also be done by the bishop, for this reason, he adds, "In all purity," showing that it is fitting to have conversations with them with all purity. What do you say, tell me? Do you command these things to Timothy? Yes, he says; for through him I speak to the whole world. But if he commands these things to Timothy, let each of the others consider what sort of person he ought to be, giving neither suspicion, nor a shadow of an excuse to those who wish to slander. Honor widows, those who are truly widows. Why does he say nothing about virginity, nor say, "Honor virgins?" Because it seems to me they did not even exist then, or had even fallen away. For already, he says, some have turned aside after Satan.

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Μὴ ἀμέλει τοῦ ἐν σοὶ χαρίσματος, ὃ ἐδόθη σοι διὰ προφητείας. Τὴν διδασκαλίαν ἐνταῦθα προφητείαν λέγει. Μετὰ ἐπιθέσεως τῶν χειρῶν τοῦ πρεσβυτερίου. Οὐ περὶ πρεσβυτέρων φησὶν ἐνταῦθα, ἀλλὰ περὶ ἐπισκόπων· οὐ γὰρ δὴ πρεσβύτεροι τὸν ἐπίσκοπον ἐχειροτόνουν. Ταῦτα μελέτα, ἐν τούτοις ἴσθι. Ὅρα πῶς πολλάκις περὶ τῶν αὐτῶν αὐτῷ παρεγγυᾷ, δεῖξαι βουλόμενος, ὅτι μάλιστα πάντων ἐν τούτοις σπουδάζειν τὸν διδάσκαλον χρή. Ἔπεχε σεαυτῷ, φησὶ, καὶ τῇ διδασκαλίᾳ, ἐπίμενε αὐτοῖς. Τουτέστι, Πρόσεχε σεαυτῷ, καὶ δίδασκε καὶ τοὺς λοιπούς. Τοῦτο γὰρ ποιῶν, καὶ σεαυτὸν σώσεις, καὶ τοὺς ἀκούοντάς σου. Καλῶς εἶπε, Καὶ σεαυτόν. Ὁ γὰρ τοῖς τῆς διδασκαλίας ἐντρεφόμενος λόγοις, πρότερον αὐτὸς καρποῦται τὴν ὠφέλειαν· ἐν τῷ γὰρ παραινεῖν ἑτέροις, καὶ ἑαυτὸν κατανύσσει. Οὐ γὰρ δὴ πρὸς Τιμόθεον ταῦτα εἴρηται, ἀλλὰ πρὸς πάντας. Εἰ δὲ τῷ νεκροὺς ἀνιστῶντι τοιαῦτα παραινεῖ, τί ἐροῦμεν ἡμεῖς; Καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς δὲ τὸ περὶ τῶν διδασκάλων αἰνίττεται λέγων· Ὁμοία ἐστὶν ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν ἀνθρώπῳ οἰκοδεσπότῃ, ὃς ἐκβάλλει ἐκ τοῦ θησαυροῦ αὑτοῦ καινὰ καὶ παλαιά. Καὶ πάλιν ὁ μακάριος Παῦλος τὸ αὐτὸ παραινῶν φησιν· Ἵνα διὰ τῆς ὑπομονῆς καὶ τῆς παρακλήσεως τῶν Γραφῶν τὴν ἐλπίδα ἔχωμεν. Καὶ μάλιστα πάντων αὐτὸς τοῦτο ἔπραττε, παρὰ τοὺς πόδας Γαμαλιήλου παιδευόμενος τὸν πατρῷον νόμον, ὥστε καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα αὐτὸν εἰκὸς προσέχειν τῇ ἀναγνώσει· ὁ γὰρ ἑτέροις ταῦτα παραινῶν, ἑαυτῷ προτέρῳ παρῄνεσεν ἄν. Ὁρᾷς γοῦν αὐτὸν συνεχῶς 62.566 ταῖς τῶν προφητῶν κεχρημένον μαρτυρίαις, καὶ θεωροῦντα τὰ ἐν αὐταῖς· Εἶτα Παῦλος μὲν προσέχει τῇ ἀναγνώσει (οὐ γάρ ἐστι μικρὰν ἀπὸ τῶν Γραφῶν ὠφέλειαν καρπώσασθαι)· ἡμεῖς δὲ ῥᾳθυμοῦμεν καὶ παρέργως ἀκούομεν; καὶ πόσης οὐκ ἂν εἴημεν κολάσεως ἄξιοι; Ἵνα σου γὰρ ἡ προκοπὴ φανερὰ ᾖ, φησὶν, ἐν πᾶσιν. βʹ. Ὁρᾷς ὅτι ἠβούλετο αὐτὸν καὶ ἐν τούτῳ μέγαν γενέσθαι καὶ θαυμαστόν; ∆ιὰ τοῦτο οὕτως εἶπε, δεικνὺς ὅτι ἐδεῖτο αὐτοῦ ἔτι. Τί ἐστιν, Ἵνα σου ἡ προκοπὴ φανερὰ ᾖ ἐν πᾶσι; Μὴ ἐν τῷ βίῳ, φησὶ, μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν τῷ λόγῳ τῷ διδασκαλικῷ. Πρεσβυτέρῳ μὴ ἐπιπλήξῃς. Ἆρα τὸ ἀξίωμα νῦν φησιν; Οὐκ ἔγωγε οἶμαι, ἀλλὰ περὶ παντὸς γεγηρακότος. Τί οὖν ἂν δέηται διορθώσεως; Οὐκ ἐπιπλήξῃς, φησὶν, ἀλλ' ὡς ἂν εἰ πρὸς πατέρα, φησὶ, προσενεχθείης ἁμαρτόντα, οὕτω καὶ πρὸς ἐκεῖνον διαλέγου. Πρεσβυτέρας ὡς μητέρας, νεωτέρους ὡς ἀδελφοὺς, νεωτέρας ὡς ἀδελφὰς, ἐν πάσῃ ἁγνείᾳ. Αὐτὴ τοῦ πράγματος ἡ φύσις φορτικόν τί ἐστι, τὸ ἐλέγχεσθαι λέγω, καὶ μάλιστα ὅταν καὶ εἰς γέροντα γένηται· ἂν δὲ καὶ παρὰ νέου, τριπλοῦν γίνεται τὸ τῆς προπετείας. Παραμυθεῖται οὖν αὐτὸ τῷ τρόπῳ καὶ τῇ προσηνείᾳ. Ἔνεστι γὰρ ἀνεπαχθῶς ἐλέγχειν, εἴ τις θέλει τοῦτο ἀσκεῖν· πολλῆς μὲν γὰρ συνέσεώς ἐστιν, ἔνεστι δέ. Νεωτέρους ὡς ἀδελφοὺς, φησί. ∆ιὰ τί καὶ ἐνταῦθα τοῦτο παρῄνεσε; Τὸ θρασὺ πάλιν διὰ τὴν ἡλικίαν αἰνιττόμενος. ∆εῖ τοίνυν καὶ ἐνταῦθα παραμυθεῖσθαι τὸ πρᾶγμα τῇ ἐπιεικείᾳ. Νεωτέρας, φησὶν, ὡς ἀδελφάς· καὶ προσέθηκεν, Ἐν πάσῃ ἁγνείᾳ. Μή μοι, φησὶ, τὴν τῆς μίξεως μόνον εἴπῃς ἁμαρτίαν, ἀλλὰ μηδὲ ὑποψίαν, φησὶ, δῷς. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ αἱ πρὸς τὰς νεωτέρας γινόμεναι ὁμιλίαι δυσκόλως διαφεύγουσιν ὑποψίαν, δεῖ δὲ γενέσθαι παρὰ τοῦ ἐπισκόπου καὶ τοῦτο, διὰ τοῦτο, Ἐν πάσῃ ἁγνείᾳ, προστίθησι, δηλῶν ὅτι μετὰ πάσης ἁγνείας προσήκει τὰς πρὸς αὐτὰς ὁμιλίας ποιεῖν. Τί λέγεις, εἰπέ μοι; Τιμοθέῳ ταῦτα ἐπιτάττεις; Ναὶ, φησί· δι' αὐτοῦ γὰρ τῇ οἰκουμένῃ διαλέγομαι. Εἰ δὲ Τιμοθέῳ ταῦτα ἐπιτάττει, ἐννοείτω ἕκαστος τῶν ἄλλων ὁποῖος εἶναι ὀφείλει, μήτε ὑποψίαν παρέχων, μήτε σκιὰν προφάσεως τοῖς διαβάλλειν βουλομένοις. Χήρας τίμα, τὰς ὄντως χήρας. ∆ιὰ τί μηδὲν περὶ παρθενίας διαλέγεται, μηδὲ λέγει, Παρθένους τίμα; Ὅτι μοι δοκοῦσι μηδὲ εἶναι τότε, ἢ καὶ ἐκπεπτωκέναι. Ἤδη γὰρ, φησὶ, τινὲς ἐξετράπησαν ὀπίσω τοῦ Σατανᾶ.