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In epistulam i ad Timotheum (homiliae 118)

OF OUR FATHER AMONG THE SAINTS JOHN, ARCHBISHOP OF CONSTANTINOPLE, CHRYSOSTOM, COMMENTARY ON THE FIRST EPISTLE TO

TIMOTHY.

ARGUMENT. Timothy was also one of the Apostle's disciples. And Luke testifies that he was a certain wonderful young man, well spoken of by the brethren who were at Lystra and Iconium; who at the same time became a disciple and a teacher; and was so exceedingly prudent, that hearing Paul preach without circumcision, and learning that he had also withstood Peter on this account, he chose not only not to preach the contrary, but even to suffer it; for he circumcised him, it says, at such an age; and so he entrusted the whole economy to him. Indeed, Paul's affection was sufficient to show what sort of man he was. For elsewhere also he bears witness to him, writing [and saying], "But you know his proven worth, that as a child with a father he served with me in the Gospel"; and again he writes to the Corinthians, saying, 62.502 "I have sent to you Timothy, who is my beloved and faithful child in the Lord"; and again, "See that no one despises him; for he does the work of the Lord, as I also do." And writing to the Hebrews he said, "Know that our brother Timothy has been set free"; and one might find his love great from every quarter. And the miracles happening now show his boldness. But if someone should ask, why ever does he write only to Titus and Timothy, although Silas was also of good repute, and likewise Luke; for he himself says in writing, "And Luke alone is with me"; and Clement was also one of those with him; for he says also concerning him, "with Clement also, and with my other fellow laborers"; for what reason then does he write 62.503 only to Titus and Timothy? Because he had already entrusted Churches to these men, but those he still took about with him; and he had appointed these men to certain evident places. For so great was the excess of his virtue, that his youth was no hindrance. For this reason, writing, he says: "Let no one despise your youth." [and again, "The younger women," he says, "as sisters."] For when there is virtue, all else is superfluous, and nothing can be an obstacle. For in discussing bishops, and having said many things about them, nowhere does he speak precisely about age. And if writing he should say, "having his children in subjection," and, "the husband of one wife," he does not say this as if it were necessary to have both children and 62.504 a wife, but, if it should ever happen that men from the world are brought in, that they should be such as to know how to preside over a household and children and all other things. For if he were a man of the world, and had not been useful even in these things, how could he be entrusted with the care of the Church? For what reason then, you ask, did he write to the disciple who was henceforth appointed to teach? For should he not have first been perfected, and then sent out? But he needed instruction not of the same kind as the disciples, but that which befits a teacher. See, therefore, how throughout the whole epistle he gives instruction suited to a teacher. And immediately from the preface he did not say, "that you should not pay attention to those who teach other doctrines," but what? "That you may charge them not to teach other doctrines."

HOMILY I.

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In epistulam i ad Timotheum (homiliae 118)

ΤΟΥ ΕΝ ΑΓΙΟΙΣ ΠΑΤΡΟΣ ΗΜΩΝ ΙΩΑΝΝΟΥ ΑΡΧΙΕΠΙΣΚΟΠΟΥ ΚΩΝΣΤΑΝΤΙΝΟΥΠΟΛΕΩΣ ΤΟΥ ΧΡΥΣΟΣΤΟΜΟΥ ΥΠΟΜΝΗΜΑ ΕΙΣ ΤΗΝ ΠΡΟΣ

ΤΙΜΟΘΕΟΝ ΕΠΙΣΤΟΛΗΝ ΠΡΩΤΗΝ.

ΥΠΟΘΕΣΙΣ. Τῶν τοῦ Ἀποστόλου μαθητῶν εἷς καὶ ὁ Τιμόθεος ἦν. Καὶ μαρτυρεῖ μὲν ὁ Λουκᾶς, ὅτι θαυμαστός τις νέος ἦν, μαρτυρούμενος ὑπὸ τῶν ἐν Λύστρᾳ καὶ Ἰκονίῳ ἀδελφῶν· ὃς ἅμα τε μαθητὴς ἐγένετο, καὶ διδάσκαλος· καὶ οὕτω σφόδρα συνετὸς ἦν, ὡς ἀκούων Παύλου χωρὶς περιτομῆς κηρύσσοντος, καὶ μαθὼν ὅτι καὶ Πέτρῳ ἀντέστη τούτου ἕνεκεν, ἑλέσθαι μὴ μόνον τὸ ἐναντίον μὴ κηρῦξαι, ἀλλὰ καὶ παθεῖν· περιέτεμε γὰρ αὐτὸν, φησὶν, ἐν ἡλικίᾳ τοιαύτῃ· οὕτω τε αὐτῷ πᾶσαν τὴν οἰκονομίαν ἐνεπίστευσεν. Ἤρκει μὲν οὖν ὁ τοῦ Παύλου πόθος δεῖξαι τὸν ἄνδρα, ὅστις ἐστί. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ ἀλλαχοῦ αὐτῷ μαρτυρεῖ γράφων [καὶ λέγων], Τὴν δὲ δοκιμὴν αὐτοῦ γινώσκετε, ὅτι ὡς πατρὶ τέκνον σὺν ἐμοὶ ἐδούλευσεν εἰς τὸ Εὐαγγέλιον· καὶ Κορινθίοις πάλιν ἐπιστέλλει λέγων, 62.502 Ἔπεμψα ὑμῖν Τιμόθεον, ὅς ἐστί μου τέκνον ἀγαπητὸν καὶ πιστὸν ἐν Κυρίῳ· καὶ πάλιν, Βλέπετε μή τις αὐτὸν ἐξουθενήσῃ· τὸ γὰρ ἔργον Κυρίου ἐργάζεται, ὡς κἀγώ. Καὶ Ἑβραίοις δὲ γράφων ἔλεγε, Γινώσκετε τὸν ἀδελφὸν Τιμόθεον ἀπολελυμένον· καὶ πολλὴν πανταχόθεν εὕροι τις ἂν αὐτοῦ τὴν ἀγάπην. Καὶ τὰ νῦν δὲ γενόμενα θαύματα δείκνυσιν αὐτοῦ τὴν παῤῥησίαν. Εἰ δέ τις ἐξετάζοι, τί δήποτε Τίτῳ καὶ Τιμοθέῳ γράφει μόνοις, καίτοι γε καὶ Σίλας τῶν εὐδοκίμων ἦν, καὶ Λουκᾶς ὁμοίως· φησὶ γὰρ αὐτὸς γράφων. Καὶ Λουκᾶς ἐστι μόνος μετ' ἐμοῦ· καὶ Κλήμης δὲ εἷς τῶν συνόντων αὐτῷ ἐτύγχανε· φησὶ γὰρ καὶ περὶ αὐτοῦ, Μετὰ καὶ Κλήμεντος καὶ τῶν λοιπῶν συνεργῶν μου· τίνος οὖν ἕνεκεν Τίτῳ καὶ Τιμοθέῳ 62.503 γράφει μόνοις; Ὅτι τούτοις ἤδη Ἐκκλησίας ἦν ἐγκεχειρικὼς, ἐκείνους δὲ ἔτι μεθ' ἑαυτοῦ περιῆγε· τούτους δὲ φανεροῖς τισι τόποις ἀφώρισε. Τοσαύτη γὰρ ἦν αὐτοῦ ἡ ὑπερβολὴ τῆς ἀρετῆς, ὡς μηδὲν τὴν νεότητα ἐμποδίσαι. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο γράφων φησί· Μηδείς σου τῆς νεότητος καταφρονείτω. [καὶ πάλιν, Τὰς νεωτέρας, φησὶν, ὡς ἀδελφάς.] Ὅταν γὰρ ᾖ ἀρετὴ, πάντα περιττὰ, καὶ οὐδὲν ἐμποδὼν γένοιτ' ἄν. Καὶ γὰρ περὶ ἐπισκόπων διαλεγόμενος, καὶ πολλὰ περὶ αὐτῶν εἰπὼν, οὐδαμοῦ περὶ τῆς ἡλικίας ἀκριβολογεῖται. Εἰ δὲ λέγοι γράφων, Τέκνα ἐν ὑποταγῇ ἔχοντα, καὶ, Μιᾶς γυναικὸς ἄνδρα, οὐ τοῦτό φησιν, ὡς ἀναγκαῖον καὶ τέκνα ἔχειν καὶ 62.504 γυναῖκα, ἀλλ', εἰ συμβαίη ποτὲ ἀπὸ κοσμικῶν ἄγεσθαι, ἵνα τοιοῦτοι ὦσιν, ὡς καὶ οἰκίας εἰδέναι προεστάναι καὶ παίδων καὶ τῶν ἄλλων ἁπάντων. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ κοσμικὸς εἴη, καὶ μηδὲ ἐν τούτοις χρήσιμος γεγονὼς, πῶς ἂν ἐπιστεύθη φροντίδα Ἐκκλησίας; Τίνος δὲ ἕνεκεν ἐπέστελλε, φησὶ, τῷ μαθητῇ εἰς διδασκαλίαν τεταγμένῳ λοιπόν; οὐ γὰρ ἔδει πρότερον ἀπαρτισθῆναι αὐτὸν, εἶτα πέμπεσθαι; Ἀλλ' ἐδεῖτο διδασκαλίας οὐ τῆς αὐτῆς, ἧς οἱ μαθηταὶ, ἀλλὰ τῆς διδασκάλῳ πρεπούσης. Ὅρα οὖν αὐτὸν δι' ὅλης τῆς ἐπιστολῆς διδασκάλῳ προσήκουσαν ποιούμενον τὴν διδασκαλίαν. Καὶ εὐθέως ἐκ τοῦ προοιμίου οὐκ εἶπεν, ἵνα μὴ προσέχῃς τοῖς ἑτεροδιδασκαλοῦσιν, ἀλλὰ τί; Ἵνα παραγγείλῃς αὐτοῖς μὴ ἑτεροδιδασκαλεῖν.

ΟΜΙΛΙΑ Αʹ.