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1 TIMOTHY iv. 1--3.
"Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some
shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and
doctrines of demons; speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their
conscience seared with a hot iron; forbidding to marry, and commanding
to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with
thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth."
As those who adhere to the faith are fixed on a safe anchor, so those
who fall from the faith can nowhere rest; but after many wanderings to
and fro, they are borne at last into the very gulf of perdition. And
this he had shown before, saying, that some had "already made
shipwreck concerning the faith," and now he says, "Now the Spirit
speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the
faith, giving heed to seducing spirits." This is said of the
Manichaeans, the Encratites, and the Marcionites, and the whole of
their tribe, that they should hereafter depart from the faith. Seest
thou that this departure from the faith is the cause of all the evils
that follow!
But what is "expressly"? Plainly, clearly, and beyond doubt.
Marvel not, he says, if some having departed from the faith still
adhere to Judaism. There will be a time, when even those who have
partaken of the faith will fall into a worse error, not only with
respect to meats, but to marriages, and other such things,
introducing the most pernicious notions. This refers not to the
Jews, (for "the latter times," and a "departure from the
faith," is not applicable to them;) but to the Manichees, and the
founders of these sects. And he calls them very justly, "seducing
spirits," since it was by these they were actuated in speaking such
things. "Speaking lies in hypocrisy." This implies that they utter
not these falsehoods through ignorance and unknowingly, but as acting a
part, knowing the truth, but "having their conscience seared," that
is, being men of evil lives.
But why does he speak only of these heretics? Christ had before
said, "Offenses must need come" (Matt. xviii. 7), and he had
predicted the same in his parable of the sower, and of the springing up
of the tares. But here admire with me the prophetic gift of Paul,
who, before the times in which they were to appear, specifies the time
itself. As if he had said, Do not wonder, if, at the commencement
of the faith, some endeavor to bring in these pernicious doctrines;
since, after it has been established for a length of time, many shall
depart from the faith. "Forbidding to marry, and commanding to
abstain from meats." Why then has he mentioned no other heresies?
Though not particularized, they are implied by the expressions of
"seducing spirits and doctrines of demons." But he did not wish to
instill these things into the minds of men before the time; but that
which had already commenced, the case of meats, he specifies.
"Which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them
which believe and know the truth." Why did he not say, by the
unbelievers too? How by the unbelievers, when they exclude themselves
from them by their own rules? But is not luxury forbidden? Certainly
it is. But why? if good things are created to be received. Because
He created bread, and yet too much is forbidden; and wine also, and
yet excess is forbidden; and we are not commanded to avoid dainties as
if they were unclean in themselves, but as they corrupt the soul by
excess.
Ver. 4. "For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be
refused, if it be received with thanksgiving."
If it be the creature of God, it is good. For "all things," it
is said, "were very good." (Gen. i. 31.) By speaking thus
of things eatable, he by anticipation impugns the heresy of those who
introduce an uncreated matter, and assert that these things proceed
from it. But if it is good, why is it "sanctified by the word of
God and prayers"? For it must be unclean, if it is to be
sanctified? Not so, here he is speaking to those who thought that
some of these things were common; therefore he lays down two
positions: first, that no creature of God is unclean: secondly,
that if it were become so, you have a remedy, seal it, give thanks,
and glorify God, and all the uncleanness passes away. Can we then so
cleanse that which is offered to an idol? If you know not that it was
so offered. But if, knowing this, you partake of it, you will be
unclean; not because it was offered to an idol, but because contrary
to an express command, you thereby communicate with devils. So that
it is not unclean by nature, but becomes so through your wilful
disobedience. What then, is not swine's flesh unclean? By no
means, when it is received with thanksgiving, and with the seal; nor
is anything else. It is your unthankful disposition to God that is
unclean.
Ver. 6. "If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things,
thou shall be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the
words of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained."
What are the things here meant? The same which he had before
mentioned, that "great is the mystery"; that to abstain from meats
is the doctrine of devils, that they are "cleansed by the word of God
and prayer."
Ver. 7. "But refuse profane and old wives' fables, and exercise
thyself rather unto godliness."
"Putting them in remembrance," he says; here you observe no
authority; but all is condescension: he does not say "commanding" or
"enjoining," but reminding them: that is, suggest these things as
matter of advice, and so enter into discourses with them concerning the
faith, "being nourished up," he says, meaning to imply constancy in
application to these things.
For as we set before us day by day this bodily nourishment, so he
means, let us be continually receiving discourses concerning the
faith, and ever be nourished with them. What is this, "being
nourished up"? Ruminating upon them; attending ever to the same
things, and practicing ever the same, for it is no common nourishment
that they supply.
"But refuse profane and old wives' fables." By these are meant
Jewish traditions, and he calls them "fables," either because of
their falsehood or their unseasonableness. For what is seasonable is
useful, but what is unseasonable is not only useless but injurious.
Suppose a man of adult age to be suckled by a nurse, would he not be
ridiculous, because it is unseasonable?
"Profane and old wives' fables," he calls them, partly because of
their obsoleteness, and partly because they are impediments to faith.
For to bring souls under fear, that are raised above these things, is
an impious commandment. "Exercise thyself unto godliness." That
is, unto a pure faith and a moral life; for this is godliness. So
then we need "exercise." Ver. 8. "For bodily exercise profiteth
little." This has by some been referred to fasting; but away with
such a notion! for that is not a bodily but a spiritual exercise. If
it were bodily it would nourish the body, whereas it wastes and makes
it lean, so that it is not bodily. Hence he is not speaking of the
discipline of the body. What we need, therefore, is the exercise of
the soul. For the exercise of the body hath no profit, but may
benefit the body a little, but the exercise of godliness yields fruit
and advantage both here and hereafter.
"This is a faithful saying," that is, it is true that godliness is
profitable both here and hereafter. Observe how everywhere he brings
in this, he needs no demonstration, but simply declares it, for he
was addressing Timothy.
So then even here, we have good hopes? For he who is conscious to
himself of no evil, and who has been fruitful in good, rejoices even
here: as the wicked man on the other hand is punished here as well as
hereafter. He lives in perpetual fear, he can look no one in the face
with confidence, he is pale, trembling, and full of anxiety. Is it
not so with the fraudulent, and with thieves, who have no satisfaction
even in what they possess? Is not the life of murderers and adulterers
most wretched, who look upon the sun itself with suspicion? Is this
to be called life? No; rather a horrid death!
Ver. 10. "For therefore we both labor and suffer reproach,
because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men,
specially of them that believe."
This in effect is to say, wherefore do we mortify ourselves, unless
we expect future blessings? Have we endured so many evils, submitted
to so many reproaches, suffered such insults and calumnies, and such
numerous calamities in vain? For if we did not trust in the living
God, on what account did we submit to these things? But if God is
here the Saviour of the unbelieving, much more is He of the faithful
hereafter. What salvation does he speak of? That to come? "Who is
the Saviour," he says, "of all men, specially of them that
believe." At present he is speaking of that which is here. But how
is He the Saviour of the faithful? Had he not been so, they must
long since have been destroyed, for all men have made war upon them.
He calls him here to endure perils, that having God for his Saviour
he may not faint nor need any aid from others, but willingly and with
fortitude endure all things. Even those who eagerly grasp at worldly
advantages, supported by the hope of gain, cheerfully undertake
laborious enterprises.
It is then the last time. For "in the latter times," he says,
"some shall depart from the faith." "Forbidding to marry." And
do not we forbid to marry? God forbid. We do not forbid those who
wish to marry, but those who do not wish to marry, we exhort to
virginity. It is one thing to forbid, and another to leave one to his
own free choice. He that forbids, does it once for all, but he who
recommends virginity as a higher state, does not forbid marriage,
because he prefers virginity.
"Forbidding to marry," he says, "and commanding to abstain from
meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them
which believe and know the truth." It is well said, "who know the
truth." The former things then were a type. For nothing is unclean
by nature, but it becomes so through the conscience of him that
partakes of it. And what was the object of the prohibition of so many
meats? To restrain excessive luxury. But had it been said, "eat
not for the sake of luxury," it would not have been borne. They were
therefore shut up under the necessity of the law, that they might
abstain from the stronger principle of fear. The fish was not
forbidden, though it was manifestly more unclean than the swine. But
they might have learned how pernicious luxury was from that saying of
Moses, "Jeshurun waxed fat, and kicked." (Deut. xxxii.
15.) Another cause of these prohibitions might be, that being
straitened for other food, they might be reduced to slaughter sheep and
oxen; he therefore restrained them from other things, on account of
Apis and the calf, which was an abomination, ungrateful, polluted,
and profane.
"Put them in remembrance of these things, meditate upon these
things," for by the expression, "nourished up in the words of faith
and sound doctrine," is implied that he should not only recommend
these things to others, but himself practice them. For he says,
"Nourished up in the words of faith, and of good doctrine, whereunto
thou hast attained. But refuse profane and old wives' fables." Why
does he not say, abstain from them, but "refuse"? He thus
intimates that they should be utterly rejected. His meaning is, that
he should not enter into any disputation with the teachers of them, but
recommend to his own people the things prescribed above. For nothing
is to be gained by contending with perverse men, unless where it might
have an injurious effect, if we were supposed from weakness to decline
arguing with them.
"But exercise thyself unto godliness," that is, unto a pure life,
and the most virtuous conversation. He that exerciseth himself, even
when it is not the season of contest, acts always as if he were
contending, practices abstinence, endures all toils, is always
anxious, endures much labor. "Exercise thyself," he saith, "unto
godliness; for bodily exercise profiteth little, but godliness is
profitable for all things, having the promise of the life that now is,
and of that which is to come." And why, says one, does he mention
this bodily exercise? To show by comparison the superiority of the
other, in that the former is of no solid advantage, though it is
attended with many toils, whilst the latter has a lasting and abundant
good. As when he bids women "adorn themselves, not with broidered
hair, or gold, or costly array: but which becometh women possessing
godliness; with good works." (1 Tim. ii. 9, 10.)
MORAL. "This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all
acceptation. For therefore we both labor and suffer reproach." Did
Paul then suffer reproach, and art thou impatient? Did Paul labor,
and wouldest thou live luxuriously? But had he lived luxuriously, he
would never have attained such great blessings. For if worldly goods,
which are uncertain and perishable, are never gained by men without
labor and pains, much less are spiritual. Well, saith one, but some
inherit them. Yet even when inherited they are not guarded and
preserved without labor, and care, and trouble, no less than those
have that have gained them. And I need not say that many who have
toiled and endured hardships have been disappointed at the very entrance
of the harbor, and an adverse wind has caused the wreck of their
hopes, when they were upon the point of possession. But with us there
is nothing like this. For it is God who promised, and that "hope
maketh not ashamed." (Rom. v. 5.) Ye who are conversant with
worldly affairs, know ye not how many men, after infinite toils, have
not enjoyed the fruit of their labors, either being previously cut off
by death, or overtaken by misfortune, or assailed by disease, or
ruined by false accusers, or some other cause, which amidst the
variety of human casualties, has forced them to go with empty hands?
But do you not see the lucky men, says one, who with little labor
acquire the good things of life? What good things? Money, houses,
so many acres of land, trains of servants, heaps of gold and silver?
Can you call these good things, and not hide your head for shame? A
man called to the pursuit of heavenly wisdom, and gaping after worldly
things, and calling them "goods," which are of no value! If these
things are good, then the possessors of them must be called good. For
is not he good, who is the possessor of what is good? But when the
possessors of these things are guilty of fraud and rapine, shall we
call them good? For if wealth is a good, but is increased by
grasping, the more it is increased, the more will its possessor be
considered to be good. Is the grasping man then good? But if wealth
is good, and increases by grasping, the more a man grasps, the better
he must be. Is not this plainly a contradiction? But suppose the
wealth is not gained wrongfully. And how is this possible? So
destructive a passion is avarice, that to grow rich without injustice
is impossible. This Christ declared, saying, "Make to yourselves
friends of the Mammon of unrighteousness." (Luke xvi. 19.)
But what if he succeeded to his father's inheritance? Then he
received what had been gathered by injustice. For it was not from
Adam that his ancestor inherited riches, but, of the many that were
before him, some one must probably have unjustly taken and enjoyed the
goods of others. What then? he says, did Abraham hold unrighteous
wealth; and Job, that blameless, righteous, and faithful man, who
"feared God and eschewed evil"? Theirs was a wealth that consisted
not in gold and silver, nor in houses, but in cattle. Besides this,
he was enriched by God. And the author of that book, relating what
happened to that blessed man, mentions the loss of his camels, his
mares and asses, but does not speak of treasures of gold or silver
being taken away. The riches of Abraham too were his domestics.
What then? Did he not buy them? No, for to this very point the
Scripture says, that the three hundred and eighteen were born in his
house. (Gen. xix. 14.) He had also sheep and oxen. Whence
then did he send gold to Rebekah? (Gen. xxiv. 22; xii.
16.) From the gifts which he received from Egypt without violence
or wrong.
Tell me, then, whence art thou rich? From whom didst thou receive
it, and from whom he who transmitted it to thee? From his father and
his grandfather. But canst thou, ascending through many generations,
show the acquisition just? It cannot be. The root and origin of it
must have been injustice. Why? Because God in the beginning made
not one man rich, and another poor. Nor did He afterwards take and
show to one treasures of gold, and deny to the other the right of
searching for it: but He left the earth free to all alike. Why
then, if it is common, have you so many acres of land, while your
neighbor has not a portion of it? It was transmitted to me by my
father. And by whom to him? By his forefathers. But you must go
back and find the original owner. Jacob had wealth, but it was earned
as the hire of his labors.
But I will not urge this argument too closely. Let your riches be
justly gained, and without rapine. For you are not responsible for
the covetous acts of your father. Your wealth may be derived from
rapine; but you were not the plunderer. Or granting that he did not
obtain it by robbery, that his gold was cast up somewhere out of the
earth. What then? Is wealth therefore good? By no means. At the
same time it is not bad, he says, if its possessor be not covetous;
it is not bad, if it be distributed to the poor, otherwise it is bad,
it is ensnaring. "But if he does not evil, though he does no good,
it is not bad," he argues. True. But is not this an evil, that
you alone should have the Lord's property, that you alone should
enjoy what is common? Is not "the earth God's, and the fullness
thereof"? If then our possessions belong to one common Lord, they
belong also to our fellow-servants. The possessions of one Lord are
all common. Do we not see this the settled rule in great houses? To
all is given an equal portion of provisions, for it proceeds from the
treasures of their Lord. And the house of the master is opened to
all. The king's possessions are all common, as cities,
market-places, and public walks. We all share them equally.
Mark the wise dispensation of God. That He might put mankind to
shame, He hath made certain things common, as the sun, air, earth,
and water, the heaven, the sea, the light, the stars; whose
benefits are dispensed equally to all as brethren. We are all formed
with the same eyes, the same body, the same soul, the same structure
in all respects, all things from the earth, all men from one man, and
all in the same habitation. But these are not enough to shame us.
Other things then (as we have said) He hath made common, as baths,
cities, market-places, walks. And observe, that concerning things
that are common there is no contention, but all is peaceable. But
when one attempts to possess himself of anything, to make it his own,
then contention is introduced, as if nature herself were indignant,
that when God brings us together in every way, we are eager to divide
and separate ourselves by appropriating things, and by using those cold
words "mine and thine." Then there is contention and uneasiness.
But where this is not, no strife or contention is bred. This state
therefore is rather our inheritance, and more agreeable to nature.
Why is it, that there is never a dispute about a market-place? Is
it not because it is common to all? But about a house, and about
property, men are always disputing. Things necessary are set before
us in common; but even in the least things we do not observe a
community. Yet those greater things He hath opened freely to all,
that we might thence be instructed to have these inferior things in
common. Yet for all this, we are not instructed.
But as I said, how can he, who is rich, be a good man? When he
distributes his riches, he is good, so that he is good when he has
ceased to have it, when he gives it to others; but whilst he keeps it
himself, he is not good. How then is that a good which being retained
renders men evil, being parted with makes them good? Not therefore to
have wealth, but to have it not, makes one appear to be good. Wealth
therefore is not a good. But if, when you can receive it, you
receive it not, again you are good.
If then we are good, when having it, we distribute it to others; or
when offered to us we refuse it, and if we are not good, when we
receive or gain it, how can it be a good thing in itself? Call it not
therefore a good. You possess it not, because you think it a good,
because you are anxious to possess it. Cleanse thy mind, and rectify
thy judgment, and then thou wilt be good. Learn what are really
goods. What are they? Virtue and benevolence.
These and not that, are truly good. According to this rule, the
more charitable thou art, the more good thou wilt be considered. But
if thou art rich, thou art no longer good. Let us therefore become
thus good, that we may be really good, and may obtain the good things
to come in Jesus Christ, with whom,
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