For a novice in the society of believers, “one not previously instructed in divine things, and who, having been enrolled among the disciples, has not first been exercised in virtue, it is not surprising, upon receiving presidency, to give place in himself to the passion of arrogance,” says blessed Theodoret.
But with what judgment does the Apostle threaten him? Into what judgment, condemnation, judicial sentence, or punishment will he fall, and where? The Apostle does not indicate this. Therefore one may think that he wanted only to say that such a man will be worthy of a judgment like the devil’s judgment. He will stand in that rank, both before the face of God and in the opinion of believers, without defining how such judgment and its sentence will be declared.
The Apostle confines the harmful consequence of pride to the moral state of the one who has become proud. He falls down from the height of the bright condition into which the grace of the Holy Spirit placed him through the holy mysteries performed over him.
For pride strips one of this grace, blocks its entrances within, and places the proud man again in that evil spiritual state in which he was before faith, or even lower. There he again falls into the hands of the devil, from whose power God’s grace had delivered him through faith.
Some understand this last consequence of pride as “the judgment of the devil.” “Not newly baptized,” μη νεοφυτον, means not newly planted, not newly grafted. The expression is taken from the Savior’s parabolic speech, where He calls Himself the olive tree, and all believers the shoots, branches, and grafts of this tree.
Those baptized are grafted onto the Lord. Through baptism they put Him on and are filled with His life, as grafts are filled with the sap of the tree onto which they are grafted. Therefore “newly planted” is the same as newly baptized.
But this word does not mean young in age. Saint Timothy was young, and “the divine Paul himself, while in youth, was counted worthy of the calling,” says blessed Theodoret. Yet this did not prevent Saint Paul from being a foremost Apostle, nor Saint Timothy from being a secondary Apostle.
Saint Chrysostom says, “The Apostle adds, ‘not newly baptized,’ meaning here not one young in age, but one newly instructed, just as he says elsewhere, ‘I planted,’ 1 Cor 3:6. He said this wishing to designate the latter, the newly planted. For what prevented him from saying, ‘not young’? Besides, he himself appointed Timothy as bishop despite the fact that he was young, and he bears witness to this when he says to him, ‘Let no one despise your youth,’ 4:12, showing that youth does not hinder this when it is worthy. The Apostle knew that Saint Timothy possessed many virtues, that he had attained great perfection in life, and that he was very knowledgeable. ‘From childhood you have known the sacred writings,’ 2 Tim 3:15, the Apostle says to him in the Epistle. That he kept the strictest fast is clear from the Apostle’s words, ‘Take a little wine for your frequent infirmities,’ cf. 5:23. If the Apostle had not known of such lofty virtues in him, he would not have written to him or entrusted such a high ministry to a disciple. Therefore ‘not newly baptized’ does not mean ‘not young.’ But since at that time many respected men from among the pagans were being converted and baptized, the Apostle says: do not suddenly elevate a newly baptized man, that is, one newly instructed, to the height of authority. If, before he learns everything or becomes a perfect disciple, he is suddenly appointed teacher, he will fall into arrogance. If, without having learned to obey, he takes the place of a ruler, he will become puffed up. Therefore he added, ‘lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the judgment of the devil,’ that is, lest he fall under the same condemnation as the devil underwent for his pride.”
Blessed Theodoret writes, “Here the Apostle called punishment ‘judgment,’” meaning punishment like that which befell the devil. So also all the other interpreters.
But Ambrosiaster sees something else here. He writes, “In truth it happens that one inexperienced in the faith is inflated with pride, especially if he receives ordination. Because of the newness of rank and authority, imagining much about himself, he begins to think that he also stands above others in perfections. Moreover, seeing that in the first year of birth into the new life he has been honored with such honor, he falls into the thought that he was called not for his own progress, but for others, as if he himself conferred more benefits on the faith than he received from it. Having become proud through such thoughts, he falls into the devil’s snares. For Satan, making use of the occasion of his pride, casts him down into the abyss. In this sense it is said in Solomon, ‘God resists the proud,’ cf. Prov 3:34. The same Apostle says in another Epistle, ‘If anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself in his mind,’ cf. Gal 6:3. And the Lord said, ‘Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled,’ Lk 14:11.”
THEOSIS