1 Timothy 3:8Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

And that he said "likewise," wishing them to be such, he indicates when he goes on to say: "reverent, not double-tongued," that is, not crafty and not deceitful. Indeed, nothing makes a man so dishonorable as craftiness. And nothing brings such harm in the Church as deceit.

"Not given to much wine, not greedy for base gain." He did not say, not drunkards, for that is already extremely low, but, not given to much wine. For some, though they do not become drunk, nevertheless drink much and weaken the disposition of the soul. The ancients, when they entered the sanctuary, entirely abandoned the use of wine. A man greedy for base gain is one who refuses no profit, from wherever it may come. Here understand one not greedy for base gain as one who is incorrupt and not a lover of money.

"Not double-tongued." They must be neither wicked nor treacherous. "Not given to much wine." The Apostle did not say that they must not be drunkards, for that is unworthy even of a layman. Rather, he said that they must not drink much wine. For even this destroys the good disposition of the soul and exhausts the mind. "Not greedy for base gain." Here a low and unworthy profit is meant.

Later they also carried out certain external commissions from bishops in their relations with other Churches and with civil authorities. That is, they fulfilled the duties of secretaries and officials for assignments. In the Roman Church they sometimes served as authorized trustees of the papal see. "Not double-tongued." In accordance with the special purpose of deacons, who entered the homes of believers and penetrated all the secrets of the community, the Apostle requires them to be free from the serious defect of double-tonguedness. By this is meant excessive talkativeness and falsehood in conversation. And in accordance with their appointment as collectors and distributors of alms, it is required that they not be seekers of base gain.

Does he mean deaconesses by these women, or simply the wives of deacons? The latter agrees better with the course of the apostolic thought. Immediately before this the Apostle speaks about deacons, and immediately after it he continues speaking about them. Thus the instructional words about women are most naturally understood as one of the Apostle's remarks about deacons themselves. That is, he speaks of what they should be like in their families, or what kind of wives they should have. For this reason, of course, in our Russian translation the explanatory word "their" has been added to the word "women." That is, the wives of deacons must be such and such.

Therefore the Apostle commands them not to be seekers of base gain. By such persons, Blessed Theophylact understands those "who refuse no profit, from wherever it may come." "Taking here the seeker of base gain as a miserly covetous man and lover of money. " he says, "perhaps the Apostle hints at the stingy distribution of Church wealth by deacons and at their appropriation of it for themselves." Also worthy of attention is the following remark by St. John Chrysostom: "See, here too he says: not newly baptized. For the expression, 'let these also first be tested,' means the same as what he said concerning bishops." "Thus the Apostle requires caution in the election of persons to Church offices. He requires that there be no doubt about the actual presence in the candidate of the qualities that are needed. Precisely such testing was practiced in apostolic times, as is evident from the election of the seven deacons" (see P. Polyansky, p. 395).

Judging by this, one cannot fail to see how necessary it was that worthy persons be chosen for this ministry also. This is all the more true because, on entering this degree, they entered the path of movement toward higher degrees of ministry in the Church, as is indicated here as well.

Because of this last circumstance, the qualities required of those chosen for this ministry are similar to those required of those chosen as bishops or presbyters. The distinctive feature appears only in a few traits: namely, that they must first be tested and must hold the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience, being inspired toward good service by the expectation of receiving a higher ministry.

This is not said of bishops, because in the first respect they already appear as tested when they come to election, and in the last respect they receive it.

One part of service in the Church could more conveniently be carried out by women, for example, at the baptism of women and in care for women who were sick. Deaconesses were appointed to perform such ministry. The Apostle did not forget to say a word about them, brief, in one verse, yet embracing much.

Blessed Theodoret, as we saw, holds that above, by the word “bishops,” presbyters are indicated. But Saint Chrysostom maintains that this word means bishops, while the Apostle passed over presbyters, leaving them to be judged according to the bishops.

“Having spoken of bishops, and having outlined their image, and shown what they must possess and what they must avoid, the Apostle passes over the order of presbyters and proceeds to deacons. Why so? Because the distance between presbyters and bishops is not great. The former also received the gift of teaching and are likewise presidents of the Church. Therefore the same things that he said about bishops befit presbyters also. The former differ from the latter only in that they perform their ordination, and in this alone consists their advantage over presbyters.”

Oecumenius and Theophylact hold the same opinion. One thought comes to mind: perhaps the Apostles appointed only bishops, who alone performed everything in the Church. Bishops chose and ordained presbyters to assist themselves only when they alone could not manage everything.

“Deacons likewise.” “That is, they too must have the same things as bishops. What are these same things? To be blameless, chaste, hospitable, gentle, not contentious, not lovers of money,” says Saint Chrysostom.

“Let them too be guided by the same laws,” says blessed Theodoret.

“Grave,” σεμνους, means honorable. “They must, he says, besides what has been said, also have dignity,” says blessed Theophylact. Σεμνος comes from σεβω, “I honor, I revere,” in a religious order. It means both one who is worthy of a certain sacred and reverent honor, and one who himself is reverent and filled with the fear of God, God-fearing.

What is meant is not everyday honesty, but moral gravity and religious reverence.

“Not double-tongued,” μη διλογους, not two-worded, means “not saying one thing to one person and another to another, but adorning the tongue with truth,” says blessed Theodoret. Or, “not keeping one thing in mind and saying another,” says blessed Theophylact.

Since such speech exposes, besides insincerity, a certain craftiness, Saint Chrysostom says, “Not double-tongued means not deceitful, not crafty. Nothing makes a man so dishonorable as deceit, and nothing brings such harm to the Church as craftiness.”

“Not attentive to much wine.” One who is attentive to much wine loves to drink. But “those to whom ministry in the Church is entrusted must above all be freed from this passion,” says blessed Theodoret.

“He did not say, ‘not drunkards,’ because that is already extremely coarse and base, but ‘not heavy drinkers.’ Even if someone does not become drunk but nevertheless drinks much, the disposition of his soul becomes good for nothing. The ancients, when entering service in the sanctuary, completely abandoned the use of wine,” say blessed Theophylact and Oecumenius.

“Not greedy for shameful gain.” “The one greedy for shameful gain is not, as some supposed, one who does not shrink from receiving certain benefits, but one eager to gather benefits from shameful and utterly improper things,” says blessed Theodoret.

Or he is “one who refuses no profit, from wherever it may come. Here take the one greedy for shameful gain as a miserly acquisitive man and lover of money,” says blessed Theophylact.

“Those acquisitions also should be called shameful which are carefully obtained under the appearance of piety,” says Ambrosiaster. This last had to be feared all the more in deacons, since their task was to relieve needy believers from the Church’s possessions.