1 Timothy 4:15Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

If he does not move forward through life's rapids with constant attention and labor, the waves carry him back. So also a man educated in school for life may abandon his independent development at the very beginning of public activity.

Then he falls behind the contemporary movement in the sea of life. He becomes dull and insensitive to the urgent questions of life. Without the slightest struggle, he is carried far into the depths of what is past, obsolete, and unfit for the present.

Thus he buries in the earth, so to speak, the talent given to him. He no longer becomes the worker useful to all that his school prepared him to be, and that society wished to see in him.

Whoever lives in life without struggle and labor, as is noticeable, grows old prematurely in both soul and body. Not without a special wise purpose did the Lord assign constant bodily labor to Adam even in his life in paradise.

The Apostle also reminds Timothy not to slacken for a single moment in labor and activity. He says: "Do not neglect the gift that abides in you, which was given to you by a special, supernatural indication, by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the priesthood."

This took place at the common prayers not only of the Apostle Paul himself, who ordained him, but also of other sacred persons who took part in the ordination.

"I remind you to stir up the gift of God" (2 Tim 1:6). Timothy had to care for this constantly all the more because he was bishop of Ephesus.

That city was full of every superstition, magic, and philosophical vain wisdom. It was a city of noisy life, extensive commerce, and corruption.

A bishop in such a place must be both the salt of the earth, giving savor and preventing decay, the moral corruption of life, and the light of the world (Mt 5:13-14). He must constantly illumine and warm those around him by his word and by his blameless life.

Certainly for this. For by being enlightened from this, men hymn and glorify our heavenly Father and God. "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father Who is in heaven" (Mt 5:16).

The mouth of the Lord spoke these things.

It must be said that Timothy was converted to Christ and received the common gifts of the Holy Spirit not from the Apostle Paul, but before his meeting with him (Acts 16:1-2).

Thus sacred office-bearers, such as hierarchs, were not only chosen and appointed even in the apostolic age. They were also ordained, that is, through the laying on of hands they received special gifts of the Holy Spirit corresponding to their ministry.

"By prophecy." Earlier, in verse 18 of chapter 1, the Apostle wrote to Timothy that he should "war the good warfare" in accordance with the prophecies previously made concerning him. Therefore Timothy's ordination was joined with prophecies approving his election and bearing witness to the worthiness of the chosen man.

Something similar is preserved in our Church to this day, when at ordination άξιος is proclaimed, which means "worthy."

"With the laying on of the hands of the presbytery." This expression recalls the rule that comes from the apostles and is preserved by the Church. At the ordination of a bishop, not one bishop alone, but several bishops, lay hands upon the one ordained.

The presbytery, or priesthood, indicates in the Apostle several sacred persons who took part together with him in Timothy's ordination.

In 2 Timothy (1:6), the Apostle exhorts him to stir up the gift of God that dwells in him "through my hands," that is, the Apostle's hands. Here he speaks of the laying on of the hands of the presbytery, or seniority.

Blessed Theodoret writes that by "presbytery" the Apostle here means those who were deemed worthy of apostolic grace. Saint John Chrysostom testifies that the Apostle speaks here not of presbyters, but of bishops, for presbyters did not ordain bishops.

As if explaining all this, Bishop Theophan writes: "In such a case the meaning of the whole passage will be this. Do not neglect the gift given to you by the laying on of my hands, according to prophecy, with the consent of the whole priesthood."

"It expressed that consent by laying hands upon you. It gave the hands of consent. Therefore the gift in question was given by the laying on of Saint Paul's hands."

"Speaking of the laying on of the hands of the presbytery, the Apostle attributes to this outward action the property of bestowing grace, which abides in Timothy's soul. Thus this outward action, accompanied by the word of prayer, truly and actually brings down the grace of priesthood."

"This is the very priesthood established as a special mystery."

"Gift," charism, in the Apostle Paul means the whole sum of gifts received from God through Jesus Christ (Rom 1:11; 11:20; 1 Cor 1:7; 2 Cor 1:11), says P. Polyansky.

"The Apostle himself ordained Timothy. This supposition is justified by the prepositions dia, 'through,' in 2 Tim 1:6, and meta, 'with,' in the passage under discussion. Dia indicates the principal active cause, while meta indicates a cooperating cause."

This is seen in Jn 1:3; Rom 1:5; 1 Cor 1:9; Mt 16:27; Acts 14:27; Eph 6:7.

Concerning the particular instructions, Saint John Chrysostom remarks: "See how insistently he urges Timothy to one and the same thing."

Bishop Theophan presents the Apostle Paul as speaking in this way: "As a soldier is wholly in his art, and a scholar wholly in his science, so you must be wholly in your pastorate. This is the essential condition for appearing perfect in the work to which one is called."

Be devoted to this alone with your whole soul. As a soldier is wholly in his warfare, an artist wholly in his art, and a scholar wholly in his science, so you must be wholly in your pastorate.

This is the essential condition for appearing perfect in the work one undertakes, or to which one is called. Therefore the Apostle immediately adds: "that your progress may be manifest to all."

"Progress" means success, perfection. It means that it should be evident that you are perfect in everything, both in life and in teaching. Or it means that all should see you are perfect in your work and rank, that is, in the pastorate.

In this way it will come about by itself that no one will despise your youth. Oecumenius writes: "Great progress is indicated, for if it were not very great it would not be manifest. The phrase 'to all' means either to all people or in all things."

Theophylact adds: "In all things, that is, not only in life, but also in the word of teaching. See how great and wondrous he wishes him to be even in this!"

None of our commentators reads the words "understand these things." From 1 Tim 4:14 to the end of the chapter, the Apostle sets forth persuasive considerations as an exhortation to good pastorship.

In verse 14 he says: do not neglect the gift. Here he says: let your progress be manifest to all. Further on he says: you will save both yourself and those who hear you.

"See," says Saint Chrysostom, "how insistently he urges him to one and the same thing. He wishes to show that a teacher must strive above all for this," that is, to be an example and to teach.