That thou keep the commandment without spot, blameless, unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ,
τηρησαι σε την εντολην ασπιλον ανεπιληπτον μεχρι της επιφανειας του κυριου ημων ιησου χριστου
10 Church Fathers comment on this verse
“To keep the commandment pure and blameless, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ,” that is, until your death, until your departure. Yet he did not say it so, but said, “until the appearing,” in order to encourage him more. What does “to keep the commandment pure” mean? It means bringing upon oneself not the slightest reproach, either in beliefs or in life.
“To keep the commandment pure and blameless.” That is, stain yourself in nothing, neither in dogmas nor in life. “Until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ.” That is, until your death, until your departure. Yet he did not say it so, but said, “until the appearing,” in order to encourage him more, reminding him also of that dread glory.
That you may keep the good confession and the sound faith, spotless and blameless. This means your confession before many judges, and the faith that you have preserved whole, pure, and unharmed until now, even until the coming of our Lord. In nothing surrender yourself to the devil or to men.
“That you keep the commandment,” that is, this very thing about which I write. “Unstained, blameless, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ.” This means: keeping that in view and awaiting it, do not mix anything foreign with the divine teaching.
“That you keep the commandment.” I charge you, he says, to keep the commandment given to you in the present epistle. “Unstained,” that is, preserved in purity of teaching and life. Or else: keep this commandment in purity and innocence. “Blameless.” Keep it without reproach, “until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ.” That is, until the end of your life, even until your last breath. Yet he did not speak this way, but said, “until the appearing of Christ,” in order to encourage him.
“Until the appearing of the Lord.” This should not give occasion to think that the Apostle believed the appearing of Jesus Christ would come very soon. He always affirmed that this time is unknown. Yet for the servant of God it must always be near, and here the Apostle asks that Timothy keep his charge to the end of his life.
Timothy, like every presider of the Church, must be a model of such disinterestedness and non-acquisitiveness. In general, he must be a living example of the good confession made before many witnesses, even until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ. In His own time He will reveal Him who alone has immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, and so forth.
Having called Timothy a man of God, the Apostle adjures him before God to be faithful to God. He must not fear confessing the faith, even if he is brought before authorities as Christ was before Pilate.
Thus, at the future appearing of Christ, he may be blameless, having kept the apostolic commandment in holiness. This concerns both non-possessiveness and everything else written above.
"Again he calls God as witness," says St. John Chrysostom. "At the same time the Apostle increases fear, makes his disciple steadfast, and reveals that these are not human ordinances.
Thus St. Timothy receives this commandment as though from the Lord Himself. Since he always has the witness in mind, by remembering this he shakes his soul.
What, then, does the Apostle here call the good confession? It is that, when Pilate asked Him, 'Are You a king then?' He answered, 'For this I was born, and for this I came, that I should bear witness to the truth' (Jn 18:37).
And when He was asked whether He was the Son of God, He said, 'You say that I am.'
To keep the commandment undefiled means that you should bring upon yourself not the slightest reproach, either for your beliefs or for your life, until the appearing of the Lord, that is, until your departure.
He did not say this literally, but said, 'until the appearing of the Lord,' in order to encourage him more."
According to the explanation of blessed Theodoret, "By the good confession the Apostle meant the salvation of the world. For the sake of its salvation He endured sufferings. The Apostle presents this testimony to his disciple, so that he also may form his disciples with zeal."
According to the thought of His Grace Theophan, the Apostle speaks as though saying: "Confessing Christ Jesus as the Son of God, incarnate and suffering for our salvation, be yourself ready to endure everything, even death, for faith in Him and for life according to His Spirit.
This is the same as what St. Peter writes: 'Since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind'" (1 Pet 4:1).
Applying this to the subject of the discourse, we see here the strongest inducement to non-possessiveness, to fearless confession of faith, and to good pastoral care.
In contrast to this, Timothy must zealously fulfill his calling as a servant of Christ (vv. 11-16). Those who have already become rich he must exhort to use their wealth as befits Christians (vv. 17-19).
What commandment? This one, namely the commandment concerning non-possessiveness. The flow of the discourse compels us to understand it this way. This sense may also be given to the word of Blessed Theodoret, who writes: "That you keep the commandment means this very thing about which I am writing."
What is written beforehand is a warning against covetousness in the command: "Flee these things, and pursue every virtue." Afterward, instructions are given about the saving use of wealth. Consequently, it is entirely fitting to understand "the commandment" here as the exhortation to keep oneself unshared in this destructive passion of love of gain.
But all our other interpreters understand "the commandment" here as faith and life according to faith. Even Blessed Theodoret, in the obligation to keep the commandment spotless and blameless, sees this lesson: "Do not mix anything alien with the divine teaching." That is, keep Christian doctrine pure.
The others add blameless life to pure belief. Saint Chrysostom says: "'That you keep the commandment spotless' means that you bring upon yourself not the slightest reproach, either in beliefs or in life." Oecumenius and Theophylact say: "So that you stain yourself in nothing, neither in dogmas nor in life."
If we accept this thought, we must recognize this whole apostolic charge (cf. 1 Tim 6:13-16) as the concluding word of the Epistle. The Apostle's discourse after this will then be a postscript, though related to the preceding word against covetousness.
After finishing the charge with a prayerful address to God, the Apostle remembered that not everything had been said about possessions. Namely, possessions are not to blame for their destructive effect, but their improper use. He added how wealth must be used, not to the harm of salvation, but as an aid to it. Having said this, he seems to repeat the charge, saying instead of "keep the commandment," "guard the deposit" (1 Tim 6:20). This word may be recognized as an interpretation of the earlier phrase, "keep the commandment."
"The commandment spotless and blameless." The commandment is always pure, spotless, and blameless, however much anyone violates it. But the one who violates it stains himself by what is opposed to the commandment, and through this becomes blameworthy.
"Until the appearing of the Lord." This does not mean that Saint Timothy is being foretold a continuation of life until the coming of the Lord. Rather, it expresses "forever," until the end of his life. For each person, the passage from this life into the other is the moment of standing before the Lord and, consequently, of the Lord's appearing to him, επιφανεια.
Saint Chrysostom says: "'Until the appearing of the Lord' means until your death, until your departure. He did not say it literally in that way, but said, 'until the appearing of the Lord,' in order to encourage him more." This was so as "to enliven and stir his zeal more by remembrance of the Lord's appearing, reminding him also of that dread glory" (Oecumenius, Blessed Theophylact). This means both the glory that will accompany the Lord appearing for judgment, and the glory that, after the judgment, will become the inheritance of believers counted worthy of blessed life.
Or the Apostle said this in the same sense in which the Lord said to the Apostles: "Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (cf. Mt 28:20). In the person of the Apostles the Lord saw all believers and blessed them with such a promise.
Here also, in the person of Saint Timothy, the Apostle saw all chief pastors and pastors. He established it as a law for them, by mutual succession, to keep this commandment, whether this means the faith of Christ or only non-possessiveness, until the appearing of the Lord. That is, until His second coming, the universal resurrection, the judgment, and the final decision of the lot of all. He suggests to them this warning: "Watch, for you do not know at what hour your Lord will come" (cf. Mt 24:42).
Passages read together with this verse.
Greek text, 14 words with lemma, transliteration and Strong’s number. Tap to expand.
THEOSIS