1 Timothy 6:4Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

He washed the disciples' feet. How will one who knows this exalt himself? For this reason the Lord said, "When you have done all that was commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants" (Lk 17:10). The publican gained favor by humility of mind alone. The Pharisee perished through pride.

Therefore whoever is proud knows none of these things. Again Christ Himself says, "If I have spoken evil, bear witness to the evil. But if well, why do you strike Me?" (Jn 18:23). "He is diseased," he says, "with disputes." Thus disputation is a sickness.

"And word-battles." And rightly so. When the soul is inflamed by thoughts, and when they toss it about, then it investigates. But when it is in a healthy condition, it does not investigate, but receives by faith.

By investigation and disputes nothing can be found. When inquiry attempts to explain what is proclaimed by faith alone, it neither discovers it nor enables it to be understood.

If someone, having closed his eyes, wanted to find something he was seeking, he could not succeed. Likewise, if he opened his eyes but buried himself in the earth and turned away from the sun's rays, he would again find nothing there.

So without faith nothing can be found. Disputes must inevitably be born. "From which come envy, strife, slanders, evil suspicions." That is, harmful opinions and teachings are born from inquiries. We begin to think about God what we ought not when we set about inquiry.

"But he is diseased with a passion for disputes and word-battles." Thus disputation is a sickness. Where there is no faith, everything is sick. There only a war of words flares up, and nothing more. The more skilled disputant strains to overthrow the other.

Faith is an eye. He who has no eyes finds nothing, but only seeks. "From which come envy, strife, slanders, evil suspicions." That is, harmful doctrines are born from disputes. When we give ourselves to disputes, we begin to blaspheme and to think about God what we ought not.

From this there arises a kind of destructive disease that infects those nearby. This is what the words mean: "evil conversations of men corrupted in mind." For just as sick sheep grazing with healthy ones transmit their disease to them, so these men fill their neighbors with contagion.

Therefore the Apostle cries out to Timothy with a strict prohibition: "Withdraw from such men." And since they considered piety to be gain, he adds: "Great gain is piety with contentment" (v. 6).

For pride comes not from knowledge, but from ignorance. He who rightly understands God's commandments and the teaching of how the God-man Word became man, humbling Himself to the form of a servant (Phil 2:8), will never become proud. Knowledge of external wisdom puffs up, as is said elsewhere (1 Cor 8:1). But knowledge of true wisdom teaches humility of mind.

"But diseased about disputes and word-battles."

He is diseased who occupies himself with useless inquiries and word-battles. The Apostle rightly called such a man diseased. For whoever turns away from healthy food and takes harmful food will certainly fall ill, grow fat, and swell. But such fullness is deceptive, because it is contrary to nature.

"From which come envy."

Because of these word-battles, mutual envy arises among the disputants over superiority in speech and honor.

"Strife."

They dispute for victory, not wishing to be defeated.

"Blasphemies."

In the strict sense, blasphemy means bold and unrestrained words against God and, in general, against everything divine. Thus someone says of God that He is not God, or that He is unjust, cruel, and the like. Likewise, blasphemy against a man is expressed in insolent words and evil speech.

"Evil suspicions."

Wrong and unworthy suspicions and opinions.

Such people must be regarded only as corrupted in mind, that is, as sick. Caring only for profit and the advantages of life, they look even on religion as a means of gain. Therefore they preach it not as it has been received, or as is fitting, but as seems more profitable to them.

But there is also excessive or needless contentiousness, a passion for arguing. As soon as another thought is expressed or some statement is made, the contentious man already objects. Even if he has no need to object, because the matter is very clear or seems unimportant, he certainly objects. He does this from the mere habit of agreeing with no one and nothing, or only of appearing to disagree.

It is regrettable that this man is not satisfied even with the first objection. When he is refuted, he starts a new dispute. Finally, having nothing with which to defend himself, he merely plays with words. Thus disputes of this kind prove only a vain intention to think differently from others and a desire to stand one's ground.

There is decidedly no humility in such disputes. They bring only disturbance to the breast and spirit of the disputant himself. But is the disputant pleasant to others, and is he useful for the matter itself? No. He disturbs the quiet conversation of his neighbors, and he both reaches a quarrel himself and leads others to it (2 Tim 2:23). Therefore he makes people avoid him in society.

The character of disputes consists in this: one says, "This is so," and another objects, "No, it is not so." Or one says, "This is mine," and another says, "It is not yours at all, but mine." Even such unsupported wrangling quickly leads disputes to a quarrel.

Thus two men lived together in constant peace, but wished to quarrel with each other at least artificially and once. They placed some insignificant thing between them and began to say in turn, "The thing is mine," and, "No, it is not yours at all, but mine." This dispute would at once have led them to a quarrel if, after the second or third objection, one had not answered, "If it is yours, then take it."

Even where people gather precisely to exchange thoughts, to present their opinions and proposals, as at congresses, councils, and public assemblies, disputes take much time there too. They disputed for a long time, but did not resolve the matter. Why? Because in such a case they easily turn aside from their task and entangle the matter, while many questions still remain ahead for decision.

By contrast, how pleasant is the conversation where there are no disputes. On the other hand, how prudent and pleasant are those people who gather to resolve certain perplexities and proposals by open judgments, and first define the disputed question for themselves with complete precision.

Having defined it, they themselves do not depart from it and restrain others from departing from the subject of dispute. They do not allow themselves to touch on anyone's personal side. Each time they moderate their voice, so that loud disputing will not disturb the listeners, especially women. Finally, when they notice the complete uselessness of the debates, they begin to be silent.

"But should one," they will say, "for fear of being called contentious and unpleasant, immediately agree with every opinion?" No. That would be another extreme. Unfortunately, for this extreme many sacrifice the truth of thought and the righteousness of the matter.

One may avoid only that dispute from which no benefit is seen. But when an incorrect thought or an unrighteous matter is being defended, then one should not agree with it in the soul, nor in deed express agreement with it by signature or by any other participation.

So that others may not be deceived by our agreement with them when we are silent, we will do well if we modestly express that we are beginning to be silent only for the sake of avoiding further disputes. It is still better to postpone the disputed subject to another time, because time will make it possible to think more deeply about this very subject.

In general, one must make it a rule that after a dispute over one subject has gone on up to three times, one should begin to be silent. For everything excessive is from the evil one. Christian, do not love disputes that disturb your peace with your neighbor, and especially harm family peace.

Together with defining the chief aim of the false teachers, the Apostle also defines their other traits. These are ignorance of the truth, a passion for disputes and evil speech, and corruption of mind. All this makes them inaccessible to persuasion.

Therefore withdrawal from them must be considered best. By associating with them one may be infected, as people are infected by many diseases, even by madness.

"To be inflamed with pride happens not from knowledge, but from ignorance," says St. John Chrysostom, "because he who knows the teaching according to piety knows better than all how to humble himself."

"Those who have departed from the truth and follow their own thoughts attempt to teach what is improper. From this evil suspicions are born, and from them comes a kind of disease that infects those nearby. For as sick sheep grazing with healthy ones transmit disease to them, so these men fill their neighbors with contagion" (Blessed Theodoret).

"Where there is no faith," says Blessed Theophylact, "everything is sick. There only a war of words flares up, while the more skilled disputant strains to overthrow the other. Faith is an eye. He who has no eyes finds nothing, but only seeks. Disputants attract disciples to themselves, use them, and strive ever more in disputes, so as to draw them to themselves more and more."

"They are corrupted in mind because they are deprived of the truth. As possession of the truth is the health of the mind, so deprivation of the truth is its sickness and corruption. Deprivation of truth produces two evils in the mind: either the darkness of ignorance, or corruption by false belief. Darkness, the deprivation of light, causes numbness and even death. This is a great evil. Yet one may think of the numbed man that he will depart, come to himself, and live again. But one corrupted by false belief gives no such hope. He is damaged inwardly, and therefore can be restored to health only by divine power, especially by grace" (Bishop Theophan).

All teachers of other doctrine are puffed up, although they sometimes cover themselves with a very humble appearance. They are wolves in sheep's clothing.

Tetuphōtai, the Apostle says: he has swollen up like a soap bubble. A soap bubble seems to be something, but in fact it has nothing firm in itself.

So also the teacher of other doctrine does not conform to the direct word of God, nor to the teaching of the Church, which is the pillar and foundation of the truth.

Having built by his own mind a system of teaching about salvation, he carries it about with him. In self-delusion he imagines that at last he has grasped the truth which others do not know. And he puffs himself up.

Yet it is obvious that he does not know the truth, but has deviated into falsehood. Falsehood asserts that what does not exist does exist.

Therefore, although it presents itself as knowledge and may appear so to others, in fact it knows nothing. It only bubbles up as though it knew.

The Apostle marks this when he says that the one teaching otherwise "is puffed up, knowing nothing." Suppose someone should deceive your eyes and present a heap of rubbish to you as a heap of gold.

It would appear to you to be a heap of gold, but in reality it would still be a heap of rubbish. Such is every system of teachers of other doctrine.

It appears brilliant, like golden truth. In reality it is a collection of fantasies containing no truth. One may take this as a sign.

As soon as puffed-up self-opinion is joined to some mental construction, know that falsehood is hidden there. It is not the comprehension of truth, but fantasy and ignorance.

Saint Chrysostom says, "Therefore it happens that we are inflamed with pride not from knowledge of the truth, but from ignorance of it. For the one who knows the teaching consistent with piety knows best of all how to humble himself.

The one instructed in sound doctrine is not possessed by this illness of pride. Therefore someone may know something, or think he knows, and yet know nothing as he should. For whoever does not know what he ought to know, knows nothing."

Since the teacher of other doctrine has built his own system of teaching and is swollen with it, he cannot tolerate anything inconsistent with him.

He regards it as an insult to himself in the most sensitive place and as a humiliation of his highly held teaching authority. Therefore he everywhere introduces questionings and disputes about words.

Fierce contentiousness accompanies him and follows in his tracks. This is what Saint Paul next sets forth: "sick with questionings and disputes of words."

Questionings, zētēseis, are inquiries and the setting forth of questions: what is this, whence is that, how is that thing so, and the like. Then discussions begin, and no end to them should be expected.

Disputes of words, logomachiai, are war over words. Since the teacher of other doctrine offers as truth what is not truth, and to which reality does not correspond, his speech contains nothing substantial.

It is a heap of words. In defending himself, he does nothing else than quarrel over words. He is sick with word-strife.

By saying "sick," the Apostle gives the thought that an insatiable impulse toward disputes reigns in the soul of the teacher of other doctrine. This contentiousness sits within him like some sore. And he disputes endlessly.

The Apostles had as a rule not to begin disputes. "We have no such custom," he says (cf. 1 Cor 11:16). Saint Paul writes both to Saint Titus and Saint Timothy not to enter into disputes.

Speak or bear witness to the truth, and that is enough. Whoever is of the truth will listen. Whoever is not of the truth, however much you dispute with him, you will accomplish nothing with him.

Dispute arises from anxiety over the firmness of a thought. This anxiety comes from a lack of conviction concerning the all-sufficiency of its foundations. The Apostles received the truth directly from God, and they rested immovably in faith in it.

Special arguments for confirming the truth were not required for them. Nor did they invent such arguments for others. They only expounded what God the Holy Spirit inspired in them.

This is what teachers of other doctrine lack. They hasten to make it up with the noise of words. What the Apostles did is still done in the Church to this day.

She offers the teaching according to piety, which she received from God through the Apostles, and which she has kept and keeps. Whoever is of the truth listens. Whoever is not of the truth goes away.

The Church sees this, but does not stir up disputes. She only prays. Saint Chrysostom says, "Therefore contention is an illness. And rightly so.

The soul engages in inquiry, zētēsis, when it is inflamed by thoughts as by fever, and when they storm it. That is, when it is sick. But when it is in a healthy state, it does not inquire, but rests in faith.

Through inquiry and disputes nothing can be found. For when inquiry approaches the clarification of what is proclaimed by faith alone, it neither discloses it nor grants understanding of it.

It is as though someone, closing his eyes, should begin to seek something he desires to find. He would not be able to succeed. So without faith nothing can be discovered. Disputes must inevitably be born."

"Where there is no faith," Theophylact continues, "there everything is sick. There only verbal war, war over words, flares up, and nothing more. In it the more skilled in controversy strains to overthrow the other.

Faith is the eye. One who has no eyes finds nothing, but only seeks." Knowing nothing, he swells up as though all-knowing, and he is sick with contentiousness. Such is the character of the teacher of other doctrine.

What fruit now comes from this? "From these," that is, from questionings and disputes of words, "come envy, rivalry, blasphemies, evil suspicions." All this is seen in every word-strife.

Envy envies because another has gained the upper hand. It is accompanied by rivalry, eris, a zeal that provokes an intense effort not to let another get ahead or prevail.

It also strives to cast the one who prevailed back down beneath oneself. From this zeal comes the heat of dispute. In the heat of dispute, blasphemies and evil suspicions involuntarily break out.

Blasphemies: they revile one another for turns of speech, inconsistency, ignorance of facts and aspects of the matter, inaccurate understanding of testimonies, and the like.

This most of all inflames irritation. By implanting discord and hostility, it bars every entrance of truth into the soul. Yet simple reviling cannot help but give off the smell of blasphemy against God.

For the disputing teacher of other doctrine goes against the truth, and against God's truth. Therefore he goes against God. By reviling God's truth, he reviles God.

Nor is it surprising if some blasphemy breaks forth directly against God, concerning, for example, the ordering of salvation, the holy mysteries, and providence in general.

Evil suspicions, hyponoiai ponērai. Hyponoiai are suspicions, thoughts running up and stealing in: is it not really so? The teacher of other doctrine does not spare the conscience of one who disagrees with him.

He mercilessly pours out phrases, increasingly sharp. Among them it is not surprising to find some which leave an impression and produce wavering: is it not so?

This "is it not so," like a splinter, enters the heart and darkens the peace of faith and the brightness of the soul's state. Here is an example.

A young monk was sent somewhere by his elder. On the road a Jew attached himself to him and began a dispute in defense of Judaism. It ended when the monk said, "Perhaps it is so."

When he returned home, the elder saw him dark as soot. "Perhaps it is so" was his evil suspicion, and see what it produced.

As evil, proceeding from the evil and dark one, it filled his whole soul and body with darkness. Certainly this happened because it also brought the evil and dark one himself within.

Rest in faith, fleeing every dispute, and you will escape such misfortune. Evil suspicions seem to be nothing, like a slight movement of air.

So it appears, but in reality they are a true wound requiring healing. In matters of faith they are like thoughts that take possession of the heart in the matter of life.

The latter are either driven out by struggle or cast one into a fall. So also with the former. One must either fight quickly, restoring the point of faith against which they are directed, or inevitably fall under their power.

If one does not do this, he deviates from the truth. Thus all errors spread, and all apostasies from the faith are accomplished.