This word is faithful, because it proceeds from God, who is true and faithful in all His words. It is faithful both in what it lays down as law and in what it promises. God Himself confirmed this faithfulness when He actually bestowed what the word of the Gospel promised, though at first it was received by faith alone.
Thus “faithful” means true, as Chrysostom says. It is the very word that proceeded from God, exactly that word, without addition, subtraction, or alteration. But how can one know that it is such in the man chosen as bishop?
One knows it when he holds fast to the word, not one he has devised himself, but one he has received through instruction, kata didachen. The Savior says that He was taught by the Father. The Apostles were taught by the Lord and Savior. All believers were taught by the Apostles.
In the beginning this instruction constituted the norm of Christian knowledge and the witness to its faithfulness. Whoever held to this instruction held to the faithful word. This is what the Apostle makes law for a bishop: do not give yourself over to speculations. Hold what you received, and teach it as you received it.
“The faithful word,” says Chrysostom, “is what is taught through faith and has no need of reasonings or investigations.” “Not intellectual demonstrations are needed, but the faithful handing down of the teaching,” says Oecumenius.
For it to be such, one must also hold it as such in the heart, without mixing it with one’s own speculations. “Only such a word will be good and trustworthy, like the word of Paul himself,” says blessed Theophylact.
“As the word of God is faithful and worthy of all acceptance, so let the bishop show himself such that everything he says is considered worthy of faith, and his words become a rule of truth,” says blessed Jerome.
And so it will be. Let him only refrain from speculation, and let him transmit as he received and was taught. “What does it matter if he is unskilled in external wisdom? What is needed is not verbal pomp, but sound judgments and strength of thought,” says Chrysostom.
“That he may be able.” That is, if he holds fast to the faithful word according to the teaching, then he will be able. The first is the condition of the second. Whoever brings into this word, faithful according to the teaching, anything from elsewhere weakens it, renders it powerless, and shows himself powerless.
The strength of the bishop’s word lies in its faithfulness to the word according to the teaching. Affirm this: God has taught and commanded that it be held so. Then your word will be victorious. If you begin to speculate, you will provoke counter-speculation. From this come only disputes, irritation, and every injury to the knowledge of truth.
“And to exhort in sound doctrine.” Sound doctrine “is that which teaches both true dogmas and right life,” says Oecumenius. It is the same as the faithful word, which has come, been received, and is held by all according to instruction. It has no foreign admixture that weakens it and makes it feeble and ineffective.
It is like wine diluted with water and spoiled by admixtures, which is weak, ineffective, and even harmful. “To exhort,” parakalein, means to implore, urge, and persuade.
The Apostle teaches that a bishop must be able to teach the faithful word to the faithful and keep them in faith toward it. Whenever their thoughts are troubled by the influx of alien notions and speculations, he must calm them by persuasion and exhortation. He must show that only the word he teaches is faithful, because it has been so handed down and received.
“And to convict those who contradict.” “He must be able not only to protect his own, but also to repel enemies. For if this too is lacking, everything may be thrown into disorder. Let the man who does not know how to contend with enemies, to take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ, and to cast down speculations (see 2 Cor 10:5), be far from the teacher’s throne,” says Chrysostom.
“If these opponents are not convicted and overcome, they can easily corrupt the hearts of the simpler people,” says blessed Jerome.
The Apostle placed teaching last in the enumeration of what must adorn a bishop because, in the bishop, teaching completes all the other qualities and constitutes his distinguishing feature.
“The other qualities may be found even among subordinates, such as purity, the upbringing of children in obedience, hospitality, justice, and piety. But what especially distinguishes a bishop and presbyter is that he instructs the people by teaching. This is something about which people now care not at all,” says Chrysostom.
“If a bishop has only a holy life, then by living thus he benefits only himself. But if he is also apt to teach, he edifies both himself and others. This passage is directed against those who give themselves to inactivity, sloth, and sleep in the work of teaching.
“They do not notice that, after listing the qualities of life worthy of a bishop, the Apostle added a special indication. He commanded that he also be apt to teach,” says blessed Jerome.
“Whoever is unable to contend with enemies and take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ, and is also unable to teach, persuade, and strengthen his own, is a false bishop. What chiefly characterizes a bishop is teaching,” says blessed Theophylact.
THEOSIS