Fragments on 1 Timothy

1the matter of command

Not a mixture, and the things from them are neither blended nor naturally arranged, nor are they indeed divided into two persons. So also Emmanuel, being one from two natures, is one hypostasis and one nature of the incarnate Word; neither have the things from which the ineffable union has occurred become a continuous whole, nor does he, remaining one, allow the dyad to intrude, from which division comes. For the one strictly could never become two, and if the one were to be transferred into two, it would certainly cease to be one.

Therefore, Jesus Christ existing as one—even if someone should name him man by part or say he is a man—having become flesh, is understood to be God; and if one should call him God again, he is identified as the Word having become man. For this reason, knowing him to be one and indivisible, we are necessarily compelled to use the prior definition, saying: consubstantial with the Father according to the divinity and consubstantial with us the same according to the humanity, and the same one being passible in the flesh and impassible in the divinity.

And see how the God-inspired Scripture carries this out according to the similar pattern: on the one hand, Christ is said to be handed over by the Father, and on the other hand, it is written that he himself handed himself over. And Paul, writing to the Romans, says concerning the Father: 'who did not spare his own Son, but delivered him up for us all' (Rom 8:32). But to Timothy he writes this: 'one God and mediator of God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all' (1 Tim 2:5). And behold for me the precision and accuracy of the Scripture. For there he said Christ is the proper Son of God and of the Father, and said: 'who did not spare his own Son,' showing that the one existing of the same essence is proper and not an alien.

2And then, the hidden and economic plan which is for the sake of us all, delivered him. And where the economic plan preceded, it said: Jesus Christ the man. It approached the God-befitting manner and did not say 'the one delivered,' but 'the one who gave himself as a ransom for all.' And he says writing to the Galatians in this way: 'But now I live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me' (Galatians 2:20). Why then are these things so skillfully crafted? And after running through all the harmony of the most God-befitting words spoken, having been added to the Jewish blindness and triviality, the children of Nestorius present the idea of the Christ being delivered or being raised by the Father, and they attempt through these, as it seems to them, not to show him to be a true God after he became truly man.

Regarding 1 Timothy 2:14-15: Because this woman has come into transgression, she will be saved through the children she will have and the descendants who will accomplish piety. What then, if she does not have children, or if she does have them but they are not males? But if indeed some are born, they are born of the common race; through which it is said universally that the transgression belongs to the female race. For if one is the cause for all of evil, how is it not fitting that the many should undo through the generation of the pious the evil that was brought upon them by one woman, since Christ has given the beginning of the undoing through himself? How then will the woman be saved? From the transgression and the disobedience; so that she must also have her own accomplishments, so that when the disobedience is forgiven, she is not condemned for other sins. It is not simply said to her: she will be saved through childbearing, but so that the mothers, having the children, may rear them in all piety and righteousness so as to be saved. To be saved through childbearing—not by means of which the woman transgressed, she is not judged, but she will be saved as a mother of those who obey, that is, according to the logic of obedience, since she has other own accomplishments through which she is saved. And this he says, as we have said, so that the mothers may rear the children in piety. From the reproach of the transgression she will be saved through childbearing. For this the apostle says, not to reproach, but to exhort toward piety and toward rearing the children in faith.

Regarding 1 Timothy 3:1: He did not say of honor, he did not say of wielding a spear, but of a good work, such as a good means, a good labor for the protection of the churches. If anyone aspires to the oversight, he desires a good work. He conceded not that of desire, but that of fitness, so that someone might equip himself for the fitness of oversight; rather, it is an exhortation to a good life, the entrance of desire, and just as a provision becomes for good works and the most beautiful life, so that glories have restrained the desire through...

3He is turned away from more things by being urged toward desire, rather than toward suitability, so that one might equip himself for the suitability of oversight through good works and faith. Rather, the entrance of desire is an exhortation to a good life. And desire is like an entrance into good works and the most beautiful life. So many things are enumerated as must belong to the bishop; it is enough to turn away from bad things so as to have surrendered desire to glories, by which he says what kind of man the bishop must be, and he turns away more.

Regarding 1 Tim 3:2, he most excellently exhorts, addressing in part the kinds of those living an ungraspable life. He does not accuse of striking, but the irrational one is moved; for a just charge rebukes, but an irrational accusation blames.

Regarding 1 Tim 3:16, instead of 'he was manifested in the flesh, but was justified in the spirit' living according to a certain conduct. For if indeed he was in the flesh, but was not conducting himself according to the flesh, but subjected the flesh to the spirit, opening for us the way of righteousness. Or this also he says, that while the Spirit was making signs, Christ was being justified according to our confession and faith. He was manifested to angels. Who? The crucified Christ. But he does not say this, that the angels do not see his divinity; for the Savior himself said that the angels see the face of my Father who is in the heavens. But when he says, 'No one has ever seen God,' it is evident that he has not seen Him as He is, but as far as it is possible to see, both for angel and man. Therefore God is invisible to both angels and men, but he was manifested through the economy. The church on earth was justified in the spirit through confession. This is similar to 'that you might be justified in your words and overcome when you are being judged'; for while the Spirit was making signs, he was being justified according to our confession and the faith of those believing. He who came for the salvation of men was manifested to angels; through this he showed that the divinity of the Only-Begotten is invisible to angels, but he was manifested to them through the flesh. He was taken up in glory; upon the clouds, he says.

Regarding 1 Tim 5:10, instead of 'if she has not refused to be a widow, having had children.' If she has welcomed strangers, making it evident that she is also called faithful even in marriage. If she has washed the feet of the saints, this he added to show that they must also be received with care. And it is evident that he says all these things as requiring them according to ability; for there is no one more perplexed than she who casts in the two obols.

Regarding 1 Tim 5:12, that having promised to remain to Christ, they later married. And regarding the first, he says 'faith' instead of 'first subjection,' and in ancient times 'first' meant the one being first and supreme and highest above all.

Regarding 1 Tim 5:17, teaching is the simple handing down through the words of the Scripture and the explanation of the meanings in the words.