Online Resource Library
Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | DownloadHeinrich Meyer Commentary - 1 Timothy 3:13 - 3:13
(Show All Books | Show All Chapters)
This Chapter Verse Commentaries:
1Ti_3:13. To these instructions he adds in this verse a reason: οἱ γὰρ καλῶς διακονήσαντες ( διακονεῖν is here and in 1Ti_3:10 used in the official sense) βαθμὸν ἑαυτοῖς καλὸν περιποιοῦνται .[130] The word ΒΑΘΜΌς , which occurs only here, denotes, like gradus, in the figurative sense, a degree of honour. As to what is to be understood by this, expositors are not agreed; but we may reject at once all explanations in which a comparative is put in place of the positive καλόν . This objection applies to the view that ΒΑΘΜΌς denotes here the higher ecclesiastical office, the office of bishop (Jerome: “bonum hic pro gradu majori posuit; sunt enim minores [diaconi];” Bengel: “gradum ab humilitate diaconiae ad majora munera, in ecclesia. Qui in minore gradu fidelis est, ad majora promovetur;” so, too, Theophylact, Erasmus, Beza, Grotius, Heumann, Heydenreich, Baur, Plitt, and others), which view, moreover, presupposes a regulation of rank altogether foreign to the apostolic age. The same objection applies to the view that ΒΑΘΜῸς ΚΑΛΌς is a higher stage of the life of faith, i.e. an increase in Christian perfection. The expositors who hold by the positive καλός , interpret the idea, some of the future, others of the present life. The former understand by it “a higher stage of blessedness;” so Theodoret ( τὸν τίμιον τοῦτον βαθμὸν ἐν τῷ μέλλοντι λήψονται βίῳ ), Flatt, and others; the latter explain the expression as applying to “respect in the church;” so Calvin, Planck, Wegscheider, Leo, Matthies, and others.
Heinrich, de “Wette, and Wiesinger agree with the view of the former, only modifying it to mean not a stage of holiness, but “the expectancy of it.” This modification is, however, unwarrantable, since the idea of “expectancy or claim” is imported. βαθμός means a stage; it cannot at the same time mean the claim to a stage; and if ΒΑΘΜΌς must mean the claim to something, then there is nothing to indicate what the claim refers to.
The decision between the two interpretations depends on the explanation of the words that follow: ΚΑῚ ΠΟΛΛῊΝ ΠΑῤῬΗΣΊΑΝ ἘΝ ΠΊΣΤΕΙ Τῇ ἘΝ ΧΡΙΣΤῷ ἸΗΣΟῦ ] ΠΑῤῬΗΣΊΑ means, in the first place, candour in speech; then more generally, bold courage in action, synonymous with ἌΔΕΙΑ (Hesychius); and lastly, firm confidence in something; thus in reference to men, 2Co_7:4 ( ΠΟΛΛΉ ΜΟΙ ΠΑῤῬΗΣΊΑ ΠΡῸς ὙΜᾶς ), or to God, viz. the confidence which the Christian in faith has in the saving grace of God; so in the Epistle to the Hebrews and in the First Epistle of John.[131] If βαθμός is to be referred to future blessedness, then παῤῥησία here, as in 1Jn_3:21, Heb_4:16, is confidence toward God. But in 1Jn_3:21 we have πρὸς τὸν Θεόν along with παῤῥησία , and in Heb_4:16 μετὰ παῤῥησίας is added to define more precisely the clause: προσερχώμεθα τῷ θρόνῳ τῆς χάριτος ; as to the parallel passage in 1Ti_6:19, to which de Wette likewise appeals, the reference to the future life is distinctly expressed by the words εἰς τὸ μέλλον . Of all this there is nothing here; there is nothing, either here or with καλὸν βαθμόν , to direct us to the future life, nothing to indicate that with παῤῥησία we should supply πρὸς τὸν Θεόν , or the like. Hence it is more natural to refer these ideas to the sphere in which the διακονεῖν takes place, and to understand by βαθμός , respect in the church;[132] by ΠΑῤῬΗΣΊΑ , confidence in their official labours. These two things stand in closest relation to one another, since only he can possess right confidence in his office who is open to no just reproach, who is honoured for conducting himself well in the matters with which his office is concerned. Wiesinger, against this view, maintains that “the aorist ( διακονήσαντες ) makes the ΒΑΘΜῸΝ ἙΑΥΤ . ΚΑΛ . ΠΕΡΙΠ . appear to be the final result of the official labour;”[133] but if that were the case, the present ΠΕΡΙΠΟΙΟῦΝΤΑΙ should not have been used, but the perfect; for the acquisition does not take place after the official labour, but during it.
Certainly the aorist is somewhat strange; but it may mean that the βαθμὸς κ . τ . λ . is always the result of good service.[134]
The verb περιποιεῖσθαι , in the N. T. only here and in Act_20:28, has even in classical writers the meaning “gain for oneself.” The dative ἙΑΥΤΟῖς is added to show clearly that he is speaking of the gain to the deacons themselves, and not to the congregation.
ἘΝ ΠΊΣΤΕΙ Τῇ ἘΝ ΧΡΙΣΤῷ ἸΗΣΟῦ ] is not to be joined with ΒΑΘΜΌΝ and ΠΑῤῬΗΣΊΑΝ (van Oosterzee), but only with ΠΑῤῬΗΣΊΑΝ .[135] It is not the sphere in which, nor the object in regard to which, there is παῤῥησία (Heumann: “the boldness to teach the Christian faith even in public;” Wegscheider: “free activity for Christianity, or a greater sphere for the spread of Christianity”); but it denotes the παῤῥησία as Christian, as rooted in Christian faith. The construction of πίστις with ἐν following it, is found also in 2Ti_3:15; Gal_3:26; Eph_1:15; Col_1:4 (only that in these passages there is no article before ἐν , while there is one before πίστις ; on the other hand, comp. Act_20:21; Act_26:18). This construction may be explained to mean that Christ is the object of faith already apprehended; the believer not only has Christ before him, but he lives in communion with Him.
[130] Hofmann thinks that ver. 13 is connected only with ver. 12; because a man might fill the office of deacon well, though he lacked the qualities named in vv. 8–10, but not if his house were badly managed. But that is not the case. Those qualities, not less than the one given in ver. 12, are the necessary conditions for filling the office of deacon well.
[131] Regarding Luther’s translation of παῤῥησία by “joyfulness,” see my Comment. on the Epistles of John , 3 d ed., on 1Jn_4:17.
[132] Van Oosterzee’s opinion is manifestly wrong, that βαθμός is “a beautiful stage of the spiritual life, and also of eternal blessedness.”
[133] The other grounds apply only to the exposition of Matthies, who understands by βαθμὸς καλός “the influential post;” by παῤῥησία , “the free play of thought and speech, a wide open field of spiritual activity.” In this he certainly exceeds the meaning which may be assigned to these words.
[134] Hofmann’s explanation of βαθμός and παῤῥησία agrees in substance with that given here. He is wrong, however, in asserting that the deacons do not acquire both during, but only after their tenure of office. If the latter were the case, the means by which it takes place would not be given.
[135] Hofmann, indeed, holds even this connection of ideas to be unsuitable; but we do not see why the παῤῥησία may not be marked as Christian, as rooted in faith in Christ. To connect it with what follows, would be to suppose that the apostle lays emphasis on a point, which to Timothy would be self-evident.