From: 1 Timothy 6:2c-12
False Teachers Described
An Appeal to Defend the Faith
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Commentary:
1-2. It is reckoned that approximately half the population of Ephesus were slaves;
so it is reasonable to assume that a sizable proportion of the Christians there
were slaves.
The Apostle does not tackle the social problem of slavery in a direct way; this
does not mean that he was happy about the situation; he simply felt it was more
urgent to make people appreciate the intrinsic dignity of all men and their equali-
ty in the order of grace (cf. Gal 3:29). Slaves too have been redeemed by Christ
and called to be holy; therefore, upright conduct is required of them as of others
(for other Pauline texts touching on slavery see, for example, Eph 6:5-9; Col 3:
22-4:1; Tit 2:9-10; Philem 8-21 and the notes on same).
St Paul provides two criteria to guide slaves in their dealings with others—aposto-
late and fraternity. For many pagans the example of their slaves was their only
way of learning about Christianity; therefore slaves should act in a way that reflec-
ted their faith and their Christian formation (v. 1). If their masters were believers,
the fraternity between master and slave should not lessen the slaves’ obligations:
they should fulfill these obligations out of a deep sense of Christian love. If this
policy is applied, the whole social structure will become imbued with a Christian
spirit and eventually the permanent abolition of slavery will come about, for “the
ferment of the Gospel has aroused and continues to arouse in the hearts of men
an unquenchable thirst for human dignity” (Vatican II, “Gaudium Et Spes”, 26).
See also the note on Col 3:22 - 4:1.
3-10. What he has to say about unmasking false teachers shows he is writing
from long experience. He twice describes them as knowing nothing. Their inten-
tions are wrong, because they seek only personal gain (v. 5); the reason why
they cause controversy and are forever arguing is to distract attention from their
defects and lack of true wisdom (v. 4).
“Sound words”: words which bring spiritual health, words of salvation (cf. note
on 1:8-10). “The sacred words [words of salvation] of our Lord Jesus Christ” (v.
3): this phrase, and the quotation from Luke 10:7 in 1 Timothy 5:18, give grounds
for thinking that at the time this letter was written there was in circulation among
the Christians of Ephesus, a written Gospel, specifically that of St Luke. However,
there is no other evidence to support this theory. The Apostle could be referring
to words of our Lord accurately passed on in oral teaching.
“Teaching which accords with godliness” (v. 3). The term “eusebeia” (”pietas”),
godliness/religion/piety, which appears in the New Testament only in the Second
Epistle of St Peter and in the Pastoral Epistles, has a broad meaning. Some-
times it refers to Christian doctrine, not in the sense of abstract truths but as a
revelation of God to man. Sometimes it means “religion” (cf. 1 Tim 6:54, where
it is translated as “godliness”). In this passage (v. 3) it is the same as “revealed
truth” insofar as revealed truth is our link with God; if one does not accept the
truth, one breaks that link; if one makes use of it for financial gain one perverts
its inner meaning.
10. “The love of money is the root of all evils”: probably a proverb accepted even
by pagans of the time, particularly the more educated ones. Christians were well
aware of the harmful effects of greed (cf. 1 Jn 2:17 and note). St Paul uses this
memorable phrase to get at the false teachers: the root cause of all their errors
is their greed for possessions. It is clearly a perverted thing to do to turn godli-
ness, religion, into a way of making money (v. 5). Those who try to satisfy this
ambition will end up unhappy and wretched.
“It hurts you to see that some use the technique of speaking about the Cross of
Christ only so as to climb and obtain promotion. They are the same people who
regard nothing as clean unless it coincides with their own particular standards.
All the more reason, then, for you to persevere in the rectitude of your intentions,
and to ask the Master to grant you the strength to say: ‘Non mea voluntas, sed
tua fiat!—Lord, may I fulfill your Holy Will with love’”(St. J. Escriva, “Furrow”, 352).
These severe warnings show how much St Paul suffers over the harm being done.
“For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, live as
enemies of the cross of Christ” (Phil 3:18). Good teachers, on the contrary, are
content with food and a roof over their head (v. 8); detachment has always been
a pre-condition of apostolic effectiveness: “The spirit of poverty and charity is the
glory and witness of the Church of Christ” (Vatican II, “Gaudium Et Spes”, 88).
11-16. The letter’s final piece of advice is given with special solemnity. There are
two reasons for constancy in the fight (v. 12): the call to eternal life, and fidelity
to the confession of faith made at Baptism. The second obligation, to keep what
is commanded (v. 14), is urged with an appeal to the presence of two witnesses
—God the Father, and Jesus Christ (v. 13), who firmly proclaimed his kingship to
Pontius Pilate.
There is a very close connection between perseverance and the eternal sove-
reignty of God (v. 16): “The eternity of God”, St Bernard teaches, “is the source
of perseverance [...]. Who hopes and perseveres in love but he who imitates the
eternity of his charity? Truly, perseverance reflects eternity in some way; only to
perseverance is eternity granted or, to put it better, only perseverance obtains
eternity for man” (”Book of Consideration”, 5, 14).
11. “Man of God”: this expression was used in the Old Testament of men who
performed some special God-given mission—for example, Moses (Deut 33:1; Ps
40:1), Samuel (1 Sam 9:6-7); Elijah and Elisha(1 Kings 17:18; 2 Kings 4:7, 27,
42). In the Pastoral Epistles (cf. also 2 Tim 3:17) it is applied to Timothy insofar
as ordination has conferred on him a ministry in the Church. Through ordination
“the priest is basically a consecrated man, a ‘man of God’ (1 Tim 6:11) [...]. The
ministerial priesthood in the people of God is something more than a holy public
office exercised on behalf of the community: it is primarily a configuration, a sa-
cramental and mysterious transformation of the person of the man-priest into the
person of Christ himself, the only mediator (cf. 1 Tim 2:5)” (A. del Portillo, “On
Priesthood”, pp. 44-45).
“Fight the good fight”: St Paul often uses military comparisons to describe the
Christian life (cf., e.g., 2 Cor 10:3-6; Eph 6:10-17; Col 1:29; 2 Tim 2:3; 4:7), and
they have found their way into the ascetical tradition of the Church (cf. note on
1 Tim 1:17-19). Here and in 2 Timothy he is referring more to keeping the truth
unsullied, and to preaching: the “good fight of the faith” is of great importance to
everyone.
“Confession in the presence of many witnesses”: in addition to the day of his con-
secration (cf. 1 Tim 4:14), Timothy would have often had occasion to make public
confession of his faith. However, this phrase is couched in such formal terms that
it seems to refer rather to the profession of faith which has been made at Baptism
ever since the early years of the Church (cf. Acts 2:38-41).
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Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.
From: Luke 8:1-3
The Holy Women
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Commentary:
1-3. The Gospel refers a number of times to women accompanying our Lord. Here
St. Luke gives us the names of three of them—Mary, called Magdalene, to whom
the risen Christ appeared beside the Holy Sepulchre (John 20:11-18; Mark 16:9);
Joanna, a lady of some position, whom we also meet among the women who
went to the tomb on the morning of the Resurrection (Luke 24:10), and Susanna,
whom the Gospel does not mention again. The role of these women consisted in
helping Jesus and His disciples out of their own resources, thereby showing their
gratitude for what Christ had done for them, and in cooperating in His ministry.
Men and women enjoy equal dignity in the Church. Within the context of that
equality, women certainly have specific characteristics which must necessarily
be reflected in their role in the Church: “All the baptized, men and women alike,
share equally in the dignity, freedom and responsibility of the children of God....
Women are called to bring to the family, to society and to the Church, charac-
teristics which are their own and which they alone can give—their gentle warmth
and untiring generosity, their love for detail, their quick-wittedness and intuition,
their simple and deep piety, their constancy.... A woman’s femininity is genuine
only if she is aware of the beauty of this contribution for which there is no substi-
tute —and if she incorporates it into her own life” ([Blessed] J. Escriva, “Conversa-
tions”, 14 and 87).
The Gospel makes special reference to the generosity of these women. It is nice
to know that our Lord availed Himself of their charity, and that they responded to
Him with such refined and generous detachment that Christian women feel filled
with a holy and fruitful envy (cf. [St. J. Escriva, “The Way”, 981).
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Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States