1 Timothy 3:6

3:1-7 If a man desired the pastoral office, and from love to Christ, and the souls of men, was ready to deny himself, and undergo hardships by devoting himself to that service, he sought to be employed in a good work, and his desire should be approved, provided he was qualified for the office. A minister must give as little occasion for blame as can be, lest he bring reproach upon his office. He must be sober, temperate, moderate in all his actions, and in the use of all creature-comforts. Sobriety and watchfulness are put together in Scripture, they assist one the other. The families of ministers ought to be examples of good to all other families. We should take heed of pride; it is a sin that turned angels into devils. He must be of good repute among his neighbours, and under no reproach from his former life. To encourage all faithful ministers, we have Christ's gracious word of promise, Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world, Mt 28:20. And he will fit his ministers for their work, and carry them through difficulties with comfort, and reward their faithfulness.

Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the {d} condemnation of the devil. (d) Lest by reason that he is advanced to that position, he takes occasion to be proud, which will undo him, and so he fall into the same condemnation that the devil himself has fallen into.

Not a novice; not a young plant, that is, one that is newly made a member of the church of Christ; such persons are apt to swell in the opinion of their newly acquired knowledge, state, or dignity; and being so lifted up, they will be in danger of such a punishment as the devil for his pride met with, or to be guilty of some ill or indecent behaviour, which may give the devil occasion to accuse them. Others here interpret diabolou more appellatively, and understand by it a man that is an accuser, making the sense this, —and fall into the judgment, censure, or condemnation of men, accusing them for such behaviour.

1 Timothy 3:6 . Μὴ νεόφυτον ) not a man recently converted from heathenism. Such persons might be more easily and more safely set over others who have also been newly converted, Acts 14:23 , than over old and experienced Christians, who were numerous, and among whom the number of candidates was greater. It is a metaphor taken from plants; John 15:2 , note, [ Romans 6:5 ; Romans 6:11 ; Romans 6:17-18 ; 1 Corinthians 3:6-7 .] The young plants generally exhibit a luxuriant verdure; the newly converted man has not yet been macerated by the cross.[25] The antithesis is an aged disciple , Acts 21:16 [Mnason of Cyprus, ἀρχαίῳ μαθητῇ ].— ΤΥΦΩΘΕῚς , lifted up with pride ) The same word occurs, ch. 1 Timothy 6:4 , note; 2 Timothy 3:4 .— τύφω is ΚΑΊΩ , to burn: τῦφος , a smoking heat without flame: whence they are said ΤΥΦΟῦΣΘΑΙ , whom wine , as well as those whom a high opinion of their knowledge and pride [ haughtiness ], render no longer masters of themselves, and affect with giddiness [puffed up, having the head turned with conceit]: see Isaiah 28:7 , Lutheran version.— εἰς κρίμα , into condemnation ) i.e. into the same condemnation into which the devil fell, being lifted up , at the very beginning of his most blessed (brilliant) state, like a novice; comp.

Job 38:15 [the high arm shall be broken], concerning the proud ( ὑπερηφάνων , LXX.). “He seems to have been raised and exalted more than the other angels, to the government of many angels, though he was younger than many of them; and this very circumstance became the occasion of pride to him.”—Artem. ad init. Joh. præf., p. 23. The words of Paul do not bear out the whole of this statement. The condemnation here is taken passively; and yet ὀνειδισμὸς , reproach , in the following verse, is active; for condemnation corresponds to the internal condition of the soul: reproach is opposed to “a good report from those that are without;” and the devil may bring a reproach upon men, he cannot bring them into condemnation; for he does not judge, but is judged. [25] In every kind of life, it may be observed, that those who immediately begin at the highest point of elevation can hardly adopt wise measures for their own advantage, scarcely condescend to inferiors, cannot be affected by the condition of the afflicted, and cannot rule themselves, and maintain moderation in all things; but all these qualities particularly apply to the office of a bishop.—V. g.

Novice (νεόφυτον) N.T.o. From νέος new and φυτόν a plant. Comp. 1 Corinthians 3:6, 1 Corinthians 3:7; Matthew 15:13. Hence, a new convert, a neophyte. Comp. in lxx Job 14:9; Psalm 127:3; Psalm 143:12; Isaiah 5:7. Chrysostom explains it as newly catechised (νεοκατήχητος); but a neophyte differed from a catechumen in having received baptism. Better the ancient Greek interpreters, newly baptized (νεοβάπτιστος). After the ceremony of baptism the neophytes wore white garments for eight days, from Easter eve until the Sunday after Easter, which was called Dominica in albis, the Sunday in white. The Egyptian archives of Berlin give νεόφυτος a Fayum papyrus of the second century A. D., of newly-planted palm trees. Comp. lxx, Psalm 127:3 : "Thy sons as νεόφυτα ἐλαιῶν plants of olives." Being lifted up with pride (τυφωθεὶς) Only in the Pastorals. See 1 Timothy 6:4; 2 Timothy 3:4. The verb means primarily to make a smoke: hence, metaphorically, to blind with pride or conceit. Neither A.V. nor Rev. puffed up, preserves the radical sense, which is the sense here intended - a beclouded and stupid state of mind as the result of pride. Fall into condemnation (εἰς κρίμα ἐμπέσῃ) Κρίμα in N.T. usually means judgment. The word for condemnation is κατάκριμα. See especially Romans 5:16, where the two are sharply distinguished. Comp. Matthew 7:2; Acts 24:25; Romans 2:2; Romans 5:18; 1 Corinthians 6:7.

However, κρίμα occasionally shades off into the meaning condemnation, as Romans 3:8; James 3:1. See on go to law, 1 Corinthians 6:7, and see on 1 Corinthians 11:29. Κρίμα is a Pauline word; but the phrase ἐμπιπτεῖν εἰς κρίμα to fall into judgment is found only here. Of the devil (τοῦ διαβόλου) See on Matthew 4:1, and see on Satan, 1 Thessalonians 2:18. Paul uses διάβολος only twice, Ephesians 4:27; Ephesians 6:11. Commonly Satan. The use of διάβολος as an adjective is peculiar to the Pastorals (see 1 Timothy 3:11; 2 Timothy 3:3; Titus 2:3), and occurs nowhere else in N.T., and not in lxx. The phrase judgment of the devil probably means the accusing judgment of the devil, and not the judgment passed upon the devil. In Revelation 12:10 Satan is called the accuser of the brethren. In 1 Corinthians 5:5; 1 Timothy 1:20, men are given over to Satan for judgment. In 1 Timothy 3:7 the genitive διαβόλου is clearly subjective. In this chapter it appears that a Christian can fall into the reproach of the devil (comp. Jde 1:9; 2 Peter 2:11), the snare of the devil (comp. 2 Timothy 2:26), and the judgment of the devil.

6. not a novice—one just converted. This proves the Church of Ephesus was established now for some time. The absence of this rule in the Epistle to Titus, accords with the recent planting of the Church at Crete. Greek, "neophyte," literally, "a young plant"; luxuriantly verdant (Ro 6:5; 11:17; 1Co 3:6). The young convert has not yet been disciplined and matured by afflictions and temptations. Contrast Ac 21:16, "an old disciple." lifted up with pride—Greek, literally, "wrapt in smoke," so that, inflated with self-conceit and exaggerated ideas of his own importance, he cannot see himself or others in the true light (1Ti 6:4; 2Ti 3:4). condemnation of the devil—into the same condemnation as Satan fell into (1Ti 3:7; 2Ti 2:26). Pride was the cause of Satan's condemnation (Job 38:15; Isa 14:12-15; Joh 12:31; 16:11; 2Pe 2:4; Jude 6). It cannot mean condemnation or accusation on the part of the devil. The devil may bring a reproach on men (1Ti 3:7), but he cannot bring them into condemnation, for he does not judge, but is judged [Bengel].

Verse 6. Puffed up for lifted up with pride , A.V. A novice ( νεόφυτον ); only here in the New Testament, but found repeatedly in the LXX. in its literal sense of "a tree" or "plantation" newly planted (Psalm 127:3 (Psalms 128:3, A.V.); 144:12; Isaiah 5:7 ). Here the novice or neophyte is one recently converted and received into the Church (comp. 1 Corinthians 3:6 ; Isaiah 61:3 ). As such he is not yet fit to be a ruler and a teacher of the brethren. The reason follows. Lest being puffed up he fall into the condemnation of the devil . Τυφωθεις , puffed up, is peculiar in the New Testament to the pastoral Epistles ( 1 Timothy 6:4 ; 2 Timothy 3:4 ), from τυφός , smoke (comp. λίνον τυφόμενον , "smoking flax," Matthew 12:10 ). The idea seems to be "lightness," "emptiness," and "elation." Some add that of "obscuration" as by smoke; τυφόω , to wrap in smoke; τετύφωμαι , to be wrapt in clouds of conceit and folly (Liddell and Scott). The condemnation of the devil . A somewhat obscure phrase. It means either (1) the same condemnation as that into which the devil fell through pride, - and so Chrysostom, Olshausen, Bishop Ellicott, Wordsworth, Alford, etc., take it; or (2) the condemnation or accusation of the devil. In the latter case κρῖμα would be used in the same sense as κρίσις in Jude 1:9 , and would mean the charge preferred against him by "the accuser of the brethren" (comp. Job 1:9 ; Job 2:4, 5 ). One of the senses of κρίνω is "to accuse" - like κατηγορεῖν ( Liddell and Scott)

. And this view agrees with ὀνειδισμὸν καὶ παγίδα τοῦ διαβόλου in ver. 7, which means, not the trap into which the devil fell, but the trap laid by the devil. It remains doubtful which is the true sense, but (2) seems, on the whole, the most probable. The devil ( τοῦ διαβόλου ) can only mean Satan ( Matthew 4:1 ; Matthew 13:39 , etc.), though possibly conceived of as speaking by the mouth of traducers and vilifiers of the Church, as in ver. 7. 1 Timothy 3:6

6 . “Do not set a new convert to rule in high place lest ‘pride come’ again ‘before a fall’ as in Satan’s case: and again, let your ruler be one at whom the world can throw no stone; or its reproaches will do harm and may drive him back into his old sins.” Not a novice ] Lit. ‘a neophyte,’ a new convert. The objection raised against the authenticity of the Epistle from this verse cannot be sustained when the later date is granted, since we get a period of twelve years from a.d. 54, the commencement of St Paul’s three years’ work at Ephesus, to a.d. 66, the most probable date for this Epistle. See Introduction, ch. 6 fin . lifted up with pride ] Rather, puffed up . See note on 1 Timothy 6:4 . the condemnation of the devil ] The same condemnation as that under which the devil came for pride; objective genitive. Compare ‘… what time his pride Had cast him out of heaven, with all his host Of rebel angels.’ Milton, Par. Lost , I. 36.

1 Timothy 3:6 . 1 Timothy 3:6-7 have nothing corresponding to them in Titus , or in the qualifications for the diaconate in this chapter. μὴ νεόφυτον κ . τ . λ .: not a recent convert . νεόφυτος in O.T. is used literally of a young plant ( Job 14:9 ; Psalms 127 (128):3; 143 (144):12; Isaiah 5:7 ). For its use in secular literature, see Deissmann, Bible Studies , trans. p. 220. The significance of this qualification is apparent from its absence in the parallel passage in Titus . It is evident that Church organisation in Crete was in a very much less advanced state than in Ephesus. On the first introduction of the Gospel into a country, the apostles naturally “appointed their first fruits to be bishops and deacons” (Clem. Rom. i. § 42; Acts 14:23 ), because no others were available; and men appointed in such circumstances would have no temptation to be puffed up any more than would the leaders of a forlorn hope. But as soon as there came to be a Christian community of such a size as to supply a considerable number of men from whom leaders could be selected, and in which office might be a natural object of ambition, the moral risk to νεόφυτοι of early advancement would be a real danger. It is difficult to avoid at least a passing attack of τύφωσις , if you are promoted when young. τυφωθείς : τυφόω comes from τῦφος , the primary meaning of which is smoke or vapour , then conceit or vanity which befogs a man’s judgment in matters in which he himself is concerned.