1 Timothy 6:17–21

For as many things as belong to peace and love, these have I taught. Round about from Jerusalem, and as far as Illyricum, I have fulfilled the word of peace. For I have taught that in honour they should prefer one another; I have taught those that are eminent and rich not to be lifted up, and hope in uncertainty of riches, but to place their hope in God; I have taught those in a middle station to be content with food and covering; I have taught the poor to rejoice in their own poverty...

Praise to the rich if they remain humble. Praise the rich for being poor. The one who writes to Timothy wants them to be like that, when he says, "Order the rich of this world not to be haughty in mind." I know what I am saying: give them these orders. The riches they have are whispering persuasively to them to be proud; the riches they have make it very hard for them to be humble.

It wasn't riches he was in dread of, but the disease of riches. The disease of riches is great pride. A grand spirit it is indeed, that in the midst of riches is not prone to this disease, a spirit greater than its riches, surpassing them not by desiring but by despising them.

Pride is the first worm of riches; it is a harmful gnawing worm which gnaws at everything and reduces it to ashes. "Charge the rich of this world not to be proud, or to trust in the uncertainty of riches," lest perhaps one goes to sleep as a rich man and arises a poor man.

Riches are understood in a threefold way in holy Scripture—that is, as bad, good and indifferent.… The indifferent are those which can be either good or bad, since they can tend either way depending on the desire and the character of those who use them. The blessed apostle says with regard to these, "Charge the rich of this world not to be haughty or to hope in uncertain riches but in God, who gives us everything abundantly to enjoy, to do good, to give freely, to share, to store up for themselves a good foundation in the future, so that they may seize the true life." … When we abandon the visible riches of this world, then, we reject not our own but others' wealth, even though we boast either of having acquired it by our own labor or of having inherited it from our ancestors. For, as I have said, nothing is ours except this one thing, which is possessed by the heart, which clings to the soul and which can never be taken away by anyone.

For nothing is so faithless as wealth; of which I have often said, and will not cease to say, that it is a runaway, thankless servant, having no fidelity. If you should throw over him the thousand chains, he will make off dragging his chains after him. Frequently, indeed, have those who possessed wealth shut him up with bars and doors, placing their slaves round about for guards. But he has overpersuaded these very servants and has fled away together with his guards, dragging his keepers after him as if in a manacle, so little security was there in this custody.

The rich man stands in more uncertainty than the poor man, experiencing, as he does, frequent and diversified changes. What is the sense of this phrase: "Hope in God who richly furnishes us with everything to enjoy"? God gives all things with liberality that are more necessary than riches: the air, the water, the fire, the sun—all things of this kind. The rich man is not able to say that he enjoys more of the sunbeams than the poor man. He is not able to say that he breathes more plenteous air. These are offered to all alike. It is the greater and more necessary blessings, and those which maintain our life, that God has given to all in common. The smaller and less valuable (I speak of money) are not thus common.

"Charge them that are rich in this world that they be not high-minded."

He has well said, "rich in this world." For there are others rich in the future world. And this advice he gives, knowing that nothing so generally produces pride and arrogance as wealth. To abate this, therefore, he immediately adds, "Nor trust in uncertain riches"; since that was the source of pride; inasmuch as he who hopes in God, is not elated. Why dost thou place thy hopes upon what is instantly transferable? For such is wealth! and why hopest thou on that of which thou canst not be confident? But you say, how can they avoid being high-minded? By considering the instability and uncertainty of riches, and that hope in God is infinitely more valuable; God being the Author of wealth itself.

"But in the living God," he says, "who giveth us richly all things to enjoy."

This "all things richly" is justly spoken, in reference to the changes of the year, to air, light, water, and other gifts. For how richly and ungrudgingly are all these bestowed! If thou seekest riches, seek those that are stable and enduring, and which are the fruit of good works. He shows that this is his meaning by what follows.

To the rich, in this present age, command not to be arrogant, nor to hope in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.

For there are also other rich men, but not in this age. The truly rich are the righteous ones, that is.

not to be arrogant, Paul says. For nothing so much inflates and exalts the mind as money and possessions.

nor to hope in uncertain riches. See how he insults them, and how foolish they are. For who hopes for something uncertain?

but in the living God. For Paul says that he who hopes in God is not disappointed.

who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. For he, to whom all things common belong, has given abundantly and freely: heaven, earth, air, life, food. But greed, having taken tyranny as a partner, has seized many of the common things and made them private.

There are also other rich people, but not in the present age, rather in the future one — these are the righteous.

For wealth arouses arrogance and vainglory.

Immediately he humbles them. Why, he says, do you boast in a support that is unfaithful, easily destroyed, and unstable?

That is, air, water, light, the changes of seasons, times, and everything else He gave with greater generosity, although selfishness attributes to itself everything it receives. From this learn that God enriched man by giving him everything without division. Therefore it is in vain that anyone grieves over being poor.

Above, he dealt with the instruction of persons of low estate; here he returns to his subject and instructs him how to deal with the rich:

first, he does this;

second, he deals with Timothy's own instruction, at O Timothy.

As always, when he instructs him about instructing others, he warns him not to neglect himself.

In regard to the first, first, he informs him about the vices usually found in the rich;

second, he charges him to pursue the good, at do good.

Regarding the first: first, he mentions the vices usually found in the rich;

second, he rejects these vices because of the uncertainty of riches, at in the uncertainty.

He says, therefore: charge the rich; for riches imply abundance, which constitutes true riches, if the abundance is of spiritual things: riches of salvation, wisdom and knowledge: the fear of the Lord is his treasure (Isa 33:6). But sometimes the abundance is of material things, which are not true riches, because they do not satisfy; hence he adds by way of restriction, of this world: they hoard up silver and gold, wherein men trust (Bar 3:18).

Charge such persons. When he treated of servants, he did not issue a command, because virtue lies in a man's using his authority toward superiors, not toward inferiors. Hence he says: do not fail to issue orders through respect for their riches or high estate.

And what is he to order them? Not to be high minded, i.e., not to feel anything important about themselves.

But this is sinful? I answer that it can become sinful in two ways: first, if one regards himself highly because of things which lack true greatness; and this happens if one regards himself highly because of temporal things. Hence anyone who regards himself highly on account of some external greatness, does so inordinately: and this is pride. Yet sensual people care for no other greatness except that which can be purchased with riches: all things obey money (Eccl 10:19). Hence because the rich of this world have this greatness, they are lifted up in vain.

Second, because there are things which possess true greatness, namely, spiritual goods: how great is he that finds wisdom and knowledge (Sir 25:13). For a person can regard himself highly by reason of these goods, not from the nature of the goods themselves, but from attributing to himself what he lacks, or from not knowing that whatever he has is from God.

Hence in the first case there is inordinacy, because the goods are lacking; in the second because the desire is inordinate.

The second vice prevalent among the rich is trust in worldly things; hence he says, nor to trust in the uncertainty of riches: if I have thought gold my strength, or have said to fine gold: my confidence (Job 31:24); the substance of a rich man is the city of his strength (Prov 10:15).

Then when he says, in the uncertainty of riches, he assigns the reason for his advice:

For one trusts in that from which he expects help; but help is obtained from the strong, whereas riches are fragile. Therefore, trust should not be placed in riches: lay not up to yourselves treasure on earth, where the rust and moth consume (Matt 6:19);

but in the living God, where true hope must be placed: blessed be the man that trusts in the Lord, and the Lord shall be his confidence (Jer 17:7); God gives to all men abundantly (Jas 1:5).

But the statement, who gives us abundantly all things to enjoy, can be explained in two ways: first, so that enjoy is taken to mean joy, and this joy can be found even in temporal goods; second, in the sense that they are used to attain to the enjoyment of God.

Those who have given liberally of their riches have had great gains to compensate them for light losses. Their joy at what they assured for themselves more securely by readiness to give outweighed their sadness at the surrender of possessions they more easily lost because they clung to them fearfully. Reluctance to remove their goods from this world exposed them to the risk of loss. There were those who accepted the Lord's advice: "Do not store your treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. Pile up treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Such people proved in the time of tribulation how wise they were in not despising the finest of advisers and the most faithful and unconquerable guardian of treasure.

Whenever we talk about contempt for riches, some rich man replies to me: I have learned not to hope in the uncertainty of riches; I do not want to be rich, lest I fall into temptation; but since I am rich already, what am I to do with the possessions which I now happen to have? The apostle continues, "Let them give readily, sharing with others." What does it mean to share with others? To share your possessions with the man who does not have any. Therefore, if you begin to share with others, you will not be that plunderer and robber who broods over the wants of the poor as over the property of another.

"That they do good," he says, "that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute willing to communicate."

The first phrase refers to wealth, the second to charity. For to be willing to communicate, implies that they are sociable and kind.

Let those who want Christ to spare them have compassion for the poor. Let those who desire a bond with the fellowship of the blessed be "readily disposed" toward nourishing the wretched. No human being should be considered worthless by another. The nature which the Creator of the universe made his own should not be looked down upon in anyone.

to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, storing up for themselves a good foundation for the future, so that they may obtain eternal life.

to do good, to be rich in good works. If you seek wealth, seek true wealth, not uncertain. What are these? Goods, Paul says, are easy to distribute; for this is the nature of money.

to be generous. That is, gentle, friendly, modest, and humble.

storing up for themselves. That is, laying down, Paul says, a good foundation. Where the foundation is good, all is safe and secure.

so that they may obtain eternal life. Therefore, for this life, one must lay up the foundation. But how could this be? If by doing good here, we lay up for ourselves the foundation and security of this life. For the practice of good works, which Paul also called a foundation, is able to grant the enjoyment of that life.

From the general instruction "exhort" them "to do good" the following also follows: if you wish to become rich, become rich in doing good.

This refers to money.

This refers to love. By sociable, understand talkative, affable people.

Then when he says, do good, he instructs him to achieve what is good. But those whose love is beamed on riches, strive, first of all, to acquire them; second, to use them, once they are possessed; third, to obtain the end of riches. These are the three things the Apostle advises:

first, that he acquire spiritual riches; hence do good and be rich in good works: learn to do well (Isa 1:17).

In regard to the second, it should be noted that there are two ways to use riches: one is to hoard them, and the other is to give them away. But the chief use is to give them away. Hence he mentions these two: first, to give, when he says, to give easily, i.e., without a heavy heart: every man as he has determined in his heart, not with sadness or of necessity: for God loves a cheerful giver (2 Cor 9:7); and without delay: say not to your friend: go, and come again: and tomorrow I will give to you: when you can give at present (Prov 3:28); if I have made the eyes of the widow wait (Job 31:16). Second, to keep, not for one's own use only, but for the common use; hence he says, to communicate to others, i.e., to regard them as common property: communicating to the necessities of the saints (Rom 12:13).

Through love of this true life you ought to consider yourself desolate in this world, no matter what happiness you enjoy. That is the true life in comparison with which this other, which is so much loved, is not to be called life, however pleasant and prolonged it may be. Similarly, that is the true comfort which God promised by the prophet saying, "I will give them true comfort, peace upon peace." Without this comfort there is more grief than consolation to be found in earthly comforts, whatever they may be.

"Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come."

There nothing is uncertain, for the foundation being firm, there is no instability, all is firm, fixed, immovable, fast, and enduring.

"That they may lay hold," he says, "on eternal life."

For the doing of good works can secure the enjoyment of eternal life.

Where there is a foundation, everything is firm and immovable. And since the blessings of virtue and of the age to come are constant, the apostle also mentioned this in regard to the foundation.

For the performance of good deeds, which he called the foundation, can procure the enjoyment of that life.

In regard to the third, that they may attain to the end of laying up riches; hence he says, to lay up in store for themselves a good foundation against the things to come. The spiritual treasure is a storehouse of merits, which are the foundation of a future edifice prepared for us in heaven; because the entire preparation for future glory is through merits, which are acquired by grace, the principle of meriting: lay up to yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither the rust nor the moth consumes (Matt 6:20); so run that you may obtain (1 Cor 9:24).

But we must proceed to attack our opponents, in the endeavor to confute those "oppositions" advanced against us which are derived from "knowledge falsely so-called." It is not permissible, they assert, for the Holy Spirit to be ranked with the Father and the Son, on account of the difference of his nature and the inferiority of his dignity. Against them it is right to reply in the words of the apostles, "We ought to obey God rather than men.

As, then, philosophy has been brought into evil repute by pride and self-conceit, so also ghosts by false ghosts called by the same name; of which the apostle writing says, "O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding the profane and vain babblings and oppositions of science (gnosis) falsely so called; which some professing, have erred concerning the faith." Convicted by this utterance, the heretics reject the Epistles to Timothy. Well, then, if the Lord is the truth, and wisdom, and power of God, as in truth He is, it is shown that the real Gnostic is he that knows Him, and His Father by Him. For his sentiments are the same with him who said, "The lips of the righteous know high things."

I have many other testimonies from holy Scripture to the fact that the kingdom of Christ endures throughout all ages. But I will content myself with what I have said, because the day wears on. And do you, my hearers, worship him alone as king, and flee every misguided heresy.… Flee the false Christ, and look for the true. You have been taught the way to be among those on his right hand at the judgment. Retain "that which is committed to you" concerning Christ, and be adorned with good works. So you will stand with a good courage before the Judge and thereafter inherit the kingdom of heaven.

Besides this, the same man [Hegesippus], when relating the events of these times, adds that until then the church had remained a pure and undefiled virgin, since those who attempted to corrupt the sound rule of the Savior's preaching, if any did exist, until then lurked somewhere in obscure darkness. But when the sacred band of the apostles had received an end of life in various ways, and the generation of those who were deemed worthy to hear the divine wisdom with their own ears had passed away, then the league of godless error took its beginnings because of the deceit of heretical teachers who, since none of the apostles still remained, attempted henceforth barefacedly to proclaim in opposition to the preaching of truth "the knowledge falsely so-called."

To mix science up with philosophy is only to produce a philosophy that has lost all its ideal value and a science that has lost all its practical value. I want my private physician to tell me whether this or that food will kill me. It is for my private philosopher to tell me whether I ought to be killed.

A lengthened conflict, then, having been maintained concerning all heresies by us who, at all events, have not left any unrefuted, the greatest struggle now remains behind, viz., to furnish an account and refutation of those heresies that have sprung up in our own day, by which certain ignorant and presumptuous men have attempted to scatter abroad the Church, and have introduced the greatest confusion among all the faithful throughout the entire world. For it seems expedient that we, making an onslaught upon the opinion which constitutes the prime source of (contemporaneous) evils, should prove what are the originating principles of this (opinion), in order that its offshoots, becoming a matter of general notoriety, may be made the object of universal scorn.

They also have an image of Simon fashioned after the likeness of Jupiter, and another of Helena in the shape of Minerva; and these they worship. In fine, they have a name derived from Simon, the author of these most impious doctrines, being called Simonians; and from them "knowledge, falsely so called," received its beginning, as one may learn even from their own assertions.

In the first book, which immediately precedes this, exposing "knowledge falsely so called," I showed thee, my very dear friend, that the whole system devised, in many and opposite ways, by those who are of the school of Valentinus, was false and baseless. I also set forth the tenets of their predecessors, proving that they not only differed among themselves, but had long previously swerved from the truth itself.

Did all those who have been mentioned, with whom you have been proved to coincide in expression, know, or not know, the truth? If they knew it, then the descent of the Saviour into this world was superfluous. For why [in that case] did He descend? Was it that He might bring that truth which was [already] known to the knowledge of those who knew it? If, on the other hand, these men did not know it, then how is it that, while you express yourselves in the same terms as do those who knew not the truth, ye boast that yourselves alone possess that knowledge which is above all things, although they who are ignorant of God [likewise] possess it? Thus, then, by a complete perversion of language, they style ignorance of the truth knowledge: and Paul well says [of them, that they make use of] "novelties of words of false knowledge." For that knowledge of theirs is truly found to be false.

The apostle labors, and, although he has lived blameless, according to the justice that is from the law, he counts everything as worthless for Christ, that he may be found in Christ, not having his own justice which is from the law but that which is from the faith of Christ, from God.… Therefore, we are saved, not by the power of the free will but by the mercy of God. And, lest you think that the truth of faith can be subverted by vain argumentations which raise questions in the minds of the hearers, the same apostle writes to Timothy, "O Timothy, guard the trust and keep free from profane novelties in speech and the contradictions of so-called knowledge, which some have promised and have fallen away from the faith." For the goodness and mercy of our Savior have saved us, not by reason of good works that we did ourselves but according to his mercy, in order that, justified by his grace, we may be heirs in the hope of life everlasting.

The psalmist also declares that this is the sequence we must follow. He says, "Blessed are those who are unsullied upon their journey, who walk in the law of the Lord. Blessed are those who pay heed to his witness." … In this way he shows clearly that no one can manage to engage in the correct scrutiny of God's Word unless in his daily life he proceeds unstained along the road of Christ. Therefore those whom you have mentioned cannot possess this knowledge if they are unclean. What they have is a false so-called lore, the kind about which the apostle has this to say, "O Timothy, guard what has been given to you. In all that you say avoid profane novelties and the claims of a falsely named knowledge."

"O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust."

Let it not suffer diminution. It is not thy own. Thou art intrusted with the property of another, do not lessen it.

"Avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called."

Well did he thus call it. For where there is not faith, there is not knowledge; when anything springs from our reasonings, it is not knowledge. Or perhaps he says this, because some then assumed the name of Gnostics, as knowing more than others.

What is meant by "the deposit"? That which is committed to you, not that which is invented by you. That which you have received, not that which you have devised. A thing not of wit but of learning; not of private assumption but of public tradition; a thing brought to you, not brought forth by you; wherein you must not be an author but a keeper; not a leader but a follower. Keep the deposit.

Make strong in your hearts, my brothers, this faith in the Trinity, believing in one God the Father Almighty and in his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, and in the Holy Spirit, the true light and sanctifier of souls, who is the pledge of our inheritance, who will lead us, if we will but follow, into all truth and will make us one with the citizens of heaven. This rule of faith the apostles received from the Lord.… May this faith remain in you. O beloved, "keep that which is committed to your trust, avoiding profane novelties of words and oppositions of knowledge falsely so called."

O Timothy, guard what has been delivered to you, avoiding profane and vain babblings and oppositions of falsely called knowledge, which some professing have strayed concerning the faith. Grace be with you. Amen.

guard what has been delivered to you. Paul says the commandment of God, which he delivered to you through me; or the grace of the Spirit, which he received through the laying on of hands.

avoiding profane and vain babblings. The impure, the defiled. Vain babblings, however, are pointless words, therefore empty sound is not profane. But Blessed John called the recent admonitions novelties of voices, reading as it seems "vain babblings" [καινοφωνίας], through the diphthong and the written "και," as the first syllable.

and oppositions. Therefore, there is an opposition to which one must not respond, because of its nonsense.

of falsely called knowledge. For when there is no faith, there is no knowledge. And that which seems to be, is false.

which some professing. Paul says that the knowledge is false and forbidden. For perhaps some were claiming knowledge discovered from human reasoning, which was opposed to faith. And it is obvious from this that they have suffered shipwreck concerning the faith.

Grace be with you. Amen. Paul prays for the seal or signet of all things, namely the grace of God, from which all which is good is both given and preserved.

The end, with divine assistance, of the first Epistle to Timothy.

It was written from Laodicea, which is a metropolis of Phrygia and Pacatiana.

What is "the deposit" that each one of the faithful receives? For my part I think that we receive our soul itself and the body as a deposit from God. And do you want to see another greater "deposit" that you received from God? God entrusted "his own image and likeness" to your own soul. That deposit, therefore, must be restored by you just as intact as it was received by you. For if you are merciful, "as your Father in heaven is merciful," the image of God is in you and you preserve the "deposit" intact. If you are perfect, "as your Father in heaven is perfect," the deposit of God's image remains in you. In like manner, in all other things, if you are pious, if you are just, if you are holy, if you are "pure in heart," and if all things which are present in God through nature remain in you by imitation, "the deposit" of the divine image is safe within you.

To go into the way of the Gentiles is to adopt some Gentile teaching which is foreign to the "Israel of God" and to walk according to it. And to enter a city of the Samaritans is to be engaged in some knowledge falsely so-called of those who claim to devote themselves to the words of the law or the prophets or the Gospels or the apostles.

Celsus also says that "they were of one mind," not seeing even here that from the outset there were disagreements among the believers about the interpretation of the books regarded as divine.… In the epistles of Paul, who was contemporary with those who had seen Jesus, there are some statements to be found which concern certain disputes about the resurrection, and about the view that it had already occurred, and about the question whether the day of the Lord was already present or not. Moreover, the words "Turning away from the profane babblings and oppositions of the knowledge falsely so-called, which some have professed and made shipwreck concerning the faith" show that from the beginning there were certain varieties of interpretation.

Nothing that was proclaimed before many witnesses could be kept secret. Nor can they [the Gnostic heretics] interpret as evidence of some hidden gospel Paul's desire that Timothy should entrust "these things to faithful men, fit to teach others." "These things" meant the things of which he was then writing. To refer to things hidden in their minds he would have said "those," as of something absent, not "these."

But here is, as we have said, the same madness, in their allowing indeed that the apostles were ignorant of nothing, and preached not any (doctrines) which contradicted one another, but at the same time insisting that they did not reveal all to all men, for that they proclaimed some openly and to all the world, whilst they disclosed others (only) in secret and to a few, because Paul addressed even this expression to Timothy: "O Timothy, guard that which is entrusted to thee; " and again: "That good thing which was committed unto thee keep.

Keep all that I have commanded you, for these are the commandments of the Lord; take nothing away from them.

Namely, impure and filthy ones. Consequently, there exists empty talk that is not foul. Saint John Chrysostom understands by this word novelties of teaching – κενοφωνίας – having written, it seems, this word with the diphthong αι (καινοφωνίας).

For where there is no faith, but everything is the fruit of human reasoning, there is no knowledge, and the name is falsely applied. Note that there are contradictions to which one should not even respond, but rather avoid them and not associate with people who are ready for contradictions.

Then when he says, O Timothy, he instructs Timothy:

first, that he guard the good;

second, that he avoid evil, at avoiding the profane novelties.

He says, therefore: O Timothy, keep that which is committed to your trust. To man's care is committed every good which he has; and it has been committed to him by God to guard and increase: he shall preserve the grace of a man as the apple of the eye (Sir 17:18); By the grace of God I am what I am; and his grace in me has not been void, but I have labored more abundantly; yet not I, but the grace of God with me (1 Cor 15:10).

And so he tells Timothy to guard the deposit, i.e., that he preserve himself in God's grace and increase it. For he who hides his talent is punished: take away, therefore, the talent from him, and give it to him that has ten talents (Matt 25:28); and the unprofitable servant cast ye out into the exterior darkness (Matt 25:30). Prelates especially are entrusted with the deposit, namely, the care of their neighbor and of the faithful: feed my sheep (John 21:17); for they watch, as being to render an account of your souls (Heb 13:17); keep the good thing committed to your trust by the Holy Spirit (2 Tim 1:14).

And to avoid evil, especially those evils that are apt to defile the faith. The reason for this is that just as a worldly prince is appointed to guard the kingdom's unity, so the spiritual prince to guard spiritual unity. But peace in a kingdom is built on justice; therefore, the prince exists for justice. But the unity of the Church is founded on faith; therefore, he especially advises him to guard the faith: I have prayed for you, that your faith fail not: and you, being once converted, confirm your brethren (Luke 22:32).

Similarly, the faith could be corrupted by fallacies, just as any knowledge. But as it is stated in 1 Elench, a fallacy sometimes arises from a word, and sometimes from a thing; hence there are fallacies within statements, and fallacies outside of statements. In like manner, the faith is sometimes corrupted by certain indiscriminate words, as Jerome says: heresy springs from words inconsiderately uttered. Hence the Apostle says, avoiding the profane novelties of words, because to refuse to listen to anything new is to bark against customs. But profane novelties are not to be heeded, when they are directed against the faith. And they are called new as compared with what is ancient. This Nestorious did, when he called the Blessed Virgin Christotokos, to suggest that she was not the mother of God. In answer, the synod of Ephesus coined the word Theotokos: hold the form of sound words which you have heard of me in faith, and in the love which is in Christ Jesus (2 Tim 1:13); and in 2 Timothy: shun profane and vain babblings, for they grow much into ungodliness (2 Tim 2:16).

But sometimes faith is corrupted by real sophistical reasonings, and these are to be shunned. Hence he says, and oppositions of knowledge falsely so called, because it is not true knowledge, but false. For knowledge in the true sense is concerned only with truth. But it is impossible for the true to be contrary to the true; although sometimes two false statements can be contrary to one another. Consequently, it is impossible for anything contrary to divine truth, which is the supreme truth, to be true: beware lest any man cheat you by philosophy, and vain deceit; according to the tradition of men, according to the elements of the world, and not according to Christ (Col 2:8).

"Avoiding," he says, "profane novelties of words." Are there really people who can listen to such adjurations and then remain in such hardened and shameless stubbornness, such stony impudence, such adamant consistency, as not to yield to the mighty weight of these divine words and to weaken under such a load, as not to be shattered by these hammer strokes, as not to be crushed by such powerful thunderbolts? "Avoiding," he says, "profane novelties of words." He did not say "antiquities" or "the old traditions." No, he clearly shows the positive implications of this negative statement: Novelty is to be avoided, hence, antiquity has to be respected; novelty is profane, hence, the old tradition is sacred.

What does "avoiding" mean? "If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine." Of course, this means the catholic and universal doctrine, which remains one and the same through all successive ages in the uncorrupted tradition of truth and which will remain so without end for ever and ever.

"Which some professing have erred concerning the faith."

You see how again he commands Timothy not even to meet them. "Avoiding opposition." There are therefore oppositions to which we ought not to vouchsafe an answer, because they turn men from faith, and do not suffer one to be firmly established or fixed in it. Let us not then pursue this science, but adhere to faith, that unshaken rock. For neither floods nor winds assailing will be able to harm us, since we stand on the rock immovable.

Whoever follows mere human reasonings inevitably misses the harmony and the goal of faith. For faith does not admit of intellectual comprehensions. I think the apostle says all this about the Gnostics known at that time, who were filled with every impurity, which he also called "profane and vain babblings" (1 Tim. 6:20). Among them, the representative of this heresy was Nicolaus, one of the seven deacons.

As a seal upon everything, he wishes him grace, by which every good thing is both given and preserved. May we all be partakers of it, not squandering the blessings received from it, but by it preserving them and glorifying Christ, the Giver of graces, with the Father and the Holy Spirit: to Him be glory unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Which some claiming to have, have erred concerning the faith: every man is become a fool for knowledge which is not of God (Jer 10:14), because he who speaks a lie, speaks from his own (John 8:44); the children also of Memphis, and of Taphnes, have deflowered you, even to the crown of the head (Jer 2:16); your wisdom and your knowledge have deceived you (Isa 47:10).

The grace of God be with you. Amen.