Наставительная часть (2Тим.1, 7–4, 8)

A) The instructional department (2 Tim. 1, 7–3, 9) The division of instructions for the first section is indicated by St. Paul himself in verse 7, defining the properties of the gift of God received through the laying on of hands. 2 Timothy 1:7. No way for us. God is the spirit of fear, but of strength and love and chastity. “Us” – who? And to Christians in general, and even more so to the Apostles and their successors. since the spirit given from God is spoken of after the mention of the gift of God through the laying on of hands; then it would be more direct to understand here by “to us” - Saint Paul with Saint Timothy - as it were: to you and me. But since the general Christian spirit is the same, there is no need to distinguish this in the Interpretation. “I will not give you the spirit of fear,” δειλιασ, timidity, timidity. “We did not receive the spirit to be timid, but to be bold. God also gives to many a spirit of fear, for example, in war, as read in Scripture. “And the spirit of fear attacked,” he says (Ex. 15:16), that is, God put fear in them. On the contrary, he gave you the spirit of strength” (Saint Chrysostom). "But strength". “God gave us the grace of the Holy Spirit not so that we would be afraid of dangers for piety (for the faith of Christ), but so that we would fearlessly confess it and proclaim it, being filled with Divine power (in a sense of grace-filled power from God)” (Blessed Theodoret). The Savior also spoke to the Apostles, sending them to preach: “Before kings and rulers you will know My name for a testimony to them” - and they will persecute you, just like Me: “Do not fear them” (Matthew 10, 18, 23, 26). And he encouraged Saint Paul: “Do not be afraid, but speak and do not keep silent” (Acts 18:9). And he, with a feeling of strength from God, confessed: “I can do all things through him who strengthens me” (Phil. 4:13). With a feeling of strength, every Christian, upon receiving grace, sets out on his work - the work of life in Christ Jesus; and to the timid question: “Who will deliver me from the body of this death,” he hears in himself the answer: “The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has freed me from the law of sin and death” (Rom. 7:24; 8:2). "And love". The outpouring of love in hearts is inseparable from the bestowal of the grace of the Holy Spirit, as the same Apostle testifies in another place: “The love of God was poured out into our hearts by the Holy Spirit given to us” (Rom. 5:5): the love of God, - first, love for God; for the Spirit of grace, having regenerated, instills a feeling of sonship, by which the regenerate one confesses that God is his Father, and with filial love ascends to him, crying out: “Abba Father!” (Rom. 8:15) - with a love so strong and deep that nothing, neither in heaven nor on earth, can separate him “from” this “love of God” (Rom. 8:39). “The love of God,” the second, is Divine love, complete and all-encompassing, for the brethren. The Spirit of God, having regenerated, instills a feeling of brotherhood with all the regenerated, according to which they confess in their hearts that they are all sons and daughters of one God - they constitute one spiritual family of God; that is why they have each other as if they were the same uterine, not with their tongues, but with the feeling of their hearts, being ready to make all sorts of sacrifices for their good. This feeling among the Apostles and their successors receives special breadth, and they sincerely recognize themselves as indebted not only to the Jews, “but to the barbarian and the Greek, the wise and the foolish” (Rom. 1:14), always ready to “be all things to all, that they may save some” (1 Cor. 9:22). This is what all our interpreters understand. Blessed Theophylact combines them all in short: “love, both that for Him (God) and that for our neighbors. For we also have the ability to love God as a Father from the Spirit, who does what we cry: “Abba Father!” And to remain unwavering in love for one’s neighbors is a gift that comes from Divine power; how, on the contrary, to be tempted by them (to be indignant at their unkind attitudes towards us) happens from timid timidity and cowardice.” The latter not only testifies to the absence of love, but also extinguishes it, as St. Chrysostom explains: “love comes from strength and fearlessness; for, as a rule, nothing destroys love so much as fearful fears and suspicion of betrayal.” "And chastity". “He calls chastity either the health of mind and soul, or the fact that we live chastely, and tries to enlighten us and deviate us from intemperance” (St. Chrysostom), so that not only we ourselves would be chaste and reasonable, but also “others chaste and taught reason” (Blessed Theophylact). Usually, chastity means purity from all carnal defilement. The Spirit of grace, having come and been received by the heart, removes it from addiction to everything sensual and discourages the taste for it. If this is established in the heart, then what place will carnal lust find in it? Those who have received the Spirit are pure in heart. But the same Spirit is also the Spirit of reason, who, having come, teaches everything both in knowledge and in life (John 14:26). Therefore, we can accept that in the present place, of course, this is the latter. The Apostle says: σωφρονισμου - chastity, giving sanity forever, and especially in the right case, what to say and how to act, as the Lord promised: “He will give fear to you in the hour that you speak” (Matt. 10, 19); At one hour it will be given what you say, and at another what you should do. Thus, here we can understand the active prudence given to shepherds. This is what the gift of ordination gives to the ordained: the spirit of power, love and wisdom, or makes “strong, loving, sensible” (Ambrosiastes). According to these parts of the gift of ordination, Saint Paul also gives instructions to the ordained Saint Timothy. As he who has received the spirit of power, he commands: a) fearlessly and without shame, preach about the Lord Savior, strictly adhering to what I have dedicated to you (1: 8-18); as if he has received the gift of love, he commands: b) as a warrior, as a fighter and as an orator, work on your brothers, so that they too will receive salvation (2, 1 – 13); as if he has received the spirit of wisdom and sound mind, he commands: c) not to get involved in verbal disputes with opponents of the truth, but to meekly admonish them, not leaving unattended and those who do not do well (2, 14 – 3, 9). a) Instruction to preach about the Lord Savior without fear or ashamed (2 Tim. 1: 8-18) As one who has received the gift of strength, do not be ashamed of the testimony of Christ the Savior, but have compassion for Him, guided by: aa) mainly, the height of the significance of the incarnate economy (1, 8-10); and at the same time: bb) by my example; for I too am not ashamed and suffer (1:11 – 14); and: c) the example of Onesiphorus, who was not ashamed of my chains and was not afraid to find me and serve me, not like the Asians who were with me (1, 15 – 18). aa) Guided by the height of the significance of the incarnate economy (2 Tim. 1:8–10) 2 Timothy 1:8–9. Do not be ashamed of the passion (testimony) of our Lord Jesus Christ, nor of me, His servant: but suffer the gospel of Christ according to the power of God who saved us. "Don't be ashamed." since you have received the spirit of power as a gift from God through the laying on of hands, do not be ashamed: for shame is a sign of powerless cowardice. “Do not be ashamed of the testimony of Jesus Christ” - the testimony of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who became incarnate for our salvation, but was crucified on the cross and saved us by this death on the cross; Do not be ashamed, embarrassed by the thought that Christ crucified “is a temptation for the Jews, and foolishness for the Greeks” and the word “cross” for others is “foolishness” (1 Cor. 1:18, 23); but boldly proclaim the word of the cross and, without lowering your eyes, preach Christ crucified, being undoubtedly confident that by this reproach of the cross the salvation of the world has been accomplished. The entire gospel is called the testimony of Christ here, as is immediately explained in the words: “but share in the gospel of Christ.” Our interpreters have said a lot of impressive things about this false shame. Since it is also found in our society, we consider it not superfluous to place here what they said, starting with the latest and ascending to the earliest. Blessed Theophylact writes: “many of the repentant, judging by human concepts of what is beyond our comprehension, consider it a shame to proclaim that the Son of God was crucified, not knowing that by the power of this cross the condemned man became the son of God. But you, O Timothy, says the Apostle, do not be ashamed to testify about Christ and His death on the cross, but preach about it with boldness.” Blessed Theodoret further enters into this, saying: “The cross, reproach, slander, suffering, and death were preached. And this seemed full of shame to the unbelievers. “The word of the cross,” says the Apostle, “is foolishness to those who are perishing” (1 Cor. 1:18). Therefore, about himself in the Epistle to the Romans he said: “I am not ashamed of the gospel: the power of God is for salvation to everyone who believes” (Rom. 1:16), and here he advises his disciple to preach about this with boldness.” Ambrosiastes writes something similar: “The Apostle teaches that one should have firmness and not tremble when confessing the faith. For there is nothing in her that should be ashamed. If Christ was seen as a man, then by His deeds He revealed Himself to be God: although He was crucified, He rose from the dead and in the sight of many, taken up in a cloud, ascended into heaven (Acts 1:9). And this is not a sign of weakness, but evidence of strength: for where weakness seems to be felt, there power appears. So, it is unreasonable for the weak to honor Him Who has so clearly shown Himself to be the conqueror (of all weakness).” St. Chrysostom’s word about this is more extensive and complete: “There is nothing worse than judging and measuring Divine deeds according to human concepts; for in this way one can fall far from the stone of faith and lose the light. If the one who wants to embrace the rays of the sun with human eyes not only fails to embrace them and does not achieve the goal, but also moves away from it and suffers great harm, then all the more so will he who dares to look at the unapproachable light with his speculations suffer harm, insulting the gift of God. Look at Marcion, Manes, Valentinus and all those who introduce heretical and destructive teachings into the Church of God, how they, measuring the works of God by human speculations, were ashamed of the economy of our salvation. Meanwhile, it, I mean the cross of Christ, deserves not shame, but great praise. Nothing serves as such a great proof of God’s love for mankind, neither the sky, nor the sea, nor the earth, nor the creation of all things from nothing, nor everything else, like the cross. Therefore, Paul boasts about him: “But let me not boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Gal. 6:14). But spiritual people, who attribute to God no more than people, (are alienated from the faith because of this, or) fall away from the faith, ashamed of it. Therefore, the Apostle, convincing his disciple, and through him, everyone, says: “Do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord,” that is, do not be ashamed of the fact that you preach the Crucified One, but rather boast of it. Although all these objects - death, prison, bonds, in themselves are worthy of shame and reproach; but here, if you delve into the reason and carefully consider the sacrament, they are worthy of great praise and great veneration. This death saved the dying universe; this death united heaven and earth; this death destroyed the power of the devil, made people angels and sons of God; this death elevated our nature to the royal throne. "Don't be ashamed." He didn’t say: don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid, but he encouraged him more strongly with the word: “don’t be ashamed,” expressing that the danger seemed to not exist; if you overcome shame. Shame is only painful when it overcomes us.” “Be not ashamed of me, who used Him.” “Don’t be ashamed that you have a prisoner as a teacher” (Ecumenius). It is true that the reproach of the teacher also falls on the student; but my bonds are not a reproach, but the glory of Christ and mine. The Apostle considered it necessary to encourage Saint Timothy from this side; therefore, looking around and seeing how the teaching was reviled, he himself was being pressed and his teachers were imprisoning him, he could naturally become embarrassed. Don't be ashamed, he says; There is nothing defamatory in all this, neither in the ungodly teaching, nor in my bonds. Saint Chrysostom, continuing his words, says: “Do not be ashamed of the fact that I, who raises the dead, performs countless signs, flows around the entire universe, am now bound. I am bound not as a villain, but for the sake of the Crucified One; If my Lord was not ashamed of the cross, then I am not ashamed of the bonds. If our Lord and Teacher endured the cross (not for shame, but for glory), then how much more can we (without shame endure) the bonds.” “Thus,” we will continue this speech with the words of Ambrosiastes, “there is nothing shameful in the Apostle - the prisoner; for while, on the one hand, because of his bonds and wounds, his enemies call him covered with shame and humiliation, on the other hand, he disgraces his detractors by being marvelous, performing signs and wonders with one wave; Yes, they understand that if he is subjected to humiliation, it is not due to weakness, but by the will of God, for the multiplication of crowns. For this is why God allows His servants to be humiliated by the unrighteous, so that it will be clear to everyone that He is not preparing unrighteously and rewarding them with crowns.” “But share in the gospel of Christ.” Not only do not be ashamed of the testimony or gospel of Christ, but do not refuse to suffer for Him; At the same time, as you testify or preach the gospel about Christ the Savior, be ready to suffer for Him, and, conversely, along with suffering for the gospel, do not stop preaching the gospel. The Apostle imagines him already suffering something and inspires him: graciously and with joy endure what you suffer for piety, - giving, by way of expression, to understand with this: by enduring like this, you will suffer for Christ the Lord and me. - Saint Chrysostom says: “suffer” - that is, even if you yourself suffered it, do not be ashamed; not just: “don’t be ashamed,” but don’t be ashamed to try it yourself. Just as I, he says, do not bear these bonds for myself, so you will not endure anything human, but you will participate in the same sufferings (of Christ). “Suffer,” he says, “for the gospel,” not in the sense that the gospel suffers, but he encourages the disciple to suffer for the Gospel.” “Show by skill and practice that you are not ashamed of the gospel, namely, by suffering for it; and show it all the more willingly, that in this way you become a sharer of the sufferings of Christ the Savior and mine” (Blessed Theophylact). “The Apostle instructs Saint Timothy to endure suffering courageously and willingly” (Blessed Theodoret); He gives the commandment, considering it obligatory. “For since death has been conquered by the power of God (mortius), so that we can obtain salvation, then for this reason we must reciprocate the Redeemer (with suffering) at least in part” (Ambrosiastes). “According to the power of God” - suffer. You received strength for this from God, having received the spirit of power in the gift of ordination. You have received the spirit of power, exercise it, manifest it, warm it up, complacently enduring everything that you have to endure for the gospel. You have nothing to fear from suffering; for within you already dwells the strength to endure them. “The Apostle encourages with a reminder of the power of God” (Blessed Theodoret). “It is not by your own strength,” he says, “that you have the power to endure this compassion. God has already given you such strength and will give you even more, if necessary” (Ecumenius). “Your business is to decide and show your readiness, but to ease and calm is the work of God” (St. Chrysostom). This idea for the words: “according to the power of God” is borrowed from the previous one, and precisely from the fact that God gave us the spirit of power. But in the flow of speech, thoughts for these words can also be borrowed from what follows: for after the words: “according to the power of God” - it is said: “who saved us” - and so on, attracting attention in these words and further seeing the interpretation of what kind of power of God should be understood here - precisely that which is revealed in the dispensation of our salvation. Our interpreters, after the proposed explanation, express this thought. 2 Timothy 1:9. Who saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His good pleasure and grace, which was given to us in Christ Jesus before the years of eternity. Saint Chrysostom says about the meaning of these words: “The Apostle also presents evidence of the power of God” - and then suggests: if God has revealed such power in the dispensation of our salvation and calling, then “we should not be afraid; if even then, when it was necessary to save us, who were His enemies, He saved us by grace, then will He not much more assist us when He sees our (by calling) activity? The same is true of Ecumenius: “The Apostle expresses evidence of God’s readiness and cooperation, and the supply of strength that can make us capable of courageously enduring temptations. God saved us, he says, from the death of sin and called us with a holy calling, when we turned away from Him and did not want to know Him, not because we were worthy of it, but He did this according to His will and grace. So, if, he says (for this is the purpose of these words of the Apostle), He has shown such kindness towards us, who were His enemies; Isn’t it even more so, when we have become friends with Him and willingly go to suffering for His sake, He will give us the strength to endure them and get rid of them? The same is true for Blessed Theophylact. These two understandings of the words: “according to the power of God” do not disagree with each other, but one complements the other. The spirit of power is accepted by all Christians, and even more so by the Apostolic successors - and he is content to endure suffering for the faith; but it must be heated, as the Apostle indicated along with the indication of its gift. How to warm it up? This is what is now being talked about - that is, contemplation of the dispensation of our salvation. The incarnate economy of our salvation vividly impresses in our consciousness the incomprehensibly great power and greatness of God, who saves us, moreover, in such a way that this power and greatness are reflected in the very action of saving everyone, as if they were their own. Contemplating this, be inspired to willingly and courageously suffer for the economy of salvation that is already working in you, and for the glory of God, who saved you so wondrously. “According to the power of God” - it will therefore be: prompting and drawn to this compassion by the contemplation and consciousness of the power of God in the arrangement of your salvation - as it were: you are obliged to suffer to the extent of the power revealed in the arrangement of your salvation. This cannot be accomplished by deeds; but to strive for how much strength there is or how much strength has been received is both possible and should. The Apostle depicts the very economy of salvation fully, as is customary for him, beginning with the definition of it in the Eternal Council of God, when even as the Son of God deigned to accept its accomplishment through the incarnation, so all the graces were therefore awarded and given to us. But all this was hidden in the mystery of the Divinity, and it became clear when, having come through the incarnation, the Son of God destroyed death by death and by resurrection he shone forth life and incorruptibility first “in Himself, so that later it could be appropriated by all of us” (St. Chrysostom). This is accomplished by grace for the sake of faith in the sacraments. Faith is stirred up and generated by the gospel; he who follows the gospel with faith is called; the one who is called is blessed in the sacraments and enters the path of salvation according to God’s economy, receiving communion and his power. The Apostle briefly imprints all this in his thoughts. And who, contemplating all this, and even more so receiving communion of the saving power, will not be ready to endure everything for saving faith? “He who saved us and called us.” The first word signifies salvation, as it is arranged by the Lord, the entire incarnate economy, and the second, how everyone who is saved enters into participation in it, namely: enters, being called by the gospel. So it was in the beginning, so it always was, is and will be. Salvation is arranged, the supper is ready. And the word of God goes everywhere, inviting everyone. Come, taste and be part of salvation. - This “calling” is called “holy”, for it comes from the Holy God the Father, is acted by the grace of the Holy Spirit and leads to sanctification in the Son of God incarnate, who sanctifies and sanctifies everyone. – Just as the economy of salvation itself is completed, so the calling to receive salvation in it is accomplished by God, “not according to our works, but according to” His “good pleasure”, κατα προθεσιν, - according to the will, which, since it has been good for us, is good pleasure, good will. We, our race, could not imagine anything on our part that would be worth arranging our salvation, except perhaps complete powerlessness and all-round helplessness, which evoked and attracted Divine mercy. One can guess that it was necessary for the purposes for which the world was given existence and to which it is being led in ways incomprehensible to us. But this is all a matter of God’s good pleasure. In the same way, the fact that every nation and every person is called to participate in salvation happens by the good will and grace of God. None of us can imagine anything for which he would deservedly be called to salvation, except perhaps the inevitability of perishing without that, which attracts the mercy of God, which does not tolerate His creation perishing. This is how it happens, is experienced and recognized by all those called to salvation. None of them can say where and how the calling Spirit comes, and His voice is heard clearly in the heart with some compulsion to follow this voice. This of God is “mercy, God’s favor.” – “Out of Himself, drawn by His goodness, God does this” (Blessed Theophylact). Let us note at the same time that we should not confuse the calling to salvation with the very achievement of salvation, which does not happen without our own efforts. It is the fruit of the combined action of grace and freedom. That is why not all those who are called are saved, and there are more called than those chosen, that is, those who have truly achieved salvation. – “Grace” is called given to us before the eternal years because it was determined to be given to us in the Eternal Council, along with the fact that the Son of God deigned to take upon Himself the work of the incarnate economy of salvation. Why is it, given before eternal years, also given about Christ Jesus. “Without beginning and from eternity this grace was destined to be given to us in Christ Jesus our Lord. It is no small thing for us that God has deigned this for us from eternity” (Blessed Theophylact). 2 Timothy 1:10. Now revealed by the enlightenment of our Savior Jesus Christ, who destroyed death and brought forth life and incorruption through the gospel. Appearing now,” φανερωθεισαν, - open, made obvious. How? “By the enlightenment of our Savior”, δια της επιφανειας, - through the appearance of our Savior, the Son of God in the flesh. Grace is determined, awarded, given to us from eternity; but until now it remained hidden. The Prophets knew about it, but they only knew that it would undoubtedly happen, and what it would be, they only guessed about it. And the Angels of God did not know that it would be there, but only strained to penetrate into it. No one, however, understood what it was until the Savior, the Son of God incarnate, appeared. Now it has just become open. Ambrosiastes writes: “The grace of God was hidden from time immemorial, but was revealed clearly through the incarnation and coming of Christ the Savior.” Blessed Theodoret explains the phenomenon by fulfillment: “from ancient times and before centuries, the God of all predestined this; now he has fulfilled what was predetermined.” The ecumenium connects the announcement with the phenomenon: “from time immemorial God has ordained that we should be saved, but this has now been declared because of the incarnation of our Savior God. For the Council of God - that the world should be saved through faith - is now, and not ever before, declared.” In the word: “appeared”—revealed—then and the Other are combined, both the fulfillment and the announcement of that. The fulfillment itself was already a revelation and proclamation. But since the fulfillment of the plan of the economy of salvation was accomplished not only so that it would be seen, but so that, having seen and heard, they would believe and by faith become partakers of the very grace hidden in the incarnate economy, then it is announced openly to everyone - so that the announcement is inseparable from the appearance of the Savior. “Who destroyed death and made life and incorruption shine forth through the gospel.” How and by what means did the Son of God become incarnate make the grace hidden from the ages visible? So also by the fact that he “destroyed death, and life and incorruption shone forth.” Both were accomplished by one act of resurrection, in which death was destroyed and imperishable life shone forth: for the Lord and Savior, having risen, rose clearly through victory over death and its destruction; but he who conquers and destroys death no longer dies, and death does not possess Him; why in Him imperishable life is brought forth into light. Both are revealed in action only in the person of the Savior; in Him death was destroyed and imperishable life shone forth; for the general destruction of death and the shining of incorruptible life, only a solid foundation is laid in this and the perfect force is combined, which has in due time to accomplish this. The Lord Savior destroyed death and incorruptible life shone forth in Himself, not for Himself, but for us, for the human race. And we really become involved in this, through a mysteriously grace-filled, but living union with the Lord, by whom in us lies a solid foundation for both the destruction of death and the shining of incorruption. But now this works in secret, but it will come into reality at the end of the ages; Now the seed is allotted to him alone, but the tree of life will arise from this seed in due time. But just as the previously hidden grace of the economy of our salvation was truly and effectively revealed in the Lord the Savior, so the power of the destruction of death and the radiance of life, now hidden in us through communication with the Savior, will undoubtedly manifest itself in due time. Saint Chrysostom says: “in the body of Christ both (life and incorruption) already existed (and exist), and in ours there will still be. This is the subject of our hope.” “He who shone forth,” φωτισαντος, can give two thoughts: and “who appeared in Himself” (Ecumenius), who brought into the environment, into the light, into the vision of all, and enlightened with the teaching of this and faith in it. Thus, Blessed Theodoret writes: “The Only Begotten Word, having become man, ceased the dominion of death and gave us the promise of eternal life; The Apostle expressed this by saying: “he who shone forth,” instead of: “he who foretold.” Blessed Theophylact combines both, that is, what he revealed in himself and enlightened us with hope; for the latter is believed on the basis of the first: “in His own body the Savior most deed destroyed death, corrupting it; He enlightened us with the gospel - the hope of life and incorruption. For we are not yet corrupted by the deed itself, but we have to be such, and in such hope the gospel confirms us.” “The gospel”, δια του ευαγγελιου, should, however, be attributed to everything said about the economy of salvation. This great grace was intended from time immemorial, but was hidden, but is now revealed in the Lord the Savior. In Him is the entire completeness of the economy of salvation, and we can become partakers of it no other way than through living communion with the Lord. This communion begins by faith, operates in the sacraments, is perfected and ends by living by faith in grace. But without a beginning and an end, one cannot expect. As the beginning is faith, and faith is the fruit of the gospel; then the Apostle added: δια του ευαγγελιου - as an absolutely necessary means for participating in the grace of the economy of salvation. Let's go back a little. All this image of the grace of God in the dispensation of our salvation, predestined from eternity, in the incarnation of the Lord, which entered into action and by its action extends throughout all eternity - an image of God's benevolent work towards us, so majestic, all-embracing and joyful, was made by the Apostle to inspire St. Timothy so that he would not be ashamed of the testimony of the Lord the Savior and willingly indulge in compassion evangelism, saying, as it were: there is something to suffer because of; “You see what power, you see what gift has been sent down to us” (St. Chrysostom). “Do not be ashamed, but suffer for the gospel.” – Further, the Apostle reinforces and fuels the same inspiration with his own example. And I, he says, suffer for the gospel, but I am not ashamed. bb) Guided by the example of the Apostle (2 Tim. 1, 11–14) Saint Paul presents his example briefly but completely, recalling: α) how he is entrusted with the gospel (verse 11), β) how fearlessly and unabashedly he fulfills this assignment (verse 12, 1st half) and: γ) how he nurtures the hope that his work will not be in vain (verse 12, 2nd half), directing all this so that it flows from here for the saint Timothy's inspiration for suffering through the gospel (verses 12 - 14). α) How the Apostle is entrusted with the gospel (2 Tim. 1, 11) 2 Timothy 1:11. I was appointed a preacher and an apostle and a teacher of languages. The Apostle urges Saint Timothy not to be ashamed, but to be willing to suffer for the sake of the gospel. The main source of inspiration for such a feat is the confidence that both the work of the gospel and its content directly comes from God and that the one who works in it directly serves God, and does not carry out human orders. For Saint Paul, the confidence of this is directly imprinted on the face of the Lord; but Saint Timothy believed this through Saint Paul. Although he knew how Saint Paul became an Apostle and how he received the command from the Lord Himself to preach; but it was not superfluous to renew this in his soul with the memory, just as it is never superfluous to renew the memory of all the sacraments of faith, which are naturally blocked by new knowledge and impressions and are relegated to the background in attention. This is what Saint Paul is doing now. Having said: “I was not placed in this place,” he recalled in the mind of Saint Timothy the impressionable story of the conversion of Saint Paul, bringing to this the memory of the repeated appearances of the Lord to him with a direct command: go into the tongues. And all this could not help but revive the confidence that, working in the gospel according to the leadership of Saint Paul, he was continuing the work entrusted to him by the Lord, and, therefore, he himself was serving the Lord. The fruit of the revival of such confidence could not but be revival and inspiration to boldly, without shame, proclaim the gospel, and to readily suffer for it. Which is what the Apostle wanted to say in real words. Blessed Theophylact writes: “Why did Saint Paul call himself here a teacher of languages? In order to inspire Saint Timothy that he too must proclaim the word of the gospel to the pagans and not lose heart (while encountering opposition).” The words: “preacher, apostle, teacher” are unambiguous. But you can also see some difference in them. The “preacher” appears among a people unknown to him and who does not know him, and preaches the gospel. To inspire faith, he, like an Apostle, assures those who hear that he does not speak on his own behalf, but is sent by the Lord and proclaims His will to them. Then he takes the believers into his care and teaches them both knowledge and life, like a mentor, entering their circle with direct orders. β) How the Apostle fulfills this commission (2 Tim. 1:12) 2 Timothy 1:12. Even though I suffer for the sake of guilt, I am not ashamed. This should have inspired even more. If it weren’t for this, chilling thoughts might come first: it’s good for you to say this, being in honor and peace. But when he who convinces one to suffer unashamedly suffers himself and is not ashamed, then a reminder of this is the same as adding wood to a fire that has already been lit. If we remember at the same time the strong love of Saint Timothy for his father and teacher, then we will be even more convinced that this was also the case with Him. His inspiration, raised by the first reminder, increased and ignited even more. The Apostle seems to say to him: “Imitate me, bound for the teaching of the Gospel” (Blessed Theophylact). “Do not be embarrassed at the thought of my suffering. I do not suffer as an evildoer, but to teach the pagans. Are such bonds shameful, are such suffering shameful? Don’t be ashamed either” (Saint Chrysostom). “You see how he himself, by his actions, demonstrates what he convinces Saint Timothy to do - that is, so that he would not be ashamed of suffering” (Blessed Theophylact). γ) How the Apostle harbors hope that his labor is not in vain (2 Tim. 1:12–14) 2 Timothy 1:12. We know that we have faith in Him, and we know that my tradition is strong, preserved in the day of He. A new source of inspiration for unashamed suffering for the sake of the gospel, namely that nothing suffered and done in this regard will be forgotten, but will be entirely preserved for the bearer on the day of judgment, for placing on the scales of righteousness and for determining the reward deserved by life. Here he expresses his hope about this and, therefore, what his inspiration is nourished and sustained by. But just as before this, saying: I suffer and am not ashamed, he inspired: do not be ashamed to suffer: so here, speaking about the hope that inspires him, he intends to raise the same hope in Saint Timothy, so that he can ignite an inspiration similar to his own - to suffer and not be ashamed. “Tradition”, παραθηκη, means everything that someone has to preserve. Consequently, it is unfair to give one specific meaning to this word everywhere, but it is necessary to find an indication of this meaning in the course of speech. In the present place it should mean all the labors and sufferings of St. Paul for the gospel of the Gospel. I have been entrusted, he says, with the gospel to the pagans; I work in this, and although I suffer for it, I do not lose my spirit, being confident that nothing I have suffered or done on this occasion will be in vain. The idea behind this is that no good deed done for the glory of God and the good of others is not wasted, but is stored in the memory of God, in the book of life, with the Lord the Savior, and on the day of judgment it will be taken into account to determine the fate of the one who did it. The Lord inspires confidence in this with the parable of the unrighteous overseer. The Apostle adopted it and expresses it here. Everything, he says, that I lay aside with the Lord remains safe and will remain in His treasury until the day of His appearing for judgment. What is all this? Everything that he did according to the gospel - both the work of the gospel, and all the suffering for it, and all the fruits of it - is the foundation and structure of so many Churches throughout the universe. By tradition we can also understand the very content of the gospel - the faith of Christ, since it was implanted by the Apostle in the souls of believers, or entrusted to the keeping of the Church of God, of which Christ is the head. The Lord put this faith in his soul, and it became his property; why does he say: my tradition. I convey or entrust to others what the Lord conveyed and entrusted to me - the unchanging faith of God. This faith is not such that it stands today and will change tomorrow. No; she will remain until the end of the century and will appear in judgment, determining the fate of everyone. Therefore, there is something to suffer for without being ashamed. What is the basis of this hope in the Apostle? On the fact that the Lord is able to accomplish what he trusts from Him. When someone puts something in the care of a powerless person, who cannot defend and protect himself, then he cannot rest for a minute for his good. And when he deposits his goods with a strong man, whom no one dares to approach, then he is in complete peace about his goods. So it is here with the Apostle. God is strong, he says, to preserve both the faith and my labors according to its gospel. I know who I trusted. That is the Lord; Let's go to the face He talked to me more than once, both confirming the truth of faith so tangibly, and sending and inspiring me to the work of the gospel. But the Lord is omnipotent - “he is God, the Creator and Lord of all” (Blessed Theodoret); why I am convinced that He will preserve His faith forever, and will not leave my labors without reward. “Look, what boldness! What unshakable hope! I know, he says, and I am firmly and firmly convinced” (Blessed Theodoret). This is how our interpreters understand “tradition” and its preservation. Saint Chrysostom says: “What does “tradition” mean? Faith, sermon. He who betrayed her himself, he says, will keep her unchanged. I endure everything so that this treasure is not plundered, and I am not ashamed of anything, as long as it is preserved intact. Or “tradition” he calls the believers whom God entrusted to him or whom he betrayed to God, as in another place he says: “and now I commend you to God” (Acts 20:32).” “As if I said this,” Blessed Theophylact continues St. Chrysostom, “I am not ashamed, hoping that I will bring many to God, whom He will preserve in order to glorify them for my sake. Or by “tradition” the Apostle means future reward: for everyone who does something good places it with God (for safekeeping), so that in due time he will be crowned for it.” verses 13-14 seem to be inserted during the speech. But they only seem so, but in fact they constitute a natural conclusion or application of what was said from the 8th verse to the 12th. Do not be ashamed, he said, of the gospel, but have compassion for it; then, having sufficiently disposed to this and inspired him - either by the beneficialness of the economy of our salvation, of which the gospel is preached, or by his own example - now he finally adds: preach the gospel, without being ashamed and without fear of suffering for that, but preach the gospel according to the model that I have taught you; Keep my will or tradition for you. This is added for the purpose of the Epistle of both the First and this Second - to prevent disputes with heretics, so as not to accumulate empty and false thoughts and not to spoil the image of sound words. However, what is the fearless gospel other than preserving the image of sound words and the Apostolic testament - preserving it by investing it in the souls of those who listen with faith and believe? According to this thought, these verses can be considered a continuation of what was said in verse 12, about the hope of the Apostle that his tradition will be preserved until that day. The Preserver is the Lord; the instruments are the Apostles' successors, of whom Saint Timothy is not the first. He is told: keep it and give it to those who follow safely; it will remain this way until the end. 2 Timothy 1:13. Have the example of sound words, which you heard from me, in faith and love, even about Christ Jesus. “Image”, υποτυπωσιν, – outline, norm, prototype. “Sound words” – sound doctrine. I have taught you, he says, sound doctrine about salvation; Keep it in your mind and heart as a model, and preach the gospel according to it. “As painters do, so I have drawn for you an image of virtue and everything pleasing to God, and as if I have put some kind of rule, prototype and outline into your soul” (St. Chrysostom). “As a painter, I wrote and drew you an icon and a prototype, so that, looking at it, you would paint the same outline of my words (in the minds and souls of believers, as on a canvas). Have this prototype in yourself and, when you need something to paint, take it and paint it: for everything is combined in it” (Blessed Theophylact). “Imitate the painters. Just as they, carefully peering at the originals, accurately copy images from them, so you, as if in some kind of original, have the teaching I taught about faith and love” (Blessed Theodoret). “Whom have you heard from me.” “Not only through the Epistles did the Apostle instill in the disciple what he should do, but also in words. He expresses this in many other places, when, for example, he says: “either by word, or by our epistle” (2 Thessalonians 2:15); but it is much clearer here. Therefore, let us not (judging by the written Epistles) think that the teaching taught to them was not enough; he taught the student without writing, which he now reminds him of” (St. Chrysostom). “In faith and love, even in Christ Jesus. In faith and love” - can be combined in different ways: or - have the outline of my sound words, my teachings in faith and love, containing them, as in some kind of repository, in a believing and loving heart; or - keep the outline of my teaching, which embraces both faith and love; or whether you preach about faith or love, take it from my outline of sound doctrine. The first can be seen in the above words of St. Chrysostom: “I have put the prototype and mark in your soul.” The second is from St. Chrysostom: “I have drawn for you an image of virtue and everything pleasing to God”; in the above words of Blessed Theodoret: “Have in the original the teaching I have given you about faith and love”; and in the following words of Blessed Theophylact: “my words contain the teaching of both faith and love, that is, both about dogmas and about proper life.” The third is in the following words of Saint Chrysostom: “Whether you need advice about faith, or about love, or about chastity, borrow samples from there, that is, from my mark; You will not need to look for a model from others, because everything is contained there.” And in similar words of Blessed Theophylact: “Whether you need to dogmatize about what is right, or speak, or act, you should borrow everything from there.” There is also a fourth understanding, the Ecumenical one, namely that the Apostle spoke his words, moved by faith and love. “His words,” he writes, “and teachings were in the faith and love given to him from Christ.” There is no need to insist on any one understanding, because all of them are acceptable and certainly took place in practice. It was none other than the Apostle, moved by faith and love, who taught the doctrine and teaching about faith and love; Saint Timothy accepted this teaching only through faith and love, and kept it, and taught it to others, and, coming from his lips, it was about nothing other than faith and love. “Even about Christ Jesus” - grammatically refer to love, but in essence, not only to love, but also to faith. This, it seems, should be understood without being embarrassed by the way of expression. This expression denotes both the source and the characteristic feature of faith and love: in faith and love, given from the Lord the Savior and in the spirit of His contents. 2 Timothy 1:14. Keep your good testament by the Holy Spirit living in us. “A good testament”, παραθηκη, - tradition, what is given to you, says, and is entrusted to your keeping, is the same as: “the image of sound words”, - or what was expressed above, saying: “strong is tradition”, την παραθηκην, - “my save." - “Good” is a “testament” because it is benign in itself, it comes from a good – God’s – source, it is given for good, it leads to good and will be crowned with a good end. “Keep it,” he says, unchanged and whole, according to it, adjusting both the image of your views and the way of action and life. “Keep what I commanded you, both regarding faith and regarding life by faith” (Blessed Theophylact). Keep it, as my successor, and pass it on intact to your successors, teaching them to pass it on to those after them to be successors. So until the end. In the word: “keep”, spoken to Saint Timothy, so that all who have received the grace of Apostolic Succession may hear, a lesson for themselves - to keep unchanged what was received from their predecessors, without introducing or allowing any newness. "By the Holy Spirit given to us." “How can you comply with this? Not by human power, but by the Holy Spirit, who dwells in us by virtue of baptism. If we keep Him within ourselves and do not drive Him away with our carelessness and evil behavior; then He will also keep in us everything that we have from God. So, strive to preserve the Spirit, and He will preserve in you what was bequeathed to you” (Blessed Theophylact, Ecumenius). Saint Chrysostom explains this more fully: “keep a good testament.” How? "By the Holy Spirit living in us." The human soul and human strength are not able by themselves to preserve such blessings entrusted to them. Why? Because there are many robbers around us, there is deep darkness, the devil stands and deceives, and we do not know at what hour, at what time he will attack us. How can we preserve them? By the Holy Spirit, that is, if we have the Spirit in us; and He will be inherent in us if we do not drive away His grace. For “unless the Lord builds a house, it labors in vain to build it; unless the Lord preserves a city, it builds in vain” (Ps. 126:1). He is our wall, He is our fence, He is our refuge. You will say: but if He lives in us and Himself preserves us, then why are there instructions? So that we hold Him, keep Him and do not drive Him away from us by evil deeds.” “In us” – in whom and how? In whom? You can: in you and me; possible: in all the Apostles and their closest disciples, also called Apostles; possible: in the Apostles and all successors, past, present and future. - How? The Holy Spirit descended directly on the Apostles, but their successors received and are receiving It through the laying on of hands. Blessed Theophylact, saying that we have the Holy Spirit through baptism, conveys the idea that by the Holy Spirit he means general Christian grace and, therefore, by: in us - in Christians. But as, a little higher, having said about παραθηκη, that this means the commandments about faith and life taught to Saint Timothy, he added: “or the Apostle wants to say: the gift that you received, as he said above (that is, in verse 6)”; then it cannot be denied that here he also meant the Holy Spirit, acceptable through ordination. cv) Guided by the example of Onesiphorus (2 Tim. 1, 15–18) Having set his example to inspire Saint Timothy to suffer unashamedly for the gospel, Saint Paul also sets another example - Onesiphorus, a person more suitable on the level of Saint Timothy and even inferior to him in meaning - all with the same goal of inspiring. He thus inspires: if this one, who is lower than you, was not ashamed; then it is all the more fitting for you not to be ashamed. But just as the light becomes brighter when placed near the dark, the Apostle, in order to increase the price of Onesiphorus’s lack of shame, prescribes that everyone abandoned him, probably out of shame and fear. He seems to be saying: everyone was afraid of the impending disaster and was ashamed to confess their faith; Only Onesiphorus survived. Here's an example for you! Do the same. 2 Timothy 1:15. Weigh this, as if you have turned away from me, like Asia, from whom are Figellus and Hermogenes. "Do you weigh it?" Perhaps the Apostle conveyed this to Saint Timothy for his information: for he, as the guardian of the Asian Churches, should have known what the Asians were like or how they were capable of facing dangers. So blessed Theodoret. But more precisely, one must assume, in order, as noted, to inspire Saint Timothy, thereby strengthening the significance of the example of Onesiphorus, and not only his, but even his own, as the same blessed Theodoret further writes: “this Apostle convinces Timothy to endure courageously the sorrows he encounters” - and as Saint Chrysostom explains: “The Apostle speaks of temptations, not in order to to amaze (depress) the student, but to excite (inspire) him, so that if he ever happens to be subjected to the same temptations, he will not be embarrassed, looking at the teacher and remembering what happened to him.” “You have turned away from me.” They did not leave the faith, but distanced themselves from the Apostle. True, the danger was great. The previous bonds of the Apostle, both in Rome and in other places, were easier and less dangerous. The slander was mostly by the Jews and sometimes irritated the pagans; but government officials took him under the protection of the law... Now Nero himself is against him. It was impossible to expect mercy for those who would show themselves those who held his side. The danger of death stared him in the eye, and everyone who knew the Apostle distanced himself from him. Saint Chrysostom says: “he was then probably taken into custody and abandoned by everyone, he did not see any kindness from anyone, nor mercy, nor help, but was abandoned by the most believers and Friends,” he says, “everyone like Asia.” In Rome there were probably many people from the Asian regions at that time; perhaps they even accompanied the Apostle to Rome (Ecumenius); but no one, he says, came to me, no one recognized me, everyone became alienated.” Blessed Theodoret explains: “they avoided meeting with the Apostle, fearing Nero.” “From them there are Figellus and Hermogenes.” The course of speech gives the following idea: even Figellus and Hermogenes. They were probably closer to the Apostle, had greater relations with him, and were better known to both him and Saint Timothy. For after these words an addition is naturally imposed: those known to you, who stood out like that because of others, turned out to be such zealots; but it turned out that they were also among those who in calm times show themselves to be believers, but when danger is present, they hide. However, in the words of the Apostle one does not see reproach and condemnation, but rather one hears regret. So Saint Chrysostom: “And look how wise the soul of the Apostle is! He only said what happened, but did not reproach them at all; he praised the one who had done good to him and wished him countless blessings, but he did not wish them any harm.” - However, it is natural to see here a hint to Saint Timothy: be careful, and you do not turn out to be the same; or - don’t look at them, but at me, who endures this and is not ashamed, and at Onesiphorus, about whom I will speak now. 2 Timothy 1–17. May the Lord give mercy to the house of Onesiphorus: for he has given me rest many times, and you have not been ashamed of my faith, but having come to Rome, he sought me out and found me. He offered an example that should not be imitated, and now he offers one that should be imitated. The goal of both is the same - to inspire not to be ashamed of the Gospel and not to be afraid of its enemies. Onesiphorus, he says, was not ashamed of me and was not afraid of those who persecuted me, but sought me out and put me to rest many times. For this, the Apostle surrounds him with the benevolence of mercy from the Lord both in this life, and even more so at the judgment of God. This is who you should imitate! Blessed Theodoret writes: “wonderful, worthy of competition and blessed is he who rendered so many services to the Apostle and received such a blessing from the Apostolic lips. For those whom the Apostle mentioned above, even being with him, turned away from him; and this one from Asia came to Rome, neither tired of the long journey, nor afraid of the most cruel of the kings, but he was awarded all kinds of merits to the Apostle. Why did the Apostle reward not only him, but his entire household with God’s mercy?” “May the Lord give mercy to the house of Onesiphorus.” Onesiphorus rendered a favor, and mercy favors the whole house. This is either because for the head of the house, the welfare of the house is most valuable and the goodwill of the house is the most pleasant goodwill to him; or because his family, along with him, also laid the Apostle to rest, being, moreover, in itself worthy of all attention and respect, both in the sincerity of their faith and in their virtues. “So they (family members) were virtuous. This is how Onesiphorus raised them” (Blessed Theophylact). “For many times have I been laid to rest. - Rest in peace, ανεψυξεν, - cooled. The apostle presents himself as burning with sorrow and hardship, both because of bonds and because of abandonment by everyone. The participation of Onesiphorus and his services were the same for the Apostle in his sorrow as water to a thirsty person and coolness to one tormented by heat. “He, he says, refreshed and strengthened me in suffering, like a warrior exhausted from the heat” (St. Chrysostom). “And my faith was not ashamed” - he did not consider it humiliating for himself to have close and friendly communication with someone who was kept in prison, like a villain. Conviction of the Divine dignity of the gospel, proclaimed by the Apostle, in his mind, heart and conscience, surrounded the face of the Apostle himself with a heavenly halo and gave him the strength to stand above the usual human opinion about prisoners and not blush when entering and leaving prison for the repose of the prisoner - the Apostle. “But when you came to Rome, you sought me more carefully, and you found me.” There were many dungeons then; because, it seems, at that time these were private houses, the owners of which were also their guards. Thus, anyone who wanted to see the prisoner had to first find him. On arrival in Rome, Onesiphorus, having learned about the bonds of Saint Paul, immediately began to look for him - and to look for σπουδαιοτερον - most diligently, and did not rest until he found him. And he was not afraid of Nero’s fear, “although the circumstances were full of dangers, for the Apostle then suffered the wrath of Nero, turning someone close to him. But Onesiphorus, having arrived in Rome, not only did not avoid, he says, meeting me, but he diligently sought me out and found me (what courage! what faith! [see: Blessed Theophylact]). All believers (especially shepherds) should be like this—not restrained by fear, threats, or shame” (St. Chrysostom). 2 Timothy 1:18. May the Lord grant him mercy from the Lord on that day. And as much as you serve me in Ephesus, you will be kinder. Mercy for mercy. “Onesiphorus,” says the Apostle, has shown me mercy and for this he will receive reward on that terrible and terrible day when we need great mercy” (St. Chrysostom). “Then everyone needs much mercy, even the most holy ones. If Onesiphorus, who exposed himself to obvious dangers for Christ, is saved by grace; aren’t we even more so?” (Blessed Theophylact). The apostle wants what is most necessary. For if we do not find mercy there, everything is lost - forever. “May the Lord grant that we may obtain mercy from the Lord.” The Lord is from the Lord. “So, two Lords? Not at all; “but for us there is one Lord Jesus Christ and one God” (1 Cor. 8:6). Those infected with Marcion's heresy refer to this expression, but let them know that it is very common in Scripture. And in other places you can often find this expression, when, for example, it is said: “the Lord spoke to my Lord” (Ps. 109:1); and again: “The Lord waits on the Lord” (Gen. 19:24). This shows the consubstantiality of the Divine Persons, and not the difference of essence; and the Apostle says this not so that we imagine two beings that are different from each other, but two Persons having the same essence” (St. Chrysostom). “And as much as you serve me in Ephesus, you will be kinder.” - This is a great approval! For in Ephesus, expressing one’s closeness with the Apostle was no less dangerous and no less subject to ridicule from others. But Onesiphorus is always the same. As soon as he believed, he began to be devoted to the faith and religious teachers, not being ashamed of anyone and not fearing anyone. “This way of acting has become common to him. He stated it more than once. But as he was in Ephesus, as you yourself know, so is he here” (Blessed Theophylact, Ecumenius). “This is how a zealous and watchful Christian should be—he should do good not once, not twice or thrice, but throughout his entire life. Just as our body is more than once satisfied to support itself throughout life, but has a need for daily nutrition, so here, in piety, we daily have a need for help from good deeds” (St. Chrysostom). b) Instruction to preach zealously and in a spirit of love (2 Tim. 2:1-13) The Apostle explained what the spirit of power he received obliges Saint Timothy to do. Now he begins to say what the spirit of love obliges him to do (2, 1 – 13). This section begins with inspiration: “be able” - and, therefore, it seems to continue talking about the spirit of strength. So it seems, and it seemed that the flow of speech, from (2 Tim. 1, 8) to (2 Tim. 2, 13), could be distributed like this. The Apostle said in (2 Tim. 1, 8): “Do not be ashamed, but suffer,” then he urges not to be ashamed, in (2 Tim. 1, 8-18), but to suffer courageously, in the present section (2: 1 – 13). But as further (2 Tim. 2:14), the Apostle speaks about sound minds, and then (2 Tim. 3:10), he offers general convictions for proper shepherding and thus ends the teaching part of the Epistle; then there is no special word left for the spirit of love, it seems to be forgotten, which is inconvenient to admit. Why did the Interpretation find itself forced to admit that the present section speaks of the kindling of the spirit of love, and agreed to this all the more willingly because it is written not about courage, but about zeal for the gospel, which is usually the fruit of love for what it is zealous about and for whom. So, we believe that the Apostle in this section inspires Saint Timothy: act in the spirit of love or kindle the spirit of love, love: aa) for the gospel itself (2, 1-2) and: bb) for the work of evangelism (2, 3-13). aa) Kindling the spirit of love for the gospel itself (2 Tim. 2:1-2) Loving the gospel, not only guard it yourself as a treasure, but pass it on to other reliable people who are happy to teach others, so that in this way the gospel, passing from generation to generation, will never be stopped on earth. 2Tim.2:1. You, my child, may be helped by the grace that is in Christ Jesus. You are my child. Starting to show how to kindle the spirit of love, he begins with a word that breathes love: “my child!” “Not just “child”, but: “my child” (St. Chrysostom). “Do you see with what fatherly love he offers him his admonition?! With this word, he seemed to pour his loving soul into him” (Blessed Theophylact). Help, ενδυναμου, - grow stronger, grow, come to maturity. What? “In grace, which is in Christ Jesus”: in general, in the grace-filled order of life established by the Lord Jesus on earth; more specifically, in the order of action to which the special gift of grace bestowed upon you by the laying on of my hands, the gift of archpastorship, the grace of Apostolic Succession obliges you. “Enable in grace” – the same as above: “warm up the gift of God” (1, 6). This gift is threefold - it combines the spirit of strength, love and common sense. As has already been said about the spirit of power, here we should understand the spirit of love. Or “in grace” – that is: by the power of grace. Grow, come to maturity in the Apostolic activity - in the gospel and the establishment of life according to it. “In this the grace of the Lord will strengthen you” (Blessed Theodoret). “Be sober,” he says, “stay awake; the grace of the Lord moves and helps you; but you, too, do your job with full willingness and readiness” (St. Chrysostom). “Have her working with you” (blessed Theophylact). How? Acting in her spirit according to her suggestions and excitement. If you do not act in this way, then this spirit, not being warmed and inflated by the labors corresponding to it, will go out. So both meanings will be combined: we strengthen you with the power of grace, act in its spirit, and you will grow in the order of life to which it calls and obliges you. 2Tim.2:2. And what you heard from me as many witnesses, this was delivered by a faithful man, who will be pleased and teach others. He said: “make it possible” - grow and become husband; and then adds: “And what thou hast heard, deliver.” The latter explains the former or indicates a way to do so. Grow and become courageous, warming your grace with the power of this same grace. How to do this or how to manage it? You will succeed if you do not hide the treasure of teaching taught to you - the saving mysteries of God - within yourself, but you zealously share them, you spread the knowledge about them both through your own word and through the word of your other capable disciples. If you love this treasure, you cannot act otherwise: for there is no other suitable and splendid treasury for it except human souls. If you value it, hide it in these treasuries. “He did not say: speak, but: “deliver,” as if about a treasure that is transferred and stored in a safe place” (St. Chrysostom). “And you have heard from me.” Into your soul, as into a treasury, through your hearing, opened by faith, I have placed the treasure of the mysteries of God. Do the same for others as I did for you. Putting these words in relation to what is often repeated in both Epistles: do not enter into disputes, competitions and research, we can see in them the implied suggestion: foretell that heard, and not what “he himself thought up” (St. Chrysostom), - “not what he himself came to by research; for faith comes from hearing” (Blessed Theophylact) “What you heard from me, then continue to preach” (Blessed Theodoret). “What does it mean: “witnessed by many”? He seems to say this: you heard from me not secretly and secretly, but in the presence of many, openly” (St. Chrysostom). “Some (Photius in the Ecumenium) understand by “many witnesses” the law and the Prophets. My word, he says, was combined from the testimonies of Scripture” (Blessed Theophylact). It is difficult to give these words a specific meaning. And it is true that Saint Paul loved to dissolve his word with evidence from the law and the Prophets, and it is true that he always spoke openly, not by ear, as if fearing reproof, but with boldness, testifying to the depth and liveliness of his conviction in the truth, ready to fight against opposition, with confidence in victory. Perhaps this was said in order to inspire Saint Timothy with the same boldness. But is it not possible to combine these words with the previous ones? Tell it in front of many witnesses. Such an order was necessary to preserve the teaching without additions or subtractions and represented a very reliable means of achieving this. The witnesses cut off from those who were entrusted with the teaching for transmission to others any desire to add their own fabrications to the faithful teaching. “Be a faithful man. “Faithful” - reliable, on whom you can completely rely that they will not falsify their teachings, but will remain faithful guardians of faithful truths. “To the faithful,” that is, to believers, and not to those who love to research and reason, but to those who will not betray (treacherously) what was preached to them” (St. Chrysostom). “Not those who are skilled at composing syllogisms and weaving interrogatories, but those about whom you can be sure that they will not turn out to be traitors to the will” (Blessed Theophylact). “Those who are happy will also teach others.” Loyalty is a moral quality, and the ability to teach others is mental or verbal. The mental is only taken into account when selecting these persons, so that they are able to convey to others what was transmitted to them, and in the form in which it was transmitted, and, therefore, are able to assimilate what is entrusted to them. For otherwise the flow or chain of tradition, which has been chosen as the most important way of storing divinely revealed truths, will be stopped. “What is the benefit if the one who has accepted, although he is faithful (“and accepts everything without questioning” [Blessed Theophylact]), cannot pass on the teaching to others, or if, although he himself does not betray the teaching, he cannot make others the same? A teacher must have two qualities: to be faithful and to teach” (St. Chrysostom). But what kind of people are we talking about here? Not about everyone to whom the gospel was preached and who believed; for among these there could be not only those who are incapable of teaching others, but also those who could turn out to be unfaithful. Why should we assume that this is talking about those elected to be guardians of tradition and guardians of church order, that is, about bishops and elders. At the same time, it is hinted that something was transmitted to them that was not part of the general teaching of the faithful. Isn’t it clear here that there is a tradition of the performance of the holy sacraments, which took place secretly, as St. Basil the Great assures, although in the presence of witnesses from the circle of the oldest faithful, so that it would be more accurately preserved? “This refers to the bishops and presbyters whom Saint Timothy had to ordain” (Photius in Ecumenium). “This order is made regarding presbyters and bishops, and not regarding all the faithful - and the laity. For this would be inappropriate when Saint Paul himself preached the word to everyone without distinction, both Jews and Greeks. I believe that this is talking about some mysterious things that should have been communicated only to shepherds, faithful and teaching” (Blessed Theophylact, Ecumenius). bb) Kindling the spirit of love for the work of the gospel (2 Tim. 2:3-13) Loving the gospel, love the labors of the gospel; α) look at the warrior (verses 3 - 4), - look at the competitor in the lists (verse 5), - look at the farmer (verse 6), - how they, loving their work, do not spare labor for him and succeed, - and thereby be inspired (verse 7). Let another source of inspiration be for you: β) the thought of the resurrection of the Lord (verse 8), - my example (verses 9-10) - and Christian hope (verses 11 - 13). α) By being encouraged (2 Tim. 2:3–7) 2Tim.2:3. You suffer evil, as the good warrior Jesus Christ. Mischief - κακοπαθησον. Suffering, κακοπαθεια, is the enduring of painful labors, combined with the work begun, with enduring all the troubles encountered. This can be seen from the examples offered here of a warrior, a list fighter and a farmer. So, “suffer evil” here means: bear the labors of the gospel and endure the troubles associated with it, “for a good soldier of Christ.” How much a warrior has to endure even in peacetime! And what he suffers during the war, those who are not participating in the war cannot even imagine. What inspires him? The desire to show oneself as a warrior as one should, so that no one has a good reason to think badly about the army because of him. He loves the army and tries not to humiliate him, but to glorify and show his dignity in his lordship. The Apostle says to Saint Timothy: look at the warrior, and just as he cares about worthy warfare, so be zealous about the worthy gospel - zealous, without retreating from the labors and troubles associated with it. And do this with greater effort, the higher the King to whom you fight. The warrior tries to please the earthly king; You are a warrior of Christ. Fight in the gospel as tirelessly as all warriors, as the Lord Savior is above all the kings of the earth. “Take into account whose warrior you are, and bravely endure military labors” (Blessed Theodoret). “Oh, what an honor to be a soldier of Christ! Remember how important it is considered to be under the leadership, the command of earthly kings (how much more important and higher is it to be under the headship of Christ the Lord? But just as much more be ready for all sorts of labors and troubles in the matter of preaching the gospel about Him). If suffering (labor and need) is inseparable from a royal warrior, so that being a stranger to suffering is obviously, as it were, alienation from the military rank: then you should not grieve that you endure labor and troubles (for warfare in the gospel), for this is inevitable for a warrior (of Christ); but you should grieve if you cannot tolerate them” (St. Chrysostom). The equation of Saint Timothy, as an archpastor, with a warrior shows that he, like all shepherds, must fight against wickedness, ignorance and sin. Do not be indifferent to these enemies of man, but as soon as you notice something somewhere, immediately arm yourself against it. 2Tim.2:4. No one who has been a warrior undertakes to make purchases of life, so that the governor will be pleased. He said: work in the gospel, not sparing yourself, like a good warrior of Christ; Now he explains who is a good warrior among ordinary warriors, so that it can be more clearly seen that there is also a good warrior of Christ. There that warrior is good, who is not bound by anything, but, being free from everything, devotes himself entirely to military pursuits. And here is that good warrior of Christ among the shepherds, who devotes himself entirely to the gospel, the spread of faith in Him and the organization of life according to Him among believers; yet he ignores everything else, without even touching it in passing. “Being a warrior,” στρατευομενος, - joining the army, becoming a warrior, agreeing and deciding to be a warrior. You've got down to business, do it properly. Put your hand on the ralo, don't look back. Under: “worldly purchases”, ταις του βιου πραγματειας, - of course, all everyday things - trade, trades, crafts, all kinds of transactions and troubles; the warrior throws all this away. “Obliges”, εμπλεκεται, – intertwined or entwined. “The Apostle said expressively: εμπλεκεται, - because everyday affairs are exactly the essence of binding bonds and snakes entwining and biting. Under: πραγματειας - it makes you see all the troubles, transactions, vanities and hardships of life. These words inspire: why are you tying yourself up? Why are you entangled in these burdens and troublesome affairs? Take care of one thing about warfare, and thus you will please Christ, who chose you to be part of His army” (Blessed Theophylact). “To the governor,” στρατολογησαντι, who included you in the list of warriors, elected you, and recognized you as worthy of this rank. Two incentives for cheerful and vigilant ministering are given here to the shepherd. In the word: “a former warrior,” it is suggested: you have taken upon yourself the work of a shepherd, shepherd with dignity, and endure what your rank and your name oblige you to do. In the word: “voivode,” the one who chose you is inspired: honored with honor, reward the One who honored you by acting according to His will; received a gift - bear fruit. The work is not small, but look to Him, for Whom you will do what pleases while you work. He is the Lord of all. - Both are accomplished by detachment from worldly worries. 2 Timothy 2:5. Even if someone suffers (enters into competition), he will not be married, unless he is legally tormented (to compete). Second example: look at the one who entered the competition (on the lists), and the second side is pastoral jealousy. By that example, the warrior was inspired: leaving everything, devote yourself entirely to zealous shepherding; and this example of an athlete who entered into struggle and competition is inspired: be zealous for shepherding with all your soul, but be zealous lawfully, properly, and reasonably. Unreasonable, excessive zeal for shepherding does not bring any benefit and does not deserve a reward, just as a fighter who does not conduct the work of struggle as he should, who does not observe the laws laid down for this purpose, is not married. “And asceticism (competition at the games) has certain laws according to which ascetics (athletes) must strive. And whoever does not fight according to these laws does not receive crowns” (Blessed Theodoret). “For him, it is not enough to go out on a feat, or to get dirty, or to get along with the enemy; but if he does not comply with all the laws of combat, regarding food, abstinence and cleanliness, the very way of fighting, and in general if he does not fulfill everything obligatory for warriors, then he will not receive the crown” (St. Chrysostom). “For one is not left to one’s own devices to compete as one wishes; but there are also laws regarding this that are adversarial” (Blessed Theophylact). Likewise, a shepherd must shepherd not haphazardly, but with strict prudence and reasonable conduct of business; he must adapt his actions to the place, the person, and the flow of affairs, external and internal, everyday-civil and spiritually grace-filled, in everything having one goal - the defeat of opponents, visible and invisible, through the introduction of the light of truth, purity of morals and grace-filled sanctification. Just as the whole public looks at a fighter and surrounds him with honor for courage and victory, so the whole flock looks at the shepherd and reveres him if he earnestly fights lies, malice and all manner of disorder and does not retreat until he wins victory. “Having thus shown that a valiant warrior is free from other concerns, and that a courageous ascetic labors lawfully, and one who labors lawfully is crowned, the Apostle presented another example in which profit is combined with labor” (Blessed Theodoret). 2 Timothy 2:6. The laboring worker must first partake of the fruit. The third example of a farmer: for a worker, - in Greek: γεωργον. Inspires the work of shepherding. There is a lot of work, but the work is not in vain, but fruitful, and you yourself will be the first to eat from it, just as a farmer should be the first to eat from the fruits of the land he cultivates. Eating the fruits is, of course, promised in the future; but from the image of the expression it is clear that it accompanies the work itself and immediately follows it. Work, and you will immediately see the fruit of your labor on your flock, in enlightening them with the knowledge of the truth, in the flourishing of every Virtue among them, in overshadowing them with grace-filled sanctification. You will see such fruits and taste from them consolation and spiritual joy, which will nourish your soul sweeter than honey and honeycomb. Blessed Theodoret writes: “You have great rewards for your labors, cultivating the souls entrusted to you.” Or this: at the same time that you teach others, you yourself will become even more illuminated by the light of truth; how you will instruct others on the path of virtue, and you yourself will anoint yourself with it; how you will graciously sanctify others in the sacraments, and even more so you yourself will partake of the grace of the sacraments. Just work; you will not work, and truth will begin to fade in your soul, and virtue will weaken, and grace will withdraw its shadow from you. A shepherd who does not work in teaching, in guiding virtue, in sanctifying his flock through the sacraments and other sanctifying rites, first of all harms himself, just as by working he is the first to partake of the fruits of good shepherding. Saint Chrysostom says: “having spoken about what happens to ordinary people, about warriors and warriors, and at the same time pointing out their rewards, firstly: “let the governor be pleased,” - secondly: “let him be married,” now he gives a third example, which is especially close to Timothy (as an archpastor). The example of a warrior and warrior also applies to his subordinates (flock), and the example of a farmer applies to a teacher (shepherd), who should not only be a warrior and warrior, but also a farmer. The farmer does not care about himself, but receives considerable reward for his labors about the fruits of the earth and in its fruits. – As a farmer works not without benefit, but he himself enjoys the fruits of his labors before others; This is what a teacher should do.” Let us continue this speech with the words of Blessed Theophylact: “So the teacher (shepherd) does not work in vain, but he himself is the first to taste the fruit of his sweat; for God (immediately) rewards him abundantly. So that someone does not become bored and dissatisfied with the fact that reward is postponed to the future, the Apostle says: behold, in the work itself you already receive reward; if nothing else, then the use of souls is already a great acquisition for you. And look, the Apostle did not just say: “to the worker,” but: “to the laborer”: that is, not lightly working, but intense, sweaty labor.” Do not, shepherd, give sleep to your eyes and drowsiness, but, working day and night, and mental tension, and heartfelt prayer, and verbal art - tirelessly devote everything to the work of good shepherding of the flock. Let us not miss the words of St. Gregory of Nyssa, quoted by the Ecumenium: “The Apostle said so, instilling that teachers must first show in themselves the fulfillment of what they teach. For this is what it means for teachers to be the first to partake of the fruits of teaching, when they cultivate virtue in themselves before others.” 2 Timothy 2:7. Understand what I say: may the Lord give you understanding about everything. The speech was trivial, but its meaning was not revealed; Examples from ordinary life are presented, but what they mean when applied to the shepherd is not indicated. The Apostle adds: complete this yourself; go deep and understand; and having understood, and in fact be like that. “Since the type of speech was tributary, the Apostle, of necessity, arouses Saint Timothy to understand the hidden meaning and prays to God to grant him understanding” (Blessed Theodoret). He did not add his own explanation, because it is not difficult to unravel the meaning of the proposed speech and because, perhaps, his own thought would rather and more directly attack what in the example is more necessary for the reasoner himself, and not just what it generally means in the abstract. And again: “because, he says, I said so (exactly) in order to sharpen you (your mind)” (Blessed Theophylact). “May the Lord give you understanding in everything.” “In everything,” he says, so that you understand what is said as it should and know how to do everything else as it should” (Ecumenius), so that you may be wise “in all words and deeds” (Blessed Theophylact). The Apostle added this both in order to express his love to Saint Timothy, and in order to incline him himself, when he began to understand God’s words, to prayerfully turn to the Lord: “for there is only one Teacher - Christ” (Matthew 23:8) - and there was no one, there is not and there will not be anyone who would properly understand and fully assimilate the truth of God to his soul, by himself. The Lord grants this to whomever he wants and when he wants. And those who are enlightened by God do not know everything, and what they know, they do not recognize everything at once. Why should prayer for everyone, both for the application of faith and for the increase of understanding, be unceasing - for everyone, especially for shepherds? β) Another source of encouragement (2 Tim. 2:8–13) Hitherto (verses 3 - 7) - the Apostle, in examples taken from ordinary life, clarified only the urgency of the archpastoral labor, zealous in the matter of faith, and in some way its direction and gradualness, namely: like a warrior, he, having left everything, enters into the work of shepherding; like a warrior, he conducts business expediently; like a farmer, he looks at the fruit or crown of his labor. And it's all encouraging; but the Apostle judged it necessary, in the inspiration of pastoral zeal, to highlight special exciting moments, such as: the resurrection of the Lord (verse 8), his example (2, 9-10) and the certainty of Christian hope (2, 11-13). This is similar to how above he encouraged us to have unashamed courage in evangelism (1:8-18). 2 Timothy 2:8. Remember the Lord Jesus Christ, who rose from the dead, from the Seed of David, according to my gospel. The Resurrection of the Lord is the foundation of our faith: for since the Lord has risen, we do not believe in vain that He is God, incarnate for our salvation; is the basis of our hope; for since the Lord has risen, He has ascended and sits at the right hand of the Father, interceding for us and assuring that with Him all things will be given to us and that truly where He is, there His servant will also be; is the basis of the very work of evangelizing: for the risen and therefore ascended Lord sent down the Holy Spirit, by whom the evangelism is accomplished through the chosen Apostles and their successors. The thought of the risen Lord restores all this in the consciousness of the one who thinks about Him. And how much does this inspire zeal for the prosperity of the faith and the perfection of the believers, who are the responsibility of the archpastors?! This is why the Apostle inspires: remember the risen Lord, about whom we preach, and be inspired by this for the labors of preaching the gospel and the well-being of the believers. Christ Jesus is risen; therefore, our faith that He is the Son of God, who became incarnate for our salvation, is true, - therefore, death is defeated and condemnation is removed from our race, - therefore, the path to heaven is open to us, - therefore, those who believe in Him, being one with Him, carry within themselves the foundation by which they too will be where He is, - therefore, those who work to attract believers to Him through the gospel create His body, which through this grows and comes to its fullness, and when it reaches this fullness, it will put an end to the present order of things and the beginning of the future bright Kingdom of God. This is the order in which the Lord was pleased to place you as a leader! Be jealous. Do you see what the risen Lord has done for us? And it is unforgivable for you and me not to work hard in spreading the gospel about this, when we know that the purpose for which all this was done can only be achieved through the planting of faith in Him among people, generated from hearing the gospel. Work in it zealously, without retreating in the face of the inevitable troubles and suffering. And the Lord first suffered and then rose again. So you too must first endure humiliating difficulties, and then you will be crowned with the bright crown of success in your business. Saint Chrysostom says: “Why does the Apostle here mention the resurrection of the Lord? In order to encourage the student and show the benefit of suffering, since our teacher Christ Himself conquered death through suffering. Remember this, he says, and you will have sufficient consolation. Remember this, and you will not fall under the burden of sorrows (in the cause of evangelism)” (Blessed Theophylact). All our interpreters do not read: “Lord,” but only: “Jesus Christ.” But as it is immediately said here: “resurrected,” then this means the same thing as the Lord, that is, the Lord of life and death and all things. The Apostle says the same thing in the Epistle to the Romans - that according to the flesh Jesus Christ is from the Seed of David; but His resurrection from the dead confirmed that He was the Son of God incarnate. At the same time, our interpreters, resolving the question of why the Apostle added: “from the seed of David,” guess that this was intentionally inserted by the Apostle to show that the Son of God actually took on real human nature, and did not appear to only bear it. “At that time, some,” says Saint Chrysostom, “had already begun to censure the economy of our salvation, ashamed of the greatness of God’s love for mankind (saying: is it possible for God to accept our poor nature?). For God’s benefits to us are so great that people are ashamed to attribute them to God and do not believe that He would show such condescension.” They could not deny that in the face of Jesus Christ all the fullness of the Divinity shone forth (Col. 2:9). But, not being able to believe that it is possible for the omnipotence of God, and appropriate for His goodness, to essentially perceive our nature for our salvation and to fully dwell in His “body,” they “denied the perception of the flesh and said that the incarnation was in a ghost,” as Blessed Theodoret writes. “They considered it shameful,” Blessed Theophylact continues his explanation of this, “for the Son of God to suffer, and therefore, perhaps, they came up with the illusory nature (of the incarnation). God humbled himself so much for our sake that these people are ashamed to attribute such humility to God.” “According to my gospel,” the Apostle added to move on to the next speech about himself; or to say: how I have preached the gospel everywhere from the very beginning. In telling you that Jesus Christ is from the seed of David, but at the same time, as raised from the dead, he is the Son of God and God, I am not telling you something new. This is my constant preaching, from the moment the risen Lord Himself, who appeared to me, taught me this. “There are also those who preach the gospel differently, but one should listen not to them, but to my gospel” (Blessed Theophylact of St. Chrysostom). 2 Timothy 2:9. In him I suffer even to the point of bondage, like a villain; but the word of God does not fit. “In it” – in the gospel, in the work and work of the gospel. “I suffer” - I endure all the troubles and hardships associated with this. And not only this, which everyone who willingly undertakes any undertaking endures, but he is even put in prison, shackled in chains, like a villain, for preaching the gospel of salvation. One can hear in these words: I am not ashamed, and I am not afraid, and I do not lose spirit, inspired by the same remembrance of the risen Lord, which I command you too. Imitate me and, inspired by such a memory, work tirelessly in the gospel. May you meet the bonds as I did; but this is not an obstacle to the flow of the gospel: bonds bind the body, but the word of God is not bound by these bonds; it flows and flows further, watering and satiating souls. Take courage and be strong. For someone who loves the gospel and is zealous for it, nothing can serve as inspiration as this non-binding of the gospel with external ties. Saint Chrysostom presents this picturesquely. “If,” he says, “we were worldly warriors or waging a sensual war, then these bonds that tie our hands would have power; Now God has made us such that nothing can defeat us. Our hands are tied, but not our tongues; Nothing can bind the tongue, except fear and unbelief; if we do not have them, then, even if someone puts shackles on us, the sermon is not bound. He who binds the farmer hinders sowing, for the farmer sows with his hand; but if you bind a teacher, you will not hinder his word, for he sows with his tongue, and not with his hand. Therefore our word is not subject to bonds; and when we are bound, it is untied and extends forward. In what way would you say? But we preach (“and write” [Blessed Theophylact]), although we are connected. He says this to encourage those who are not bound: if we, who are bound, preach, then all the more should you, who are unbound, do so. Have you heard that “I suffer like a villain”? Don't be discouraged; for it is a great miracle for the bound to do what the unbound do, for the bound to surpass all, for the bound to overcome those who bind him. What we preach is the word of God, not ours; but human bonds cannot bind the words of God.” 2 Timothy 2:10. For this reason, I endure everything for the sake of the elect, so that they too may receive salvation through Christ Jesus with eternal glory. In order to inspire him to the work of the gospel, Saint Paul set himself an example of tirelessness in these labors, which were not stopped even by bonds. What was he himself inspired by? In addition to the truth, divinity and holiness of the gospel, imprinted in the mind and heart by the resurrection of the Lord, - the desire for the salvation of God's elect and active love for them. But just as He commanded Saint Timothy to remember the risen Lord, so that by this he would be inspired for pastoral labors, just as he himself was inspired for Apostolic labors: so, of course, he remembers his Desire for the salvation of the elect, for which he works apostolically, so that Saint Timothy would kindle the same desire in himself and be motivated by it for the labors set before him. “With love,” he says, I endure all kinds of grief, so that those worthy may be worthy of salvation and become partakers of that eternal glory; for the Lord not only vouchsafed salvation to the believers, but also promised them glory that does not perish” (Blessed Theodoret). The elect were chosen for salvation before the foundation of the world (Eph. 1:4). But on their own they cannot recognize the path of salvation or enter upon it. They learn about it through the gospel and enter into it through calling. This is accomplished by the Apostolic Sermon, according to God’s command. The Lord sent the Apostles: “Go and teach” (Matthew 28:19). But he sent them “like lambs in the midst of wolves” (Luke 10:3). Why, although they bring significant and the only true good to people, they inevitably suffer deprivation, oppression, persecution, bonds and death itself. Just as someone who undertakes to choose good flowers that grew among thorns inevitably gets scratched, so they, choosing God’s chosen ones from among people, inevitably suffer painfully. They suffer, but do not retreat from the work that entails suffering, not only out of submission to the will of God, but also out of love for these chosen ones, “so that they too may receive salvation.” What an encouraging message for pastors! Saint Chrysostom says: “Here is another admonition: I endure this, he says, not for myself, but for the salvation of others; if I were only looking for what was mine, I could live comfortably, I could not tolerate anything like that; Why am I putting up with this? For the good of others, so that others may receive eternal life. And what else does it add? He didn’t just say: for some, but: “for the sake of the chosen.” If God chose them, then we must endure everything for them, “so that they too may receive salvation.” With the expression: “yes and these,” he explains and shows that they will receive the same as we; for God has chosen us too. Just as God suffered for us, so we must suffer for them, so that they too may receive salvation.” Blessed Theophylact continues this speech: “so that no one says: what are you saying: “And they too will receive salvation”? You yourself are in chains and are about to perish, and yet you boast of being the author of salvation for others? It is not this, he says, bodily salvation that I am talking about, but about that “hedgehog in Christ Jesus,” the true, glorious one (about the eternal salvation of the soul); but bodily salvation is not (certainly) glorious.” Having added: “with eternal glory,” the Apostle indicated an integral consequence of the improvement of salvation, its crown. He who receives salvation heeds the Gospel, repents, sets a firm intention to live holy, receives the grace-filled powers in the sacraments for this purpose, and lives like this, guided by the Apostolic successors. This is the work of achieving salvation! It is not given for nothing. The economy of salvation was established freely; freely called to salvation; then the very first steps along the path of salvation require your own efforts; even the powers of grace, come yourself and receive them in a God-established way. After this, the entire achievement of salvation comes through the interaction of grace and one’s own efforts. And no one is carried along the path of salvation, but everyone follows it, assisted by grace and guided by the Church. So until the end of life, after which the one who has achieved salvation is overshadowed by eternal glory, according to the amount of labor he has endured on himself. Eternal glory does not come from outside, but is revealed from within. Inside, it begins and matures from the moment one enters the path of salvation. That is why it is integral to the improvement of salvation. 2 Timothy 2:11. The word is true: if we die with Him, we will live with Him. Although the crown of glory is inseparable from the improvement of salvation, the Apostle, however, found it necessary to confirm this with evidence. “True,” says the “word,” “that is, true, undoubtedly, alien to lies” (Blessed Theodoret). “What word? That the elect will receive salvation with eternal glory” (Blessed Theophylact). And he immediately presents evidence. This one word of confirmation from the lips of the Messenger of God would be enough. But since, “when death, torment, and bonds were coming here, and Paul told his listeners that they would go into eternal life, others might not believe it, saying: what are you preaching? How is it that when I am alive, I die, and when I die, I will live?! - then, so that no one would think this, the Apostle presents undoubted proof of this” (St. Chrysostom). This proof, as elsewhere in Saint Paul, is taken from the resurrection of the Lord. since the Lord, having died in the flesh, rose again and remains in glory, then all who become one with Him by faith, life by faith and grace-filled sanctification through the sacraments, although they will die, will then come to life in due time (John 11:25) and will enter the eternally glorious Kingdom. The Apostle's attention is focused on the risen Lord. He already commanded above that Saint Timothy should remember Him, for inspiration in the labors of the shepherd (verse 8). Now another point in this same resurrection points to both the excitement of faith and the inspiration for preaching about faith - namely, that believers will be resurrected in Christ to eternal glory - and that if this awaits believers, then the more certain is the hope for those who evangelize about faith. “If you died with Him,” συναπεθανομεν, - if you died with Him. In the hour of determination to cleave to the Lord by faith and to follow His commandments, even deeper, it is based on the readiness at every hour to die for this faith and these commandments, if necessary, but not to deviate from them and through that from the Lord. Therefore, everyone who truly believes in the Lord is already dead with Him by will. If later someone actually has to suffer and die, then this is not something new, but only the meeting of what was foreseen and desired before. Although no one will have to encounter anything like this, that first, inner determination of oneself to die is nevertheless death in the eyes of God and in the conscience, and everyone who has clung to the Lord in these dispositions can, with all sincerity, together with others who have truly died for the Lord, confess: “I died with Him.” Then we will live with Him,” συζησομεν, - then we will cohabitate with Him, or we will live with Him, - and, since He is in glory, we will live an eternally glorious life with Him, as He Himself promised: “Where I am, there will My servant also be” (John 12:26). Saint Chrysostom says: “Indeed, if we participate with Christ in sorrows and suffering, then shall we not participate with Him in blessings? A person would not do this, lest, having achieved peace, he would not accept into fellowship with him the one who decided to suffer and die with him.” “And man would not have done this, if not much less God, the source of truth and goodness,” adds Blessed Theophylact to Saint Chrysostom. But what kind of death is meant here? Those who believe in the Lord die spiritually, by choice, when in baptism they die to sin with the readiness to die physically for the Lord, for His faith and commandments; they also die physically when, during persecution, they endure torment for their faith and are deprived of their lives. How do we mean “death” here? Although, due to the circumstances in which Saint Paul and Saint Timothy were, it would be closer to the flow of speech to mean here bodily sorrows and death; but since not all believers suffer and die for their faith, but the promise is expressed as a general one, it is impossible to deny here the thought of spiritual death. Moreover, Saint Paul and Saint Timothy had not yet died physically, but spiritually, that is, to sin, they died with readiness for bodily death and constantly remained in this death, as Saint Paul testified about themselves: “I die all the days” (1 Cor. 15:31). Why would it be unmistakable to think that “the Apostle speaks here both about death (spiritual) in baptism, and about death (physical) through suffering and torture" (Blessed Theophylact). So does blessed Theodoret: “This: “with Him died” - the Apostle said not only about those who were killed, but also about those who were baptized; for they too, sincerely believing and showing a life consistent with faith, partake of the life of the Lady.” Although St. Chrysostom allows the Apostle to think about spiritual death, he primarily gives thoughts about physical death. “When did we die with Christ? The Apostle speaks of death, both through the baptismal font and through suffering. So he says: “We are buried with Him through baptism” (Rom. 6:4) and also: “our old man will be crucified with Him” (Rom. 6:b) - this is spiritual death. And “carrying the deadness of the Lord in the body” (2 Cor. 4:10) and also: “being equipped with the likeness of His death” (Rom. 6:5) is bodily death. Here he speaks about death through temptation, and mainly about it; for he was in temptation when he wrote this. The meaning of his words is as follows: if we died for His sake, shall we not come to life for His sake? There is no doubt about it." 2 Timothy 2:12. If we endure, we will reign with Him; if we reject, He will reject us. The first half of this verse must be connected to the previous verse, and the second to the subsequent one. For in verses 11-13 the Apostle, clarifying the grounds of our hope, shows what will happen to us if, clinging to the Lord in faith and love, we die and suffer with Him, and what will happen if we turn away from Him through unbelief. There is one and a half verses for each reading: for the first - verse 11 and half - for the 12th; for the second - half past 12 and verse 13. If, he says, we died with Him, we will live with Him; if we endure with Him, we will reign with Him. The power of speech is in the word: “with Him.” Everyone will come to life and live forever; but only those who died with Him will live with the Lord, both in continuous communion with Him and for Him. Everyone endures troubles, sorrows and hardships equally, and there is not a single person who does not endure; but for patience they will reign, that is, they will be brought into the Kingdom of God as an inheritance, or only those who endure with the Lord will be awarded eternal bliss, that is, because of their unshakable stay in communion with the Lord by faith and love and for this very stay. This communication and common patience, that is, the patience of what lies on everyone as a heavy burden, turns into a means to becoming king with the Lord; for it imparts the same spirit to this patience, teaching us to endure for the sake of the Lord. In what relationship do they stand: “we die” - and: “tolerate” - on the one hand, and: “we live” - and: “we will reign” - on the other? One might think that these are two expressions of the same thing. And whoever dies with the Lord endures death with Him, and whoever endures sorrows with Him, the same thing that dies with Him - in the sense that sorrows are bitter, like death, and in the fact that the one who complacently endures them is complacent because he has already willingly given himself up to death for the Lord. Likewise, he who has to live with the Lord will reign with Him, and he who has to reign with Him will live with Him. Both mean eternal bliss with the Lord and in the Lord. The Apostle used two expressions to show one and the same thing, in order to more strongly impress in the mind the proposed basis of our hope - that where the Lord is, those who truly believe in Him will immediately be there; only may they remain in continuous communion with Him all the time of their lives - believing, being graciously sanctified in the sacraments and fulfilling His commandments. If, however, by “death” we mean spiritual death to sin and voluntary readiness for suffering and death; then “if we endure” will represent some appendage to that, namely: if we not only died to sin, but also endure for the sake of the Lord, or: if we not only willingly determined ourselves to die for the sake of the Lord, but also in fact endure sorrow and death, then we will not only live, but also reign with the Lord. The first is expressed by Ambrosiastes: “The Apostle shows here that we will enter into immortal glory with Christ if we remain in the state in which baptism placed us - where all our sins die, so that, having been renewed, we avoid former vices and passions and, following in the footsteps of the Lord, are dead to sin. If we add to this that we will complacently endure sorrow and distress for the name of the Lord; then, having endured them, we will reign with Him forever: for it is worthy that the one who suffers reproach and exile for Him should appear glorified in His Kingdom.” We see the second from Saint Chrysostom: “he did not simply say: “let us reign”, but: “if we endure”, - showing that it is not enough to die once (“one day (forever) to give yourself up (by choice) to death” [Blessed Theophylact]), - the blessed one himself died daily (1 Cor. 15:31), - but you need to have a lot of patience,” - “to always endure in order to be worthy and co-reign with the Lord" (Blessed Theophylact). “If we reject, He will reject us.” The Apostle also exposes the second side of the matter - what will happen to us if we do not cleave to the Lord with faith and love - so that the proposed basis of hope will be more clearly imprinted in the mind and, in addition, will revive zeal for fulfilling the conditions of hope. These words of the Apostle produce the same effect as the shadows in a picture, which usually make its bright parts more prominent, and what the fear of ready disaster for laziness produces on those tempted by laziness, sobering, exciting and driving away all apologies. “And from the opposite, from what will happen to us otherwise (that is, if we do not die, we do not suffer with Him), the Apostle borrows confirmation of his word. For reward will be not only for good relations with the Lord, but also for the opposite” (Blessed Theophylact). “If even the evil could become participants in the same thing (that awaits the good), then this would not be a consolation; and if those who endured were to reign with Christ, and those who did not endure would receive only the punishment that they would not reign with Him, then although this is terrible, for many it would not be a sufficient threat. Therefore, the Apostle says something more terrible: “if we reject, He will also reject us.” Imagine what the one who is rejected from His Kingdom will endure? Retribution is not equal to the crime, although according to words it seems so. We who deny Him are people, and He is God; is it necessary to say what is the distance between God and people? (Saint Chrysostom). From here you can conclude how much more terrible and disastrous God’s rejection is in terms of the consequences of any human rejection. “Think what he who rejects Christ will have to suffer?” (Blessed Theophylact). “Unless we turn away.” The Apostle puts us in the face of hardship, sorrow, suffering, torment and death - and says: despite the fact that, relying on such tight circumstances, one could appropriate to oneself some kind of excuse for rejecting the Lord: what to do? weakness! Don’t expect, however, that your sentence will be more favorable. There will be rejection for rejection. So the Lord and Savior Himself said: “Whoever denies Me before man, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 10:33). And he said this afterwards: “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but are not able to kill the soul; fear rather than him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matthew 10:28), meaning that, no matter how cramped it may be when death is before your eyes, whoever even in such cramped conditions, sparing the body, rejects Him, will be rejected by Him and will destroy not only the body, but also the soul. Rejection by the Lord means casting into Gehenna, into eternal torment. 2 Timothy 2:13. Even if we do not believe, He remains faithful: for He cannot deny Himself. These words are rather dark. But let us keep in mind the purpose of the Apostle, and this will give some rays into the rarefaction of this darkness. The Apostle proves the certainty of our hope, that those who cling to the Lord through faith and love will receive salvation with eternal glory. The main and essential proof of this is that the Lord Himself, having died, was resurrected and now abides in glory. since those who believe in Him are one with Him, then undoubtedly - and this glory belongs to them - eternal life with Him and co-kingdom with Him. But, of course, not unconditionally, but under the condition that they remain faithful to Him, despite the suffering and death that lies before them. For if they reject Him at the same time, He will also reject them. With all this, however, one must know that through this promise of glory the believers do not waver in the least. This glory already exists, is prepared and awaits only those who would enter into it. Let some not enter, having been worthily rejected by the Lord. But those worthy will always have the opportunity to enter: for this Kingdom is open and will remain so forever. Even let us assume something impossible—let us assume that we all turn out to be unfaithful and, therefore, worthy of being rejected and deprived of the Kingdom of glory: but this Kingdom still exists and will remain open forever. For it is combined in the Lord Himself; why when the Lord exists, then it exists too. The Lord always exists, therefore, the Kingdom of glory always exists. The Lord cannot “deny” Himself, that is, cease to be what He is. The Kingdom of glory cannot cease, for it is in Him. So the promise of the Kingdom of glory is certainly true, and the Lord who gave this promise is faithful. For to be unfaithful to Him in this is the same as ceasing to be What He is. He took humanity into His Person and, combining it in Himself with the Trinitarian Deity, deified it. Humanity is already overshadowed by Divine glory; and no one and nothing can cancel this now. This is the glory promised to believers. Drawing from here, they will be clothed with glory. The same thing can be stated in another way. “If we do not believe,” ει απιστουμεν, we become unbelievers, or, having believed, we turn out to be unfaithful to the faith. “We” are not all of us, but some of us; for the Apostle could not understand everyone, believing himself perfectly and knowing many - and many - others who believed the same way. Let, he says, some of the believers turn out to be unfaithful and therefore rejected by the Lord; this in no way violates the Lord’s promise of glorifying believers. This promise is made subject to the condition of fidelity. They turn out to be unfaithful and do not receive the promises. The faithful will always receive it. The Lord is faithful both to them, clothing them with glory, and to the unfaithful, depriving them of it and rejecting them. Unbelief and unfaithfulness do not upset His economy of salvation, but harm the unbelievers and infidels. So St. Chrysostom: “By renouncing the faith we harm ourselves, but not God and cannot harm Him. If He does not suffer any harm when we deny Him; this means that He requires our confession for nothing other than our own benefit. He remains the same, whether we renounce Him or not; “For He cannot deny Himself,” that is, to renounce what He is.” c) Instruction to preach with all prudence (2 Tim. 2:14–3, 9) Finally, Saint Paul explains what the gift of sound mind or pastoral prudence, which he received through ordination, obliges Saint Timothy to do (2, 14 – 3, 9). St. Paul expresses this generally in verse 15: “striving to set yourself skillfully before God, a worker who is not ashamed, rightly ruling the word of truth.” And then he shows how, by acting, Saint Timothy will reveal himself to be a skillful and shameless worker. How dangerous then lay especially from those who taught differently; then a wise course of action is primarily indicated in relation to them. This is what the Apostle commands regarding this: aa) and do not command others to enter into disputes of words, and you yourself should brush aside these vanities. This is dangerous for faith, and prudence requires moving away from this (2, 14 – 22); bb) if some necessity forces you to speak with different students; then do not quarrel with them, but meekly punish those who are contrary (2, 23–26); c) At the same time, do not ignore those who do not do well, who, having themselves become corrupted, seduce others from the good path. And turn away from them (3, 1-9). – Note that in the last section (3, 1-9) the Apostle speaks of future debauchees; but it was necessary to act against them now to prevent them; besides, it seems that the beginnings of them were already visible. Why is it written: “Avoid these also” (2 Tim. 3:5). aa) Instruction not to enter into disputes over words (2 Tim. 2:14–22) Explaining the first point about moving away from vanity and pointing out how dangerous they are for believers, Saint Paul also cited the experience of such harmfulness: behold, he says, Hymenaeus and Philetus have deviated from the truth and, interpreting that the resurrection has already happened, are upsetting the faith of some. This testimony could disturb those who love the faith, raising questions: how is this possible? After all, the whole Church will be upset in this way, when some themselves will sin about the truth, and others will be carried away by them to such errors; and besides, why are these people who err, who are carried away and carried away? To drive away such troublesome thoughts, Saint Paul offers two calming statements about the matter of faith and the Church, with lessons drawn from them for everyone, and especially for Saint Timothy. Thus, this small section (2, 14 – 22) has two parts: α) first speaks of moving away from vanities (2, 14 – 18); β ) then offers some reassuring positions, in order to avert the embarrassment that may have been generated by the previous readings (2, 19 – 22). α) On avoiding vanity (2 Tim. 2:14–18) 2 Timothy 2:14. Remember this, testifying before the Lord, do not hold back a word, I will demand nothing, for the ruin of those who hear. Since disputes are harmful, it is unwise to go into them. Why, just as for believers the matter of prudence is not to go into them, so for pastors the matter of prudent shepherding is not to inflame, but to suppress disputability in every possible way. It is not natural for the soul to argue. Indulge this weakness - then all that will be done is arguments and disputes, and attention will deviate from the main thing. Dispute, meanwhile, does not bring good, but causes harm; Those who argue always think that they are doing an important job. And what comes out of this is something ugly and meaningless. Why does the Apostle encourage the believers to deviate from this with such insistence, not only by pointing out the harmful consequences of the dispute, but also by invoking them in the name of the Lord. The words: “remember this” stand instead of moving on to the next main subject - about deviation from argumentativeness, not without relation, however, to the previous one. “This” is the immediately preceding word about the faithfulness of the promise of glory with a hint of the fear of losing it, not through God’s unfaithfulness, but through one’s own weakness and oversight. One of these oversights is indicated after this, namely: destructive argumentativeness. Because there is a predilection for disputes, and they are harmful; then a strong means of keeping them away is offered. Saint Chrysostom says: “What does it mean: “testify before the Lord”? That is, calling God to witness your words and actions. If after this the listeners neglect this suggestion, then God will be their judge. The apostle knew that this was an ordinary matter and that the human soul is always prone to competition and debate. Why, in order for this not to happen, does he not just say: “do not stand up to words” (but also obliges you to fulfill this in the name of God). It is scary to speak, bringing God as a witness; for if no one dares to change by calling man as a witness, much less God.” “I will not need anything” - not that without any need, but: επ ’ ουδεν χρησιμον - for nothing useful. Conjure them in the name of the Lord not to argue for one reason only: that disputes do not lead to anything useful. For, having received existence, and now having been granted faith and grace, we must devote all the hours and minutes of our lives to useful things - to the glory of God, to our salvation and to the good of our neighbors; Dispute is vanity, a disposition of empty words, such, however, that they can cause harm. And in this latter there is a second incentive to abstain from disputes. “For from here not only is there no benefit, but also great harm: “the ruin of those who hear” (St. Chrysostom). The arguing opponent of the truth does not spare anyone and, throwing words in vain, can throw into the minds of those who hear many thoughts and ideas that will shake faith, not because of their own strength, but because of the weakness of those who hear, who are not yet able to see the hidden lies under the red phrases. Ambrosiast writes: “a dispute can give rise to doubts in something that is not yet fully established; for in a dispute they usually contrast many things with the truth that can strike the souls of beginners with the sophisticated sword of evil and slander.” Thus, by disputes, “the faith of those who hear is destroyed, like a pillar, by the battering machines of verbal debates” (Blessed Theophylact). We “must only believe, and not turn ranting about this into a reason for blasphemy, and not do harm to those who hear with our arguments” (Blessed Theodoret). 2 Timothy 2:15. Trying to set yourself skillfully before God, a worker without shame, rightly ruling the word of truth. A general instruction is expressed, which, however, in the present place must be understood in its relation to the flow of speech. “Try to set yourself up skillfully” - in this regard, that is, an infusion so as not to get into disputes; and meanwhile, distribute the word of truth even more intensely, the word of one truth, so that the believers, being filled with it, do not have any urge to open their ears to disputes, as those saturated with the pure bread of truth and feeling disgusted by the mixture of the chaff of lies, which is not human food. Trying to present yourself as “skilled”, δοκιμον, - as a wise master of your craft, moreover, not only in appearance, but according to the inner dignity of action: “before God” - seeing everything as it is in essence, and not in appearance. Or “before God” - gives the thought: who chose you and entrusted you with the service of the word of the gospel; show yourself to be a wise doer of God’s will, justify His election and hope for you. “The worker is not ashamed”, ανεπαισχυντον, - which means both impeccable and unashamed. Even in ordinary speech they say about skilled workers: fools will not lay their hands on them. So, he says, conduct your business so that you have no reason to be ashamed of it, either before God, or before people, or before your conscience. Act in evangelism and shepherding across the entire breadth of consciousness, as one should act, without in the least deviating from the demands of this consciousness, without belittling them or reducing them by adding something else. It is different, in this place, to go into controversy instead of presenting the pure truth. The Apostle says, as it were: do not disgrace yourself with these disputes, “calling those who indulge in disputes disgraces” (Ambrosiastes). “Shameless” also means: not ashamed of the work that he has undertaken and is doing. And this meaning is applicable in the present place. The sermon was humble about Christ Jesus crucified. There were quite a few other teachers who, ashamed of this, came up with brilliant ideas, but instead of adding greatness and brilliance to the gospel, they only distorted it and took away all its power. On this occasion, there might be a temptation to enter into an argument with them in order to remove the imaginary shame of extreme simplicity from the face of those who evangelized. The Apostle says: do not be ashamed, no matter what they say, do your job as you should, and do not listen to them. Just as a “worker” (a farmer who knows his work) works without being ashamed of anything (plows and plows, sows and sows), so should the worker of the Gospel. Do not be at all ashamed to do everything that relates to the gospel, even if for this you should be subjected to (not only shame, but also) slavery or endure something else” (St. Chrysostom). “Right rules the word of truth”, ορθοτομουντα, - the right is cutting and cutting off - and the right is cutting, to distribute, for example, bread. All of these meanings are relevant here. "Legal"; just as in our usual speech it is said about something else: it cuts the truth, so you, he says, cut the truth, speak one word of truth, pure and unalloyed, without going into your side considerations, which do not give firmness to the truth, but only weaken it, - equally, do not be tempted to belittle its power because it may, in its pure form, turn out to be inconceivable for the mind of any respected person. Cut: so and so God said and commanded, and don’t fuss about more. “We praise the farmers who cut straight furrows; so the teacher who follows the rule of Divine words is worthy of praise” (Blessed Theodoret). – “The right of the ruler” can also be understood in the sense: right-cutting, cutting off any arbitrary admixture to the truth; how? the same chopping of the truth. Saint Chrysostom says: “The Apostle did not say: απευθυνοντα is right-directing, but: ορθοτομουντα - right-cutting. And he said it well; for many abuse and distort the word of truth, adding to it many things that are untrue. He inspires with this: separate the wrong and everything like that, reflect and cut off with great force; as if along a stretched thread, cut off with the sword of the Spirit everything unnecessary and alien to the gospel.” “Like a sword, cut off unnecessary and false teachings (“like unnecessary growths on the skin” [Blessed Theophylact]) and lead (minds) to the right path, or to the right, by the grace of the Holy Spirit” (Ecumenius). And this is without controversy, but with the same decisive cutting of the truth: so it is said, so it is commanded - and there is nothing more to interpret. There is also a final meaning: the right of the one who cuts the bread of the word of truth, in order to distribute it in abundance to the faithful in order to saturate them with the truth and instill in them an aversion to everything alien to it and unnecessary. Just as a steward is appointed in a house to distribute food and other necessities in the right measure to everyone, so the shepherd of the Church is appointed to distribute to everyone the pure bread of the word of God’s truth. You have been assigned to this, says the Apostle, and distribute in just measure the righteous word of God, and, distributing it, feed the souls of the faithful. Having had their fill of it, they will naturally have an aversion to everything extraneous, unnecessary, and especially wrong, just as our ancestors said: no one, having tasted the sweet, wants the bitter. 2 Timothy 2:16. Sweep away nasty vanities: otherwise they will advance into wickedness. “Filthy”, βεβηλους - unclean, desecrating, those who are not only themselves unclean and filthy, but also make everything that touches them unclean and defiled, as, for example, in Judaism, carrion defiles everything that touches it. “Vanity”, κενοφωνιας, is not just idle talk, but empty sounds that do not contain meaning, in common parlance - empty talk. In relation to the true faith, attested by God Himself, everything that disagrees with it is truly empty talk. Let us note that Saint Chrysostom did not read: κενοφωνιας; – empty-mouthed, ä καινοφωνιας; - new opinions, new sayings, new expressions, of course, about new teachings. Ecumenius will follow him; and the Vulgate reads: vocum novitates. - “Sweep away”, περιιστασο, - leave yourself from the country, withdraw or stand around, surround, fence and crowd, not allowing movement. Thus, in these words two thoughts are conveyed: get away from idle talk, that is, from disputes in which there is a lot of noise, voices and exclamations, but there is no sense; and - fence off new opinions, that is, fence off new teachings, so that they do not spread, as they fence off an area where an infectious disease has taken root, and not only fence off, but also crowd in order to suppress them. Saint Chrysostom says: “the matter is not limited to this (that is, the emission of only new voices); but when something new is introduced, it constantly gives rise to καινοτομιας - new sections (in the teaching and in those following it); he who has left the quiet haven (of teaching, the contents of the Church) wanders endlessly and will not stop anywhere.” Why “drive away everything that is introduced into the sermon from new ideas, as contagious and desecrating - suppress it so that it does not spread and ceases,” adds Ekumeny. The last thought is more consistent with what is said immediately after this. “Most of all they will succeed in wickedness,” for they will succeed - they will move, they will go into a greater measure of wickedness, unless, of course, you stop them, You can’t protect or constrain. On the one hand, novelty attracts attention and expands the circle of those who hear and listen; on the other hand, the generation of one novelty irritates the urge and need to generate new innovations, and new cuttings - new teachings - naturally multiply, just as polyps multiply from their dissection. “If something adulterous is introduced - counterfeit (into the realm of faith); then it moves further and further from absurdity to absurdity and every day takes on greater increments” (Ecumenius). If truth were spread in this way, piety would spread through it; but how newness in faith spreads is therefore a lie, and a lie is always from the devil, the first fighter against God and the first teacher of the fight against God; then through the spread of innovations only wickedness will spread. Innovations damage faith, but with their novelty they attract the attention of believers, and they are damaged and plunged into wickedness, placing them in an improper relationship with God, instead of piety, that is, a proper relationship with God, in which their faith contains them. Innovation itself is wickedness; because he places his own invention above the Divine definition in His word. It is a repetition of the work of the forefathers, who, having added, from the words of the father of lies, a new interpretation to the commandment, fell into extreme wickedness and plunged the entire human race into it. Being such an innovation in faith by nature, it always and everywhere produces fruit according to its kind, that is, it plunges into wickedness and spreads it as it spreads. 2 Timothy 2:17. And their word is like gangrene and fat will appear: from them there are Hymenaeus and Philip. “Them” refers to individuals, specifically to those who are vain, or inventors and distributors of innovations in the faith. Why and above with the word: “they will prosper” - they must be kept in mind, although there you can also think about vanities and novelties, because it is appropriate to say about them: “they will prosper. “Gangrene” is cancer, a disease that, having originated in one place, begins to damage neighboring parts and no longer stands on one, but eats up the body more and more until it eats it all up. “Fat” – νομην, – pasture, pasture. Gangrene is likened to a greedy cattle, which, having found a clearing with lush grass, greedily begins to devour it and does not leave until it has devoured everything. So the cancer, as if its pasture, has soft parts of the body and grazes on them, devouring them until it has eaten the whole body. “It will be found”, εξει, - will have. So there is this cancer for our body, into which it has taken root, that is, a new word for the body of the Church or for the body of the true teaching, for the totality of the truths of God, when it is allowed into their midst: one member of the Church after another will damage and pervert one truth after another, until it has harmed everyone and perverted all the truths. The members of the Church and the very truths of God will be like pasture for the new word, which it will greedily devour until it devours them all. Blessed Theodoret writes: “Gangrene is a disease that constantly spreads and damages healthy parts in the body. The Apostle likened to her those who undertake to teach that which is contrary to the truth; because people who are free from illness are often corrupted.” This comparison is enough for a shepherd to be inflamed with zeal to resist any new teaching. Saint Chrysostom says: “This is an uncontrollable evil that cannot be stopped by healing, but infects everything. The Apostle inspires that καινοφωνια - new consent, new teachings, is a disease, and even worse than a disease; also expresses the incorrigibility of such people; they are mistaken not by chance, but arbitrarily (not by infection from outside, but from themselves) and therefore are completely incorrigible.” “From them there are Hymenaeus and Philetus.” Nothing is known about Philetus. Hymenaeus is mentioned in the First Epistle (1 Tim. 1:20) that he, together with Alexander, “was given over to Satan, so that he might learn not to blaspheme.” They were, of course, known to Saint Timothy; therefore, there was no need to say much about their personalities, and the Apostle, having exposed their names, hastens to point out their main error - which is precious to us. 2 Timothy 2:18. Those who err about the truth, saying that the resurrection has already happened, disturb the faith of some. “On the truth of the sinner”, ηστοχησαν. – Αστοχειν, – do not hit the target. They aimed at the truth, but did not hit the truth; their flight of mind took the wrong direction and, passing the truth, stopped at a lie. Their fault is that they should not have attempted to fly to the truth on the wings of their minds. The bearers of the revealed truth were present; I should have turned to them to resolve the issues, but they themselves began to solve them with their own minds and got confused. This is the general origin of heresies. Nowadays one should turn to the Church to resolve issues; for the Apostles put all the truth into her, and she became the bearer of truth instead of them. Whoever turns to her for knowledge of the truth will not sin; Whoever, with his own mind, decides to fall into the truth, is in great danger of falling into a lie instead of the truth. What was the error of these teaching differently? The fact that they said that “the resurrection of the dead has already happened.” According to the truth of God, spoken by the Lord the Savior and preached by the holy Apostles, Christians look forward to the resurrection of the dead - when their bodies, now separated from their souls by the action of death, will again be united with them by the action of the boundless omnipotence of God and will rise in lightness similar to the lightness of the body of the risen Lord. The present period of existence of the human race and the world is transitional. It will end in due time, and another period of existence will come, in which there will be a new heaven, and a new earth, and a new way of existence of the human race, when people will neither marry nor commit violence, but will live, as the Angels of God live, an immortal and eternally glorious life. In the Gospels and in the Apostolic Writings, this restoration of all kinds is constantly mentioned. Filled with this teaching, Christians keep the gaze of their minds and the aspirations of their hearts fixed on it and are inspired by this hope in the difficulties that are inevitable with true Christianity. To take away this hope means to take away the most essential support of Christianity. It was ruined by the aforementioned superstitious people, who said that the resurrection had already happened. For to say this meant to say: don’t expect the best; what you see now is the best. And from this many conclusions came out that were ruinous for the truth of God: therefore, there will be no second coming of Christ, there will be no judgment and reward. “You, virtue, suffer, this is your reward. You, vice, are consoled; this is your punishment. What can you think of that is more destructive to faith and virtue?! But, besides, if there is no resurrection, “then Christ will not rise.” And if “Christ does not rise, our faith is in vain” (1 Cor. 15:13-14). It turns out that everything is ruined by this small statement: “the resurrection has already happened.” How rightly did the Apostle above compare the vanity or new conscience of those who teach differently to cancer, which, having originated in one part of the body, then corrupts and eats it all up! Saint Chrysostom says: “the Apostle said well above: “they will succeed most of all.” Apparently this is evil only in itself; but look what consequences come from this. If the resurrection has already taken place, then the harm for us is not only that we have lost great glory (“we are deprived of the second coming of Christ - what could be more sorrowful? Christ, who announced this, is delivered to a liar; He will not sit on the throne, as the Judge of the living and the dead” [Ecumenius]), but both judgment and retribution are destroyed; the good did not receive reward for sorrow and suffering; but the wicked are not punished.” “The good enjoyed sorrows and sorrows, while the evil were punished by drowning in pleasures. What need is there to adhere to virtue if such are the rewards? (Blessed Theophylact). But when they say that the resurrection has already happened; then by this they say that the resurrection that Christians expect, bright with the reorganization of all kinds, will not happen, there is no place for it. But “if the dead do not rise, then neither does Christ rise; if Christ does not rise, our faith is in vain” (1 Cor. 15:16-17). Not only that; but “if (again the words of St. Chrysostom) Christ did not rise, then he was not born and did not ascend to heaven. Do you see how opposition to the doctrine of the resurrection seems to entail many bad consequences?” But how did these teachers understand their resurrection, when the absurdity of the claim that we have already been resurrected is so obvious, and when the Lord so clearly announced the resurrection that was to take place? The Apostle does not speak about this, but in the 2nd century heretics appeared who understood by resurrection a spiritual resurrection, that is, the enlightenment of the soul with the truth and its acquisition of holy life. They taught that the soul, starting from the darkness of ignorance and lies and entering the light of truth, leaving vice and beginning to live holy, is resurrected to a new life. They are written about by Saint Irenaeus (Hieromartyr Irenaeus of Lyons. Against heresies. 2, 31), Tertullian (Tertullian. On the Resurrection. 19; Against Marcion. 5, 10) and Saint Epiphanius (St. Epiphanius of Cyprus. Heresies. 42, 3). It is not surprising that the ancestors of these heretics were the Ephesian vanities and new-glasers; therefore, we can believe that these latter understood the resurrection as a spiritual resurrection and thought that Christ the Savior speaks of this very resurrection, accomplished in the spirit by grace. But if they understood the resurrection in this way, this does not brighten up the falsity of their teaching. For both the Lord and the holy Apostles speak about the spiritual resurrection; but at the same time they also proclaim the resurrection of bodies that is about to take place, at the end of the ages, which will be followed by judgment and a common reward for everyone’s deeds, for some - heaven, for others - hell. Consequently, they have two resurrections, and to confuse them into one is unfair and sinful. Blessed Theodoret claims that these heretics called the resurrection the succession of clans or the birth of children, in which parents seem to be born again. “These unfortunate ones,” he writes, “called the succession of genera due to childbearing the resurrection and seduced some to deviate from the Apostolic teaching.” Ambrosiast, also saying that these heretics saw the resurrection in children, adds that he learned about this from some books. It’s not surprising that this happened. Because what other teaching is more appropriately named - vanity and old wives' tales? Those who treated the spiritual resurrection, the Gnostics, were idealists who did not favor matter; and these are sensualists and materialists. One can guess that in their opinion there is no immortality, just as today’s materialists by immortality mean memory in posterity for deeds considered beneficial. Despite, however, the absurdity, this teaching did not remain inactive, but outraged some of the faith. “And they “outrage”, he says, “some of the faith” - not all, but: “some” (St. Chrysostom), “the simplest and weakest” (Ecumenius, Blessed Theophylact). They outrage, ανατρεπουσιν - transform, subvert. It is not only doubt and hesitation that instill, but they completely upset and destroy faith. “It cannot be said that there were not those who expressed consent to their perverse teaching in opposition to the faith that they initially followed” (Ambrosiastes). It is incomprehensible how the most absurd teachings stick to the mind and are held tightly by it. β) Some restful positions (2 Tim. 2, 19–22) Having spoken about the indignation or degradation of the faith of some, as a result of temptation from others who sinned about the truth, the Apostle, rightly assuming that the sincerely faithful could be confused by such accidents, hastens to prevent such confusion, clarifying in detail the law of existence of faith and the Church. Two confusing questions could have given rise to the previous testimony about those who have sinned in the truth and about their shaking of the faith of others - namely: how do they apostatize from the faith and waver in the faith? Wouldn't everyone be shaken and therefore the whole Church wouldn't be upset? and second: why are there those and others, both sinning and being carried away by them, and, moreover, so close to us? For they are born in the Church and labor among the faithful. The apostle answers the first thing - that the faith founded by God in the heart will not be shaken, and the Church, founded on this faith, will not be shaken; and secondly, that just as in the house there are vessels of honor and not of honor, so in the Church there are good and bad members, introducing into these explanations and very impressive moral lessons. 2 Timothy 2:19. The firm foundation of God stands, having this seal: The Lord knows His beings, and let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from unrighteousness. “Ubo”, μεντοι, - however, for all that. With all this, however, the solid foundation of God stands, εστηκεν, established or established firmly. Don't worry; it will not be shaken. Or this: as for deviation and hesitation, know that what was founded by God stands firmly and will continue to stand. The words: “the foundation of God” do not in themselves give a definite thought. They only say that, in general, the solid foundation laid by God stands, or that firmly founded by God endures. What exactly is it? Faith, planted by God in the heart of the believer, and on such faith the Holy Church was founded. Faith is formed in this way: God, having established the incarnate economy of salvation, calls for salvation according to this economy through the gospel, in which with the word passes through the hearing of the ear to the heart and the gracious power of the Holy Spirit, ruling the gospel, and awakens the spiritual elements of life according to God that are sleeping there, remaining after the fall. If one who has received the gospel is inclined to it and desires to follow it, then God, by the grace of the Holy Spirit, will help him to accept faith, according to the extent of his devotion to God. Whoever wholeheartedly surrenders himself to the guidance of God, faith is established in him with all his strength, not so much dogmatically complete as with strong confidence in God. When this is built in the heart, then faith, by the grace of God, rebuilds everything inside, constituting the source and basis of life according to God. This is faith founded by God in the heart, which serves as the basis for life according to God. Not all faiths are faiths founded by God; but even God-founded faiths in the heart are not all equally strong and firm. The degree of firmness and strength of each person's faith depends on the degree and strength of his devotion to God. Whoever surrenders himself completely to God, God, without encountering obstacles from human freedom, soon creates faith and a structure of life according to faith and establishes it deeply and firmly. But whoever does not completely surrender himself to God, but leaves a part of the action for himself, regardless of God, to the extent that he leaves the larger part for himself, to the same extent he is deprived of God’s assistance, for God does not interfere in the area of ​​self-activity and freedom. But to the extent that he is deprived of such assistance, to the same extent the formation of faith is slowed down and to the same extent it is weak and fragile. Some of these, having become convinced by the experiences of life how unreliable free independent activity is in the matter of faith, finally surrender themselves entirely to God. - Then God will soon complete in them what was lacking - and faith appears in them in all its strength, as if completely founded and established by God. And others remain for the rest of their lives with an admixture of their self-made faith. And such people are always unsteady in faith, each in their own way. There are also those who adhere to faith externally, like scriptures or programs, but they themselves build their entire lives by faith. There is nothing Divine in such people: everything is homemade; and they do not belong to God. - The Apostle in this place means the faith firmly founded by God in the hearts of those who completely surrender themselves to Him. Such faith stands firm and never falls. The same thing that St. Paul said about love applies to it: “Who will separate us?” No one and nothing (Rom. 8:35 – 39). She is the stone on which the Lord promised to create His Church and created it (Matthew 16:18). Ambrosiastes writes: “The foundation of God is faith, which firmly contains what God has promised. Such faith cannot be crushed by the false wisdom of treacherous heretics.” As it was weak for some, they wavered and were carried away after those who erred about the truth. Saint Chrysostom says about them: “here (with the words: “the foundation stands”) it is shown that they were not firm even before they shook; otherwise they would not have hesitated from the first attack. The firm not only do not tolerate seducers, but also deserve surprise. “This is how one must be devoted to the faith.” Blessed Theophylact also adds something to this: “not all have gone astray, but the unstable. For if they had not been like that, they would not have fallen away. Completely established in faith, they stand firm and motionless. And look - “solid”, he says, and: “foundation”. This is how we must fight for the faith.” “He who has this seal: God knows His being. “The foundation of God” is faith in all its strength founded and planted by God in a heart completely devoted to Him. This Divine action within man restructures everything there and gives everything its own character and its own face; so that if one of the outsiders’ eyes were opened and he saw the inner face of the believer in this way; then he could not resist exclaiming: this is a man of God. God's seal shines so brightly on him. since he completely surrenders himself to God, he thereby appropriates himself to God; and whoever appropriates himself to God, God appropriates to Himself. For this was His intention in the creation of rationally free creatures, to have them all appropriated to Himself, under the condition of their free appropriation of themselves to Him. Why, as soon as through complete devotion in faith this appropriation of oneself to God is accomplished in a person, God immediately appropriates it to Himself. And there is communication - lively, strong. It is imprinted on the inner face of the believer, and all intelligent creatures see it. In the words of the Apostle: “being His own” - refers to persons who completely surrender themselves to God in faith; for as soon as they surrender themselves to God, they immediately become essentially God’s, truly their own to God. And the words: “the Lord knows” mean that the Lord, as soon as such devotion to Him occurs in the soul of the believer, will recognize it. It is not necessary for anyone from the outside to tell Him about this; He sees it himself. These things are known to Him more than to anyone else. And as soon as he sees this, he immediately appropriates them to himself, makes them his own, and begins to take special care of them as his own. Many people think that when you have fully believed, then everything has already been done, and salvation has been achieved, and you have taken possession of paradise. In fact, by faith, even to the degree of its power as depicted before this, only the beginning of salvation is laid or the foundation for it is deepened; the very achievement of salvation comes after this, among the works of good deeds and deeds of self-sacrifice, which the Apostle immediately adds: “and let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from unrighteousness.” This is the task of the life of a believer, and for the sake of faith and devotion to God, he has accepted the seal of belonging to God. This seal alone does not do the whole thing and does not dispose the one who receives it to rest, but to the work of deviating from untruth and walking along the path of righteousness. Walking the path of righteousness is accomplished not only by giving everyone what is due, but also by doing him every possible good; and retreat from untruth is accomplished not only by moving away from wrong Deeds and words, but also by suppressing all wrong thoughts and feelings, which is accomplished by the feat of self-resistance and self-coercion with the addition of external self-restraint. All this is required of the one who has accepted the seal of belonging to the Lord. Saint Chrysostom says: “Strong souls stand firm and unshakable. Such words are written on their deeds that God knows them; just as an inscription is made on a stone so that it is a sign of it, this inscription is expressed in their deeds. The sign of this seal is not to do untruth. So, let us not deprive ourselves of this royal seal and sign, so that we do not remain unsealed and fragile, but stand on foundations - on solid foundations and not get carried away. This is the sign of people who belong to God - to shun unrighteousness! For how can one belong to God, who is righteous, who does injustice, opposes Him with his deeds and offends Him with his actions? The two halves of this verse indicate moments of spiritual life, which relate to each other as cause and effect and are inextricably linked. The foundation is God-devoted faith, which accepts the inscription in the spirit of belonging to God, has within itself a jealous determination to stand in the truth of God and, having accepted the powers of grace, is in deed a co-creator of all truth, with a distance from all untruth. But we must remember that just as in the spirit everything is done according to the laws of free will, the latter is not a mechanical consequence of the first, apart from freedom, but on the contrary, that free will, drawing from faith the incentives for all truth and the obligation to fulfill it and through it receiving the grace-filled power to do so, by a free decision determines itself to do all truth and does it in a sense of strength in the Lord. Whoever has both combined will never be shaken. And lo – the solid foundation of the Church! The Apostle speaks in this place in the words of the Prophets. The first saying: “God knows His own beings” is taken from the book of Numbers, where, on the occasion of the indignation of Korah, Dathan and Abiron, who spoke to Moses and Aaron: that you rule over us, we are the host of God, we are all holy, Saint Moses said to them: we do not do this of our own accord, but God “knows those who are His” and brought them closer to Himself - that is, God us chose, knowing that we would remain faithful to Him (Num. 16:5). The second is taken either from the words of Saint Moses, spoken to the people for the same reason, when God’s punishment was ready to fall on the said troublemakers with all their race: “depart from the tabernacles of these hard-hearted men” (Num. 16:26), or from the words of Saint Isaiah, where, predicting the coming of the Lord, the deliverance of people from the slavery of sin and the preaching of the Gospel, he speaks from afar to those who want to believe, so that they courageously retreat from those who persist in unbelief: “depart, go out from among them, and do not touch their uncleanness” (Is. 52:11). How applicable all this is to the speech of the Apostle is obvious. 2 Timothy 2:20. In the great house, not only are the vessels made of gold and silver, but they are also made of wood and clay, both in honor and not in honor. The second perplexity is resolved: why are there weak people in faith and in life by faith? The answer in this verse is this: this is necessary according to the course of affairs of the present period of the existence of the world and people. It is explained by comparing the state of affairs in the Church with the order of household governance. Just as in a big house there are things of gold and silver, and there are also things of wood and clay, and some of them are used for honorable use, and others for dishonorable use: so in the Church - this house of God, great and glorious, there are persons whose dignity corresponds to gold and silver, and there are persons who correspond to wood and clay - and some of them are venerable, while others have no value. The last half of the comparison is left silent by the Apostle. It is up to us to supplement it ourselves, and we supplement it as shown. And the very reason why this happens is not indicated, but it is only given to understand that just as in the house there is both good and bad, so it is in the Church or among believers. The hint is as if: be satisfied with this testimony, but do not look for the further and deepest. It is none of your business, just as Saint Anthony the Great was told from above to inquisitively search for why there are good and evil. And the Savior, speaking about His Kingdom - with parables about the land sown with good seeds, on which, however, later tares also appeared, and about the net that captured good and bad fish - only showed that in His Church it would be so, until the judgmental harvest and until the final analysis of affairs; but he didn’t say why this would happen. Of course, He did the same, inspiring us not to mind our own business, but to believe that the Lord will arrange everything for the best. It seems that the words: gold and silver, wooden and clay, also in honor and not in honor, the Apostle used only to clearly demonstrate the difference in the things that happen in the house, and did not have the idea of ​​allegorically indicating such and such different persons among the believers in the Church. Why can we leave them without allegorical interpretation? However, Blessed Theodoret did not consider it superfluous to give them an interpretation, but writes: “The Apostle likened the vessels to gold - shining with piety and virtue (those who have renounced everything and dedicated their whole lives to God), to silver - to those who love civil life (pious laymen) with faith and righteousness, to wooden and clay - living in wickedness and wickedness.” By house, our eastern interpreters - St. Chrysostom, Theodoret, Ecumenius and Theophylact - mean the world, and Western ones - Ambrosiastes and, they say, Cyprian and Blessed Augustine - mean the Church. Although, in the flow of speech, the latter understanding is more relevant to the matter; but the first one should not be eliminated either. Because the question of the mixing of good and evil is also generated by the situation of the whole world; why can’t one not take this into account when deciding. Moreover, the world is the house of God. 2 Timothy 2:21. If anyone cleanses himself of these, the vessel will be in honor, sanctified and useful to the Lady, prepared for every good deed. Here the reason is indicated why the goodness of God deigns to endure both the good and the bad, both in the Church and throughout the world, like a master who tolerates both good and bad in a house. The owner tolerates bad things because they are still good for something, without having any hope that they will become good; The Lord endures not for this reason alone, but especially because a free creature, unbelieving and living poorly, can come to its senses, come to its senses and change for the better. “Vessels,” writes Theodoret, “were condemned by nature itself (if they are not in honor), but the will made people honest or dishonest.” But this will, now faulty, can now change into a working one. “The choice of the best depends on our determination” (Blessed Theodoret). If a bad person decides with God’s help, he will begin to be good. Waiting for this moment, the goodness of God spares the unbelievers and the unkind and holds back the truth of God, ready to punish them. This is what the Apostle means when he says: “If anyone cleanses himself from these. “From these” - from what makes him look like a vessel not in honor, from passions and sins. To cleanse oneself means: to recognize the badness of the bad in oneself, to turn away from it, to make a firm intention not to do it again and, having confessed it to the spiritual father, to receive permission and then not to allow oneself to fall into the same guilt. He who is established in this way of life, pure from all evil, external and internal, will no longer resemble a vessel in the house, which is not in honor, but will become a vessel of honor, useful and suitable for every good deed - and, moreover, sanctified - will become a kind of sacred thing, as in fact he is: for then he will not be simple, but will be filled with grace and will carry God within himself. For this reason, for the sake of change and entry, instead of a dishonorable one, the bad ones are tolerated in such a bright state. Saint Chrysostom says: “Do you see that to be gold or clay depends not on nature or material necessity, but on our will? In nature, a clay vessel cannot become golden and a golden vessel cannot become as low as an earthen vessel; and here (in the souls of people) there is a great change and transformation. Paul was a clay vessel, but became gold; Judas was a golden vessel, but became a clay vessel. Thus, uncleanness makes people like clay: the adulterer and the covetous are like clay.” What do the words mean in application: “a vessel is sanctified, useful, prepared for every purpose” - there is no need to try to determine in particular. In general, they mean that by faith and grace, one who has been cleansed from all that is bad, unclean and passionate, and who has surrendered himself to the all-action of God, becomes in the hands of God an instrument useful for the fulfillment of His providential actions for the world and people. Such a person knows how to listen and hear intelligently in his heart God’s commands and then, without sparing his stomach, fulfill them. Why in his actions does he always fall on the trail of the will of God: what is most precious for every Christian, especially for an archpastor. Since this kind of state makes the one who has achieved it the most prudent; then we can assume that the Apostle’s speech from verse 19 indicates the path to achieving prudence, about which he began to give lessons to the archpastor from verse 14. After this, the next, 22nd, verse will have the meaning of a final warning against how this gift can be lost, and an indication of how it is protected and takes root. 2 Timothy 2:22. Flee the lusts of the young: hold fast to truth, faith, love, peace with all those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. Run from this, and hold on to this - and you will be a useful vessel for the Master of the House, that is, you will be in the hands of the Lord a useful instrument for bringing salvation among people. Saint Timothy, of course, was already like this. Only a reminder is given to him, and perhaps not so much to him, but in his person to all the shepherds and archpastors. By youthful lusts we do not mean carnal desires: it was, one must assume, unnecessary to warn Saint Timothy against them; but more youthful impetuosity, which does not allow one to calmly discuss matters and pushes one to take unreasonable steps, for example, to argue and in disputes to be irritatingly harsh and the like. Saint Chrysostom says: “Young lusts are not only fornication, but also every inappropriate impulse exposes youth. Let those who are old notice this to themselves - that they should not do what the youngest do. Whether someone is harsh in words, or displays persistence and authority in deeds, or allows himself to do anything else of the sort - all these are the essence of youthful, unreasonable aspirations. All this tends to happen when the heart is not yet moderated and established and when the thoughts of the mind are not deepened, but easily float to the top. Therefore, so that no one gets carried away by this, what does the Apostle inspire? Run away from youthful fantasies." Having eliminated what might lead to an unreasonable course of action, the Apostle points out the moral pillars of prudence. “Hold on”, διωκε, - drive, strive zealously, try in every possible way to demonstrate - “hold on to truth, faith, love and peace.” Truth and love are two dispositions that embrace all morally good deeds and deny all bad ones. “Truth” does not allow one to do anything that should not be done and keeps one within the limits of what should be done, and love strives to multiply all good within these limits. “Faith” is the parent of these dispositions, the nourisher and preserver, and “peace” is their generation, the general result of their deeds, like a cloud overshadowing them. Whoever, inspired by faith, devotes all his zeal to deeds of truth and love and thereby walks under the cloud of peace, all-round prudence cannot but reign in his deeds. The Apostle inspires “peace” with all those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. He put two restrictions: “with those who call on the Lord” - and: “those who call from a pure heart.” It’s not that he inspires not to carefully vomit peace with others; but he warns not to make friends with them, not to go so far as to live with them soul to soul. We must maintain general harmony and peace with everyone, and we must live soul to soul, and this is possible only with believers, who are meant by those who call on the Lord. In this regard, nothing prevents the words: “from a pure heart” from being connected with “peace”, so that it is: keep sincere peace with those who call on the Lord. Peace with such people settles itself and fills the hearts of believers, especially shepherds, who know more of all their flock. The unity of beliefs and aspirations merges souls, and they live one in the other. Such harmony of souls, however, is hindered and disrupted where insincerity of faith is noticed in someone. As soon as it is revealed that one or the other is insincerely calling on the Lord or does not believe in Him from the heart; Coordination with them is immediately disrupted, due to the natural suspicion that it is true that they are pursuing different goals, and not those that are inspired by faith. They are aiming in the wrong direction; there is no point in getting along with them. In this regard: “from the bottom of my heart” must be combined with “those who call on the Lord.” Saint Chrysostom interprets this this way: “What does it mean: “with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart”? He seems to be saying this: trust not everyone who calls on the Lord, but only those who call on Him unfeignedly, without hypocrisy, without deceit; communicate with such people, but with others you should not be short, but only maintain peace as much as possible.” bb) On gently teaching those who oppose (2 Tim. 2:23–26) Coming to the second matter of prudence, in current circumstances - namely, so that if the need forces him to speak with those who teach differently, then he would conduct it meekly (2, 23 - 26), - the Apostle again puts forward the already stated rule of avoiding disputes. 2 Timothy 2:23. Deny these and unpunished struggles, you know, as they give birth to quarrels. “Do you see how the Apostle everywhere rejects Timothy from competition? This is not because Timothy was not able to refute them; he was capable; and if he had not, then the Apostle would have told him: try to become capable of refuting them, just as he said: “Take heed to the teaching: for by doing this, both you yourself and those who listen to you will be saved” (1 Tim. 4:16). But the Apostle knew that it was completely useless to enter into such competitions (as existed then) and that they ended in nothing other than quarrel, hostility, insult and slander. Such struggles, he says, should be denied” (Saint Chrysostom). “These competitions drag even the meekest into quarrels. Unbelievers and heretics, by their extremely absurd contradiction of the truth, infuriate them, and they, angry, then say what they would not like to say. Those, meanwhile, take on the appearance of calm reasoners, as if standing on solid foundations (although their hearts boil against the Orthodox). And something comes out of this that is unfavorable for the truth of God. This is why the Apostle writes: it is better not to enter into these disputes. “Deny,” as if to say: it’s not our business to compete.” “Competition”, ζητησεις, – research. Not all research is forbidden. This is why the Apostle determined which ones should be denied; “Reject wild and unpunished research. Buikh”, μωρας, – childish, meaningless, empty; “unpunished”, απαιδευτους, - ignorant, unedifying. “There are other studies, namely about the truths of Scripture, which should not be denied, because they do not give rise to quarrels (but spread general edification)” (St. Chrysostom, Blessed Theophylact). 2 Timothy 2:24–25. It is not proper for the servant of the Lord to become arrogant, but to be quiet towards everyone, a teacher, and gentle, punishing those who oppose them with meekness. Here is the subject of the present department. Don’t argue, but teach your opponents, but quietly and meekly. “For without controversy, the one who is entrusted with preaching them should offer Divine instructions” (Blessed Theodoret). “You shouldn’t quarrel even during a competition; a servant of God should be far from quarrels. If God is the God of peace, then how can a servant of the God of peace quarrel?” (Saint Chrysostom). “But be quiet to everyone.” Quiet, but not sluggish. A weak word will have no effect. You have to speak both forcefully and without quarrel. Otherwise, why would he write in another place: “reprove with every commandment” (Tit. 2:15) - and also: “reprove them mercilessly” (Tit. 1:13)? And he commands this to be done in a spirit of meekness. Strong reproof, when done with meekness, can be especially moving. A strong word without meekness can only shame, but when combined with meekness, it will take you by the heart and win (St. Chrysostom). “Teaching” - “that is, for everyone who wants to learn” (St. Chrysostom). Whoever starts a conversation with argumentativeness, deny him; and whoever seeks admonition and instruction, do not refuse to teach him. The shepherd himself must seek out those who excel in teaching, in order to admonish them with meek but strong speech; and already, when one of them stubbornly remains with his heterodoxy, in opposition to the truth of God, then deny it, as St. Paul commands in another place: “deny the heretic of a person according to the first and second punishment” (Titus 3:10). “Kindly” - not to be angry or irritated when an admonishing word is unsuccessful. “The Apostle added this well; the teacher especially needs to have kindness; otherwise everything will be in vain. If a fisherman, throwing his nets all day and not catching anything, does not despair, then much less should we despair. For it often happens that the plow of the word, acting through incessant suggestion, enters the depths of the soul and destroys the passion that has taken possession of it. He who has listened a thousand times must feel something; for it is impossible for a person, listening incessantly, not to feel at all. Thus, it may happen that a person who is already ready to be convinced will lose everything from our impatience; and the same thing will happen as if someone, unskilled in agriculture, planted grapes and dug them in the first year, and in the second, and in the third, in the hope of receiving fruits, but not receiving them and having lost hope, after three years in the fourth year he left it (without care, abandoned), precisely when he should have received reward for his labors” (St. Chrysostom). 2 Timothy 2:25. With meekness I punish the contrary: how will God give them repentance into the mind of truth? “Having said: “to the kindly,” the Apostle is not content with this, but adds: “with meekness I punish those who oppose.” Here the teacher especially needs to act with meekness; a soul that needs instruction cannot accept anything useful when it is taught harshly and with abuse, and although it is ready to listen, but, being perplexed, will not learn anything. to learn something useful, he must first of all be disposed towards the teacher. If this is not preliminarily arranged, then nothing proper and useful can happen. But no one can be disposed towards a person who is angry and scolds. “Do you see how those who want to learn should be approached?” (St. Chrysostom) teaching and do not despair of the reasoning of those who do not easily accept the word of the sermon. He who, with fatherly meekness, teaches teaching to unbelievers and generously listens to their objections, can often convince extremely stubborn heretics” (Blessed Theodoret). “What food God will give them is repentance into the mind of truth. “The food will somehow give” - will it somehow? “I’m not sure, but I don’t despair: maybe they’ll come to their senses. Indicates the difficulty of correcting someone who has fallen into a lie: only God is able to correct him; inspires to patiently continue to admonish him in the hope of correction, although weak, and, therefore, lays down the law not to deny and not to cut off those who are erring until you are convinced that they are incorrigible and harmful to Christians who are faithful, but simple in faith. Saint Chrysostom says: “the meaning of these words is as follows: perhaps there will be some correction. The word: “food kako” is used about objects that are not exactly known; therefore, we need to retreat only from those people about whom we can definitely say and about whom we are convinced that they are incorrigible, no matter what measures are used. And this word suggests that when admonishing one must have great patience. Notice also how he teaches humility. He did not say: maybe you will be able to, but: “food as God gives them to arise”; if anything happens, everything belongs to the Lord; you plant, you water, and He grows and produces fruit.” He says: “Will God please?” But God is always ready to give both knowledge of truth and power to do good. But He Gives not according to the power of omnipotence alone, but always according to the inclination of human will. The will will bend towards the desire for good from God and seek it - and God is ready to give it and gives it. Doubt: “What food?” - it is not Divine grace that excites, but the perseverance of the human will. One cannot probably expect from her that, having been admonished, she will delight and demand. How is stubborn disobedience to the truth crushed? By repentance. It softens the heart and forces the proud mind to bow its proud head under the yoke of the truth of God. God presents to consciousness and freedom all intelligible moments. When the consciousness forced by them puts pressure on freedom and the latter, hesitating, desires to come out of the darkness in which stubbornness holds it, then God’s assistance comes and brings this repentant beginning to the end, that is, to the decision to abandon the lie and humbly accept the truth as it is, without inquisitiveness, without the admixture of one’s own wisdom and without any hesitation. As a result of this, just as light pours into open eyes, so the light of truth begins to pour into the soul, opened by repentance, and it is filled with the knowledge of it. The Apostle expresses all this when he says: “what kind of food will God give them to repentance into understanding” (knowing) “the truth?” 2 Timothy 2:26. And they will arise from the devil’s snare, living in the traps of him, according to his will. What a gloomy state for those who have fallen into lies and entangled the truth of God with empty considerations that obscure the truth! They are entangled in the nets of the devil; but they think that they are the only ones who have freedom of mind. They think that they are soaring with their minds according to their will, but meanwhile they are dancing according to the will of the devil. The enemy presents the mind with the ghost of truth. The mind, believing that this is the highest knowledge of truth that it has comprehended, is carried away by this ghost and is captivated by it. Then the enemy sits down and, through the imagination, interweaves the entire realm of truth with illusory ideas. The mind, captivated in the main thing, is captivated by everything and is completely entangled in the enemy’s network of lies, according to which it sees everything differently from what it is, according to the truth of God. This state is very well expressed in our country by the proverb: the enemy has become stricken, which is used when they want to say: it was thought that it was so and so, but now I see that it is not so. He who is entangled in lies also realizes this when, having come to repentance, he calls on God, and God sends him a ray of His truth, which, penetrating into the soul, breaks the networks of dark lies and dispels them, like the wind dispels thickened smoke. And he arises (frees himself) from the devil’s network. He will wake up then - and see clearly how foggy and fooled he was, unable to explain how it all was intertwined, and even more so, how it was all believed. This produces knowledge of truth; why the words: “and they will arise...”. – explain what knowledge of truth is, as Ekumeny writes. “What is knowledge of truth? That is to emerge from the snare of the devil and false dogmas to the truth of faith. And look how he said: “they will arise from the devil’s snare,” as if from intoxication or insanity.” “Live according to his will. “Live caught”, εζωγρημενοι, - caught alive or caught in prey. When the enemy kills the pursued, then it all ends; and when he takes him alive, he makes him a prisoner and forces him to do his will. This is what the enemy does with those caught in the web of his lies. He takes them alive, for he has no power over life and death. But, having taken possession of them, he makes them improvised instruments for the execution of his evil machinations; causes them to spread lies and others to ensnare them; forces people to do evil, covering it with the appearance of good. The erring mind that has fallen into the snare of the devil is characterized by self-confidence; but she does not tolerate admonitions, especially reproachful and distressing ones. If you quietly offer the instructive truth, then you can still expect that, perhaps, somehow he will come to his senses. cv) About future debauchees (2 Tim. 3:1–9) Among Christians there are always those who think differently and entice others to do so, as well as those who live abnormally. At first there were not many of the latter; however, they were and served as the embryo of the later development of bad manners. Just as the suppression of the embryo averts what is about to be born from it, Saint Paul directs Saint Timothy to this (3: 1-9). For this purpose, he first depicts: α) what kind of bad behavior will develop subsequently (3, 1–5); then, as it were, saying: Do you see what evil there will be? And even now he already has an embryo, - he inspires: so, as soon as you notice such things in yourself: β) do not indulge them. They do this and that, and it’s easy for you to recognize them (3, 5 – 8); γ) don’t be embarrassed, however; they will not prosper; the common voice of the faithful will condemn them (verse 9). α) Future bad behavior (2 Tim. 3, 1–5) 2Tim.3:1. This is true, for in the last days times of cruelty will come. This knowledge is a certifying expression that it will undoubtedly be so, as in the First Epistle: “The Spirit speaks clearly” (1 Tim. 4:1). There he spoke about apostasy from the faith, but here he speaks about moral corruption. Perhaps this is the reason that there he borrows confirmation from the Spirit, but here he is content with his word. “The last days” usually refers to the end of the century; but here it is indicated generally for a subsequent time. “Fierce times” are difficult times in which it is difficult to live. The Apostle depicts extreme corruption of morals; but since the derogation of truth, peace and security is inseparably connected with this, it is always difficult to live in such times for the corrupted themselves, but especially for those who do not live according to their examples and orders. There is a prejudice to call other days and times bad or good in the thought that they themselves are bad or good. Saint Chrysostom denounces such thinking. “The Apostle does not condemn days or times, but the people who will then exist. Likewise, we are in the habit of calling times bad or not bad, according to the nature of the deeds performed by people during them. He immediately indicates the reason. The root and source of all evil, from which they all stem, is excessive pride.” 2Tim.3:2. There will be people who are proud, lovers of money, majestic, proud, blasphemers, opposed to parents, ungrateful, unrighteous, unloving. Self-love is the root of all evil passions. It suppresses brotherly love and love of God and introduces into life orders completely opposite to them, from which no one can rest. But what’s amazing is that it is its own punishment. A selfish person only looks after his own good; but just as he alone cannot live happily without others, the selfish person, by the very fact that he neglects others, harms himself or commits crimes against himself. Saint Chrysostom reveals this side of self-love as follows: “captured by this passion, he cannot observe his own benefits. For when someone does not observe what relates to the good of his neighbor, he, neglecting the benefits of his neighbor, how will he observe his own? Just as he who takes into account the benefits of his neighbor puts his own in a good position through them, so he who neglects them will overlook his own. For if we “are pleased with one another” (Eph-4:25), then the salvation (good) of the neighbor is not only his, but also the rest of the body, and the harm of the neighbor does not concern him only, but affects everyone with excruciating pain. Also, if we are a building, then no matter what part of it is damaged, the danger threatens the entire building; and when it is hard and durable, it helps everything else to hold firm. So it is in the Church. Have you neglected your brother? I offended myself. How? So, because of this, your part suffers considerable damage. For if one who does not give “mnasa” to the traders ends up in Gehenna, then one who sees someone in need from a lack of the most necessary needs and does not stretch out his hand to him will suffer all the more in comparison with the greater the harm that has occurred. Thus, a self-lover is the most self-loathing person; and a brotherly lover is also a lover of himself.” All passions come from self-love. The most important or ancestral of them are considered to be the essence - pride, self-interest and voluptuousness. In this place, the Apostle conducts a census primarily of the products of pride, but of the other two he remembers only the ancestors themselves - love of money and voluptuousness, concluding by showing the attitude towards God of life, organized according to their drives and the drives of the passions in general. "Silver Lovers". “Having indicated the root, in particular he lists the branches from it, of which the first and greatest is the love of money. For just as all good comes from love, so all evil comes from self-love, which is the opposite of love. Love is wide and spreads everywhere; and self-love constrains its breadth and focuses on itself alone” (Blessed Theophylact, Saint Chrysostom). The love of money generally means avaricious love. To have is an everyday need. So that it does not overcome a person and does not make him a miser, God placed in his heart compassion for those in need, which reveals the guardian treasure for others. But when self-love prevails over him, then compassion for others fades and the treasuries are locked. Everything is needed for oneself and turns to oneself; I don't care about others. Here comes the miser. “Great, be proud.” The second product of self-love is pride. Its manifestations are varied. In this place, the Apostle indicates two types of it: αλαζονειαν - and: υπερηφανιαν. “Majestic”, αλαζονες, - exalted, “magnified and towering over others” (Blessed Theophylact). “Gordy”, υπερηφανοι, - when exalted and disdainful, they put others at nothing and are ready to arbitrarily push them around. From here Saint Paul begins to list the products of pride. - “Blasphemers”, βλασφημοι, - unholy, blasphemous. “From arrogance - contemptuous and capricious arrogance, from arrogance - blasphemy (unholy speech, feelings that are wrong towards God, rebellion against God)” (St. Chrysostom). Or “from both blasphemy” (Ecumenius). For it is natural that “when evil grows progressively out of pride, it reaches the point of rebellion against God” (Blessed Theophylact). – Saint Chrysostom explains this aspect of the matter at length. “He who is puffed up over people will easily be puffed up before God. This is how sins are born; they often ascend from bottom to top. He who is respectful to people reveres God all the more; whoever is obedient to slaves similar to himself will be all the more submissive to the Master; and whoever despises slaves like himself will gradually come to despise God Himself. Let's not despise each other. This is bad science, which teaches us to despise God, and even by the fact that we despise each other, we already show contempt for God, Who commanded us to have great care for each other. If you want, I will explain this to you differently, with an example. Cain despised his brother and immediately showed contempt for God. How? Look how disrespectfully (υβριστικως - scolding, rude) he answers God: “Am I food my brother’s guardian?” (Gen. 4:9). Also, Esau, who despised his brother, showed contempt for God (counting the advantages given to the birthright as nothing by God). Joseph's brothers despised him and showed contempt for God. The Israelites despised Moses and showed contempt for God. Also, the sons of Eli despised the people - they showed contempt for God. - Do you want to see examples of the opposite? Abraham was lenient towards his nephew, and was obedient to God, as can be seen from his obedience regarding his son Isaac and from all his other virtues. Also, Abel, being meek in relation to his brother, was pious in relation to God. Let us not despise each other, lest we learn to despise God; Let us honor one another, so that we may learn to honor God. He who is daring in relation to people becomes daring in relation to God. And when self-love, love of money and contempt are united together, then what else is missing to complete destruction? Everything has become corrupted, and a great deal of sinful impurity flows in.” “Those who oppose parents,” απειθεις, are disobedient. “Arrogance and arrogance teach one to rebel against nature (against those who gave life)” (Ecumenius). “Buffalers are disobedient to their parents: what is consistent; for whoever blasphemes God, how will he honor his parents?” (Blessed Theophylact). "Ingrateful." Already in blasphemy and disrespect for parents one can see ingratitude. For “he who does not know gratitude to God, the benefactor, how will he have gratitude to people?” (Ecumenius). Also, if someone is ungrateful to their parents, how will they be grateful to other people? (Blessed Theophylact). Ingratitude is the daughter of pride, which believes that what is done for it should be so. But it is no less a fruit of the love of money, as St. Chrysostom explains: “And can a lover of money be grateful? To whom can he be grateful? To no one. He considers everyone his enemies, wanting to take everything from everyone. Even if you gave him all your property, he will not show you any gratitude, but will be annoyed that you did not have more wealth and did not make him the owner of more. Even if you made him the ruler of the universe, he will not express gratitude to you, but will think that he has received nothing. His desire is insatiable: because it resembles the desire inherent in illness; and such desires are insatiable. Just as someone suffering from a fever can never be satisfied, but constantly feels thirsty and never satiates the insatiable desire to drink; so one possessed by a passion for wealth can never satisfy his desire. And never being satisfied, he will not be grateful to you, no matter how much you give him. He would be grateful to someone who would give him as much as he wants. “But no one can do this, because his desire is immeasurable.” Therefore, he cannot be grateful to anyone. There is no man as ungrateful as the lover of money, and so insensitive as the lover of greed.” “Unrighteous”, ανοσιοι, - unvenerable or unbecoming, not what they should be by rank, condition, position, place - “put aside reverence, or what is appropriate and obligatory for them” (Blessed Theophylact). “Loveless”, αστοργοι, are alien even to kindred love for one’s own, “even one’s own enemies” (Ecumenius). 2Tim.3:3. Non-conciliators (persist, exalt, offer), slanderers, incontinence, necrotics, unkind people. “Non-reconciliators”, ασπονδοι, - do not accept any deals to end the discord, - one day they separate forever and avert any reconciliation, - they do not accept it, and do not show themselves. The following words: “continue, exalt, add” - our interpreters do not read them all. “Slanderers”, διαβολοι, - that is, “those who think unjustly and speak ill of others. These are those who, not seeing anything good in themselves, find some consolation in slandering others in order to undermine the good opinion of them; but as they speak about others at random, they are mistaken and sin, which is why they truly are slanderers” (St. Chrysostom, Blessed Theophylact). “Incontinence” – “in the tongue, in the womb, and in everything else” (St. Chrysostom). “Necrots”, ανημεροι, are harsh and violent, in their gaze, word, movements. “Hence the brutality, hence the ferocity, when someone is a lover of money, when someone is selfish, ungrateful and intemperate” (St. Chrysostom). “Do you see what pride and love of money make? Beasts instead of people” (Blessed Theophylact). “Unloving”, αφιλαγαθοι, are “enemies of all good” (Blessed Theophylact) or of every kind and benevolent person. 2Tim.3:4. Traitor, insolent, pompous, sensualists more than lovers of God. “Traitors”, προδοται, - “traitors of friendship” (St. Chrysostom) - “or partnership” (Ecumenius), - not in the form of the common good, but in the form of their own personal interests, to the harm of others. “Nagli”, προπετεις, – “having nothing solid in themselves” (St. Chrysostom), – “unsteady, fickle” (Blessed Theophylact), – “reckless” (Ecumenius): rushing here and there or breaking like bears, – arrogantly quick and decisive in business. “Pompous”, τετυφωμενοι, - “full of arrogance, arrogance and arrogance” (Blessed Theophylact, Ecumenius), - pompous, thinking a lot about themselves, although they have nothing, - worthy of greater attention. “Sensualists are more than lovers of God. - Voluptuous people, φιληδονοι, - living for their own pleasure; Whatever someone likes to find pleasure in, that’s what he does. This is the most flattering incarnation of pride and the widest in application: because it is greedy not only for carnal pleasures - although this mainly happens - but also for spiritual ones, even spiritual ones. “More than lovers of God.” The sensualist, accustomed to sensualizing, no longer values ​​anything else - neither the law, nor the truth, nor the fear of God, and is ready to sell everything for sweetness. That is why, even in Divine things (going to church), he does not love God, but the sweetness that Divine orders and laws give or promise. “More than lovers of God.” It cannot be otherwise; for where there is love for worldly pleasures, there is no place for the desire of the Divine” (Blessed Theophylact). “They replaced the lust for the Divine with selfishness” (Ecumenius). 2 Timothy 3:5. They have an image of piety, but have rejected its power. Being, however, such, according to the dispositions and feelings of the heart, they outwardly refrain from showing themselves as such, but on the contrary, they try to adhere to all the external orders of a pious Christian life, where it is impossible to deviate from them without clearly revealing their wickedness. That is why acting is an inevitable consequence in people possessed of passions who, however, live among those who love piety. But in their circle they usually do not be hypocrites, but openly blaspheme everything Divine and blaspheme everything. Our interpreters, meaning faith by piety, write about it like this. Ecumenius: “if you judge them by what they say, they are pious, but if you judge them by what they do, they are found and convicted to be contrary to their words.” Theophylact: “They only accept the appearance of piety and pretend, but by deeds they reject it. Notice that the strength of piety, or, as it were, its nerves, lies in deeds. Why is it rightly said that without works it is dead? Saint Chrysostom: “in the word: “image” - the Apostle here expresses something soulless and dead, appearance, appearance, hypocrisy. Faith without works is only an appearance without power. Just as a body is beautiful and flourishing, but has no strength, like a painted image, so is right faith without works. Let us imagine that some money-lover, traitor or arrogant person maintains the right faith; What is the use of this if he is not distinguished by anything decent for a Christian, if he does not do anything characteristic of piety, but surpasses the pagans with his wickedness, serves as an infection for those close to him and a reason for blasphemy against God - if he disgraces the teaching with his deeds? Blessed Theodoret concludes this whole section about the revealed wickedness: “I think the present time was predicted by the Apostle, for our life is filled with these evils and, putting on the appearance of piety, by deeds we prepare from ourselves an idol of wickedness: instead of the lovers of God, we have become lovers of money and love slavery to the passions; in a word, you can find in us everything else that the Divine Apostle predicted.” It cannot be denied that such guidance is even more appropriate in our time. β) One must not indulge the principles of self-righteousness (2 Tim. 3:5–8) 2 Timothy 3:5. And turn away from these. “And these” - that is, both those who teach differently and are disputable, and also these ill-behaved ones, turn away. Or this: turn away from these hypocrites, but there’s nothing to say about those who are dishonest. “But if there will be such people “in the last days,” then how does he say: “Avoid these too”? There were probably several of these back then; although not to a large extent, it was” (Saint Chrysostom). Or in this sense he says: as soon as they appear. It must be assumed that, according to the Apostle, Saint Timothy will live to see the last days indicated - that they will begin after the death of Saint Paul, and Saint Timothy himself will see them, and lo, in this case, a commandment to him: turn away from such (Ecumenius, Blessed Theophylact). - But to have one or the other in mind, pointing from here to subsequent times and persons is very natural. Saint Chrysostom says: “there is no doubt that through Timothy the Apostle exhorts everyone to move away from such people.” Everyone, not only contemporary with Saint Timothy, but especially “those who will live after him” (Ecumenius). 2 Timothy 3:6. From these people they dive into houses and take captive bridegrooms, burdened with sins and driven by various lusts. “The essence comes from these” – the essence comes from this circle. But those that were mentioned will still exist, but these are already the essence. Consequently, they are considered the predecessors and beginnings of those. “Diving into houses” - sneaking secretly. “With this word the Apostle expresses their shamelessness, dishonesty, deception, seduction” (St. Chrysostom). And also “ανελευθερον – unfreedom” (Blessed Theophylact). Conscience was too lazy to do this openly, or there was a fear that they would encounter obstacles - to act openly. - “And those who captivate the bridegroom.” “Do you see how these people imitate the ancient deceiver, using the same weapon that the devil used against Adam?” (Saint Chrysostom). “Of course, they also meant to attract husbands to their side through their wives” (Ecumenius). “Capturing”, αιχμαλωτιζοντες, - taking captive. It is common for women to be seduced by news and appearances and, having been seduced, to give themselves into slavery to delusion and seducers. Having reached this point, they become very convenient tools in the hands of those seeking to achieve their goals by indirect means. – “Zhenishtsa”, γυναικαρια, is a derogatory word. The Apostle expressed himself this way to denounce seductiveness or inclination towards seduction, at the same time hinting that a man, if he turns out to be conveniently deceived, is no better than a woman. It is not nature that is reproached, but character (St. Chrysostom, Ecumenius, Blessed Theophylact). “Burdened with sins”, σεσωρευμενα, - littered with sins, of which sins are like a heap of all rubbish. “This means multitude, disorder, and a mixture of sins” (Blessed Theophylact). “It is not nature that he condemns; for he did not just say: women, but precisely such women. And this is why they indulge in deception - from sins, from the fact that they do not know what is good (and cannot discern what is not good)” (St. Chrysostom). “And such a one usually rather leans toward false dogmas” (Blessed Theophylact). - “Driven by various lusts.” Not all women, of course, who are carried away by false teachings are burdened with sins; but few of them are enslaved to vanity, and from vanity there is a swarm of desires and lusts. All the artist has to do is get here, and he will certainly take over a woman’s mind and heart and sow in them what he wants. However, “various lusts” can also mean a bunch of passions – not easy ones. Saint Chrysostom says: “What does it mean: “different”? Here he means a lot: luxury, shamelessness, debauchery. “Various”, he says, “lusts” - that is, greed, love of fame, vanity, ambition; and perhaps it points to other shameful wishes.” Having said this, the Apostle showed whom to turn away. And of course there were some. But it can be assumed that in them he also points to those who will appear after teachers similar to them, also foretelling how those to whom souls and their salvation are entrusted should treat them. Ambrosiastes had this side of the matter in mind: “although it is common for all heretics, sneaking into houses, to captivate women with cunningly seductive words, so that through them they can later attract husbands to their side, imitating their father, the devil, who bypassed Adam through Eve; but most of all it goes to the Manichaeans. For no one is so persistent, insinuating and deceitful as they are, holding some things inside and showing others outside. They preach holy chastity, but, under the cover of their law, they live uncleanly; they praise mercy, but they offend each other; They say that they should despise the world, but they always revolve among it; They boastfully claim that they keep a strict fast, but in appearance they are always quite plump, only, by some art, they appear pale in order to deceive. So, the Apostle prophesied about them in real words, because during the time of the Apostles they were not there. Diocletian, in one of his decree, calls their heresy nasty and unclean, recently emerging from Persia. They find women who out of vanity want to hear new things, and by presenting them with things they like, they manage to lure them to their unclean teaching. And they listen to them greedily, wanting to learn, but not having enough sense to distinguish truth from lies. It happens that they are always learning, but do not have the knowledge of the truth.” 2 Timothy 3:7. Always learning, and never able to come into the mind of the truth. And this is about women - that despite their vanity and passion, they are always learning. That would be good; but it is not good that, despite this everlasting teaching, they can never know the truth properly. Why? Because, it is true, they learn only from women’s curiosity and thirst for the new, like fashion, which will not allow them to discern whether what is being proposed is true, and they follow it for the sole reason that it is new and has an attractive appearance. The truth is old, strict and monotonous everywhere. It does not satisfy them either; and they allow themselves to look for something satisfying outside of it - and attack this, at the direction of those who penetrate into their homes and teach differently. Therefore, the truth remains on the sidelines, and something, like truth, lies outside the truth, which nevertheless seems to be true. Saint Chrysostom asks: why is it so that they study, but cannot know the truth? Because, he says, their minds have become dull. Why has the mind become dull? Because they are mired in the aforementioned lusts and sins. And he suggests that the Apostle said this (that they are learning) not in order to justify them, but in order to further convict them (periphrasis). - Theophylact continues this guidance: “so their inability to know the truth is not a natural deficiency, but is a consequence of the wrong direction of their will.” - Women are susceptible to lies, as well as to sin. Therefore, it is a great misfortune when they act as teachers, not in accordance with the general spirit of the teaching of the Church of God. 2 Timothy 3:8. Just as Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses, so do these also resist the truth, men who are corrupt in mind and unskillful in the faith. The name of the wise men who opposed Saint Moses is not indicated in Scripture. “Probably, their names spoken by the Apostle were preserved in unwritten tradition” (all ours). But that doesn't matter; What is important is the guidance, which comes naturally from here. Holy Moses was clearly sent by God and spoke and acted on behalf of God as God commanded him; and those wise men opposed him. It is obvious that they were not from the truth of God, they were not driven by that spirit that is from God, but by that spirit that is always and in everything against God. It’s the same now, he says. God sent us personally through the Lord Jesus Christ, and we preach what He commanded, being taught by the Spirit; and these, who sneak into houses and seduce weak women with the ghost of truth, are clearly not from God and do not speak from the Spirit of God. Do not be amazed at this, as Saint Paul seems to say. That such people appeared is nothing marvelous. “Just as tares usually grow in wheat, so preachers of truth have always had opponents. Who is more glorious than Moses in piety? But he also had magicians, people who were clearly up in arms against the truth” (Blessed Theodoret). So do not be surprised that opponents of the truth have appeared among you. They rebel against our teaching not because they know the truth better, but because, being “depraved in mind and unskilled in faith,” instead of the truth they hold a lie, which seems to them to be the truth. Whose mind is corrupted? It also happens to those who, contrary to the natural laws of the mind, stray from the straight path by which they reach the truth, and, having entered on an inappropriate path, attack false principles, and, having assimilated them, begin to judge everything and decide everything on the basis of these principles. Just as principles taken not on the true path cannot be true; then all their judgments and decisions are false, although they stand for them as true. This is how it seems to them through the principles they have learned. Just as someone who puts on damaged glasses sees things either in the wrong place, or not in their color and size, or upside down, judging by how the glasses are damaged: so these too, just as the eye of their mind is perverted by accepted principles, so they judge—and they judge not by truth, but by appearance. Throw off your corrupted glasses, and you will see things as they are: so it is here - throw away false principles, step out of them, and you will see the truth. Another type of corruption of the mind is the possession of passions. Where passions lead, the mind follows, and what they consider practical, the mind also sees as such. Passions all stand outside the truth; why they also discourage the mind that is captured by them from the truth. – In this sense, Blessed Theophylact writes: “When someone corrupts his mind with passions, then he is inexperienced in faith (or in the knowledge of true faith). “The speech is insane: there is no God. Corrupted and disgusted by iniquity” (Ps. 53:2). To accept the (true) faith, a mind uncorrupted (by passions) is required. Let us take heed to ourselves, so that we are not corrupted by passions and corruption (deception, counterfeiting of faith) does not find a place in us.” The one who undertakes to teach faith is the most unskilled in faith, and this happens when, without knowing exactly the definitions of faith, ideas incidental to faith, which seem only true, and are not actually so, he recognizes as true and, teaching to adhere to them, distorts the truth of faith and deviates from it into the crossroads of dissent and lies. And those who are unskilled in faith are for the same reasons as those who are corrupted in mind. They succeed each other. He who is depraved in mind will certainly prove to be unskillful in faith when he undertakes to judge the matter of faith. γ) Chesty behavior will not prosper (2 Tim. 3:9) 2 Timothy 3:9. But they will no longer succeed: their madness will be revealed to everyone, just as they were. They will not succeed any more, that is, more than those wise men who resisted Holy Moses. Just as those at first had little success, and then were exposed as weak: so it will be with these. Soon their stupidity will be revealed to everyone, and they will be abandoned. This way the fog they caused will dissipate and the ghosts will disappear. Saint Chrysostom says: “but they will not succeed.” How then does he say in another place: “they will most likely prosper in wickedness” (2 Tim. 2:16), but here: “they will not prosper”? There he argues that the heretics, having begun to introduce news and errors, do not stop, but constantly invent new deceptions and false teachings; because delusion never stops (at one thing). And here he claims that they will not deceive, they will not carry away (the believers); although at first they apparently seduce some, they themselves will soon be exposed. He expresses this in further words: “their madness will be revealed to everyone.” How? “As if it didn’t happen.” Although misconceptions succeed at first, they do not remain until the end. Such is everything that is not essentially good, but only seems good; it succeeds for a while, and then is exposed and dies. But this is not our teaching.” B) Encouraging separation (2 Tim. 3, 10–4, 8) Having explained where pastoral activity should be directed, Saint Paul now encourages Saint Timothy to diligently pursue it, meaning, of course, the most subsequent shepherds. How for pastoral activity he showed three directions, according to the three gifts of the Holy Spirit given through ordination; then he aligns his inspiration for her with the same directions. This can be seen even in the external flow of speech, divided into three subsections by monotonously repeating phrases: “you are the same” (verse 10), – “you are the same” (verse 14), – “you are the same” (2 Tim. 4, 5). In: a) the first (verses 10-13) - inspires: take courage; in: b) second (3, 14 – 4, 4): be vigilantly zealous for the salvation of others; c: c) third (4, 5 – 8): conduct the work of the evangelist soberly and wisely, as my vicegerent. a) Be of good cheer (2 Tim. 3:10–13) Take courage: aa) this is not the first time for you and I to enter into labor and endure (verses 10 – 11); bb) and there is no need for us to expect peace, it is not laid down for us (verses 12 - 13). aa) This is not the first time to endure (2 Tim. 3:10–11) 2 Timothy 3:10. You followed my teaching, life, greetings, faith, long-suffering, love, patience. You – grammatically combines the speech you are beginning with the previous one; but its content is obviously directed towards something else. This other thing is combined mainly in the word: “thou didst follow.” What followed is listed as an example only. From the very beginning until now you have shown so much constancy, courage, and patience. Remain like that until the end. Inspiration is given in this very reminder of what has been revealed, as if saying: be careful not to let it all go to waste: for the end crowns the deed. Saint Chrysostom says: “You not only accepted the teaching, but also: “followed.” Here he expresses that many years have passed since the conversion (of St. Timothy). Therefore he says: be strong.” Blessed Theophylact explains: “You not only stuck to me, but also: “followed” me, that is, staying for a long time and sharing everything with me, listened to everything I had and learned. Be strong." The ecumenius adds: “as one who has acquired the skill, you must remain the same invariably.” “Teaching” – followed the “word of the gospel” (St. Chrysostom, Blessed Theophylact), – “the truth communicated to you in the sermon” (Blessed Theodoret), – “dogmas” (Ecumenius). This is the beginning of everything that follows. The convictions received with all the fervor by the young heart gave movement to the whole life. “Life”, αγωγη, – behavior, – “the way of life that is shown in deeds” (Blessed Theodoret), – “the way I acted in various relationships with others and in different circumstances” (Ecumenius). “Hello,” προθεσει, to the mood of my will. “This speaks of zeal and spiritual disposition” (St. Chrysostom) or “about the goals that St. Paul had in mind” (Blessed Theodoret). You saw this and followed “my zeal, presence of mind and courageous inspiration with which I did everything” (Ecumenius, Blessed Theophylact). “And I myself,” he says, “didn’t just teach, I didn’t just philosophize in words, but I did it in practice” (St. Chrysostom). And external and internal affairs responded to each other - and everything was according to God and before God. “Faith” - not just dogmatic, but more importantly vital, or confidence in God that He will never abandon those who work for His glory. Blessed Theodoret writes: “You adopted from me the disposition that I have for the Lord.” And Blessed Theophylact directly defines it: “Faith, he says, followed, that is, firmness and unchanging constancy in true dogmas (in true teaching), or faith, which does not allow one to fall into despair in extreme dangers, but to believe in God, what will take from them” (the same in Ekumenia). “Long-suffering” - when encountering obstacles that prevented the favorable course of the labors of our zeal (Ecumenius), as well as in cases of the fall of the brethren, either into sins (Blessed Theodoret) or into some kind of other-mindedness (St. Chrysostom, Blessed Theophylact). “Nothing like this bothered me” (Saint Chrysostom); “no temptation and no obstacle cooled my jealousy or made me lazy; and those who thought differently did not embarrass me, but I also accepted them complacently and admonished them with meekness” (Blessed Theophylact). “And I showed great patience towards heretics” (St. Chrysostom). “Love” - “the compassion with which I am always disposed towards everyone” (Blessed Theodoret). “Whoever faints, yet I do not faint; Who is tempted, and I am not relieved?” (2 Cor. I, 29). “Children, I am still sick” (Gal. 4:19). “Patience” - “in persecution” (St. Chrysostom), - to “how I courageously endure the attacks of opponents” (Blessed Theodoret). 2 Timothy 3:11. I experienced exile, suffering, in Antioch, and in Iconium, and in Lystrech: I received such exile, and the Lord delivered me from all of them. It is said that Saint Timothy followed the virtues of Saint Paul - because he revealed them in himself, imitating his teacher; and that he followed exiles and sufferings is said because he endured them together with the Apostle. Expulsions are external deprivations; and suffering involves beatings and wounds—painful ones. Saint Paul endured this and that everywhere, and moreover, in such a way that Saint Timothy was almost always with him. But why does he remember only these cities? Perhaps because this is the homeland of Saint Timothy and that what they endured here made a striking impression on him, but for that reason the deliverance was all the more comforting. If we understand here the persecution and suffering of St. Paul during his first preaching in these places; then for Saint Timothy only the rudiments of faith were relied upon, and suffering, if he was in any way involved in it and in deed, and not only in heart, tempered him for all subsequent suffering. Having remembered this beginning or this basis, the Apostle also recalled what happened after. “He did not need to count everything separately, because he was not vain and ambitious and spoke not to glorify himself, but to console and inspire the disciple” (St. Chrysostom). But perhaps Saint Paul is speaking here not about the initial persecutions and sufferings in these countries, but about the recent ones, when, upon returning from Rome through Crete and Phrygia, he again visited these countries, heading to Antioch. This is what St. Chrysostom believes, by the way: “or maybe because (he only mentioned these) that he is talking about new events, not ancient ones.” Saint Damascus and Ecumenius and Theophylact repeat the same thing. The purpose with which persecution and suffering are remembered was to inspire unflagging courage when faced with troubles inseparable from the works of the gospel; and for this it was enough to briefly mention in general what had happened and what had been experienced. Which is what Saint Paul does in the words: “I have received persecution.” What kind of persecution have I endured?! There is no need for you to list them: you know them yourself. With this one short word, Saint Paul brought the thoughts of Saint Timothy to all that had been endured. But what is the source of inspiration? The fact is that: “It is the Lord who delivered me from everyone.” “Then the Apostle remembers what and how much he endured in order to discover how great and close God’s help is, with which He protects and makes His servants safe from the shamelessness of Satan, and through this to arouse courage and readiness to fearlessly always face attacks from the unfaithful and treacherous” (Ambrosiastes). The direct conclusion from here is: take heart! The Lord will deliver you too. Therefore, conduct the work of an evangelist, not paying attention to the troubles associated with it, and not only not being embarrassed by them. “There is twofold (here for you) consolation and encouragement: both in the fact that I showed courageous readiness for everything, and in the fact that I was not abandoned” (St. Chrysostom). “Be ready for anything, and you will never be abandoned” (Blessed Theophylact). bb) There is no need to expect rest (2 Tim. 3:12–13) 2 Timothy 3:12. And if you want to live godly in Christ Jesus, you will be persecuted. You and I shouldn't expect anything better. This is already the fate of all people on earth who are of the same kind as us. Those who decide to live piously in Christ Jesus have their paradise not on earth, but in heaven. The earth gives them nothing but deprivation, sorrow and persecution. Because the principles that guide the followers of Christ are completely different from those that govern those living on earth and those who hope to find their paradise on earth. These two classes of people do not get along together: the earthly, as masters, crowd out those who seek heaven, as wanderers and strangers. So, says the Apostle, don’t expect anything better, and don’t occupy your thoughts with those things. It is good for us that the goodness of God turns everything into eternal good for us, so that we can cry out with confidence and complacency: glory to God! Saint Chrysostom says: “Everyone who wants to live piously will be persecuted. By persecution he here means sorrow and sorrow. It is truly impossible for a person walking the path of virtue to be without sadness, lamentation, sorrow, and temptation. For how is this possible for someone who walks a narrow and sorrowful path, for someone who has heard: “In the world you will be sorrowful” (John 16:33)? If Job at one time said: “Is not man’s life on earth a temptation” (Job 7:1), then isn’t it much more so now? That's the way things are. From my example you can see that it is impossible for a person who fights evil not to experience sorrows. It is impossible for a fighter to indulge in bliss; it is impossible for a warrior to feast in battle. Therefore, let no one who is in struggle seek peace or indulge in pleasures. The present time is a time of struggle, battle, sorrow, sighing; it is a field of exploits. There will be a time of rest after; and now is the time of effort and labor. No one, having undressed and anointed himself for the fight, thinks about peace. If you want peace, then why did you undress?” 2 Timothy 3:13. Evil men and sorcerers will prosper in the worst way, deceiving and being deceived. This is the opposite of the previous one. But which one? Immediately before this stands the general position about the poverty of the pious in the land, which is brought to strengthen the incentive to courage in the work of evangelism and building the Church of believers - to which all this separation is directed (10-13). This, it must be assumed, is where the real opposition is directed. Be courageous, he says, in the work of evangelism, or establishing the truth, despite your poverty: for such is the fate of the pious on earth. - And do not look at the prosperity of the opponents of the truth and do not be embarrassed by it. Their success is not for their good and does not take place because the truth is on their side, but because, just as on earth all earthly goods are illusory, among those who have become earthly, the ghosts of truth are more valuable than the truth. That is why they are held on, or that is why they still exist, that is, they deceive those who love deception. “Cunning people” are not people who are exclusively artistic, but mainly those who are able to craftily present a lie as the truth, as can be seen from the appended to them: “sorcerers,” which should not mean sorcerers and magicians, but persons who enchant with the presentation of a red lie and are carried away after it. The insertion of this word here was prompted by what was said in verse 8 about the sorcerers who opposed Moses. But just as they are presented there as opponents of the truth, so here the word taken from them should be understood as an indication of persons who preach lies contrary to the truth. “Crafty men and sorcerers” - therefore it will be: crafty and deceitful preachers of lies. “They will succeed”, in contrast to the previous one, they will prosper. You, as befits a pious person, will be persecuted, and the spreaders of lies will prosper. Of course, their preaching of lies will not be without success; but this is not what the Apostle had exclusively in mind here, but even more so their external well-being. The Apostle did not foretell the success of their preaching, as can be seen above (verse 9). “For worse”, επι το χειρον, - they will succeed not for good, but for their own evil, they will succeed not in a good sense - so that this success will seem only to be success, but in fact it will be an extreme deterioration. “They deceive and are deceived” is the reason for their success or the source of their prosperity. They themselves are subject to deception, which is why they deceive others, who, having become grounded in the earthly, the charming, easily succumb to any deception, as if it were akin to their method. Being in this position, they do not encounter resistance, but every favor; that is why they prosper and prosper. “Don’t be at all embarrassed,” he says, “if they prosper and temptation befalls you” (St. Chrysostom). “For the destroyer of men helps his own and, like some kind of teacher, teaches them to vice” (Blessed Theodoret). But know that “they only seem to be successful; in fact, the fact that they are favored in deception is not success. For the Apostle, defining what is “worst”, said: to deceive and to be enticed” (Blessed Theophylact). “Prosperity is a middle term, because it comes in both the best and the worst sense. Why does he say: these succeed at the worst” (Ecumenius). b) Be jealous (2 Tim. 3, 14–4, 4) Namely: aa) being yourself in the saving teaching that you have accepted (3:14-17), bb) tirelessly teaching it to others (2 Tim. 4:1-4).-In the presentation of these points, it is not meant to clarify the obligation to act in this way, but more, to present incentives that inspire such action. aa) Continue in saving doctrine (2 Tim. 3:14–17) To remain in the accepted teaching there are two motives: α) knowledgeable, from whom you learned (2 Tim. 3, 14) - and: β) as having learned the Holy Scriptures from a young age (2 Tim. 3, 15-17). α) The first impulse for what (2 Tim. 3, 14) 2 Timothy 3:14. But abide in them, in which you were taught and whose essence was entrusted to you, knowing from whom you learned. You remain - be unshakable and firm - in what? In what you have learned, εμαθες, - “and the essence has been entrusted to you,” επιστωθης - and what you have accepted not only with memory, but with heartfelt conviction, of which you have been convinced and verified to the point of tangibility. “Be, he says, unchangeable and “do not be jealous of the wicked, and the man who sways in his way and commits iniquity” (Ps. 36: 1, 7). You not only learned, but also became convinced, accepted the teaching with conviction” (Blessed Theophylact [see the same in Saint Chrysostom and Ecumenius]). This one reminder alone was supposed to renew the first zeal in all its strength: for such is the property of recollection that it strongly arouses the inspiration that accompanied what is remembered (2 Pet. 1:13), and “arouses pure meaning” (2 Pet. 3:1). But this action is especially strengthened by Saint Paul with the following words: “knowledgeable, from whom you learned.” Saint Timothy was taught by the writer himself, Saint Paul. But the power of inspiration did not flow from this alone, but especially from the One by whom Saint Paul himself was taught and who always so obviously patronized his teaching. All this was known to Saint Timothy. Having brought all this to memory, Saint Paul, as if a mirror gathering rays of heat into one point, pointed it at the soul of Saint Timothy - and it could not help but ignite with all the heat of inspiration and zeal for the dissemination and establishment on earth of the truths that came from heaven and give salvation to the world. Blessed Theodoret writes: “firmly preserve the teaching, the truth of which you have learned through experience; for the Apostle expressed this in the word: επιστωθης - made sure. Timothy was a witness of the Apostolic miracles and himself performed many of them. At the same time, the Apostle also points to the authority of the teacher, making through this teaching more solid: “knowing from whom you learned.” Ambrosiastes makes a similar speech: “knowing that the authority of the one from whom Saint Timothy learned stands firm and unshakable. For he himself saw the miracles performed by the Apostle, and before miracles every word (of distrust or objection) is silent.” β) Second motive for what (2 Tim. 3, 15–17) 2 Timothy 3:15. And because from a young age I knew the Holy Scriptures, which is able to make you wise for salvation, through faith, even in Christ Jesus. “St. Paul presents Timothy with two motivations so that he remains immovable in the accepted teaching: the first is that you, he says, did not learn from anyone, but from him - Paul, and this is the same thing as saying - from Christ; the second is that you, he says, did not learn yesterday or yesterday, but from childhood, and have Divine knowledge deeply rooted in you. And it will not allow you to do anything unreasonable” (Blessed Theophylact). From childhood, Saint Timothy knew and contained one truth - the one that was revealed in the Old Testament Scriptures. Saint Paul, through these same Scriptures, with the help of the grace of God and the Apostolic full armor of the gifts of the Spirit of God, attracted him to faith in the Lord Savior. This was not something new for him, but the same thing that he read in the Scriptures, only without clearly understanding who and what the Prophets were talking about. The Apostle communicated this understanding to him by removing for him the veil that usually lay over the Old Testament. From that time on, for Saint Timothy, the same Scripture became not the same in understanding - it shone for him with a different, better and more perfect light. But this addition of knowledge did not make him cut off from the Scriptures. He nevertheless treated them with reverence and humbly studied in them, seeing in them the entire New Testament dispensation of salvation as prefigured. Saint Paul, having reminded him of his enlightenment by faith, now points to the source from which the conviction to faith was drawn. Saint Timothy should have felt himself, as it were, enclosed in a certain impenetrable circle: so that no attempt could come from anywhere to his mind against any view different from those that he had hitherto held. “You,” he says, “studied the Holy Scripture from an early age, you were raised on it; and therefore your faith must be firm and nothing should harm it; its root lies deep and has been strengthened over time; therefore nothing can tear it out” (Saint Chrysostom). But in Saint Timothy all this already existed. Is it possible to suppose any hesitation in him, the beloved disciple of St. Paul and his successor? Why such reminders? In the word of the Apostle one hears a farewell speech (Saint Chrysostom): Hitherto I taught you; now you must seek instruction in the Scriptures; Guided by bright faith in the Lord, you can see in him everything you need for salvation. This Scripture, alone without faith, is covered with a veil, but through faith in Christ the Lord this veil has been removed for you, and Scripture can make you wise in every way for salvation. Ambrosiastes writes: “Knowledge of the Old Testament brings many benefits. In it the Face of Christ the Savior is depicted and His incarnation is announced for the redemption of the human race. This is why the Apostle inspires Saint Timothy to succeed in this knowledge: for this Ancient is the strength and support of the new.” The same is true of Saint Damascus: “He calls the law and the Prophets Holy Scripture, who could raise it to wisdom, that is, Christ. For in Him is the fulfillment of the law and the Prophets.” Blessed Theophylact draws the following lesson from here: “external knowledge makes it possible for a person to seduce others with verbal sophisms; hence the destruction of the soul. But Divine knowledge is not like this: it makes you wise for salvation.” Saint Chrysostom expounds this in more detail, mainly in relation to the order of life according to God. “The Scriptures tell us what we should do and what we should not do. They are light to those in darkness. He who knows the Scriptures as he should is not tempted by anything that happens, endures everything courageously, accepts some things by faith and attributes them to the incomprehensible economy of God, and for others he sees reasons and finds examples in the Scriptures. “In God everything is almost hidden, and it is impossible to investigate His works. Just know that God arranges everything, that He provides for everything, that we are free, that God does some things and allows others, that He does not desire anything evil, that not everything happens according to His will, but also according to ours, namely, everything evil is only from us, and everything good is both from us and from His help, that nothing is hidden from Him; This is how He works in everything! Knowing this, look at what is good, what is evil and what is indifferent: namely, virtue is good, vice is evil, and what is indifferent is wealth, poverty, illness, life, death, intrigues against us, slander and the like. Having known this, you will at the same time understand that the righteous suffer here, and if some of them prosper, it is so that virtue does not seem terrible; the evil ones have fun here in order to receive punishment there; and if some of them are punished here, it is so that evil does not seem good and their deeds go unpunished; if not all of them are punished, then so that faith on the day of resurrection is not lost; and among the good there are people who commit evil deeds, for which they here give an account (that is, they are punished), just as among the evil there are people who commit good deeds, for which they receive reward here, in order to suffer full punishment there for the bad; the works of God are for the most part incomprehensible; there is a great difference between us and God, and what exactly it is, it is impossible to say. If we reason in this way, then nothing will confuse us; but let us begin to reason this way if we constantly listen to Scripture; for there we will find many examples and teaching instructions for everything that has been said.” These two provisions say everything that led to inspiration for the firm content and preservation of the confession in oneself and others. But Saint Paul considered it necessary to add to the last statement about the Divine Scripture a general definition for all times and for everyone of the beneficialness of reading Scripture in the pursuit of spiritual success. One should not, however, lose sight of the fact that if Scripture is like this for everyone, then it is even more so for the shepherd, if he properly corrects the debt that lies with him. 2 Timothy 3–17. All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for punishment, in righteousness: that the man of God may be complete, prepared for every good work. “All Scripture” - πασα γραφη. Some translate it the same way as we do in Slavic: all Scripture, and others: all Scripture. There is nothing to argue about. For “all Scripture” also contains the same thought as “all Scripture.” “All Scripture” should be understood in no other way than: every Book of Scripture, every historical Book, every teaching book, and every prophetic Book. Bring everything together and all Scripture will come out. And that “all Scripture” must be understood in this way is evident from the fact that here “all Scripture” means the same as before: “Holy Scripture”, ιερα γραμματα; and this is what the Books of Divine Scripture are called. Blessed Theophylact writes: “Some ask the question: how did the Apostle say here: “all Scripture is inspired by God”? Are the Hellenic writings really inspired by God? And, finding it difficult to solve it, they translate not: “inspired by God,” but: inspired by God, so that there is an idea: every Scripture that is inspired by God is also useful. But they should have taken into account what the Apostle says here: πασα γραφη - all Scripture, having said before this: ιερα γραμματα, - “You know how to read the Holy Scriptures.” And it is obvious that by: πασα γραφη - “all Scripture” - he means here the same thing that he previously designated with the words: ιερα γραμματα - “Holy Scripture”, - by which we usually mean the Books of the Holy Scripture, or the Bible" (the same with the saint Chrysostom). “Therefore, all Holy Scripture is inspired by God; therefore, he says, do not doubt him” (St. Chrysostom). Divinely inspired; for, as St. Peter testifies, “every book prophecy does not happen according to its own telling” (not spoken from oneself). “When prophecy came not by the will of man, but by the Holy Spirit men were enlightened with the holy things of God” (2 Pet. 1:20-21). “The Apostle distinguished the Holy Scriptures from the writings of men, calling them inspired by God; because through the Prophets and Apostles God’s grace, or the Holy Spirit, spoke (God’s truth)” (Blessed Theodoret). “Scripture is inspired by God and useful,” like the rest of the mouth of the all-good God, which is life-giving for every creature, especially for rational creatures (Ps. 103:30; 118:50). The holy prophet David depicts the soul-saving power of God’s word this way: “the law of the Lord is blameless, convert souls; The testimony of the Lord is sure, making children wise. The justification of the Lord's right, gladdening the heart; The commandment of the Lord is bright, enlightening the eyes” (Ps. 18:8-9). The usefulness of Divine Scripture indicated by the Apostle is consistent with this. “It is useful,” says “Scripture for teaching,” προς διδασκαλιαν: for it enlightens the mind by communicating to it the knowledge of all the truth that is needed in our situation. “It teaches us beneficial dogmas and indicates good rules of life” (Ecumenius). “Teaches what we need to know. And there is nothing that would not be resolved through Divine Scripture” (Blessed Theophylact). “For what we do not know, we learn from Scripture” (Blessed Theodoret). “If you need to know something, if you happen to be perplexed about something, we can find out about it from here” (St. Chrysostom). Having taught the truth, Scripture also leads “to reproof”: it exposes both lies and faulty life. “If it is necessary to expose a lie, we can learn this from here” (St. Chrysostom). “The Scripture also exposes our lawless life” (Blessed Theodoret). Having exposed, he disposes and guides “to correction” – both false views and bad life habits. “It also calls those who have gone astray (in general, both morally and mentally) to the right path” (Blessed Theodoret). That is, to replace wrong wisdom with right wisdom and, giving up bad habits, turn to virtue. “If you need to correct yourself or come to your senses, if something is missing and something needs to be supplemented, this will be gleaned from Scripture” (St. Chrysostom). He who has corrected his ways is faced with the need to know how to walk on the right path - not going astray, but becoming more and more successful and establishing himself in righteousness. And Scripture teaches him this, useful “for punishment that is in righteousness.” “It teaches us all kinds of virtues” (Blessed Theodoret). “He makes wise in the acquisition of righteousness and in doing righteous deeds” (Blessed Theophylact), - “introduces into the truth or leads to perfection in it” (Ecumenius). “All this leads to perfection, and makes us friends of all Gods” (Blessed Theodoret). Why does the Apostle add: “that the man of God may be perfect.” A man of God is one who has dedicated himself to God and is concerned about pleasing God. Such a person himself is protected by God and is under His tangible favor. Such a person is perfect when he can, in any case and definitely, recognize the will of God and with firmness fulfill it completely, in all the breadth in which it is recognized, even to the position of the stomach. Whoever achieves such perfection, things are always in place - they suit the person, the time, and the circumstances. Why the Apostle is “perfect” - expressed in the word: αρτιος - which, word for word, cannot be better translated as: folded. We usually call the one for whom everything is out of place awkward, and the one for whom everything is in order foldable. It is precisely this perfection that St. Paul promises to those who, in the education of their mental, moral and religious sides, take the Divine Scripture as a guide and unswervingly follow it. “For this purpose,” he says, the instruction of the Scriptures was given, so that the man of God might be “perfect”; therefore, without them it is impossible to be perfect” (St. Chrysostom). “Correction and ordering of character occurs through Scripture, so that a person who lives according to God will not lack anything good. So, if you also want to become just as well-formed, αρτιος, - that is, perfect, healthy and always equal in everything, take the Divine Scriptures as advisors for this” (Blessed Theophylact). The explained meaning of perfection is definitely indicated in the last words: “I am prepared for every good deed. “Prepared”, εξηρτισμενος, - suitable, adjusted, that is, one who knows and knows how to do all good, and do it in the best possible way. This is what Scripture makes a man of God! Not just taking part in good deeds, as if not alienated only from them, but only focused on them, so that he only does good deeds. Not for this, he says, and such a thing is prepared, but for everything” (Blessed Theophylact). All this said about Scripture has application both in pastoral practice and in the work of everyone’s life. And it teaches, reproves, corrects, teaches everyone every good thing, and through this leads them to complete perfection; and to the shepherd, who is responsible for leading his flock along all the indicated paths, it gives complete guidance down to the details. Why should both pastors and everyone engage in the study of the Divine Scriptures, not just in some way, at the top, but in its essence. Saint Chrysostom imagines Saint Paul inspiring Saint Timothy: “Instead of me, he says, you have the Scriptures; when you want to know something, you can find out from here.” And after this he adds: “If it was said so to Timothy, who was filled with the Holy Spirit, then is it not much more appropriate for us to say so?” bb) Be tireless in teaching it to others (2 Tim. 4:1–4) The work of pastoral zeal is the salvation of the souls of those entrusted to it. The main means to this end is: β) conviction to preach the word of truth. This is what Saint Paul now inspires (4:2): preach, insist. In encouragement to this: a) he appoints a shepherd before the face of God, at the moment of judgment, when he will have to give an account of the appointment of the housekeeper (4: 1). And so that the shepherd does not fall into the temptation to put off preaching until tomorrow, he adds: γ) hurry; The time will soon come when many will no longer listen to the words of truth (4, 3 – 4). α) Encouragement for this (2 Tim. 4:1) 2Tim.4:1. I will testify before God and our Lord Jesus Christ, who wants to judge the living and the dead, at His appearing and in His Kingdom. I will testify that it is as if a spell was cast by a living God, in arousing the most living consciousness of duty to act as proposed, and inspiration for zeal about it. And in ordinary speech we often use: God will be your judge if you don’t do this and that. This also means intimidation, a greater awakening of conscience, so that it more quickly accepts the proposed matter into its management, and at the same time an idea of ​​how necessary and saving this matter is. “This testimony or incantation inspires three thoughts: that the commandment to preach the word is accompanied by terrible consequences for those who do not fulfill it, that its fulfillment is urgent for those on whom it is entrusted, and that the word that is commanded to preach is the only saving word. For if it were not such, then it would not have been commanded to preach it with such persistence. Moreover, it is suggested that the one who preaches it does not do anything special, but fulfills his duty if he preaches with all diligence, without submitting to the usual laziness in this regard” (paraphrase of Ekumenia). "Before God and our Lord". That is, before God the Father and the Son of God, who became incarnate for our salvation. When reading this, do not allow even the slightest thought about inequality even in some unnoticeable feature, nor about the fact that these two Persons exist at any time and in anything without a third - the Holy Spirit. They are forever inseparable. “Those who want to judge. – Those who want” – those who have. “And in the First Epistle he instilled fear in Timothy with the words: “I command you before God, who gives life to all things” (1 Tim. 6:13); here he says something more terrible: those who want to judge, that is, those who demand an account” (St. Chrysostom). “Fearing for future reprisals, the Divine Apostle often presses his disciple with such a testimony or incantation. But he also does this out of love, wanting to make him glorious and prudent and to dispose him to zealous and bold preaching” (Blessed Theodoret). “Alive and dead. “Alive,” that is, those whom the court finds alive, “since many will remain alive (until the last judgment)” (St. Chrysostom); a: “dead” - those who will die before that time. “The Apostle called the Lord a judge of the living and the dead, because He, having raised the dead, will bring them to judgment, and will demand an account from those whom the end of the world finds alive, having first clothed them with incorruption. For it is said: “For we will not all fall asleep; we will all change” (1 Cor. 15:51)” (Blessed Theodoret). "In His appearing and His kingdom". At the time when He comes second to open His glorious Kingdom. Or this: “judge” – when? At the time of His coming with glory, with royal greatness, that is, not like now” (St. Chrysostom). “For the second time He will come differently from the first, that is, not humiliated” (Blessed Theophylact). β) Means to this (2 Tim. 4, 2) 2Tim.4:2. Preach the word, insist on timely and untimely, reprove, rebuke, entreat with all long-suffering and teaching. This is the main work of the shepherd, which, if fulfilled, will justify him, and if not fulfilled, will condemn him at the Last Judgment. And no other virtues will save him if he turns out to be faulty in this regard. Then the holy Apostle offers this so compulsorily. The content offered here is in relation to what is said about Scripture. Scripture is useful “for teaching” - and here: “preach, insist”; Scripture is useful “for reproof,” and here: “reprove”; Scripture is useful “for correction,” but here: “forbid”; Scripture is useful “for the punishment of hedgehogs in righteousness,” and here: “pray with all longsuffering and teaching.” It seems to suggest: everything that you collect in Scripture, like a wise bee, carry it into the souls of your flock. “What exactly is the Apostle advocating for? What is it? “Preach the word” - do not hide or bury the gift that is within you. Oh, let us who are lazy to preach be afraid of this!” (Blessed Theophylact). “The infusion is timely and timeless. Insist”—always insist on preaching—“preach unceasingly, speak tirelessly. Not so that talking once is enough, but always speak and teach” (Blessed Theophylact). “What does it mean: “timely and untimely”? Do not set a specific time, let you always have time for this, and not only during times of peace, tranquility, or being in church; even if you were in danger, even in prison, even in chains, even if you were preparing to go to death, and at this time reprove and do not stop admonishing. Then it is timely to denounce, when it can be successful or when an opportunity presents itself” (St. Chrysostom). “The Holy Apostle commands Timothy not simply and no matter how he preaches, but to consider him fit for it at all times. He himself did this, teaching in prison, on a ship, at the proposed meal; This is evidenced by what happened in Philippi, in Troas and at sea” (Blessed Theodoret). “Timely and timeless,” said the Apostle in the same sense in which it is said in ordinary speech. This is what some people think and consider a time of peace and tranquility to be a good time for preaching, and a time of trouble (when there is no time for preaching) to be an untimely time for preaching. Others again consider preaching in church to be timely preaching, and preaching outside the church to be untimely. Or another way: do not wait for the time of fall, but teach before anyone falls” (Blessed Theophylact). Don’t wait for time, but as soon as you see that preaching is necessary and can be beneficial, preach, no matter what the circumstances are. "Reprove" “When you see what it should do, that is, when you find someone sinning or intending to sin, then do not let it go in vain.” Reproof comes both to the one who deviates into dissent and to the one who breaks the commandments. Reproof has the goal of revealing to one the wrongness of thought, and to another the wrongness of behavior - to bring both to the consciousness of guilt and arouse in them a desire for correction. It requires a strong heart so as not to be ashamed of your face. "Ban it." “After you have exposed and proven to the sinner his error, rebuke him” (Blessed Theophylact). ' Επιτιμησον - means: and by the severity of pastoral authority, force him to correct himself, and impose penance on him, use corrective church punishments, applying them like plasters on wounds. It is necessary to bring the person to the point of determination to improve and put him on the path of correction. “Beg”, παρακαλεσον, - which means: beg, persuade, and comfort. The person being corrected needs both in order to willingly and with pleasure carry out the work of self-correction. What is appropriate here is the hope of success and the ease of achieving it, and, moreover, the lordliness of the state of a well-lived person. “Prohibition and punishment are like cutting, and consolation is like a pleasant plaster. So, apply a patch of consolation, so that one cutting, producing extreme pain, does not plunge you into despair” (Blessed Theophylact). “Like doctors, having identified an abscess and made an incision, he now applies a plaster” (St. Chrysostom). “When the disease is hidden, doctors first make cuts and use harsh medicines, and then make emollient powders” (Blessed Theodoret). To what was said: “reprove, forbid, beg” - Saint Chrysostom adds the following guidance: “if any of this is omitted, then the rest is useless. If you rebuke without reproof, you will seem impudent and no one will listen; if you reprove in advance, then the listener will accept the prohibition, but without that he will remain shameless. On the other hand, if you begin to reprove and rebuke, even with force, but do not offer consolation, you will again ruin the whole thing. For reproof in itself is unbearable if it is not dissolved by consolation. As with the incision of a wound, although life-saving, the sufferer cannot bear the pain of the section and incision unless many means are used to alleviate the pain; so it is here." "With all longsuffering and teaching." since the matter is about correcting infirmities, and they do not suddenly lend themselves to healing; then the healing shepherd most of all needs patience, and not a little, but a long one. Since healing is all accomplished by a free change of thoughts, feelings and dispositions, and this can mainly be achieved only by a change of beliefs; then the pastor should primarily direct his care and effort towards this, and for this, let him unite his teaching with long-suffering, or let him teach long-sufferingly, not being annoyed at failure, but with meekness and love. Saint Chrysostom says: “He who admonishes must have long-suffering (in teaching), so that the listener believes not without reason. And what does the word added to longsuffering mean: “and by teaching”? Reprove not with anger, not with hatred, not with malice, not with enmity, as if against an enemy - all this must be abandoned - but how? With love, with compassion, grieving more than the person being accused, mentally regretting his situation.” γ) Make haste (2 Tim. 4:3–4) 2 Timothy 4:3–4. The time will come when they will not listen to sound teaching, but according to their own lusts they will choose for themselves teachers with their ears scratched; they will turn their ears away from the truth and will turn aside to fables. With these words, the Apostle inspires us to hurry up and learn the truth, so that we will love it and become attached to it, and by virtue of this love and affection we will forever remain faithful to it, turning our ears away from all other teachings. “Before they throw off the yoke of obedience to the truth, take possession of them all. While there are those among your flock who need to be taught, convinced and subdued to the truth, use every effort to achieve this. For this purpose it was said above: “the present is timely and untimely” (St. Chrysostom, Blessed Theodoret). “Teach them to submit to the truth before they depart from it” (Ecumenius). “The time will come when they will not listen to sound teaching.” Now they will listen and willingly accept both teaching and admonition; and after that you will no longer find them in them. “The holy Apostle prophesies and, foreseeing this in the future, commands with all his effort to tirelessly teach the flock truth and virtue, so that, being instructed in the faith and taught good deeds, they will remain unchanged in the future, when others begin to deviate from the truth into error” (Ambrosiastes). The Apostle does not indicate the reasons why this will happen; but, based on the guidance from what was said ahead, we can believe that the reason for this will be the failure to fulfill the proposed commandment - to persistently teach - the silence of the shepherds and negligence in preaching the truth and teaching the flock. The shepherds do not teach, but the flock remains ignorant of sound doctrine; They do not admonish those who sin, and they become stubborn in depravity. Remaining ignorant of the truth, they accumulate idle thoughts and all sorts of nonsense, which makes them dull to perceive the truth. Obstinate in depravity, they become incapable of accepting admonitions and reproofs. That is why we must hurry and enlighten them with sound teaching and accustom them to virtues before they become dull to accept the first and become hardened against submission to the second. For when they get to this point, then it’s too late to grab hold of it—they won’t listen. But if they can’t remain without knowledge and rules, then what will they do? “They will choose for themselves teachers according to their lusts.” That is, such teachers who will leave them to think as they like and live as they want. It is remarkable that: they will elect, in Greek: επισωρευσουσιν, - they will recruit a whole bunch or crowd of teachers, and, moreover, they will recruit themselves - and, of course, only those who are acceptable will be accepted, and those who are not acceptable will be rejected. And it turns out that these teachers will depend on the students they teach and teach not according to their own, but according to their program. “There can be nothing more expressive than this word: επισωρευσουσιν; it means a disorderly crowd of teachers, who, moreover, will be ordained (elected and confirmed in their rank) by students” (St. Chrysostom). “And these, in this choice, will not act according to common sense, but will choose those who will indulge their lusts and only say and do what pleases them” (Blessed Theophylact). "Cheshem by ear". Because they will do this because they are used to always hearing only what tickles the ears pleasantly. This also points to eloquence, but more to flattery or adaptation to the tastes of those listening. Only those who are fit for this will be chosen - “looking for people who would speak for their pleasure and have their ears tickled” (St. Chrysostom). “And they will turn away their ears from the truth, and will turn aside to fables.” Being such, they can no longer have the desire to listen to the truth, which denounces them even without reproof; therefore, they will turn away from it and deviate towards fables - to dreamy teachings, which, occupying the imagination with attractive fantasies, leave the conscience alone, without awakening it and without disturbing it with the demand for correction of what is faulty in views and life. “See? They will not err through ignorance, but arbitrarily and deliberately. They themselves will turn their ears away from the truth, they themselves will deviate towards fables” (Blessed Theophylact). “They will deviate”, εκτραπησονται, - they will certainly stray from the right path. Ambrosiastes writes in response to this: “such will be those who desire to be taught according to their own lusts. From teachers who are true and strict, they will turn to those who would teach them what they want to hear. The truth will become bitter to them, and they will abandon its sound teaching and become occupied with fables. It will not be desirable for them to have their bad deeds exposed; why do they desire such teachers who would serve their morals and habits? Their ears itch, seeking to hear, under the name of present teaching, empty but pleasant fables.” Saint Chrysostom notes at this: “the holy Apostle predicts this not so that his disciple would give in to despondency, but so that he would courageously endure when this happens. In a similar way, Christ said: “You will be betrayed, and in assemblies they will beat you, and you will be brought before rulers and kings for My sake” (Matthew 10:17). So in another place the blessed Apostle says: “For we know this, that after my departure heavy oxen will enter into you, not sparing the flock” (Acts 20:29). He said this so that they would stay awake and use the present time properly.” c) Conduct the work of an evangelist soberly and wisely, be prudent (2 Tim. 4: 5-8) Having set out the following rule: aa) in verse 5, Saint Paul then says: bb) about the end of his ministry (verses 6 - 8). By this he makes it clear that he leaves Saint Timothy as the successor and continuer of his work, representing in this the strongest motivation for worthy shepherding. aa) Rule (2 Tim. 4, 5) 2Tim.4:5. You are sober about everything, suffer evil, do the work of an evangelist, do your ministry known. You're sober about everything. “Have a watchful thought” (Blessed Theodoret). “Work, warn, bring the sheep to a safe state before infection sets in” (St. Chrysostom). At present, this is the first thing for your prudence. To be sober means to listen to everything, to look keenly at everything and in all directions, in order to direct your pastoral activity accordingly. As a guardian of the house of God, the shepherd must always be sober and vigilant. This is his first duty and the first feature of the good shepherd. “Suffer evil”, κακοπαθησον, - take up every painful labor, without sparing or sparing yourself, as long as this is required by the well-being of the flock and the good of the flock. This does not actually mean suffering and persecution for the faith, but denies all peace and imposes readiness for all kinds of works for the good of the flock and doing them urgently, despite any burden and sensitivity to our weakness. It contains long-night prayer for the flock with fasting, preaching the word, visiting the flock in the form of teaching and correction, persistently introducing saving orders and maintaining them, despite any obstacles and resistance. “Do the work of an evangelist. “Do the work” - complete, complete the work entrusted to you as an evangelist of salvation. You accepted, you started, you lead, and lead to the end. It is suggested: do not let jealousy go out, warm it up and warm it up, driving yourself to reach a successfully intended end. “Finish what you started and seed them with the gospel while they are still healthy” (Ecumenius). “Do your service known”, πληροφησον, - satisfy, - fulfill satisfactorily, so that both your conscience and everyone who knows you say that you have done everything on your part, all the strength you have, both mental and physical, is exhausted for the work of service, not a single task is missed, not a single effort is put off, not a single precaution is left without attention; wherever you needed to be, you were there; Whether you should have spoken, you were not silent; whether you should have acted, you did not withdraw from the matter. Regarding preaching, one part of the ministry, Blessed Theodoret writes: “Whether they listen or not, you teach the doctrine; for in this way you will accomplish a work fitting for service.” But what is said about this should be applied to everything else. Ambrosiast defines everything in general: “The Apostle exhorts and convinces us to stay vigilant over church discipline, to act courageously, to explain the Scriptures, so that the flock, having thereby become trained and wise, can easily avoid the charms of empty fables.” bb) About the end of the ministry of the Apostle (2 Tim. 4, 6–8) Speaking about his death, the Apostle is not content to remember: a) about the event itself, which is about to happen (verse 6); but adds: β) an indication of the labors raised (verse 7) - and: γ) how the difficult path of his life will finally end (verse 8). - All these instructions should have had an extremely exciting effect on Saint Timothy - and were most suitable for the purpose that Saint Paul had in this section of the Epistle. α) About death (2 Tim. 4, 6) 2 Timothy 4:6. I am already hungry, and the time of my departure has come. The apostle says: diligently carry on the work of an evangelist: for the end has already come for me. There is no one after me to watch this matter more diligently than you, my beloved student. I leave you as my deputy in the work of God. Work hard. And then the example shows how to work, listing your works. Or this: everything that I prescribed for you, the last one, is an instruction for you. My end has already come. Take what is said as your last testament. What is missing, look for guidance in my example. “I’m hungry”, σπενδομαι. I am already being slaughtered as a sacrifice; “or I’m already sacrificing myself to Christ” (Ecumenius). “I stand at the very end of my exploits. The Apostle called his killing a sacrifice (that is, he expressed it with the word σπενδομαι); because blood was shed for piety (σπονδη - sacrificial libation)" (Blessed Theodoret). “He did not call the death that was preparing for him a sacrifice: θυσιαν, but a libation: σπονδην,” to express it more powerfully and sacredly. For in a sacrifice, usually only a certain part was offered as a burnt offering to God; and all the drink offerings were offered to Him. He commands his disciples to do the same when he says: “present your flesh as a living sacrifice” (Rom. 12:1). For he who is sacrificed for Christ sacredly sacrifices himself. Or σπενδομαι - he means it as καταλυω πολεμον - I am ending my war with everyone. I will no longer go to war, nor will there be any more abuse against me; I’m already running out” (Ecumenius). “And the time of my departure has come. Departure”, αναλυσεως, is permission, as he wrote to the Philippians that he wants to “be resolved to be with Christ” (Phil. 1:23). β) About raised labors (2 Tim. 4, 7) 2 Timothy 4:7. I fought the good fight, passed my end, and kept the faith. “The Apostle, knowing that a painful death is imminent for him, wants to leave Saint Timothy an example of a pious life and sound teaching, so that through such succession true teachers will never cease to exist in the Church. – He recalls that he strictly observed everything that was obligatory for him and soul-saving for others, that not only in words, but in his very deeds he set an example for those listening; that before his Creator he appeared as a faithful steward and steward, silently preaching the truth everywhere, and, fighting against the principles and powers of the world with all zeal and wisdom, he left an example of how they should be defeated, so as to arouse zeal in his disciples, both to inviolably observe the teaching and to fight the good fight, so that through this they too would become worthy of crowns from God" ( Ambrosiastes). Saint Chrysostom speaks in this place: “often, having taken the Epistle of the Apostle in my hands and examining this place, I wondered why Paul exalts himself so much: “I fought the good fight.” But now, it seems, by the grace of God, I understood it. - Why does he say that? He wants to console the grieving disciple, commanding him to be cheerful, because he goes to the crown as having accomplished everything, as having reached a good end; one should rejoice, he says, and not grieve. Why? “I have fought the good fight”; speaks like a father who, comforting his son sitting next to him and complaining about his orphanhood, would say to him: don’t cry, my son, I lived well, I’m leaving you when I reach old age; my life was impeccable, I am leaving in glory, and you will be glorified by my deeds; the king shows me his favor. And it’s as if he says this: I raised trophies, defeated enemies - he says not out of vanity, no, but to encourage his son, in order to inspire him with such praises - to easily endure everything that happens, to have good hope and not consider the upcoming separation difficult. Thus, Paul wrote this to console Timothy, and the entire Epistle is filled with consolation - and there is, as it were, a kind of testament.” “I have fought the good fight.” “Having taken up arms against the entire horde of the devil, I erected a victorious monument” (Blessed Theodoret). This is a feat of the Apostleship: it was necessary to raise the labors of preaching travels; stopping in place, open up freedom of speech; having begun the sermon, overcome all obstacles to its success both in souls - in previous beliefs and prejudices, and externally - in active opposition to this success of zealots in the old way; Having acquired disciples, keep them, teach and approve them; when they rose up because of this persecution, they stood firmly for the cause of God, without hesitating in the least and without yielding a single iota from the truth. All this is an Apostolic feat, and Saint Paul did not have a moment free from it. There were great consolations, but they were exuded from the exploits. The Apostle reminded Saint Timothy of all this, as if saying: “Take it upon yourself too. Shackles, prisons, death - is this a good deed? Yes, he says; because it is accomplished for Christ and brings great crowns. There is nothing better than this feat, this crown has no end; it is not made of bay leaves; here it is not a person who is in charge of the deeds, nor people who are spectators, but Angels who fill this spectacle. There (at ordinary spectacles) they work for many days and become tired, but in one (or for one) minute they receive a crown, and immediately the pleasure passes; but here it is not so, but they remain forever in splendor, glory and honor. Therefore we should rejoice; for I am going to rest, leaving the place of exploits; You heard from me that it is better to “be resolved and be with Christ” (Phil. 1:23)” (St. Chrysostom). “The course is over”, δρομον, - I finished the path that was assigned to me to go, in the Apostolic activity - and, moreover, in the way it was assigned: I did not deviate from the program outlined from above, for in its fulfillment the Spirit of God guided me, showing me where to go when and where not to go; I did not disappoint the expectations from me of the One who gave me both the assignment and the strength to fulfill it. “Having crossed most of the land and sea, he enlightened those enveloped in the darkness of ignorance” (Blessed Theodoret). Saint Chrysostom says: “The flow is over. It is necessary to strive and move forward: to strive, enduring sorrows, and to move forward not simply, but towards something useful. A truly good deed is one that does not only amuse the spectator, but brings benefit; and the true “current” is not the one that strives for nothing or only reveals strength and ambition, but the one that draws everyone to heaven. Such a current is brighter than the sun; such is the course which Paul accomplished on earth, or by which he aspired to heaven. How did he end this course? He walked around the entire universe, starting from Galilee and Arabia and reaching the ends of the earth; “Just as,” he says, “we will fulfill the gospel of Christ from Jerusalem and around even to Illyricum” (Rom. 15:19). He flowed through the entire universe like a bird, or better yet, stronger than a bird; the bird would have flown simply, but he would have flown not simply, but having the wings of the Spirit and scattering thousands of obstacles, deaths, intrigues, disasters. Thus he was faster than a bird. If he were just a bird, he would get tired and be caught; but, being inspired by the Spirit, he flew through all the nets, as if having wings of fire.” “I kept my faith.” since this is said, one would think that the faith of St. Paul was subject to doubt or danger; but it is more correct to assume that this is said in the sense that in the course of his life since his conversion, the Apostle experienced a lot, both internally and externally, from which faith could be shaken or from which it usually wavers among people; but nothing shook her. It remained unchanged all the time, just as it began. One cannot expect anything else from the image of St. Paul's conversion. What could be a more tangible confirmation of the truth of the Gospel than the appearance of the Lord - and His conversation with St. Paul - and then repeated visible appearances and assistance to him? “There were many things that tried to take away this faith from him, not only friendly relations with people, but also threats, and mortal dangers, and countless other things; but he stood against everything. How? Being sober attentively and awake” (St. Chrysostom), “and watching the creeping thief of faith” (Blessed Theophylact). Why “no one could steal her from me, neither the people, nor the ruler, nor the king, nor the tyrant, nor the devil himself” (Blessed Theodoret). γ) About the path of life and its completion (2 Tim. 4, 8) 2 Timothy 4:8. Otherwise, the crown of righteousness will be kept for me, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will reward me on the day; not only to me, but also to all those who loved His appearance. Having offered an example, he inspires following it with the hope of a good end. I expect, he says, for my exploits and labors the crown of truth and undoubtedly hope to receive it; Surely all those who love the Lord will receive it; You will undoubtedly receive it too. Be zealous for the cause of God, without sparing your belly. “Truth” is what the Apostle here calls virtue in general” (St. Chrysostom). “And the “crown of righteousness” refers to the crown prepared for the righteous and bestowed according to the righteous verdict (of the righteous Judge)” (Blessed Theodoret). “Complied” - ready, but not yet received, although there is no doubt that it will work out. And before he said: “I persecute, if I attain... the honors of the highest calling” (Phil. 3, 12, 14). The end is already in sight, but the course or persecution still continues. It’s the same here as on the lists. The prizes are ready and in full view of everyone, but they are received when the running ends and the winners are determined. How cautiously the Apostle speaks about receiving crowns, so as not to appropriate too much for himself! What is this confidence based on? On observing everything that the Lord pleased to command him and entrust to him. The testimony of conscience says that on his part everything is done, all efforts are exhausted. Nothing is left unattended. Why, as here, mentally looking to the Lord, does not lower his intelligent eyes before His face, but with love and without fear raises these eyes to Him: so he hopes in the next century not to be put to shame by the Lord. The hope of reward rests on the testimony of conscience that the one who trusts has no debt. “The Lord will reward me.” When? "On the day he" . How can this be seen? From the fact that He is a righteous Judge. I know, he says, that He is righteous, and I know that He is the Judge; I rely on the court and expect a favorable verdict for me” (Blessed Theodoret). “He did not say: he will give, but: “he will repay” - as something due, as a duty. Being righteous, He will ultimately determine the reward for one’s labors, so that the crown should be mine, according to the righteousness of the Judge” (Blessed Theophylact). “The Apostle said this without being magnified, but urging the disciple to hold on to exploits, because for them unfading crowns will be awarded” (Blessed Theodoret). Isn't it daring? Not at all. This is nothing more than the assimilation by the heart of the good promises of the Lord, with the exact fulfillment of the conditions under which the promises were placed by the Promiser. A believer who has entered the realm of God by faith and remains faithful to faith and Divine orders in everything cannot speak or feel otherwise. But one cannot help but notice that such confidence is not suddenly introduced. It is the fruit of a lifetime's work. He who has accepted faith is only sure that crowns are ready for those who believe, if they work and live in the spirit of faith. And that the crown is ready for him, confidence in this comes only after he has worked conscientiously and without sparing himself. With this in mind and not wanting to give a reason to expect the crown without labor, for the sake of faith alone, the Apostle added: “not only to me, but also to all those who loved His appearance.” Those who loved the appearance are those believers who are like slaves, waiting for their master and vigorously working in the tasks assigned to each, that is, those who strictly, without sparing themselves, fulfill the will of the Lord in everything, constantly walking according to His commandments. “The Appearance of the Lord” - here is His second coming to judgment. Who can love this phenomenon without fulfilling the commandments of the Lord? Then He will come to test how someone has fulfilled His will, and to reward those who have fulfilled them as they should, and to punish those who have not fulfilled them. Just as those who are confident that they will give satisfactory answers love exams and eagerly rush to them, so the appearance of the Lord at the trial can only be expected with love by those who are confident that at the trial they will not be put to shame, but will be approved and praised; and only a faithful follower of the Lord’s commandments can imagine himself like this. “The appearance of the Lord is loved by those who follow His laws and live according to them. For with good hope he awaits judgment” (Blessed Theodoret). Saint Chrysostom says: “here (that is, that he will reward everyone) he also encourages the student. If the Lord rewards everyone, then even more so to Timothy. But he did not say: and to you, but: “to everyone,” expressing that if “to everyone,” then even more so to him.” “And how, you say, can one love the appearance of Christ? If you rejoice at His coming. He who rejoices at His coming does what is worthy of this joy; he will give, if necessary, both his property and soul in order to receive future blessings, in order to be worthy to see His second coming in a decent form, with boldness, in glory and light. This is what it means: to love His appearing.” In conclusion, Saint Chrysostom encloses instructions on how to be worthy of the appearance of the Lord while still here, so that in Him we may have the guarantee of a joyful meeting of His appearance at the Second Coming. “Whoever loves His appearance will do everything so that before the universal one there will be a private coming of Christ to Him. How do you say this is possible? Listen to Christ Himself, Who says: “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word, and we will come to him” (I and the Father) “and make our abode with him” (John 14:23). Think how important it is when He who has to appear to everyone in general promises to appear to each of us in particular. “Let’s come,” he says, “and we’ll make an abode with him.” He who loves His appearance will do everything to call Him to himself and keep Him with him, so that the light may shine in him. Let there be nothing in us unworthy of His coming, and He will soon dwell in us. The phenomenon (επιφανεια) is called so because it appears as a mountain (επανω φαινεσθαι) and shines from above. Therefore, let us strive for the things above, and we will soon attract the rays of the mountains to ourselves. None of the people who crawl to the ground and bury themselves in the ground can see the light of the sun; none of the people who defile themselves with vain affairs can see the Sun of Truth; It does not appear to anyone who indulges in such a life. Sober up at least a little, rise from this abyss, from this abyss of vanity, if you want to see the Sun, if you want to be worthy of His coming. If you are worthy of His coming now, then you will look to Him then with great boldness. Be wise now; Let there not be a spirit of pride in you, lest He strike you and cast you down, and so on.” You might be interested in: