Basil of Caesarea — Commentary on Scripture

1 Timothy 1:19

What storm at sea was ever so fierce and wild as this tempest within the churches? In it every landmark of the Fathers has been moved. Every foundation, every bulwark of opinion has been shaken. Everything buoyed up on the unsound is dashed about and shaken down. We attack one another. We are overthrown by one another. If our enemy is not the first to strike us, we are wounded by the comrade at our side. If an enemy soldier is stricken and falls, his fellow soldier tramples him down. There is at least this bond of union between us that we hate our common foes, but no sooner has the enemy gone by than we find enemies in one another. And who could make a complete list of all the wrecks? Some have gone to the bottom on the attack of the enemy, some through the unsuspected treachery of their allies, some from the blundering of their own officers. We see, as it were, whole churches, crews and all, dashed and shattered upon the sunken reefs of deceitful teaching, while others of the enemies of the Spirit of salvation have seized the helm and made shipwreck of the faith.

ON THE SPIRIT 30.77

1 Timothy 1:20

Those whom the usual penalties do not recall to their senses, and even exclusion from prayers does not lead to repentance, must be subjected to the canons given by the Lord. For it has been written, “If your brother sins, go and show him his fault, between you and him. But if he does not listen to you, take one or two others along with you. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.” Now, this truly has been done in the case of this man. Once he was accused; in the presence of one or two he was convicted; a third time, in the presence of the church. Since, therefore, we have solemnly protested to him and he has not acquiesced, let him for the future be excommunicated. And let it be announced to all the village that he is not to be admitted to any participation in the ordinary relations of life, so that, by our refusal to associate with him, he may become wholly the food for the devil.

LETTERS 288

1 Timothy 2:8

Certainly, the Lord gives the authority for praying in every place, in the words: “Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father.” And the words of the apostle are legitimate, because the word every does not include places designated for human usage or for unclean or shameful human deeds, but it does take in the regions from the confines of Jerusalem to every place in the world duly appointed, in conformity with the prophecy of sacrifice, that is, consecrated to God, for the celebration of the glorious mystery.

CONCERNING BAPTISM

1 Timothy 3:2

The canon absolutely excludes from the ministry those who are twice married.

LETTERS 188.12

1 Timothy 3:6

His rank should not arouse feelings of pride in the superior, lest he himself lose the blessing promised to humility or “lest being puffed up with pride he fall into the judgment of the devil.” THE LONG RULES, Q.30.

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1 Timothy 3:6

His ank should not aouse feelings of pide in the supeio, lest he himself lose the blessing pomised to humility o “lest being puffed up with pide he fall into the judgment of the devil.” The Long Rules, q...

1 Timothy 3:15

Every one of us, indeed, who is instructed in the Holy Scripture is the administrator of some one of those gifts which, according to the gospel, have been apportioned to us. In this great household of the church not only are there vessels of every kind—gold, silver, wooden and earthen—but also a great variety of vocational pursuits. The house of God, which is the church of the living God, has hunters, travelers, architects, builders, farmers, shepherds, athletes, soldiers.

HOMILY ON THE WORDS: “GIVE HEED TO THYSELF.”6

1 Timothy 4:3

It should also be laid down as essential that continency is inexorably demanded of combatants for godliness, so that they may bring the body into subjection, “for every athlete exercises self-control in all things.” However, to avoid being classed with the enemies of God who are seared in their conscience and, therefore, abstain from food which God has made for the faithful to partake of with thanksgiving, we should taste each dish when occasion offers so as to indicate to those looking on that “all things are clean to the clean” and that “every creature of God is good and nothing to be rejected that is received with thanksgiving; for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.” The aim of continency must nevertheless be kept in mind also, to the extent that we satisfy our need with the plainer foods and those necessary to sustain life, avoiding the evil of taking our fill of them and abstaining absolutely from those foods whose sole purpose is to give delight.

THE LONG RULES, Q.18.R.

1 Timothy 4:4-5

This, assuredly, appeared to me to be ridiculous—to vow to abstain from pork. Therefore, teach them to refrain from foolish prayers and promises; nevertheless, allow the use to be a matter of indifference. No creature of God which is received with thanksgiving is to be rejected. Therefore, the vow is ridiculous; the abstinence is not necessary.

LETTERS 199.28

1 Timothy 4:7

Surely only an infantile mind, like a baby who can only drink milk, is ignorant of the great mystery of our salvation. Education progresses gradually. The school of righteousness attempts to bring us to maturity by first teaching us easy, elementary lessons suited for our limited intelligence. Then God, who provides us with every good thing, leads us to the truth, by gradually accustoming our darkened eyes to its great light. In the deep reaches of his wisdom and the unsearchable judgments of his intelligence, he spares our weakness and prescribes a gentle treatment. He knows our eyes are accustomed to dim shadows, so he uses these at first.

ON THE HOLY SPIRIT 14.33

1 Timothy 4:12

So, then, the supeio guide is to be mindful of the apostle’s pecept, “Be an example to the faithful.” He should make his life a shining model fo the obsevance of evey commandment of the Lod, so that thee may be no excuse fo those unde his guidance to think the Lod’s commands impossible o eadily to be set aside. He should conside fist, then, that which is fist in impotance. He should be, by the love of Chist, so confimed in humility that, even if he is silent, the example of his actions may affod moe effective instuction than any wods. If, indeed, the goal of Chistianity is the imitation of Chist accoding to the measue of his incanation, insofa as is confomable with the vocation of each individual, they who ae entusted with the guidance of many othes ae obliged to animate those still weake than themselves, by thei assistance, to the imitation of Chist. The Long Rules, q...

1 Timothy 4:12

So, then, the superior guide is to be mindful of the apostle’s precept, “Be an example to the faithful.” He should make his life a shining model for the observance of every commandment of the Lord, so that there may be no excuse for those under his guidance to think the Lord’s commands impossible or readily to be set aside. He should consider first, then, that which is first in importance. He should be, by the love of Christ, so confirmed in humility that, even if he is silent, the example of his actions may afford more effective instruction than any words. If, indeed, the goal of Christianity is the imitation of Christ according to the measure of his incarnation, insofar as is conformable with the vocation of each individual, they who are entrusted with the guidance of many others are obliged to animate those still weaker than themselves, by their assistance, to the imitation of Christ.

THE LONG RULES, Q.43.R

1 Timothy 5:20

A feigned kindness to the wicked is a betrayal of the truth, an act of treachery to the community and a means of habituating oneself to indifference to evil.… “Them that sin, reprove before all,” says the apostle, and he immediately adds the reason, saying, “that the rest also may have fear.”

THE LONG RULES, Q.28.R

1 Timothy 6:8

But, if a man would also have mercy upon his body as being a possession necessary to the soul and its co-operator in carrying on life on earth, he will occupy himself with its needs only so far as is required to preserve it and keep it vigorous by moderate care in the service of the soul. He will by no means allow it to become unmanageable through satiety.

ON DETACHMENT, HOMILY 21

1 Timothy 6:12

Recall your glorious profession which you made before God, the angels and men. Remember the august company, the holy chorus of virgins, the assembly of the Lord and the church of saints. Call to mind also your grandmother, old in Christ but still young and strong in virtue, and your mother, vying with her in the Lord and striving by new and unusual toils to destroy former habits. Remember also your sister, who is likewise both imitating and aspiring to surpass them, and who by the advantage of her virginity is outstripping the virtuous actions of her elders and is industriously summoning, both by word and by life, you her sister, as she thought, to a contest of like eagerness. Recall these, and also the angelic chorus singing with them to God, the spiritual life in the flesh and the heavenly life on earth.

LETTERS 46, To a Fallen Virgin

1 Timothy 6:20

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

OF THE HOLY SPIRIT 9.23-10.24