Theodore of Mopsuestia — Commentary on Scripture

Here the house is the church, where different persons are not at all equal, yet each serves his or her use.

COMMENTARY ON 2 TIMOTHY

A great deal of foolishness has been written about how Paul could have known the names of these two men who resisted Moses. Particularly absurd is the notion that he had access to some information or writing now lost to us.

COMMENTARY ON 2 TIMOTHY

2 Timothy 3:9

The growth that the heretics enjoy will only be in numbers, not in depth or substance.

COMMENTARY ON 2 TIMOTHY

2 Timothy 3:15

Paul here lays out four reasons why Timothy ought to be steadfast, if he will recall them: first, because of the teacher from whom he learned; second, the time when he learned it; third, the source from which the teaching came; and finally, the sublime purpose for which he learned it.

COMMENTARY ON 2 TIMOTHY

2 Timothy 3:16

The usefulness of Scripture lies in its detailing of what one ought to do, either to convict sinners or to clarify what correction is necessary for penitents or to teach what can bring persons to righteousness.

COMMENTARY ON 2 TIMOTHY

2 Timothy 4:2

Every occasion constitutes an opportune time for preaching.

COMMENTARY ON 2 TIMOTHY

2 Timothy 4:2

“Reprove” applies to those who persist in their sin, that they might be led to understand it as sin. “Rebuke” is aimed at those actually engaging in sin. “Exhort” is directed to those who might be led back to their former state after penitence.

COMMENTARY ON 2 TIMOTHY

2 Timothy 4:6

Paul does not say libor but delibor, that is, enduring death in the confession of Christ as a libation of wine is poured out on behalf of honoring God.

COMMENTARY ON 2 TIMOTHY

2 Timothy 4:10

He calls “Galatia” what we now call Gaul; for so all of the older peoples called this place, as anyone can recognize from many sources, especially from the Jewish history written by Josephus. For those people who are now called Galatians are so designated in the old narratives that trace their movement from those regions to various places.

COMMENTARY ON 2 TIMOTHY

2 Timothy 4:13

Paul makes a distinction here between the parchment volumina, which are in the form of scrolls, and the regular libros, which are in book or codex form.

COMMENTARY ON 2 TIMOTHY

2 Timothy 4:13

The view that this paenula is some other kind of book, rather than just a garment, is ridiculous.

COMMENTARY ON 2 TIMOTHY

Amos 2:7

They so multiplied their ill-gotten gains as to betray the rights of the needy for the basest profit (the meaning of the phrase “sandals trampling the dust of the earth,” which was clear proof of their setting no store by justice, especially as they easily did so for base profit). “They pummeled the heads of the poor.” Of the same people he says that they not only failed to vindicate their claim on justice but even belabored them without risk—hence his going on, “and strayed from the path of the lowly.” Though their behavior was correct, they changed the verdict to a negative one, scorning them for their lowliness.

COMMENTARY ON AMOS 2:6–8

Amos 6:9-10

The passage involves deep obscurity from the viewpoint of commentary. It resembles the part in Genesis where there is mention of the treaty that Laban and Jacob made with each other about ownership of the offspring of the sheep, one man owning some, the other owning others. While that is obscure in its expression, the sense gains clarity in the course of comment. Now it is necessary to expound the sense of this passage as well, whose reference is not clearly expressed. His intention, in fact, is to cite a proof of the devastation affecting them in that it was very extreme. In many cases scarcely ten will be left from a large household of many members, the rest being done away with in various ways through the war.

COMMENTARY ON AMOS 6:9–10

Ephesians 2:10

Here he is speaking not of the first but of the second creation, wherein we are re-created by the resurrection. Completely unable as we are to mend our ways by our own decision on account of the natural weakness that opposes us, we are made able to come newly alive without pain and with great ease by the grace of the One who re-creates us for this purpose.

EPISTLE TO THE EPHESIANS 2.10

Ephesians 2:14

Christ, conferring immortality on us through his resurrection, has put an end to this division [between Jew and Gentile], for there can be no circumcision of an immortal nature.

CATENA 2.13

Galatians 1:7

Just as with royal currency—anyone who cuts off a little from the impress has debased the whole currency—so one who makes even the smallest change in sound faith adulterates the whole.

EPISTLE TO THE GALATIANS

Galatians 3:16

The words and to his offspring are found to be strictly fulfilled in Christ in their straightforward sense, since he is Abraham’s offspring by nature, as are all those who derive their stock from that source. We, believing in him, are therefore enrolled as children of Abraham and thereby receive fellowship in the blessing. The result is that what appears to be said to one can in fact be understood commonly of many, insofar as all who derive from that source are of Abraham. This promise is completely fulfilled in Christ in the light of the actual events.

EPISTLE TO THE GALATIANS

Galatians 4:24

Those who are at great pains to pervert the meaning of the divine Scriptures … abuse this saying of the apostle’s, as though they thought that they could derive from it the power to suppress the entire sense of holy Scripture in their aspirations to speak “allegorically,” as if in the manner of the apostle. They fail to see how great a difference there is between their own position and that of the apostle in this passage. For the apostle does not deny the history or pick apart the events of the distant past, but he has stated them as they happened at the time, while using for his own purpose the interpretation of these events.… He would not have said “referred to one who was born” if he had not believed that person had really existed. There cannot be a simile if one takes away the historical reality itself.

COMMENTARY

Genesis 19:1

It was “three men” who came to Abraham, and “in the heat of the day”; but in the case of Sodom, “two angels, and in the evening.” Good things are likened to light, bad things to evening, since the “sun of justice” has set on them. For the punishment of the wicked is night and darkness, but the righteous “will shine like light.” It is significant too that where there was an announcement of good things, the Lord was present. But when the subject is punishment, he does not appear in person, showing that when people have good experiences, it is his pleasure, so that he chooses, as it were, to act directly in such matters. Since he takes no pleasure in punishments but inflicts them only because of necessity, he makes use of underlings.

CATENA ON GENESIS 3.1110

Habakkuk 1:2

It is not as though bringing a censure against God that the prophet says this. Rather, he speaks this way as it is the custom with people who are in some sort of trouble or who are righteously indignant with those responsible to present the injustice of what is being done under the guise of censure. Blessed David also says in like manner, “Why, O Lord, do you keep your distance? Why do you look down on us in good times and in bad? When the godless act disdainfully, the poor person is inflamed,” and so on, saying this not to censure God but to express indignation with those responsible for it and at a loss as to how they are not quickly called to account.

COMMENTARY ON HABAKKUK 1:2