{"author":null,"canonical_references":[],"database_sha256":"8cfbe7284c6936871d57c02dc6aa63ebbdfd4722422d539dd9f716e46e91112e","date_end":null,"date_start":null,"edition_year":null,"id":"sermonindex-ecf-1645","native_reference":{"book_number":610,"chapter_from":3,"chapter_to":3,"system":"MyBible module coordinates (mapping unverified)","verse_from":8,"verse_to":8},"public_import_allowed":false,"record_kind":"verse-keyed-module-record","review_required":["English edition and exact text","author/work attribution","dating","verse mapping and citation kind","reuse and attribution","split author quotations and deduplicate"],"review_status":"unreviewed","source_html":"<p><b>Athanasius of Alexandria</b>: What Moses taught, Abraham observed. What Abraham observed, Noah and Enoch acknowledged, discriminating pure from impure and becoming acceptable to God. For Abel too in this way witnessed, knowing what he had learned from Adam. This one himself had learned from that Lord, who said, when he came at the end of the ages for the abolishment of sin, \"I give no new commandment to you, but an old commandment, which you have heard from the beginning.\" In the same way also the blessed apostle Paul, who had learned it from the Lord, when describing ecclesiastical functions, forbade that deacons, not to say bishops, should be double-tongued. In his rebuke of the Galatians, he made a broad declaration: If anyone preach any other gospel unto you than that which you have received, let him be anathema, as I have said, so say I again.<br/><i>— DEFENSE OF THE NICENE DEFINITION 2.5</i></p><p><b>John Chrysostom</b>: Discoursing of Bishops, and having described their character, and the qualities which they ought to possess, and having passed over the order of Presbyters, he proceeds to that of Deacons. The reason of this omission was, that between Presbyters and Bishops there was no great difference. Both had undertaken the office of Teachers and Presidents in the Church, and what he has said concerning Bishops is applicable to Presbyters. For they are only superior in having the power of ordination, and seem to have no other advantage over Presbyters.</p><p>\"Likewise the Deacons.\" That is, they should have the same qualities as Bishops. And what are these same? To be blameless, sober, hospitable, patient, not brawlers, not covetous. And that he means this when he says \"likewise,\" is evident from what he says in addition, \"grave, not doubletongued\"; that is, not hollow or deceitful. For nothing so debases a man as deceit, nothing is so pernicious in the Church as insincerity. \"Not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre; holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience.\" Thus he explains what he means by \"blameless.\"<br/><i>— Homily on 1 Timothy 11</i></p><p><b>Oecumenius</b>: Deacons likewise must be honorable, not double-tongued, not given to much wine, not greedy for dishonest gain, holding the mystery of the faith with a pure conscience.</p><p>For what reason did Paul pass over the elders [πρεσβυτέρους]? Because he mingled them with the bishops themselves. For what he said about the bishops, he also applies to the elders: since they too are similarly priests, and have been entrusted with the duty of teaching.</p><p>not double-tongued. That is, deceitful and traitorous.</p><p>not given to much wine. Paul did not say: \"Do not get drunk\" (for this was very common), but rather, \"Do not drink excessively.\" For even if, he says, they do not get drunk, yet the tone of the heart slackens.</p><p>with a pure conscience. He demands faith and life.<br/><i>— COMMENTARY ON 1 TIMOTHY</i></p><p><b>Polycarp of Smyrna</b>: Knowing, then, that \"God is not mocked,\" we ought to walk worthy of His commandment and glory. In like manner should the deacons be blameless before the face of His righteousness, as being the servants of God and Christ, and not of men. They must not be slanderers, double-tongued, or lovers of money, but temperate in all things, compassionate, industrious, walking according to the truth of the Lord, who was the servant of all. If we please Him in this present world, we shall receive also the future world, according as He has promised to us that He will raise us again from the dead, and that if we live worthily of Him, \"we shall also reign together with Him,\" provided only we believe.<br/><i>— Epistle to the Philippians 5</i></p><p><b>Theodore of Mopsuestia</b>: Since the ministry of deacons is at least as much toward the women in the community as the men, their integrity is all the more important. They are to be honorable and sincere in performing the duties assigned to them by the presbyters.<br/><i>— COMMENTARY ON THE FIRST LETTER TO TIMOTHY</i></p><p><b>Theodoret of Cyrus</b>: \"Not double-tongued\" means that the deacon is not to be a person who says one thing to one person and something else to another.<br/><i>— INTERPRETATION OF THE FIRST LETTER TO TIMOTHY</i></p>","source_html_sha256":"abd5f5868798a4b54864645ec6e48893fa3513fdcaa07c9d5ce3151593bbe138","source_module":"ECF","source_row_id":1645,"source_url":"https://www.sermonindex.net/commentary/ecf/","text_sha256":"5ef216b2af7876ff46e88e9875fc756448438cfde7599357a5e92ab1b60db696","translator":null,"work":null}