I Timothy 2 · The Lantern

A Call to Prayer

I encourage therefore, first of all, that supplications, prayers, intercessions, thanksgivings be made on behalf of all men,

On the other hand, for our own petition, when we say, "Hallowed be Thy name," we pray this; that it may be hallowed in us who are in Him, as well in all others for whom the grace of God is still waiting; that we may obey this precept, too, in "praying for all," even for our personal enemies.

I prefer to understand by these words what the entire, or almost the entire, church observes: that we take as supplications those prayers which are said in celebrating the mysteries, before we begin to consecrate what lies on the table of the Lord.

Above, he taught Timothy how to form his people in the true faith; here he deals with matters pertaining to the faith's worship, namely, prayers and ceremonies: first, he presents the general doctrine on prayer; second, he applies it to the specific states of men, at I will, therefore.

for kings and all those being in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity.

For I trust that ye are well versed in the Sacred Scriptures, and that nothing is hid from you; but to me this privilege is not yet granted. It is declared then in these Scriptures, "Be ye angry, and sin not," and, "Let not the sun go down upon your wrath." Happy is he who remembers this, which I believe to be the case with you.

Let us pray for this church and people. Let us pray for every episcopate, every presbytery, all the deacons and ministers in Christ, for the whole congregation, that the Lord will keep and preserve them all.

In regard to the first, therefore, he says that we should pray for all men; the reason being that prayer is the spokesman of our desires; for by praying we give voice to our desires. But charity requires that we desire good for all to whom our charity extends: pray for one another that you may be saved (Jas 5:16). But for whom in particular?

This is good and acceptable before God our Savior,

He says, "supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks." For we must give thanks to God for the good that befalls others, as that He maketh the sun to shine upon the evil and the good, and sendeth His rain both upon the just and the unjust. Observe how he would unite and bind us together, not only by prayer but by thanksgiving.

Prayer for all, both unbelievers and heretics, is what the word "this" points to. This is also "good" by nature, because we are all of one and the same nature, and it is also "pleasing" to God.

Then when he says, for this is good, he gives the reasons for praying: and he does two things; first, he gives the reasons; second, he proves something he had assumed, at for there is one God. In regard to the first: first, he gives the reason from the nature of the work; second, on the part of God, at and acceptable.

who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

You ought therefore to "hate those that hate God, and to waste away [with grief] on account of His enemies." I do not mean that you should beat them or persecute them, as do the Gentiles "that know not the Lord and God; " but that you should regard them as your enemies, and separate yourselves from them, while yet you admonish them, and exhort them to repentance, if it may be t…

Is God not good to everyone then? Indeed, He is good to everyone, because He is the Savior of all, especially the faithful; and for this reason the Lord Jesus came, to save what was lost: He came to take away the sin of the world, to heal our wounds.

And he proves that it is acceptable, when he says, who wills that all men be saved: not willing that anyone should perish (2 Pet 3:9). But something contrary to this is found in the Psalms: he has done all things whatsoever he would (Ps 113:11). Therefore, he saves everyone.

For God is one, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,

Now this being is the Creator (Demiurgus), who is, in respect of His love, the Father; but in respect of His power, He is Lord; and in respect of His wisdom, our Maker and Fashioner; by transgressing whose commandment we became His enemies.

This refers to the perfect humanity by which salvation is wrought. The fact that Jesus shares a common humanity with us is the whole key to salvation.

Then when he says, for there is one God, he proves what he had said with reasons. And he gives three proofs: one is on the side of God; another on the side of Christ as man; the third on the side of Christ's witnesses. He says, therefore: it is obvious that God wills all men to be saved, because for all men there is one God who saves: is he the God of the Jews only?

who gave himself a ransom for all — the testimony in its own times,

Now I write these things unto you, not that I know there are any such persons among you; nay, indeed I hope that God will never permit any such report to reach my ears, He "who spared not His Son for the sake of His holy Church." But foreseeing the snares of the wicked one, I arm you beforehand by my admonitions, as my beloved and faithful children in Christ, furnishing you wit…

who gave himself as a ransom for all, the testimony given at the proper time. who gave himself as a ransom for all, and of the Greeks. Therefore, he died for all, but you do not endure to pray? Note then the phrase, "who gave himself." For this is against the Arians, who say that he was delivered up unwillingly. But what is the price of redemption?

Above, he said that God wills that all men be saved, and he proved this on the side of God, who is one for all men; and on the part of Christ, who is the one mediator. Now he proves it from testimony: first, of other witnesses; second, of himself, at to which I am appointed. He says, therefore: who gave himself a redemption for all.

in regard to which I myself was appointed a herald and an apostle — I speak the truth, I do not lie — a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.

Come, now, if he had not "wholly saddened" so many persons in the first Epistle; if he had "rebuked" none, had "terrified" none; if he had "smitten" the incestuous man alone; if, for his cause, he had sent none into panic, had struck (no) "inflated" one with consternation,-would it not be better for you to suspect, and more believing for you to argue, that rather some one far d…

Consequently, to announce to Catholic Christians a doctrine other than that which they have received was never permitted, is nowhere permitted and never will be permitted. It was ever necessary, is everywhere necessary and ever will be necessary that those who announce a doctrine other than that which was received once and for all be anathema.

Then when he says, to which I am appointed, he gives his own testimony: first, he shows what his office is; second, how he uses it, at I say the truth. He says, therefore: to which, i.e., unto the office of testifying, I am appointed, namely, by God: I have appointed you that you should go and bring forth fruit; and your fruit should remain (John 15:16).

I desire therefore that the men pray in every place, lifting up holy hands apart from anger and dissension.

But what reason is there in going to prayer with hands indeed washed, but the spirit has become fouled?—inasmuch as to our hands themselves spiritual cleansing is necessary, that they may be "lifted up pure" from falsehood, from murder, from cruelty, from poisonings, from idolatry and all the other blemishes which, conceived by the spirit, are effected by the operation of the h…

He must be quite cognizant, certain and confident of his own innocence who stretches out and extends his hands to God. Hence the apostle says, "I wish then that men pray everywhere, lifting up pure hands." He rightly lifts his hands to God, he pours forth prayers with a good conscience, who can say, "You know, O Lord, how holy, how innocent, how pure from every fraud, injury an…

Then when he says, I will, therefore, he comes down to the specific types of men. In regard to this he does two things: first, he instructs the men about prayer; second, the women, at in like manner, women also. He says, I will, therefore, that men pray. And he requires three things of men in prayer: that it be assiduous, pure and quiet.

Instructions to Women

Likewise also women, adorning themselves in respectable apparel with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly clothing,

Nor are the women to smear their faces with the ensnaring devices of wily cunning. But let us show to them the decoration of sobriety. For, in the first place, the best beauty is that which is spiritual, as we have often pointed out.

In like manner he says, I will that women approach God without wrath and doubting, lifting up holy hands: that they should not follow their own desires, nor be covetous or rapacious. For what if a woman does not rob or steal herself, but does it through means of her husband?

Then when he says, in like manner, women also, he instructs the women: first, in regard to prayer; second, as to doctrine, at let the women learn in silence. In regard to the first he does two things: first, he shows what is required of a woman praying; second, he explains what he had said, at not with plaited hair.

but with what is becoming to women professing the fear of God, through good works.

Gems and gold and costly garments and lavish, embroidered flowers of various colors and anything else perishable in nature in no way adorn souls. But the following do: fasts, holy vigils, gentleness, reasonableness, poverty, courage, humility, patience—in a word, disdain for everything passing in this life.

For you are going to pray, not to dance. Why then do you contrive braiding of the hair on your head, curling locks, hanging precious stones here, surrounding yourself with them on all sides there, and attaching still others to your shoes — what is this if not the utmost disgrace? And is not this through the tears of the poor, of widows and orphans?

But is this a sin? The answer, according to Augustine, is that two things must be considered in regard to woman's adornment, namely, simple adornment and paint. She is adorned simply by her attire, and gold, and such of the kind.

Let a woman learn in quietness in all submission.

But we, little fishes, after the example of our Icqus Jesus Christ, are born in water, nor have we safety in any other way than by permanently abiding in water; so that most monstrous creature, who had no right to teach even sound doctrine, knew full well how to kill the little fishes, by taking them away from the water!

While Paul forbids women teaching in church, he very much wants them to exercise their authority in the home as the teachers of virtue.

Above, the Apostle instructed women in regard to prayer; here he instructs them in regard to doctrine: first, he lays down his own law regarding their teaching; second, he gives the reason for this law, at for Adam was first formed; third, he answers a tacit question, at yet she shall be saved.

But I do not permit a woman to teach nor to use authority over a man, but to be in quietness.

The divine law indeed has excluded women from the ministry, but they endeavor to thrust themselves into it; and since they can effect nothing of themselves, they do all through the agency of others; and they have become invested with so much power that they can appoint or eject priests at their will: things in fact are turned upside down, and the proverbial saying may be seen r…

The Apostle takes away from woman every occasion for speaking in church. For after he commanded them to be silent, so that they would not speak under the plausible pretext of teaching, he said: let them not teach; because this would give them authority and preeminence over the husband. Meanwhile, the wife is commanded to be in submission.

Likewise, he states what things are not permitted to women, saying nor to use authority over the man: but to be in silence. Consequently, he forbids them to teach. Against this, the vision wherewith his mother instructed him (Prov 31:1).

For Adam was formed first, then Eve;

and Adam was not deceived, but the woman, having been deceived, has come into transgression.

That there are also some souls that conceive offspring, the prophet made clear when he said: "from fear of you, Lord, we conceived in the womb and travailed and gave birth to a spirit of salvation which you made upon the earth".

So, too, we must believe that Adam transgressed the law of God, not because he was deceived into believing that the lie was true but because in obedience to a social compulsion he yielded to Eve, as husband to wife, as the only man in the world to the only woman.

Second, from the order of sinning. For the orders of coming to be and of ceasing to be are contrary, because that which is first in coming to be is last in ceasing to be. But sin is the ceasing to be of a nature. Therefore, coming to be first begins from Adam, and ceasing to be from the woman.

But she will be saved through the childbearing, if they abide in faith and love and holiness with self-restraint.

This love, therefore, the present Scripture speaks of, by which the blessed soul makes use of and is inflamed toward the Word of God; and it sings this wedding song through the spirit, by which the Church is joined and united to her heavenly bridegroom Christ, desiring to be mingled with him through the Word, that she may conceive from him, and may be able to be saved through t…

The claim that she will be saved by childbearing is said of all women, not just of Eve.

Then when he says, yet she shall be saved, he answers a tacit question, because someone might say that if the woman is not for the man, and sin stems from her, she is harmful to men. But if something is not for someone, but is harmful to him, it should be destroyed. Therefore, the woman should not be saved.

I Timothy2

A Call to Prayer

Instructions to Women