independentparticipialpurposecausecomparativecontentconditionalphrase modifierdashed = verbless / suspended
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The congregation as a family 5:1–2
1
Πρεσβυτέρῳ μὴ ἐπιπλήξῃς,independent — the governing prohibition — ἐπιπλήσσω, to strike at with words
ἀλλὰ παρακάλειindependent — the counter — appeal, not assault
ὡς πατέρα,comparative — the comparison series opens — the older man as father
νεωτέρους ὡς ἀδελφούς,comparative — second member — peers as brothers (παρακάλει carried over)
2
πρεσβυτέρας ὡς μητέρας,comparative — third member — older women as mothers
νεωτέρας ὡς ἀδελφὰς ἐν πάσῃ ἁγνείᾳ.comparative — fourth member — with ἐν πάσῃ ἁγνείᾳ guarding this relation alone
The widows — honor, household duty, the roll, the younger 5:3–16
vv. 3–8 — true widows and the family's first duty
3
Χήρας τίμα τὰς ὄντως χήρας.independent — the section's heading command — τιμή includes material support (cf. v. 17)
4
εἰ δέ τις χήρα τέκνα ἢ ἔκγονα ἔχει,conditional — the first casuistic protasis — leans on the ruling below
μανθανέτωσαν πρῶτον τὸν ἴδιον οἶκον εὐσεβεῖνindependent — apodosis — the descendants (plural) must learn; piety begins at home
καὶ ἀμοιβὰς ἀποδιδόναι τοῖς προγόνοις·content — the paired complement infinitive — ἀμοιβαί, repayment to the προγόνοις
τοῦτο γάρ ἐστιν ἀπόδεκτον ἐνώπιον τοῦ θεοῦ.cause — the ground — filial repayment as pleasing worship (cf. 2:3)
5
ἡ δὲ ὄντως χήρα καὶ μεμονωμένη ἤλπικεν ἐπὶ θεὸνindependent — the portrait of the ὄντως χήρα — perfect ἤλπικεν, a settled hope
καὶ προσμένει ταῖς δεήσεσιν καὶ ταῖς προσευχαῖς νυκτὸς καὶ ἡμέρας·independent — coordinate — her occupation is prayer (cf. Anna, Luke 2:37)
6
ἡ δὲ σπαταλῶσα ζῶσα τέθνηκεν.independent — the counter-portrait — the living-dead oxymoron: ζῶσα τέθνηκεν, alive and already a corpse
7
καὶ ταῦτα παράγγελλε,independent — the charge to Timothy — παράγγελλε, the letter's keyword (1:3; 4:11)
ἵνα ἀνεπίλημπτοι ὦσιν.purpose — the purpose — ἀνεπίλημπτος, the overseer's standard (3:2) extended to the widows' households
8
εἰ δέ τις τῶν ἰδίων καὶ μάλιστα οἰκείων οὐ προνοεῖ,conditional — the negative protasis — leans on the verdict below
τὴν πίστιν ἤρνηταιindependent — the verdict — perfect ἤρνηται: the denial already stands
καὶ ἔστιν ἀπίστου χείρων.independent — the comparison — even pagans provide for their own
vv. 9–10 — the enrollment rule and its five-protasis test
9
Χήρα καταλεγέσθωindependent — the enrollment rule — καταλέγω, entered on the official roll
μὴ ἔλαττον ἐτῶν ἑξήκοντα γεγονυῖα,participial — first qualification — the age threshold
ἑνὸς ἀνδρὸς γυνή,phrase modifier — verbless apposition — mirroring μιᾶς γυναικὸς ἀνήρ of the overseer (3:2)
10
ἐν ἔργοις καλοῖς μαρτυρουμένη,participial — the attestation participle — carrying the whole test column below
εἰ ἐτεκνοτρόφησεν,conditional — the five-protasis column opens — backward tests on the attestation, not forward conditions
εἰ ἐξενοδόχησεν,conditional — second test — the open door (cf. 3:2 φιλόξενον)
εἰ ἁγίων πόδας ἔνιψεν,conditional — third test — the slave's task done for the saints (cf. John 13)
εἰ θλιβομένοις ἐπήρκεσεν,conditional — fourth test — ἐπαρκέω, the section's relief verb (v. 16)
εἰ παντὶ ἔργῳ ἀγαθῷ ἐπηκολούθησεν.conditional — the summarizing fifth — παντὶ ἔργῳ ἀγαθῷ gathers up the column
vv. 11–15 — younger widows: off the roll, into marriage
11
νεωτέρας δὲ χήρας παραιτοῦ·independent — the counter-rule — παραιτοῦ, decline them from the roll
ὅταν γὰρ καταστρηνιάσωσιν τοῦ Χριστοῦ,conditional — ground-temporal ὅταν — leans forward on the apodosis; the γάρ grounds the refusal
γαμεῖν θέλουσιν,cause — the apodosis — the whole ὅταν-sentence is the reason for the refusal
12
ἔχουσαι κρίμαparticipial — attendant circumstance — the desire carries a judgment with it
ὅτι τὴν πρώτην πίστιν ἠθέτησαν·cause — the reason — ἡ πρώτη πίστις, the pledge taken at enrollment
13
ἅμα δὲ καὶ ἀργαὶ μανθάνουσιν,cause — second ground — coordinate with vv. 11b–12 beneath the refusal
περιερχόμεναι τὰς οἰκίας,participial — the idleness in motion — the circuit of the houses
οὐ μόνον δὲ ἀργαὶ ἀλλὰ καὶ φλύαροι καὶ περίεργοι,cause — the escalation — μανθάνουσιν carried over (elliptical)
λαλοῦσαι τὰ μὴ δέοντα.participial — the gossip specified — speech that should not be spoken
14
βούλομαι οὖν νεωτέρας γαμεῖν,independent — the apostolic ruling (οὖν) — the desire of v. 11 redirected into marriage
τεκνογονεῖν,content — the infinitive chain — second member (cf. 2:15 τεκνογονία)
οἰκοδεσποτεῖν,content — third member — the widow as οἰκοδεσπότης of her own house
μηδεμίαν ἀφορμὴν διδόναι τῷ ἀντικειμένῳ λοιδορίας χάριν·purpose — formally the fourth infinitive, purpose in force — no ἀφορμή for the accuser
15
ἤδη γάρ τινες ἐξετράπησαν ὀπίσω τοῦ Σατανᾶ.cause — the ground of the ruling — the danger is not hypothetical: ἤδη, already
v. 16 — relieve the church for the truly widowed
16
εἴ τις πιστὴ ἔχει χήρας,conditional — the closing protasis — leans on the directive below
ἐπαρκείτω αὐταῖς,independent — apodosis — private relief first (ἐπαρκέω as v. 10)
καὶ μὴ βαρείσθω ἡ ἐκκλησία,independent — coordinate command — the church's funds must not be weighed down
ἵνα ταῖς ὄντως χήραις ἐπαρκέσῃ.purpose — the final purpose — ὄντως χήραις closes the frame opened at v. 3
The elders — and Timothy's own hands, stomach, and discernment 5:17–25
vv. 17–20 — double honor, due process, public rebuke
17
Οἱ καλῶς προεστῶτες πρεσβύτεροι διπλῆς τιμῆς ἀξιούσθωσαν,independent — the elders' rule — τιμή again including stipend (v. 18 shows it)
μάλιστα οἱ κοπιῶντες ἐν λόγῳ καὶ διδασκαλίᾳ.phrase modifier — the qualifier — verbless apposition: the teaching elders above all
18
λέγει γὰρ ἡ γραφή·cause — the warrant formula — carrying both citations below
Βοῦν ἀλοῶντα οὐ φιμώσεις,content — Deut 25:4 — the threshing ox (as 1 Cor 9:9)
καί· Ἄξιος ὁ ἐργάτης τοῦ μισθοῦ αὐτοῦ.content — the worker-saying (Luke 10:7) — Jesus-tradition quoted as γραφή, level with Torah; verbless maxim
19
κατὰ πρεσβυτέρου κατηγορίαν μὴ παραδέχου,independent — due process for elders — no charge entertained lightly
ἐκτὸς εἰ μὴ ἐπὶ δύο ἢ τριῶν μαρτύρων.conditional — the backward exceptive (ἐκτὸς εἰ μή) — Deut 19:15, the two-or-three-witness rule (elliptical)
20
τοὺς ἁμαρτάνοντας ἐνώπιον πάντων ἔλεγχε,independent — the counterweight — present ἁμαρτάνοντας: persistent sinners rebuked publicly
ἵνα καὶ οἱ λοιποὶ φόβον ἔχωσιν.purpose — the purpose — deterrence: the rest (of the elders) take warning
vv. 21–23 — the oath-charge, and two personal rules
21
Διαμαρτύρομαι ἐνώπιον τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ καὶ τῶν ἐκλεκτῶν ἀγγέλων,independent — the oath-charge — a courtroom of three witnesses invoked (cf. v. 19)
ἵνα ταῦτα φυλάξῃς χωρὶς προκρίματος,content — ἵνα as the content of the charge, not purpose — no πρόκριμα, no verdict before trial
μηδὲν ποιῶν κατὰ πρόσκλισιν.participial — the manner — πρόσκλισις, leaning toward a party
22
χεῖρας ταχέως μηδενὶ ἐπιτίθει,independent — no hasty ordination — haste in appointing shares the appointee's sins
μηδὲ κοινώνει ἁμαρτίαις ἀλλοτρίαις·independent — the corollary — complicity through careless hands
σεαυτὸν ἁγνὸν τήρει.independent — the positive close — ἁγνός echoing ἁγνεία (v. 2)
23
μηκέτι ὑδροπότει,independent — the personal aside — ἁγνόν does not mean ascetic (cf. 4:3–4)
ἀλλὰ οἴνῳ ὀλίγῳ χρῶindependent — the counter — modest, medicinal
διὰ τὸν στόμαχον καὶ τὰς πυκνάς σου ἀσθενείας.cause — the grounds (διά + acc) — Timothy's stomach and recurring illnesses
vv. 24–25 — the closing maxim-pair: sins and works, evident or trailing
24
Τινῶν ἀνθρώπων αἱ ἁμαρτίαι πρόδηλοί εἰσιν,independent — the maxim-pair opens — why prejudgment (v. 21) and haste (v. 22) fail
προάγουσαι εἰς κρίσιν,participial — the image — sins marching ahead to the courtroom
τισὶν δὲ καὶ ἐπακολουθοῦσιν·independent — the counter — some sins only catch up later; hence patience in judging
25
ὡσαύτως καὶ τὰ ἔργα τὰ καλὰ πρόδηλα,independent — the matching maxim — verbless: εἰσιν carried over from v. 24
καὶ τὰ ἄλλως ἔχοντα κρυβῆναι οὐ δύνανται.independent — the close — hidden worth will surface; time vindicates the examiner
Analysis. 1 Timothy 5 is church order written as casuistry, and the shape shows a chapter ruled by flush-left imperatives with olive εἰ-protases leaning over their verdicts. The opening pair (vv. 1–2) hangs a four-member ὡς-comparison column beneath one imperative παρακάλει — the whole congregation graded into fathers, brothers, mothers, sisters. The widows section (vv. 3–16) is framed by the same verb: Χήρας τίμα at its head, ταῖς ὄντως χήραις ἐπαρκέσῃ at its close, with three full conditional sentences in between (vv. 4, 8, 16) whose protases lean forward, anchorless, over apodoses on the margin. The showpiece is v. 10: five εἰ-protases stacked in a single column, read here not as forward-leaning conditions but as backward tests hanging on μαρτυρουμένη — the enrollment examiner's checklist — so each carries its anchor. In v. 11 the ὅταν-clause is set as a forward-leaning temporal protasis (typed with the conditionals) over γαμεῖν θέλουσιν, the whole pair being the γάρ-ground beneath παραιτοῦ; the escalation of v. 13 (οὐ μόνον… ἀλλὰ καί) is treated as elliptical, μανθάνουσιν carried over. In the elders section, v. 18 quotes the worker-saying (Luke 10:7 par.) as γραφή alongside Deut 25:4 — the layout sets both blue lines level under one λέγει; the ἵνα of v. 21 is taken as the content of the oath-charge, not its purpose; and the fourth infinitive of v. 14 (μηδεμίαν ἀφορμὴν διδόναι) is set as purpose in force though formally coordinate with the γαμεῖν chain. Verse 6 keeps its living-dead paradox on one line: ζῶσα τέθνηκεν.