History of the Christian Church, Volume I: Apostolic Christianity. A.D. 1-100.

teach and a blameless character; and their authority is made to depend upon their moral character

rather than their office. They are supposed to be married, and to set a good example in governing

their own household. The ordination which Timothy received (1 Tim. 4:14; 5:22) need not differ

from the ordination of deacons and elders mentioned in Acts 6:6; 8:17; comp. 14:23; 19:6). "Few

features," says Dr. Plumptre, himself an Episcopalian, "are more striking in these Epistles than the

absence of any high hierarchical system." The Apocalypse, which these very critics so confidently

assign to the year 68, shows a nearer approach to episcopal unity in the "angels" of the seven

churches. But even from the "angels," of the Apocalypse there was a long way to the Ignatian and

pseudo-Clementine bishops, who are set up as living oracles and hierarchical idols.

The Style.

The language of the Pastoral Epistles shows an unusual number of un-Pauline words and

phrases, especially rare compounds, some of them nowhere found in the whole New Testament,

or even in Greek literature.^1205

But, in the first place, the number of words peculiar to each one of the three epistles is much

greater than the number of peculiar words common to all three; consequently, if the argument

proves anything, it leads to the conclusion of three different authors, which the assailants will not

admit, in view of the general unity of the Epistles. In the next place, every one of Paul’s Epistles

has a number of peculiar words, even the little Epistle of Philemon.^1206 The most characteristic

words were required by the nature of the new topics handled and the heresy combated, such as

"knowledge falsely so called" (ψευδώνυμος γνῶσις, 1 Tim. 6:20) "healthful doctrine" (ὑγιαίνουσα

διδασκαλία, 1 Tim. 1:10); "Jewish myths" (Tit. 1:14); "genealogies" (Tit. 3:9); "profane babblings"

(2 Tim. 2:16). Paul’s mind was uncommonly fertile and capable of adapting itself to varying,

conditions, and had to create in some measure the Christian idiom. The Tübingen critics profess

the highest admiration for his genius, and yet would contract his vocabulary to a very small compass.

Finally, the peculiarities of style are counterbalanced by stronger resemblances and unmistakable

evidences of Pauline authorship. "There are flashes of the deepest feeling, outbursts of the most

intense expression. There is rhythmic movement and excellent majesty in the doxologies, and the

ideal of a Christian pastor drawn not only with an unfaltering hand, but with a beauty, fulness, and

were temporary, and they simply act as authoritative delegates of the Apostle of the Gentiles. Nor is there any trace of exalted

pretensions in the overseers whom they appoint. The qualifications required of them are almost exclusively moral." Comp. also

some good remarks of Prof. Wace, in the Speaker’s Com. on the New Test., III. 764, where it is justly said that the church polity

in the Pastoral Epistles represents an intermediate stage between the Presbyterian episcopacy of the earlier apostolic period and

the post-apostolic episcopacy.

(^1205) This philological argument was begun by Schleiermacher, but confined to First Timothy, and was carried out, with reference
to all three Epistles, by Holtzmann, l.c., ch. VI., pp. 84-118. I will give his results. The Pastoral Epistles have, in all, 897 words.
Of these there are 169 Hapaxlegomena not found in the New Testament, namely:
(a) 74 in First Timothy, such as ἀγαθοεργεῖν. ἁγνεία, ἀδηλότης, ἀνδραποδιστής , ἄδροφόνος, ἐτεροδιδασκαλεῖν, θεοσέβεια,
καταστολή, πλέγμα, ορισμός , φιλαργυρία, ψευδολόγος, ψευδώνυμος.
(b) 46 in Second Timothy, e.g ., ἀγωγή, ἀθλεῖν, βέλτιον, μεμβράνα, ὀρθοτομεῖν, πραγματεία, φιλόθεος.
(c) 28 in Titus, e, g.,αἱρετικός , ἀκατάγνωστος, ἀφθορία, ἀψευδής , καλοδιδάσκαλος, ματαιολόγος , πρεσβύτις, σωτήριος
, φιλάγαθος, φίλανδρος (παλινγενεσία, Tit. 3:5, occurs also Matt. 19:28, but in a different sense).
(d) 21 common to two or three Past. Epp., e g,διάβολος, (as adjective), ἀνόσιος , διδακτικός, κενοφωνία, νομίμως ,
παραθήκη, γενεαλογία, εὐσεβῶς.
(^1206) Farrar (II. 611) affirms that there are no less than 111 peculiar terms in Romans, 180 in Corinthians, 57 in Galatians, 54 in
Phillipians, 6 in Philemon. Luke’s peculiar vocabulary is especially rich; he uses, as Holtzmann observes (p. 96), 34 words in
common with the Pastoral Epistles, and has, besides, 82 words not found in Paul.
A.D. 1-100.