Commentaries:
Adam Clarke
An eighth article in his character is, he must not be given to wine; . This word not only signifies one who is inordinately attached to wine, a winebibber or tippler, but also one who is imperious, abusive, insolent, whether through wine or otherwise. Kypke contends for this latter acceptation here. See his proofs and examples.
Ninth - He must be no striker; , not quarrelsome; not ready to strike a person who may displease him; no persecutor of those who may differ from him; not prone, as one wittily said,
"To Proverbs his doctrine orthodox
By apostolic blows and knocks."
It is said of Bishop Bonner, of infamous memory, that, when examining the poor Protestants whom he termed heretics, when worsted by them in argument he was used to smite them with his fists, and sometimes scourge and whip them. But though he was a most ignorant and consummate savage, yet from such a scripture as this he might have seen the necessity of surrendering his mitre.
Tenth - He must not be greedy of filthy lucre; , not desirous of base gain; not using base and unjustifiable methods to raise and increase his revenues; not trading or trafficking; for what would be honorable in a secular character, would be base and dishonorable in a bishop. Though such a trait should never appear in the character of a Christian prelate, yet there is much reason to suspect that the words above are not authentic; they are omitted by ADFG, many others, the Syriac, all the Arabic, Coptic, (and Sahidic), Ethiopic, Armenian, later Syriac, (but it appears in the margin), the Vulgate and Itala, and by most of the Greek fathers. Griesbach has left it out of the text, in which it does not appear that it ever had a legitimate place. The word covetous, which we have below, expresses all the meaning of this; and it is not likely that the apostle would insert in the same sentence two words of the same meaning, because they were different in sound. It appears to have been borrowed from I Timothy 3:8.
Eleventh - He must be patient; , meek, gentle; the opposite to , a quarrelsome person, which it immediately follows when the spurious word is removed. Where meekness and patience do not reign, gravity cannot exist, and the love of God cannot dwell.
Twelfth - He must not be a brawler; , not contentious or litigious, but quiet and peaceable.
Thirteenth - He must not be covetous; , not a lover of money; not desiring the office for the sake of its emoluments. He who loves money will stick at nothing in order to get it. Fair and foul methods are to him alike, provided they may be equally productive. For the sake of reputation he may wish to get all honourably; but if that cannot be, he will not scruple to adopt other methods. A brother heathen gives him this counsel: "Get money if thou canst by fair means; if not, get it by hook and by crook."
Other Adam Clarke entries containing 1 Timothy 3:3:
1 Timothy 3:8
2 Timothy 2:24
1 Peter 5:2
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