| I Timothy 6:20
| O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding the profane novelties of words, and oppositions of knowledge falsely so called,
| O Timothy, keep that which is committed{ Ver. 20. Depositum custodi, ten parakatatheken phulaxon. See St. Chrysostom on these words.|} to thy trust. He does not mean his charge of bishop, nor the graces of God, but the true and sound doctrine delivered to him either by writing or word of mouth, according to the common interpretation. See St. Chrysostom, Vincentius Lirinensis, Commonitorii, ch. XVII. This is confirmed by the following words, avoiding the profane novelties{ Ver. 20. Profanas vocum novitates; though all the Greek copies have now kenophonias, vocum inanitates: the Latin interpreter must have read, kainophonias.|} of words: (in the Greek empty, vain, babbling). The apostle here condemns new words, which change the doctrine; but sometimes to express the ancient doctrine, new words may be found necessary, as those of trinity, incarnation, consubstantiality, transubstantiation, etc. as St. Athanasius, St. Augustine, and others observed. See 2 Timothy 1:14. --- Oppositions of knowledge falsely so{ Ver. 20. Falsi nominis scientiae, pseudonuma gnoseos. St. Chrysostom, (log. ie.) tines eautous ekaloun tote Gnostikous.|} called. St. Chrysostom understands in particular the errors of the Gnostics, so called from the same Greek word, who were the successors of Simon Magus. But they perhaps not having the name when St. Paul wrote, we may rather understand heretics in general, who all pretend to an uncommon knowledge in Scriptures, when they follow their own private judgment, and so fall from the faith. (Witham) --- Keep the deposit, viz. of faith, which has been committed to thee. Throughout this whole epistle the apostle beseeches Timothy, in the most earnest manner, as a guardian of the faith, to preserve it without change. He every where condemns sects, heresies, and changes in faith. It would be well for the modern religionists, to inform us and themselves, why St. Paul is so particular in insisting upon union of faith, under pain of damnation, if it was the intention of Christ that men should differ on questions of religion. Let them tell us what St. Paul means, or else say plainly that they differ from the apostle's religion, and have formed theirs upon a more liberal scale. (Haydock)
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