Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil.
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Augustine of Hippo
AD 430
What does Paul mean by saying “or he may be puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil”? It doesn’t mean he is to be judged by the devil but that he is to be condemned with the devil. The devil, after all, won’t be our judge. He himself fell through pride. Like him, one who has become godless on account of pride will be condemned to everlasting fire. We are to consider carefully, Paul is saying, to whom a position of eminence is given in the church, lest the person being lifted up should through pride fall into the very judgment into which the devil fell. ..
His ank should not aouse feelings of pide in the supeio, lest he himself lose the blessing pomised to humility o “lest being puffed up with pide he fall into the judgment of the devil.” The Long Rules, q...
Not a neophyte. Not one newly as it were planted, or newly instructed in the faith. (Witham)
That is, one lately baptized, a young convert. (Challoner)
He fall into the judgment and condemnation of the devil, by returning to his evil habits he has so lately quitted. (Witham)
Devil; i.e. into the same punishment to which the devil is condemned; (Theodoret) or into the power of the devil, who will accuse him at the judgment. (Calmet)
Or again, seeing himself so soon after his conversion raised to the first dignities of the Church, might imitate in his pride the devil, who could not bear the weight of glory in which God had created him. (Bible de Vence)
Realize how evil pride is from the very fact that there is no excuse for it. Other vices harm only those who commit them. Pride inflicts far more injury on everyone. I am saying all this lest you consider pride a trifling sin. What, in fact, does the apostle say? “Lest he incur the condemnation passed on the devil.” The man who is puffed up with his own importance falls into the judgment of the devil.
Indeed, nothing so estranges from the mercy of God and gives over to the fire of hell as the tyranny of pride…. Therefore, let us check this puffing up of the soul, and let us cut out this tumor, if we wish to be pure and be rid of the punishment prepared for the devil. Listen to Paul declaring that the proud must suffer those very penalties: “Not a new convert, lest he be puffed up with pride and incur the condemnation passed on the devil.”
The point is not that the bishop cannot be a young man but that he must not be a new convert…. For if youth only was an objection, why did he himself appoint Timothy, a young man? … But since there were many then who came over from heathen cultures to be baptized, Paul says, “Do not immediately advance to a station of dignity a novice, that is, one of these new converts.” For, if even before he has proved himself as a disciple he is made a teacher, he will soon be lifted up into insolence.
Not a novice. He does not say, not a young man, but not a new convert. For he had said, I have planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. 1 Corinthians 3:6 Wishing them to point out such an one, he used this word. For, otherwise, what hindered him from saying, Not a young man? For if youth only was an objection, why did he himself appoint Timothy, a young man? (and this he proves by saying to him, Let no man despise your youth.) 1 Timothy 4:12 Because he was aware of his great virtue, and his great strictness of life. Knowing which he writes, From a child you have learned the holy Scriptures. 2 Timothy 3:15 And that he practiced intense fasting is proved by the words, Use a little wine for your frequent infirmities; which he wrote to him among other things, as, if he had not known of such good works of his, he would not have written, nor given any such charge to his disciple. But as there were many then who came over from the Heathen, and were baptized, he says, Do not immedi...
Let him therefore be sober, prudent, decent, firm, stable, not given to wine; no striker, but gentle; not a brawler, not covetous; "not a novice, test, being puffed up with pride, be fall into condemnation, and the snare of the devil: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abused.".
It is not right to ordain him bishop presently who is just come in from the Gentiles, and baptized; or from a wicked mode of life: for it is unjust that he who has not yet afforded any trial of himself should be a teacher of others, unless it anywhere happens by divine grace.
