SEV Biblia, Chapter 3:6
no un nefito, para que inflndose no caiga en juicio del diablo.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - 1 Timothy 3:6
Verse 6. Fifteenth. - It is required that he be not a novice] neofuton? Not a young plant, not recently ingrafted, that is, one not newly converted to the faith; (old MS. Bible;) one who has been of considerable standing in the Christian Church, if he have the preceding qualifications, may be safely trusted with the government of that Church. It is impossible that one who is not long and deeply experienced in the ways of God can guide others in the way of life. Hence presbyters or elders were generally appointed to have the oversight of the rest, and hence presbyter and bishop seem to have been two names for the same office; yet all presbyters or elders certainly were not bishops, because all presbyters had not the qualifications marked above. But the apostle gives another reason: Lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil. It is natural for man to think himself of more importance than his fellows when they are intrusted to his government. The apostle's term tufwqeiv, puffed up, inflated, is a metaphor taken from a bladder when filled with air or wind. It is a substance, has a certain size, is light, can be the sport of the wind, but has nothing in it but air. Such is the classical coxcomb; a mere puffball, a disgrace to his function, and despised by every intelligent man. Should we not say to those whom it may concern, "From such apostles, O ye mitred heads, Preserve the Church; and lay not careless hands On skulls that cannot teach, and will not learn." From these words of the apostle we are led to infer that pride or self-conceit was the cause of the devil's downfall. In Ecclus. x. there are some excellent sayings concerning pride: "Pride is hurtful before God and man."Why is earth and ashes proud?"The beginning of pride is when one departeth from God."For pride is the beginning of sin; and he that hath it shall pour out abomination."PRIDE was not made for MEN." See verses 7, 9, 12, 13, and 18, of the above chapter.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 6. Not a novice , etc.] Or one newly planted, the Arabic version adds, in the faith; meaning not a young man, for so was Timothy himself; but a young professor and church member; one that is lately come to the knowledge of the truth, and has just embraced and professed it, and become a member of a church, a new plant there: so the Hebrew word [jn , a plant, is by the Septuagint in ( Job 14:9) rendered by this very word. The reason why such a person should not be a bishop, elder, or pastor of a church, is, lest being lifted up with pride ; through the dignity of the office he is advanced to, and the high opinion of men he stands in, and the great gifts qualifying him for such a place, he is supposed to have: for pride on account of these is apt to creep in, and swell and elate the minds of young professors especially; so that there is danger that he fall into the condemnation of the devil ; or of the slanderer, as the word is rendered in ( 1 Timothy 3:11) and the sense then is, lest he should be censured and condemned by such who are given to calumny and detraction, and are glad of any opportunity to reproach and vilify the ministers of the word: but it is better to understand it of Satan; and then the meaning is, either lest such an one fall under the censure and condemnation of the accuser of the brethren; or rather lest he fall into the same condemnation and punishment the devil is fallen into, their crimes being alike. For it seems from hence, that pride was the first sin of the devil, and the cause of his apostasy from God; being elated with his own knowledge, strength, and dignity; and not being able to bear it, that the human nature should be advanced above that of angels.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-7 - If a man desired the pastoral office, and from love to Christ, and the souls of men, was ready to deny himself, and undergo hardships by devoting himself to that service, he sought to be employed in a goo work, and his desire should be approved, provided he was qualified for the office. A minister must give as little occasion for blame as can be, lest he bring reproach upon his office. He must be sober temperate, moderate in all his actions, and in the use of all creature-comforts. Sobriety and watchfulness are put together i Scripture, they assist one the other. The families of ministers ough to be examples of good to all other families. We should take heed of pride; it is a sin that turned angels into devils. He must be of goo repute among his neighbours, and under no reproach from his forme life. To encourage all faithful ministers, we have Christ's graciou word of promise, Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world, Mt 28:20. And he will fit his ministers for their work, an carry them through difficulties with comfort, and reward their faithfulness.
Greek Textus Receptus
μη 3361 νεοφυτον 3504 ινα 2443 μη 3361 τυφωθεις 5187 5685 εις 1519 κριμα 2917 εμπεση 1706 5632 του 3588 διαβολου 1228
Vincent's NT Word Studies
6. Novice (neofuton). N.T.o . From neov new and futon a plant. Comp. 1 Corinthians iii. 6, 7; Matthews xv. 13. Hence, a new convert, a neophyte. Comp. in LXX Job xiv. 9; Psalm cxxvii. 3; cxliii. 12; Isa. v. 7. Chrysostom explains it as newly catechised (neokathchtov); but a neophyte differed from a catechumen in having received baptism. Better the ancient Greek interpreters, newly baptized (neobaptistov). After the ceremony of baptism the neophytes wore white garments for eight days, from Easter eve until the Sunday after Easter, which was called Dominica in albis, the Sunday in white. The Egyptian archives of Berlin give neofutov a Fayum papyrus of the second century A. D., of newly - planted palm trees. Comp. LXX, Psalm cxxvii. 3: "Thy sons as neofuta ejlaiwn plants of olives."
Being lifted up with pride (tufwqeiv). Only in the Pastorals. See ch. vi. 4; 2 Tim. iii. 4. The verb means primarily to make a smoke: hence, metaphorically, to blind with pride or conceit. Neither A.V. nor Rev. puffied up, preserves the radical sense, which is the sense here intended - a beclouded and stupid state of mind as the result of pride.
Fall into condemnation (eiv krima empesh). Krima in N.T. usually means judgment. The word for condemnation is katakrima. See especially Rom. v. 16, where the two are sharply distinguished. Comp. Matthews vii. 2; Acts xxiv. 25; Rom. ii. 2; v. 18; 1 Cor. vi. 7. However, krima occasionally shades off into the meaning condemnation, as Romans iii. 8; Jas. iii. 1. See on go to law, 1 Cor. vi. 7, and on 1 Corinthians xi. 29. Krima is a Pauline word; but the phrase ejmpiptein eijv krima to fall into judgment is found only here.
Of the devil (tou diabolou). See on Matthews iv. 1, and on Satan, 1 Thessalonians ii. 18. Paul uses diabolov only twice, Eph. iv. 27; vi. 11. Commonly Satan. The use of diabolov as an adjective is peculiar to the Pastorals (see 1 Tim. iii. 11; 2 Tim. iii. 3; Tit. ii. 3), and occurs nowhere else in N.T., and not in LXX. The phrase judgment of the devil probably means the accusing judgment of the devil, and not the judgment passed upon the devil. In Apoc. xii. 10 Satan is called the accuser of the brethren. In 1 Cor. v. 5; 1 Tim. i. 20, men are given over to Satan for judgment. In ver. 7 the genitive diabolou is clearly subjective. In this chapter it appears that a Christian can fall into the reproach of the devil (comp. Jude 9; 2 Pet. ii. 11), the snare of the devil (comp. 2 Timothy ii. 26), and the judgment of the devil.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
3:6 {Not a novice} (me neofuton). Our "neophyte." Vernacular word from Aristophanes on, in LXX, and in papyri in the original sense of "newly-planted" (neos, fuw). Only here in N.T. {Lest} (hina me). "That not." {Being puffed up} (tufwqeis). First aorist passive participle of tufow, old word (from tufos, smoke, pride), to raise a smoke or mist (a smoke-screen of pride). In N.T. only here; #6:4; 2Ti 3:4. {He fall into} (empesei eis). Second aorist active subjunctive with hina me, negative purpose, of empiptw, old verb, to fall into. Note both en and eis as in #Mt 12:11; Lu 10:36. {The condemnation of the devil} (krima tou diabolou). See #Ro 3:8 for krima. Best to take tou diabolou as objective genitive, though subjective in verse #7, "the condemnation passed on or received by the devil" (not just "the slanderer," any slanderer).
