ACC ~ 1 Timothy 4 v7a

PROVIDE HONORABLE INTERPRETATIONS. ORIGEN: Let the church of God, therefore, in this spiritual wayunderstand the births, in this way receive the procreations, in this way uphold the deeds of the fathers with a fitting and honorable interpretation and in this way not disgrace the words of the Holy Spirit with foolish rabbinic fables but reckon them to be full of honor, full of virtue and usefulness. HOMILIES ON GENESIS 6.3.

USING WHAT IS SEASONABLE. CHRYSOSTOM: By these are meant Jewish traditions, and he calls them “fables,” either because of their falsehood or their unseasonableness. For what is seasonable is useful, but what is unseasonable is not only useless but injurious. HOMILIES ON 1 TIMOTHY 12.

FALSELY READING THE LAW. THEODORET OF CYR: “Godless wives tales” are Jewish speculations in the form of false interpretations of the law and its proper observance. INTERPRETATION OF THE FIRST LETTER TO TIMOTHY.

CHRISTIAN APOCRYPHA. THEODORE OF MOPSUESTIA: Paul is here rejecting apocryphal books that profess to contain his teaching or that of other apostles but that are really misrepresentations of that teaching. COMMENTARY ON 1 TIMOTHY.

1 Tim