Thomas Aquinas, on 1Tim 5:21

“I charge thee before God, and Christ Jesus, and the elect angels, that thou observe these things without prejudice, doing nothing by declining to either side.”

“Then he says, I charge you, before God. Because the ecclesiastical judge acts in God's person in a special way when he judges; therefore, he charges him before God to judge justly. For he must argue his case in public in such a way that he does not scorn God's judgment. On this point he reminds him of three things: first, God's authority, because God the Father will judge him with authority; hence he says, before God: you shall judge the whole earth (Gen 18:25). Second, Christ as man will be sitting as judge: he has given him power to do judgment, because he is the Son of man (John 5:27). Hence he says, and Christ Jesus. Third, the angels will be ministers: when the Son of man shall come in his majesty and all the angels with him, then he shall sit upon the throne of his majesty (Matt 25:31); that is why he adds, and the elect angels: you renew your witnesses against me (Job 10:17). Then when he says, observe these things without prejudice, he warns him against rash judgment, saying, without prejudice, i.e., that he should not proceed rashly but with deliberation, doing nothing by declining to either side. Or without prejudice, i.e., without previous discussion: do no important thing without judgment (Sir 33:30); the cause which I knew not, I searched out most diligently (Job 29:16); otherwise, you will not be acting as mediator between two parties: you shall not go aside in the poor man's judgment (Exod 23:6).”

Imported from an open dataset — not yet checked against the printed edition.