Thomas Aquinas, on 1Tim 4:6

“These things proposing to the brethren, thou shalt be a good minister of Christ Jesus, nourished up in the words of faith, and of the good doctrine which thou hast attained unto.”

“Above, he rejected superstitious abstinence from goods; here he commands Timothy to propose this teaching to the brethren: first, he shows what he should propose; second, what he should avoid, at but avoid foolish and old wives' fables. In regard to the first he proposes two reasons why he should propose the foregoing: first, by reason of the office entrusted to him; second, by reason of his education. He says, therefore: proposing these things which I have mentioned above, namely, that every creature is good, and that nothing is to be rejected that is received with thanksgiving (1 Tim 4:4), to the brethren, you shall be a good minister of Christ Jesus. For Timothy was appointed to the office of Christ's minister; because everyone in the office of preaching and ruling is established as a minister of Christ: let a man so account of us as of the ministers of Christ, and the dispensers of the mysteries of God (1 Cor 4:1). Now a good minister is one who pursues his master's aim; but Christ taught in Matthew: not that which goes into the mouth defiles a man (Matt 15:11). Therefore, Timothy's office requires that he teach this. Furthermore, his education requires this: a young man according to his way; even when he is old, he will not depart from it (Prov 22:6). Therefore, it is unbecoming for anyone nourished by true doctrine to depart from it. Hence to depart from the doctrine with which the Church instructs her children is not the mark of a good minister of Christ; that is why he says, nourished in the words of faith and of the good doctrine. For God's word is the spiritual nourishment by which the soul is sustained, as the body is by food: not in bread alone does man live, but in every word that proceeds from the mouth of God (Matt 4:4). This word of faith instructs one, first of all, in regard to what is to be believed; and so he says, nourished in the words of faith; second, in regard to what one should do; therefore, he continues, and of the good doctrine. Or, the words of faith, which even the simple have; and of the good doctrine, which spiritual teachers preach.”

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