Having an appearance indeed of godliness, but denying the power thereof. Now these avoid.

“For virgins are a beautiful pattern to believers, and to those who shall believe. The name alone, indeed, without works, does not introduce into the kingdom of heaven; but, if a man be truly a believer, such an one can be saved. For, if a person be only called a believer in name, while he is not such in works, he cannot possibly be a believer. "Let no one," therefore, "lead you astray with the empty words of error." [Ephesians 5:6] For, merely because a person is called a virgin, if he be destitute of works excellent and comely, and suitable to virginity, he cannot possibly be saved. For our Lord called such virginity as that "foolish," as He said in the Gospel; [Matthew 25:2] and because it had neither oil nor light, it was left outside of the kingdom of heaven, and was shut out from the joy of the bridegroom, and was reckoned with His enemies. For such persons as these "have the appearance only of the fear of God, but the power of it they deny." [2 Timothy 3:5] For they "think with themselves that they are something, while they are nothing, and are deceived. But let every one constantly try his works," [Galatians 6:3-4] and know himself; for empty worship does he offer, whosoever he be that makes profession of virginity and sanctity, "and denies its power." For virginity of such a kind is impure, and disowned by all good works.”

“"Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof." In the Epistle to the Romans, he says somewhat on this wise, "Having the form of knowledge and of the truth in the law" (Rom. ii. 20), where he speaks in commendation of it: but here he speaks of this sin as an evil beyond all other defects. And why is this? Because he does not use the words in the same signification. For an image is often taken to signify a likeness; but sometimes a thing without life, and worthless. Faith therefore, without works, is fitly called a mere form without the power. For as a fair and florid body, when it has no strength, is like a painted figure, so is a right faith apart from works. For let us suppose any one to be "covetous, a traitor, heady," and yet to believe aright; of what advantage is it, if he wants all the qualities becoming a Christian, if he does not the works that characterize godliness, but outdoes the Greeks in impiety, when he is a mischief to those with whom he associates, causes God to be blasphemed, and the doctrine to be slandered by his evil deeds? "From such turn away," he says. But how is this, if men are to be so "in the latter times"? There were probably then such, in some degree at least, though not to the same excess. But, in truth, through him he warns all to turn away from such characters.”

“You heard just now, when that reading was read, that Simon Magus was baptized and yet did not lay aside his evil mind. He had the form of the sacrament, but the power of the sacrament he did not have. Listen to what the apostle says about the godless, "having," he says, "the form of godliness, while refusing its power." What is the form of godliness? The visible sacrament. What is the power of godliness? Invisible charity.”

“But if, again, they say that as being uncircumscribed it pervades all things both within and without, let them not blind themselves to the fact that they are both introducing polytheism and imagining an equality with God. For this property pertains to none except the uncreated Deity who created and fashioned the universe. So then, professing themselves to be wise, they become fools, as says the blessed Paul the Apostle, having changed the glory of the uncircumscribed Deity to their own created souls, thus appropriating to themselves the glory due to God. They must therefore in every way be avoided. For, saith the Apostle, from those turn away who hold an outward form of godliness but deny the power thereof.”

“He above instructed him how he might resist present tribulations and dangers; here he shows how he may stand against future ones. And first he foretells the future dangers; second he shows his own fitness for resisting, at the place *you, however, have followed*; third he shows how he is to resist, at the place *I testify*. Concerning the first he does two things: first he foretells the dangers of the last times; second he shows how their vices are also to be avoided even now, at the place *and avoid these*. Likewise the first is divided into two: first he foretells that there will be dangers in the last times; second, the cause of the dangers, at the place *and men will be*. He says therefore: I said, *avoid profane things*, etc.; but these are not only to be avoided now, but in the future certain other things also remain to be avoided. And they are called the last days, because they are near to the last day. Jn. 5:55: *I will raise him up on the last day*. Gen. 49:1: *Gather together, that I may announce to you the things that are to come in the last days*. And he adds *dangerous times will be at hand*, etc. Matt. 24:9: *You will be hated by all nations because of my name*. The cause of these things is the abundance of iniquity, Matt. 24:12: *because iniquity has abounded, the charity of many will grow cold*, since faith and charity will either be nullified or perish entirely; for the more a thing is removed from its principle, the more it fails. And therefore in that time faith and charity will fail all the more, because they are removed further from Christ. Lk. 18:8: *When the Son of man comes, do you think he will find faith on the earth?* And concerning this he first sets down the root of iniquity; second, its diverse species. Now the root of all iniquity is love of oneself. A twofold love makes a twofold city. But against this: everyone naturally loves himself. I respond. It must be said that in man there are two things, namely a rational nature and a corporeal one. As to the intellectual or rational nature, which is called the inner man, as is said in 2 Cor. 4:16, man ought to love himself more than all others, because he would be foolish who would wish to sin in order to draw others back from sins; but as to the outer man, it is praiseworthy that he love others more than himself. Hence those who love themselves only in this way are blameworthy. Phil. 2:21: *All seek the things that are their own, not the things that are of Jesus Christ*. From this root the species of iniquity are diverse. Hence he says *covetous, haughty*, etc. And concerning this he does three things: first he sets down the sins that consist in the abuse of external things; second, those that pertain to a man's disorder toward others, at the place *blasphemers*; third, those toward himself, at the place *without self-control*. Now there are two things in external matters, namely abundance of riches, and excellence of goods. As to the first he says *covetous*. And covetousness is set down first, because it is the root of all evils. Or it is close to love of oneself, which is directed toward external goods. As to the second he says *haughty*. Haughtiness is a species of pride, of which there are four: one, when someone attributes to himself that which he lacks. The second, when he attributes to himself what he has from another, as if he had it from himself. 1 Cor. 4:7: *What do you have that you have not received?*, etc. The third, when he attributes to himself what he has from another, but as by his own merits. Lk. 18:12: *I fast twice in the week*, etc. The fourth, when he singularly wishes to appear above all, and this is haughtiness. Ps. 130:1: *Lord, my heart is not exalted*, etc. What he says, *proud*, is reduced to the other species of pride. Jas. 4:6: *God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble*. Consequently he sets down the vices with respect to others. And first with respect to superiors; second with respect to equals, at the place *wicked*. The superior is threefold, namely God; and against him he says *blasphemers*. Is. 1:4: *They have forsaken the Lord, they have blasphemed the Holy One of Israel, they are alienated and gone backward*. Likewise parents; and with respect to this he says *disobedient to parents*. 1 Kings 15:23: *To resist is as the sin of divination, and to refuse to obey is as the crime of idolatry*. Prov. 30:17: *The eye that mocks a father, and that despises the childbearing of its mother, let the ravens of the torrents dig it out, and let the young eagles eat it*. Likewise a benefactor as such; and with respect to this he says *ungrateful*. Ps. 37:21: *Who repay evils for goods*, etc. Col. 3:15: *Be grateful*. Wis. 16:29: *For the hope of the ungrateful shall melt away like winter ice, and shall perish like superfluous water*. Then he sets down the evils that are toward an equal and a neighbor, and they are three. The first pertains to deed; hence he says *wicked*, that is, those who perpetrate grave crimes against their neighbors. Is. 1:4: *Woe to the sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a wicked seed, wicked children*, etc. The second pertains to affection; hence he says *without affection*, that is, without the affection of charity, and without peace. Third, with respect to word; hence he says *slanderers*. Lev. 19:16: *You shall not be a slanderer, nor a whisperer among the people*. Likewise with respect to himself he shows certain other things in three ways: first with respect to the corruption of the concupiscible appetite, second the irascible, third the rational. As to the first he says *without self-control*. Hence one is called without self-control who does not hold himself to a good purpose on account of depraved desires. Ecclus. 26:20: *But no weighing is worthy of a continent soul*. As to the irascible appetite he properly says *harsh*, that is, not meek; for this meekness moderates the passions of anger. Matt. 11:29: *Learn from me, because I am meek and humble of heart*. Ps. 24:9: *He will teach the meek his ways*. Likewise he sets down another thing that pertains to the effect of the irascible appetite, namely the exclusion of kindness; hence he says *without kindness*. For this is natural, that when one of two contraries dominates, it excludes the other. Eph. 4:32: *Be kind to one another*. Then he sets down the vices that pertain to the corruption of the rational power. Now this power is perfected by prudence; but to prudence is opposed one vice through the abuse of prudence, and another through its privation, and he sets down both. As to the first he says *traitors*. Now sagacity pertains to prudence, which some abuse unto evil, and these are traitors. Prov. 11:13: *He who walks deceitfully reveals secrets*. Likewise constancy, which some abuse while they persist obstinately in evil; hence he says *obstinate*. Prov. 3:5: *Lean not upon your own prudence*. Then he sets down the vices that pertain to the privation of prudence. And first he sets down the cause of the privation; hence he says *puffed up*. For the proud are inflated in their doings, because they do not measure their own strength, and therefore they fail. Prov. 11:2: *Where pride is, there also shall be reproach; but where humility is, there also is wisdom*. Second he sets down the effect of the privation, because they prefer temporal things to eternal; hence he says *lovers of pleasures more than of God*. Is. 13:22: *Sirens in the shrines of pleasure*. But is it the same thing to be without self-control, and to be a lover of pleasures? I respond. It must be said that it is not, because properly he is called without self-control who has hope of fleeing them, but is overcome by them; but properly the lover of them is the intemperate man, who has a corrupted judgment. Consequently he sets down pretense, saying, *having indeed the appearance of piety* — 2 Cor. 11:13: *deceitful workers* — *but denying its power*, namely the power of piety, which is said here in two ways. In one way, the very force of piety, that is, its power; hence he says *denying*, that is, not having the truth. Titus 1:16: *They confess that they know God, but in their deeds they deny him*. In another way, because the power of a thing is said to be that on which the whole thing depends. But the whole power of piety depends on charity, therefore he says *its power*, namely charity, *denying*.”

“Having a form of godliness,.... Either a mere external show of religion, pretending great piety and holiness, being outwardly righteous before men, having the mask and visor of godliness; or else a plan of doctrine, a form of sound words, a scheme of truths, which men may have without partaking of the grace of God; and which, with respect to the doctrine of the Trinity, the church of Rome has; or else the Scriptures of truth, which the members of that church have, and profess to hold to, maintain and preserve; and which contains doctrines according to godliness, and tend to a godly life and godly edification: but denying the power thereof; though in words they profess religion and godliness, the fear of God, and the pure worship of him, yet in works they deny all; and though they may have a set of notions in their heads, yet they feel nothing of the power of them on their hearts; and are strangers to experimental religion, and powerful godliness: or though they profess the Scriptures to be the word of God, yet they deny the use, the power, and efficacy of them; they deny the use of them to the laity, and affirm that they are not a sufficient rule of faith and practice, without their unwritten traditions; and that they are not able to make men wise, or give them a true knowledge of what is to be believed and done, without them; and that the sense of them is not to be understood by private men, but depends upon the infallible judgment of the church or pope: from such turn away; have no fellowship with them, depart from their communion, withdraw from them, and come out from among them: this passage sufficiently justifies the reformed churches in their separation from the church of Rome.”

“Having a form of godliness - The original word μορφωσις signifies a draught, sketch, or summary, and will apply well to those who have all their religion in their creed, confession of faith, catechism, bodies of divinity, etc., while destitute of the life of God in their souls; and are not only destitute of this life, but deny that such life or power is here to be experienced or known. They have religion in their creed, but none in their hearts. And perhaps to their summary they add a decent round of religious observances. From such turn away - not only do not imitate them, but have no kind of fellowship with them; they are a dangerous people, and but seldom suspected, because their outside is fair.”

“Having an appearance indeed of piety, in some things, as we may see heretics affect to be thought more exact than the Catholics in some things, by which the devil more easily deceives souls, but denying by their lives the power, virtue, and force of piety. (Witham) — These avoid. St. Paul having in the preceding verses described the vices and enormities which were to reign in the world in the latter days, here warns Timothy, that already people given to such extravagancies were in the world, and that consequently in regard to Timothy, those days were already come. (St. Chrysostom; Theophylactus, &c.) — How many crimes are covered with the cloak of knowledge, and the exterior of piety, and what mischief arises to religion from such base and hypocritical conduct: it cannot be too severely attacked, as we see in Christ’s comportment towards the Pharisees.”