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What the Fathers say
Eastern Fathers
John Chrysostom
Therefore he asks, "if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the Church of God?" For the Church is, as it were, a small household, and as in a house there are children and wife and domestics, and the man has rule over them all; just so in the Church there are women, children, servants. And if he that presides in the Church has partners in his power, so hath the man a partner, that is, his wife. Ought the Church to provide for her widows and virgins? …
Theophylact of Ohrid
A household is nothing other than a small church. Therefore, if he cannot be a good ruler of what is not great, and is easily defined, and easily known, then how can he govern the characters and thoughts — unimaginable — of so many souls? Worthy of attention is the question of why the apostle, while making such demands of laypeople: "Put to death your earthly members" (Col. 3:5), and again: "Those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh" (Gal. …
Oecumenius
If anyone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for the church of God? Whatever the bishops commanded in these strict matters, not drunkenness, not being violent, but moderation and the like, he who commanded the disciples, "Put to death the members of your body on the earth;" (Col. 3:5) and, "Are some who crucified the flesh of Christ?" (Gal. 5:24) And Christ commanded to take up the cross and follow Him for all. (Matt. …
Western Saints
Thomas Aquinas
Then when he says, but if a man does not know, he gives the reason for his admonition. For it might be said: if a bishop rules his family well, what does that have to do with his care of the community? And so he says, if a man does not know how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the Church of God? He that is faithful in that which is least, is faithful also in that which is greater (Luke 16:10). Yet it frequently happens that some cannot govern a small family well, but do well in large families. …
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