Meditate upon these things. — Better rendered, be diligent in these things. With these words St. Paul closes this division of his solemn directions to his chosen disciple and representative at Ephesus. He must dwell on these things and must be diligent in their practice: he must show himself active and industrious as a public teacher, and must also order his life so as to be an example to his fellow-believers.
Give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all. — More accurately rendered, thy advance (or thy progress) may be manifest to all. To these points — his public teaching and his public example — he must give ceaseless attention, that the Christian brotherhood of the Church over which he presided should be enabled constantly to see what progress their chief pastor was making in Christian experience and life. The word we have translated “advance” or “progress” reminds Christian ministers and teachers of St. Paul’s grave words to Timothy — and, through Timothy, to all occupying any position of authority in the congregations — that there must be no standing still, no resting content with knowledge already acquired, no being satisfied with the present spiritual life; there must be a restless striving after the acquirement of new stores of knowledge, ever deeper and more accurate; there must be a ceaseless endeavour to attain to a higher eminence in the spiritual life; and, if the minister or teacher would be successful, the result of these efforts must be manifest to the brethren with whom his lot was cast.