1 Timothy Series - Part 12

“Elders—Good and Bad”

1 Timothy 5:17-25 (Message #12 in 1 Timothy Series)

INTRODUCTION:

            “Nobody’s perfect” they say, and it is true. There is no perfect human being alive today. Adam was perfect for a little while, until he sinned, but then he fell from grace and condemned the whole human race to inheriting a sin nature. And Jesus was perfect but He is no longer on the earth, He is in Heaven. And besides, look what they did to Him!

            No, there is no human who is “perfect” but the Scriptures put the bar pretty high for those who are called into the Lord’s service, to lead His Church, and to care for His Flock, the people of God. Leaders especially are held to a higher standard, because along with the honour and authority comes accountability. And when they screw up or fall into sin there are serious consequences to be reckoned with.

TRANSITION:

            Throughout this study of the book of 1 Timothy we have heard Paul talk a lot about the role of “elder.” That is because one of his purposes in writing to Timothy was to give clear instruction about the kind of men that Timothy should look for to become elders in the Ephesian church. Part of Timothy’s role as the pastor of that church was to raise-up godly leaders to assist him in the shepherding and administration of the church. The NT pattern for leadership is not autocracy but shared leadership.

MAIN BODY:

Verse 17: The elders who rule well are to be considered worthy of double honour, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching. 

• “The elders who rule well” According to 3:4-5 this is an important qualification for any elder, that he know how to lead, govern, manage, and direct in a proper way. And 3:2 says that he should also be able to teach and preach. Moreover, in Romans 12:8 Paul says that those who lead should do it “with diligence.” And in 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13 he tells the believers in Thessalonica to “appreciate those who diligently labour among them, and have charge over them in the Lord, and give them instruction…that they esteem [these leaders] very highly in love because of their work.” But those who did these things “well” and excelled in leadership were to be “counted worthy of double honour, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching.” 
• “…are to be considered worthy of double honour” Most people who read this automatically think of money/salary. But the Greek word for “honour” that Paul uses has two meanings: (1) Honour/respect for ruling well; and (2) Remuneration/compensation, meaning adequate pay for their diligent care for the church. In the context I think he means both things. This is borne out by the two supporting quotes Paul uses in verse 18.

Verse 18: For the Scripture says, “You shall not muzzle the ox while he is threshing,” and “The labourer is worthy of his wages.”   

• Here Paul pulls one verse from the OT, from Deuteronomy 25:4, and the second from the NT, from the words of Jesus recorded in Luke 10:7. Muzzling kept the animal from eating while it worked, which was considered cruel. This ancient Jewish law encouraged kindness and consideration for animals, but more importantly, Paul uses this law as an analogy to support the principle of churches supporting the ministers of the Gospel. The words of Jesus make this principle even clearer. Jesus said that the servant of God is “worthy of his wages.” 
• One more thing…notice that Paul puts the Book of Deuteronomy and the Gospel of Luke on a par with one another by referring to them both as “Scripture.” This shows that the Early Church had already come to view NT writings as divine revelation, equal to the OT. 

Verse 19: Do not receive an accusation against an elder except on the basis of two or three witnesses. 

• Here Paul seeks to protect elders from malicious attacks by the command not to “receive an accusation” against an elder unless it could be fully substantiated, and that required at least two or three credible witnesses. This means not to even listen to such an accusation. This was also in line with the OT teaching found in Deut. 19:15, which was repeated by Jesus in Matthew 18:16. There had to be a minimum of two witnesses to corroborate any accusation of wrongdoing.
• Leaders are always in the crosshairs of criticism, and there are always a few wing-nuts running around who get a sadistic thrill out of attacking God’s servants, so every leader knows that a certain amount of criticism just goes with the territory. However, Paul says that any charges against elders must be factual and able to be substantiated, not based on a single opinion or upon mere rumour.

Verse 20: Those who continue in sin, rebuke in the presence of all, so that the rest also will be fearful of sinning. 

• “Those who continue in sin” The form of the verb here implies ongoing, persistent sin, not a one-time lapse on the part of the elder. Paul is specifically referring to elders who have been accused, tried, and found guilty in their leadership, whether in the local church, in their social life, or in their home life. They have been examined and confronted with their sinfulness, and yet are unrepentant and unwilling to admit their guilt and to turn from it. 
• “…rebuke in the presence of all” Paul says that in such a case they should bring the sin to light and expose it before all, including other elders and the church body. This public rebuke is to serve as a warning to other believers, so that they will be fearful of sinning in a similar way. An illustration of this principle is seen in Paul’s public rebuke of Peter, described in Galatians 2:11-14. “But when Cephas [Peter] came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned.  ¹² For prior to the coming of certain men from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he began to withdraw and hold himself aloof, fearing the party of the circumcision [i.e. Jewish Christians].  ¹³ The rest of the Jews joined him in hypocrisy; with the result that even Barnabas was carried away by their hypocrisy.  ¹⁴ But when I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the Gospel, I said to Cephas in the presence of all, “If you, being a Jew, live like the Gentiles and not like the Jews, how is it that you compel the Gentiles to live like Jews?” We know that this story ended with Peter repenting of his critical attitude. That is because a truly godly man when admonished publicly in this way will take the lesson to heart and turn from his sin. Proverbs 9:8 says, “So do not bother correcting mockers; they will only hate you. But correct the wise, and they will love you.” 
• In God’s eyes sin is serious business in the lives of all believers, but especially those in leadership. The principle is in James 3:1, “Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.” It is because of this principle that Paul says the rebuke of an elder should be done publicly, not in private. Otherwise, if the leader sins with impunity and gets away with it others will lose respect for the integrity of their other leaders and may even erroneously start justifying their own sins.

Verse 21: I solemnly charge you in the presence of God, and of Christ Jesus, and of His chosen angels, to maintain these principles without bias, doing nothing in a spirit of partiality. 

• Paul warns Timothy that it will not always be easy to stick to this plan.  What if the sinning brother is a close friend of yours? What if the elder is a family member? What if the guy is the biggest financial contributor in the church? What if he is a natural leader looked up to by half the congregation? Paul says, “Take care of business without bias or partiality. Do the right thing, even if it hurts and ticks people off, even if the guy threatens to leave the church and take half the members with him, even if his wife is the director of the women’s ministry and the Sunday School Superintendent, and even if he threatens you with a lawsuit if you make his sin public.” Paul charges Timothy in the presence of God the Father, and of Jesus, and of the holy angels around the throne. Now just offhand, I would say that Paul is pretty serious about this. What do you think?
• The reason Paul is so adamant about Timothy carrying out his duty is because of the temptation to sweep matters of personal sin under the rug. That is the coward’s way out and it never solves anything—it just postpones the inevitable showdown and makes things more difficult later on. Sin is like a huge thorn deep under the skin. It festers and causes pain and infection until it is finally cut out, allowing the wound to drain and heal.

Verse 22: Do not lay hands upon anyone too hastily and thereby share responsibility for the sins of others; keep yourself free from sin.  

• “Do not lay hands upon anyone too hastily and thereby share responsibility for the sins of others.” Bible scholars have interpreted this verse in two ways over the years. Both certainly have validity, although only one really fits with the context. (1) Some see this as a general instruction not to ordain a person who is unworthy of the office of elder, and in fact, a command to evaluate carefully anyone being considered for leadership. That is certainly true and is taught elsewhere. (2) However, in the context, I believe that this is a specific warning against being too hasty in restoring a leader who has fallen for one reason or another. Correction in love and restoration to fellowship should occur as soon as possible. However, restoration to leadership and responsibility should not be made without sufficient time to allow for biblical evaluation and the reestablishment of credibility. Those who rubber-stamp a fallen leader’s return to service before he has shown himself to be truly repentant and changed, share in his sin, pure and simple.
• “…and thereby share responsibility for the sins of others; keep yourself free from sin.” This is a caution from Paul to Timothy not to share responsibility for another person’s sins by restoring a fallen leader too quickly, or reappointing someone who has proven himself to be unqualified because of lack of leadership abilities, habitual sin, bad character, or unchristian attitudes.

Verse 23: [No longer drink water exclusively, but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments.] 

• This is sort of a parenthetical statement tucked in among the teachings about elders. Paul knew Timothy very well and he knew of Timothy’s intestinal and stomach problems. They had probably discussed this on previous occasions. This was a stressful subject and I know from personal experience that when I am faced with stress my stomach goes crazy too. I get intestinal issues and nausea when having to deal with conflicts and disagreements in the church. Apparently Timothy suffered with the same sorts of maladies. So, here in the midst of his instructions about elders Paul suddenly remembers something he had wanted to say to Timothy so he sticks this in. “No longer drink water exclusively.” Apparently Timothy was a total abstainer, a teetotaller. He only drank water. But in those days water was often filled with bacteria and other nasty stuff. That is why people often mixed their water and wine together, because the alcohol in the wine killed the “bugs” in the water. Maybe the water in Ephesus was causing Timothy some problems. For whatever reason, Paul offers him some fatherly advice and tells him to drink a “little wine” to help his stomach and to give relief from his “frequent ailments.” In the ancient world wine was one of the few effective medicines that they possessed (cf. Luke 10:34, the Good Samaritan used olive oil and wine on the man’s wounds). Besides its use as a nutritional beverage, wine served as an antiseptic for wounds and an analgesic (pain-killer) for surgery. Additionally, for the Romans wine was a recommended cure for mental disorders such as depression, memory loss and grief, as well as bodily ailments, from bloating, constipation, diarrhoea, gout, and halitosis to snakebites, tapeworms, urinary problems and vertigo. They thought it was truly a wonder drug.

Verses 24: The sins of some men are quite evident, going before them to judgment; for others, their sins follow after. 

• Here Paul picks up the subject again from verse 22, talking about the importance of Timothy keeping himself clear of other men’s sins. He points out that the sins of some men are very public and easy to spot, while others are better at hiding their sin. The principle, of course, is “By their fruits ye shall know them” (Matthew 7:16). Some men’s sins are open and obvious, and lead to the appropriate decision by the elders and the church; in the case of others, they will get their just desserts in the future. Either way, the evidence will eventually come to light, in this life or the next.

Verse 25: Likewise also, deeds that are good are quite evident, and those which are otherwise cannot be concealed. 

• Here Paul takes up the “flip-side.” There are good deeds that are seen and recognized and applauded. Appreciation is shown and honour is given. However there are also deeds that are good but that go unseen, unappreciated by men in this life. Paul says that even though men may not see them, God does, and He will reward them one day.

CONCLUSION:

            So here we are again, trying to figure out how to apply God’s Word to our lives in the 21^st Century. What are we to do with these verses? What do they teach us today about living for Christ in the church and in the world, and doing the work of the Gospel? Several principles come to my mind:

1. We should honour our spiritual leaders and also pay them well so that they will be freed up to do the work of the ministry. This always becomes an item for discussion when a congregation contemplates calling a new pastor and they have to put together a financial package to offer him. I would just say this: When that time comes do not be cheapskates. Do not be stingy and parsimonious.
2. We should hold our leaders accountable. That principle should guide us in the church as well as in society. Unfortunately, we are living in a time when we have lost confidence in leadership because we have let them run loose for so long that now we do not know how to rein them back in.  In the local church the congregation is the ultimate authority and has the right to hold leaders responsible and accountable.
3. We should not shy away from confronting sin, wherever it may be found. Nowadays, people are afraid to confront sin or even call it by its correct name. Instead we use euphemisms—“he slipped up,” “he had a lapse in judgment,” “she lost her way for a while,” “he is having a hard time.”
4. We should value forgiveness and restoration, but never at the expense of truth and holiness. The greatest good is the health and welfare of the Body of Christ, not the personal feelings of any individual. Cheap grace is no grace at all. Gratuitous forgiveness that is not tied to genuine repentance has no meaning and no value. Sin must be dealt with in a serious manner and we should not rush in to restoring a fallen brother or sister just because they seem to be sad and suffering.
5. We should be at least as concerned about our own personal holiness as we are about the conduct of others. All of us find it easy to cast stones at other sinners but we are all reluctant to confront, confess, and expose our own sinfulness. All real Kingdom-ministry grows out of personal holiness. Without it all we can produce is useless smoke and a bad smell rather than useful light and heat.