Accusations and Elders 1 Timothy 5:17-25

Back in October of 2011, I began to cover 1 Timothy 3 where Paul gives the offices and the qualifications for those offices that God has ordained to govern the Church.  How Does the Church Relate to its Pastor? has been a pretty popular post as it explores the nature of the office of Pastor. Paul gives us a little more insight into this relationship as he encourages young Pastor Timothy in Chapter 5.
Accusations and Elders – LESSON AUDIO
Here, he tells Timothy that churches should honor their pastors. ( as we noted in the study from 1 Timothy 3:1, Elder, Bishop (Overseer) and Pastor are interchangeable terms for the same office. See post What is a Bishop?)

1 Timothy 5:17-18  Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in the word and doctrine.  18  For the Scripture says, “YOU SHALL NOT MUZZLE AN OX WHILE IT TREADS OUT THE GRAIN,” and, “THE LABORER IS WORTHY OF HIS WAGES.”

Honor, as noted in the previous post in 1 Timothy 5:1-16, is respect and care. Here it is equated with paying the pastor for what he does. He says the same thing only with a little more gusto as he addresses the church at Corinth;

1 Corinthians 9:7-11  Who ever goes to war at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat of its fruit? Or who tends a flock and does not drink of the milk of the flock?  8  Do I say these things as a mere man? Or does not the law say the same also?  9  For it is written in the law of Moses, “YOU SHALL NOT MUZZLE AN OX WHILE IT TREADS OUT THE GRAIN.” Is it oxen God is concerned about?  10  Or does He say it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written, that he who plows should plow in hope, and he who threshes in hope should be partaker of his hope.  11  If we have sown spiritual things for you, is it a great thing if we reap your material things?

It would seem that any Christian who knows what his pastor puts in to serving his flock would not need any encouragement to take care of him. Unfortunately this is not so. Pastors who do their job work very hard. They do not work for one hour a week as some like to pretend, but study, pray, teach, counsel, visit the sick and care for those in need. They much like a mom with a really large family. You know the saying, “Man may work from sun to sun, but woman’s work is never done.” This goes for the pastor as well. Yet there are some in most fellowships who disregard or even despise him. Therefore, Paul must also exhort Timothy in this way.

1 Timothy 5:19  Do not receive an accusation against an elder except from two or three witnesses.

This is not to say that there are never pastors in sin. Certainly there are and unfortunately we have no shortage of examples in American Evangelicalism. This is also not to say that pastors who are in sin should not be held accountable. The next few verses shed some light on this.

1 Timothy 5: 20-22  Those who are sinning rebuke in the presence of all, that the rest also may fear.  21  I charge you before God and the Lord Jesus Christ and the elect angels that you observe these things without prejudice, doing nothing with partiality.  22  Do not lay hands on anyone hastily, nor share in other people’s sins; keep yourself pure.

The “those who are sinning” in verse 20, I believe most likely applies to a false accuser. The reason is that the words used here are taken from Deuteronomy 19 where Paul derives his teaching on the subject.

Deuteronomy 19:15-20  “One witness shall not rise against a man concerning any iniquity or any sin that he commits; by the mouth of two or three witnesses the matter shall be established.  16  If a false witness rises against any man to testify against him of wrongdoing,  17  then both men in the controversy shall stand before the LORD, before the priests and the judges who serve in those days.  18  And the judges shall make careful inquiry, and indeed, if the witness is a false witness, who has testified falsely against his brother,  19  then you shall do to him as he thought to have done to his brother; so you shall put away the evil from among you.  20  And those who remain shall hear and fear, and hereafter they shall not again commit such evil among you.

I don’t what to give it all away here and I am sure that that the post is getting a bit long for some. Suffice it to say that though God commands it, many in the church do not give their pastor the respect and care that their job deserves. It is sad but not unexpected. Pray for you pastor! Demonstrate to him that you really care and unless you know that he is in sin, don’t gossip or accuse. Those are God’s orders, not mine.

Accusations and Elders – LESSON AUDIO

In Christ!
Kevin

Loving the Needy - 1 Timothy 5:1-16

How do you view those who are in need? Some of us struggle in this area. We are often naturally skeptical of people who are needy. In American culture, there are many safety nets for the poor and all of them are abused by some. But, does that relieve the local church from caring for them? We are actually commanded to do so. This is what 1 Timothy 5 is all about. Beginning with looking at those in the church as “family,” we see that it makes us not responsible for more than financial needs, but we are to love and care for people whom God puts in our paths.
Loving the Needy – LESSON AUDIO
In the first century culture in which the Bible was written, widows and orphans were the neediest people there were. As the Apostle points to loving other members of the church he says;

1 Timothy 5:1-3  Do not rebuke an older man, but exhort him as a father, younger men as brothers,  2  older women as mothers, younger women as sisters, with all purity.  3  Honor widows who are really widows.

Love and respect everyone and honor the widows.  Honor includes caring for them in every practical way.

1 Timothy 5:4-8  But if any widow has children or grandchildren, let them first learn to show piety at home and to repay their parents; for this is good and acceptable before God.  5  Now she who is really a widow, and left alone, trusts in God and continues in supplications and prayers night and day.  …..  7  And these things command, that they may be blameless.  8  But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

If she is your widow (a relative of yours), take care of her! There is not much worse you could do than neglect them. However, there are those who have no one to care for them. These, if they were godly widows, were actually supported by the church.

1 Timothy 5:9-10  Do not let a widow under sixty years old be taken into the number, and not unless she has been the wife of one man,  10  well reported for good works: if she has brought up children, if she has lodged strangers, if she has washed the saints’ feet, if she has relieved the afflicted, if she has diligently followed every good work.

In American culture in the 21st Century, we really don’t have this situation very often. The basic theme of the passage though has to do with loving and caring for the neediest people in our fellowships and families. As Christians we cannot neglect care for the poor or others in need. Many more conservative churches have reacted against the social gospel or more modern things like friendship evangelism because they never really get to the Gospel of Jesus Christ but substitute care and friendship for it. The biggest problem with these things is not that they are outright lies, but half-truths. Care and relationships are important to the Gospel and a great foundation for gaining the ear of those outside the church. Good works should always accompany the Gospel. The question is, who is the one who is needy in your life, your church, your community? Not just financially, maybe they need a friend, a counselor,  or just to know that somebody notices them. How can you demonstrate love and care for them and give them the Gospel or build them up in the faith?
You can hear more on this subject if you click on the link to the audio of the lesson below.

Loving the Needy – LESSON AUDIO

In Christ!
Kevin

Latter Days Falling Away

1 Timothy 4:1-6 “Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, 2 speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron,” When we, as North American Evangelicals, hear these words, our minds seem to want to go immediately into some kind of “Left Behind mode. We begin to look to some great falling away that will mark the coming of the Anti-Christ and signal the return of Jesus. However, as we take this passage in its proper context, we will see that to do so is to color the Apostle’s words with unwarranted modern contextualization based on some key phrases that are used (or abused) by the prophecy pundits.

Doctrines of Demons – AUDIO

The “latter times” that the Apostle speaks of is the “Church age” or the times from the Messiah to the end of the world. This is apparent from texts like, Acts 2:14-17, 23; 1 Corinthians 10:11; Hebrews 1:1-2. We are now in the “latter times” or the “last days” or the “ends of the ages.” This is something that takes place in the Church and something that Timothy had to be aware of in the church at Ephesus that he was pastoring. We too need to be on the look out for this kind of departure from the faith in our own churches and in our own lives! To get a good idea of what he was dealing with see what Paul says next.

1 Timothy 4:3-5 forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. 4 For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving; 5 for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.

It is a religion of external rules that God has not prescribed. It is legalism. It is a religion that says “look at me!” rather than “look to Christ!” The departure from the faith is really pretending to be (or even believing that you are) a Christian, while you are counting on your performance rather than on the righteousness of Christ credited to your account by faith. John Calvin put it this way in his commentary on the passage at hand, “All who assume a pretneded sanctimoniousness are led by the instigation of the devil; because God is never worshipped aright by outward ceremonies.”

This is vital to our faith because it is the nature of fallen human beings to play down our faults and pretend that we are better than we really are! When we do, we are not trusting Christ, but looking to self. Therefore, Paul encourages Timothy to the task of dealing with this in his own church:

1 Timothy 4:6 If you instruct the brethren in these things, you will be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished in the words of faith and of the good doctrine which you have carefully followed.

What about you? Is there room in your religion for the truth about who you are? or Do you feel the need to put on airs?

Is your satisfaction in your religion based on the list of things you do or don’t do? or Is it rooted in the grace of God in spite of your performance?

Any time our religion is a “look what I can do” religion, it is demonically driven.

Doctrines of Demons – AUDIO

In Christ!

Kevin