Pastor-Teacher Series: 1 Timothy 5:21-Unrepentant Pastors Must Disciplined Without Prejudging or Prejudice

1 Timothy 5:21 I myself solemnly charge in the presence of God the Father as well as Christ, who is Jesus and in addition the elect angels that you carry out these things without prejudging. Continue making it your habit of doing absolutely nothing on the basis of partiality. (Lecturer’s translation)

In this verse, Paul is employing the figure of “asyndeton,” which emphasizes the importance of this warning for the Christian community in Ephesus and for Timothy to administrate the household of God in Ephesus.

“I solemnly charge in the presence of God the Father as well as Christ, who is Jesus and in addition the elect angels” denotes that Paul is solemnly charging Timothy to put into practice these commands with the implication that the apostle is imposing this upon Timothy as his duty and responsibility as Paul’s delegate to the Ephesian Christian community.

It expresses Paul’s apostolic authority and a degree of formality because he mentions the Father, Son and the elect angels as his witnesses emphasizing with Timothy that it is imperative that he is faithful in putting into practice these commands in 1 Timothy 5:19-20.

It emphasizes with Timothy that he will be held accountable in the matter.

It indicates that Timothy will have to give an account of his service in Ephesus and in particular with regards to these two commands in verses 19-20.

It also emphasizes that these commands come ultimately from the Father and the Son and that the elect angels are observing his actions to testify to his faithfulness or unfaithfulness, which will be determined by his observance of these commands or failure to do so.

This statement emphasizes the gravity of the situation.

It also emphasizes how important that Timothy carry out these commands with impartiality in that the testimony of the church before the unsaved is at stake and thus the cause of Christ.

Also the spiritual growth of the church is at stake because the pastor-teachers, i.e. elders or overseers are those who communicate doctrine to the church and if these men are not functioning in their spiritual gift due to a unrepentant lifestyle of sin, then the church’s growth will suffer.

This statement implies that Timothy represents the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

“That you carry out these things” is referring to Paul’s commands in verses 19-20.

This is indicated by the fact that each time Paul uses this word in the accusative plural form in 1 Timothy (1:18; 3:14; 4:6, 11, 15; 5:7), it sums up the immediate preceding paragraph.

This is also indicated by the manner in which Timothy is to carry out these commands, which is to be without prejudging or partiality.

Therefore, because these commands deal with accusations against elders and administering church discipline to those who are unrepentant apostates and that Timothy is to carry out these commands without prejudging and impartiality indicates that houtos is referring to these commands in verses 19-20.

“Without prejudging” speaks of Timothy prejudging innocence or guilt of an elder before considering the evidence.

It indicates that Timothy must listen objectively to witnesses to determine whether or not the accusations against an elder are true or not.

“Continue making it your habit of doing absolutely nothing on the basis of partiality” refers to any action in relation to the commands in 1 Timothy 5:19-20 that would be the result of partiality.

It denotes giving preferential treatment to a person or persons.

So we can see that the Scriptures clearly teach that church discipline must and should be administered by the church with regards to certain individuals in the church who are hurting not only themselves through their habitual sinful conduct but also hurting the testimony of the church in the community.

We have seen that the Bible tells us who we are to discipline.

It also instructs us as to why we are to discipline.

The Word of God also presents how we are to discipline.

Lastly, it also presents to us the procedure that the church must follow.

We have seen that both the Lord Jesus Christ and the apostles taught the church to administer discipline.

The apostle Paul gives us several examples in his epistles in which he ordered discipline to be administered to certain apostate believers in the church.

He severely rebuked the Corinthian church for not practicing it when it should have been.

Therefore, the church today would do well to listen to the voice of the Spirit in the Word of God when it comes to the subject of church discipline.

The consequences of not doing so will be terribly devastating.

First, it injures the life, vitality and testimony of the church.

Secondly, it of course hurts those believers who are habitually living according to the lusts of their sin nature and being deceived by the devil.

Lastly, it is a sin against God and a failure to respect His holy character.