1 Timothy 5:17-25

Open Your Bibles to 1 Timothy 5....

This morning Lord willing we will finish Chapter 5 of first timothy. Paul once more returns to the leadership of the church. Back when we first begun talking about leadership I said something to the effect that often sheep start to look like their shepherd. It is the same with most leadership. Children act like parents, employees act like employer etc. Which is why leadership in the church is all the more important. Paul began this letter with a call to Timothy to remain teaching and demanding certain doctrines that other men had denied. Men that Paul handed over to Satan. He removed them from their place in leadership and removed them from the church.

He has told us the qualifications of an elder in chapter 3. He has told us what a healthy servant of Christ looks like in chapter 4. He returns to the topic again as he now describes an elder worthy of honor. Much like the verses before, what we find here is a contrast between an elder who is worthy of supporting with the respect and resources of the church, and one who is in sin and needs to be held accountable. 

Let’s stand and read the text together…. 1 Timothy 5:17-25. 

“The elders who lead well are to be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor at preaching the word and teaching. For the Scripture says, “You shall not muzzle the ox while it is threshing,” and “The laborer is worthy of his wages.” Do not receive an accusation against an elder except on the basis of two or three witnesses. Those who continue in sin, reprove in the presence of all, so that the rest also will be fearful. I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of His elect angels, to observe these instructions without bias, doing nothing in partiality. Do not lay hands upon anyone hastily and thereby share responsibility for the sins of others; keep yourself pure. No longer drink water only, but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments. The sins of some men are quite evident, going before them to judgment; for others, their sins follow after. So also good works are quite evident, and those which are otherwise cannot be concealed.”

Elders. The word could mean older people, but like I mentioned back in chapter three this is A word used of the overseers as well. Especially since it it paired with the word “rule”. Other context clues help us determine that we have elders in view here, but rule or lead, points us back to chapter three verse 4-5 that says,  

“leading his own household well, having his children in submission with all dignity (but if a man does not know how to lead his own household, how will he take care of the church of God?),” ‭‭1 Timothy‬ ‭3‬:‭4‬-‭5‬

An elder who rules well in his position is to be considered worthy of double honor. Not just honor, but double honor. Honor as we talked about with widows was a care, a priority. Essentially Paul is telling the church how to direct their earthen priorities, even finances. Widows should be ministered to. They should be reflected in the care of your church. But so should those who oversee the body and at higher level of support. 

Some may not agree as to what it looks like for an elder to rule well. That is why Paul has told us back in chapter 4… verse 6, point out doctrinal error, verse 7 refuse old wives tales, verse 8 train yourself for godliness (that is spiritual disciplines), verse 11 command doctrine, verse 12 be a model of godliness, verse 13 read and teach and preach the scriptures, verse 15 do it until you’re blue in the face, verse 16 press on… this is an elder who rules well. He seeks to uphold right doctrine for the sake of the spiritual health of the church. He’s not involved in gossip, or worldly living, he is concerned with the christlikeness of the body. 

These types of men are worthy of your doubled respect and care. And especially, he adds, those who labor in preaching the word and teaching. We come back to the support aspect here as Paul inserts two phrases which draw out his point. From Deuteronomy 25 and Jesus words in Matthew 10:10, You shall not muzzle the ox while it is threshing,” and “The laborer is worthy of his wages.” The first saying is a picture of allowing an ox to eat while he is working. An ox would be the driving force behind threshing grain. While he is doing that, don’t muzzle him. Let him eat generously. Don’t cut him off. He is doing hard work for your benefit, he should share in it.

And secondly a laborer worth his wage is the general sense of paying a man what he is worth. Is his work good? Pay him accordingly. Is it sub par, pay him accordingly. Not all elders will need the financial support of the church. But there have always been those who have labored in preaching and teaching full time and in doing so need the support of the church. But what is the standard of work? Read again through chapter 4…

Now verse 19, Paul addresses the inevitable accusation against an elder. Accusation meaning a charge of sin. Is the elder in error? Is he sinning? That is the legitimate question. Not, do you like him or not? Is this man in sin? When this arises Paul says let the matter be established by two or three witnesses.  This is the practice of Israel under the law 

Deuteronomy 19:15 ESV

“A single witness shall not suffice against a person for any crime or for any wrong in connection with any offense that he has committed. Only on the evidence of two witnesses or of three witnesses shall a charge be established.

Elders should not even listen to an accusation unless multiple people are going to establish it. The consequences for false claims or malicious complainers was this 

Deuteronomy 19:18–20 ESV

The judges shall inquire diligently, and if the witness is a false witness and has accused his brother falsely, then you shall do to him as he had meant to do to his brother. So you shall purge the evil from your midst. And the rest shall hear and fear, and shall never again commit any such evil among you.

Likewise the same was true with Elders found in sin and unwilling to repent. If he continues in this sin, reprove him, or expose him in the presence of all so that the rest may be fearful. That is the other elders… and the church body. This is a part of church discipline. Removing elders is as necessary as removing members living in public unrepentant sin. The holiness of the church depends on it. 

Then Paul gives some specific instruction to Timothy by invoking God himself and his angels we know as watchmen over the church…. He charges Timothy to keep his word without bias. Without partiality. Meaning, he is to treat everyone in these ways. He is never to bend the rules so to speak for anyone. But to keep the same standard for all. There are many churchgoers who read Paul’s instruction and says, yeah well that’s just Paul… these are his ideas we don’t have to follow him in all this… oh really? Look at what the Apostle Peter said about Paul’s word…

2 Peter 3:14–16 ESV

Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace. And count the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters. There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures.

Paul’s word to the apostles is considered scripture. These are not just practices, these are commands of God to his church. This is why God is invoked here. These are not Paul’s preferences, these Gods… 

Secondly: Paul says to not lay hands on someone hastily and share in their sin. Meaning, first and foremost… be very careful to add elders…. Secondly, be very careful to restore them if they had persisted in sin and action needed taken. And Third be very careful in your judgment of Elders. Why? Skip verse 23 for the moment and look at 24-25… 

Some sin is easy to see. Unable to control himself, unable to bridle his tongue, confronted with the word and rebelling against it… some sins are harder to see. They can be hidden. Here is a call for Timothy to be watchful. To be sober minded in his judgment and to let no red flag be ignored. However, some good works of men are evident too. Evil works can’t be concealed, they will come out over time… so be watchful Timothy and don’t be hasty to lay hands on. Get to know people, watch them, observe them, question them, pray about them… This shepherding of the shepherds is crucial. Jesus himself just before making his pronouncement about his 12 got alone with God and stayed up all night… This is not to be haphazard… Done in a haphazard kind of way will bring ruin on a church spiritually…

now, back to verse 23… 

Pauls additional instruction is for Timothy to take some wine for his stomach and frequent ailments… Timothy was already a man who needed affirmation. A man who worried a little too much and struggled with being timid. Paul tells him in his second letter that he has not been given a spirit of timidity or cowardice… but one of power and love and self discipline. 

Earlier in his ministry Pail tells the Corinthian church….”Now if Timothy comes, take care that he is with you without fear, for he is doing the Lord’s work, as I also am. 11 So let no one despise him. But send him on his way in peace, so that he may come to me, for I expect him with the brothers”… 

Timothy was already prone to worry and timidity. He struggled with it. This the command to command and keep instruction with not partiality… how easy is it to say “eh well it’s not that bad” and sweep it under the rug? But what more is the work of laboring in preaching and teach and holding leaders accountable and holding members accountable and dealing with the public etc… it was taking its tole on Timothy.

Many think Timothy had taken some vow not to drink wine, now Paul stay, no longer drink only water… but wine also. His health was at risk with this job. Body affects the mind and mind affects the ministry. He was to take care of himself, for a what use would he be living in constant ailment being unable to stand before the people to teach… So Timothys vow is to be canceled out at the instruction to Paul…

Consider this verse with me, Hebrews 13:17

“Obey your leaders and submit to them—for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account—so that they will do this with joy and not with groaning, for this would be unprofitable for you.”

The task of an elder is not keeping everyone happy. It is not standing up for tradition. It is not lazily doing whatever you want and still getting the honor due to overseers…. Leaders in the church will give an account for their people. That is the burden that should weigh heaviest on those in leadership. An elder who rules well will carry that burden knowing the health of the church is at stake. He will live and die by the word of God to see to it that the Lord is exalted in his rightful place and that public sin is dealt with in the body.

Bottom line, this passage comes down to being obedient to the word. How does an elder rule well? By holding two and teaching the word. How does an elder rule unwell? By not holding two and not teaching and not obeying the word. How is an elder to be held accountable? To the word. How is an elder to be restored? If he will obey the word and repent to his sin. Will Timothy have humility and listen to the instruction of the Apostle, or will he rebel and stay in his OWN WAY…

Why is holding to the word of God important? Listen to this… IN 1 Peter 2…

“And coming to Him as to a living stone which has been rejected by men, but is choice and precious in the sight of God, you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For this is contained in Scripture: “Behold, I lay in Zion a choice stone, a precious corner stone, And he who believes upon Him will not be put to shame.” This precious value, then, is for you who believe; but for those who disbelieve, “The stone which the builders rejected, This became the chief corner stone,” and, “A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense.” They stumble because they are disobedient to the word, and to this stumbling they were also appointed. “But you are a chosen family, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.”

My friends, there is a meter here… It helps the church in two ways… First, discerning who is and who is not a part of the family of God. Those who are a part of Christ hear Him and obey. Those who are not stumble over him, they cannot obey him, they cannot listen to him, because they don’t see him as Lord.

And we treat one differently than the other. One who is a part of the household of God is here, they are family! We rejoice that they are saved, and in our household for good, and we give some level of trust to them for they are under our same savior. Especially in leadership! We don’t want to trust the one who will lead us astray.

But Secondly, the word sharpens us. We grow together through the word. Paul to Timothy was using biblical wisdom to help Timothy in so many ways here make the church healthier and refine and sharpen Timothy. However, those who are not should a part of the household of God are not treated like that. They should be loved as God loved us, but we don’t trust their words. We don’t look to them for growth. They however are to be evangelized. To have the gospel put before them again and again… They are to be prayed for. They cannot be sharpened for they are not yet formed. They cannot be grown, because they are not yet born.

Do you hear the word of God and tremble? And Obey? Christ himself said my sheep know my voice and follow me. His word is so precious to his sheep to his family, because it is what saved us from being without him forever. Faith comes by hearing and hearing from the word of God.

So what does that say of you this morning? Are you a child of God? Or are you a goat, pretending to be a part of the flock of what you don’t belong? Come to Christ, submit to his word, repent. For anyone who asks for forgiveness in the name of Jesus Christ will find it.