Prejudice and Partiality

17 Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching. 18 For the Scripture says, “You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain,” and, “The laborer deserves his wages.” 19 Do not admit a charge against an elder except on the evidence of two or three witnesses. 20 As for those who persist in sin, rebuke them in the presence of all, so that the rest may stand in fear. 21 In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of the elect angels I charge you to keep these rules without prejudging, doing nothing from partiality. 22 Do not be hasty in the laying on of hands, nor take part in the sins of others; keep yourself pure. 23 (No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments.) 24 The sins of some people are conspicuous, going before them to judgment, but the sins of others appear later. 25 So also good works are conspicuous, and even those that are not cannot remain hidden.

As Paul pursues his goal of helping Timothy understand how a church should be, he focuses in our passage today on the Elders. Elders is a Jewish term. One finds the older men in the city joining together to make decisions for their community. When Boaz wanted to marry Ruth, the inheritance and property claims were decided by the elders.

In the New Testament, the Elders were an office in the church. One reason that Timothy faced some trouble was that he was not as old as the Elders who were guiding the church. The church respected mature men with age and experience under their belts.

The verse I want to focus on is verse 21.

1 Timothy 5:21 ESV

21 In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of the elect angels I charge you to keep these rules without prejudging, doing nothing from partiality.

In the Greek language, the word “rules” is not in the text. It literally reads, “I charge you to keep these without prejudging…”

What are the these? The “theses” are the rules, instructions, commandments, suggestions, orders or whatever word you would use to summarize what Paul has said. The translators of the ESV chose the word “rules,” the KJV uses the word “things” and the NIV the word “instructions” to fill the void.

The problem with rules or instructions is that we don’t apply them to everyone. We give a friend a break or a free pass. We give someone we don’t like a stricter standard to follow. We treat our family with a different standard than we do those outside the family.

Nepotism is favoring family when giving responsibility or jobs to people. We often hear about the “old boy network” where men and now this happens with women, show favoritism to those in their network. Sometimes family members of close friends get different treatment than others in the job, the home, or the community.

Have you ever given a friend a place in line ahead of others? Have you ever given a co-worker a break that you would not give others just because they are your friends? Have you ever given someone you don’t like worse treatment than those you do like or even total strangers?

There are two lines that Christians should not cross.

We should not prejudge.

We should not show partiality.

1 Timothy 5:21 ESV

21 In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of the elect angels I charge you to keep these rules without prejudging, doing nothing from partiality.

If you have a different translation than the ESV, you have some other word than “prejudge.” The idea here is discrimination. Or we might say that we use our own preferences or prejudices in judging others.

Do you have prejudices? How do you really feel about people “from away?” What is your reaction when you see blacks, Asians, or people with colored hair, tattoos or rings protruding from every part of their body? Do you prejudge?

It’s always been a problem. The Jews and Gentiles were well known for their negative views of each other. One can often read prejudices when people attack a group of people. “Republicans don’t care about people.” “Democrats are trying to buy votes by giving away money.” These statements show prejudging people based on the group they are in. Prejudging is almost always negative.

Christians should not prejudge. Man looks on the outward appearance, the Lord looks on the heart.

Neither should Christians show partiality. One can easily treat people who are part of their group, their family, their race, their circle of friends; differently than they treat those who would be outside.

Christians should not show partiality. We are brothers and sisters in Christ and show not allow any other relationship to affect how we conduct ourselves in the church.

Where would this show up in the church?

Money

First, prejudice and partiality can show up in discussions of pay for the elders or pastor.

1 Timothy 5:17–18 ESV

The church should always be willing to help leaders, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching, financially.

Even if the elder is an ox, the ox should not wear a muzzle as it treads out grain, but should be able to eat some of the wheat that it is pounding into grain.

The person who works deserves wages.

If any elder has financial hardship brought on by their service to the church, the church should help them out.

The laborer deserves his wages. One of the poorest testimonies a Christian can have is to not pay his debts. We are spending other people’s money when we buy stuff for ourselves and owe others money.

In the same way, the church must consider whether or not the elder or pastor has financial hardship as a result of serving the flock of God. If so, the church should make its goal to relieve the person so that they can focus on ministry.

In today’s world, pastors would like to own a home, plan for retirement, help their children through college, afford health insurance, pay off debt and have enough to go out to eat every once in a while. Many pastors are stressed because the financial pressures and the time pressures of serving in a church as well as working create special stresses in the family as well.

It’s one thing when a church can’t provide. It is another when the church won’t provide.

It is a blessing when you know that people want the best for you, even when they may not be able to give it. Verbal praise is wonderful, but it won’t feed hungry children. When a pastor or elder is working full time for the good of the Christians, it is only right for the Christians to help the pastor or elder who is helping them.

Whenever it comes to money, it is easy for us to prejudge. That person doesn’t need money. That person doesn’t handle money well. That person has relatives that can help them. That person is not that good and we shouldn’t help them until they get better.

When it comes to financial help, let love be your guide. What do you want for yourself that you consider reasonable? Honor your pastor and leaders by providing for them what you would want for yourself.

One could see in Ephesus strong support from the Jews for a Jewish elder. One could also see less enthusiasm for a Gentile.

We can easily prejudge the needs of others and dishonor them in so doing.

Wrongdoing

A second area in which we can prejudge or show partiality is when someone is accused of wrongdoing.

19 Do not admit a charge against an elder except on the evidence of two or three witnesses.

In other words, don’t believe what you hear, don’t pass on what you hear, unless what you hear comes from more than one witness.

I would encourage you to avoid gossipers. By that I mean that often there is only one witness who tells several people and more than two of those people talk to you. Those who repeat the charge are not witnesses. There is only one witness at the source of all the talk.

Gossips are in danger of destroying someone’s reputation. Go no further than the Kavanaugh’s hearings to understand the danger of accepting accusations from one witness with no collaborating witnesses. I don’t care which side of the aisle you sit on, that whole affair was not handled in a godly manner. The church should not accept testimony from one witness against an elder.

There are situations where the church would have a hard choice to make on this. Many sins are done in private against one person, like sexual sins. One would not have two witnesses to verify the sin. I’m not sure that Paul is speaking to that circumstance.

I will say that a lot of the heat we have in society would not be present if we waited for at least two witnesses before we condemned someone. Many elders and pastors have had ministries destroyed, reputations tarnished, as a result of one backbiting busybody who wanted to hurt them for some ungodly reason.

If we don’t like someone a little bit, it is easier for us to believe the bad that is said about them, to prejudge them as guilty. Christians should not do that.

What if they are guilty?

1 Timothy 5:20 ESV

20 As for those who persist in sin, rebuke them in the presence of all, so that the rest may stand in fear.

First, the individual should be approached one on one with anyone with first-hand knowledge of that sin. If you know someone has sinned, you have seen it and are a witness to it, you owe it to God, to the church, and to that person to speak to them privately about it.

If the sin stops, you have blessed God, helped the church, and honored the person by keeping it private.

Those who continue in sin, those who persist in sin, need to be rebuked publicly.

You say, “I could never do that to my husband, my son, or my father.” Why not? God says that we are not to prejudge nor are we to show partiality? If we love people, we need to hold them accountable to God and to his word.

Why?

First, for their benefit. Sin swept under the rug is still on the floor. Sin that persists is going to cause real problem for the person and those who love them if it goes unchecked.

Second, so that the rest may stand in fear.

The rest of whom? The rest of the elders? The rest of the Christians?

Accountability and responsibility are deterrents. If I know that you got in trouble for what I am thinking of doing, I may still do it, but I will at least slow down and think of the consequences.

Years ago, Bob Faxon had a Sunday school class. He expected everyone to be on time. I had people cut short a conversation to rush to class because they didn’t want to suffer the consequences of being late. Accountability and responsibility are deterrents.

Leadership positions

A third area where prejudice and partiality can show up is in choosing people for leadership positions in the church.

1 Timothy 5:22 ESV

22 Do not be hasty in the laying on of hands, nor take part in the sins of others; keep yourself pure.

Don’t promote someone to the position of an elder or pastor too quickly. You may have a friend who received Christ six months ago and is on fire for Jesus. Don’t be hasty in putting that person on the elder board. We may have others saying, “We love their enthusiasm but feel they are too new in the faith…”. You are prejudices and partial and can take offense that people are stonewalling this person you think is so wonderful.

Sin

A fourth area where prejudice and partiality can show up is when others sin.

You get together with your non-Christian friends at a hunting lodge deep in the woods of Maine. They are drinking and telling stories of their exploits with women or fantasizing out loud about someone that the group met on the way to camp. You don’t want to look out of place and you heard a good story that you were embarrassed to hear and would never say in church. But you are with people you like and who like you. Why not share something off color, inappropriate, or immoral?

One reason is that we should not allow our relationships with our friends or family to be stronger than our relationship to God. We are not to partake in the sins of others, but to keep ourselves pure. They may laugh at our joke or enjoy our story, but something inside us will take all the joy out of the moment. That something is the Holy Spirit who convicts of sin, righteousness and judgment.

Prejudice and partiality can make us sin if we want to please people more than please God.

Which brings up something in Paul’s mind that he had written earlier. He told Timothy that an elder, a pastor, should not be a drunkard. When talking about partaking in sin, Paul wants it to be clear to Timothy that the medicine he took in moderation was ok.

1 Timothy 5:23 ESV

23 (No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments.)

The word “little” is certainly a contrast to the much wine he condemns in chapter 2.

Hasty decisions

A fifth area in which prejudice and partiality can show up is in hasty decisions.

Proverbs 18:13 ESV

13 If one gives an answer before he hears, it is his folly and shame.

Prejudging and partiality can cause us to make hasty decisions. We can err in two ways.

1 Timothy 5:24 ESV

24 The sins of some people are conspicuous, going before them to judgment, but the sins of others appear later.

Some sins appear right in our face. Others don’t show up right way.

1 Timothy 5:25 ESV

25 So also good works are conspicuous, and even those that are not cannot remain hidden.

A person’s good works are usually visible, some that people try to keep invisible end up being seen anyway.

How many times did Jesus say, “Don’t tell anyone…” and have them run out and tell everyone what he had done for them?

We can be in such a rush to help or hurt someone that we don’t take the time necessary to get all the facts and only focus on either the positive or the negative.

We are not to prejudge and we are not to show partiality.

How important is this to God?

1 Timothy 5:21 ESV

21 In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of the elect angels I charge you to keep these rules without prejudging, doing nothing from partiality.

Paul charges Timothy in the presence of God and his elect angels.

This charge shows how serious this is. We are not to prejudge. We are not to show partiality. Before God don’t do these things.

I believe families sin in having favorite children. I believe we sin when we protect family and friend when our family and friends are doing wrong. Scripture shows us that when we treat people differently because of how much money they make or how important they are out in the community, we do wrong.

Whenever any Christian walks into this church, they should be treated without prejudging and without partiality.

Please don’t be one of those people who talk to anyone else about what someone looks like or what they are wearing. Your standards in these areas are sub-Christian.

What if they are close to the line of immodesty? Talk to the person, not to anyone else. You can destroy a person who is seeking God by loose lips.

What if someone comes to this church with whom you have had past difficulties? Don’t prejudge them. Welcome them and tell them you are glad they showed up. Don’t worry! They on dangerous ground. If they are in this building God is going to speak to them about whatever sin they may have. If you don’t welcome them, they may walk out and never hear the good news that God can help change them and make them more like Jesus. Jesus is your best chance to see them change. He is also your best chance for you to change.

This is how we should conduct ourselves in the church of God, without prejudging or partiality. It’s easy to say, but hard to do when certain circumstances arise. We need God. We need prayer.

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