2/19/03

BIBLICAL OBLIGATIONS TO ELDERS

1 Timothy 5:17-25

   The Church must:

I. HONOR THE ELDERS APPROPRIATELY

A.     The IDENTIFICATION of the TITLES

5:17-18 Let the elders…

1.      ELDER speaks of MATURITY

*        Pres-buteros = Spiritual maturity and eternal dignity

Acts 20:17 he sent to Ephesus and called for the elders of the church

2.      BISHOP speaks of AUTHORITY

*        Episkopos = Administrator, manager, over-seer

Acts 20:28 Holy Spirit has made you over-seers

3.      PASTOR speaks of MINISTRY

*        Pol-maino = Shepherd is the verb and Pastor is the noun form

Acts 20:28 …to shepherd the church of God

B.     The DEFINITION of the TERMS

5:17 …be counted worthy of double honor

*        HONOR = Respect, regard, support, esteem, price, honorarium

*        RULE = To stand first, first in terms of leadership, first in terms of responsibility (Heb 13:17)

*        WELL = Unusual excellence (1 Tim 4:6-16) *Serve, warn, study, reject, disciplines, commands, etc.

*        LABOR = Work hard, to the point of weariness or fatigue

*        WORD = Preaching, proclamation

*        DOCTRINE = Teaching

*        ESPECIALLY = Chiefly

C.     The APPLICATION of the TRUTH

5:17-18 especially those who labor in the word and doctrine

1.  It STARTS with an ATTITUDE

     v:17 be counted worthy of double honor

2.  It is SUPPORTED with an AMOUNT

                       v:17 be counted worthy of double honor

   The Church must:

II. PROTECT THE ELDERS INTENTIONALLY

   Some accusations are to be:

A.     REJECTED and IGNORED

5:19 Do not receive an accusation against an elder…

*        Receive = to entertain or to even consider in your mind.  Such allegations are not to be investigated but silenced!

Psalm 105:15 Do not touch My anointed ones, and do My prophets no harm!

B.     RECEIVED and INVESTIGATED

5:19 ...except from two or three witnesses

1.      The WITNESSES must be AVAILABLE (v:19)

2.      The SIN must be HABITUAL (v:20)

   The Church must:

III. REBUKE THE ELDERS OPENLY

A.     TRUST the PRINCIPLE

5:20 those who are sinning rebuke in the presence of all

*        Members must be disciplined                Mt 18:15-18

*        Leaders must be disciplined      2 Thess 3:6-16, 2 Tim 2:23-26

*        Elders must be disciplined         Rom 16:17-18, Gal 6:1-3

*        Restore = To set a broken bone            1 Cor 5:1-5

B.     FOLLOW the PROCEDURE

5:20 …Rebuke in the presence of all

C.     REMEMBER the PURPOSE

5:20 …that the rest also may fear

*        Ed Jump

D.     SALUTE the COMMANDS

5:21 I charge you before God…that you observe these things