Christ-Exalting Exhortation
1 Timothy Series • Sermon • Submitted
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Introduction
Introduction
So far in our study of 1 Timothy we have seen that Paul wrote to Timothy with the desire to encourage and exhort him to pursue right doctrine.
The two verses that we will be looking at tonight come at the tail end of a string of imperatives (commands) before starting a new paragraph on the administration of widows.
Prescribe and teach these things. Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe. Until I come, give attention to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation and teaching. Do not neglect the spiritual gift within you, which was bestowed on you through prophetic utterance with the laying on of hands by the presbytery. Take pains with these things; be absorbed in them, so that your progress will be evident to all. Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these things, for as you do this you will ensure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you. Do not sharply rebuke an older man, but rather appeal to him as a father, to the younger men as brothers, the older women as mothers, and the younger women as sisters, in all purity.
1 Timothy 4:11–
I believe that our text gives us three principles for respectful exhortation within the body of Christ. Notice with me that a believer must first—
Exhort with Gentleness
Exhort with Gentleness
“Do not sharply rebuke…but appeal”
“Do not sharply rebuke…but appeal”
Paul first mentions that Timothy was not to “rebuke an elder” (5:1). The word for rebuke happens only here in the entire New Testament (hapax). Because of that it has been difficult to understand the full meaning behind the word. However, it is related to a word used back in 3:3 with regards to a pastor’s character “not being given to violence” (πλήκτην). Thus, I believe that this does not simply refer to a mild rebuke, but a sharp rebuke of passion (see NASB, for example).
πλήκτην
This is not to say that believers are not to confront at all or even do so at times with fervor and firmness.
Illustration: Paul Himself had to confront Peter on his hypocrisy in only eating with the Jews and not the Gentiles in . I cannot imagine that Paul was doing so with a smile on his face. I am sure that he did it firmly.
11 But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. 12 For prior to the coming of certain men from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he began to withdraw and hold himself aloof, fearing the party of the circumcision. 13 The rest of the Jews joined him in hypocrisy, with the result that even Barnabas was carried away by their hypocrisy. 14 But when I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas in the presence of all, “If you, being a Jew, live like the Gentiles and not like the Jews, how is it that you compel the Gentiles to live like Jews? 15 “We are Jews by nature and not sinners from among the Gentiles; 16 nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified. 17 “But if, while seeking to be justified in Christ, we ourselves have also been found sinners, is Christ then a minister of sin? May it never be! 18 “For if I rebuild what I have once destroyed, I prove myself to be a transgressor. 19 “For through the Law I died to the Law, so that I might live to God. 20 “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. 21 “I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly.”
So if a believer is not to sharply rebuke another believer, how is he to do so? Paul says “but entreat him” (Gr. παρακάλει / parakalei). This word can mean “exhort, appeal, entreat, comfort, encourage.” This is the same word that Jesus uses when He says that He will send the Comforter to come. In essence what Paul is saying is “you should not be sharply confronting other believers (especially the older people). Rather, you should gently appeal to them.”
παρακάλει
Gentleness is one of the fruits of the Spirit (). Paul was gentle in his dealings with the church in Thessalonica (). Paul later tells Timothy that a minister of the Lord must be gentle with all men (). It was the “gentleness of God” that made David “great” ().
7 But we proved to be gentle among you, as a nursing mother tenderly cares for her own children.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
Not only should a believer exhort with gentleness, a believer should—
πλήκτηνExhort with Respect
Exhort with Respect
Exhort with Respect
Paul now uses familial language to describe how Timothy was to exhort and confront people in his congregation.
Paul’s instructions to the various age groups is not unique to these verses:
But as for you, speak the things which are fitting for sound doctrine. Older men are to be temperate, dignified, sensible, sound in faith, in love, in perseverance. Older women likewise are to be reverent in their behavior, not malicious gossips nor enslaved to much wine, teaching what is good, so that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, so that the word of God will not be dishonored. Likewise urge the young men to be sensible;
Older Men (v. 1a)
The word translated elder (KJV) is the Greek word πρεσβυτέρας, a word that is used throughout Paul’s writings to refer to the office of pastor (literally, “elder”; he uses this word to refer to the office of elder in ). It would be easy for someone to say “See? You should never rebuke an elder but entreat him as a father!” if we understood Paul to be referring to the office of pastor. However, I do not believe that he is doing so for two reasons: (1) because he uses the same word in a feminine form to refer to older women (which, interestingly enough, the KJV does in fact translate supplying the word “women”); and (2) the rest of the familial language suggests that he is referring to a man who is older in age rather than in a position of authority. So essentially what Paul is saying is “Do not go to an erring older saint in your congregation and sharply rebuke him as if you had an authority complex; rather, appeal to him as you would your own father with respect.”
This language is rooted in the Old Testament:
πρεσβυτέρας
32 ‘You shall rise up before the grayheaded and honor the aged, and you shall revere your God; I am the Lord.
“Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be prolonged in the land which the Lord your God gives you.
Listen to your father who begot you, And do not despise your mother when she is old.
PRov
“ ‘A son honors his father, and a servant his master. Then if I am a father, where is My honor? And if I am a master, where is My respect?’ says the Lord of hosts to you, O priests who despise My name. But you say, ‘How have we despised Your name?’
In an honor/shame culture (something that is foreign to our western mindset) the older men were to be respected by the younger men. You can imagine, then, how difficult it would be for Timothy (who was most likely in his 20s-30s) to confront those who were older than him. Hence, Paul reminded Timothy not to let anyone despise his youth ().
You can imagine now why the elders in the synagogue were so astonished at the teaching of our Lord when He was only 12 years old.
Now His parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. And when He became twelve, they went up there according to the custom of the Feast; and as they were returning, after spending the full number of days, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. But His parents were unaware of it, but supposed Him to be in the caravan, and went a day’s journey; and they began looking for Him among their relatives and acquaintances. When they did not find Him, they returned to Jerusalem looking for Him. Then, after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions. And all who heard Him were amazed at His understanding and His answers.
Luke 2:41–
When a younger person disrespects those who are older, it is described in Scripture as a shame.
There is a kind of man who curses his father And does not bless his mother. There is a kind who is pure in his own eyes, Yet is not washed from his filthiness. There is a kind—oh how lofty are his eyes! And his eyelids are raised in arrogance. There is a kind of man whose teeth are like swords And his jaw teeth like knives, To devour the afflicted from the earth And the needy from among men. The leech has two daughters, “Give,” “Give.” There are three things that will not be satisfied, Four that will not say, “Enough”: Sheol, and the barren womb, Earth that is never satisfied with water, And fire that never says, “Enough.” The eye that mocks a father And scorns a mother, The ravens of the valley will pick it out, And the young eagles will eat it.
,
Younger Men (v. 1b)
Paul reminds Timothy that he is to exhort younger men as he would “his brother” (Gr. ἀδελφούς). This language is common for us (e.g. we refer to other men as “brother _____”). There are many references to brothers in the New Testament.
ἀδελφούς This language is common for us (e.g. we refer to other men as “brother _____”). There are many references to brothers in the New Testament.
Brotherly love:
Let love of the brethren continue.
Brotherly talk:
Do not speak against one another, brethren. He who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks against the law and judges the law; but if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge of it.
Just as you would exhort your human brother to follow after Christ, so should you exhort your spiritual brother toward Christlikeness.
Older Women (v. 2a)
Again, the word translated “older women” here is the same word for older men with a feminine ending (πρεσβυτέρας). Even as we saw earlier, the older women in Jewish culture were to be revered and respected.
“Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be prolonged in the land which the Lord your God gives you.
πρεσβυτέρας
Listen to your father who begot you, And do not despise your mother when she is old.
Younger Women (v. 2b)
Finally, Paul reminds Timothy that when he needs to exhort a younger woman, he must do so as if she were his sister (Gr. ἀδελφὰς).
ἀδελφὰς
Finally, not only should believers exhort with gentleness and respect, they should also—
Exhort with Care
Exhort with Care
Paul gives one final note to how Timothy was to exhort the people under his care: with all purity (v. 2b). This note is specifically with regard to the younger women. The word for purity (Gr. ἁγνείᾳ) means “pure, chaste.” Timothy, being a younger man, may have found it difficult to exhort the younger women because (especially in youth) it is easy to succumb to temptation. His interaction must be with care that he does not become entangled with the sexual desires that can so easily draw a godly man away from purity.
ἁγνείᾳ Timothy, being a younger man, may have found it difficult to exhort the younger women because (especially in youth) it is easy to succumb to temptation.
I was reading even this past week of a “pastor” who was asked to counsel a teenage girl from the christian school connected with his church. Over the course of his “counseling” sessions he quickly fell prey to his wicked desires and preyed on this poor young lady. That man is not serving a 10+ year sentence because of his fleshly appetites. It can happen so easily and so quickly! Not a person is exempt from the temptations that surround us.
Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul.
But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts.
But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.
Conclusion
Conclusion
In every church the need for correction will inevitably happen (after all, every church is filled with redeemed sinners!). It is important that exhortation and confrontation happen in a way that honors our Lord.
As we close, consider these final truths:
Just because you are older than someone does not mean that you may simply dismiss the biblical exhortation of a younger person towards you.
Just because you are younger (with all the energy and impetuousness that accompanies youthfulness) than someone does not mean that you can with a proud look and energetic zeal sharply and disrespectfully rebuke an older saint. You must entreat that older man/woman as you would (and hopefully do!) your own mother and father.