Restoring Biblical Eldership Part 4
The Pastoral Epistles • Sermon • Submitted
0 ratings
· 5 viewsNotes
Transcript
Introduction:
Introduction:
The Church today is in desperate need that she restore the office of the Elder.
The Westminister Confession of Faith says:
The Creeds of Christendom, with a History and Critical Notes, Volume III: The Evangelical Protestant Creeds, with Translations Chapter XXX: Of Church Censures
Church censures are necessary for the reclaiming and gaining of offending brethren; for deterring of others from the1 like offenses; for purging out of that leaven which might infect the whole lump; for vindicating the honor of Christ, and the holy profession of the gospel; and for preventing the wrath of God, which might justly fall upon the Church, if they should suffer his covenant, and the seals thereof, to be profaned by notorious and obstinate offenders.
I. The Church Must Honor Their Position (vs. 17-18)
I. The Church Must Honor Their Position (vs. 17-18)
Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine.
For the scripture saith, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn. And, The labourer is worthy of his reward.
II. The Church Must Harbor Their Reputation (vs. 19)
II. The Church Must Harbor Their Reputation (vs. 19)
Against an elder receive not an accusation, but before two or three witnesses.
III. The Church Must Herald Their Transgression (vs. 20-21)
III. The Church Must Herald Their Transgression (vs. 20-21)
Them that sin rebuke before all, that others also may fear.
I charge thee before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, and the elect angels, that thou observe these things without preferring one before another, doing nothing by partiality.
While Elders are to be protected from false accusations, they are not to receive immunity from ones that are true.
Here is the point.
Timothy was an elder in a Church with a lot of spiritual problems and there were, no doubt, elders that were causing some of the problems.
For example, we read back in chapter 1:
As I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus, when I went into Macedonia, that thou mightest charge some that they teach no other doctrine,
And because you had Elders that were teaching false doctrine, they were not concerned about the fact when other false doctrine came into the Church.
Paul instructions to Timothy were to keep the Church instructed on how to be discerning with that which is false.
If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained.
The “these things” that he is referring is the ability to discern false teachers and there false doctrine.
Now, Paul does not list any specific sins here of which the Elders could be guilty; it just says “them that sin.”
I want you to notice from the text the word “sin.”
Of course, that is a fairly simple word to define.
It is the word “ἁμαρτάνω” and it simply means, “to be in error,” or “to miss the correct path,” as it was used during the Roman and the Byzantine period.
Or simply, “to violate God’s law.”
So, we have an Elder that commits a sin, probably a sin that is a violation of the qualifications of an Elder in chapter 3, but I want to notice another point about the word “sin.”
The Greek word for “sin” there is in the Present Tense.
And the Greek present tense describes an action that is continuously or persistently being committed.
The sin that the Apostle had in mind here and the sin that Timothy was suppose to deal with, was a sin that would be continuously taking place.
When an accusation is made and can be verified by two or three credible witnesses and an investigation has proven that these accusations from the three credible witnesses are true, and the sin is a continual thing then action must be taken.
Elders that walk in continual, unrepented sin must not be spared.
Elders are not above the law and given the fact that they receive special protection from slander makes their sin all the more reprehensible.
If a charge of a continual, repetitive offense can be proven, his sin should be brought out into the open.
But we need to be keep because of the nature of the job of the elder and the disastrous effects that it can have on a church, sin being brought out into the open is not based on an accusation, it is based on the verifiable, credible eye-witness account of two or three people.
An example that we see in Scripture of an Elder being rebuked is the Apostle Peter.
But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed.
For before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles: but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision.
And the other Jews dissembled likewise with him; insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation.
But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter before them all, If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews?
Now, this is not just a situation with Peter that He was trying to get along with everybody.
Paul said, that when I came to Antioch I confronted Peter to his face because of his hypocrisy.
When the Gentiles arrived with James, Peter was all about having fellowship with the Gentiles.
But when the Jews got there, it was a different story.
For before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles: but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision.
When the Jews arrived he withdrew himself from the Gentiles because he was afraid that he would loose popularity among the legalistic, Judaizing segment of people in the church, even though they were self-righteous hypocrites promoting a heretical doctrine.
Which also caused, according to the text, other Jews; including Barnabas, to follow Peter.
Notice verse 14.
But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter before them all, If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews?
When Paul saw their sin and the fact that Peter started all of this; he rebuked Peter before one.
He said publicly, “Peter, if you reject the idea of salvation that the Jews believe, then why are telling the Gentiles that the way of the way of the Jew is right by your rejecting fellow with Gentiles?”
In other words, Peter, you are telling the Gentiles that the way of salvation that the Jews promote is correct because you would rather associate with them by rejecting fellowship with the Gentiles over popularity.
When an Elder sacrifices pure doctrine and is heard before all the congregation, he needs to be rebuked.
When an elder falls prey to the love of money, he needs to be rebuked.
For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
When an Elder is not willing to take the tough stands against the false for the protection of the flock, he needs to be rebuked.
If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained.
Paul was charging Timothy that when an offense is verified by two or three credible witnesses that a sin has been a continuous practice (present tense Greek verb), then notice what the text says.
Them that sin rebuke before all, that others also may fear.
Those Elders that persist in sin are to be rebuked before all.
Phillip Ryken in his commentary gives some wisdom and advice:
1 Timothy The Accusation of Elders
However, public rebuke ought to be a last resort. First an elder should be reproved privately, especially if the sin itself is a private one.
“Rebuke” is “ἐλέγχω” and carries the idea of using Biblical reason to convince and refute.
This is not a matter of anyones “opinion” of things, true rebuke of an Elder, when it is verified and necessary, is when the Biblical principles and argumentation are used.
And by the way, this kind of rebuke not only should be the way an Elder is rebuked, but should be the way all Church discipline is handled.
It goes back to old saying, “chapter, book, and verse.”
And by the way, if you remember our message last week, church discipline and elder rebuke both require two or three verifiable witnesses.
So it is not that Elders receive MORE respect in rebuke, the Church member that sins gets the same respect; two or three credible, verifiable witnesses.
But listen, and this is very important; the purpose of discipline; whether with the Elder of Church member, is for restoration and not revenge.
If the purpose of the accusation is for revenge or to make yourself look “less guilty” then that is proof positive of the guilt of the accuser.
And even if the accusation is verified by two or three credible verifiable witnesses and a rebuke of an Elder must happen; the purpose is to save the offender, not to drive them away.
And, listen, it should always be done with love and tenderness and never anger or resentment.
Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.
Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.
For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself.
The word “restore” in the text of Galatians is the word “καταρτίζω” and it was used in classical Greek to speak about set a broken limb.
Just think of the patience and tenderness involved in that procedure.
So, Paul’s first caution to Timothy was to make sure of the facts, and the way to do that is to have witnesses.
A person that makes any accusations against and Elder must be able to support it with witnesses; rumor and suspicion are not adequate grounds for discipline.
Second, when an accusation is made, witnesses out to be present.
In other words, the accused has the right to face his accuser in the presence of witnesses.
Warren Wiersbe offered this advice:
The Bible Exposition Commentary Chapter Five: Order in the Church! (1 Timothy 5)
It is sad when churches disobey the Word and listen to rumors, lies, and gossip. Many a godly pastor has been defeated in his life and ministry in this way, and some have even resigned from the ministry.
I keep referring back to the principles of verse 19, because this issue is so very important and must be handled correctly.
When an elder is accused, we must have everything in order.
Are there two or three credible, verifiable witnesses to the events or are these things just the accusations of one person?
If there are two or three credible, verifiable witnesses to the accusation and it found out to be true, then the elder is to be reasoned with Biblical principles (going back to how the Greek word for rebuke is used), in an effort for restoration not revenge.
Why do this?
Well is seems to be obvious why, but the text says:
Them that sin rebuke before all, that others also may fear.
“Others” is the Greek word “λοιπός” and speaks about “remaining.”
When is verified through the correct channels and rebuke is made, this is done so that the other Elders will fear to sin.
When an Elder is publicly disgraced because of verified sin that puts a healthy fear into the hearts of the others and in the hearts of the congregation.
Fear, along with love, is a proper motive for avoiding sin and obeying God.
And the man that will do presumptuously, and will not hearken unto the priest that standeth to minister there before the LORD thy God, or unto the judge, even that man shall die: and thou shalt put away the evil from Israel.
And all the people shall hear, and fear, and do no more presumptuously.
If a false witness rise up against any man to testify against him that which is wrong;
Then both the men, between whom the controversy is, shall stand before the LORD, before the priests and the judges, which shall be in those days;
And the judges shall make diligent inquisition: and, behold, if the witness be a false witness, and hath testified falsely against his brother;
Then shall ye do unto him, as he had thought to have done unto his brother: so shalt thou put the evil away from among you.
And those which remain shall hear, and fear, and shall henceforth commit no more any such evil among you.
Remember was happened with Ananias and Sapphira in the book of Acts?
And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things.
And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things.
Then had the churches rest throughout all Judaea and Galilee and Samaria, and were edified; and walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied.
Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.
Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:
Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king.
1 Timothy: The MacArthur New Testament Commentary Rebuking Elders
Such fear is not sheer terror, but rather a sense of the ominous reality of God’s hatred of evil.
The properly verified sin of the Elder is to be rebuked with Biblical wisdom so that all the others fear.
I charge thee before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, and the elect angels, that thou observe these things without preferring one before another, doing nothing by partiality.
Paul reminds Timothy of who is watching and so; therefore, there is to be no partiality or bias in the handling of this charge.
And there must be the attitude of those involved of sorrow and not self-righteousness.
If the accusation has been verified by two or three credible, verifiable eye witnesses, then the rebuke of an Elder must be done without favoritism.
How does the Church Restore Biblical Eldership?
First, The Church Must Honor Their Position.
Second, The Church Must Harbor Their Reputation.
Third, The Church Must Herald Their Transgression.
IV. The Church Must Not Be Hasty in Their Selection (vs. 22-25)
IV. The Church Must Not Be Hasty in Their Selection (vs. 22-25)