1 Timothy 5
Chuck Smith on 1 Timothy 5
Verse by verse, taught on Sunday nights: the C2000 series, 1979 to 1985, and the C3000 series, 1985 to 1999. Permission granted by The Word For Today.
Sunday Nights, 1979 to 1985 (C2000)
Chapter introduction
Shall we turn now in our Bibles to First Timothy chapter five? Paul is a spiritual father to Timothy, Timothy's mentor. He looks upon him as a son; in fact, he calls him his son in the faith. Timothy has been left in Ephesus to oversee the church that Paul established there. While he is in Ephesus, Paul wrote to him this epistle. And in this epistle, he seeks to instruct Timothy in things of the church.
In a Bible doctrine class in seminary, you would have a subject known as Ecclesiology. And they use the epistles of Thessalonians and Timothy for their Ecclesiology classes. For as Paul said in verse fifteen, how that he has written these things in order that he might know how he ought to behave in the house of the Lord.
So as we get to chapter five, he deals first of all with Timothy's behavior towards the elders, men, the younger men, the elder women, and the younger women.
Verse 1
Rebuke not an elder (5:1),
Timothy was a younger man. He told him don't let any man despise thy youth. And here Paul is telling him not to rebuke an elder.
but entreat him as a father (5:1);
Looking upon him as a father and talk to him as you would a father, entreat him as you would a father. Older people, I think, naturally resent being told by younger people what they ought to do or being rebuked by younger people. So Paul said, Don't rebuke them, entreat him as a father.
and the younger men as brothers (5:1);
There is a right way and a wrong way of calling a person's attention to a failure in their walk. The wrong way engenders strife, resentment. The way I present it to a person can create an animosity. Be careful that we don't build walls and barriers by the way in which we seek to correct someone. In dealing with the younger men, Paul said entreat them like a brother; treat the older men like fathers.
Verse 2
The elder women as mothers; and the younger as sisters, with all purity (5:2).
Timothy was evidently unmarried. Paul tells him in another place to flee youthful lusts. Treat the younger women like sisters.
Verse 3
And then,
Honour widows that are widows indeed (5:3).
And now Paul seeks to define for Timothy who are the true widows.
Verse 4
If any widow have children or (5:4)
The word "nephew" should be translated "grandchildren,"
let them learn first to show piety at home, and to requite their parents: for that is good and acceptable before God (5:4).
So the first responsibility and Paul will repeat this again, for the welfare and the care of the widows lies upon the children and the grandchildren. Now the church did take upon itself the responsibility of caring for the needy within the body. It was a part of the ministry of the church.
You remember in Acts chapter six, where the Grecians came to the apostles and they complained that their widows were not being dealt with as bountifully as were the Hellenists, as were the Hebrews at the administration of the church's welfare program. And so there was a taking care of the widows by the church. But Paul seeks to define who are really qualified to come under the care of the church. If a widow had children or grandchildren, then it was their primary and first responsibility to take care of their needs.
Verse 5
Now she that is a widow indeed, and desolate (5:5),
Now these are the ones that the church is to take care of. One who is a "widow indeed, and desolate,"
who's trusting in God, and is continuing in supplications and prayers night and day (5:5).
And that is really the qualification for those widows that were to be taken care of by the church. They really were given a ministry within the church, and the ministry within the church was the ministry of intercessory prayer. And so they "trusted in God, and were continuing in supplications and prayers night and day" for the church and the work of the church.
How grateful we are for those prayers of the older women within the church. I really feel a tremendous loss here at Calvary with the death of many of these older women who held the church up in prayer continually. We had a blessed group of older women, many of them widows, who have now gone to be with the Lord, but who had this special ministry of prayer and supplication night and day.
Verse 6
Paul said in contrast to those,
Those that are living in pleasure are dead while they still live (5:6).
I think that one of the most reprehensible things going is a dirty old woman. Now, I think that dirty old men are bad, too. But you know, there's something about an older lady that there should have developed that softness and that beauty. And you see some beautiful older lady who is a grandmotherly type and then you hear her talk and she's using profanity and all, and there's just something that doesn't set right. It's just not there. You know, I think that you usually think of the older women as mothers and, the way that some of them talk or act, it's just really reprehensible. And one of the saddest things is to see in Las Vegas these old ladies standing there at these one-armed bandits just working those things all day long, with a cigarette hanging out of their mouth, you know. I mean, that just isn't in my mind the picture of what old ladies ought to be doing.
There is a beauty that comes to that older woman who has been walking with the Lord. There's almost a sacredness. I love to just sit down and share with those who have been walking with the Lord through the years. And from their mouth there pours the richness of God's love and God's goodness through the years. Widows indeed.
But those that are living for pleasure, those poor gals in Vegas, they're dead, Paul said, while they're still alive. I mean, they may still be breathing but man, they're dead and so is anybody who lives for pleasure, spiritually dead though they still may be alive.
Verses 7–8
And these things [Paul said] give in charge, that they may be blameless. For if any provide not for his own, specially those of his own house, he has denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel (5:7-8).
That is, if they do not take care of the members of their own family, if they do not take care of the needs of those of their own family, really they have denied the faith. Honor thy father and mother, the Scriptures said. And you've denied the faith if you refuse to take care of your elderly parents and grandparents.
Verse 9
Let not a widow be taken into the number under sixty years of age, having been the wife of one man (5:9),
Now this special ministry for widows, it seemed to be a ministry that was set aside in the church, and it was something that was an honored position. It was more or less a lifetime commitment by the older women to really give themselves to the burden of prayer and the prayer ministry for the church, and there was almost an office for the widows of the ministry of prayer. They were supported by the church. They were put on the church's payroll and their duty was just to continue night and day in prayer and supplication for the church. And I'll tell you, the church would be wise to hire the widows to do that, be profited by that kind of a ministry. A lot more than probably some of these young men that we put on staff who don't know quite yet what they're doing. If we had some widows that we put on staff just to pray for the church, a valuable asset. Any of you widows looking for a job?
Verse 10
So let the widow not be taken into the number; that is, the special ministry group who are cared for by the church, who are under sixty years of age, having been the wife of one husband who are,
Well reported for their good works (5:10);
These are the qualifications. They've got to have a good report that they have been doing good works.
if she has brought up children, if she has lodged strangers, if she has washed the saints' feet, if she has relieved the afflicted, if she has diligently followed every good work (5:10).
Great qualifications. Then there was the special area of ministry for them. But Paul said the younger widows, don't take them into this special company.
Verses 11–12
Refuse them: for when they have begun to wax wanton against Christ, they will marry; Having [not damnation, but condemnation], because they have cast off their first faith (5:11-12).
So Paul says that the younger widows should marry. If they are brought into this special company in ministry within the church, and then should leave that, fall in love and so forth, having made that commitment to Christ, having put the hand to the plough; turning back, they would feel condemned. Not good. It is better that they just go ahead and marry and bear children and all and not be brought into this special company of ministering widows within the church.
Verses 13–17
For if the church is taking care of them,
They're apt to be just going around from house to house becoming idle, and tattlers and busybodies, speaking about things that they should not be speaking. So better that they marry, have the responsibility of bearing their children, guiding their houses, and then gives no occasion for the enemy to speak reproachfully. For [he said] some are already turned aside after Satan. Now if any man or woman that believes has widows, let them take care of them, and not the church be charged; that they may take care of them that are widows indeed. Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in word and doctrine (5:13-17).
Now this indicates that there were other ministries for the older men besides just teaching the word and teaching doctrine, but these older men, these older saints accounted worthy of double honor. Again, even as the older women are a tremendous blessing to the church, so those older men who have walked with the Lord for years can be a tremendous blessing to the church. How I thank God for the ministry of the older men in this church. The blessing that they are, the ministry that they have and they should be accounted worthy of double honor.
Verse 18
For the scripture says, You are not to muzzle the ox that treads out the corn. And, The labourer is worthy of his hire (5:18).
So the double honor to the older men.
Verse 19
Then,
And against an elder receive not an accusation, unless there be at least two or three witnesses (5:19).
Don't take one person's word for it; let there be two or three witnesses.
Verse 20
Them that sin rebuke before all, that others may also fear (5:20).
Now I'm afraid that if the church practiced this open public rebuke of the sinners, it would create, no doubt, a fear but it might also create an empty church. You remember when the woman was brought to Jesus, taken in the act of adultery and they said, Our law says stone her, what do you say? And Jesus said, Let him who is without sin cast the first stone. And He began to write on the ground; it doesn't tell us what, but I feel certain that He was writing the names of the individuals and the sins they were guilty of. And it says they began to leave from the eldest to the youngest until there was none left. And if there was an open rebuke for sin, and we started going down naming everybody and naming the sins, it would create fear, I'm sure, within the church.
When I was a young man there was a man that I admired very much. I admired his ministry, Dr. Claire Britain. He was a medical doctor as well as a minister. And at a summer camp, I listened to him one year and he was saying that he could look into a young person's eyes, and the eyes are so revealing. They tell everything that the young person is guilty of; it's all there in their eyes. Man, I was afraid to look at him. Didn't want him to see everything that was there.
Verse 21
Now I charge thee [Paul said] before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, and the elect angels, that you observe these things without preferring one before another, do nothing by partiality (5:21).
We are all of us children of God. And as such, each of you are equally important to God. There are no second-class heavenly citizens. To you, I mean, to Jesus you are as important as anybody else, and it is the church's business to follow the example of Christ and to show love, appreciation, honor, respect, and all, to everyone without partiality. We're not to say, Hey, he's got big bucks, you know, treat him good, and the church is guilty of sin before God. Paul is pretty straight with it. "I charge you before God and before Jesus Christ and before the elect angels." I mean, it's a heavy-duty charge. Don't show partiality, treat everyone alike.
How opposite that is from the natural tendency, if someone is a professional person; Oh, he's a doctor. Oh, he's a chief of police. Oh, he's a lawyer, or something, and oh, he's very wealthy, you know. And there is that tendency to, oh, you know, show little favors and oh, why don't you come sit at our table, you know.
James also wrote saying have no respect of persons. "God is no respector of persons" (Romans 2:11). And we're not to have respect of persons. James says, Hey, someone comes in, you know, and they're well-dressed and you know, wearing diamonds and all, he says, you say, Hey, come on down, take this nice seat down here. Some guy comes in rags, you say, Hey, sit in the corner, man. And he said that's wrong. You see, in the eyes of the Lord we are all the same. God doesn't look upon me with any greater favor or honor or anything than He looks upon you. It is a tragic thing that the church has set up certain men that we say, Oh well, you know, look how close he is to God. We are equally close to God. We are equally in God's favor. God is no respector of man's person. And we are not to be, either. So doing nothing by partiality.
Verse 22
Now lay hands suddenly on no man (5:22),
What does that mean? Don't come up and say, hey, you know, lay hands on me suddenly and shock. No, he's talking now in the laying on of hands for the ordaining of a person for a ministry within the body of Christ. Let a person sort of prove themselves, don't be quick to ordain people to a particular task. Oh, glad to see you here this morning. Here, take this Sunday school book; we need a teacher for our sixth grade class, you know. A lot of churches feel that you got to lock the person into a job, you know, get them involved, you know, and hold them. But Paul said, "Don't lay hands on." You know, it's a lot easier to get people in than it is to get them out. And a tragic thing has taken --has happened in the church, and without really learning the individual, ordaining them for particular tasks or particular job, and then you can rule that quickness of judgment for a long time. So don't lay hands on any man suddenly.
and neither be a partaker of other men's sins: keep yourself pure (5:22).
Hey, that's not just good exhortation for Timothy; that's good for all of us. Keep ourselves pure. Now this is for Timothy.
Verse 23
Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for thy stomach's sake and thine oft infirmities (5:23).
Most of the people in that culture and in that day did drink wine. The wine that they drank was a mixture of water and wine, three parts of water, two parts of wine. And it was as common, as water as far as a drink was concerned, because in many of the areas the water was polluted. It would be like someone going down to Mexico and writing back and saying, Oh, man, I've got, you know, Montezuma's revenge, you know. And you know, so you would write to them and say, Hey, you better drink cokes or something, you know, instead of that water. You know, drink a little wine for your stomach's sake, for this dysentery and so forth. And that's basically what Paul is suggesting to Timothy.
Now this is to me quite interesting, however. In that I have no doubt that of those men in the New Testament who had the gifts of the Holy Spirit in operation in their life, the gift of miracles, healings and all, certainly Paul ranks with the chiefest of the apostles in the ministry gifts of the Spirit. Paul had many miracles wrought through his ministry. Paul had, I'm sure, the gift of faith, the gift of working of miracles, gifts of healing working through his life. And yet here is his son in the faith, Timothy.
Now when Paul was in Ephesus, they took his aprons and his sweatbands and they laid them on the sick people and they were healed. Why didn't Paul just anoint the handkerchief and send it to Timothy and say, Sleep on this? Now I am certain that Paul had prayed for Timothy's stomach disorders. And there are indications that Timothy was a very feeble person and was a sickly person, yet a companion of Paul. The question, why didn't God heal Timothy? Why was he allowed to be sickly? Why would Paul write sort of a medical, physical prescription for his ailment rather than just pray for his healing? I am convinced that Paul did pray for Timothy's healing. But nonetheless, Timothy wasn't healed.
I believe the reason why is that we would not be caught up in that kind of heresy that we'd say, Well, brother, you're still sick because there's some sin in your life. Or you're still sick because you just don't have enough faith. Or you're sick because you have this personal problem or something of that nature. To keep us from that kind of foolish, unscriptural speculation, we have the case of Timothy, a close associate, companion, son of Paul in the faith who Paul is giving some just, pure advice to, from a physical level for his oft sicknesses rather than having a divine touch of God and a healing upon his body.
God does not heal in every case. And in those cases where God doesn't heal, God has a purpose for not healing. It is not the lack of faith. It is not something wrong in the life of the individual. There is something within those eternal purposes of God that we cannot, do not, and will not understand. And I am thoroughly opposed to that kind of teaching that if you will follow this formula, you will be healed, and then that person who has this chronic illness feels constantly guilty. There's something wrong with me, something wrong with my relationship with God. Why aren't I healed you know, what's wrong with me? And actually you are kicking a person when they are down if you lay some kind of heavy trip on them that way. Oh, brother, you know, there's just got to be something wrong, you know. If you just had enough faith it would happen to you, too.
There's an interesting scripture concerning Jesus that we do not understand in our modern culture today. It said concerning Jesus, "A bruised reed he would not break" (Isaiah 42:3). To put that into a modern vernacular would be; He would not kick a man who is down. That's what meant by "a bruised reed he would not break." He wouldn't kick a man when he's down.
Paul himself had an affliction, which he prayed three times that God would deliver him from it. God finally answered, but not by delivering him but by just giving him the grace to endure it, declaring, "My grace is sufficient for you: my strength will be made perfect in your weakness" (2 Corinthians 12:9). So let us not be guilty of judging wrongly. Or of laying some heavy burden upon someone who is already burdened because of their illnesses, because of their weaknesses. Let us just recognize that God doesn't heal in every case. Now God does heal in some cases, He doesn't heal in other cases. Why He heals some and does not heal others is totally bound up in the sovereignty of God. As the Holy Spirit divides to each man severally as He wills of the gifts of the Spirit.
So Paul is encouraging Timothy for the stomach problem just drink a little wine. Don't drink that water anymore, dangerous stuff. I understand when they come to the United States from Mexico they always warn them, now don't drink the water. It's because we have different amoebas here than they do down there, and they get the same kind of problems from our water that we get from theirs. It's just that they become immuned to those amoebas in their water as we have become immuned to the amoebas. Hey, we don't have the purest water in the world, believe me.
Verses 24–25
Now he said,
Some men's sins are open beforehand, going before to judgment; and some men they follow after. Likewise also the good works of some are manifest beforehand; and they that are otherwise cannot be hid (5:24-25).
In other words, before you meet the person, often you hear about them and their sins have gone before them. People have told you, Oh hey, he's done this and he's done that and all. Before he ever comes and you meet him or he confesses whatever, you've already heard of what he has done. That happens so many times. A person comes to confess something and and you've already heard it from two or three persons. And the same thing with a person's good works, they also go before them. Or people have shared with you, Oh, he's really, you know, outstanding and this, that or the other, and you hear of them before you meet them. Their works precede them. They're manifest beforehand, cannot be hid.
Sunday Nights, 1985 to 1999 (C3000)
Chapter introduction
First Timothy, chapter five.
Timothy is a young man. In the fourth chapter, Paul has told Timothy, don’t let any man despise your youth. But as a young man and there in a position of responsibility in the church in Ephesus, to sort of put things into order, Paul now instructs his young son in the faith, Timothy, in just how things are to be run. As he said as you might know how you ought to behave yourself in the house of God. So this is good, practical instruction for the young minister, Timothy.
Rebuke not an elder, Now the elder here is an older man. The presbuteros was of course an office of an elder in the church. An office held by the elder men in the church—the presbuteros. But here it is referring as it just does in the Greek language, to an older person, to an old man.
Rebuke not an elder, but intreat him as a father; Old people do not take well to rebukes from young people. Who do you think you are, you young whippersnapper, you know? I changed your diapers when you were a baby, you know. So there is that certain kind of, what can you tell me? So if they need correction, do so in private, not a public kind of rebuke. But entreat them, come to them as a father, with great respect.
and the younger men as brethren; The younger men, you should treat as brothers, brothers in Christ.
Verse 2
The elder women as mothers;
Of course the word, elder here is the word, presbuteros, because it’s the feminine form of the Greek word. And so the elder women, you are to treat as mothers. The family of God, a beautiful thing—God's family. The older people are as your fathers. The older women are as your mothers, those that are your peers, as brothers.
the younger as sisters, and the women as sisters.
with all purity. That is something that should be emphasized because so many of the churches today are suffering because of the involvement, the unfortunate involvement, many times, of the church leadership with the young women. So you are to treat them as sisters with all purity.
Verse 3
And then Paul goes on to talk about the churches’ just taking care of the widows.
Honour widows that are widows indeed.
That is, that are truly widows. And he describes and will define what is a widow indeed, in just a moment.
Verse 4
But if any widow have children or nephews (grandchildren, the word nephews, there should be grandchildren), let them learn first to shew piety at home, and to requite their parents: for that is good and acceptable before God.
In other words, the older people, the widows were to be taken care of by their own family, by their children or by their grandchildren. They were first, their responsibility. So Paul is telling them that it really starts with the family, and the church, really should not be trying to care for and maintain those widows that had children or grandchildren that could take care of them.
Now he describes what is a true widow that the church should be concerned with and helped and take care of.
Verse 5
Now she that is a widow indeed, and desolate, trusteth in God, and continueth in supplications and prayers night and day.
That’s what the true widow is that the church should be taking care of. She should be one who is really in need, one who has put her faith and trust in God and one who is a prayer warrior. She is one who continues in supplication or a truly Spiritual woman. If there be such in the church that are in need, they are desolate. They have no family to take care of them. Then it should be the responsibility of seeing that they are being taken care of—the church’s obligation and responsibility.
In the early church in Jerusalem, they had a welfare program. They did take care of the widows. A problem did arise over that which was dealt with in the Book of Acts. But it was the duty of the church to take care of the older women, the widows who were widows indeed. Now, there were those who were living it up. The husband died. All right, you know. And they were just starting to live it up, partying and everything else.
Verse 6
But she that liveth in pleasure is dead while she liveth.
It’s interesting how that you go to visit some of these convalescent hospitals and how some of these old women try to act pretty sexy you know. They come up and flirt and everything else. You think, man, they’re dead while they are still alive. What are they trying to do? Or who are they trying to fool, you know?
Now here is an interesting thing. We come into the definition of death. It is important to realize that Biblically there are two definitions. The one is a definition of physical death and the other is a definition of spiritual death. And so a person can be physically alive, but spiritually dead. And that’s what Paul is dealing with here. They may be physically alive, but spiritually dead. They are not living for God. They are living for pleasure. They don’t have an interest in God. Their interest is in pleasure. And Paul said if that is a person’s case, then they are dead, this is, spiritually dead, while they are still alive, that is physically alive. So there are many people today, physically alive, but spiritually, they are dead.
Now one of the definitions for death is described, “and he gave up the ghost”. That is the spirit was separated from the body or the consciousness was separated from the body, as a definition of death in the Bible.
It is a definition of death in medical science today. When a person’s EEG monitor goes flat, they say they are brain dead. The brain is no longer functioning. The gray matter is still there but the juice is turned off. There are no impulses. Thus the life support system is removed because they are only being kept breathing by the life support system. The brain is no longer activated. There is a separation of the brain from the body. They are dead. And that’s a definition in the Bible. He gave up the ghost or the spirit.
The second definition of death from a Biblical standpoint is the separation of a man’s brain from God or consciousness from God. If you are living without a consciousness of God, no awareness of God, no thought of God, no consciousness of God, no concern for God, then from a Biblical standpoint, you are dead, that is spiritually dead. There is a separation between your consciousness and God.
So physical death is the separation of the consciousness from the body. The spiritual death is the separation of the consciousness from God. And of course from a Biblical standpoint, a person who is separated from God is, as the Bible says, twice dead. When you die physically, you’re twice dead. You were already in your trespasses and sin. And now you are dead physically—twice dead.
Verses 7–8
And these things (Paul said to Timothy) give in charge, that they may be blameless.
But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house (household), he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.
In other words, we do have a certain responsibility to our family, to take care of our family, to take care of the needs of our family. And if we don’t do that, we are worse than an infidel. There is a denying of the faith, if we’re not willing to take care of the needs of those within our families.
Verse 9
So
Let not a widow be taken into the number (That is the number that are cared for by the church, provided for by the church, don’t take them into this number who are) under threescore years old(sixty years of age), having been the wife of one man,
That is not divorced and remarried, divorced and remarried, divorced and remarried, but has lived with her husband, who has now died. If she is under sixty years, she is not to be taken in, over sixty years, then she qualifies to be cared for by the church.
Verse 10
But also other qualifications, she needs to be,
Well reported of for good works; if she have brought up children, if she have lodged strangers, if she have washed the saints' feet, if she have relieved the afflicted, if she have diligently followed every good work.
Those were some of the qualifications—good, Godly, women. Now received into the support by the church, there is the indication here that they should then provide some type of service for the church to cover for their taken care of by the church. Either prayer ministries, visiting the sick, or taking some sort of activity in the church, holding and stuffing envelopes, and things of that nature. In other words, there are tasks that they can do to help earn their keep by the church.
Verse 11
But the younger widows refuse:
Don’t bring them into the fellowship.
for when they have begun to wax wanton against Christ, they will marry; Now this doesn’t mean that marrying again, is wrong. But it means that a young woman has come. She says, well I’m a widow. I want the church to take care of me. I am going to commit my life totally to serve the Lord. I want to just serve Him completely. I want to be taken care of by the church, like the older women. They come. They say they are destitute. I need help. Can the church take care of me? I’ll be glad to dust the piano and you know, pick up papers or whatever and you know, do what service I can. Then they are taken in by the church and provided for.
Here comes a young gal. She says I’ve devoted my life to Christ completely. My husband died. I don’t have any support. I want to just serve the Lord. Well, Paul is saying after a while, they may see some fellow, be attracted to him. And they go ooh, ooh, you know. Well, I don’t want to serve the Lord. I want to get married again, so they break their vow of serving the Lord. That would be the problem, not the fact that they get married again.
So Paul said concerning the younger widows, I will therefore, (verse fourteen), that the younger women marry, and they bear children. They guide the house. And they give no occasion to the adversary to speak reproachfully. So better off, if they are young and are a widow, to go ahead and get married again and hopefully have a family and all.
Verse 12
So the breaking of the vows, they become wanton against Christ, they will marry,
Having damnation, because they have cast off their first faith.
That is, the commitment that they have made to fully follow Jesus Christ.
Verse 13
And withal they learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house; and not only idle, but tattlers also and busybodies, speaking things which they ought not.
In other they become social gadflies and just are going around, creating all kinds of problems, bearing tales, gossiping and so forth.
Verse 14
I will therefore that the younger women marry, bear children, guide the house, give none occasion to the adversary to speak reproachfully.
They are better of if they marry and so busy with the kids, they can’t get around and create these kinds of problems, you know.
Verse 15
For some (Paul said to Timothy) are already turned aside after Satan.
They have left the faith. They’ve left the Lord and their commitment to Jesus Christ and they have turned aside to Satan.
Verse 16
If any man or woman that believeth have widows, let them relieve them, and let not the church be charged;
In other words, if you have in your family, one who has been widowed, then you should take care of them. It shouldn’t be the responsibility of the church.
that it (the church) may relieve them that are widows indeed. Those who are truly widows. Those who have no means of support, or no family to take care of them. They are the ones that the church, then should take and accept the responsibility for taking care of them.
Verse 17
Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour,
Men, who are elders in the church, who are ministering the word, or who are ministering to people, if they are doing a good job, then we should give double honor unto them. Respect.
especially they who labour in the word Those who are in the business of teaching. Those who labor in the Word of God. and doctrine. Those that God is using in the Word of God and doctrine.
We had a fellow in our church who was an excellent Bible teacher. He was in his nineties. He was very strong, still. He came up to me one day. He was teaching our adult Sunday School class. He came up to me and, he said, Pastor Chuck, what book would you recommend for me to get to learn Greek? He said, I’ve decided I’m going to learn Greek, so I can better understand the New Testament. I want to read it in the original languages. So I suggested to him the Greek grammar that I had, when I was in college. So, he studied Greek.
It was interesting that this man loved the Word of God. He loved to teach the Word of God and was an outstanding teacher. He should be afforded double honor, according to Paul’s letter here to Timothy. And also should be provided for. In other words, he should be paid for his work of teaching.
Verse 18
For the scripture saith, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn.
Now this was under the law. They would set the wheat out on a flat floor. Then the oxen would go back and forth over it, pulling a drag. And the drag, of course, would cause the wheat to just spin and tumble and in so doing it would knock the husk off the wheat. Now, when an ox was put to the task of pulling this drag, they weren’t to muzzle the ox. In other words, he’s working. If he wants to eat some of that wheat, don’t muzzle him. Let him go ahead and eat the wheat that he is treading out, there on the threshing floor. And so it was a part of the law. And so Paul said, that applies to those who are ministering the Word of God. You are not to muzzle them. You are not to withhold from them they that teach the Word or to live by the Word.
And, The labourer is worthy of his reward. That (Luke 10:7) came from the words of Jesus. The laborer is worthy of his hire. So they who labor in the Word of God, are worthy of being supported, is what Paul is telling Timothy.
Verse 19
Against an elder (that is against one of the church leaders) receive not an accusation, but before two or three witnesses.
If someone writes me a letter concerning the pastor, and I do get quite a few letters of this nature. Because we have so many Calvary Chapels, people often times will write me with a concern that they have for their pastor. But I do not accept an accusation if there is only one person writing. Paul tells Timothy, don’t receive an accusation without two or three witnesses.
Now if you get two or three people that are writing and saying the same thing, then I’ll step in. I’ll call the pastor or I’ll call some of those and I’ll say I’d like more information. But, I think that too often you know, someone can get disgruntled and angry at the pastor, because he said something they didn’t like. So they sit down. They send off a letter, you know. They have sometimes imagined grievances or many times, it’s out of spite. I’ll get even with you.
We are living in a very difficult time because of the laws and because of the age in which we live, the whole tenor of society today. Quite often, false accusations and charges are made against the person who is in authority by those who are under them who are dissatisfied with what has happened. They are wanting to get even.
So quite a few of the sexual harassment charges are really unfounded. But a person is angry because, maybe they got laid off and for good cause, but they are angry. They say, I’ll get even with him for laying me off. And they will file a sexual harassment charge. And the very fact that they have filed brings that person into question in the minds of so many people. His reputation is often ruined.
We had a member of our church here who was a, well he’s still here, he retired as the chief of police in one of the Orange County cities here. And he retired, he said, because he still had a good reputation. He wanted to retire with a good reputation. He said, in so many of the police departments, the chiefs, you know, were getting into all kinds of problems with harassment suits and things of that nature. It had become sort of an almost an epidemic kind of thing. He said, he felt it best to retire while you are still ahead and you still have a good reputation. He was pleased and thrilled that he could retire with his reputation still intact. And this is something very commendable. But it possible and it is tragic that many peoples’ reputations have been destroyed because someone was out with vengeance to get even and made false accusation.
So Paul is warning Timothy. Don’t receive an accusation against an elder unless there are two or three witnesses.
Verse 20
Them that sin (If you find out that they are at fault.) rebuke before all, that others also may fear.
Now you can’t do that anymore. If we would rebuke, publicly someone who was guilty of sin, we would have all kinds of suits being filed against us. So public disclosure is not always wise in this day and age, in this litigious society. It isn’t good.
We actually were named in a suit from a pastor up in Washington, who counseled a lady. She felt that the counsel was bad and that he had, you know, revealed to the church, things that he had come to know about her through the counsel. So she sued him. She sued us and everything else because his church’s name is Calvary Chapel. Go back to granddaddy, you know, and sue him too. It’s one of those kinds of societies. Now, I didn’t really know this guy. I didn’t know the woman ever. I never heard of her or anything else, until I got filed with a suit on the crazy thing. Thank the Lord, it’s been settled the last week or something, out part of it. But it’s not a wise thing.
Now, first of all in a church of this size, it wouldn’t be wise anyhow, despite, you know, whatever legal problems might exist. It wouldn’t be wise to publicly expose someone’s sin. It’s just not wise. A lot of people may not even know about it. They may not even know about the person. It just wouldn’t be wise. There are too many sinners. We would have to quote too much. You know, it would be like a lurid magazine or something. Come and hear all the dirt, you know. So, it just isn’t a wise thing. In a smaller kind of an assembly, I suppose that was a place for that at one time, but I really don’t believe in the public rebuke of individuals in the church today, especially a church of this size.
Verse 21
I charge thee before God,
This is a heavy duty charge! It isn’t just, I charge you before man or just, I charge you. Now, earlier on, he just said, I charge you. Now, that’s you know, I’m Paul, an apostle, and he is charging him to this. But now, man, I charge you before God!
If that’s that not enough and the Lord Jesus Christ,
And if that’s not enough and the elect angels, I mean this is heavy, heavy, heavy, duty, kind of charge. It’s extremely important!
And what is it? that thou observe these things without (without partiality) preferring one before another, doing nothing by partiality. The business of showing respect of person. Preferential treatment, because of their wealth or their office that they hold or other things by which, we are prone to show special kind of treatment. This is to be across the board. You are not to show special, preferential treatment. You are not to show partiality.
I think that this is a very important warning of Paul to Timothy. If fact, it has to be. I charge you before God, before the Lord Jesus Christ, and the holy angels, you don’t do this! Guard against this!
Because every man in God's eyes is equal. God is no respecter of persons. Over and over and over, you will find that repeated in the Scripture. That God is no respecter of persons. And if I as a minister of God, a servant of God, become a respecter of person, then I’m not truly representing God. I’m not a faithful Minster or representative of God. So we need to realize that everyone is of equal importance to God and in the eyes of God. God loves us all equally. God doesn’t have His favorites. Many times we’re prone to think of people as God's favorites, because it seems that God is using them maybe in a more prominent, visible, position. But that doesn’t mean that God loves them more. God is no respecter of person. Sometimes we feel like we are further away God than others. But we are, all of us, equally close. All we have to do is call. He is there!
So Paul warns Timothy about this danger. And it is a very common and prevalent danger within the church.
James wrote about it too (James 2:2-9). He said if a fellow comes in and he wearing expensive clothes, he has a diamond pinkie, you know, and all of this kind of stuff, you are prone to say, ooh, it’s so nice to have you here today. Sit down here in the front, you know, and all.
But if some guy comes in and smells of the disinfectant from the homeless mission, he’s in rags. You think, oh man, sit over there in the corner, you know. You shunt the one aside.
He said, you are respecting person. That’s not good because that poor person with a smell of the disinfectant is just as important to God as the one who has the fancy clothes and drives the sports car, you know. God is no respecter of person!
We have to guard against that because it’s so easy to fall into that kind of a trap of, oh! He’s the mayor of the town and he’s come to church! Wow! Let’s be in special behavior because the mayor is here today, you know. You say, God, You see that the mayor has come! Who’s he, you know. You’re more important or just as important as the mayor or anybody else, in God's eyes.
Men may sit on thrones and exercise their authority over others and want people to come and bow and all to them, but not God. He doesn’t honor or respect the person, because of their position. Everyone, everyone of you, as we stand before God, we stand on the same level. None are exalted above the other. God sees us all the same. And you are important to God!
So we should never give a person the feeling that they are not important. No matter who they are, we should never give to them the feeling, well I don’t matter. They’re really not interested in me. I’m not important. But we should let everyone feel as they come that they are important to God by our giving the same kind of treatment to them, that we would if the Secretary of State should come and sit at the church. We shouldn’t show special favoritism. Do nothing by partiality.
Verse 22
And then the warning,
Lay hands suddenly on no man, neither be partaker of other men's sins: keep thyself pure.
When a person wants to be appointed to an office within the church, they would lay hands on that person, and pray for them as they fulfilled the office within the church. If they are to take the office of an elder, or an overseer within the church, hands would be laid upon them. They would pray over them, in setting them in the office. So lay hands on no man suddenly. That is, you shouldn’t promote a novice into a position of Spiritual authority. And this often times is done.
We hear, sometimes, of famous Hollywood personalities, who maybe have accepted Jesus Christ. And we destroy them so readily by wanting to get them up immediately and share their testimony. Oh my, you know, he is in Hollywood. Look at that, you know. And I can remember many times when noted people had received Jesus Christ, how that the church really destroyed them by trying to raise them up too quickly. To get them out on the circuit, giving their testimony, because they’ll draw crowds. Everybody will come to hear them, because they were famous. And now they are Christian! And by being lifted up too quickly, they weren’t able to handle it. So many who made profession of faith, later on modified, or turned from that profession of faith because they were raised up too quickly.
So Paul is warning Timothy about elevating a person within the position of the church leadership within the church, too quickly. Give them time to mature. Give them time to develop and to grow.
Verse 23
Now here Paul is giving Timothy all of these instructions towards, concerning these weighty spiritual issues in the church, but just a little personal touch, now Timothy.
Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for thy stomach's sake and thine often infirmities.
I hear you’ve been sick, Timothy, throwing up a lot and all. So, drink water anymore.
You know, go down to Mexico, watch for that water, you know. Down in Mexico they say, if you go to the United States, watch out for the water, you know. It’s just that water has different amoebae in it, here than it does down there. Thus, we’re not used to their amoebas. They are not used to ours. So when you travel, water is one of the things that you have to watch.
Now, let me say that this Scripture has been abused by a lot of people. Take a little wine for your stomach’s sake. Well, this is for my stomach’s sake, man.
It is quite obvious that he’s not referring to wine as a beverage. But he is referring to wine as a medicine, for medical purposes. Don’t drink the water there in Ephesus, it’s bad. But take a little wine, get over this stomach problem, that you have.
Here’s daddy, Paul, just talking to his boy. He hears that he’s got this intestinal problem, so just as a father to a son, in the middle of all of this, heavy-duty, spiritual stuff, he gets very practical.
I love that about Christianity, it’s practical. Our heads aren’t so much in the heavens, that we can’t just take care of practical matters. My toenails need cutting, you know. There are just practical things that need to be done. You have to, you know, you just can’t live up there in some ethereal, walk around in the heavenly. You know, I’m so Spiritual, you know, I don’t do things people normally do. That’s not so!
Verse 24
Some men's sins are open beforehand, going before to judgment;
In other words, their sins are open. You see them. When the judgment comes, you recognize, well, God's allowed that to happen. They were living in sin and you can see the hand of God in bringing the judgment upon their lives.
and some men they follow after. That is, the judgment comes later. You may think that you’re getting by with your sin now, because nothing has happened. There are a lot of people that have that attitude, if God didn’t like what I was doing, why didn’t He stop me? If he didn’t like what I was doing, then why didn’t he judge me?
Paul said with some, God does judge now. And others, the judgment will come later. Often times it’s better now than later.
If God judges you now, many times you will be corrected, and you’ll stop it because you realize that God is not pleased. If we would judge ourselves, Paul said to the Corinthians (1 Corinthians 11:31), then we would not be judged of God. If your judgment later, it’ll then be before the Lord and there’ll be no opportunity to repent or change at that point.
Verse 25
Likewise also the good works of some are manifest beforehand; and they that are otherwise cannot be hid.
So of man’s evil or man’s good works, are made manifest. Some we receive the reward for now. Others we receive the reward for later. He ends the fifth chapter.
So one more chapter and we move into 2nd Timothy. But next week, 1 Timothy, chapter six.