Note: The following post is an exposition of 1 Timothy 5:17-25, based on a small group study I had the privilege to lead recently.
1 Timothy 5:17-25
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 men 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. (ESV)
In 1 Timothy 3:1-7, Paul outlines for Timothy the qualifications necessary for men to hold the position of “elder” (or overseer) in the Church. Indeed, most of the pastoral epistles outline the responsibilities for, logically, pastors, but also for elders and other teachers. But what of the responsibilities toward the elders?
1. Honor the Elders
The first responsibility Paul commands is to honor the elders. Indeed, those who rule well are to be “considered worthy of double honor.” I don’t think “double honor” necessarily indicates a specific level of honor or remuneration, but instead, is simply a command to a higher level. And it is indeed a command - the imperative mood of the original Greek makes this neither a suggestion nor a guideline.
This honor is to be extended especially to “those who labor in preaching and teaching.” Preaching and teaching is, of course, a basic emphasis of Paul’s to Timothy. In 1 Timothy 4:13, he had exhorted Timothy to devote himself to the “public reading of the Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching.” Indeed, teaching itself is at the center of our Lord’s great commission in Matthew 28:18-20.
It is this teaching and preaching that Timothy and the other elders are to labor in, and not just labor in the sense of “work at it,” as we might expect. No, the exhortation is to labor to the point of fatigue or exhaustion. The weary work that accompanies arduous travel, such as that which caused our Lord to pause for rest at Jacob’s well in John 4:6. The fatigue that the Lord himself promises us respite from in Matthew 11:28. This is the labor to which Paul refers.
To support his argument, Paul, as he frequently does, appeals to the Word of God. First, to the Law - “You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain,” which is, of course, Deuteronomy 25:4. This same passage he appeals to in his own defense in 1 Corinthians 9:8-11, and he makes the same point another way to Timothy in 2 Timothy 2:6.
Paul’s other appeal to Scripture is amazing not only because of the content, which serves his point well, but because of its source. “The laborer deserves his wages.” From whence does Paul draw this argument? From the Mosaic Law, given his background as a Pharisee? From the Psalter, perhaps? No, it is from the Gospel of Luke. This may seem minor to us - of course Luke’s Gospel is Scripture - but keep in mind this: Paul, a strict Pharisee, former persecutor of the Christians, and former slave to the Law - is referring to a book written (most likely ) a scant 2-4 years before this letter as Scripture. A book written by a friend of his. (Nor is Paul the only one to recognize this early that these writings were the Word of God - Peter does the same with Paul’s own writings in 2 Peter 3:15-16 - notice the reference to Paul’s letters and the reference to “other Scriptures,” placing Paul’s letters on equal footing).
And so, we are commanded by Paul and the Scriptures to honor the elders; again, to consider them worthy of double honor, but does that mean that they are free to do whatever they please? That they may Lord it over the flock? Not exactly, because of our second responsibility to the elders:
2. Hold the Elders Accountable
Of course, this accountability comes through the normal process of church discipline. If your church does not have a specific rule for disciplining members and leaders, I would encourage you to take some time studying the process which our Lord instituted very clearly in Matthew 18:15-20:
Matthew 18:15-20
15 “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. 16 But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. 17 If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. 18 Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. 19 Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.” (ESV)
Paul, not surprisingly, advocates the same method of discipline here in 1 Timothy 5:19-20, though in slightly different words, and from a slightly different angle. He does not mention, for example, the initial “one-on-one” confrontation of sin from Matthew 18:15. Why? Because Paul is not describing to Timothy the method for himself to use in the process of discipline, but rather, describing Timothy’s role in the discipline of an elder.
For example, if a member were to catch an elder in sin, that member would first go to the elder privately and try to “gain his brother.” He should not, as a first step, go to his pastor. It is only if his brother rejects him, and he takes two or three witnesses, and his brother still rejects him, that he should take the matter to his pastor (Timothy, in this case) for referral to the entire church. If the member brings the accusation to the pastor before having the witnesses, the pastor should, as Paul counsels Timothy, not admit the charge. Of course, rather than an outright rejection, the member should be counseled to follow the proper course outlined in Matthew.
If, at this point, the elder persists in their sin, then like any other sin, they should be disciplined by the entire body. But in the case of elders, this serves a double purpose - that of instilling fear of sin into the rest of the elders, or indeed, even the rest of the church. And again, it should be emphasized that as in Matthew, the purpose of church discipline is not punishment - rather, it is to win back your wayward brother.
Knowing that discipline of leaders in the church could potentially be an intimidating prospect, Paul rather forcefully exhorts Timothy - “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.” This is reminder to Timothy to be impartial, yet bold.
Paul’s command to Timothy to deal with sin in the eldership does not merely extend to dealing with sin in existing elders. He also exhorts Timothy to be cautious in the selection of elders, so that hopefully, flagrant sin may not even be in issue.
3. Honestly Assess Elders and Elder Candidates
Avoiding sin in the leadership of the church starts with the selection of elders. This is a process which has great potential for introducing error into the church. Indeed, in Acts 20:28-30, Paul had warned the elders of this very church that “wolves” would come in, not sparing the flock, and even from among themselves, men would arise, speaking twisted things, drawing disciples away after them.
It is crucial, therefore, that potential elders be tested for their character and their qualifications for that role. Paul has already outlined those qualifications, again, in 1 Timothy 3:1-7, but here he cautions Timothy to not be hasty with “the laying on of hands,” in proclaiming new elders. The danger, of course, is that if Timothy were to name an elder who was not qualified or tested for the position, and that elder would later prove to be a false teacher or introduce other sin into the body, then Timothy himself would share in that elder’s sin. Paul urges Timothy, therefore, to keep himself pure.
He follows this exhortation with an interesting side note in v. 23. He tells Timothy to no longer only drink water, but to drink wine for his stomach. If Timothy had stomach problems, then wine indeed would have been a good choice, given the issues with water purity at that time. But why place this text here? It seems more of the type of personal note that Paul usually ends his epistles with (cf. Romans 16). So why insert it here?
The most reasonable explanation would be that he is tempering the warning about purity - he doesn’t want Timothy to fall into asceticism to the point of harming his health. He is certainly not advocating Timothy to sin - which drunkenness is, indeed, sin - but merely to not fall into the equally dangerous sin of legalism in his assessment of himself or of elder candidates.
Verses 24-25 remind of the reasons for honest assessment - that both sin and good works aren’t always immediately evident. For some men, they are. For others, they only appear later. Due diligence in assessing our elder candidates is necessary to reduce the possibility of introducing ungodly men into leadership positions, but it can never guarantee it. This is why, even after elders are installed, we must continue to assess them, for those sins which may appear later.
Application
Paul’s purpose in writing Timothy is, as he tells us in 1 Timothy 3:14-15, “…so that, if I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth.” We likewise should look at Paul’s exhortations to Timothy and find the application for us so that we, too, may know how we ought to behave in the household of God.
So, with that in mind, let us assess ourselves on how we are doing in our relationships with our elders…
1. Are we honoring our church’s elders?
Do we truly consider our elders worthy of honor, let alone the double honor that Timothy commands? If so, what does this look like? Honor toward the elders can come in many forms. It can come in the form of an encouraging word. When is the last time you dropped a note or email to your pastor and said “I really appreciate your ministry.” (Note to self: Email pastor…) When did you take an elder to lunch, just to say “thank you”? (Note to self: Schedule lunch with an elder…) Our giving to the church certainly shows honor to the staff (vocational) elders, but don’t forget the other elders of your church, who may do this good work outside of their regular “job.” Encourage them, edify them, for they are indeed worthy of it.
2. Are we holding our elders accountable?
Of course, this implies, necessarily, that you are active and involved in the life of your church and in the lives of your elders. Are you watching their teaching? Are you watching their lives?
3. Are we honestly assessing elder candidates and elders?
Depending on the process for selecting elders in your church, you may or may not be asked to provide feedback or vote on candidates. If you are, are you providing an honest assessment? Are you approaching the task prayerfully? Are you assessing not only candidates, but continuing to keep watch over the elders of your church, and providing them graceful and truthful accountability as brothers in Christ? Are you doing so fairly, as Paul says, without prejudging or partiality?
Conclusion
The elders of our churches are responsible for shepherding the flock of God, watching over our very souls. We are called to submit to them and let them lead us with joy (Hebrews 13:17), and we are to consider them worthy of honor. Let us do so, and let us provide them with the accountability they need to be able to one day give a good account before the throne of the Lamb.
