Paul, a church leader, is writing to another church leader. Before we think that it has nothing to do with us if we are not elders, we can learn from the way he is writing to Timothy about elders and see how we can encourage one another. This is how we can all take it back, and apply it in our churches.
We practice encouragement by learning how to honour, to make holiness our goal and to pay attention to how we live.
(A) The church should honour (1 Tim 5:17-18)
1 Timothy 3:15 is the anchor verse of this book. Paul’s concern in this book is that we understand how the household of God ought to be like and what it is like as the church of the living God to uphold the truth. He is concerned about the connection between doctrine and life, and the role of the pastor in it.
See also 1 Timothy 1:3,18; 2:11-12; 3:1-7 (on elders), 8-13 (on deacons); 4:6, 12; 5:1-2. Paul has repeatedly emphasised the teachers, leaders, pastors — those who are the heads in the household of God. They are to pay attention to the culture of the church — focussing on teaching and how they are exhorting the people to live.
In 1 Timothy 5:17, Paul turns to focus on elders. The word “elder” (leader of a community, a position of honour and authority) can be translated as “pastor” (shepherd) or “bishop” (overseer). In this verse, we see that the job of the elders is to rule, teach and preach.
Paul states that the elders “who rule well be considered worthy of double honour” (1 Tim 5:17). Note that elders can’t rule without preaching and teaching. Remember the qualifications of an elder — he must be able to teach (1 Tim 3:2). Similarly, the women are not to teach in the rule and teach model (1 Tim 2:12).
What does it mean to honour? There is an element of material exchange, similar to the instructions given to the widows in 1 Timothy 5:3. It involves submitting to their teaching and preaching, and obeying it. It means:
showing up
giving attention to
placing a priority on
favouring local (instead of universal)
privileging in-person (instead of digital)
knowing who they are
understanding what they are trying to say to us
subjecting what they say to God’s word.
These are all forms of using elders for what they were meant for. They are not just another voice but they are the main voice as they speak God’s word to us. We were not meant to grow as a Christian on YouTube. We are not intended to grow by choosing when and how to show up on a Sunday. These are all forms of dishonouring our elders.
How does this set of instructions relate to the passage before? Previously, Paul was thinking about church relationships and the different groups we are to honour. Paul was speaking about honouring older and younger men and women and then widows. Honouring should be part of your instinct when you are a part of the church. It involves aspects of trust, admiration, looking up to, celebrating, respect for. These are not common words in our world today. We don’t often talk about who we honour. We love to criticise, bring people down and see the worst in people.
Paul does not believe that his elders are perfect. In 1 Timothy 1, he reminded Timothy to ensure that no one is teaching false doctrines. Yet, they were to be honoured. In the same way, the widows are not perfect. But they are worthy of honour.
How is your honouring instinct? Do you find it easy to respect, look up to them? Are you quick to see aspects of their lives that you can learn from or imitate? Or, do you think that people are not worth your time, and you are quick to criticise?
Remind yourself that God is there when you meet fellow Christians in church. And He wants us to respect, delight, honour, admire the brother or sister.
Paul quotes from other parts of Scripture as he gives his instructions in 1 Timothy 5:18. Paul speaks of fair compensation and draws from Deuteronomy 25:4 (c.f. 1 Cor 9:9) and Luke 10:7 (c.f. Deut 24:15). Paul is quoting from the book of Moses and the teaching of Jesus and he calls both the Scripture. He is arguing that it is a common thread in both the Old and New Testaments.
How much respect do you give to the Bible? If you do not, it is not surprising that you do not honour the men who give us the Bible. Honour them when they give us the Bible. And don't honour them when they don’t give us the Bible.
Do you have the culture of honouring the men who bring you God’s word? Do you listen to them? Do you sit under their teaching when they give you the plain meaning of God’s word? Does your church care about God’s word, and put in leaders who care about God’s word? Keep asking for such leaders.
Do you know how much your elders are paid? Look for ways to encourage and thank them. Look for ways to reward them and pay them fairly for the work they do.
(B) Holiness our goal (1 Timothy 5:19-21)
Paul also considers the elders who may not rule well, and a charge is raised against him (1 Tim 5:19). Timothy is taught not to admit the charge unless there are two or three witnesses. This is what Deuteronomy 19:15 states. This is good legal theory that we continue to apply today. Corroborative evidence is required in our courts before a charge is made. We are to be reasonable people. He does not want an elder to be brought down based on one person’s words, a loose or stray charge.
If the elder is guilty of the charge and persists in sin, ignoring the discipline process, he is to be rebuked in the presence of all (1 Tim 5:20-21). This process is similar to the process of discipline in Matthew 18:15-18. Thus, church discipline also applies to the elder. The church gets to decide on discipline, even for the elder, as part of due process.
What does this mean for us? Consider: Will anyone care about your sin? Will anyone come and pull you out of the pit of your sin? If you are losing your faith to worldliness, influences that pull you away from the Lord and you find your love for Jesus getting colder and colder because of the sins in your heart, will anyone come and find you? Will anyone say to your face that you are in sin and need to repent? Would anyone love you enough that they’d bring witnesses, even if you are an elder?
There are many in the church that think that the way to bring down a church leader is to have him shamed. This is not what’s being spoken of here. The goal of discipline is always holiness. The goal of correction and bringing your bother back to Christ is never to crush, disgrace or shame them, but is always about their holiness.
If you don’t care about holiness, continue to live your life as you please. Go to church as and when you are free or only when it is convenient. Drop out of your cell group when you are busy. Ignore your leaders. But if you care about the purity of God’s people, and about the souls of the people in church, check in on people. Speak to them. Find out how they are doing.
Your personal goals may pull you away from the living God. In those times, it is important to have friends who care about your holiness, who make your holiness their goal. And make it yours too.
1 Timothy 5:21 lays out the instructions with weight. Timothy is to do it without favourites or partiality.
(C) Pay attention to how people live (1 Tim 5:22-25)
What four instructions does Paul give together — what is he thinking about in them? (v22-23 c.f., Acts 6:6)
Paul goes on to give 4 instructions here:
“Do not be hasty in the laying on of hands” — A council laid hands on Timothy to confirm his gift and it conveys something of God’s own authority and presence (c.f. Acts 6:6, 1 Tim 4:14). Paul did not want Timothy to be hasty in appointing elders. He is to take his time to do so.
“(do not) take part in the sins of others”, “keep yourself pure” — Is this how you think about your life? Are you mindful about the holiness you are pursuing today? Notice that it is not purity of intentions or motives, but purity of self. It has fallen out of fashion for us to ask God to keep our eyes, heart, balance book pure. Instead we seek to toe the line and see how close to the edge we can go.
“No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments” — From 1 Timothy 4:1-5, we can infer that there are those that are legalistic. Paul here, is also advocating gospel freedom
Paul is paying attention to Timothy’s life. He care about his heart, relationships and health. Here, we have a fantastic example of how we can encourage one another. Would you know if your church friends are struggling with money/health/their walk with God/if one is pressured to appoint elders i.e. ministry struggles? Paul did, though he was far away. We should endeavour in the body of Christ to be better friends to one another, to know each other’s needs and to speak holy words to each other in practical ways.
Paul also states that In time, all of us will be exposed (1 Tim 5:24-25). Wait, and one’s good works will be made known. SImilarly, one’s sins will also be revealed. Trust God’s judgment. This is an encouragement for Timothy to take comfort in these words when things in life, ministry are not going well, as time will tell.
Practically, this also means that we should pay attention to how people live day after day after day, year after year after year. We should not look for spiritual flashes but spiritual longevity, reflected in lives of faithfulness that does not stop. Let’s develop relationships that can look back at a decade, two decades ago, and see a greater love for Jesus now.
Does your Christian community smell like honor and encouragement or criticism and gossip?What does it look like to practically pursue holiness in our relationships with each other? If you were exposed what would be revealed — sinful or good works?