An Open Book or Password Protected

“The sins of some people are conspicuous, going before them to judgment, but the sins of others appear later. So also good works are conspicuous, and even those that are not cannot remain hidden” (1Tim 5:24-25).

Some folks are an open book. It doesn’t take a rocket surgeon or a brain scientist to figure out who they are or what they’ve done. They may be a train wreck of sin and stupid choices. Or they may be up to so much obvious good for others that you’re sure if you looked up “underachiever” in the dictionary, your picture would be there. 

Then there are those whose resumes are anything but obvious. It’s as if their lives are encrypted and password protected. Some people look squeaky clean on the outside but behind closed doors are a scandal looking for a place to happen. Then there are those unassuming folks who aren’t very impressive who suddenly win the Nobel Peace Prize out of nowhere. 

Here in a letter to the pastor of the church in Ephesus, Paul encourages Timothy to make sure to investigate every candidate for leadership fully. Some things are obvious. Others are not. “The sins of some people are conspicuous, going before them to judgment, but the sins of others appear later. So also good works are conspicuous, and even those that are not cannot remain hidden” (v24-25). 

While this is certainly true of every person who has and will ever walk the planet, the apostle is talking specifically about people whose names are in the hat as possible elders and deacons. Paul is wrapping a section on the compensation, discipline, and selection of leaders (1Tim 5:17-22). He’s already warned Pastor Tim and the church to take their time when filling leadership vacancies. Slow is fast and fast is slow. Some things are obvious. Others are not. Trust the process. You might be surprised by what you find out. Time is on your side.

According to Paul, there are some sins and good deeds that are both “conspicuous” (v24-25). This is the Greek word prodelos, which describes something that is crystal clear, openly evident, known beforehand, blatantly obvious, easily understood, or quite plain. Outside of these two verses in this letter, we only see this word used one other time in the entire Bible. The author of Hebrews writes about Jesus’ family tree and says, “For it is evident (Gr. prodelos) that our Lord was descended from Judah” (Heb 7:14). It’s a well-known fact. You don’t need Sherlock Holmes to unlock this mystery.

For some folks, their sin is the 800-pound gorilla in the room. It’s unavoidable. What they’ve done is in plain sight for all to see. Their rebellion is blatantly evident. Even Captain Obvious doesn’t have to say a thing. It’s the sort of situation Paul describes to the multisite churches of Galatia. “Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these” (Gal 5:19-21). We’re talking about behavior that lands you on the six o’clock news, TMZ, or gets its own hashtag on Twitter. Let’s be honest. That’s one time you don’t want to be trending in the Twitterverse. 

Such crystal clear crimes for some people will be “going before them into judgment” (v24). Paul’s not talking here about having to answer to Jesus for all the times we’ve turned on our backs on God. According to John MacArthur, the “judgment” here refers to the vetting process for elders in the local church. Their crimes against God are so obvious that they’ll disqualify themselves as candidates for elder or deacon before the process ever begins. The evidence is clear and overwhelming. You know how this is going down. Their sins are so blatant that it’s an open and shut case. This is like those painful performances at the open auditions for “American Idol.” Their track record makes them the William Hung of leadership candidates. It’s over before it ever starts. 

Just as someone’s bad rep proceeds them, the same can be said that “good works are conspicuous” (v25) for other people. It’s not like they’re looking to win awards or earn a medal. It’s just the result of how they help and who they help. The classic example is Mother Teresa. This humble nun had no intention of becoming the poster child of humble service and sacrifice. She dedicated her life sharing the love of Jesus by giving, in her words, “wholehearted free service to the poorest of the poor.” She certainly wasn’t looking for the limelight by loving on the least of these. There’s little argument that her “good works are conspicuous” (v25).

Then there are those in consideration for leadership that we don’t know much about. Their lives aren’t so obvious. We need to ask around. We need check references. Paul tells us that the investigation of certain candidates turn up some serious red flags. “The sins of others appear later” (v24). The apostle uses a Greek verb (Gr. epakoloutheo) which means to follow along behind, come later, accompany, happen in a sequence. It literally means to follow immediately in someone’s footsteps. The  apostle Jesus called Rocky talks about how our Savior suffered, “leaving you an example, so that you might follow (Gr. epakoloutheo) in His steps” (1Pet 2:21).

In the same way, there are some of us whose sins are so obvious to the world but are hot on our tail. We may think we can outrun our crap, but it will suddenly appear in our rearview mirror. And remember, objects in mirror are closer than they appear! The slow and steady process of investigating folks as elders and deacons should make these secret sins obvious to the search committee. Check out how the Message drops this little bit of knowledge. “The sins of some people are blatant and march them right into court. The sins of others don’t show up until much later” (v24 The Message). In other words, there are times when the stench of their garbage arrives ahead of them and there are others who only stink up the joint after they get there.

But checking the background of potential leaders doesn’t disqualify some people, it also reveals the good stuff others do that we don’t know about. There are folks whose good works “cannot remain hidden” (v25). They don’t send out press releases or call a news conference every time they do something nice for someone. This is exactly what Jesus talked about on a hillside near the lake in Galilee (Mt 6:1-6). Stop showing off just so everyone can see it. Don’t alert the media each time you help a homeless person. Don’t pray out loud for the crowd if you never pray solo and alone. 

A careful inspection of leadership candidates will shine a light on how God uses these humble hidden heroes. You discover their regular and passionate devotion to Scripture. And they don’t just read it, they apply it. You discover great husbands, awesome dads, loving neighbors, and rockstars in the workplace. You discover folks who love God and love people. You discover selfless and sacrificial servants. Their good works “cannot remain hidden” (v25).

This is what happens when churches take their time in looking for leaders. When we honor this process, God makes sure the cream rises to the top. As MacArthur writes,  “Time and truth go hand in hand.” It’s critical that we use the biblical qualifications (1Tim 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-9) as the yardstick for elders and deacons. And that’s going to take time. You can’t rush it. When it comes to selecting leaders, slow is fast and fast is slow. Even the Son of God pulled an all-nighter praying about the selection of His disciples. And you thought you put a lot of work into researching your fantasy draft.

There is a bigger biblical principle here that goes far beyond looking for leaders. God will eventually reveal every single one of our secret sins. He’ll reward every act of clandestine kindness and grace. King David wrote a song about it and goes a little something like this. “He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday” (Ps 37:6). His son Solomon put his own spin on this lyric in the Book of Proverbs. “Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but he who makes his ways crooked will be found out” (Prov 10:9). Jesus told His personal posse that His Dad is going to blow the lid off everything. “For nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known” (Mt 10:26).

So remember to take your time looking into the lives of potential leaders. Some stuff is obvious. Other stuff is not. Some people are an open book. Others are password protected. You may find out that your leading candidate is secret sinner or a hidden hero. Whatever the case, God will use the process to expose the good and bad.

Wine and Wellness

“No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments” (1Tim 5:23).

Caution! The following may cause confusion, and in some cases, anger and irritability. Then again, a proper reading of Scripture will often do that. In Paul’s first letter to Timothy, he brings up the subject of alcohol. Since this is the Bible, the apostle MUST be telling Pastor Tim to be a teetotaler, right? Wrong! In a verse that freaks out a good many fundamentalists, Paul tells Tim to make wine a regular part of his routine. What sort of madness is this?!? The next thing you know, somebody’s going to say the Bible encourages us to dance! (If that’s you, I’ve got some bad news for you.)

Here in a personal note to his pastoral protege, Paul writes, “No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments” (v23). This is no call for holy happy hour. Tim had some very particular health issues. The apostle wanted him to be proactive in his wellness. The illness is chronic. Stomach problems and a general sickliness. The treatment is simple. Wine. The dosage is important. Just a sip or two. 

Don’t forget the context of the verse. Paul is sending Tim a note of instruction as one pastor to another. The apostle has placed him as the servant/leader of the Ephesian church, a large, multicultural congregation on the west coast of what we know today as Turkey. Paul personally planted this church during his third Mediterranean tour (Acts 19) and actually stayed there for three years (Acts 20:30). 

At some point after he left town, false teachers weaseled their way into the flock and distracted folks from following Jesus with all sorts of bizarro myths, genealogical rabbit trails, and some doctrine that was downright demonic (1Tim 1:3-7; 4:1-3). With Paul on the road to Macedonia, the apostle leaves Timothy in charge to continue the process of getting the church back on track. Much of the letter has to do with practical steps of pastoral leadership like encouraging prayer in the church (1Tim 2:1-8), finding new leaders of integrity (1Tim 3:1-13; 5:17-22), and establishing a system of assisted living Gospel style (1Tim 5:3-16).

A lot of this note is also instruction for a pastor who’s up to his eyeballs in the mess of ministry. It’s baptism under fire and on the job training. But Paul doesn’t leave Tim hanging and has important points for how to teach the Bible, stay focused on the Gospel, utilize his spiritual gifts, and deepen his walk with Jesus (1Tim 4:16-16). The apostle doesn’t ignore the physical side of the young pastor’s life. “No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments” (v23). If you don’t take care of yourself physically, you can’t take care of the church spiritually.

Shall we get the alcohol discussion out of the way now? There are many denominations and faith traditions that maintain a zero tolerance policy on drinking alcohol. While I appreciate the idea, I have a really hard time using Scripture to back that up. All throughout the Bible, wine flows freely and God doesn’t exactly stop pouring when we hit the New Testament. As a matter of fact, Jesus’ very first miracle is to keep the party rolling at a wedding reception by making more wine (Jn 2:1-11). Christ regularly taught using wine as part of His illustrations (Lk 5:37-39; Mk 2:22). He was such a regular guest at parties that He earned a rather dubious reputation (Mt 11:19). And you can’t ignore Jesus’ use of Merlot at the Last Supper (Mt 26:26-29; Mk 14:22-25; Lk 14:23; 1Cor 11:23-32). Jesus made it. Jesus drank it. And He goes so far as to say He won’t drink again until we’re all with Him in eternity (Mk 14:25). 

Don’t buy the lie that the wine in the Bible is little more than grape juice. If that’s the case, why are so many people getting wasted on Welch’s? There’s the time after the flood where Noah gets so drunk that he passes out naked (Gen 9:20-23), or is that “nekkid”? I wonder why they never taught us that part of Noah’s story in Sunday School? Over and over, Solomon warns his son against overconsumption. Be VERY careful when it comes to wine and beer (Prov 20:1; 23:21). Don’t hang out with folks who are always getting hammered (Prov 23:19-20). The king goes so far as describing what it’s like not just to be drunk but hung over (Prov 23:29-33).

Paul cautions the Romans not to spend the night on the town barhopping (Rom 13:13). Unrepentant alcoholics and addicts don’t have a spot in God’s kingdom (1Cor 6:9-10; Gal 5:19-21). Don’t miss the fact there were plenty of folks in recovery who were part of the Corinthian church (1Cor 6:11)! People with addiction issues have no place in church leadership (1Tim 3:2-3, 8; Titus 1:7). And if you’re going to get drunk on anything, make sure it’s the Holy Spirit (Eph 5:18)! If it’s a problem for you, avoid it. If you’re able to enjoy a glass, don’t get over-served. The bottom line is we also can’t ignore the dangers of alcohol and addiction.

But Paul’s point has less to do with whether or not a believer should drink wine but taking care of yourself physically. Remember, Tim and Paul are old friends. They met on the apostle’s second tour (Acts 16:1-3). The man from Tarsus is familiar with his traveling companion’s health issues. He has tender stomach as well as other problems that can’t be ignored. One way to head off any further problems is a regular does of wine. 

Paul was just following the guidelines for wellness back in the Greco-Roman world. Hippocrates said, “Wine is an appropriate article for mankind, both for the healthy body and for the ailing man.” And not much has changed a couple of thousand years later. According to Webmd, wine is good for digestive health. Believe it or not, scientists have just released a study saying that the resveratrol in a glass of red wine has the health benefits of one hour at the gym. Just a word of warning. Drinking the whole bottle of Cab by yourself is NOT the same as busting a P90X workout.

The bigger issue here is physical wellness. If your doctor has prescribed you medications, take them. If you need supplements or OTC meds, use them. Get regular exercise. Take care of your body. Paul tells his friends in Rome, “Present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual act of worship” (Rom 12:1). He uses a word that describes our PHYSICAL form. Remember, we are fully integrated beings, created in both soul AND body. Since my physical body is the temple of the God’s Spirit (1Cor 6:19), I need to keep the joint in tiptop condition! If you don’t take care of yourself physically, you can’t take care of others spiritually.

Slow Is Fast and Fast Is Slow

“Do not be hasty in the laying on of hands, nor take part in the sins of others; keep yourself pure” (1Tim 5:22).

Too many businesses and churches lose their organizational minds when they have a opening at the top. People freak out. We need a new leader yesterday!! While it’s critical to fill that position, it’s even more important to find the right person. A bad leadership choice will cripple an organization for years. The best way to find a leader quickly is to find a leader slowly.

Paul was well aware of this principle back in the first century and shares it in a letter to his protege Timothy. “Do not be hasty in the laying on of hands, nor take part in the sins of others; keep yourself pure” (v22). Filling a leadership void? Take your time. Pump your brakes. Check yourself before you wreck yourself. A quick choice of a bad leader is devastating. Sin spreads. Hearts break. People leave. If that’s not bad awful enough, you get to start the search all over again.  What seems like a painfully slow search actually saves time in the long run.

The church at Ephesus knows the pain of a bad leadership choices all too well. Been there. Done that. Got the t-shirt. Dropped off the t-shirt at Goodwill. It’s the whole reason Tim the lead pastor there in the first place. At some point after Paul planted the megachurch in this big port city, a team of spiritual hucksters weaseled their way into positions of influence. They sold Ephesian believers a snake oil mixture of “myths and endless genealogies” (1Tim 1:4) that led to “vain discussions” (1Tim 1:6). The apostle pulls no punches when he calls them “liars whose consciences are seared” who taught doctrine that was downright demonic (1Tim 4:1-2).

Paul gives Tim a handy dandy list of godliness and integrity to use when looking for new elders (1Tim 3:1-7) and deacons (1Tim 3:8-14). Make sure to honor those leaders who do a great job, especially as teachers and preachers (1Tim 5:17-18). Don’t mess with every accusation made against an elder if there aren’t a minimum of two witnesses (1Tim 5:19). If need be and the evidence is there, it’s time for an intervention, for the good of both the leader and the church (1Tim 5:21). Leadership is no place for prejudice or playing favorites (1Tim 5:22). 

It’s at his point that the apostle goes out of his way to point out the critical importance of taking your time when selecting your leaders. “Do not be hasty in the laying on of hands” (v23). You see the physical laying hands on people throughout the Bible. It’s done for three reasons. One, as a means of blessing. Two, as means of healing. Three, to demonstrate the call to leadership. That’s what Paul’s talking about here. 

It started way back in the day when God set apart the Levites for service (Num 8:10) and Joshua as Moses’ successor (Num 27:18, 23). The first church put its paws on the original deacon team (Acts 6:3-6). Paul was on the receiving end when believers in Antioch endorsed him and his buddy Barnabas as missionaries (Acts 13:1-3). And he reminds Tim of the time when “the council of elders laid their hands on you” (1Tim 4:14).

Don’t make the mistake of thinking the laying on of hands is the transfer of some sort of mysterious mojo to the new leader. Instead this ceremony accomplishes a couple of important purposes. Those on the receiving end realize in a significant way that things in their life have changed. They’re accountable to God and His people in their new role as servant/leaders. Meanwhile the church sees this as a unified endorsement of those stepping into leadership. They’re telling these ministers they have their backs. They’ll support them in many ways, not the least of which is prayer. 

But long before you get your jazz hands ready for such a ceremony, Paul tells us to take our foot off the accelerator. “Do not be hasty in the laying on of hands” (v22). When it comes to finding new leaders, take your time. We need to do our due diligence. Checking the background of a potential pastor, elder, or deacon against the biblical qualifications (1Tim 3:1-14; Titus 1:5-9) takes time. This is no time for the microwave. Selecting leaders is best done in the crockpot. Or as Mick Jagger and the Rolling Stones like to sing, “Time is on your side.”

Don’t get me wrong. Leadership is critical. Any organization like a church is like plane. It can only fly for so long on autopilot before things go badly. That’s why Solomon writes, “Where there is no prophetic vision, the people cast off restraint” (Prov 29:18). While good leadership is critical, bad leadership is fatal. Don’t let the urgency of a leadership void freak you out and lead you to a decision you’ll soon regret. That’s why Solomon also writes, “Like an archer who wounds everyone is the one who hires a passing fool or drunkard” (Prov 26:10). Rash decisions lead to collateral damage. People get hurt.

Take. Your. Time. Stephen Covey says, “With people, if you want to save time, don’t be efficient. Slow is fast and fast is slow.” Slow is fast. Fast is slow. You’re inviting danger by failing to check out any leader before they serve. Just ask the folks in the Ephesian church. I’ll bet you they would do anything they could take a mulligan on their previous elder choices. Do everything possible to prevent a scandal on the front end. Slow is fast. Fast is slow.

Paul goes on to tell Tim not to “take part in the sins of others” (v22). He uses a Greek verb here (Gr. koinoneo) that means to share, have in common, or jointly participate with others. If you’ve spent much time in church growing up, you’ve heard the word koinonia. You probably had koinonia at a potluck dinner in the Fellowship Hall. But the original language has less to do with a plateful of fried chicken and potato salad and more to do with being teammates in something. The apostle is quite clear here. Don’t play for Team Sin.

So what in the world does this have to do with leadership? So very glad you asked. Paul is probably warning against the dangerous impact of leaders whom we fail to check out. When we don’t fully vet any leadership candidate ahead of time, we’re giving them the stamp of approval to continue in their sin. We’re telling them everything is okay. By doing so, we “take part in the sins of others” (v22). We also expose those under the care of the church as potential targets and victims of this unchecked leader. 

In their new position of leverage, a sinning leader could influence the other elders negatively. He has the distinct possibility of dragging the entire leadership team into his sinful activity. Just a little bit pollution has the potential to corrupt everything. That’s why Jesus warns His posse to have a zero-tolerance policy for the “leaven of the Pharisees” (Mt 16:6, 11-12; Mk 8:15; Lk 12:1). He’s NOT suggesting they go gluten-free.

Just in case there’s any doubt about the importance of sin-free leadership, the apostle tells the Ephesian lead pastor to “keep yourself pure” (v22). The grammar of the Greek has some interesting implications. The verb here (Gr. tereo) is in the present active imperative form. That simply means we can easily translate this as “keep on keeping yourself pure.” Tim’s doing a good job already. Paul is just encouraging him to keep on keeping on. 

This is NOT some sort of keep-yourself-clean-so-you-can-keep-yourself-saved kinda deal. Remember, there’s no way to make ourselves squeaky clean enough to enter God’s kingdom in the first place, much less stay that way. The only way that happens is when Jesus saves us when we trust in His sinless life and substitutionary death. He lives the perfect life we fail to live. He dies the brutal death for our sin we should have died. He rises to new life that we don’t deserve. Christ does for us what we could never dream of doing for ourselves.

In telling Tim to “keep yourself pure” (v22), Paul emphasizes here is the importance of Tim’s role as a pastor for believers in the local congregation. As a spiritual leader in the Ephesian church, his personal walk with Jesus and integrity must be top priorities. As we said before, sin in such a position of influence can cause widespread damage throughout the flock. You don’t have to go into gory detail believers in this church. The evidence in Ephesus is all around them. It’s why Tim is pastor to start with. 

As a matter of fact, the entire crisis at this church is a case study in how NOT to find and fill leadership positions. At some point, people panicked when there was a vacancy at the top. Instead of doing their due diligence, they got ahead of God and quickly installed someone as an elder or deacon who had no business being there. It wasn’t long before these unqualified and unchecked leaders took down others who took part in their sin. As a result, personal purity took a backseat. A rush job to find leaders is an incredibly slippery slope. 

A leadership vacuum is wrong time to rush. Slow your roll. Pump your brakes. A quick choice of a bad leader is devastating. Sin spreads. Hearts break. People leave. If that’s not bad awful enough, you get to start the search all over again.  What seems like a painfully slow search actually saves time in the long run. The best way to find a leader quickly is to find a leader slowly. Slow is fast. Fast is slow.

Prejudice and Playing Favorites

“In the presence of God and of Christ and of the elect angels I charge you to keep these rules without prejudging, doing nothing from partiality” (1Tim 5:21).

For some defendants, the trial seems like a formality. Sometimes it appears to be an open and shut case. To make matters worse, the accused LOOKS guilty. For Pete’s sake, the TV newscast has them walking in slow motion!! A slo-mow perp walk is a sure sign of guilt!! 

Then you have those defendants who simply couldn’t have done it. Maybe they’re your neighbor or your friend or local celebrity. How could anybody charge such a nice looking guy or sweet older lady with such a horrible crime?

Sometimes our preconceptions corrupt the process. That is Paul’s warning to his protege Timothy. He’s laying out the procedure Tim should follow when the church investigates its leaders. 

Don’t waste your time on frivolous accusations against an elder. You’re gonna need at least two, hopefully three witnesses (1Tim 5:19). If a leader takes repeated rides on the sin cycle, it’s time for a church-wide intervention, for the good of both the leader and the congregation (1Tim 5:20).

At this point, the apostle wants Pastor Tim to make sure that nobody jumps to conclusions before hearing the evidence. “In the presence of God and of Christ and of the elect angels I charge you to keep these rules without prejudging, doing nothing from partiality” (v21). 

This is a big deal. A VERY big deal. Remember that the heavenly courtroom is also in session. Protect the process. Don’t railroad a leader just because you don’t like him. Don’t go easy on an elder simply because he’s popular. It’s no time for prejudice. This is no time to play favorites.

Having this process in place to investigate and discipline church leaders ahead of time is essential for any congregation. But it was a desperately needed tool Ephesian believers at the time Paul wrote this letter in 64 AD. 

This once shining model of cross-cultural ministry in the metropolitan melting pot of Ephesus has become a total hot mess. Spiritual hucksters sold the followers of Jesus a load of theological snake oil involving goofy myths and doctrine that was downright demonic (1Tim 1:3-7; 4:1-3).

When God sends the man from Tarsus on a mission trip to Macedonia, Paul hands Tim the broom of reform in a letter we know as 1 Timothy. Get folks praying again (1Tim 2:1-8). Find new leaders known for their godliness and integrity rather than their love of the spotlight (1Tim 3:1-13). 

Focus your teaching on God’s goodness and His gracious Gospel (1Tim 1:12-17; 4:3-4). Tim is to personally lead by example and lean into his teaching gift (1Tim 4:6-16). The apostle even provides guidelines for Gospel style assisted living (1Tim 5:3-16). You know, this is probably not a bad list to keep handy for any church in any century.

With Ephesian reform well underway, Paul lets Tim know the gravity of what’s at stake when investigating charges against an elder. First and foremost, we need to remember that this is being done “in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of the elect angels” (v21). In other words, there’s a whole lot more going on here than a church wide business meeting. The heavenly court is also in session.

If you’re like me, you may be scratching your noggin on his inclusion of “the elect angels” (v20). I mean, the first Two here really need no introduction at this point. Father God and His one and only Son. But who in the world are the “elect angels” (v20)? They are probably those angelic beings who remained loyal to God during Satan’s ill-fated civil war (Is 14:12-15; Ezek 28:11-19). 

Lucifer convinced a significant portion of God’s angel army to join him in his attempt to overthrow God. He lost and lost badly. Just to be clear, poking your finger in the chest of Almighty God is NEVER a good idea.

As a result, Yahweh booted the devil and his demons out of heaven. Those loyal angels who remain are the “elect angels” (v21). God chose them to stay due to their allegiance during the coup. According the ESV Study Bible, Paul probably includes the angels here because of their role in the final judgment (Mt 25:31; Lk 9:26; Rev 14:10).

Once we realize the heavenly courtroom is part of these proceedings, Paul goes on to write, “I charge you” (v21). Be sure, he’s NOT accusing Tim of a crime. He uses a Greek word (Gr. diamarturomai) that means to declare something solemnly and emphatically. In other words, the apostle is earnestly asking. 

Three other times in his two letters to Timothy, the apostle uses this very same term to get the young pastor’s undivided attention (1Tim 6:13; 2Tim 2:14; 4:1-2). Listen up and listen good. What he’s about to say is incredibly important.

So what’s the bottom line? Just who are these angels and what election did they win? I wouldn’t waste much time trying to figure out why Paul included the angels. Their identity isn’t the apostle’s point. Let’s not major in the minors and miss the main thing. The apostle wants Tim and everyone else who reads this to know he means business. Everybody pay attention. Don’t miss this. Get it? Got it? Good.

Now that we understanding the weight of what’s at stake, Tim is to “keep the rules” when it comes to church leadership. We must protect the process. That means honoring elders for leading well, especially as teachers (1Tim 5:17-18). Ignoring baseless charges against them (1Tim 5:19). 

When the investigation turns up something, pursuing discipline against them for the good of the leader and the good of the church (1Tim 5:20). In other words, don’t let any prejudice or partiality derail the process. This is no time to play favorites. There’s too much at stake.

But let’s not make the mistake of using the rules in the wrong way or for the wrong reasons. They are not in place to ruthlessly run roughshod over those who get in your way. God gives us guidelines to guard His flock, not to use as a weapon. And these processes don’t take precedence over people. 

Remember Jesus’ answer when someone asked which rules are the most important? Love God and love people (Mt 22:36-40; Mk 12:28-31). “Love God and love procedure,” said our Savior never. People ALWAYS trump process.

We protect people who are in this process is by doing it “without prejudging, doing nothing from partiality” (v21). You don’t railroad and you don’t play favorites. On one hand, we proceed without prejudice. Don’t jump to conclusions of guilt on anyone just because someone tells you they’ve dug up some dirt. 

That’s especially the case when it comes to an elder or pastor. They’re NOT guilty just because there’s an inquiry. Don’t railroad the accused. Let the investigation run it’s course. The truth will come out.

Likewise, we must also make sure we’re “doing nothing from partiality” (v21). This is when we’re inclined to be nice to someone for some reason other than the evidence. Maybe they’re your buddy. Maybe they’re your neighbor. Maybe they’re cute. Maybe they’re famous. Maybe they’re rich. Maybe they’re successful. Maybe they look like you. Whatever the case, don’t play favorites.

Let’s face the facts. Nobody loves church discipline. (And if you do, you REALLY need to get some counseling! Do not pass “go.” Do not collect $200.) And the stickiest and messiest kind of church discipline involves a pastor or an elder. When it does happen, let’s proceed with extreme caution. 

Make sure the pendulum doesn’t swing too far one way or the other. Or as the Message paraphrases the apostle, “God and Jesus and angels all back me up in these instructions. Carry them out without favoritism, without taking sides” (v21 The Message).

There's a bigger biblical principle at play here as well. First of all, we need to keep prejudice and favoritism far away the entire leadership process. If someone is biblically qualified, there's nothing else that should eliminate them from consideration. Not race. Not neighborhood. Not income. Not education level. Not political party. In the same way, none of these should ever be factors working in someone's favor to be an elder.

Protect the process. Don’t railroad a leader just because you don’t like him. Don’t go easy on an elder simply because he’s popular. This is no time for prejudice. It’s no time to play favorites. Don't bring that stuff in here.

Intervention

“As for those who persist in sin, rebuke them in the presence of all, so that the rest may stand in fear” (1Tim 5:20).

So what happens when a church leader makes headlines for all the wrong reasons? What? Don’t think it could ever happen at YOUR church? Oh, you can keep skipping down the primrose path if you want. If that’s you, please tell the unicorns and leprechauns I said “hey.” But you know the truth. Church scandals happen WAY too often. And it could happen here.

Well, I have some very good news about some very bad news. The Apostle Paul has some important instructions for crisis management in the local church. His guidance isn’t some “break glass in an emergency” kinda deal. It’s for us to know ahead of time. 

Understand what to do before disaster strikes. “As for those who persist in sin, rebuke them in the presence of all, so that the rest may stand in fear” (v20). When an elder makes sin a conscious and regular part of his lifestyle, it’s time for an intervention. For the good of the leader. For the good of the church.

You know all about interventions, don’t you? That’s when a person participates in self-destructive behavior but doesn’t have a clue the damage they’re doing. To themselves. To the people they love. 

At some point, folks draw a line in the sand. It’s time for a face-to-face meeting. It’s time to get all the cards on the table. It’s time to stop tap dancing around 800-pound gorilla in the room. (That sure paints an interesting picture, don’t you think? Trippin’ a nifty time step around King Kong’s little brother. But I digress.) 

There comes a time when you must lovingly, boldly, and openly intervene. You love someone too much to let them continue. You’ve had a front row seat for their self-destruction. Time has come for an intervention. For the good of the person. For the good of their friends and family.

Don’t forget the original purpose of Paul’s first letter to Timothy. The apostle has hit the trail for ministry in Macedonia and put Tim in the driver’s seat of the Ephesian megachurch (1Tim 1:3). 

Pastor Tim has quite the hot mess to clean up in E City. Spiritual snake oil salesmen have driven the congregation into the ditch with all sorts of bizarro teaching (1Tim 1:4-7; 4:1-3). A big part of this Ephesian comeback is filling the leadership void with godly people of integrity (1Tim 3:1-13).

If and when there is any future trouble at the top, Paul lays out a clear process (1Tim 5:19). What sort of evidence is there? Do you have a minimum of two witnesses? Three would be much better. 

If you prove the charges true and the elder continues to sin, it’s time to get the entire church involved. It’s time for an intervention. For the good of the leader. For the good of the church.

You might wonder where in the world I get the idea that Paul is talking about elders here in verse 20. Context. Just before this, the apostle is talking elders (1Tim 5:17-19). Just after, he’s talking to Tim about leaders (1Tim 5:21-22). I may not be the sharpest knife in the drawer, but it sure seems to me he’s talking about elders and leaders.

That being the case, we’re to keep an eye out for church leaders “who persist in sin” (v20). Paul uses the verb hamartano here. It means to do wrong or miss the mark. To sin is do anything contrary to the will and law of God. 

But avoiding sin is a whole lot more than NOT doing the bad stuff. It’s also NOT doing what you’re supposed to do. Sins of commission and sins of omission are sins. Period. And we also sin when we do the right things for the wrong reasons.

If you haven’t figured it out yet, let me break the bad news to you. You’re a sinner. I’m a sinner. We’re all sinners (Rom 3:10-12, 23). That’s the reason we need a Savior. We need Someone perfectly obeys God’s law when we fail miserably. 

That’s where Jesus comes in. He doesn’t just die to take the punishment for our crimes, He lives the life of perfect obedience we fail to live. That’s the very Good News about the incredibly bad news.

But Paul describes a leader “who persist in sin” (v20). The form of the verb here is the present tense. In other words, someone who was sinning, is sinning, and probably will be sinning tomorrow unless somebody takes some radical action. 

Here’s the deal. Sin continues to be part of our lives on this side of eternity. Even Paul, the author of most of the New Testament, was honest with his cage match with sin while trying follow Jesus perfectly and obediently (Rom 7:13-20).

The apostle is talking here about pastors and elders who take a never-ending ride on the sin cycle. They repeatedly return to some behavior that not only damages them personally but the congregation they shepherd. 

Their transgression happens over and over and over and over. Lather, rinse, repeat. They live in a virtual Groundhog Day of sin. The sheer repetition of their destructive behavior takes it’s toll not only on the individual, but friends and family, and in this case, the church family.

The next step is unpleasant but unavoidable. “Rebuke them in the presence of all” (v20). I don’t know about you, but “rebuke” is one of those “Bible words” that you don’t hear very often outside of a church. 

A closer look at the original Greek word elegcho tells us that it means to expose something, bring it to light, or convince people by revealing the proof. It’s like the investigative reporting on “Dateline” when Keith Morrison exposes the undeniable evidence of the crime and now somebody must do the time.

New Testament authors use elegcho when talking about those moments when the light bulb comes on and the truth is glaringly apparent. John the Dunker exposed King Herod Antipas and “reproved (Gr. elegcho) him” for shacking up with his sister-in-law (Lk 3:19). 

Jesus told Nicodemus how a dude up to no good does everything he can to keep it quiet “lest his works should be exposed (Gr. elegcho)” (Jn 3:20). Paul told his friends in Ephesus to not only avoid private sins “but instead expose (Gr. elegcho) them” (Eph 5:11). 

In his second note to Tim, the apostle hopes the young preacher will be on his toes to “reprove, rebuke (Gr. elegcho), and exhort, with complete patience and teaching” (2Tim 4:2).

Some of you may be scratching you head right now. Hmm, this all sounds REALLY familiar. Have I read this somewhere before? Probably so. Paul ties this process to Jesus’ instructions for church discipline in Matthew 18:15-17. 

Here's a quick review. Step one, meet one-on-one with the person who has done you dirty. If he blows you off, move to step two. Take two or three other folks with you and confront him again. If he blows off you and the others, it’s time for step three. 

That’s when you present the matter to the entire church. If that doesn’t turn on the light bulb, it’s time for a status change. The dude in question goes from an insider to an outsider. But the point isn’t just to punish. The big idea is interact with him as if he doesn’t have a relationship with Jesus. You don’t shun him. You share the Gospel with him.

The apparent difference between Christ’s instructions in Matthew and Paul’s process here is that this step happens “in the presence of all” (v20). We’re to bring the elder stuck in the sin cycle before the entire church. As heartbreaking as it is, it’s time for an intervention. 

God is up to a couple of different purposes when we do this. First of all, we demonstrate to this fallen leader that we’re united in our love for him. Whatever rat hole of destructive behavior he’s fallen into, we know this isn’t the crazy good abundant life Jesus has promised for him (Jn 10:10). We desperately want him to know the hurt and pain he’s brought to God’s family.

Paul lets us know the second purpose of this process is “so that the rest may stand in fear” (v20). This isn’t so much the fear of being found out and called on the carpet. He’s talking about the awareness of the clear and present danger of sin’s insidious impact on anyone and everyone. 

Our leaders are NOT super saints who are faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, able to leap tall buildings with a single bound, with powers and abilities far beyond those of mortal men. 

Our elders and pastors need a Savior just like you and me. We ALL need Christ every single moment of every single day. We ALL need to be in a continual state of repentance and dependance on Jesus. Elders. Pastors. You. Me.

Let’s go over it one more time. First we see that we had better have our ducks in a row when it comes to confronting one of our church leaders (1Tim 5:19). But if there’s evidence and more than witness, it’s time to move on with the process. At some point, it may come to an awkward but necessary intervention with an elder. 

We have to face the fact that life in the church is often messy. Everything is not neatly stored in one little bag with a twist tie. Why would we ever expect it to be? For heaven’s sake, Jesus invited jacked up people like you and me to be a part of it! 

So if an elder gets caught up in self-destructive, it’s time for an intervention. For the good of the leader. For the good of the church.

Got Witnesses?

“Do not admit a charge against an elder except on the evidence of two or three witnesses” (1Tim 5:19).

Stories of law enforcement falsely accusing someone of a crime seem to be everywhere these days. The controversial documentary series “Making a Murderer” alleges cops and prosecutors cooked up the murder conviction of Steven Avery. And just about every week, shows like “Dateline” and “48 Hours” pull back the curtain on investigations gone horribly wrong. These heartbreaking stories usually involve circumstantial evidence and questionable witnesses.

In a letter to a young pastor named Timothy in Ephesus, Paul establishes a standard for any investigation into leaders in the church. “Do not admit a charge against an elder except on the evidence of two or three witnesses” (v19). He’s simply reiterating and applying a longstanding principle of God’s law. If you’re going to publicly accuse anyone of sin, much less an elder, you need evidence. Not rumors. Not whispers. Not innuendo. It’s going to take real forensic evidence. Got witnesses?

This is going to be an important tool for Tim. His mentor is on the road to Macedonia and has put him in charge of getting the Ephesian megachurch back on track. A team of spiritual con artists have weaseled their way into leadership and distracted folks from following Jesus with a combination of urban legends, goofy theories, and doctrine that’s downright demonic (1Tim 1:3-7; 4:1-3). 

Paul already kicked two of these knuckleheads to the curb (1Tim 1:20). The apostle set the bar for leadership integrity going forward (1Tim 3:1-13). And now he establishes clear guidelines for investigating charges against them.

In the previous verses, Paul talks about “elders who rule well” (1Tim 5:17), so it makes sense that he brings up those who don’t. Just to be sure, we’re NOT talking about incompetent leadership. We’re talking about a leader who willfully sins. That’s obvious from verses 20-24 where the apostle warns elders to avoid sinful activity like a Justin Bieber concert. 

You don’t kick out leaders just because you don’t like them. Poor performance isn’t grounds for dismissal. The standard for removal from the church office of elder must be sin which can be proved.

There may well be a few more false teachers serving in the Ephesian leadership who need to hit the road. If there’s more trouble at the top, Paul gives Tim the means to send them packing. The yardstick is clear. He can’t even consider cranking up an investigation without a minimum of two witnesses. 

If the evidence is there, dig a little deeper. Find out the truth. See if there are folks who are willing to testify to what’s going on. It has to be more than a random Twitter post or an anonymous online comment. You need real witnesses. And one witness won’t cut the mustard. Two is better. Three would be awesome.

God established the requirement of multiple witnesses when He gave Moses the law. “A single witness shall not suffice against a person for any crime or for any wrong in connection with any offense that he has committed. Only on the evidence of two witnesses or of three witnesses shall a charge be established” (Dt 19:15). That’s especially true in death penalty cases (Num 35:30; Dt 17:6). 

Fast forward from the Torah to the kangaroo court that convicted Christ. “Now the chief priests and the whole council were seeking false testimony against Jesus that they might put Him to death, but they found none” (Mt 26:59-60; Mk 14:55). It was only through perjury that Jewish leaders were able to cook up enough evidence to get Him crucified.

Jesus told His followers to use this same forensic principle when handling cases of between believers. The Lord says we’re to sit down one-on-one with the person who sinned against us. “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” (Mt 18:16). 

Interestingly, that’s REALLY the meaning behind a verse that’s regularly quoted for small worship attendance. “For where two or three are gathered in My name, there am I among them” (Mt 18:20). In other words, when two or three of His followers agree together on the evidence as witnesses, Jesus stands with them. Christ is actually talking about church discipline, NOT the minimum requirements for a worship service.

Before making his third visit to the church in Corinth, Paul warns believers to build the proper case against anyone who needs correction. “Every charge must be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses” (2Cor 13:1). We’re not to deal with gossip, hearsay, whisper campaigns, internet rumors, and urban legends. 

Confronting a fellow follower of Jesus is a big deal. I mean a BIG hairy deal! It’s not to be taken lightly. It’s going to take a minimum of two people to testify against them before any action can be taken. Got witnesses?

Another important factor is that leaders are easy targets. As a matter of fact, Paul has just described the need to reward top shelf elders “who rule well” (1Tim 5:17). He uses a Greek word (Gr. proistemi) that means to place yourself in front. In other words, leaders put themselves out there. 

Elders are exposed. It’s just part of the package when you step into leadership. You become a punching bag of blame for anyone who doesn’t like the volume of music, the color of the carpet, the temperature in the baptismal pool, or the quality of the free coffee.

You see this petty garbage in the political system all the time. The candidate from the Not-Your-Party gets elected. They haven’t even taken their hand off the Bible at the inauguration when the opposition cranks up the impeachment machine. The U.S. Constitution may allow those sort of shenanigans but not Scripture. 

If you’re thinking about raising a stink about one of your church leaders, you’d better slow your roll. What’s the basis for your complaint? Is it really sin? Got witnesses?

A little closer look at the original language here helps us out. The word “charge” is the Greek noun kategoria, which means an accusation. The word literally describes a rumor that moves “through (kate-) the marketplace (-goria).” Dirt and gossip spread like wildfire in public settings and large gatherings. 

The Apostle John uses a very similar term when he calls Satan “the accuser (Gr. kategoreo) of the brothers” (Rev 12:10). In other words, there has to be more than a whisper campaign of people hiding behind an anonymous web profile or unsigned letter to remove an elder from office.

It’s interesting that the only other uses of kategoria in the Gospels have to do with the crooked and unrelenting investigation against our Savior. Religious bigwigs never took their eyes off Jesus so “they might find an accusation (Gr. kategoria) against Him” (Lk 6:7 NKJV). 

When they eventually trumped up charges of treason against Christ and took Him to the governor, Pilate wanted to know, “What accusation (Gr. kategoria) do you bring against this Man?” (Jn 18:29). Just in case you haven’t heard, they had nothing (Jn 18:28. 19:4, 6). Zip. Zero. Zilch.

A local church can head a lot of these problems off at the pass if it just follows the process of selecting leaders which God lays out in His Word (1Tim 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9). Let’s review that vetting process quickly. A candidate must be “above reproach” (1Tim 3:2), which means not just scandal-free but scandal-proof. 

Paul goes on to tell Titus that an elder is “not open to the charge (Gr. kategoria) of debauchery or insubordination” (Titus 1:6). Just down the page, we’ll see the apostle warn against rushing to find new leaders and “not be hasty in the laying on of hands” (1Tim 5:22).

There’s a good chance that if someone has a legit accusation against an elder, the church may not have done its due diligence in his selection. You can go a long way to avoid a messy investigation by checking out a potential leader’s marriage, family, work performance, and personal finances ahead of time. 

Is it hard work? Will it take a while? You betcha. But it sure beats one of your elders doing a perp walk or seeing your church leading the local newscast. Remember, we’re about spreading the Good News not getting bad press.

A quick but necessary note to anyone in church or ministry leadership. This principle is NOT a shield to hide behind. We’re NOT to use this as some sort of teflon coating insuring charges will never stick. (As a matter of fact, Paul gets to that in the very next verse!) 

There’s also the idea of shared servant/leadership or what theologians call the plurality of elders. That just means there’s not one dude flying solo in leadership. Just about every mention of elders in the NT describes them as a team (Acts 11:30; 14:23; 15:2-6, 22-23; 16:4; 20:17, 28; 21:18; Phil 1:1; Titus 1:5; James 5:14; 1Pet 5:1-2). Teamwork creates openness and accountability. Multiple elders help to provide checks and balances.

The bottom line here is that Paul seems to believe that charges against church leaders are going to come. It’s probably not a case of “if” but “when.” Pastors and elders are easy targets. So let’s establish a standard for investigation. 

Don’t waste your time chasing down every rumor. You need real evidence. Not opinion. Not innuendo. Are there any witnesses? There needs to be more than just one. Two is the minimum. Three is better. Got witnesses?

Hand Grenades and Preacher Pay

“Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching. For the Scripture says, ‘You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain,’ and, ‘The laborer deserves his wages’” (1Tim 5:17-18).

Toss out the topic of preacher pay at just about every church and rolls around the floor like a grenade without a pin. Everybody runs away from it. And if you get to close to it, someone’s going to get hurt. This is a particularly hot potato in America today. 

It seems like every single day, bloggers have a field day with some megachurch pastor’s stupid decision build a megamansion or buy a jumbo jet. As a result, the pendulum swings wildly the other way in some churches where people expect pastors to live on food stamps and government cheese.

Well, it’s no surprise that our good buddy Paul is willing to have a very frank discussion about preacher pay in his first letter to Timothy. The apostle writes to the newly installed pastor of the Ephesian church while he hits the road for ministry over in Macedonia (1Tim 1:3). Tim is to put out the grease fire cause by the false gospel started by false teachers (1Tim 1:4-7; 4:1-3). Assemble a new team of elders and deacons who lead and serve with integrity (1Tim 3:1-13).

As part of his instructions to Pastor Tim, the man from Tarsus isn’t afraid to address compensation packages for the local church. “Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching. For Scripture says, ‘You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain,’ and ‘The laborer deserves his wages’” (v17-18). Teaching and preaching God's Word well is exhausting. Let's be generous with those who do it.

The first thing we see as we dig into the passage is the expectation for our elders to be outstanding leaders. Paul uses a verb (Gr. proistemi) which the folks at the ESV choose to translate “rule.” While the original Greek word certainly carries that meaning, it’s a whole lot more than that. It means to lead, direct, guide, guard, care for, and manage. 

There’s a sense of intense devotion to the task at hand and to actively help those placed in your care. It’s exercising influence over others in order to cause them to follow a recommended course of action.

The word literally means “to set yourself in the front.” As a godly leader, you put yourself out there! Servant/leaders expose themselves as they set the example for what it means to follow Jesus. We’re not to sit on our God given gifts but use them as members of the church, including “the one who leads (Gr. proistemi) with zeal” (Rom 12:8). 

In one of his letters to the Thessalonians, Paul encourages believers there to be good followers of their leaders. “We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over (Gr. proistemi) you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work” (1Th 5:12-13). Elders and deacons put themselves out there for the good of their families and their churches (1Tim 3:4-5, 12).

While servant/leaders don’t seek the spotlight, they also realize God has placed them in a public position for His people. There’s no hiding in the ivory tower. It’s no time to go all Wizard of Oz and tell folks to “pay no attention to the man behind the curtain.” Whether you like it or not, being a servant/leader and an elder comes with a level of exposure and transparency. Leading means putting yourself out there.

For those leaders who knock it out of the park, they should “be considered of double honor” (v17). When they do a job so nice, let’s thank them twice. Paul’s talking about giving these elders BOTH respect AND financial compensation. Any doubt of that comes from the Old and New Testament passages he drops in the following verse (more on that in just a bit). 

I’m pretty sure he’s NOT talking about paying certain elders twice as much as anybody else. But you can bet he’s pointing to the big biblical idea of generosity. Let’s be doubly generous to our leaders who are generous with their gifts to us.

The apostle points out certain elders we should absolutely consider as those recipients of our double generosity. “Especially those who labor in preaching and teaching” (v17). For those of you who’ve never had the humbling privilege of teaching God’s Word, it’s not something you mail in. To do it well is hard work. VERY hard work. 

Paul backs that up in his description of it as “labor” (v17). He uses the Greek word kopiao. No, that’s not some sort of Asian chicken dish. It’s working hard to the point of fatigue or becoming physically or emotionally exhausted while doing something.

It’s a go-to term for authors of the NT when they describe folks who are drained. Before Jesus gave him the nickname Rocky, Simon wasn’t hot on the idea of taking our Savior fishing after a long, hard night. “Master, we toiled (Gr. kopiao) all night long and took nothing!” (Lk 5:5). 

When Christ took a load off at a Samarian well, He was “wearied (Gr. kopiao)…from His journey” (Jn 4:6). Paul acknowledges a pair of disciples who busted their tails in the Roman church. “Greet Mary, who has worked hard (Gr. kopiao) for you” (Rom 16:6) and “Persis, who has worked hard (Gr. kopiao) in the Lord” (Rom 16:12).

Creatively “preaching and teaching” (v17) the Bible is no walk in the park. It’s draining. It’s exhausting. And it should be. It’s THE most important news ever delivered. God’s Story is THE Story! You have the responsibility of staying true to God’s Word. 

You can’t compromise His truth. It requires incredible accuracy and creativity. It’s probably why Jesus’ kid brother James told those who think they might want to teach to think again. “Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness” (James 3:1).

One reason “preaching and teaching” is so exhausting is because God preaches the message the minister first and foremost. As far back as the 17th century, John Owen said a pastor doesn’t preach his sermon well if he doesn’t first preach it to himself. Opening yourself up to that sort of repeated examination and conviction by the Holy Spirit is intensely draining. 

I would suggest that a church not just reimburse its pastor generously but also make sure he gets a liberal amount of time off for R and R. (Let me be clear. While I am elder, I’m NOT a paid staff pastor. This isn’t some attempt to twist the Bible and guilt a congregation into a lavish compensation package.)

Just so you know he’s talking about the generous financial support of preaching pastors, Paul quotes a couple of passages. One from each of the Old and New Testaments. First, he goes old school from Deuteronomy. “You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain” (v18; Dt 25:4). Moses was originally talking about not starving livestock while its working. The apostle applies the idea to preachers. Don’t let your ministers go hungry.

The apostle then quotes Jesus’ instructions to His advance team. “The laborer deserves his wages” (Lk 10:7). When somebody works, they should get paid. That includes your pastor. For those of you who had your doubts about it, here’s the direct and unmistakeable link to “double honor” and reimbursement. 

There’s also the interesting point that Paul clearly understands Christ’s teaching to carry the same authority as the Old Testament. The interesting fact is that Dr. Luke probably just completed his bio of Jesus (around 60-61 AD) about the same time that Paul is writing to Tim (approximately 64 AD).

Those who lead well put themselves out there. It wears you out to leave yourself exposed like that. And in particular, preaching and teaching God's Word well is exhausting. It’s draining. It’s incredibly hard work. Let’s not be stingy and tightfisted when it comes to compensating our pastoral staff. 

Stop freaking out about preachers and their pay. Paul wants us to know that it's not a hand grenade. So let’s be generous with those who are generous with their gift of teaching and preaching.

The Widow Protection Program

“Let a widow be enrolled if she is not less than sixty years of age, having been the wife of one husband, and having a reputation of good works: if she has brought up children, has shown hospitality, has washed the feet of the saints, has cared for the afflicted, and has devoted herself to every good work. But refuse to enroll younger widows, for when their passions draw them away from Christ, they desire to marry and so incur condemnation for having abandoned their former faith. Besides that, they learn to be idlers, going about from house to house, and not only idlers, but also gossips and busybodies, saying what they should not. So I would have younger widows marry, bear children, manage households, and give the adversary no occasion for slander. For some have already strayed after Satan. If any believing woman has relatives who are widows, let her care for them. Let the church not be burdened, so that it may care for those who are truly widows” (1Tim 5:9-16).

Eligibility is a big deal. So many activities or programs require specific conditions before you can participate. An high school or college athlete must maintain a certain GPA. You have to be 16 before you can ruin your parents’ car insurance. If you’ve been paying attention during the past few elections, you know that a presidential candidate must be a natural born citizen. Someone determines ahead of time who’s in and who’s out. You must be eligible to participate. 

Here in a letter to the pastor of the megachurch in Ephesus, Paul specifically spells out the eligibility to be a candidate for care as a widow (1Tim 5:9-16). A lot of VERY smart folks have argued until they’re blue in the face over what the apostle is talking about in this passage. Some say he’s setting the bar for some sort of women’s auxiliary. I guess that’s possible. But looking at both the text and the context, it sure seems more like he’s simply describing who the church is will help and who’s on the outside looking in. In other words, he’s providing eligibility guidelines for the widow protection program. 

Pastor Tim has his hands full in Ephesus. His mentor Paul is on assignment up in Macedonia (1Tim 1:3), probably helping out the churches he started a few years back in Philippi, Thessalonica, and Berea (Acts 16:9-17:13). False teachers have left a massive dumpster fire in Ephesus (1Tim 1:4-7; 4:1-3). Tim’s job is to get people praying again (1Tim 2:1-8), assemble a new team of godly servant/leaders (1Tim 3:1-13), and focus everyone’s eyes back on the Gospel (1Tim 3:14-16; 4:3-4). 

The apostle has just described how relationships within the church are like those in a family. We’re to love on the older women in our church like our own moms (1Tim 5:1-2). He uses that idea to kick off how to care for ladies who have lost their husbands (1Tim 5:3-7). We’re to show honor to those women who are legitimately widows. In other words, we provide practical support for any woman who has no husband or family to help them. If she has a family, they need to step in and step up for her. Your failure to provide doesn’t just diss your fam but disses your faith too (1Tim 5:8). You gotta figure that those spiritual con artists cooked up some scheme to divert cash that should been used to care for the widows into their own pockets. I told you these jerks were bad news.

At this point, Paul specifically describes a candidate for care in the church’s widow protection program. She needs to be at least sixty years old. Remember, the apostle is writing in the first century. Sixty isn’t the new forty as it is for us in 2016. Back in 64 A.D., sixty is more like the new eighty. Life was hard in the Greco-Roman world. Especially hard for women. Incredibly hard for older women. Impossibly hard for older widows. Is Paul dropping a sixty-year-old minimum age that’s still on the books in the 21st century? I don’t necessarily think so. But this is certainly a good place to start. 

As we read on, we see eligible candidates should have “been the wife of one husband, and having a reputation of good works: if she has brought up children, has shown hospitality, has washed the feet of the saints, has cared for the afflicted, and has devoted herself to every good work” (v9-10). “The wife of one husband” (v9) is literally “one woman man.” This has really nothing to do with divorce and remarriage and EVERYTHING to do with faithfulness. Just as he did for elders and deacons (1Tim 3:2, 12), Paul is NOT talking about checking a box for marital status on an application. Was she devoted to her husband? In the words of Tammy Wynette, did she stand by her man?

The rest of these qualities point to a woman who poured her entire life into others. Her kids and grandkids. Opening her home to people she didn’t know so she could show them Jesus’ unconditional hospitality. Serving the followers of Christ when they were tired and burned out. Caring for the sick, disabled, and disenfranchised. These ladies give all of us a model to follow. It’s a reminder to each of us to stop staring at the person in the bathroom mirror and get our eyes on someone else for a change. Stop being selfish and start being selfless. I love how the Message says these ladies have a rep “for helping out with children, strangers, tired Christians, the hurt and troubled” (v10 The Message). Shouldn’t we all?

If these are the widows who are eligible, we then see those who don’t make the cut for support from the church. “But refuse to enroll younger widows, for when their passions draw them away from Christ, they desire to marry and so incur condemnation for having abandoned their former faith” (v11-12). These younger widows are still active and have, shall we say, a healthy libido. The phrase used by the ESV, “their passions draw them away” (v11), is actually one Greek word (Gr. katastreniao). It means to feel the impulses of sexual desire or experience strong lust. You can literally translate it to mean “according to desire.” Is Paul describing a first century cougar? Here’s the deal. It’s certainly okay for a widow to remarry. The danger is being so desperate to be married that you hook up with someone who doesn’t follow Jesus. That goes for anybody, male or female, young or old (2Cor 6:14).

Instead of devoting themselves to loving God by loving people, Paul says younger widows have a much higher probability of learning “to be idlers, going from house to house, and not only idlers, but also gossips and busybodies, saying what they should not” (v13). Do we really need to go into an in-depth word study of the original Greek here? In case you’re wondering, I did and it’s not pretty. It doesn’t take long before you get a picture of lazy ladies who spend all their time with their noses in everybody else’s business. Before you accuse the apostle of some sort of gender profiling, you do realize that men are just as capable of checking all these boxes, right? Come on, you know the difference between gossip and letting your friends know how they can “pray intelligently” about your neighbor down the street. Does your Facebook feed build folks up or tear them down? 

Tim’s mentor has a better idea. “So I would have younger widows marry, bear children, manage their households, and give the adversary no occasion for slander. For some have already strayed after Satan” (v14-15). Instead of falling for the lie that God has closed the book on their lives, he encourages these ladies to realize He may simply be writing a brand new chapter with a new husband and family. Be open to a relationship with a believer and the possibility of kids. This will serve the purpose of shutting up many of our critics. Clearly some Ephesian widows had already made the mistake of turning their backs on Jesus in order to date the devil. You do realize Satan doesn’t have your best interests in mind, don’t you?

Paul reminds us one more time of the big idea when it comes to caring for the women in our lives who’ve lost their husbands. “If any believing woman has relatives who are widows, let her care for them. Let the church not be burdened, so that it may care for those who are truly widows” (v16). Here’s the bottom line. Don’t dump widows on the church. Mom and memaw are your family’s responsibility. There’s a pretty good chance she’s spent a few years wiping your nose and powdering your backside. Now is your chance to care for her. Don’t waste your congregation’s limited resources. “The church has its hands full already with widows who need help” (v16 The Message). Just call this the widow protection program.