The Means or the End?

The Gift or the Giver

All cards on the table. Sometimes I just want Jesus for what He can do for me. Can you blame me? He can do a LOT!

I admit it. Too often I want the healing more than the Healer. I want the teaching more than the Teacher. I want the saving more than the Savior. I want the gift more than the Giver.

The Hero of the Story

Here’s the deal. Jesus doesn’t just provide the means to the end. He is THE End! Hmm, maybe that’s why He tells John, “I am the Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End” (Rev 22:13).

In other words, Jesus is THE POINT! He’s the Reason. He’s the Hero of THE entire story.

A Near Riot Near the Lake

That sure seems to be one of the big ideas behind Mark’s report of Christ’s crazy day at the lake (Mk 3:7-12). A desperate mob hunts Him down when they get wind of His many miracles.

There’s a near riot of people suffering with all sorts of longterm health issues. If that’s not wild enough, several different demons try to blow His cover before it was time.

These folks don’t appear to have any desire for what we like to call a “personal relationship with Jesus.” They just want what He can do for them. Nothing more. Nothing less. They want the means without the end.

Wanna Get Away?

Mark picks up the story along the shores of the large freshwater lake known as the Sea of Galilee. “Jesus went out to the lake with His disciples, a large crowd followed Him” (v7).

If you’ve been following along in John Mark’s bio of Jesus, you may remember what just went down. After being showed up by Jesus for the fifth straight time, local religious leaders got together to plot His murder (Mk 3:6).

It’s kinda like one of those Southwest Airlines commercials. “Wanna get away?” That’s exactly what the Son of God and His guys did. Just like so many of us like to do, they went to the lake to get out of the spotlight and get some rest.

A Healthy Gathering

But as you’ve already noticed, that didn’t last long. A big crowd is just over their shoulder. So much for a quiet day at the lake.

Just how big is this crowd and who’s in it? The original language gives us a few hints. First of all, we see that it’s “large” (πολυς/polus). This word describes a relatively large quantity or measure of something.

It can mean much, many, numerous, great, plentiful, loud, deep, or even long. “Large” points to the upper range of anything, big but not the biggest. Let’s just say this is a healthy gathering chasing Jesus down the beach.

Local Celebrity No Longer

And where are they from? “They came from all over, Galilee, Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, from east of the Jordan River, and even from as far north as Tyre and Sidon” (v8). Well that escalated quickly. No longer is the Rabbi/Carpenter a local celebrity. His appeal has spread throughout the entire region.

Christ is clearly a hot ticket among the Hebrews. You see that by all the folks from various regions of Israel, such as Galilee, Judea, and Jerusalem.

He’s also getting traction among people living in lands of both Jews and Gentiles, like Idumea and the eastern side of the Jordan River.

The Twin Cities

For the first time we see a boatload of non-Jews coming to Jesus. Tyre and Sidon are the Minneapolis and St. Paul of Phoenicia. These Twin Cities are in what we know today as Lebanon.

They’re appearance in Galilee is a shocker since First Century Phoenicians aren’t worshipers of Yahweh.

It’s Jesusmania!

As if we didn’t already know, Mark gives us the reason for big crowd along the lake. “The news about His miracles spread far and wide, and vast numbers of people came to see Him” (v8). The amazing stories of Jesus’ healings and exorcisms are in all the papers. He’s trending on Twitter.

This thing is getting big and it’s getting big FAST! He’s no longer just a local sensation in Capernaum. Forget Beatlemania. It’s got nothing on the craze over the Christ. Yup, you got it. This is Jesusmania!

Taking No Chances

Our Savior won’t get caught by surprise. He preps with His posse in case things get out of control. “Jesus instructed His disciples to have a boat ready so that the crowd would not crush Him” (v9).

He instructs His boys to have a boat nearby. You never know when an excited audience might take the ugly turn into deadly riot. Jesus may be God but, remember, He’s in human form. No reason to take unnecessary chances.

Miracle Medicine

It’s obvious from the get-go that this was not just a good idea but a lifesaver. “He had healed many people that day, so all the sick people eagerly pushed forward to touch Him” (v10). Word of Jesus’ ability to provide miraculous medical treatment is spreading like wildfire.

Think of how people go to Mexico or Europe when they read on the internet that some doctor has a unlocked the cure for cancer. They don’t care about the physician’s credentials. They simply want to get well and will do anything or go anywhere for healing. In 30 AD, that just happens to be Galilee.

An Act of Desperation

The excitement level of the big crowd explodes. Suddenly the sick “eagerly pushed forward” toward the Great Physician. Mark uses a Greek word here that describes their desperation. Επιπιπτω/epipipto describes falling or descending upon someone.

This is a compound word that means “land (Gr. -πιπτω/-pipto) on (Gr. επι-/epi-).” Picture somebody throwing themselves on another suddenly. It’s when you shift your weight so that somebody else is supporting you completely. It’s an act not just of excitement but desperation.

In a good way, this is an embrace. Like when John leans his head against Jesus at dinner (Jn 13:25). Or how about the time a dad is so excited to see his runaway son return from the pig sty (Lk 15:20).

By Any Means Necessary

In negative sense, it’s an attack. Like today at the lake. Suddenly there’s lots of pushing and shoving. This is about getting near the front by any means necessary. The irony is they came for healing and now are in danger of getting hurt.

They don’t want Jesus. They don’t want to talk to Him. They just want to get their hands on Him. They don’t care about who He is. They only want what He can do for them.

Got the T-Shirt

The words are hard to type because it’s so personal. Been there. Done that. Got the t-shirt. Given the t-shirt to Goodwill. I’ve done over and over and over. Sad to say, you can pretty much bet the ranch that I’ll do it again.

It usually happens when life goes off the rails somehow. Big trouble at work. A “heated discussion” at home. A breakdown on the interstate. A dicy diagnosis from my doctor. Jesus is near the top of my 9-1-1 calls. My divine phone-a-friend anytime I’m in a pickle.

It goes a little something like this. Money problems. Run to Jesus. Marriage problems. Run to Jesus. Job problems. Run to Jesus. Health problems. Run to Jesus. I think you get the idea.

His Greatest Gift is Himself

Dr. Luke paints the picture of two sisters who have different views of Jesus. Martha sees the Lord as the One to give her what she wants. In this case, it’s help from her sister. Meanwhile Mary simply wants her Savior.

Christ personally corrects Martha by saying her sister has figured it out. “There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her” (Lk 10:42).

Mary realizes He’s not just the means to the end, He is THE END! He’s the Point. He’s the Reason. As Max Lucado likes to say, “God’s present is His presence. His greatest gift is Himself.”

Top of the To-Do List

God says so all throughout His Word to us. Check out these lyrics from the Psalms. “Whom have I in heaven but You? I desire You more than anything on earth. My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; He is mine forever” (Ps 73:25-26).

In His most famous sermon, Jesus told us to put one thing and one thing only at the top of our to-do list each day. “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything that you need” (Mt 6:33).

God Loved, God Gave

I need to make it my mission to seek Him, look for Him, pursue Him. Jesus compares our search for the goodness of God to the ultimate treasure hunt. He tells the story of one guy who cashed in all his chips in order to his hands on nothing but God (Mt 13:44-46).

Specifically, that Gift is none other than the Son of God Himself. Jesus tells a dude named Nick one night that He’s THE Gift. “For this is how God loved the world: He gave His one and only son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life” (Jn 3:16).

If you’ve grown up in or around church, you’ve heard that verse so many times that it loses its power. Pump your brakes and look at this amazing truth one more time. God loved. God gave. Jesus is the Gift.

More of Himself

God Himself gives Himself as the greatest blessing. Even the guy who wrote most of the New Testament is lost for words when it comes to the idea. “Thanks be to God for His indescribable Gift!” (2Cor 9:15).

So just like those desperate folks in Galilee, I need to remember that Jesus isn’t the means to the end. He is THE End. As Vaneetha Rendall Risner puts it, “The best gift God can give you is not health or prosperity or happiness in this world, but more of Himself.”

Coming out of the Woodwork

But there are more than just people with serious health problems there along the lake with the Lord. Mark tells us there’s a significant number of folks under demonic control there too. All through the Gospels, demons come out of the woodwork whenever Jesus is around.

“And whenever those possessed by evil spirits caught sight of Him, the spirits would throw them to the ground in front of Him shrieking, ‘You are the Son of God!’” (v11).

It’s a Throwdown Showdown

What a wild scene! The crowd crushes closer to get the hands on the Christ. Now demonically possessed people are raising a ruckus by flinging their victims at the feet of Jesus.

In John Mark’s play-by-play, he writes that these evils spirits “throw” (Gr. προσπιπτω/prospipto)” their hosts down. He uses a verb with same root word (Gr. προσπιπτω/prospipto) as when the sick people “eagerly pushed forward” to get to Jesus.

In this form, it means to fall forward in front of or even prostrate oneself in submission before another. These agents of Satan totally freak out when God is in town. Call it a throwdown showdown.

Unholy Screams

I’ll bet their unholy screams would send shivers down your spine. I love how the NLT translates the original language here as “shrieking” (Gr. κραζω/krazo). It not only means to cry out or shout with great intensity and volume but implies an unpleasant nature of the sound. Think fingernails on a chalkboard turned up to eleven.

Shrieking demons have a bad habit of revealing His supernatural identity (Mk 1:23, 26; Mk 5:7). Interestingly, the Lord tells them to stuff a sock in it. “But Jesus sternly commanded the spirits not to reveal who He was” (v12).

Seeing Him for Who He Is

Unlike the many people who saw Him as the means to the end, the evil spirits see Jesus for who He really is. The Son of God. Since they’re spirits, they see the spiritual world. They know full well He’s the means to their end!

So why did Jesus want them to shut up? Wasn’t He trying to get the word out? Theologians and Bible scholars have cussed and discussed this question for the past 2,000 years.

Staying on Schedule

I’m certainly not smart enough to figure it out but I think my old prof Doug Bookman is on to something. He says Christ only had three-and-a-half years to accomplish His mission before His crucifixion. In order to stay on schedule, He had to manipulate the political and religious powers.

In other words, Jesus is doing just what He tells the Twelve to do before sending them on assignment. “Be as shrewd as snakes and harmless as doves” (Mt 10:16). Don’t be naive. Know there are enemies. Understand the big picture.

A Grip on the News Cycle

In this case, it’s keeping viselike grip on the news cycle and release of information regarding His mission. Christ couldn’t let the power brokers know His true identity too soon or it would be all over.

The word would get out fast enough when the time is right. In the meantime, who He is and what He’s doing is under a news embargo. Jesus certainly is not going to let the Prince of Lies put his evil spin on the Good News.

You may wonder if the Lord still has His embargo in place. Absolutely not! He makes it clear that we’re to tell everybody we meet about Him (Mt 28:19-20; Mk 16:15; Lk 24:47-48; Acts 1:8)! Make Jesus famous everywhere you go! There are no restrictions on that!!

His Eternal Benefits Package

The best way to give Him glory is by finding our ultimate pleasure in Him. There’s not doubt our Savior does amazing and miraculous things. But that’s just part of His amazing eternal benefits package.

In Him alone, there’s contentment. In Him alone, there’s fulfillment. John Piper famously says, “God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him.” In other words, Jesus isn’t the means. He’s THE End.

©2017

Jay Jennings

Staying on Mission and Staying on Message

Turning Points

There are critical turning points in every story. It’s that moment when the choice is made that will make all the difference. Maybe you don’t realize it at the time. Maybe the decision may not make sense at the time. It’s only when you have the luxury of time and perspective that you see this was a decisive and defining moment.

Things happen. Momentum builds. As a result, the next move seems obvious. But suddenly with little warning, the story makes a sharp left when the whole world expected it to turn right. The narrative reverses field and goes surprisingly against the grain.

The Very Urgent Versus the Most Important

Has this happened in your life? Too many times we lose focus on our original purpose. Why? The very urgent overtakes the most important. We allow circumstances to sidetrack us. We take the obvious next step. Before we know it, we’re so far off mission that Google Maps can’t save us.

But there’s one Person who seized those moments and made the right call…even when it didn’t make sense at the time. Jesus never allows the very urgent to overtake the most important. How? By spending time alone with the One who sent Him, His Heavenly Dad. As a result, the Messiah stays on mission and stays on message.

Sabbath Saturday in Capernaum

That’s what we see in Mark 1:35-36. Jesus is blowing the lid off the joint in Capernaum. It all escalates quickly. VERY quickly. The incredible momentum begins to build when He picks His first four followers, two pairs of brothers who are career commercial fishermen (Mk 1:16-20).

Stuff really begins to pick up steam on a Sabbath Saturday at the local synagogue. The Rabbi/Carpenter from just up the road in Nazareth gets the privilege to preach. And does He ever! Worshipers have never heard anything or anyone like Him before (Mk 1:21-22). If that’s not enough, Christ performs an on-the-spot exorcism right in front of everybody and sends the evil spirit running packing (Mk 1:23-28).

When Opportunity Pounds

Follow that up with His instantaneous healing of Simon’s mother-in-law after leaving the synagogue (Mk 1:29-31). Clearly word gets out about what’s gone down and it transforms Simon and Andrew’s home into a crowded urgent care clinic well into the night (Mk 1:32-34).

As this crazy day comes to a close, you think you know what’s coming. Jesus sleeps in after a very busy day. When He does wake up, He sets up shop in Capernaum and people continue flocking to see Him.

It only makes sense. He’s the hottest thing in town. He’s gotta leverage the moment. The door is opening and He needs to walk right through. Opportunity isn’t just knocking. It’s pounding with both fists!

Choose Your Own Adventure

At this moment, Mark’s Gospel reminds me of those “Choose Your Own Adventure” books. These little jewels give kids the chance to make critical choices in the storyline and determine the main character’s actions and the plot’s outcome. You get a few options at critical points. Whatever you pick directly impacts the end of the story.

But Jesus does EXACTLY the opposite of what everybody expects. It’s been a super busy Saturday. It was late into the night when He healed the last person and chased away the last demon. Who could blame our Savior for catching a few extra Zs on Sunday morning?

Zero Dark Thirty

If you’re like me, you’re surprised to see our Savior stirring at Simon and Andy’s house before sunrise. Not only is the Rabbi/Carpenter awake but He’s on the move. “Before daybreak the next morning, Jesus got up and went out to an isolated place to pray” (v35). The sun may not be up yet but the Son of God sure is.

A closer look at the Greek confirms just how early Jesus gets going. The phrase “before daybreak” (Gr. εννυχον/ennuchon) is actually a compound word that literally means “in the night” or “at night.” That’s why some other translations call Christ’s nocturnal exit as happening “while it was still dark” (v35 NIV, NASB, ESV).

Mark follows that up with a few more specifics on just when the Lord leaves. “The next morning” is actually just one little word in the original language (Gr. πρωι/proi) which describes what First Century Jews called the last watch of the night. In other words, between 3-6am. We’re talking Zero Dark Thirty.

100% God and 100% Man

Instead catching a bit more shuteye and recharge for Day 2 of more crowds and a crammed calendar, “Jesus got up and went out to an isolated place to pray” (v35). He does the opposite of what we might expect. He wakes up early. He leaves before sunrise. Why? To get alone with His Heavenly Dad.

It’s usually at points like this in the story of Jesus that we need to remind ourselves that He’s the God Man. 100% God. No question about it. But He’s also 100% human as well.  Theologians cooked up a fancy schamcy term called the Hypostatic Union to try and wrap their heads around the Incarnation of God into a human body.

As the God Man, Jesus is fully man. He’s not some sort of heaven-sent Superman just pretending to be Clark Kent. In other words, He needs a good night’s sleep just like the rest of us. I’ve got a sneaking suspicion the Lord is wiped out when He rolls out of the rack. In doing so, He reveals the priority of His relationship with His Father. It means devoting the very first part of His day to His Dad.

No Distractions

The Lord looks for “an isolated place to pray” (v35). Long before dawn, Jesus gets alone. No crowds. No TV. No iPad. No smartphone. No distractions. If you had the chance to chat with the Sovereign God of the universe, wouldn’t you want to hear Him clearly?

I’m tapping out these words on my laptop early on a Wednesday morning. The sun hasn’t hit the horizon yet. I don’t do this to thump my own chest or earn bonus points from God. I get up in order to eliminate distractions so I can hear from Jesus. Am I tired? You betcha. But He consistently uses these quiet moments to meet with me so I want to hear Him clearly.

God uses our early AM appointments to get me ready for the day. But maybe mornings aren't your jam. You may be able to find a lonely place at lunch. You could be one of those people who can spend time with the Lord just before bed. Whatever time it is, make it a habit get alone with God. With no distractions. I promise, you won’t regret it.

The Divine Dance

Meanwhile back in Mark’s Gospel, we see Jesus getting alone…to pray?!?! Here’s another one of those unexpected turns the story takes. Why would the Son of God need to pray. Why does God need to talk to God? For heaven’s sake, He’s the Second Person of the Trinity. It’s easy to think that if ANYBODY doesn’t have to pray, it’s Jesus!

Did you ever cross your mind that our Savior WANTED to pray? That He LONGED to pray? It makes perfect sense when you think about it. The Holy Trinity is the perfect relationship. Father, Son, and Spirit absolutely love being together. So much so that ancient preachers saw the Three Persons of the Godhead in a divine dance.

The Son Calls Home

After leaving heaven on this holy rescue mission, Jesus desperately wants to hear His Dad’s voice. Think of calling home when you’re on the road. You need to hear the voice of the one you love. I know I do. 

Here we see the Son calling home. Just to let you know, the Father would love to hear from us when we have a moment. When’s the last time we called our heavenly home?

Just how close are the Father and Son? So close that on the night before His murder Jesus asks His Dad that His followers “may be one as We are one…May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that You sent Me and that You love them as much as You love Me” (Jn 17:22, 23). Our Savior wants us to enjoy the depth of His relationship with His Father.

Too Busy NOT to Pray

Jesus also prays BECAUSE of the gravity of His mission. In the words of Bill Hybels, He’s too busy NOT to pray! This quiet time alone with His Dad resets Christ after that crazy Saturday in Capernaum. You can bet He thanks Abba for all He was able to do the day before.

But this is just the beginning of what He came to do. There’s so much more to do. So many more people who need to hear the Good News of God’s kingdom. So many more who need a healing touch. So many more who need the love that will drench the planet from a Roman cross at Calvary. This quiet moment allows the Messiah to stay on mission and stay on message.

In High Demand

This becomes glaringly apparent as we pick up the action in Mark’s Gospel. Suddenly Jesus is no longer alone. “Later Simon and the others went out to find Him. When they found Him, they said, ‘Everyone is looking for You’” (v36-37). Here’s something we’ll a lot more of in Scripture. Simon Peter taking the lead. In this case, he’s probably leading the other three fishermen.

Pete and the boys let Jesus know He’s in high demand back in town. Now’s Your chance. Opportunity is pounding on the door. Come on back to Capernaum and capitalize on the buzz and excitement that just went down on the Sabbath! Let’s do this!!

Keeping Jesus All to Ourselves

Who can blame them? That was quite spectacle on Saturday. The only problem is that folks want a show, not a Savior. They want miracles, not a Messiah. Be honest. We’re still doing the same thing. We would still rather watch Him than worship Him. Let’s not be too quick to throw the Galileans under the bus.

In his version of this same story, Luke tells us how the people did everything they could to try and keep Christ from leaving town. “They begged Him not to leave them” (Lk 4:42). They hope to keep Jesus all to themselves. Instead of sharing Him with the world, He would be their local attraction.

Trending on Twitter

But once again, the Lord makes the unexpected choice. He tells His boys, “We must go on to other towns as well, and I will preach to them, too. That is why I came” (v38). After spending a quiet time alone with His Father, Jesus refuses to allow the very urgent to trump the most important. He won’t allow the fact that He’s suddenly trending on Twitter to trash what he came to do.

Because of His morning, the Messiah stays on mission and stays on message.

Christ Includes Us

Did you catch that Jesus says “WE must go” (v38 emphasis added)? He could do it all by Himself but He includes His brand new followers. He certainly doesn’t need them. The Lord is still involving us in His work to this day. Christ invites us and includes us in His mission. We don’t just have front row seats to watch Him do His thing, He wants us on the playing field right next to Him!

Think about what might have happened if Simon and the boys had been able keep Him in Capernaum. The Messiah’s message never leaves town. He never completes His mission. If that’s the case, do you I ever hear about God’s amazing grace?

A couple of thousand years later, we’re still trying to put Jesus in a box. Too many times I’m trying to force Him to follow my agenda and stay focused on my to-do list. Hey, here’s an idea…let’s join Jesus in what He is doing. He says the same thing to us that He did to Simon and the boys. “We must go.”

The Lord Has Target Lock

And with that, they hit the road. “So He traveled throughout the region of Galilee, preaching in the synagogues and casting out demons” (v39). So that Sabbath Saturday in Capernaum was simply a sneak preview of what was to come (Mk 1:21-28). Because of His morning in prayer, the Lord has target lock. No mission creep here.

Prioritizing Prayer

So if prayer’s good enough for the Son of God, shouldn’t it be something I must prioritize? Do I rationalize away my lack of quiet time with God by pointing to my calendar? Have you seen all I have to do today? Seriously, am I really busier than Jesus? Not so much. Instead, there’s a pretty good chance I’m too busy NOT to pray.

Setting our eyes on Jesus allows us to choose the most important over the most urgent. We start making unexpected decisions. People will probably scratch their heads when they think we’ll go one way but we go in an unanticipated direction. Only from God’s perspective do these choices make perfect sense.

When I do set aside time in the morning with Him, a funny thing happens. His choices become my choices. His mission becomes my mission. His message becomes my message. Other than God, who saw THAT coming?

©2017
Jay Jennings

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.