1 Timothy 5:17-25
Remember, the sins of some people are obvious, leading them to certain judgment. But there are others whose sins will not be revealed until later. In the same way, the good deeds of some people are obvious. And the good deeds done in secret will someday come to light. – 1 Timothy 5:24-25 NLT
Paul has already addressed the qualifications for elders earlier in his letter, but now he deals with the more practical realities of how Timothy is to interact with these essential church leaders. It's interesting that he chooses to address elders immediately after giving Timothy advice on how to care for widows in the church. It would seem that, to Paul, both groups are important to the life of the church, and neither are to be overlooked or taken for granted. It would be easy to forget about widows in the church because they tend to be out-of-sight, out-of-mind even in society. Paul didn't want that to happen in the church as well. But the same thing could be said of elders. Once a man is chosen to serve as an elder, it would be easy to overlook him and just assume that all is well and that his spiritual life is just fine. It would also be easy to take these men for granted and end up neglecting their needs or failing to show gratitude for the significant role they play in the health and care of the church.
So Paul tells Timothy to care for those men who voluntarily commit their time, talent and energies to the oversight of the local church. They should be honored, respected and cared for, especially those who preach and teach. In the early days of the church, these men may have received financial compensation for the time they spent minister to the spiritual needs of the church. It would appear that they may have been bi-vocational, holding down secular jobs and sacrificing part of their work hours to serving the needs of the church. Serving as an elder, which would have included teaching, preaching, leading, and praying for the local congregation, would have been a time-consuming job. So Paul encourages Timothy to ensure that these men are taken care of adequately. Quoting Deuteronomy 25:4, Paul compares the efforts of an elder to those of an ox used to tread grain. "You must not muzzle an ox to keep it from eating as it treads out the grain." An ox, as it pulled a stone wheel over the stalks of wheat to separate out the grain, was allowed to reach down and eat as it worked, providing it with incentive to continue to do its job. In a similar manner, elders who worked hard on behalf of the body of Christ, should be compensated and cared for, in order to reward and encourage them for the efforts.
And because elders served in a leadership capacity, they were going to be open to criticism and accusations. There would be those who disagreed with their teaching and disliked their leadership at times. Paul tells Timothy to "not listen to an accusation against an elder unless it is confirmed by two or three witnesses" (1 Timothy 5:19 NLT). He was to give these men the benefit of the doubt, refusing to take at face value the word of one individual who might bring an accusation against an elder. If Paul were to ever discover that an elder has sinned, he was to confront them in private, and if that man proved unrepentant, he was to be reprimanded before the entire congregation, serving as a strong warning to the other elders and reinforcing the seriousness of their role as the spiritual leaders of the church. In all of this, Timothy was to act as an objective party, not showing favoritism or taking sides. While treating elders with respect and honor, he was not to unfairly side with them over and against the congregation.
Paul also warns Timothy not to be too hasty when appointing elders. To lay hands on a man, ordaining him for this highly important spiritual role, was a serious matter and should be done soberly and carefully. The one who appoints a man to this high office, only to find out that he is unqualified for some reason, shares in his sin and shame. He is culpable for having put the congregation at risk. So Timothy was to be extremely careful when selecting men for the role of elder. But Paul knows that not all sins are obvious at first glance. There would inevitably be those cases where a man was appointed to the position of elder, only to find out later that he had some hidden sin in his life that disqualified him. It was going to happen and, when it did, Timothy would have to deal with it. But there would also be cases in which a man's good character might lie hidden and unseen. There would be those men in the church who were less obvious and whose good deeds were done behind the scenes, out of sight and unrecognized by those in the congregation. That's why it was so important for Timothy to choose carefully. The "obvious" candidates are not always the right candidate. He must look into the hidden character of each man considered for the role of elder. As God told the prophet Samuel when he was looking for the next king of Israel, "The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart" (1 Samuel 16:7 NLT).
Finally, Paul gives Timothy a little personal health advice. Knowing that all of this could prove to be stressful for Timothy and that this young man suffered from some sort of ongoing health issues, Paul recommends that Timothy "drink a little wine for the sake of your stomach because you are sick so often" (1 Timothy 5:23 NLT). Leading a church can be difficult and stressful. It is a huge responsibility and must be taken seriously. So Paul pleads with Timothy to take care of himself. He must be in good health if he is going to care for the body of Christ well.
Father, leadership in the church is serious business. Forgive us for taking it so lightly at times and for taking those who lead us for granted too often. May we hold these men in high regard, but at the same time, may we hold them to a higher standard. Help us to choose wisely and esteem them highly at all times. Far too often, we take our pastors and elders for granted, seldom considering their spiritual well-being. Their role in the ongoing health of the church is essential. May we never take them for granted. Amen.