Doing Nothing from Partiality

Reading:  1 Timothy 5:17-25
    
    Paul has already detailed requirements for men to be elders/overseers (1 Tim 3:1-7); here he gives practical instruction about how the church interacts with its leaders.  “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’”(1 Tim 5:17-18).  All elders are worthy of honor, but certain men are worthy of “double honor” because they are a key part of the teaching efforts of the church.  This involves receiving pay for their work, as Paul’s two Scripture references imply (see 1 Cor 9:9).  He also cautions Timothy, “Do not admit a charge against an elder except on the evidence of two or three witnesses”(1 Tim 5:19).  Paul wants respect shown to elders.  They deserve honor, the benefit of the doubt, and multiple witnesses to accusations.  This is not because elders are above other people, but because these are men whose character the entire congregation has already validated.

    But what if the elder is guilty?  “As for those who persist in sin, rebuke them in the presence of all, so that the rest may stand in fear.  In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of the elect angels I charge you to keep these rules without prejudging, doing nothing from partiality”(1 Tim 5:20-21).  Whether elders or not, those who continue in sin need to be rebuked.  Paul calls all of heaven to witness his charge that Timothy administer justice fairly.  He should “(do) nothing from partiality,” not making assumptions that an elder is automatically right or automatically wrong.  Timothy should not be hasty (1 Tim 5:22) and understand that some sins will lie dormant for a time (1 Tim 5:24-25).  Yet when all has been said, no one is above God’s law.

    Christians respect their leaders.  We speak well of them and treat them well.  Yet that respect never includes ignoring sin, even in men who have shown godly character in the past.  Sin among the people of God must be addressed, even when it manifests in the life of an elder.  No one is above God’s law. 

-----------
One Thing to Think About: Do I speak respectfully about my leaders?

One Thing to Pray For:  Fairness to all parties when accusations are made
 

Widows

Reading:  1 Timothy 5:9-16
    
    Here Paul instructs Timothy in how to care for women who are “truly widows”(1 Tim 5:3).  In the New Testament era, widows had no social safety net, few employment options, and were dependent on others.  Paul wants the surviving family to be the first in line to care for women whose husbands have died:  “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”(1 Tim 5:16).  Christians should take care of their families first, particularly those who are in a position of need because of a death.  Those who are “truly widows” have not only suffered a loss, but are “left all alone”(1 Tim 5:5) without any family to lean on.  They have no options.  They are worthy of the church’s ongoing concern and support by being “enrolled”(1 Tim 5:9).   

    Paul gives a list of requirements for church support of such a woman.  She must be at least 60, a faithful wife and mother, and a Christian worker (1 Tim 5:9-10).  But younger widows are different; they are not to be enrolled because they may choose to remarry and “(abandon) their former faith”(1 Tim 5:12).  This may indicate that ongoing support hinges on the commitment not to remarry.  Perhaps these widows are doing a special work for the congregation that would require their singleness.  Paul also has concern (probably born of experience) that younger widows will “learn to be idlers, going about from house to house, and not only idlers, but also gossips and busybodies, saying what they should not”(1 Tim 5:13).   Instead of “enrolling” them, he encourages them to marry and work at home so that they are not idle and causing trouble.

    These verses remind us that God has work for all of us.  It would be tempting for an older widow, who has suffered a tragic loss while aging herself, to feel unimportant.  It might also be tempting for a younger widow, who finds herself grieving and isolated, to become a busybody.  Yet Christians honor those who serve Jesus.  We value all people and the work they do.  God has concern for widows and their service to him.  Men or women, married or single, suffering or joyful, we all have a part to play.

-----------
One Thing to Think About: Do I have “a reputation for good works”(1 Tim 5:10)?

One Thing to Pray For:  Opportunities to encourage and serve alongside faithful Christian women
 

Family

Reading:  1 Timothy 5:1-8
    
    Paul stresses family ties throughout this section.  Timothy needs to treat the members of the Ephesian church like he would treat his own family.  “Do not rebuke an older man but encourage him as you would a father, younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, younger women as sisters, in all purity”(1 Tim 5:1-2).  Older men deserve the respect of a father; older women the respect of a mother.  Calling Timothy’s contemporaries brothers and sisters implies tenderness and closeness, yet he also warns him to maintain “all purity.”  The family connection should affect how we talk with (and about) each other, how we resolve conflict, and how we respond to conflict together.  Christians are family.  We should bring the best of family dynamics to our interactions with each other.

    Paul also advises Timothy to be judicious in how the church handles widows.  “Honor widows who are truly widows.  But if a widow has children or grandchildren, let them first learn to show godliness to their own household and to make some return to their parents, for this is pleasing in the sight of God”(1 Tim 5:3-4). Christians should repay their parents by caring for them in their old age, acknowledging the sacrifice they have made by raising us.  “But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever”(1 Tim 5:8).  These are strong words.  It is not enough to provide for ourselves; there are many others related to us to whom we have obligations.  Those who do not respect family bonds are not following Jesus.  

    God has expectations about families.  He wants us to love our families, treat them with kindness, and care for them when in need.  What is surprising is that how we live with our families inevitably influences the health of a local church.  If we will not care for our families, the church may be burdened (1 Tim 5:16).  If we  do not know how to treat a father, mother, sister, or brother, then we will fail to treat our Christian brethren appropriately.  No one has an ideal family life, but we can all love our brothers and sisters like family and honor our parents.

-----------
One Thing to Think About: Do I treat my brothers and sisters like family?

One Thing to Pray For:  Loving families, both physical and spiritual
 

Diet and Exercise

Reading:  1 Timothy 4:6-16
    
    Like physical health, maintaining spiritual health centers on diet and exercise.  Paul has just warned Timothy of apostasy stemming from some listening to “deceitful spirits and teachings of demons”(1 Tim 4:1) and encouraged him to remind them of what God accepts (1 Tim 4:5).  “If you put these things before the brothers, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, being trained in the words of the faith and of the good doctrine that you have followed”(1 Tim 4:6).  There are good words that we can be “trained in.”  On the other hand, there are “irreverent, silly myths”(1 Tim 4:7) that must be avoided.  Paul wants Timothy to publicly read Scripture (1 Tim 4:13) and keep a close eye on his teaching (1 Tim 4:16).  Teaching matters because it is the spiritual diet of the church.

    Spiritual health is not strictly intellectual though.  “Rather train yourself for godliness; for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come”(1 Tim 4:7-8).  The words of the faith are intended to be lived and practiced; we must “train (ourselves) for godliness.”  Just as bodily exercise brings benefits, spiritual exercise makes us stronger now and prepares us for the life to come.  We grow stronger as we see the transformation the gospel makes in real conversations, real relationships, real budgets, and real temptations.  This is why Timothy must not just teach but also “set the believers an example”(1 Tim 4:12) and “keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching”(1 Tim 4:16).  Paul wants Timothy to practice what he preaches.

    The trouble with diet and exercise is that even when we know they are linked to our physical health, we still struggle with them.  We need to fill our hearts with God’s words so that our minds are renewed.  But it is also vital that we practice what we have heard—acting to show love to others, disciplining our bodies and minds, speaking words of encouragement to others, praying for others, and treating our families in better ways. 

-----------
One Thing to Think About: How will I exercise myself in godliness today?

One Thing to Pray For:  Proper spiritual diet and exercise today
 

Making Rules for God

Reading:  1 Timothy 3:14-4:5
    
    Paul summarizes that his instructions for Timothy are so that “you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth”(1 Tim 3:15).  Christians are God’s people (“the household of God”) and our work is to support, uphold, and spread “the truth” about Jesus.  This includes what Paul calls “the mystery of godliness,” that “he was manifested in the flesh, vindicated by the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory”(1 Tim 3:16).  This poetic description of the gospel story (from a human perspective) is not merely a set of assertions we endorse, but connects to how we live, speak, and love.

    But some will reject the truth.  “Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons, through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared”(1 Tim 4:1-2).  The Holy Spirit prophesies departures from the faith (apostasies) which originate with Christians heeding the wrong voices (deceitful spirits, demons, and liars).  But the essence of the departure is unexpected:  “who forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth”(1 Tim 4:3).  This apostasy will involve making rules for God.  It marks as spiritually dangerous things God has approved (marriage and food, 1 Tim 4:4-5).  It takes our proper desire for holiness and perverts it, insisting on rules God has not given.

    Apostasy can take many different forms.  Often it involves teaching that God will forgive anything, so we can live however we choose.  But this apostasy takes the opposite form:  making rules for God.  Perhaps we feel closer to God by denying ourselves things.  Perhaps we feel better than others who indulge.  Perhaps we see an opportunity to bind our personal opinions on others.  It is not spirituality to make long lists of things we are forbidden to do, especially when those lists do not originate with God.  While we may have opinions and personal rules, we must carefully distinguish the difference between my rules and God’s—lest we make rules for him. 

-----------
One Thing to Think About: What kind of apostasy is the greater danger for me personally?

One Thing to Pray For:  Strength, awareness, and discernment to never “depart from the faith”