1 Timothy 5:24
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What does 1 Timothy 5:24 mean?
Some men's sins are open before hand
Some men are such open and notorious sinners, that there is no
need of any inquiry about them, or any examination of them; or
any witnesses to be called to their character, in order to pass
judgment concerning them; they even prevent and supersede any
formal process about them. With such persons, the apostle
intimates, Timothy could have no difficulty upon him, what to do
with them; should they be proposed for the ministry, he would
know at once what to do with them; namely, reject them. There
would be no danger of his laying hands suddenly on such; for the
following phrase,
going before to judgment,
is not to be understood of God's judgment, or of the last and
future judgment of the great day, but of human judgment: it is
true indeed that some men's sins are manifest and barefaced,
before that day comes; while others are so private, that they
will not be known till that day declares them, and brings to
light the hidden things of darkness: and much such a way of
speaking is used by the Jews; who say F13,
``whoever committeth one transgression, (a notorious one,) in this world, it joins to him, "and goes before him" (Nydh Mwyl) "to the day of judgment".''But this sense agrees not with the context; and with what propriety soever it may be said, of some men's sins going before to judgment, it cannot be said with any, that others follow after judgment; since at the general judgment, every work, both good and bad, with every secret thing, will be brought into it; and nothing will follow after that: wherefore the next clause,
and some [men] they follow after;
that is, some men's sins follow after, is to be understood of
their following after human judgment; or of their appearing in
the light after judgment has been passed upon them, which before
were hid: and the sense of the whole is this, that the characters
of some men are so well known, and it is so plain a case, that
they are destitute of the grace of God; have not ministerial
gifts; or are unsound in the faith; or are men of immoral lives
and conversations; so that there can be no dispute about them,
whether they are to be admitted into the ministry of the word or
rejected. But there are other persons who may be proposed, whose
sins or errors are so private, that they may not be known; and
yet may appear afterwards; wherefore it is proper to take time,
and not be too hasty, or lay hands suddenly on men.
F13 T. Bab. Sota, fol. 3. 2. Vid. Avoda Zara, fol. 5. 1.
