Caring for Elders, Caring for the Church

Because of the criticisms that frequently come against elders, we should be cautious when elders are accused. The bottom line is that accusations are going to come. We should not be surprised when they do, but we should be cautious. Based on the requirement in verse 19 for two or three witnesses against an elder, we should dismiss charges that don't meet this standard. Of course, we shouldn't ignore serious allegations, but we must take the utmost care and consideration when elders91 are accused. Someone might ask, "Shouldn't we use that kind of caution with everybody?" After all, why should elders get special treatment? Is this favoritism? The reason Paul said elders deserve this kind of treatment has to do with the public nature of the elder's position. Failure to dismiss false accusations would undermine the trust the congregation had in him. And if a prominent leader were destroyed and later it was found out that the allegations were unfounded, it would be a black stain on the church in the eyes of the world.

In light of what we've seen, then, let us be zealous to do whatever we can to protect the reputation of those who preach and teach in the church, not because they are a special class of Christians but more importantly because the church is the "pillar and foundation of the truth" (3:15). We don't want the display of God's glory diminished in any way, and we don't want the gospel to be hindered in its advance as a result of people in the church or in the community who don't trust the integrity of elders. By God's grace let's be eager to eliminate unfounded accusations. Let's put an end to unhelpful and ungodly criticisms that bring down the reputation of those who labor in the ministry of the Word.

So far Paul has given us two instructions: Honor faithful elders with generous provision, and protect all elders from unfounded accusations.

When there is credible evidence on the basis of two or three witnesses, Paul gave the following exhortation in verses 20-21: "Publicly rebuke those who sin, so that the rest will also be afraid. I solemnly charge you before God and Christ Jesus and the elect angels to observe these things without prejudice, doing nothing out of favoritism." Such a public rebuke is for the purpose of causing both the elders and the rest of the congregation to fear the consequences of sin. But which sins did Paul have in mind?

I don't think Paul had in mind here every individual sin an elder commits. Yes, all sin is infinitely serious, but not every single sin is worthy of a public rebuke. For example, if two or three witnesses see an elder jaywalking, there is no need for a public rebuke in the presence of all. There should be a certain magnitude to sin that is rebuked publicly, such that the elder can no longer serve as an example to the flock in ways consistent with passages such as 1 Timothy 3:1-7. Since we don't have a prescription as to what deserves public rebuke, congregations92 should try to make such determinations by praying under the leadership of the Spirit. Those who "continue in sin" (v. 20 NASB) deserve public rebuke, meaning there is a pattern of unrepentant sin. Some leaders in the church refuse to repent of sin that affects their character in the eyes of the congregation.

Does this kind of action seem, well, backwards to you? Does rebuking elders publicly seem inefficient and disruptive? Why not just dismiss the elders quietly and move along? I think Paul gives us two reasons we should rebuke unrepentant elders in the presence of all. First, we should rebuke as a witness to the truth. I take this from verse 21. There were false teachers in the church at Ephesus, and Paul was calling for their public rebuke. Do you feel the magnitude of what Paul was saying here? Timothy likely had a personal relationship with these men, but he was nonetheless given a charge to rebuke them, regardless of how painful it would be. Timothy was not to show prejudice or favoritism. The same holds true as we evaluate elders today.

The church witnesses to the truth through rebuking sin because it is the "pillar and foundation of the truth" (3:15). We must align ourselves with the judgment of God, a judgment that is sure to come, either now or on the last day. Paul did not want the church to deny its identity by failing to uphold the truth of God. We must be faithful to the Word no matter how difficult or painful it might be.

The second reason we do these things publicly is that we should rebuke as a warning to others. Often the Bible motivates us to obedience by pointing us to God's grace. Galatians 5:1 is just one example: "Christ has liberated us to be free. Stand firm then and don't submit again to a yoke of slavery." But grace is not the only way the Bible motivates. Sometimes God motivates us by fear, and our passage is one of those cases. Paul called for public rebuke "so that the rest will also be afraid" (1 Tim 5:20). Paul wanted other people—and other elders in particular—to look on public rebuke and say, "May it never be so with me. I don't want that." It's like a boy who tries to steer clear of trouble because he has seen his older brothers disciplined for their misbehavior.

Though God is motivating us here by fear, He is still, in a sense, motivating us by grace. Our natural instinct is to think we will never get caught and we will not have to give an account for our sin (Ps 10:13). However, God graciously warns elders that their day of reckoning may come sooner than they think, and this day of reckoning won't be in the93 privacy of their own home. Even before the final judgment, sin sometimes has public consequences. God forbid that such steps would be necessary, but if they are, may God give us the courage to believe His Word and obey it. He has infinitely more wisdom than we do. We may think we have a better or more creative way to uphold the truth, but our way will short-circuit God's intention for the church to be a pillar and foundation of the truth.

So far we've seen that the church is to honor, protect, and rebuke elders, which brings us to Paul's fourth and final overarching instruction. Verses 22-25 make this point. Verse 22 says, "Don't be too quick to appoint anyone as an elder, and don't share in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure." There seems to be a connection between the laying on of hands and sharing in the sins of others, such that being too quick to appoint someone as an elder may result in one's own guilt, a point we will return to below.

Verse 23 continues to draw the attention of many Christians. Paul gave Timothy the following instruction: "Don't continue drinking only water, but use a little wine because of your stomach and your frequent illnesses." It's not exactly clear why Paul made this statement at this point in the letter. This may be a parenthetical remark following up on his command at the end of verse 22 to "keep yourself pure." This is the kind of thing we do sometimes when sending an e-mail. As we are writing about one thing, we may think of another point we want to make, so we put it in parentheses in order to remember it later. This could be what Paul was doing here. In light of the false teaching Paul mentioned at the beginning of chapter 4, Timothy may have given himself to an ascetic lifestyle, including total abstinence from alcohol. Paul was telling Timothy that for the sake of his health he ought to consider drinking a little wine. The best thing Timothy could do in this situation is to use wine as a medicine. In light of the command for purity in verse 22, Paul may have been saying in verse 23, "Don't think the need for purity prohibits you from drinking some wine for your health."

Verse 24 picks up the thought of verse 22 and the need for purity. Paul had warned Timothy in verse 22 not to lay hands on anyone—that is, appoint them as an elder—too quickly. Keep in mind that there is nothing spiritual about the physical act of the laying on of hands, in and of itself, other than the fact it symbolized the recognition of someone94 as a called-out minister in the church. After this call for caution, Paul added the following in verse 24: "Some people's sins are obvious, going before them to judgment, but the sins of others surface later." Some brothers should not be recognized as elders in the congregation because their sins are immediately apparent, while the sins of other believers will be less obvious, showing up only later. Yes, churches will make mistakes. The main point here is that we need to take all the time, care, and due diligence necessary to make sure a man is qualified to the best of our knowledge. It is not always immediately obvious who should be an elder.

In the matter of appointing elders, Paul presents two ways obedience to God's Word profits the body of Christ. First, careful selection is for the benefit of those choosing. Paul's warning to Timothy not to hastily lay hands on anyone is a reminder that responsibility is attached to this high privilege. We don't want to have a part in the sins of others. Second, careful selection is for the protection of the church. This point should be fairly obvious. There's always a need for more elders to be raised up in the church; however, the last thing we need is haste in making this kind of massively important decision. To be sure, sometimes we are going to deny brothers we shouldn't deny, and sometimes we are going to appoint brothers we shouldn't appoint. That's just part of our fallen and finite nature. But we need to make sure we are doing everything we can to minimize those mistakes. We need to obey the Word in appointing godly men for the protection of the church.

The Keys to Care

One of the biggest dangers we have related to the issue of appointing elders is indifference. Other issues seem more pressing, such as difficulties in our marriage or stress over our job. With so many other concerns, how can we avoid apathy on this issue? Let me suggest two ways. First, we remind ourselves of the glory of God in the church. Even though these matters seem trivial in our eyes, they are not trivial in God's eyes. Acts 20:28 says Jesus has bought the church with His own blood. Take heed: the church of God is precious to God. As we think again about 1 Timothy 3:14-16, we're reminded that God wants to display His glory in the church. So how do we stir ourselves up to realize the glory of God in the church? We sense the gravity of casually ignoring God's Word. There are many commands in 1 Timothy 5:17-25, and they are not95 suggestions. God says to appoint certain men, and He means what He says. Therefore, whatever He says, we are called to obey.

In addition to seeing the gravity of casually ignoring God's Word, we see the glory of rightly ordering Christ's church. Many believers have had negative experiences with the church, and in light of all the negative baggage, they just can't see how the church can display the glory of God. We need to be reminded that this is not the way things have to be. It's certainly not God's intention. God's intention is not for shepherds to exploit the sheep or for sheep to abuse the shepherd. God's intention is for pastors to lay their lives down for the flock, living among them and loving them with the love of Christ. In response, the congregation—the sheep—love and follow their shepherds, giving to them generously and willingly as the Word of God is faithfully taught. This is the context in which the gospel flourishes.

We will undermine our efforts to see the advance of the gospel if we don't pay attention to God's design for the church. The end goal of this passage is not that we would have well-paid pastors or public rebukes but that the church would display the glory of God and uphold the truth. The ultimate purpose is that the gospel would go forward from the church. This is why we need to sense the gravity of disobeying God's Word on this issue. God's glory is seen when we order the church according to what He has said.

Finally, in order not to be indifferent to these truths, we remind ourselves of the kindness of God in the gospel. How do we avoid the pitfalls of gossip and allegations and suspicions? How do we foster an environment of love and forgiveness and unity among those who are leading and those who are led? There is only one way, and that is through the gospel. As a pastor, I need the gospel to deliver me from self-centeredness, from the desire for shameful gain, laziness, a sense of entitlement, and a host of other sins. At the same time the congregation needs the gospel in order to be delivered from criticism, a spirit of disunity, gossip, and discontentment. In short, all of us need the gospel. Only by the grace of God can elders and the church be cared for properly.