Last week, Paul spoke of “honoring” elders/overseers: They were to receive a wage for their work. Moving from there, Paul then told Timothy how he was to handle accusations against an elder/overseer. Unless there were “two or three witnesses” for those accusations, Timothy wasn’t to consider them. This was to help prevent frivolous complaints or possible vendettas. But what if “two or three witnesses” had credible charges against an overseer/elder? Paul now tells Timothy how he is to handle that.
More on Elders/Overseers in the Church
Read 1 Timothy 5:20-21
- Because of the person who has persisted in sin (it’s a present active participle, meaning this is an ongoing state of being), how is Timothy to deal with that person because of unrepentant sin?
- How is Timothy to “keep these rules”?
- Why is Paul’s language so strong in verse 21?
“elect angels”: In Scripture, we only find the term “elect angels” here in 1 Timothy. These “elect angels” stand in stark contrast to the fallen angels (Jude 1:6, 2 Peter 2:4). God has appointed His “elect angels” to be His “ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation” [on the Last Day, notice the future tense, “will”] (Hebrews 1:14).
But in 1 Timothy, these angels take part in God’s judgment against an unrepentant elder/overseer. Matthew 16:27, Mark 8:38, and Luke 9:26 have the Father, the Son, and angels together on the Last Day delivering divine judgment on unbelievers. Thus, if an overseer/elder were to remain unrepentantly in that sinful state (1 Tim 5:20), it would affect him even on the Last Day. That’s the point, which is also why the remaining elders/overseers were to be “in fear.” Paul is serious, and his words reflect that.
- Discuss: Paul tells Timothy how to handle these sinning elders/overseers, not congregations (in his other epistles). What are the implications of this?
Paul commanded Timothy not to be rash when it came to removing an overseer/elder. He was to be impartial and not prejudge, neither assuming innocence, nor guilt. Scripture here specifically deals with the unrepentant, unfaithful pastor. For the unrepentant sinner, in general, we looked at that in an excursus in Lesson 2, which included Mathew 18:15-17.
Such seriousness and deliberation that Paul commanded of Timothy when he was remove an unrepentant elder/overseer also applied to ordaining a man to become an elder/overseer.
Excursus: Ordination as it relates to a man becoming an elder/overseer
In 1 Timothy, the last place Paul mentioned the “laying on of hands” was in 4:14. He wrote, “Do not neglect the gift [of the Holy Spirit, 2 Timothy 1:7] that is in you through prophecy [speaking God’s Word] with the laying on of hands by the council of presbyters.” Thus—within the wider context of 1 Timothy, and the specific context of 1 Timothy 5:17-24—Paul is, here, referring to “ordination.”
To understand more fully why the “laying on of hands” even mattered, we look to Greek-language Old Testament (the Septuagint) and see where it used that phrase. For example, Moses laid his hands on Joshua, sanctioning Joshua to succeed him (Numbers 27:18, 23).
However, even something deeper is taking place by the “laying on of hands.” In the Old Covenant, that act appointed an animal to be a sacrifice, through which God delivered His forgiveness to His people (Exodus 29:10, 15, 19; Leviticus 1:4, 10 [LXX only]; 3:2, 8, 13; 4:4, 15, 24, 29, 33; 8:14, 18, 22; 16:21; Numbers 8:10, 12; 2 Chronicles 29:23). Now, those sacrifices—in and of themselves—brought no forgiveness (Hebrews 10:4). But because they were connected to the forgiveness that Christ would earn for them on the cross, those sacrifices became efficacious (Colossians 2:13-14, Hebrews 10:12-14).
In the New Covenant, when a man is ordained to be an elder/overseer, by the laying on of hands, that also appoints him to be a “sacrifice.” As God worked through those animal sacrifices, reaching forward to Christ’s sacrifice to come, bringing life and forgiveness, God now works through an elder/overseer, reaching back to Christ’s sacrifice, also bringing life and forgiveness.
However, the elder/overseer himself does not become a “means of grace” (for example, Baptism or the Lord’s Supper). He, instead, becomes a “means” for the “means of grace.” It’s no wonder then that Paul was dead serious, final-judgment serious (1 Timothy 5:20-21, 24), about Timothy not ordaining a man hastily. Paul used an imperative verb, commanding Timothy what he must do (the laying on of hands) and how (not hastily).
Our Lutheran Confessions also see ordination as important. In our discussion with the Roman-Catholic Church, we wrote:
If ordination is understood as applying to the ministry of the Word [remember the Word is what also makes a sacrament a Sacrament], we are willing to call ordination a Sacrament. For the ministry of the Word has God’s command and glorious promises: “The Gospel is God’s power for salvation to everyone who believes” (Romans 1:16). Likewise, “so is my Word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I intend” (Isaiah 55:11). If ordination is understood in this way, we will not refuse to call the laying on of hands a Sacrament. [Apology to the Augsburg Confession, Section XIII, para 11-12]
Only an unblemished male animal could serve as a sacrifice in the Old Covenant. Why? It was because God used such an unblemished male animal to reach forward to the unblemished male, the sacrifice for all sin, Jesus Christ. That’s why in the New Covenant only “unblemished” males may serve as elders/overseers. Through them, God now reaches back to Christ’s sacrifice, giving us forgiveness, life, and salvation. If they are not “unblemished” and male, the object lesson of the elder/overseer pointing back to Christ disappears.
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Read 1 Timothy 5:22
- In what way is Timothy to handle ordaining men to become elders/overseers?
- Based on what Paul tells Timothy in this verse, how does that apply to those who say they “received the call” and they started their own church?
“take part”: Greek, koinoneo, an imperative verb, the verb form of the noun koinoinia (communion). It means to “fellowship,” take part in, commune. If Timothy was hasty in ordaining men to be elders/overseers—and in such haste Timothy ordained unqualified, unfaithful men—he would then be taking part in, communing, in the sins those elders/overseers would later commit. Paul commands Timothy not to do this.
Read 1 Timothy 5:23
Here Paul inserts a side-note. This is unrelated to the main theme dealing with elders/overseers—unless Timothy had stomach ailments because of (!) having to deal with parishioners complaining against pastors and pastors in various states of unfaithfulness.
Read 1 Timothy 5:24-25
These two verses make better sense if we understand them in their immediate context. In 5:21, Paul referred to God, Jesus, and the angels, all of whom take part in the final judgment on the Last Day. So, still dealing with the theme of judgment, whether someone’s sins precede him (you know about them ahead of time) or follow later (you don’t know about them until later), all will be known on the Last Day. But the good news is that someone’s good works will also be known on the Last Day!
- What encouragement do these verses provide for Timothy—if he was not hasty in ordaining a man to become a pastor but that pastor, later, proved to be unfaithful?
- What encouragement do these verses provide for Timothy for doing what is right, even if no one recognizes it, or he get grief because of it?
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