Commentary - 1 Timothy 5:17-25

Bird's-eye view

In this passage, Paul continues his practical instructions to Timothy on the right ordering of the church, the household of God. Having just addressed the care of widows, he now turns his attention to the leadership of the church, the elders. The theme here is justice and fairness within the church, particularly as it relates to those in authority. This involves their financial support, the protection of their reputations, and the process for discipline when it is necessary. Paul is laying down principles that are essential for a healthy church, one that honors those who lead it and deals rightly with sin in its midst. This is not about creating a clerical caste with special privileges, but rather about establishing a righteous pattern of respect, remuneration, and, when needed, reproof.

The flow of the argument is straightforward. First, Paul establishes the principle of honoring and compensating elders, especially those who are gifted in public ministry (vv. 17-18). Second, he provides procedural safeguards for elders, protecting them from frivolous or malicious accusations (v. 19). Third, he mandates public discipline for elders who are found to be in persistent sin, ensuring that leadership is held to a high and visible standard (v. 20). Fourth, he gives a solemn charge to Timothy to administer these things with absolute impartiality (v. 21). Fifth, he warns against hasty ordinations, which is a crucial preventative measure (v. 22). He then includes a personal piece of medical advice for Timothy (v. 23), before concluding with a general observation about how sin and righteousness eventually come to light (vv. 24-25). The entire section is intensely practical, aimed at cultivating a church culture that is just, orderly, and pure.

Outline

Context In 1 Timothy

This section on elders flows directly from the preceding instructions regarding widows. In both cases, the issue is how the church is to "honor" certain individuals within the covenant community. Just as there are "widows indeed" who are worthy of the church's support, so there are elders who are worthy of "double honor." Paul is concerned with the practical, day-to-day justice of church life. This is not a detour into ecclesiastical minutiae; it is central to the church's witness. A church that mistreats its ministers or, conversely, allows corrupt ministers to flourish, has failed in its basic duties and has compromised its testimony to the world. These instructions are part of Paul's larger project in the pastoral epistles, which is to fortify the church against false teaching by establishing sound doctrine and sound practice.

Key Issues

Honoring the Elders (1 Timothy 5:17-25)

17 The elders who lead well are to be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor at preaching the word and teaching.

Paul begins with the elders who "lead well." The Greek word here for leading (proistemi) carries the sense of managing, directing, or presiding over. This is the fundamental work of an elder. But within that group, there is a distinction. All elders who rule well are worthy of "double honor." This honor has two components: respect and remuneration. Think of our word "honorarium," which contains both ideas. The church must not be stingy, either with its respect or with its money. But then Paul specifies a group within the eldership that is especially worthy: "those who labor at preaching the word and teaching." This labor is hard work; the Greek word (kopiao) means to toil to the point of exhaustion. Not all elders are equally gifted in public proclamation and teaching. Some are more gifted in ruling, administration, and counsel. But those who give themselves to the demanding task of wrestling with the text and faithfully proclaiming it week in and week out are to be especially honored. This is not to create two tiers of elders, but to recognize the particular burden and value of the teaching office.

18 For the Scripture says, “YOU SHALL NOT MUZZLE THE OX WHILE IT IS THRESHING,” and “THE LABORER IS WORTHY OF HIS WAGES.”

To ground this instruction, Paul appeals directly to Scripture, providing two witnesses. The first is from the Law of Moses (Deut. 25:4). An ox that is treading the grain should be allowed to eat from it. It is a simple principle of justice. If the beast is working for you, you have a responsibility to provide for it. To muzzle it would be cruel and unjust. Paul applies this a fortiori to the minister of the gospel. If God cares for oxen, how much more does He care that His servants are provided for? The second quotation is from the Lord Jesus Himself (Luke 10:7). By quoting this, Paul places the words of Jesus on par with the Old Testament as "Scripture." The principle is the same: the one who labors has a right to be paid for that labor. A minister's pay is not a handout or an act of charity; it is his wage, what he is worthy of. A church that expects its pastor to labor for them while they neglect his financial well being is acting unjustly. They are muzzling their ox.

19 Do not receive an accusation against an elder except on the basis of two or three witnesses.

Having established the honor due to a faithful elder, Paul now turns to the necessary safeguards to protect that honor. An elder is in a public and therefore vulnerable position. His work will inevitably attract criticism, some of it unfair or malicious. Therefore, a charge against him cannot be entertained lightly. Paul isn't saying you cannot convict an elder without multiple witnesses; he is saying you shouldn't even receive the accusation, it shouldn't get a formal hearing, without that threshold being met. This is a procedural guardrail based on the wider biblical principle of justice found in the Mosaic Law (Deut. 19:15). It prevents a single disgruntled individual from launching a slanderous campaign that could destroy a man's reputation and ministry. Justice requires that accusations be substantiated. This protects the church from being thrown into turmoil by every rumor and protects good men from being torn down by lies.

20 Those who continue in sin, reprove in the presence of all, so that the rest also will be fearful.

The protection afforded in the previous verse is not a shield for wickedness. If the accusation is brought properly, with two or three witnesses, and the elder is found to be in sin, the response must be decisive and public. The phrase "those who continue in sin" refers to elders whose sin has been established and who are impenitent. The rebuke is to be "in the presence of all." As the man's position is public, so his censure must be public. This is not to shame for the sake of shaming, but for two stated purposes. First, it is for the good of the sinner, that he might be brought to repentance. Second, it is "so that the rest also will be fearful." The "rest" likely refers to the other elders. When a leader falls, it should send a holy fear throughout the entire leadership, reminding them of the gravity of their office and the high standard to which they are called. Church discipline is a deterrent.

21 I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of His elect angels, to observe these instructions without bias, doing nothing in partiality.

Paul elevates the tone here to the highest possible level. He puts Timothy under oath. The witnesses to this charge are God the Father, the Lord Jesus Christ, and the elect angels. This is as serious as it gets. What is the charge? That Timothy must carry out these duties of honoring, protecting, and disciplining elders with absolute impartiality. He is not to "prefer one before another" (KJV). He must not play favorites. He cannot go easy on an elder who is a personal friend, nor can he be unduly harsh on an elder he finds difficult. Justice must be blind. The standard is God's Word, not personal relationships or church politics. This heavenly audience is invoked to remind Timothy, and all who would follow in his footsteps, that church business is conducted before the face of God, and He will not tolerate partiality in His house.

22 Do not lay hands upon anyone hastily and thereby share responsibility for the sins of others; keep yourself pure.

Here we find the principle of preventative justice. One of the best ways to avoid the messy business of disciplining elders is to be exceedingly careful about whom you make an elder in the first place. "Laying on of hands" refers to ordination. Timothy is warned not to do this "hastily." A man's character must be proven over time. To rush a man into office before he has been thoroughly tested is to invite disaster. And if that man falls into sin, the one who ordained him hastily "shares responsibility" for those sins. You become a partaker in his sin because your lack of diligence made it possible. The final exhortation, "keep yourself pure," is directly connected to this. Purity is not just about avoiding personal sin, but also about avoiding complicity in the sins of others through negligence or foolishness in your official duties.

23 No longer drink water only, but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments.

This verse can seem like an abrupt interruption, a piece of personal medical advice dropped into a weighty discussion of church government. But it is likely connected to the previous thought. Perhaps Timothy's ascetic tendencies, his strictness with himself (drinking only water, which in that era was often unsafe), were part of a mindset that Paul wanted to correct. Purity (v. 22) does not require a harsh asceticism that harms the body. God is the God of creation, and He has given good gifts, like wine, to be used with thanksgiving. This is a practical application of the doctrine Paul laid out earlier, opposing false teachers who forbade certain foods (1 Tim. 4:3-4). Paul is telling his young charge to take care of his physical health. A sickly minister is a less effective minister. This is not a command to drink wine, but it is a clear refutation of any teetotaling legalism that would forbid it. It is a little picture of Christian liberty and common sense.

24 The sins of some men are quite evident, going before them to judgment; for others, their sins follow after.

Paul returns to the theme of judging character, particularly in the context of ordination. He provides a word of wisdom for Timothy as he evaluates potential elders. Some men are easy to read. Their sins are "quite evident," or as the KJV puts it, "open beforehand." They are walking advertisements for their own disqualification. Their sins are like heralds announcing their arrival at the judgment seat. You don't need to be a great detective to see that such a man is not elder material. But with other men, it is not so simple. Their sins are hidden. They "follow after." They are not immediately obvious, but they will eventually come to light. This is a call for patience and discernment in the ordination process. Don't be fooled by a superficially clean record. Time is the great revealer of character.

25 So also good works are quite evident, and those which are otherwise cannot be concealed.

The same principle holds true for righteousness. The good works of some men are plain for all to see. They have a long and established track record of faithfulness, and it is easy to recognize their fitness for office. But other men are quieter in their godliness. Their good works are "otherwise", they are not as immediately apparent. But Paul's point is that they "cannot be concealed" forever. True, Spirit-wrought righteousness will eventually make itself known. The lesson for Timothy is twofold. First, don't be hasty. Give time for both sin and righteousness to reveal themselves. Second, be confident in God's ultimate justice. Nothing is truly hidden. In the long run, every man's true character, whether for good or for ill, will be brought into the open. Therefore, act with prudence, patience, and a deep trust in the God who sees all things.