Caring for Elders – 1 Timothy 5 v 17 – 25

Having heard last Sunday how as the family of God we are to love, care, and support one another, especially those within the church who are all alone and who are really in need, Paul in our reading turns his attention back to the church Elder in which he gives instructions to the church on how they are to deal with them.

In verses 17 – 20 he writes: ‘The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honour, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching. For the Scripture says, ‘Do not muzzle the Ox while it is treading the grain’, and ‘the worker deserves his wages’. Do not entertain an accusation against an elder unless it is brought by two or more witnesses. Those who sin, are to be rebuked publicly, so that the others may take warning’.

When we looked at the qualifications of elders back in chapter three, we saw that an elder’s role within the church is primarily spiritual, and that the two main functions of an elder are to lead and preach.

This is what distinguishes elders from deacons. Elders serve and lead the church spiritually which includes preaching and teaching, whilst Deacons come alongside the elders to serve the church in more physical ways.

And we also saw in Chapter 3 how the leadership elders exercise over the church is to be similar to the leadership fathers are to exercise over their family, especially their children. In verse 4 of chapter 3 Paul wrote of how the elder must ‘manage his own family well, and see that his children obey him with proper respect’.

The Greek word Paul used for ‘manage’, is the exact same word he used for ‘direct the affairs’ in verse 17 of our reading. Just as fathers are to ‘lead or manage’ the affairs of their home, so elders are to lead and manage the affairs of the church.

And the Greek word Paul used for ‘work’ in verse 17 means, ‘to labour; to toil; to be fatigued; to be wearied’. Contrary to what many people think, preaching and teaching God’s word is hard work, especially during preparations to preach and teach.

It requires long hours of study, prayer, and discipline which can leave you spiritually and physically weary and fatigued. 

And then there is of course the preaching and teaching itself which can also be spiritually and mentally draining.

There have been times when, after I have preached, I have felt mentally, spiritually, and physically exhausted. And I am sure I am not alone in how I felt. Preaching and teaching can take its toll on those who preach and teach.

The role of Elder then, is a role that carries much responsibility. And because of what is required, it is a role that, according to Paul in verse 17, is worthy of ‘double honour’ – which points to how elders are to be ‘honoured’ by the church for both their position as an elder and for their hard work on behalf of the church.

Elders are to be ‘honoured’ for the work they do. But I guess the question this raises is HOW do you honour your elders who lead the church well? What form is the churches ‘honour’ of them, to take?

Well, from my background reading there are a number of ways the church can ‘honour’ elders, and the first is the church is TO PRAY FOR THEM. As I said a moment ago, the role of elder carries with it a huge responsibility, which means elders and indeed all those who are part of the leadership team, need your prayers.

So, for example, you can pray for the spiritual walk of the elder; you can pray for their families; you can pray for God to give them wisdom in making decisions; you can pray for God to grant them discernment and sensitivity in dealing with difficult issues; and you can pray they would work well with the other members of the leadership team. There is no greater honour you can give to an Elder than to pray for them.

Next, you can honour them by LISTENING to them and OBEYING them. In Hebrews Chapter 13 verse 17 we read, ‘Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you.”

Nothing saps a leader’s energy and motivation more quickly than when the people they lead refuse to follow. An Elder is an Elder because God has called them to lead the church.

And because God has called them, it is the churches responsibility to listen to them, and to submit to their authority.

The burden of leadership is heavy enough without adding the extra burden of a congregation who refuses to listen, follow, and obey.

Now obviously, I am not talking about following a leader who is abusing his authority. God does NOT call us to blindly follow our leaders no matter what they do or say. In fact, as we will see in just a few moments, the church must hold elders who sin, accountable for their actions.

But when our leaders are genuinely seeking God’s best for his church and who are leading well, we should listen to them and follow their lead.

Another way the church can honour elders is by THANKING them. Eldering a church requires much prayer, commitment, and even sacrifice by the elder, and it can also be a difficult and challenging job.

But like any other demanding task, when someone takes the time to thank you for what you do, it makes it all worth it. So folks, if you haven’t done so, take the time to thank your elder and indeed all those who God has called to lead you and serve you.

And the final way you can honour elders is by ENCOURAGING them. In Galatians Chapter 6 verse 6 Paul wrote: ‘Anyone who receives instruction in the word must share all GOOD things with his instructor.”

One of the best ways God’s people can encourage elders is simply by sharing what they have learned from them and how they have helped them in their spiritual growth and development. Ultimately, that is why elders do what they do. So when people share those things with their elder, what they share will also be a great encouragement to them.

Now before we move on, I just want to dig a little deeper into what Paul means by elders being worthy of ‘double honour’, because it also speaks of something BEYOND people just praying for them, listening and obeying them, and encouraging them.

In last Sunday’s sermon, we learned how the church were to ‘Give proper recognition to those widows who are really in need’, which involved them supporting them financially.

Now the Greek word Paul used for ‘give proper recognition to’ is also the word he used for ‘honour’ in verse 17. So what Paul is saying is that in the same way the church were to ‘honour’ widows who are really in need by providing for them financially, the church were to also financially provide for elders.

The church had a duty of care to look after their elders financially. And in verse 18, Paul reinforces his instruction by drawing upon a section of the Law recorded in Deuteronomy Chapter 25 verse 4, and the teaching of Jesus in Luke Chapter 10 verse 7.

With regard to the phrase ‘Not muzzling the ox while it is treading out the grain’, the idea here is that because the Jews were benefitting from the work of the Ox in the form of the grain that was produced, they should not deny the Ox a share in the grain.

And with regard to Jesus’ teaching in Luke on how ‘the worker deserves his wages’ again the same principle applies. Those who serve the Lord are deserving of recompense be it financially, materially, or physically.

Now when it comes to the church financially providing for the Elder, from what Paul writes at the end of verse 17, it appears he is referring SPECIFICALLY to those Elders whose work is preaching and teaching.

Just to remind you, one of the qualifications for a person to become an Elder, is they must be able to preach and teach. And for some elders in some churches – especially churches with congregations in the hundreds or even thousand – that is what their leading and serving involves. Their whole work for God centres upon preaching and teaching God’s people.

By adding ‘ESPECIALLY those whose work is preaching and teaching’, I therefore believe Paul is distinguishing between those elders who teach and preach now and again, and those who preach and teach on a regular basis.

I believe Paul has in mind Elders who serve full time, and that it is those elders who should be supported financially. Part of honouring those elders who lead the church well, and who preach and teach on a full-time basis, is paying them ‘what they deserve’, and should that situation arise within this church in the future, then I hope ‘paying them what they deserve’, is exactly what will take place.

Having given the church instructions on how they were to ‘doubly honour’ elders who lead the church well, Paul now turns to how the church is to deal with accusations towards the elder, and any sin the elder may have committed.

In verses 19-20 he wrote: ‘Do not entertain an accusation against an elder UNLESS it is brought by two or three witnesses. Those who sin are to be rebuked publicly, so that the others may take warning’.

The first thing to note from what Paul writes is how elders should be protected from UNFOUNDED accusations. A leader is a natural target. Someone once said that ‘when you become a leader, it’s as if you have just painted a huge bull’s-eye on yourself’.

False accusations against an elder or pastor are especially serious. Just one accusation, especially a false accusation, against an elder or pastor, can not only ruin their ministry, but it can also potentially bring the whole church down.

Now most accusations against pastors and elders will either have to do with finances, or members of the opposite sex. So to avoid such accusations, wise pastors and elders will take precautionary steps to guard against false accusations in both of these areas.

Some good and helpful suggestions for pastors in the area of finances, include having no dealings whatsoever with the church finances, or if they do, to keep detailed records, to set up a good system of checks and balances, and to always provide receipts whenever possible for financial transactions.

And some good and helpful suggestions regarding male-female relations include having a policy against visiting members of the opposite sex alone in their homes, and also counselling members of the opposite sex alone in the church building.

Because of the ‘people orientated’ nature of their work and service, Pastors and elders are extremely vulnerable to accusations. So by way of combatting false accusations, Paul sets out the criteria that is to be met in the event of an accusation being made, which is it is ‘NOT to be entertained UNLESS it is brought by two or three witnesses’.

The principle of ‘two or three witnesses’ is again taken from the Law recorded in the Old Testament Book of Deuteronomy, and in Chapter 19 verse 15 we read, ‘One witness is not enough to convict a man accused of any crime or offense he may have committed. A matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.”

And in Matthew Chapter 28 verses 15 & 16, Jesus applied the same principle in matters of personal conflict. He said, ‘If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you.  If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses’.

The bottom line folks is that no one should bring an accusation against a Pastor or elder UNLESS it can first be ‘established by the testimony of two or three witnesses’. Elders, Pastors, and indeed all church leaders must be protected from unfounded accusations that could damage their ministry and the church, and the principle of two or three witnesses will achieve this.

But what about an accusation that CAN be verified by two or more witnesses? What steps need to be taken? Well, according to Paul, the first thing that needs to be done is that the accusation must be investigated carefully, and, if after the investigation, it proves to be true, then the elder must be held publicly accountable for their sin.

In verse 20 Paul wrote, ‘Those who sin are to be rebuked publicly, so that the others may take warning. The ‘others’ could refer to all the other people in the congregation, but I think it makes more sense that Paul is talking specifically about other elders or other members of the leadership team, including the pastor.

There is nothing pleasant about a public rebuke, and any other elders within the church would see it as a clear warning. Now obviously not all sin warrants a public rebuke for the simple reason that we all sin on a daily basis, including Pastors, elders, and deacons.

If you had to publicly rebuke me for every time I sinned, I can tell you right now we would use up a lot of service time every Sunday morning. So where do you draw the line? What kind of sin do you publicly rebuke an elder for?

Well, I would suggest it is to be for a sin that is serious, and that breaches the trust of the congregation the elder has been called to lead. Private conflicts should be handled privately; personal offenses should be dealt with on an individual level.

But when an elder or pastor sins in such a way that betrays his calling to the congregation, that sin warrants a public rebuke, and sometimes, if serious enough, actual removal from office.

Elders are accountable to the churches they serve. They hold a public office in trust for the church, so because of this, they must be rebuked publicly when they commit a serious sin that could potentially damage the credibility and witness of the church.

 Now when investigating a charge against an elder or pastor, the church should neither prejudge the elder, nor allow favouritism. In verse 21 Paul writes: ‘I charge you, in the sight of God and Christ Jesus and the elect angels, to keep these instructions without partiality, and to do nothing out of favouritism’.

The Greek word Paul used for ‘partiality’, means ‘to pre-judge’ or ‘to form an opinion before the facts are known’. And the Greek word he used for ‘favouritism’ means ‘to lean in one direction rather than another’.

When investigating a charge against an elder, the church should NOT pre-judge the elder’s guilt or innocence, nor should the church be swayed by favouritism to lean towards one party rather than another.

Instead, the church must investigate carefully, fairly, and thoroughly. And by way of reinforcing what is required of the church, Paul issues the church with a solemn charge. He wrote ‘I charge you in the sight of God and Christ Jesus and the elect angels’.

The elect angels are those angels who refused to join Satan in his rebellion against God. God is the ultimate judge, and the final judgment, which will take place when Jesus returns to earth with the elect angels to judge the living and the dead, is also when everything will be made clear.

In the meantime, the church should carefully investigate reasonable accusations against elders with a view to seeking to discover the truth that God will also eventually reveal at the end of time.

So just to recap, Elders who lead the church well are to be honoured – which includes supporting them financially if their role involves them leading, preaching, and teaching full time- and if they are accused of a serious sin, the sin is to be carefully investigated and if found to be true, they are to be dealt with by the leadership team.

And the final way the church is to deal with elders is it ‘must not be hasty in commissioning someone as an elder’. In verse 22 Paul writes ‘Do not be hasty in the laying on of hands, and do not share in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure’.

The ‘laying on of hands’ which many Christians still practice today, especially when praying for someone to be healed by God, was also used to symbolise the Elders commissioning into the office of Elder.

As we heard earlier, because the office of Elder carries with it much responsibility, there were a number of qualifications potential elders were required to meet, and one of them was they ‘must not be a recent convert’ – verse 6 of Chapter 3.

Because a new believer has only just begun their journey with Jesus, it means they would be very immature in their spiritual development, they would significantly lack understanding and experience, and they would have not yet discovered their gifts. Therefore, it would be totally irresponsible to appoint a new convert to the office of Elder.

In saying that however, just because a person has been a Christian for many years and may be actively involved in the life of the church, does not automatically make them Elder material.

Over the years I have encountered a number of people who have been Christians for decades, but for various reasons, I would never appoint them to the office of Elder. The bottom line is that when seeking to appoint someone as an Elder, we must practice caution, and we must ensure they fully meet the criteria set out by Paul in Chapter 3.

Again, I cannot stress enough how an elder has a position of high responsibility, and, as we have seen, a position of public accountability in the church. It is a role that is not to be taken lightly, and because of that, we must not be hasty in commissioning people into that role.

Having instructed the church how they are to treat elders, Paul closes this chapter with some personal instructions to Timothy.

In verses 22 & 23 we read how ‘he is NOT to share in the sins of others; how he is to keep himself pure; how he is to stop drinking only water; and how he is to use a little wine.

With regard to Timothy ‘not sharing in the sins of others and keeping himself pure’, Paul is reminding him that as the Pastor, he is to set the example with regard to practicing what he preaches. He is to live out God’s Word in terms of his behaviour and conduct.

And with regard to him: ‘Stopping drinking only water, and using a little wine because of your stomach and your frequent illnesses’, Paul is essentially providing Timothy with a remedy that will help ease an ongoing stomach condition he was suffering from.

It appears Timothy was abstaining from wine completely, perhaps because he thought the wine was making his condition worse, or perhaps because he was mindful of one of the other Eldership criteria that required Elders to ‘Not be given to much wine’.

We are not told why Timothy abstained from drinking wine, but whatever the reason, Paul tells Timothy to keep things in balance, and to take a little wine which he clearly believed would help his stomach condition.

Finally, Paul ends with a reminder to Timothy of how it often takes some time to see a person’s true colours. In verses 24-25 he wrote: The sins of some men are obvious, reaching the place of judgment ahead of them; the sins of others trail behind them. In the same way, good deeds are obvious, and even those that are not cannot be hidden’.

With some people, their sin is so obvious it is clear to see that they are far from becoming an elder. But with other people, their sin is not as evident. Although it may be hidden, in the end, God will eventually bring it out into the open – which is another reason why the church should not be hasty in commissioning someone as elder.

But then in verse 25, Paul gives us the flipside to verse 24. A person’s good deeds are often obvious, but even those that are not, will also eventually be brought into the light. What all this boils down to is how Timothy and the church are to give potential elders time, because by doing so, their true character and deeds will be revealed, and based on what is revealed they will either be suitable for the role of elder, or they won’t.

Given the subject of todays message, I want to finish by expressing my sincere thanks to God for David Ince who has faithfully served this church as elder for over 11 years.

During that time, he and I have cultivated a close working relationship built on trust, straight talking, and a love for God’s people. And I have also benefitted greatly from his wisdom and input, especially during challenging times.

We have not always seen eye to eye theologically, but we have never allowed our differences to get in the way of our relationship or the Lord’s building of his church.

In the 5 or so months I have left before I retire, David and I will continue to work closely together serving the Lord and his church, and I have no doubt he will continue to be a great support to whoever the Lord calls to lead Hadleigh Baptist Church in the new phase of your life together.

LET US PRAY.