DIGGING DEEP NO. 1129 March 31, 2026
1 TIMOTHY (PART 7)
CHURCH OFFICERS
1Tim.5: 17- 25.
The instructions in this section deal primarily with the church leaders; the principle applies to a pastor’s relationship with any officer in his church. It is a wonderful thing when the elders and deacons and other leaders in the church work together in harmony and love. It is tragic when a pastor tries to become a spiritual dictator 1Pet.5: 2- 3; or when a leader tries to be a preeminent “big shot” 3Jh.9- 10.
Apparently, Timothy was having some problems with the elders of the church at Ephesus. He was a young man and still had much to learn. Timothy had followed Paul as overseer of the church, and Paul would not be an easy man to follow! Paul’s farewell address to the Ephesian elders shows how hard he had worked and how faithful he had been, and how much these elders loved Paul Acts.20: 36- 38. In spite of the fact that Paul had personally sent Timothy to Ephesus, the young man was having a hard time.
Paying the elders – 1Tim.5: 17- 18. In the early church, instead of one pastor, several elders ministered to the people. These men would devote themselves full-time to the work of the Lord, and therefore, they deserved some kind of remuneration. There were two kinds of elders in the church; ruling elders who supervised the work of the congregation, and teaching elders, who taught the Word of God. After they were chosen, they were ordained and set apart for the work of God Acts.14: 23; 20: 17, 28; Tit.1: 5. If a church is not organized, there will be wasted effort, money, and opportunities. If spiritually minded leaders do not supervise the various ministries of the local church, there will be chaos instead of order. While a church should follow good business principle, it is not a business. Ruling without teaching will accomplish very little. The local church grows through the ministry of the Word of God Ephe.4: 11. You cannot rule over babies! Unless the believers are fed, cleansed, and strengthened by the Word, they will be weak and useless and will only create problems. Paul told Timothy to be sure that the leaders were paid adequately, on the basis of their ministries 1Cor.9: 7- 14. If pastors are faithful in feeding and leading the people, then the church ought to be faithful and pay them adequately. “Double honor” 1Tim.5: 17, can be translated generous pay. It is God’s plan that the needs of His servants be met by their local churches; and He will bless churches that are faithful to His servants. The other side of the coin is this: A pastor must never minister simply to earn money 1Tim.3: 3.
Disciplining the elders – 1Tim.5: 19- 21. Church discipline usually goes to one of two extremes. Either there is no discipline at all, and the church languishes because of disobedience and sin, or the church officers become evangelical policemen who hold a Kangaroo court and violate many of the Bibles spiritual principles. The disciplining of church members is explained in Matt.18: 15- 17; 2Cor.2: 5- 11; Gal.6: 1- 3; 2Tim.2: 23- 26; Tit.3: 10.
It is sad when a church member must be disciplined, but it is even sadder when a spiritual leader fails and must be disciplined. The purpose of discipline is restoration, not revenge. Our purpose must be to save the offender, not to drive him away. Our attitude must be one of love and tenderness Gal.6: 1- 3. The verb restore that Paul used in Gal.6: 1 means “to set a broken bone.” Think of the patience and tenderness involved in that procedure! Paul’s first caution to Timothy was to be sure of his facts; and the way to do that is to have witnesses 1Tim.5: 19. This principle is also stated in Deut.19: 15; Matt.18: 16; and 2Cor.13: 1. Those who made accusation against a pastor must be able to support it with witnesses. Rumor and suspicion are not adequate ground for discipline. It is sad when churches disobey the Word and listen to rumors, lies, and gossip. “Where there is smoke, there is fire” may be a good slogan for a volunteer fire department, but it does not apply to local churches. “Where there is smoke, there is fire” could possibly mean that somebody’s tongue has been set on fire of hell Jam.3: 6.
Paul’s second caution was that Timothy does everything openly and aboveboard. If an officer is guilty, then he should be rebuked before elders 1Tim.5: 20. He should be given opportunity to repent, and if he does, he should be forgiven 2Cor.2: 6- 11. Once he is forgiven, the matter is settled and should never be brought up again.
Paul’s third caution 1Tim.5: 21 is that Timothy obeys the Word no matter what his personal feelings might be. He should act without prejudice against or partiality for the accused officer. There are no seniority rights in a local church; each member has the same standing before God and His Word. To show either prejudice or partiality is to make the situation even worse.
In Conclusion – No pastor or church member is perfect, but that should not hinder us from striving for perfection. The ministry of a local church rises and falls with its leadership. Godly leadership means God’s blessing, and that is what we want and need.