Scripture Reading: 1 Tim. 5:17-25
In 5:17-25 Paul instructs Timothy concerning how to deal with the elders. The elders are the authority, or the government, of a local church. Thus, to deal with the elders is to deal with the authority, the government, the administration, of the church. For centuries there has been a debate among Christians over the kind of administration there should be in the church. In 5:17-25 Paul touches the crucial matter of the church’s administration.
Verses 17 and 18 say, “Let the elders who take the lead well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in word and teaching. For the Scripture says, You shall not muzzle a threshing ox, and, The workman is worthy of his pay.” According to verse 18, the expression “double honor” includes material supply. Especially those who labor in word and teaching should receive this necessary supply. All the elders should be able to take the lead in a local church, but some, not all, have a special capacity in teaching. The word in verse 17 denotes the general speaking of doctrines, and teaching denotes instructions concerning particular things. Those who labor in word and teaching may be fully occupied, devoting all their time to this. Therefore, the church and the saints should care for their living. For this reason, in verse 18 Paul refers to what the Scripture says about not muzzling a threshing ox and about the workman being worthy of his pay.
In verse 19 Paul goes on to say, “Against an elder do not receive an accusation, except on the word of two or three witnesses.” According to the Greek here, the accusation made against an elder should not merely be verbal; rather, it should be put in writing. To make an accusation against an elder is a very serious matter. For the sake of accuracy, it should be put in writing and not merely be spoken. Furthermore, it should not be received except on the word of two or three witnesses.
Verse 19 is simple, but it implies something very important. The fact that Timothy was charged by Paul to receive an accusation against an elder indicates that the apostles have authority to deal with the elders after they have been appointed by the apostles to be elders. There is no doubt that the written accusation against an elder was to be presented to Timothy. Who, then, was Timothy? According to those who are in favor of a hierarchical system in which the bishops are over the elders, Timothy is regarded as a bishop. But as we have previously pointed out, according to the New Testament, bishops are elders, and elders are bishops. These terms are synonymous and refer to the same people. We know from 1 Thessalonians 1:1 and 2:6 that Timothy was an apostle. Furthermore, in the book of 1 Timothy we see that Timothy was the representative of the Apostle Paul. Therefore, for an accusation to come to Timothy was for it to come to an apostle. We would expect such an accusation to come to the apostles because they were the ones who had appointed the elders.
Some have had the concept from reading Brother Nee’s book The Normal Christian Church Life that once apostles have appointed elders in a particular local church, the apostles do not under any circumstances have the right to interfere with the affairs of that church. This, however, is a misunderstanding of Brother Nee’s word. In another book, Church Affairs, Brother Nee points out that after the elders have been appointed by the apostles, they should take the lead in the church according to the apostles’ teaching. If the elders lead others astray or if they are wrong in some way, accusation against them can be made by the saints to the apostles.
However, an apostle is not a pope. If we read the New Testament carefully, we shall see that the elders are not appointed by anyone who is a dictator or who exercises autonomous authority. On the contrary, elders are appointed in the way of life. As the saints in a particular locality meet together to worship God and to serve the Lord, it will be manifested that certain brothers have a greater degree of maturity than others. Although no one will be fully mature, some will be comparatively mature. Not even in Philippians 3 did Paul regard himself as matured in full. Because maturity is relative, the qualifications of an elder are not absolute. In other words, an elder’s qualifications are comparative. Among all the saints in a local church, certain brothers, by comparison, are more qualified and mature than others. These brothers are manifested as such before the eyes of the church, and all the saints clearly realize that these are the ones who should be appointed elders. This appointment does not come either by a vote of the congregation or by the exercise of autonomous authority. Instead, elders are selected according to the insight and foresight of the saints. Based upon the saints’ insight and foresight, the apostles then appoint certain ones to be elders. The apostles minister the Word, bring others to the Lord’s salvation, and edify them after they are saved; they also establish these believers as a local church. Therefore, they have the standing and the position to say that those who have been manifested as relatively more mature than others should be appointed elders.
In verse 20 Paul continues, “Those who sin reprove before all that the rest also may be in fear.” The fact that apostles can rebuke elders who sin indicates that the apostles have authority over the elders. The expression “before all” refers to the whole church. A sinning elder should receive public reproof because of his public position. If an elder is reproved publicly, the rest of the elders will be “in fear.”
Verse 21 says, “I solemnly charge you before God and Christ Jesus and the chosen angels that you guard these things without prejudice, doing nothing by way of partiality.” The elders in a local church are God’s deputy authority. Dealing with them is a solemn thing before God. Hence, the apostle solemnly charged Timothy before God, Christ, and the angels to do it in such a way that the chosen angels, the good angels with God’s authority, may see that His authority is established and maintained among His redeemed people on earth.
Paul’s use of the term “chosen angels” indicates that here he is dealing with administration, government, authority. The book of Daniel indicates that the chosen angels are authorities, representatives of God’s administration. Paul deliberately uses the term “chosen angels” to indicate that here his instructions are related to administration, government, and authority in the church. Paul not only charged Timothy before God and Christ Jesus, but also charged him before the chosen angels.
Paul’s charge to Timothy in verse 21 was to “guard these things without prejudice, doing nothing by way of partiality.” To guard is to observe and keep. Prejudice refers to prejudgment, condemnation, before hearing the case, and partiality refers to inclination, favor, or bias. The words “without prejudice” imply without prejudgment to the credit of the accuser, whereas “doing nothing by way of partiality” implies no perverted favor to the accused elder. On the one hand, Timothy was not to take sides with those who made an accusation against an elder. To give them credit in a hasty way would be to show prejudice. On the other hand, Timothy was not to be partial, not to show perverted favor, to the elder against whom the accusation was made. Therefore, in handling an accusation against an elder, three matters should be observed: first, there must be the word of two or three witnesses; second, there should be no prejudice; and third, nothing should be done by partiality. No credit should be given privately to the accusers, and there should not be any perverted favor toward the one accused.
In order to follow these instructions, Timothy was charged not to act in haste. Verse 22 says, “Lay hands quickly on no man, nor participate in others’ sins; keep yourself pure.” We have seen that laying on of hands has two functions, identification and impartation. According to the context of the previous verses, here the laying on of hands refers primarily to laying hands on the elders. This should not be done hastily.
In verse 23 Paul goes on to say, “No longer drink water, but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent weaknesses.” According to the context, this verse implies that the condition of one’s physical health may affect his spiritual dealing with others.
In verses 24 and 25 Paul says, “The sins of some men are manifest beforehand, going before to judgment, and some also they follow after. Likewise also, the good works are manifest beforehand, and those that are otherwise cannot be hidden.” The word sins in verse 24 indicates that this verse continues verse 22. It explains that some people’s sins are manifest earlier and others’, later. Hence, we should not lay hands on anyone in haste. What is mentioned here concerning the judging of sins is a principle applicable both to man’s judgment and God’s. The words “some also they follow after” refer to the sins of others now being hidden, but later manifest, going to judgment later.
The implication of the apostle’s charge in these two verses is that Timothy should not approve a person hastily because sins have not been manifested, nor condemn a person in haste because good works have not been manifested. Often a person’s wrongdoings are concealed. It takes time for them to be exposed. However, sometimes a person’s good deeds are also hidden, possibly covered by false accusations and rumors. Time is also necessary for the falsehood to be dispelled and the real situation to be brought to light. Thus, we should not make a quick decision whether an elder is right or wrong. Instead, we should wait and allow time to expose the situation.
It is easy for us to make quick decisions and hasty judgments. But even though it is difficult to take time in matters such as these, we need to learn not to be hasty. The elders should follow this principle in caring for the church. They should not judge anything or anyone hastily. What they do should be with witnesses and without prejudice, partiality, or haste.
A number of times saints have come to me with accusations against an elder. My response always has been to say, “Let me pray and then have fellowship with some co-workers about this situation.” Because an accuser sometimes wanted a hasty judgment, he rebuked me and claimed that I took sides with the one accused. However, I did not take sides with anyone. Instead, I wanted to pray and have fellowship with others in order not to act in haste.
The church is very different from any worldly organization and also different from organized Christianity. The church is according to the Lord’s mercy and grace and under His authority. In dealing with the administration of the church, we must observe the four points of having witnesses and of acting without prejudice, partiality, or haste. Do not show prejudice in receiving an accusation, and do not show partiality in defending anyone against accusation. Instead, take time, pray, have fellowship with those who possess spiritual insight, and wait for the Lord’s leading.
Often elders have told me of the need for more elders in their locality. Usually they would recommend someone to be appointed to the eldership. Then I would ask how long the brother has been saved, how long he has been in the church life, and how much he has grown in the Lord. Then I would encourage the brothers to wait for another period of time and also to pray. As a result, many have learned that my practice is always to tell others to wait and pray. Actually, this is not my policy; it is the instruction of the Apostle Paul. After a period of time has passed and the leading ones in a certain place still feel that a brother should be appointed to the eldership and that, comparatively speaking, there is no one more qualified than he, I may recommend that he serve as an apprentice in order to be proved. This means that he will share the responsibility of an elder, but yet not occupy the position of an elder.
In dealing with the administration of a local church, we follow neither the way of dictatorship nor democracy. Elders are not appointed by a dictator; neither are they elected by a vote of the congregation. In the Lord’s recovery there is no such thing as an autonomous dictator. We do not practice dictatorship, but we do recognize the divine authority, the divine life, and the divine light. The administration of a local church is not according to the way of worldly government or organization. But in the church we have the Lord’s headship with the divine nature, life, light, wisdom, and grace. Therefore, we pray and wait on Him as we watch and observe the growth of the saints. In those very rare cases where there is ground for accusation against an elder, we do not act in haste. On the contrary, we wait and pray. We know from verses 24 and 25 that eventually a person’s sins or good works will be manifest. As the snow melts and exposes the rocks hidden beneath it, so either a person’s sins or his good deeds will eventually be brought to light. For this reason, we neither receive an accusation against an elder nor justify an elder in a hasty way. Rather, we would make sure that the accusation is substantiated by two or three witnesses and then we would act without prejudice, partiality, or haste. Furthermore, we acknowledge the Lord’s sovereignty and wait for Him to make the situation clear.
Many have accused me of being a pope and of acting like an autonomous dictator to control the local churches. In the Lord’s recovery today, there are approximately four hundred churches in addition to those in mainland China. About three hundred seventy of these churches have been established directly by the ministry in the past thirty-one years. I certainly do not control all these churches. Some people, however, may ask why the churches and the saints pay attention to what I say in the ministry. They listen simply because I feed them and minister Christ to them. We thank the Lord that, in His mercy, He has opened His Word to us and established the ministry of the Word among us so that all the churches may be supplied and that all the saints may be nourished. The Lord’s way to care for the churches is the way of supply and nourishment.
Very rarely is there any exercise of authority among us in the Lord’s recovery. I avoid the exercise of authority whenever possible. Even though I may have the standing in the Lord to say something, my practice is not to exercise authority. In like manner, rarely do the elders in the local churches exercise authority. Our desire is to care for the saints, to love them, feed them, comfort them, and encourage them. This is the proper way for elders to function, for we are not an organization, but we are an organic entity, the Body of Christ.
