Jay Mayock - Class 4: 1Ti. 5 - Doing Nothing by Partiality

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   At this time then, I'd ask for your quiet attention as we call upon our brother Jay Mayock from the book Road Ecclesia to deal with the fourth class in this series entitled Doing Nothing by Partiality. Thank you, Brother Jay. Well, thank you, Brother Greg, and good evening, brothers and sisters and friends. We've been talking about the first epistle of Timothy yesterday in the three classes that we had given by different brethren.

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   And I thought it would be helpful just to, because it's been since yesterday that we've had a look at it, just to turn back to the very beginning of the epistle and just refresh ourselves having a look at two verses. So would you come with me to 1 Timothy chapter 1 just so that we can refresh ourselves before we have a look at what is recorded from the Apostle Paul to his son in the faith, Timothy, in chapter 5 as we have it.

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   Paul was writing, it says, to Timothy, his own son in the faith, and he speaks in verse 5 of what the goal of his writing was and the goal of the whole commandment, the goal of the whole gospel, in fact. It says in verse 5, now the end of the commandment, the goal, as it were, is love out of a pure heart, of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned.

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   Those, love is expressed through those three ways of thinking, ways of character, ways of life. Love out of a pure heart, love out of a pure heart, good conscience, and faith unfeigned. And when we come to 1 Timothy chapter 4, it's that, again, that the Apostle draws Timothy's attention to, and he focuses on Timothy, and he says, Timothy, these are aspects of character, are aspects of life and the truth that you have to focus on, and that you have to exemplify as a young man in the ecclesia.

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   It says in 1 Timothy chapter 4, Paul says to him, don't let anybody despise your youth, but be an example. Be an example of the believers, it says, of those who have faith, that's what the word means. And do that in word, in conversation, that is in your conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity.

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   And that brings us right back to chapter 1, that is the end of the commandment. Love, as it says, out of a pure heart, a good conscience, and faith unfeigned. Timothy was to be an example of those things, in the house of the living God. And so when we come to chapter 5, there's a lot of focus on the house of God, again, as there is through the whole epistle.

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   But in particular, there is focus here, not just upon the house of God, but how it is that individual brothers and sisters would conduct themselves in their homes as well, so that the house of God might be a place where the living God can dwell.

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   That's part of what happens here in 1 Timothy chapter 5. It's an emphasis on how individual houses and the houses of God were to be. And so although, as we read through here, love does not occur, the word love does not occur in 1 Timothy chapter 5, but it's all about love. The end, it says, of the commandment, the goal of the commandment in 1 Timothy chapter 1 is love.

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   And so we can see how it is that love should be shown in individual families and in the ecclesia of God in 1 Timothy chapter 5. So look at what it says in verses 1 and 2 of the chapter. Rebuke not an elder. Now, the elders which are referred to here in 1 Timothy chapter 5, it would seem from the context very clearly to be those in the ecclesia who have been around for a long time, the older members of the ecclesia.

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    And he says, don't rebuke an elder. Now, that's kind of confusing, perhaps, when we look later on in the chapter, where it says, the elders that sin, them that sin, rebuke before all. But there are two differences. Number one, I think that those are different elders that are spoken about later on. And it's a different word entirely for the word rebuke.

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    Did you know that? I hadn't until I had a look at it. It's actually a word for rebuke here that only ever occurs in this particular place in Scripture. And the word really means, from what I understand and what I can gather from the lexicons, it means to smite upon or to hit.

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    So we're talking about the kind of demeaning, condescending, aggressive behavior against the elders of the ecclesia, against the older members of the ecclesia. Don't do that to an elder. But what do you do? You, you entreat. The word there is to call alongside. It's that special word for comforter. It's the word for exhort all the way through Scripture as well.

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    And that's how we are to appeal to each other, for those, especially those who are younger, to the elder brothers and sisters among us. To honor them as fathers and mothers. That's what it says. Entreat him as a father and the younger men as brethren. The elder women as mothers. The younger as sisters with all purity.

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    Now, I don't know how old you were, or when you first remember getting the sense that the ecclesia, the brothers and sisters or the aunts and uncles maybe when you were younger, if you grew up in the truth, were really your family. Do you remember that conversation? Do you remember what your parents either said to you, perhaps?

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    Or do you remember coming into the truth for the very first time? Or maybe when we were studying as interested friends? Coming to the sense that this, I feel a closer bond with these fellow disciples than I do my own family in certain cases. And that's what the Apostle Paul is trying to encourage Timothy to make ecclesial life like.

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    Fathers and mothers. Brothers and sisters. Brothers and sisters. Not all of my family back home in New Jersey was in the truth. My immediate family was. And we had members of the family outside that weren't in the truth. My dad's side of the family in particular. And it made an enormous impression on me as a young person, knowing and hearing my dad talk about the fact, that he had found a true family.

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    That the brothers and sisters at the meeting were part of his true family. It made a huge impression on me and on our family as well. To the point where you would make sure that you would talk to the older brothers and sisters at the meeting, to have a relationship with them, to reach out to them.

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    And when I was about 10 or 12 years old, I remember my dad having a conversation with us saying that if anything ever happened to you, and to mom or dad, you would be staying with this brother or this sister. And he was quite a bit older than my dad.

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    They were quite a bit older than my parents. But they were my parents' best friends in the truth. That made a huge impression on me as a young person. And just the conversations that we would have as a family about the brothers and sisters at meeting make a huge impression on how we can act when we get there together.

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    And we have to remember that, that as moms and dads and grandmas and grandpas, how it is that we're talking to each other and about each other.

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    Because we ought to be honoring each other in the way that's spoken in 1 Timothy chapter 5. This begins in our families. And it doesn't just begin with us as grandparents or parents. It does begin there. But it doesn't end there. So for young people, when it comes to honoring our parents, we're not going to be able to honor the older brothers and sisters at the meeting if we haven't first learned to honor our parents at home.

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    And we see some wonderful examples of that in ecclesial life. And sometimes we don't see some very good examples of that. About the way that children talk to their parents.

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    And what that can lead to later on in ecclesial life. When it comes to a healthful family spiritual environment that it ought to be. We all have a role to play in this, brothers and sisters, and young people. Love and respect and honor begins in the family. So don't rebuke an elder. Treat him as a father.

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    And so we show love in part by what we say and how we say it. Because obviously if you're rebuking an elder in this particular way, you have something that you're trying to say to him. But how we say those things is important. Do you rebuke? Do you hit over the head? Or do you entreat?

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    And we all have to ask ourselves that question. In ecclesial life. And in our home life as well. Which is where it all begins. Verse 3. All the way down through verse 16. Is a section that speaks about discerning and honoring the mothers among them who were widows.

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    And so when we have a look at verse 3, it says, Honor widows that are widows indeed. And that simply means honor widows that are true widows. Now the honor which is spoken about in this particular place and in this particular context is a special kind of honor that would make sure that the desolate and the widows who had no one and nothing would be provided for in a very special way.

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    To make sure that they were cared for because they didn't have anything to take care of themselves with. But there are also other ways, as we'll see, that the widows, that all widows, ought to be provided for. And we all have a responsibility to visit and to encourage the widows in whatever state that they are in.

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    But in this particular place, it has to do, much like it had to do in Acts chapter 6 with the Grecian widows. Do you remember that? And there was murmuring in the Ecclesia of Jerusalem at that particular time. Just have a look. Let's go to Acts chapter 6. Just for the context. This, I believe, to be the spirit of the care for the widows, which is spoken about in 1 Timothy chapter 5.

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    It's speaking about looking after them in the daily ministration, as it says in Acts chapter 6. It has to do with financially looking after those that could not look after themselves. And it says, As the word of God grew in Acts chapter 6 in the early days of the Jerusalem Ecclesia, when the number of the disciples was multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews.

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    Because the Grecian widows were neglected in the daily ministration. And then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them and said, It is not reason that we should leave the word of God and serve tables. It says, Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over the business.

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    And you'll know, brothers and sisters, that the ones who were chosen to oversee the Grecian widows, so that they would be looked after in the daily ministration, it appears we're Grecian brothers as well. And so they had a role, a preeminent role. And it was fitting that they would have that role to initially take care of the widows at that particular place.

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    And we find something similar here on a smaller scale in 1 Timothy 5. You'll remember, there were thousands of brothers and sisters in the Jerusalem Ecclesia. And there was a great company here in Ephesus, we would believe as well. But it says in verse 4, that if any widow have children or grandchildren, as that should read, let them learn, let the children or nephews learn, to show piety at home and to requite their parents, for that is good and acceptable before God.

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    So if there was, it appears what this is saying, brothers and sisters, is this, that the responsibility of care for a widow in this particular place was to have the children make sure that they were looked after them, or the grandchildren to make sure, and the grandchildren to make sure that they were looked after.

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    And look at what it says in verse 4, right in the middle there, let them, these children and grandchildren, learn first to show piety at home. Do you know what that is? That's a very special word. It's a very special word in the New Testament, and especially in Timothy. And the word here is the word translated everywhere else.

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    It's a different form of the word. It's the verb here. It's godliness. It's Eusebius. First at home, these children and grandchildren were to learn the care of those among them at home so that they might be prepared later on for ecclesial life as well. It's a wonderful picture. And every time you look at this word piety or godliness or Eusebia, every time you look at it, brothers and sisters, do you know what it inevitably has to do with?

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    It has to do with a way of life through which the living God is manifested. The God who cares and looks after and nourishes the widow is manifested. The living God is manifested in those who take that care upon themselves. That is godliness. That is right worship. Good worship, as the word means.

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    True religion and undefiled, it says in James 1, verse 27. That's worth turning up, brothers and sisters. James chapter 1, verse 27. Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction and to keep himself unspotted from the world. And many brethren have noted, and I think it's absolutely right, when we look at the end of verse 27, if a brother or a sister is involved in the works of God and in this particular work of God, there will be a busyness about them so that they will not get caught up in the sin of the world, as they might.

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    They will be busy in the work of the truth. True religion and undefiled. Visiting the fatherless and widows in their affliction, comma, to keep himself unspotted from the world. Those two go hand in hand. They're not separate things, but one influences the other. In our work and in our action, when we do those things which are right in the sight of God, we leave sin behind.

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    So true widows become recipients of the special care of the ecclesia in this particular chapter in 1 Timothy 5 because they have nothing and no one. But we still have a responsibility, all of us, to visit and to encourage and to honor all the mothers of Israel among us as we would our own mothers.

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    So we come back to 1 Timothy 5. 1 Timothy 5. It says in verse 5, actually just before we move on, excuse me, where we have a look at verse 4 there where it talks about showing piety at home. I almost forgot this. That would have been terrible. This ties in everything we've just talked about.

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    It has to do with that which is done at home first. And this is a theme that runs all the way through Timothy. If you just flip back a chapter or two into chapter 3. 1 Timothy 3. It says in verse 4 and 5 of the chapter that a bishop must be one that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity.

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    It begins in the home. For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the ecclesia of God? And again in verse 12, let the deacons be the husbands of one wife. The deacons, it's a special class of the servers at the ecclesia, ruling their children and their own houses well.

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    And when we come down to verse 8 of 1 Timothy 5, this point is made again. It's made again and again in different ways throughout the New Testament because it's one of the first of all first principles of our life and the truth. It says in verse 8, but if any provide not for his own, and especially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith and is worse than an infidel.

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    And that word there, infidel, it's the word unbeliever. Worse than an unbeliever. You've denied the faith. You've denied the belief. And you're worse than an unbeliever.

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    So the emphasis here is on how these principles begin at home. They must begin at home. Godliness begins here. In verse 9, it says, let not a widow be taken into the number. That is to say, let them not be counted in the number so that the ecclesia is charged. Just look at what it says in verse 16, which does help explain this particular verse to us.

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    It says that if any man or woman that believeth have widows, let them relieve them and let not the ecclesia be charged that it may relieve them that are widows indeed. Now this has to do with providing especially those natural things for them. That doesn't mean that if you have a widow amongst you, you take care of them and none of the ecclesia comes to see them at all.

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    It doesn't mean that at all. We're talking at this particular place about taking care of those who cannot take care of themselves, who don't have a family, who are a widow indeed, who are desolate, as it says in this chapter.

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    And we actually find that when we do that and we do visit them, that they have so much to offer. The mothers among us, widows or not, have so much to offer.

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    In verse 5, it talks about some of those things which the widows especially can offer. Even though they may not have anything, even though they may in a very advanced age lack strength, we think about sisters like Anna in verse 5. Now, she that is a widow indeed, a true widow, and desolate, trusteth in God and continueth in supplications and prayers night and day.

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    A supplication and prayer. Because they pray for other people as well. But if we just flip over into Titus, just over two books into Titus chapter 2, this speaks about the aged women.

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    And look what it says here about the aged women. The counsel that is given to them for work in ecclesial life. There are the prayers and supplications.

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    But there are those that may be able to do much more than that. The aged women likewise must be in behavior as becometh holiness. Not slanderers. Not given to much wine. But teachers of good things. The older women, teachers in mothers of Israel. That they may teach the young women to be sober.

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    To love their husbands. To love their children. To be discreet and chaste. Keepers at home. Good. Obedient to their own husbands. That the word of God is not blasphemed. I remember when just before I was married I remember reading that verse and thinking Sister Rebecca is going to have to be taught to love me?

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    Is it that hard? It is sometimes. Is it that hard to learn how to love your children? Isn't that just something we have naturally and automatically?

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    Brothers and sisters, it's hard sometimes. And we need help. And we have brothers and sisters who have relied upon the word of God in their marriages and in the raising of their children that we can go to for counsel. Who can help us with these things.

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    We need everybody in a collegial life. We're going to the kingdom not just as one generation but we're going together and we need each other to work together and we must make sure that we strengthen those relationships that we have with the mothers and fathers our aunts and uncles among us and not just to give them the honor that they ought to receive but that we don't forget their counsel.

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    You know in 1 Timothy 5 the Timothys that the Timothys we're going to talk about Timothys later on but in 1 Timothy 5 the widows who were spoken about who are in need of relief do you see what it says again there at the end of verse 16 if any man or woman that believeth have widows let them relieve them and let not the ecclesia be charged that the ecclesia may relieve them that are true widows the true widows being relieved in this particular way well there's that word relieve actually occurs earlier on in the chapter where it describes these very special mothers of Israel it says in verse 9 let not a widow be taken into the number under three score years old having been the wife of one man well reported of for good works if she have brought up children if she have lodged strangers if she have washed the saints feet if she have relieved the afflicted if she have diligently followed every good work if she have relieved the afflicted the exact same word so this is a woman now who is being sustained in her old age because she had shown that same wonderful caring spirit in the days of her strength and in the days of her when when everything was full in her life and now things have have gone away and have passed off the scene and she needs help and the ecclesia will help her but in verses 11 to 16 there were those that weren't yet to be received in this number of the widows and to be counted and to be provided for

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    in this particular way financially that they might survive and the reason that this is given I think it's really important if we just go to the reason that this is given because the younger widows were not to be enrolled in this particular reception of ecclesial life so if we have a look at verse 15 this is speaking of some of the widows in the ecclesia of Ephesus this is this has been their experience it says that some are already turned aside after Satan do you know what that means some have left the truth well what were those things that led up to them leaving the truth and we read about those things in verses 11 to 14 verse 11 it says the younger widows refuse for when they have begun to wax wanton against Christ they will marry having condemnation because they have cast off their first faith and with all they learn to be idle wandering about from house to house and not only idle but tattlers also in busy bodies speaking things which they ought not I will therefore that the younger women marry bear children guide the house give none occasion to the adversary to speak reproachfully for some have already turned aside some of the young widows in Ephesus were already leaving the truth it was happening already and it was happening because they had become idle they had become tattlers it says and busy bodies and idle and they were wreaking havoc on ecclesial life and we don't know exactly the circumstances that led to all these perhaps it was just simply the large number but some of them had

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    were causing problems in the ecclesia because of the things that they were saying and the things that they were doing and some had gone and married it appears outside of the truth as verse 11 seems to suggest and although that was an issue for the younger widows here in 1st Timothy chapter 5 these sins these proclivities this particular falling away is something that men could very well themselves get caught up in and it's very clear if we look at these words that there were others in ecclesial life and other parts of the ecclesial world that were getting caught up in these very same sins that are spoken about here of the young widows so here's one do you see what it says in verse 13 it says tattlers tattlers now if we use that in the 21st century sense of the word it doesn't sound like the worst thing in the world to be accused of perhaps but come with me to 3rd John remember diatrophies i wrote the aged apostle john said the elder i wrote under the ecclesia but diatrophies who loves to have the preeminence among them doesn't receive us wherefore if i come i will remember his deeds which he doeth prating against us with malicious words prating tattling to pray is to speak injuriously about someone else in this particular place it was in the ecclesia and falsely too and that's what some of these younger widows were doing i don't know why they were doing it but it appears that they had opportunity to do it in their idleness it was already happening and they were leaving the truth

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    as well what about this word busy bodies now this is this will make you think busy bodies makes you think about somebody who's meddling in somebody else's business where they shouldn't be and that's what it means but do you know how this is translated in Acts chapter 19 verse 19 where it refers to those who were in the ecclesia who were leaving the ways of the world behind you know what it's !

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    it's turn it up Acts chapter 19 you ever look in a concordance and you're looking for a word and you're trying to think about what the word could be in that verse it's like I got it it might be a different word and it's like okay I can see how that word's translated this one I had to check like three lexicons before I believed it you ever get really skeptical of Esau I was skeptical I checked !

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    I checked ! I checked at Strong's all points in the same direction are you ready? Acts 19 curious arts brought their books together and burned them before all men curious arts busy bodies many of those who use curious arts the word has to do with being busy around things working around working around that's what these curious arts are here it had to do with magic but do you know what the point of this is brothers and sisters this is an incredible point if you kept curious arts in the ecclesia in Ephesus it would descend into paganism and worldliness in a week and a half if that's what you did when you gathered together and that's what you were involved in curious arts of the heathen but to be a busy body and to be involved in things the way that these particular members of the ecclesia were in 1st timothy 5 can do the same kind of damage and that's why it's written for us so that we can make sure that these things although they may be found in Ephesus aren't found in the ecclesia in Ephesus as we strive to build up the house of God in love in an unfeigned faith and a pure conscience well what about being idle in verse 13 it says they learn to be idle and not only idle but tattlers and busy bodies also well just have a look a couple books back into I guess just one book back into 2nd Thessalonians chapter 3 2nd Thessalonians chapter 3 verse 11 this is a different word here just in case you're wondering for busy bodies but it's

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    certainly related in its meaning verse 11 the apostle Paul says we'll come down to verse 11 but look at what it says in verse 7 for you yourselves Paul and Timothy and Silas write to the Thessalonians you yourselves know how you ought to follow us for we behaved ourselves not disorderly among you neither did we eat any man's bread for nothing but wrought with labor and travail night and day that we might not be chargeable to any of you not because we don't have the power or the authority or the right but to make ourselves an example unto you to follow us for even when we were with you this we commanded you that if any would not work neither should he eat and we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly not working at all but are busy bodies and they were causing a very difficult time in the ecclesia in that particular place as well but what Paul did and what Timothy did and what Silas did in this particular ecclesia in Macedonia was they made sure that they worked for a living so that they wouldn't be chargeable to the ecclesia in any way they worked for their room and board and you know the apostle Paul we won't turn up the passage but the apostle Paul says the exact same thing in the book of Corinthians he says that we did these things we worked among you Paul did with Aquila and Priscilla at least initially there in Corinth so that he would not be chargeable to any of those he did that in Corinth and he did

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    that in Thessalonica but he didn't do that everywhere did you know that there were some places where he made an exception because he knew it wasn't going to be an issue there but where it would be helpful for the truth then he sacrificed we will look up this passage and it's in 2nd Corinthians chapter 11 we'll come back to Timothy in just a moment because it ties into the elders here who are ordained as we'll see 2nd Corinthians chapter 11 verse 9 the apostle Paul says to the Corinthian ecclesia when I was present with you and lacked or wanted I was chargeable to no man just as he said to the Thessalonians for that which was lacking to me the brethren which came from Macedonia supplied and in all things I have kept myself from being burdensome unto you and so will I keep myself and he did that so that there wasn't any kind of reproach surrounding his work in the ecclesia at that particular time but in those times where Paul could not make ends meet and he couldn't do it when he was lacking when he was in want you know what happened a knock came at the door from somebody from one of the ecclesias in Macedonia and it probably wasn't Thessalonica it's probably the Philippians and he was able to take from them at that particular time as it was ordained under the law as the Lord Jesus Christ himself ordained that that would be appropriate as we see in 1st Timothy 5 just come on back because it speaks about this double honor there in verse 17 these now

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    are the elders who are laboring in the word and in doctrine and in special areas of ecclesial life who would receive something called double honor it says the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honor especially they who labor in the word and doctrine and the proof for that the apostle brings up two passages of scripture interesting that he says scripture there for the scripture saith thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn and the laborer is worthy of his reward and so essentially what this verse is saying is that for those who are laboring in the truth in this particular way they were able to be certainly not extravagantly but supported for their work and quite often that would involve financial things as well and we're not talking about extravagance any of the any of the preachers today of the prosperity gospel the ones who rent out stadiums on the weekend right you have to read over into first Timothy chapter six where it says in verse six that godliness with contentment is great gain verse eight and having food and raiment let us therewith be content so we're not talking about extravagant things here that the elders would be receiving food and raiment it appears and even in that the apostle Paul said he lacked sometimes but he received it from the brothers and sisters in Macedonia probably from ones like Lydia and Philippi the elders here it appears are ordained in verse 18 where it speaks about the ox that's not to be muzzled as it treads out the corn that is a quotation from the law

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    it's a quotation from Deuteronomy chapter 25 at verse 4 we're not going to turn these up except for one of them verse 19 against an elder receive not an accusation but before two or three witnesses that is a quotation or at least a very strong allusion to Deuteronomy chapter 19 at verse 15 them that sin verse 20 rebuke before all this speaking of the elders in particular that others also may fear and that very principle from verse 20 rebuking so that others will fear is based upon in part Deuteronomy chapter 13 at verse 11 now brothers and sisters that should not surprise us at all because the law and the commandment is holy and just and good and it contains eternal principles it's not a vehicle for salvation in itself but it does contain wonderful principles and the law was a part of those things which Timothy was supposed to meditate upon and to give himself over to and so the principles of the Old Testament form the basis of ecclesial conduct in the New Testament and sometimes we hear the Old Testament spoken about as it's something that is it was bad but it's not it's wise it's holy it's just it's good but the end has to be applied in the way that we understand it in the New Testament so that brothers and sisters can be provided for rebuked and recovered in the way that God has instructed us but you know even with all of this with all the counsel of the law with all of the upbringing that Timothy had with all of the with all of the blessings that we

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    have received in our day we're still made of the same stuff and we still all of us want to do it our own way left to our natural selves and that's why Paul gets very very specific and direct with Timothy in verse 21 he says I charge thee before God and the Lord Jesus Christ and the elect angels that you observe these things without preferring one before another doing nothing by partiality the word preferring one another there it simply means notice in your margin you see where it says without prejudice if you have the Oxford version it's because it means without prejudice without prejudging something before you have all the facts you make a call based on how you feel or what you're inclined to do because that's what partiality means in this particular verse both these times these words only occur here in Timothy as far as I can tell and the word partiality means the direction that you're going to lean into and we all have we all have different ways where we would lean naturally brothers and sisters and if everybody leaned their own way in ecclesial life we'd all fall out of our seats but that wouldn't be the worst thing it would be we'd all be doing it our own way well I think it should be done this way but Paul brings Timothy back to the law and he says think about the law and the principles in the law and don't forget about it don't do anything by partiality and if we do that brothers and sisters and make sure that we're doing that which is right according to

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    the measure of God he will bless us for it it's one of the greatest expressions of love that we can have for each other that we can bring each other back through rebuke when we need to and that's the whole context of the quotation from the law in verse 21 nothing by partiality would you come with me to Leviticus chapter 19 please excuse me Leviticus chapter 19 you know the Lord Jesus Christ said and the apostles speak as well that the love of God and the love of neighbor sum up the law and the prophets and there's only one time in the Old Testament where it actually says love your neighbor as yourself but it occurs everywhere in principle throughout scripture but it only says it in Leviticus chapter 19 and so Leviticus chapter 19 brings to a focus some of these aspects about love and it's not what we naturally think it might not naturally be what we'd incline ourselves toward because it says in verse 15 you shall do no unrighteousness in judgment thou shalt not respect the person of the poor nor honor the person of the mighty but in righteousness shalt thou judge thy neighbor the word in the new testament where it says don't prejudge really does mean that when we make our decisions which is really what the word judgment means and we judge things every day of our lives in the sense that not that we're consigning things to eternal anything or people to eternal anything because we can't do that but we make decisions it's about making decisions based upon that which is right in God's eyes

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    or by what we feel and that's what this is all about that's how we are to judge how we are to discern now I want you to think about 1st Timothy chapter 5 as we read through this because it's incredible thou shalt not go up and down as a tail bearer among thy people didn't we just read about those in the ecclesia at that time who were doing just that tattlers those who prate those who are speaking things that they ought not causing problems in the ecclesial world neither shalt thou stand against the blood of thy neighbor I am Yahweh and then in verse 17 he says don't hate your brother in your heart but you shall surely rebuke your neighbor and not suffer sin upon him remember what we just looked at earlier on in 1st Timothy 5 where it talks about the younger brethren to treat the younger members as brethren and that includes sometimes rebuke as we've just read in 1st Timothy 5 referring to the elders how much more each of us as individuals when it comes to that which may come before us in ecclesial life and in our relationships verse 18 do not avenge or bear any grudge against the children of your people but love your neighbor as yourself and there it is and it's in the context loving our neighbor as ourself of the things that we say our interactions with each other what we talk about to each other and away from each other this is all part of the counsel of ecclesial life that's given to us it doesn't mean that there isn't a time for

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    rebuke because there is it means that it matters how we do it and what our motivation is for when we do it and so Timothy is reminded there as we begin to draw our thoughts to a close on 1st Timothy 5 Timothy is reminded there to make sure that he does nothing by partiality and that's just a shorthand way of saying Timothy don't do it your way do it God's way and if we can keep that in the focus in our homes our families our ecclesias and not leaning to our inclinations or what we feel God will build us into his house and help us to help other people in the way that he wants us to help them but Timothy was to remember that everything that he did was before God and the Lord Jesus Christ and the elect angels who see everything they see everything and so the command to Timothy if we could sum it up as we've come through chapter 5 is to be diligent to be on guard because Christ is coming verses 22 through 25 lay hands suddenly on no man don't do anything by partiality don't prejudge before you have all the facts before you understand someone don't join yourself unto them neither be partaker of other men's sins keep thyself pure and you know why is this verse here why is it here and I'm not sure I have a good answer but I can at least make a suggestion brothers and sisters the work that Timothy was doing in the appointing of elders in the in the working with different men and who would brothers who

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    would come into the ecclesia was the source of great anxiety to him I would suggest the work of the truth was a hard thing for him in the second epistle he's crying here he has stomach problems and he has many ailments and the apostle says in your effort to keep yourself pure you can use a little wine Timothy for your stomach sake and your oft infirmities but then he says returning to this returning to this counsel on choosing elders leaders in the ecclesias he says in verse 24 that some men sins Timothy are open beforehand going before to judgment and some they follow after likewise also the good works of some are manifest beforehand and they that are otherwise cannot be hid and I think what's being said here brothers and sisters and I'm I don't know how to read this any other way and if there's a way you can you can let me know I think what he's saying in verse 24 is that some men's sins are open beforehand that is now before judgment going before to judgment but some sins they follow after they will appear at judgment likewise also the good works of some are manifest beforehand but they that are otherwise the other works the evil works cannot be hid because they won't be hid in the !

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    judgment and so Timothy in his effort to hang on to the truth and he's trying to be diligent in those things and he's wrestling over it to the point where he's experiencing what he's experiencing in verse 23 perhaps the apostle says look do what you can be diligent but you can't read people's minds you can't read people's minds Timothy but the elect angels before whom you are living your life they see everything the father in heaven sees everything do the best you can Timothy reprove where you need to reprove but do not you can't you can't know everyone's hearts Timothy and so brothers and sisters what is the council then what are we left with just as we've gone through Timothy through chapter five now Christ is coming everything will be revealed all the evil that's been done and all of the wonderful good works that have been taking place and Paul's counsel to Timothy is that look it's back in chapter four don't let anyone despise your youth but be an example of the believers in everything that you do the challenge to Timothy is to not make excuses and Timothy could have made excuses his father was no help to him in the things of the truth he grew up in an area that was isolated from the rest of the brothers and sisters from the rest of the Jewish community at that particular time he grew up isolated what can he do he wasn't even circumcised he couldn't even fit him with a small Jewish community that was there he may have felt !

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    like ! he ! God took him and put him to work for his house and he said if you do it my way I'll bless you with a place in here and you'll never have to leave and that's what we always have to remember Timothy did not charge the brethren in Ephesus or the sisters with anything that he was not prepared to do and had already done himself Timothy was already working for a living in Corinth and in Thessalonica at least Timothy was one of a good report of the brothers and sisters in Iconium and in Lystra where he grew up so he would have been honoring his mother and his grandmother he was a good report he was an example all his life and if we love the truth no matter who we are where we are in whatever circumstance that we are in ecclesial life if we are holding on to that with both hands and not letting go if we love and labor in the truth of the building of God's house we will dwell in that house that he is building with his wisdom forever s