Sermon Tone Analysis

1 Timothy 5:17-22

The Responsibility of Elders to the Church

 

Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honour, especially those who labour in preaching and teaching.

For the Scripture says, “You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain,” and, “The labourer deserves his wages.”

Do not admit a charge against an elder except on the evidence of two or three witnesses.

As for those who persist in sin, rebuke them in the presence of all, so that the rest may stand in fear.

In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of the elect angels I charge you to keep these rules without prejudging, doing nothing from partiality.

Do not be hasty in the laying on of hands, nor take part in the sins of others; keep yourself pure.[1]

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lders are given by the Lord to enable the church to prosper in its divine work.

When elders are given to the churches, they are assigned work that is to be conducted in the power of the Lord and for the benefit of the congregation.

Congregations are responsible to know what work the elders are responsible for.

Unfortunately, too many contemporary churches are ignorant of the role of elders, and thus these divinely appointed men are misused or unappreciated.

Elders are not given to form a board for the purpose of “running” the church.

Many within the contemporary church see elders as temporary board members, advisors to a professional staff, people of power and influence who serve as fundraisers and policymakers.

This view of elders conforms to a worldly model of leadership by individualistic, corporate executives.

The New Testament view of elders is that they are a leadership team that is primarily responsible to shepherd the church.

Elders accomplish this task through corporate and individual teaching, preaching, admonishing, counselling, visitation and judging.

The difference between contemporary elders and New Testament elders is the difference between being a detached manager or an involved shepherd who feeds and protects the sheep.[2]

As a people, we must embrace biblical expectations, or risk being gravely disappointed by those whom God raises up among us.

In order to lay a sound foundation with reasonable and biblical expectations, I invite your careful consideration of Paul’s first letter to Timothy, an elder of the church in Ephesus.

Turn to the text so that together we may study the Word of God on this vital subject.

Elders are to Rule — According to the text, elders are to rule and we would, quite reasonably, expect them to make every effort to rule well.

Those who rule well are to be honoured.

The emphasis that must be made at this point is that elders are to rule.

Permit me to focus attention on this concept of ruling.

Unfortunately, whenever one speaks of ruling, we have a skewed concept.

Somehow we begin to think in terms of imperial or papal dicta—pronouncements delivered from on high that are binding on all of us.

Such a view of the rule of elders would be wrong.

Perhaps it will be helpful if we consider the language Paul uses.

In the New Testament, only Paul uses the word that is translated “rule” in our text.

Moreover, of the eight times that Paul uses the word, six of those times are found in the Pastoral Letters.

When the verb was used in the Greek Translation of the Old Testament (Septuagint), it referred to the “head of a household” [*2 Samuel 13:17*; *Amos 6:10*].

In the apocryphal book of 1 Maccabees, it is used of “governing a people” [*1 Maccabees 5:19*].[3]

In Paul’s usage, the term means to “be at the head of, rule, direct, manage…”[4]  Louw and Nida help us with the comment, “[I]t is difficult to distinguish readily between expressions for ‘leading and those which refer to ‘ruling’ or ‘governing,’ but it is important to try to distinguish clearly between these two different sets of interpersonal relations.

In some languages, the concept of ‘leading’ can be expressed by ‘showing how to’ or ‘demonstrating how one ought to.’

In other languages it is possible to speak of ‘leading’ as simply ‘going ahead of.’”[5]

Ultimately, it matters not what linguists and lexicographers say concerning the use of a particular word, for as Christians, we refer to the Word of God.

Consider Paul’s use of the concept then to discover what the responsibility of the elders must be.

Earlier in the same chapter in which our text appears, Paul questions whether one considered for eldership who does not know how to “manage his own household” would be capable of caring for “God’s church” [*1 Timothy 3:4, 5*].

Similarly, deacons must be able to manage “their own children and households well” [*1 Timothy 3:12*].

In *Romans 12:8*, Paul teaches that “the one who leads” must do so with “zeal.”

I should think that the definitive use of the verb is that which is found in Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonian congregation.

Consider *1 Thessalonians 5:12, 13* as a key to understanding the New Testament concept of rule by the elders.

“*12 *We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labour among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, *13 *and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work.”

Individuals within the Thessalonian congregation laboured among the people.

Those same individuals were over the congregation in the Lord and as part of their rule they admonished the congregation.

The Greek term which is translated “over you” is the same Greek verb which is translated “rule” in our text [προΐσταμαι].

The only individuals who receive the charge to rule or be over the congregation are the elders, and their work is defined primarily through admonishing—preaching and teaching!

What is apparent from this brief review of the Word of God is that elders are charged with the responsibility of ruling the congregation.

This means that they are to provide guidance through preaching and teaching and weigh the doctrinal integrity of what is presented within the assembly.

Furthermore, elders are responsible to confront error with a view to bringing the errant into conformity with the sound teaching of the Word and they must protect the flock from being injured by unchecked moral, ethical and doctrinal error.

Elders are to exercise authority in spiritual matters.

This authority is exercised through effective pastoral leadership, directing the affairs of the church.

One concept must be clear in our minds.

All elders rule, but some labour in preaching and teaching.

All elders must be able to teach, but some will labour in preaching and teaching.

All elders must serve, demonstrating a servant’s heart.

What is evident is that they are not a board that meets from time-to-time to tell the church what to do, but together they constitute a college of peers who together shepherd the flock of God.

Elders guide the flock through lovingly doing the work of the under shepherd.

Elders are to be Examples to the Flock — Paul gives rules for guarding elders against frivolous charges.

It does not require great imagination to realise that he implies that elders are responsible to be examples of the believer.

In fact, he is quite pointed in stating this requirement for Timothy when he adjured him to, “set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity” [*1 Timothy 4:12*].

Let’s clarify Timothy’s role in the Ephesian church.

Some have recently informed me that the notes in their study Bible indicates that Timothy was an apostolic legate—sort of an ambassador for Paul to the Church of Ephesus.

I must caution those who use a study Bible that the notes are not inspired.

The notes used are no better than the individual who wrote the notes.

Some of the notes in modern study Bibles remind me of a story related by an admirer of one of the great study Bibles of all times, the Scofield Study Bible.

I listened to a blessed saint of God address the subject of the church on one occasion.

As he spoke he took exception to a note Doctor Scofield had penned concerning the church.

To register his concern, he told the following story.

“A fellow driving in the country had car trouble and was forced to pull over to the side of the road.

As many men are wont to do, he popped the hood and peered at the engine.

As he looked intently at the engine, he heard a voice say, ‘Check the carburetor.’

Startled, the fellow looked around but saw no one—only an old sway-backed horse looking over the fence at him.

“Shaking his head, the man looked under the hood again, and again, he heard the same voice say, ‘Check the carburetor.’

Jerking his head back, he banged it on the hood and still saw no one—only that old horse.

“Hesitantly, he asked of the horse, ‘Did you say something?’

To his astonishment the horse said, ‘Check the carburetor.’

“The man turned and ran as fast as he was able down the road until he came to a farmhouse.

Rushing to the back door, he beat furiously until the farmer answered the frantic knocking.

The motorist immediately related that he had just had a horse speak to him.

He breathlessly told the entire story and the farmer quietly listened.

“At last, as the motorist paused, the farmer nodded his head and said, ‘You know, that old horse has talked for years, but Mister, she don’t know nothing about cars.’”

Now that Scofield Bible was excellent and the notes were generally quite good, but that old book presented some wrong conclusions concerning the church.

Just so, be cautious in drawing unwarranted conclusions from the notes in your study Bible.

Carefully read them and then think, comparing the suppositions and conclusions of the author of those notes to the clear intent and teaching of the Author of the Word.

Perhaps it is true that Timothy was an apostolic legate, but he clearly appears to have been serving as an elder of the Ephesian congregation.

From Paul’s letters, it is apparent that Timothy was settled in Ephesus.

He was clearly responsible for the pulpit—what was read, what prayers might be offered up and what was being preached.

Those who preach and teach must so live that their character is indistinguishable from their teaching.

Elders must embrace the Word before they deliver the Word.

God calls for those who are holy to so live that they reflect the glory of His Person.

Consider Moses as an example of the cost of what we might consider to be a small failure.

You will recall that Moses was denied entrance into the Promised Land.

Moses had led the people out of Egyptian bondage, had led the people through the wilderness for forty years, and had delivered to the people the Commandments of God.

Without question, God considered Moses to be great and honoured him as one who was great [cf.

*Numbers 12:7, 8*].

Nevertheless, Moses could not enter the Promised Land.

God permitted Moses to see the land from a distance, but he could not enter.