INTRODUCTION: THIS WEEK WE ARE STUDYING THE SECOND HALF OF 1 TIM CHPT5. IN THIS PART OF THE BOOK PAUL GIVES TIM SEVERAL RECOMMENDATIONS ON DEALINGWITH CHURCH LEADERS. LETS GET INTO IT.
I. REWARD FOR THE ELDERS
A. READ 1 TIM 5:17-18.
B. I GUESS WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT HERE. WHYDOES PAUL SPEAK ABOUT OXEN AND WHAT IS HIS POINT?
(THE OX WERE USED TO THRESH GRAIN. THEY WOULD EITHER REPEATEDLY WALKOVER THE GRAIN TO THRESH IT OR WOULD DRAG A THRESHING SLEDGE OVER THE GRAIN.WHILE THEY WERE DOING THIS THEY COULD BEND DOWN AND EAT AS MUCH OF THEGRAIN AS THEY WANTED. THIS WAS AN OT LAW (DEUT 25:4) (IF GOD COMMANDEDTHAT THE OXEN WERE TO BE TAKEN CARE OF, HOW MUCH MORE SHOULD THE SPRITUALLEADERS BE TAKEN CARE OF?) (THE WORKER IS WORTHY OF HIS WAGES IS A STATEMENTOF JESUS–LUKE 10:7)
C. THERE IS THIS IDEA THAT THE EARLY CHURCH BELIEVED IN COMMUNISM (THETHEORY, NOT THE RUSSIAN PRACTICE). DOES THIS TEXT SUPPORT THAT IDEA?
1. WHAT IS THE POINT ABOUT DOING THE JOB “WELL” ENTITLINGTHE ELDER TO “DOUBLE HONOR?” (THAT WAGES SHOULD BE TIED TO THEQUALITY OF THE WORK. OUR LESSON SAYS THAT IT DOES NOT MEAN THIS. BUT IFPAUL IS NOT TALKING ABOUT MONEY, WHY DOES HE IMMEDIATELY GO ON TO THE OXSTORY?)
2. IN OUR CHURCH, THE PASTORS BASICALLY EARN THE SAME NO MATTER WHATTHEY ARE DOING? IS THIS IDEA CONSISTENT WITH PAUL’S ADVICE?
3. IN ADDITION, OUR CHURCH PAYS PASTORS FROM A POOL AT THE CONFERENCELEVEL. DOES THAT ANALOGY TO THE OXEN SUGGEST THAT THE LOCAL PEOPLE SHOULDPAY THE PASTOR DIRECTLY? OR IS THAT READING TOO MUCH INTO THIS ANALOGY?
a. THE TEACHERS HELPS SAY, “IN GENERAL, MINISTERS’ SALARIES ALWAYSCONTAIN AN ELEMENT OF SACRIFICE ON THEIR PART.” SHOULD THIS BE IFWE TAKE THE OX SUGGESTION LITERALLY? (NO. THE OX COULD EAT AS MUCH AS HEWANTED.)
II. DISCIPLINE AND THE ELDERS.
A. READ 5:18-21. DO YOU THINK THAT AN ELDER IS MORE OR LESS LIKELY TOBE ACCUSED OF WRONGDOING THAN ANOTHER MEMBER OF THE CHURCH? (A COMMON SUGGESTIONIN THE COMMENTARIES WAS THAT ELDERS OFTEN REPROVE OTHERS OF SIN. THIS SETSUS A SITUATION WHERE A MEMBER MIGHT WANT TO “GET BACK” AT THEPASTOR OR ELDER.)
1. WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THE TWO OR THREE WITNESS REQUIREMENT? (TOHELP GUARD AGAINST FALSE ACCUSATIONS AND THE MALICIOUSNESS OF ANY ONE MEMBER.THE TWO OR THREE WITNESS RULE WAS ONE OF THE MOSIAC LAWS ON CRIME. DEUT19:15.)
2. VERSE 20 SAYS THAT THOSE (ELDERS) WHO SIN ARE TO BE REBUKED PUBLICLY.IS THIS FOR EVERY SIN? OR JUST THOSE THAT CREATE A PUBLIC SCANDEL? OURLESSON IMPLIES JUST SOME SINS. THE COMMENTARIES DISAGREE WITH EACH OTHERON THIS.
3. THE TEXT SUGGESTS THAT IF WE PUBLICLY REBUKE AN ELDER THAT IT WILLHELP OTHERS TO OBEY. DOES THIS ARGUE IN FAVOR OF PUBLIC REBUKE FOR ALLMAJOR SINS COMMITTED BY ELDERS? (AS OPPOSED TO ALL SINS.)
4. VERSE 21 ADDS A VERY IMPORTANT POINT TO THIS DIALOG. READ v.21. WHATWOULD FAVORITISM OR PARTIALITY DO TO THE PUNISHMENT OF ELDERS? (IT SUGGESTSTHAT SOME ELDERS MIGHT NOT BE PUNISHED BECAUSE OF THEIR STATUS IN LIFE.)
a. HOW WOULD THAT AFFECT THE SPRITUAL LIFE OF THE CHURCH? (FAR FROMTEACHING THE LESSON TO OBEY, IT TEACHES THE LESSON THAT ONLY THE POOR ANDTHOSE WITHOUT INFLUENCE HAVE TO OBEY.)
B. UP TO THIS POINT PAUL SEEMS TO BE ADVISING TIM ON WHAT TO DO WITHTHE OLD ELDERS THAT ARE CREATING A PROBLEM. YOU REMEMBER THAT PAUL WARNEDTIM THAT HE WOULD HAVE PROBLEMS WITH ELDERS WHO WERE TEACHING FALSE DOCTRINE.HE NOW MOVES ON TO WHAT TO DO TO REPLACE THEM. READ v.22, 24-25 (I THINKTHEY GO TOGETHER.
1. WHAT IS MEANT BY THE LAYING ON OF HANDS? (PROBABLY DESIGNATING THESEMEN AS REPLACEMENT ELDERS.)
2. WHY SHOULD WE BE SLOW IN THIS? (THE CHARACTER OF THE PERSON SHOULDBE THROUGHLY TESTED.)
3. CONSIDER v. 24 AND 25 IN THIS REGARD. HOW WOULD THE SINS OF A PERSON”TRAIL BEHIND THEM?” (PAUL SEEMS TO BE TALKING ABOUT WORKS –DEEDS, AND IT SEEMS THAT THE EVIL AFFECT OF A PERSON’S DEEDS CATCHES UPWITH HIM AT LEAST LATER.) a. IF YOU WAIT TO “LAY ON HANDS” THENYOU GIVE THESE EVIL DEEDS A CHANCE TO SURFACE.
C. THE SECOND HALF OF v. 22 SAYS “DON’T SHARE IN THE SINS OF OTHERS.”DO WE SHARE IN THE SINS OF THOSE ELDERS WHO ARE TOO HASTILY PICKED ANDARE NOT OF THE RIGHT CHARACTER? (MAYBE IF YOU ARE TIM AND ARE RESPONSIBLEFOR THE CHURCH.)
D. LETS GO BACK AND READ v.23. OUR LESSON SEEMS TO HAVE A LITTLE DIFFICULTYWITH THIS VERSE. THE GREEK WORD TRANSLATED “WINE” IS “OINOS.”
1. OUR LESSON (WED) QUOTES BILL BARCLAY’S COMMENTARY, AND IT JUST HAPPENSTO BE THAT HIS COMMENTARY IS ONE THAT I ALSO READ EVERY WEEK. WHAT HE SAYSABOUT PHYSICAL NEGLECT IS IN THE CONTEXT OF PEOPLE WHO ARE ASCETICS –PEOPLE WHO DENY THEMSELVES TO AN EXTREME DEGREE. WHAT BARCLAY SAYS AFTERTHE LESSON QUOTE IS THIS: THIS IS A TEXT THAT HAS MUCH TROUBLED THOSE WHOARE ADVOCATES OF TOTAL ABSTINENCE. IT MUST BE REMEMBERED THAT IT DOES NOTGIVE ANY MAN A LICENCE TO INDULGE IN DRINK TO EXCESS; IT SIMPLY APPROVESTHE USE OF WINE WHERE IT MAY BE MEDICINALLY HELPFUL. IF IT DOES LAY DOWNANY PRINCIPLE AT ALL, E.F. BROWN HAS WELL STATED IT: ‘IT SHOWS THAT WHILETOTAL ABSTINENCE MAY BE RECOMMENDED AS A WISE COUNSEL, IT IS NEVER TO BEENFORCED AS A RELIGIOUS OBLIGATION.’
2. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO LOOK AT OTHER USES OF THE WORD “OINOS”BY PAUL TO DETERMINE WHAT YOU THINK HE MEANS, THE SAME WORD IS USED IN:TITUS 2:3; 1 TIM 3:8; EPH 5:8 (HOW CAN YOU BE DRUNK WITH GRAPE JUICE?).JOHN USES THIS SAME WORD IN REV. 17:2
III. NEXT WEEK: WEEK WE STUDY THE LAST CHPT OF 1 TIM. THE CHPT IS ABOUTSLAVES AND MASTERS. STUDY BECAUSE I THINK IS HAS SOMETHING TO TEACH USABOUT THE BETTER RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN EMPLOYERS AND EMPLOYEES.
