17The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching.
18For Scripture says, "Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain," and "The worker deserves his wages."
19Do not entertain an accusation against an elder unless it is brought by two or three witnesses.
- P82
24The sins of some are obvious, reaching the place of judgment ahead of them; the sins of others trail behind them.
25In the same way, good deeds are obvious, and even those that are not obvious cannot remain hidden forever.
- P83
Elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor,
especially those who preach and teach. - P83
Accusations against elders require twoor three witnesses, and elders who are sinning must be rebuked in public asa warning to others. - P83
Paul urges Timothy to keep these instructions withoutfavoritism. - P83
When leaders are committed to serving with integrity and humility, churches can flourish. Paul knows the importance of laying this foundation for the young leader, Timothy. - P84
He provides three principles: honor elders who serve, especially if they teach and preach; maintain high standards of holy living for the leaders; and avoid playing favorites. These principles help the church maintain a healthy environment where faith can flourish and lives can be transformed by the gospel. - P84
When elders lead the church with integrity, it builds trust, and believers can honor and respect those who lead. - P84
When there is no favoritism, cliques and factions are less likely to develop and divide the church. We should all work to create a healthy church family. - P84
Dear God, I want my church to be a healthy church, one that is free from favoritism and strives to maintain physical and spiritual health. - P85
Keep me free from the entanglements of sin. May I instead be focused on good deeds to build up Your kingdom. In Jesus’ name, amen. - P85
Paul continues to offer practical guidelines to Timothy, He emphasizesthe importance of maintaining purity and avoiding sin, which can haveobvious consequences in the moment or ones that appear much later. - P84
Paulalso encourages Timothy to look after his physical health, which affects hiswork for the church. Our physical and spiritual health is important, butthis does not mean that we should be judgmental when others falter orfail. - P84
None of us are perfect, but because of God‘s grace, we experience Histransforming power. Instead of sinning against God and His people, we canfocus on good deeds that build up His kingdom and continue to be diligentin maintaining our physical and spiritual health. - P84
As we strive to live with integrity, let us avoid hypocrisy in our own livesand lean on God‘s grace as we pursue godly living and allow Him to cleanseus from the inside out. - P85
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