Hi Guys,

Verse 22 today. Interesting one.

Here is the text:
------

1 Timothy 5:22, “Do not be hasty in the laying on of hands, and do not share in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure.”

Interesting points:
1. In this verse Paul continues developing the topic of managing elders, underscoring his guidance on investigating substantiated accusations and providing discipline with a two-fold warning against rushing to appoint elders and becoming influenced/caught up in their sins or the sinful activities of others.

2. Paul’s warning undoubtedly took into account the many false teachers present in Ephesus at the time. The “laying on of hands” Paul speaks to is the appointing of elders to their role. Given the amount of harm elders could inflict on the flock and the reputation of the church, this principle holds true even today: the church ought to provide enough time to observe, reflect and allow the Lord to provide discernment in selecting and appointing servant-leaders in the church.

3. The last portion of this verse points out that Timothy ought to keep himself pure: he should not associate with or participate in the sin of others. This ties in with the previous verse as well: by overlooking sin, failing to maintain accountability and/or hiding the sin of others, Timothy could become tainted by their sin as well. God, the church, the individual sinning, and his own conscience would recognize this shortcoming in righteousness.

Application.
Brothers, God reveals different things to different people. This is why churches set a period of time after its leadership nominate deacons and elders for consideration: each nominee’s character is carefully scrutinized even as the church prays for God’s discernment into the character flaws and carefully guarded hidden sins. The non-Biblical expression, “You can fool some of the people some of the time but not all of the people all of the time” speaks to this heart of this step: members of the congregation have seen or know others they trust who have worked with the nominated person outside the church environment. When presented with this responsibility, the church must take it seriously to ensure only righteous servant-leaders receive the mantle to care for, strengthen and equip the saints/believers.

The call to remain pure speaks to an intimate relationship with our Lord. The more we walk with Him, the things He hates we learn to hate and the things that touch His heart touch ours. With His wisdom, comes discernment and understanding: knowing when to challenge, confront, hold accountable and step away from sinful activity/choices. Where sinful activity falls within our own personal area of weakness, we learn to submit our desires to God and seek the safety of our accountability partners.

May we remain deliberate in our decision-making, using the discernment God provides to identify good from evil, righteous/holy from worldly, and choose God’s ways over sin.