1 Timothy Lesson #14

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RETURN TO SYLLABUS
1TIMOTHY 5:19-25
LESSON #14
MANAGING CHURCH PROBLEMS: ADDITIONAL INSIGHT

MEMORY VERSE: 1TIMOTHY 5:1

• IN OUR SERIES ABOUT ORDER AND ORGANIZATION OF THE CHURCH, WE HAVE DISCUSSED CHURCH DISCIPLINE BEFORE. THE SITUATION WAS ABOUT WHAT THE CHURCH LEADERSHIP SHOULD DO IF A MEMBER OF THE CHURCH WAS LIVING IN SIN AND CAUSING DISORDER IN THE CHURCH. WE DID NOT DISCUSS WHAT CHURCH MEMBERS SHOULD DO IF A PERSON IN LEADERSHIP IS LIVING IN SIN AND CAUSING DISORDER IN THE CHURCH. THAT IS OUR TOPIC FOR TODAY’S LESSON.

• READ 1TIM 5:1 AND 19-20
• PAUL SAYS THAT A BELIEVER SHOULD NOT REBUKE AN ELDER BUT TREAT HIM AS A FATHER. THEN IN VERSE 19, HE SAYS THAT THE BELIEVER MUST NOT RECEIVE AN ACCUSATION AGAINST AN ELDER.
• THE IDEA BEHIND PAUL’S STATEMENTS IS THAT WE SHOULD NOT GOSSIP ABOUT THOSE PEOPLE IN LEADERSHIP. OF COURSE, WE SHOULD NOT GOSSIP ABOUT ANYONE, BUT THIS IS ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT CONCERNING UNITY IN THE CHURCH.
• THERE IS NOTHING MORE DEVASTATING TO A CHURCH THAN GOSSIP AGAINST LEADERS. IT DIVIDES THE CHURCH INTO GROUPS…SOME PEOPLE WILL TAKE THE SIDE OF THIS PERSON AND SOME WILL TAKE THE SIDE OF THAT PERSON. THEN THE LEADER CANNOT RULE WELL BECAUSE HIS REPUTATION IS DAMAGED AND HIS AUTHORITY IS QUESTIONED.

• PRINCIPLE #39

NEVER LISTEN TO AN ACCUSATION AGAINST AN ELDER OR A DEACON IN THE CHURCH

• WHAT HAPPENS IF THE ELDER IS MAKING THE WRONG DECISIONS?
• YOU PRAY FOR HIM AND TRUST GOD TO CHANGE HIS MIND AND WORK THINGS OUT.
• WHAT HAPPENS IF THE ELDER IS LIVING IN SIN OR MISUSING HIS AUTHORITY?
• PAUL GIVES US THE ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION IN VERSE 19. HE SAYS, “BUT BEFORE TWO OR THREE WITNESSES”.
• IN OTHER WORDS, IF THERE IS A BIG PROBLEM CONCERNING SIN AND THE MISUSE OF HIS POSITION IN AUTHORITY, THERE IS A RIGHT WAY TO HANDLE THE PROBLEM.
• PAUL SAYS THAT YOU MUST HAVE 2 OR 3 WITNESSES CONCERNING THE SIN OR THE MISUSE OF AUTHORITY.

• READ MAT 18:15-17
• WHAT IS THE PROCESS FOR BRINGING AN ACCUSATION AGAINST AN ELDER OR ANYONE ELSE?
• NOTICE THAT WHILE PAUL IN 1TIM REFERS TO ACCUSATIONS AGAINST ELDERS, WHAT JESUS SAYS IN MATTHEW REFERS TO ACCUSATIONS AGAINST ANY BELIEVER.
• JESUS GIVES US A BROADER PICTURE OF THE PROCESS THAN PAUL DID IN 1TIMOTHY.
• STEP #1 ERSONAL CONFRONTATION

• JESUS SAYS THAT THE FIRST THING YOU DO IS GO TO YOUR BROTHER AND TELL HIM HIS FAULT.
• MOST PEOPLE DO NOT DO THIS AND YET IT IS THE ONLY RIGHT WAY TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM.
• WHY DO MOST PEOPLE NOT DO THIS?
• IT TAKES COURAGE. IT IS SO MUCH EASIER TO GOSSIP BY TELLING SOMEONE ELSE. BASED ON WHAT JESUS SAYS HERE, IF YOU DON’T HAVE THE COURAGE TO CONFRONT YOUR BROTHER PERSONALLY IN LOVE, THEN THE PROBLEM IS NOT SERIOUS ENOUGH ABOUT WHICH YOU SHOULD BE CONCERNED. IN THAT CASE YOU SHOULD KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT.
• MOST CHURCH PEOPLE USUALLY GO TO THE PASTOR AND TELL HIM OR HIS WIFE CONCERNING A PROBLEM ONE MEMBER HAS WITH ANOTHER MEMBER.
• JESUS DID NOT SAY TO DO THAT. THE ONLY RIGHT WAY TO HANDLE THE PROBLEM IS BY PERSONAL CONFRONTATION.
• TO RUN AND TELL THE PASTOR IS LIKE WHAT CHILDREN DO WITH THEIR PARENTS WHEN THEY HAVE A PROBLEM WITH A BROTHER OR SISTER IN THE FAMILY.
• WE NEED TO GROW UP AND HANDLE THINGS IN A MORE MATURE WAY WITH COURAGE. OTHERWISE, TO HANDLE A PROBLEM LIKE LITTLE CHILDREN MAKES THE PASTOR CHOOSE SIDES. THAT DIVIDES A CHURCH.
• THE PRIMARY JOB OF THE PASTOR IS NOT TO BE THE PERSONAL ARBITRATOR OF YOUR RELATIONSHIP PROBLEMS.
• STEP #2 CONFIRMATION OF TRUTH BY WITNESSES

• IF YOU CAN’T SOLVE THE PROBLEM BETWEEN YOU AND YOUR BROTHER BY PERSONAL CONFRONTATION, THEN YOU CONFRONT HIM AGAIN WITH 1 OR 2 WITNESSES.
• WITNESSES OF WHAT?
• THESE MUST BE 1 OR 2 OTHERS WHO HAVE SEEN THE SAME OFFENSE.
• THIS PATTERN OF LAW EXISTED IN THE OLD TESTAMENT AND THE NEW TESTAMENT. SOMETHING WAS ESTABLISHED AS TRUTH IF THERE WERE AT LEAST 2 OTHERS WHO WOULD TESTIFY THAT THEY OBSERVED THE SAME OFFENSE. IF YOU HAD NO OTHER WITNESSES, YOU COULD NOT PROVE THE OFFENSE WAS TRUE. THIS PATTERN OF LAW WAS NOT ONLY IMPORTANT TO THE JEWS, BUT IT WAS IMPORTANT TO GOD. IN HEBREWS, HE SAYS THAT JESUS CHRIST IS GOD IN THE FLESH BECAUSE THERE ARE WITNESSES. (HEB 10)
• WHAT IF YOU HAVE NO WITNESSES?
• IF THERE ARE NO OTHER WITNESSES, YOU MUST DROP YOUR ACCUSATION BECAUSE IT CAN’T BE PROVED TRUE OR FALSE. THAT MEANS YOU LEAVE IT WITH GOD TO WORK OUT.
• THE FIRST CONFRONTATION WAS YOU ALONE. THE SECOND CONFRONTATION IS YOU WITH WITNESSES. THIS PUTS MORE PRESSURE ON THE INDIVIDUAL TO FACE THE PROBLEM. HOWEVER, IT ALSO WIDENS THE CIRCLE OF THOSE WHO CONFRONT THE PROBLEM. BUT NOTICE THAT YOUR WITNESSES ALREADY KNOW THERE IS A PROBLEM.
• YOUR WITNESSES MUST NEVER BE PEOPLE WHO HAVE NO FIRST-HAND KNOWLEDGE OF THE OFFENSE.
• STEP #3 TELL IT TO THE CHURCH

• IT IS IN THIS STEP THAT THE PASTOR AND OTHER ELDERS GET INVOLVED IN THE PROBLEM.
• IF THE PERSON DOES NOT REPENT AFTER STEP #2, THEN IT IS LEGITIMATE THAT THE OFFENSE BECOME PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE. BUT THIS IS A SERIOUS STEP AND SHOULD NOT BE TAKEN FOR MINOR OFFENSES.
• WHEN IT SAYS, “TELL IT TO THE CHURCH”. IT DOES NOT MEAN THAT YOU NOW CAN GOSSIP ABOUT IT IN THE CHURCH. IT MEANS THAT THE PERSON IS TO BE CONFRONTED PUBLICALLY IN FRONT OF THE WHOLE CHURCH BODY. THE CIRCLE OF KNOWLEDGE CONCERNING THE OFFENSE BECOMES WIDER. MORE PEOPLE NOW KNOW ABOUT IT. WITH A WIDER CIRCLE OF KNOWLEDGE, THERE COMES MORE PRESSURE UPON THE INDIVIDUAL TO REPENT.
• IF THE LEADERSHIP OF THE CHURCH IS NOT WILLING TO MAKE IT PUBLIC IN THE CHURCH, YOU MUST DROP THE MATTER.
• I HEAR YOU SAYING, “THAT’S NOT FAIR!” NOT EVERYTHING IN LIFE IS FAIR. HOWEVER, YOU MUST REALIZE THAT THIS IS WHERE FAITH COMES IN. GOD IS NOT MOCKED. YOU GO THROUGH THIS BIBLICAL PROCESS AS FAR AS YOU CAN GO, THEN YOU CONTINUE TO PRAY AND TRUST GOD TO MAKE THINGS RIGHT.
• STEP #4 EXCOMMUNICATION

• IF A PERSON HAS NOT REPENTED HAVING GONE THROUGH THIS WHOLE PROCESS, THEN THE CHURCH DISCIPLINE OF EXCOMMUNICATION OCCURS.

• PRINCIPLE #40

ALL RELATIONSHIP PROBLEMS BETWEEN CHRISTIANS SHOULD FOLLOW THE PATTERN IN MAT 18:15-17

• NOTICE THAT 1TIM 5:19 AND 20 BRIEFLY TELL US THE SAME THINGS WE HAVE DISCUSSED IN MAT 18.
• THE PURPOSE AND ATTITUDE THROUGH THE PROCESS OF MAT 18:
• NOTICE THAT THE PRIMARY PURPOSE THROUGH THE PROCESS IS NOT TO PROVE THAT YOU ARE RIGHT IN YOUR ACCUSATION. THE PURPOSE IS TO “GAIN YOUR BROTHER”.
• IN OTHER WORDS, IT IS TO BRING HIM TO REPENTANCE. WHY? BECAUSE YOU LOVE HIM.
• THEREFORE, YOUR ATTITUDE THROUGH THE PROCESS SHOULD ALWAYS BE AN ATTITUDE OF LOVE WITH THE PURPOSE OF GAINING REPENTANCE AND A LOVING FELLOWSHIP BETWEEN THE TWO OF YOU.
• READ 1TIM 5:21-23 VARIOUS GUIDELINES FOR LEADERS:
• HONEST EQUALITY IN THE CHURCH:
• CHURCH LEADERS MUST HANDLE ALL THESE MATTERS OF CHURCH DISCIPLINE AND INTER-PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS WITH EQUALITY.
• THEY MUST NOT SHOW PARTIALITY FOR ONE PERSON OVER ANOTHER PERSON.
• THE INSTALLATION OF LEADERS
• IN THE EARLY CHURCH, LEADERS IN THE LOCAL CHURCH WERE ESTABLISHED AND INSTALLED IN THEIR POSITIONS BY LAYING HANDS ON THE PERSON PUBLICALLY IN PRAYER.
• WE HAVE PREVIOUSLY DISCUSSED THE PRACTICE AND MEANING OF LAYING ON OF HANDS.
• THE PRACTICE INDICATES A PARTNERSHIP IN THE MINISTRY.
• WHEN THIS IS DONE PUBLICALLY BEFORE THE WHOLE CHURCH, IT IS A UNIFYING PRACTICE.
• BY THIS EVERYONE IN THE CHURCH KNOWS THAT THIS PERSON IS PUT INTO A POSITION OF AUTHORITY AND HAS THE APPROVAL OF ALL OTHER CHURCH LEADERS.
• PAUL SAYS NOT TO DO THIS SUDDENLY. IN OTHER WORDS, THE LEADER MUST NOT BE A NEW CONVERT OR AN IMMATURE BELIEVER. IT SHOULD BE AN EVENT SERIOUSLY CONSIDERED BY OTHERS IN LEADERSHIP.
• THE USE OF ALCOHOL
• WE HAVE PREVIOUSLY DISCUSSED THE ABUSE OF ALCOHOL AND HOW A LEADER MUST NEVER BE ONE WHO IS A DRUNKARD.
• IN BIBLE TIMES WATER WAS NOT ALWAYS PURE. THEREFORE, MANY CULTURES USED WINE INSTEAD OF WATER. IT WAS MORE RELIABLE FOR GOOD HEALTH. WINE WAS ALSO USED FOR MEDICINE IN CERTAIN CASES. THAT IS PAUL’S PERSONAL ADVICE TO TIMOTHY IN VERSE 23.
• READ 1TIM 5:24-25 THE PRINCIPLE OF SOWING AND REAPING
• WHY DOES PAUL ADD THESE 2 VERSES TO THIS CHAPTER?
• AS YOU THINK ABOUT INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS. CHURCH DISCIPLINE,. AND THE HUMANNESS AND FALLIBILITY OF CHURCH LEADERS, YOU MUST ULTIMATELY TRUST GOD’S SOVEREIGNTY AND ULTIMATE JUSTICE.
• THE PRINCIPLE OF SOWING AND REAPING IS NOT JUST FOR NON-BELIEVERS. IT IS FOR ALL PEOPLE, EVEN BELIEVERS. WE WILL REAP WHAT WE SOW. IT IS ALSO FOR ALL LEADERS IN THE CHURCH.
• THEREFORE, WHILE SOMETHING MAY NOT SEEM FAIR TO YOU AT THE TIME (SUCH AS IN OUR DISCUSSION OF MAT 18), GOD WILL SEE THAT THOSE WHO SOW EVIL WILL REAP EVIL. IT MAY BE IN THIS LIFE, OR IT MAY BE IN THE LIFE TO COME. WE ALL STAND BEFORE THE JUDGMENT SEAT OF CHRIST. (2COR 5:10)
• READ 1COR 3:13-15

• PRINCIPLE #41

ALL CHURCH LEADERS SHOULD CONSIDER 1COR 3:13-15 SERIOUSLY

HOMEWORK

1TIMOTHY 6:1-21

THIS IS A SELF-STUDY. PLEASE DO NOT SEND HOMEWORK ANSWERS TO THE TEACHER FORCORRECTION.

• APPLICATION OF 1TIM 5:19-25
• WHAT AREAS OF PROCEDURE IN PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS HAVE YOU DONE INCORRECTLY IN THE PAST?

 

• WHAT PROCEDURES SHOULD YOU HAVE DONE THAT YOU DID NOT DO?
• MAKE A COMMITMENT IN PRAYER TO HANDLE YOUR PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS ACCORDING TO THE WORD OF GOD.
• PREPARATION FOR 1TIM 6:1-21
• READ 1TIM 6:1-21
• WHAT GENERAL PRINCIPLES DO YOU SEE IN THIS CHAPTER CONCERNING ATTITUDES AND ACTIONS AMONG CHRISTIANS?
• MEMORY VERSE: 1TIMOTHY 6:12