Today’s passage is about dealing with accusations. What is God’s principle in this? To what extent should you punish, and to what end?
19 Do not entertain an accusation against an elder unless it is brought by two or three witnesses.
‘Entertain an accusation’ in the sense of to ‘give attention or consideration to (an idea or feeling)’.[1] The ESV has ‘admit a charge’, and the NASB has ‘accept an accusation’. This is reflecting Deut 17:6 and 19:15, where ‘a single witness shall not suffice against a person for any crime or for any wrong’ (NASB). In this verse, Paul assures Timothy that this principle also stands for elders who direct the affairs of the church, including teaching and preaching (v. 17). It is a way of preserving God’s intention among people, rather than a piece of regulation.
20 But those elders who are sinning you are to reprove before everyone, so that the others may take warning.
The NIV follows the context from the previous verse to say those elders who are sinning, but the original text only has ‘those sinning’.[2] The NIV and the NASB render it, respectively, ‘as for those who persist in sin’ and ‘those who continue in sin’.
But the question here is not whether the sinning person is an elder or not, but whether it is persistent and whether more than one witness has brought it forward. In such a case, a public rebuke is due, which is unimaginable in a modern church community. It is equivalent to stoning to death in Deuteronomy (Deut 17:5).
It is equally important, however, what sort of crime Deut 17 was originally dealing with—the sin of secretly worshipping other gods (Deut 17:3). Therefore, we can be sure that this kind of public naming and shaming is not for general exhortation but when it threatens the whole community’s faith practice by not honouring the true God or His desire. In this sense, it could be particularly applicable to the preaching and teaching elders; on the flip side, surely more than one witness is necessary for the sake of sensitivity and the gravity of the matter.
21 I charge you, in the sight of God and Christ Jesus and the elect angels, to keep these instructions without partiality, and to do nothing out of favouritism.
The ‘elect angels’ could well mean human messengers that are chosen, but in line with 3:16 earlier, it could mean the angels who saw Christ appear in the flesh and be vindicated by the Spirit… So whether real angels or humans, they are the witnesses of Christ’s ministry, which is the spring well of true godliness.
Such godliness is not pursued by pretending to apply it here and there but by wholly acknowledging it and committing to it. Only His godliness can make anyone godly. But at the same time, godliness is given without favouritism, but to every one ‘who does good’ (Rom 2:9–11), i.e., those who wash their coats in our Lord’s blood.
Lord, our God! In the places where we think, ‘Here, it must be free from God’s love’, we are mistaken! We are greatly mistaken because we neither know the Scripture nor your power. Your power that makes us holy through your Son, Christ Jesus. The Holy Spirit who pastes it onto us! Without discrimination! Let us not, in any case, deny your way of working. Let us, to ourselves and to others, be the same model of your godliness—your desire for all people to come to know you. Let us take that away today. Let us live. By your Spirit. The abundant life.
[1] Oxford Languages https://languages.oup.com/google-dictionary-en
[2] τοὺς ἁμαρτάνοντας (Verb Present Active Participle Accusative Plural Masculine )