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1 Timothy 5:25 – Good Deeds

Picture: A Scout helps a little old lady across the street (Grok)

In the same way, good deeds are obvious, and even those that are not obvious cannot remain hidden forever.

Summary: Paul’s instructions regarding good deeds pair nicely with his prior instructions about sins going ahead or trailing.  

Are good deeds obvious? Maybe to you and me, but not to everyone. Consider these words written by Paul to the church at Corinth: 

“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” (1 Corinthians 1:18)

The foolish and the wise see things differently. The foolish might scoff at a good deed or not even notice. The foolish have other priorities. 

The wise, on the other hand, recognize that God is supreme. The wise understand the importance of loving their neighbors (Matthew 22:39). The wise recognize a good deed because doing good is what their hearts are tuned to. 

But even the wise cannot see what is hidden.

Remember Jesus’ instructions on giving? He says, “But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you” (Matthew 6:3-4). 

People who follow this advice are careful not to advertise what they are doing. 

But Paul says, “good deeds are obvious” to someone like Timothy, and what is not obvious “cannot remain hidden forever.”

This is true. 

People talk. Good news gets around, just like bad. Maybe good news doesn’t travel as fast or as far as bad news, but it does travel. Eventually, even the pastor of the church hears what is going on. 

Coupling this advice with Paul’s words about people’s sins makes perfect sense. In a word, be patient. Examine what you know about a person when considering them for leadership in the church. Then, take some time and wait. Examine what you learn after all the talking is done. What do the man’s actions tell you? 

Application: Be patient when gathering information for a decision.  

Food for Thought: What clues do you look for in a person when you suspect they are doing good deeds?

Please click ‘’Continue Reading” for comments.

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1 Timothy 5:24 – Fore and Aft

A cartoon drawing of a boat with a smiling man in it being towed by a little devil and with another little devil following behind. (Grok)

The sins of some are obvious, reaching the place of judgment ahead of them; the sins of others trail behind them. 

Summary: Paul’s words about sins being obvious and trailing behind open the door to a practical understanding of assessing potential church leaders.   

This is an interesting passage. Throughout his letter, Paul has been instructing Timothy about defending the faith. First, he writes about false teachers; then he writes about how to discern worthy elders and deacons from those less worthy. Then he instructs Timothy on the difference between the true Spirit of God and “deceiving spirits” (1 Timothy 4:1). Even in the discussion on widows, there is a concern for being able to discern the difference between someone worthy and someone else who might be vulnerable to sin. 

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1 Timothy 5:23 – Water or Wine?

A river's edge with a frog and bugs around the water (Grok)

Stop drinking only water, and use a little wine because of your stomach and your frequent illnesses.

Summary: Paul’s advice to Timothy about food provides surprising insights about righteousness before God.   

Throughout Paul’s letter to Timothy, we have presumed that the “Author behind the author” is God. What we mean by that is that the Bible is not just a collection of words and letters written by people about God, but rather that it is a collection of words curated by God specifically because they have meaning for all people throughout all time. 

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1 Timothy 5:22 – Take Your Time

Picture of a pastor laying hands on an elder (Grok)

Do not be hasty in the laying on of hands, and do not share in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure.

Summary: Paul’s instruction about the laying on of hands opens the door to a lot of possibilities.   

This verse falls into the rather serious category of “warnings.” Much of Paul’s letter has to do with instructing Timothy on what he should do as leader of the churches in Ephesus. In chapter five, the tone has changed, and Paul has been warning Timothy what not to do. 

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Happy 4th of July!

Image: Happy 250th Birthday America! (Grok)

We are taking the day off to celebrate this momentus occasion. We pray you are blessed by God’s Mercy and Grace in amazing ways this weekend.

Three Minute Bible will return on Monday — Lord willing! 🙂

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1 Timothy 5:21 – No Favorites

Picture of the statue of justice with a blindfold, a scale, and a sword (Pixabay)

 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 favoritism.

Summary: Paul pulls back the curtain on the cosmic audience watching how church leaders handle administrative justice.  

This is a heavy passage.

In our last meditation, we looked at the difficult process of reproving a sinning elder before the entire congregation. It is a sensitive situation that can easily cause incredible damage if it isn’t handled properly.

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1 Timothy 5:19 – Finding the Facts

Do not entertain an accusation against an elder unless it is brought by two or three witnesses. 

Summary: Paul’s instruction to Timothy reveals another glimpse of Timothy’s role at Ephesus as well as providing a clear guideline for parsing complaints about church leaders.   

This passage is very specific and is directed personally to Timothy. 

That does not mean that there is not an underlying principle we should pay attention to. There is. 

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1 Timothy 5:18 – Pay the Man

Picture of an ox treading the grain. (Grok)

For Scripture says, “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain,” and “The worker deserves his wages.”

Summary: Paul uses an Old Testament farming law to make a blunt point about how the church should treat its leaders.  

We have spent a lot of time looking at how the church should manage its expenses when it comes to helping widows. Paul was incredibly careful, almost clinical, about making sure the church didn’t pass out free food to people who didn’t qualify.

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1 Timothy 5:17 – Double Honor

Picture of a man leading a bible study (Grok)

The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching. 

Summary: Paul points us to the obligation we have in the body of Christ to honor those who serve the most.   

Here is an interesting fact: If we look back at 1 Timothy 3:1, the text reads: 

“Here is a trustworthy saying: Whoever aspires to be an overseer desires a noble task.” (NIV)

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