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 4:10). 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.
Finally, it is as if in a moment’s pause, he catches his breath and says, “Oh by the way, the sins of some are obvious, reaching the place of judgment ahead of them; the sins of others trail behind them.”
For example, Paul points to “younger widows” and predicts what will happen to them. They will break their pledge to Christ because they will want to marry. In this case, their “sins” go before them. Paul can see them coming.
Later, Paul warns against being “hasty in the laying on of hands” (1 Timothy 5:22). Those sins that “trail behind” are those you don’t know about yet. They are like the cart pulled by the horse. Only when the horse goes by can you see what is in the cart.
Some things are obvious right away, while other things take time. Getting to know someone as a person takes time, especially someone who will be given responsibility for the spiritual well-being of others. If we understand the spiritual principle Paul is giving us in this passage, his admonition to “not be hasty in the laying on of hands” makes total sense.
The things of the spirit are difficult to see. Often, they must be discerned by the Spirit if we are to see behind the veil (2 Corinthians 3:15). The rest of the time, patience and the Word of God will be our guide. In the end, with God’s help, both the sins that go ahead and the sins that follow behind will come to light.
Application: Evaluating potential church leaders requires patience and spiritual awareness.
Food for Thought: If the sins that follow are not obvious, what other indications are there that trouble might be close behind?
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