What is Leadership Supposed to Look Like in the Church?

Beginning in chapter 5, Paul addresses the concerns of different groups in the Ephesian church. He instructs Timothy on how he should treat people of different ages (1 Tim 5:1-2) and the widows (5:3-16), and now he deals with issues relating to leadership, i.e. elders (5:17-25). He will continue with a discussion of slaves (6:1-2a) and eventually the rich (6:17-19).

Pastor David Platt shows that although it may seem as if Paul was randomly dealing with several disconnected issues in chapters 4-6, nevertheless these themes do fit together. In fact, Paul provided the framework for the entire letter in 1 Timothy 3:14-16,  so that everything in the remaining chapters flows out of those verses. Paul called the church "God's household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth" (3:15). That statement along with the church's confession of the gospel, which he summarized in chapter 3:16, is unpacked in the rest of the letter. Whether it's identifying church leaders (3:1-13), training for godliness (4:8), showing honor and respect to fellow believers of all ages (5:1-2), or supporting widows (5:3), the underlying theme is the same: the gospel should be on display in the church through the character and conduct of God’s redeemed people. The gospel ought to shape everything we do in the local church, all our assemblies, all of our ethics, all of our priorities.

Applying those truths to our text in 1 Timothy 5:17-25, Paul was essentially answering the question, what is leadership supposed to look like in the church? In the first part of chapter 5, we see that the church's care for widows sets it apart from the world. Likewise, now, in chapter 5:17-25, Paul says that the relationship between church leaders and church members ought to look different as well. A local church is not to be run like a big corporation operates. In the church the gospel ought to be on full display, continually and conspicuously!

1. Affirming Outstanding Ministry in the Gospel – 5:17-18

“Let the elders who perform the duties of their office well be considered doubly worthy of honor [and of adequate financial support], especially those who labor faithfully in preaching and teaching. For the Scripture says, You shall not muzzle an ox when it is treading out the grain, and again, The laborer is worthy of his hire.” [Deut. 25:4; Luke 10:7] 

The Presbyterian Church had, and may still have as far as I know, what they referred to as ruling elders and teaching elders. The ruling elders were the elders ordained to serve on the Sessions and in the judicatories of the church. The teaching elders were those ordered to preach, teach, and administer the sacraments. Presumably the term "ruling elder" had its roots in verse 1Tim. 5:17, but here it clearly applies to those presbuteroi who preach and teach "the word and doctrine." In my understanding, the distinction between ruling and teaching elders is misleading, if not erroneous. Both functions are included in presbuteroi.

Congregational Recognition – 5:17a, “Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor,”

These two verses (5:17-18) set forth the rule that elders who are doing their job well should receive not only the congregation's respect but also remuneration. Paul bases this on the Old Testament example as stated in Deut. 25:4, “You shall not muzzle an ox when it is treading out the grain”, and what Jesus said in Luke 10:7, “…for the laborer deserves his wages...” 

I believe that "double honor" involves two things: (1) Honor, i.e. respect; (2) Honorarium, or financial remuneration.

1Thess. 5:12-13, “We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves.” 

Financial Remuneration - Paul was not to give us the precise amount we should pay elders. When he referred to a "double honor” or “ample honorarium," I don't think he was referring to extravagant financial compensation; in fact, he is going to warn against materialism and the desire to be rich throughout chapter 6. However, it does seem that the expression "double honor" indicates that God's people should give generously to their elders. Churches that follow the saying, "Lord, You keep him humble, and we will keep him poor," have missed Paul's intention. Worse still, this kind of sentiment is actually antithetical to the church's gospel witness.

The apostle argued that, if God in His law had made provision for the hard-working ox (Deuteronomy 25:4), then members of Christ’s body ought to show proper concern for their spiritual leaders.

Paul’s second statement, “The laborer deserves his wages” (ESV), closely resembles these words of Jesus: “For the worker deserves his wages” (Luke 10:7). Elsewhere, Paul said, “Those who are taught the word of God should provide for their teachers, sharing all good things with them” (Galatians 6:6, NLT). The church has an obligation to protect dedicated leaders from being overworked and underpaid. Failure to adequately support them indicates a lack of honor. Again we hear Paul saying in 1 Corinthians 9:14, “In the same way, the Lord commanded that those who proclaim the gospel should get their living by the gospel.” 

Showing "double honor" involves both respect and financial compensation, but this kind of honor is not automatic just because one is a leader in the church. There is no entitlement based on position or background. Paul laid down the conditions of double honor, and these two conditions for elders are closely related.

First, they must lead faithfully in the church (v. 17). It's easy to misunderstand this idea of a "good leader" because the word "leader" is sometimes thought of in a heavy-handed way. Paul used this same word three times in chapter 3 (vv. 4-5, 12), and in each of these instances - the first two concerning elders and the third concerning deacons - there is the idea of "managing" a house or a family.

However, the question still remains: How do we know when a minister of the gospel is being a good leader? For some people the idea of "good" may mean they operate like good CEO’s of a company – efficient, bringing in great crowds, large offerings, and erecting huge buildings. These comprise the ABC’s of modern-day measurement of successful church – Attendance, Buildings, Cash!

But the word "good" here is not used as a measuring stick for their success; rather, it is a word that speaks of goodness or rightness, or of meeting a certain standard. Paul is saying we ought to evaluate elders based on whether they are faithful men. We need to ask, "Is this man doing what the scriptures declare that he ought to be doing?"

Secondly, they must labor diligently in the Word. After saying that elders were worthy of double honor, Paul then said, "Especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching." The word "especially" might be better translated as "that is," so that the verse might also be translated, "The elders who are good leaders should be considered worthy of double honor, that is, those who work hard at preaching and teaching." In other words, good leaders in the church are those who labor in preaching and teaching. Hear me, I have heard so many church members say so many times over my years of ministry that, “our pastor can’t preach or teach very well, but he is a ‘good pastor’”. No, he isn’t! One of the basic requirements is that he is “a capable and qualified teacher” (1 Tim. 3:2 -AMB), What they mean is that he’s always at work outside the study, but seldom in it; that he’s always on the go – visiting, attending every family and civic function, “hatch, match, and dispatching”; a good socializer, etc.

For me, it has been an incredible honor to be called by the church to "labor in the word and doctrine." For 54 years I have been double honored by getting honor and a consistent honorarium!

2. Avoiding Unproven Accusations by Church Members – 5:19

“Do not admit a charge against an elder except on the evidence of two or three witnesses.” When charges are brought against elders, they should not be acknowledged unless there are two or three witnesses. Paul is citing from Deuteronomy 19:15, which states, “A single witness shall not rise up against a man on account of any iniquity or any sin which he has committed; on the evidence of two or three witnesses a matter shall be confirmed.”

It’s a simple principle: charges against a church leader must be tried on the basis of factual evidence, not hearsay or rumors. Paul specifically applies it to church leaders here because they’re more liable to false accusations and slander than others, especially men who preach God’s truth. Satan is always trying to discredit the authority of God’s Word. One method he often uses is to attack the credibility of the man who teaches the Word. So, Satan often stirs up people who have been offended by the preaching of God’s truth or who are upset because a church leader has had to confront them privately about their sin. They spread half-truths and outright lies to discredit the man and his message.

What do you do if someone comes to you with something damaging against the pastor or one of the other elders, or some Christian leader? It’s important to the testimony of Christ that such situations be handled in a godly way. If the person is spreading rumors or gossip, he needs to be corrected. If he has a legitimate problem, it needs to be processed according to Scripture. One pastor lists five questions that he uses:

(1) “What is your reason for telling me?” Widening the circle of gossip only compounds the problem.

(2) “Where did you get your information?” Refusal to identify the source is a sure sign of gossip.

(3) “Have you gone to those directly involved?” If the person has not gone to those involved, he is probably more interested in spreading gossip than in helping to restore the one or ones who have sinned.

(4) “Have you personally checked out all the facts?” It’s easy for “facts” to get distorted as they travel from one person to another or when they’re given by a person with negative motives.

(5) “Can I quote you if I check this out?” A person spreading gossip won’t want to be quoted by name. They don’t want to get involved in the messy business of helping confront and restore a person in sin. They’re just spreading an evil report.

3. Acting in Discipline Cases Without Showing Prejudice or Partiality – 5:20-21

“As for those who persist in sin, rebuke them in the presence of all, so that the rest may stand in fear. In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of the elect angels I charge you to keep these rules without prejudging, doing nothing from partiality.” 

The proper translation here is, “Those who are sinning,” meaning, those guilty of the charges who do not repent. Sinning means some clear violation of God’s Word, not just something someone doesn’t like or agree with.

If it is a public sin, such as false teaching on some major issue or a sin that is in public view, then a public rebuke may be called for as a first step (as Paul did with Peter, Gal. 2:11-14.)

If the elder is guilty of the accusation, and if he persists in sinning, Timothy must rebuke him before the whole church so the rest of the elders will realize that they will be held accountable for their conduct. Timothy must be sure that while he is listening to these charges and confronting them, he makes judgment without discrimination or partiality. He is continually in the presence of God, Christ, and the elect angels, and they will hold him accountable (5:20-21).

Confronting and rebuking church leaders in front of the whole congregation may seem disruptive and creative of bad press in the view of many, both inside and outside the church. Why not just dismiss the elders quietly and move along? I think Paul gives us two reasons why we should rebuke unrepentant elders in the presence of all. First, we should rebuke as a witness to the truth. This seems to be the inference of 5:21. There were false teachers in the church at Ephesus, and Paul was calling for their public rebuke. Timothy likely had a personal relationship with these men, but he was nonetheless given a charge to rebuke them, regardless of how painful it would be. Timothy was not to show prejudice or partiality, i.e. favoritism.

The second reason the church leaders must do these things publicly is so that it serves as a warning to others. There are various motivations given in scripture for obeying God such as love, grace, mercy. But sometimes God motivates us by fear, and this  passage is one of those cases. Paul called for public rebuke "so that the rest will also be afraid" (1 Tim 5:20). Paul wanted other people - and other elders in particular - to look on public rebuke and say, "May it never be so with me. I don't want that."

4. Appointing New Leaders in the Church Slowly and Carefully – 5:22-23

Do not be hasty in the laying on of hands, nor take part in the sins of others; keep yourself pure. (No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments.) 

The instructions in 5:22-23 deal with the appointment of elders, whether it be new elders or the reinstatement of those who, after confrontation and repentance, now wish to resume their duties. Timothy must not be hasty in commissioning elders. If he appoints unworthy people and they sin, he is to some degree responsible. In all this Timothy must remain pure (v 22).

Then Paul seems to digress for a moment by the mention of Timothy keeping himself pure. This probably brought to Paul’s mind the other danger of the false teachers, namely, their bent toward asceticism (1Tim. 4:3). He does not want Timothy mistakenly to think that he should abstain from all wine, especially in light of his frequent health problems. So he digresses to give his son in the faith some fatherly advice, namely, to drink a little wine for medicinal reasons.

Since Paul has digressed, I will too. A war has and continues to be fought over whether drinking alcohol in any form is permitted based on what the scriptures teach. The fact is that moderate use of wine is not prohibited in Scripture, but drunkenness or being enslaved to alcohol clearly is. One pastor, arguing with another about drinking wine, said, “You know that Jesus turned water into wine!” To which the total abstinence pastor replies, “Yes, and I always resented him for doing it!”

5. Assessing Potential Leaders Character and Conduct – 5:24-25

“The sins of some people are conspicuous, going before them to judgment, but the sins of others appear later. So also good works are conspicuous, and even those that are not cannot remain hidden.” 

The way Timothy can avoid appointing unqualified elders is to take his time (5:22) and observe the lives of these men carefully. Careful observation will reveal two classes of men:

(a) Those unfit for office (1Tim. 5:24). There are two categories here: Those obviously unfit—their sins march on ahead of them for everyone to see; those not so obviously unfit—their sins follow after them, but eventually come to light. At first glance, they may seem qualified, but time will show their track record, that they are not godly men.

(b) Those fit for office (1Tim. 5:25). Again, there are the same two categories: Those obviously fit for office - their good deeds are evident; those fit for office, but not so obviously. The last half of the sentence is a bit confusing, but I take it to be parallel to 1Tim. 5:24, so the sense is, “Those good deeds of other men are not so evident at first, but they can’t be hidden in the long run.” So Paul is saying that people aren’t always what they appear to be on the surface. Men should not be selected for leadership in the church on a superficial or hasty basis. They don’t always turn out to be what they seem to be at first.

I close with the words of Pastor David Platt: “In order not to be indifferent to these truths, we need to remind ourselves of the kindness of God in the gospel. How do we avoid the pitfalls of gossip and allegations and suspicions? How do we foster an environment of love and forgiveness and unity among those who are leading and those who are led? There is only one way, and that is through the gospel. As a pastor, I need the gospel to deliver me from self-centeredness, from the desire for shameful gain, laziness, a sense of entitlement, and a host of other sins. At the same time the congregation needs the gospel in order to be delivered from criticism, a spirit of disunity, gossip, and discontentment. In short, all of us need the gospel. Only by the grace of God can elders and the church be cared for properly.”

Yes! And Amen!