1 Tim. 6:1-2 - Rules for Harmonious Living - Part 1

1 Those who are under the yoke as slaves must regard their own masters as deserving of full respect. This will prevent the name of God and Christian teaching from being discredited.
2 But those who have believing masters must not show them less respect because they are brothers. Instead they are to serve all the more, because those who benefit from their service are believers and dearly loved. Teach them and exhort them about these things.

6:1-2 - Slaves and masters

Vs. 1: - “Those who are under the yoke as slaves must regard their own masters as deserving of full respect. This will prevent the name of God and Christian teaching from being discredited.”

"slaves" - Other than slavery to sin, the Bible does not put an end to slavery. It is puzzling.
The Bible seems to treat slavery as a human institution that will persist. Let me pose this theory: Until a significant portion of people believe in God and in Jesus Christ, or their government and society lives under those principles there is little hope of ending slavery. The impetus to end slavery was driven by the Christians in England (e.g., William Wilberforce and others) and America (e.g., Abraham Lincoln, abolitionists, the founding fathers and writers of the U.S. Constitution, and others). The inherent value of mankind, the equality of all races and nationalities are foundational in the Christian doctrine. God is 'no respecter of persons' - ALL have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. All need the saving grace freely offered. NONE can work their way to glory. The glory is all in the holiness of God, and he sheds it on those who believe and accept Him as Lord and Savior.

"so that... " - We are to treat our bosses (or 'masters', for slaves) with respect. Why is this display of honor or respect important? So much of this letter is about living so the non-believing world is impressed by believers, and that our beliefs drive our actions. This is similar to the admonition that deacons and elders should be of good reputation, honorable, above reproach.

Paul instructs in verse 3:15 "... I write so that you may know how one ought to conduct himself in the household of God". Even more important is that God's reputation is not diminished. This has been discussed previously - See 1 Tim. 5:14. If we use our faith (religion) as an excuse to goof off, Jesus' name is defamed. Do you need to work hard if your boss is not a believer? Of course! The assumption here is that you might be tempted to treat a a non-Christian with some disdain because they don't believe. Why? Why would you do that?

Jesus commanded we love one another, just as He loved us, and we are family so we will deal with Christians favorably. A common belief in the world is that 'family' and 'blood' demands more loyalty than friendship. God is saying, "You are in the family of God by the blood of Jesus. Your loyalty is to Me. Be sure the way you treat non-believers does not make Me look bad."

Let no one say they didn't accept Jesus as Lord and Savior because of your testimony - the way you demonstrated your faith.

Vs. 2: - “But those who have believing masters must not show them less respect because they are brothers. Instead they are to serve all the more, because those who benefit from their service are believers and dearly loved. Teach them and exhort them about these things.”

"masters" - On the other hand, if you work for a believer serve them even better. Why? The fellow believer, a member of the same family of God and a recipient of the grace of God through Jesus Christ are to benefit and be loved.

"Teach and exhort... " - Treat non-believers well. Treat believers even better. That's the principle. Emphasize this until it is 'caught'.

1 Tim. 5:21-25 - Sage Advice

21 Before God and Christ Jesus and the elect angels, I solemnly charge you to carry out these commands without prejudice or favoritism of any kind.
22 Do not lay hands on anyone hastily and so identify with the sins of others. Keep yourself pure.
23 (Stop drinking just water, but use a little wine for your digestion and your frequent illnesses.)
24 The sins of some people are obvious, going before them into judgment, but for others, they show up later.
25 Similarly good works are also obvious, and the ones that are not cannot remain hidden.

- An Exhortation -

Vs. 21: - “Before God and Christ Jesus and the elect angels, I solemnly charge you to carry out these commands without prejudice or favoritism of any kind.”

"solemnly charge you" - This charge, with God, and Jesus, and the angels as witnesses is almost like the prophets speaking, "Thus says the Lord..." Teach the church these precepts. Show them the way to keep them.

Side question: who are the 'elect angels'? Is it Gabriel, or Michael, or the seraphim? (These are only two mentioned by name - not counting Lucifer since he was booted from heaven.) Perhaps these are the angels that did not defect and rebel. See: Jude 6; 2 Pet. 2:4.

"without prejudice or favoritism" - And, basically, don't show any favoritism. To anyone. "Those guilty of sin must be rebuked." God is not a "respecter of persons" - Jam. 2:1-9; Gal. 3:26-29; Rev. 2:11.

Vs. 22: - “Do not lay hands on anyone hastily and so identify with the sins of others. Keep yourself pure.”

"lay hands on anyone hastily" - Do not rush when asking a man to be an elder of the church. See: 1 Tim. 4:14. If the proposed elder is not of good reputation (1 Tim. 3:2-9), the sins of that leader will be reflected on the local church body. The leader must pass the 'respectable' test. (1 Tim. 3:10).
The laying on of hands has been discussed in 1 Tim. 4:14. We see this practice often in our church - especially when someone is going to be a missionary, or is leaving to be a pastor of a church. The church elders gather around the person. Some or all of the elders place a hand on the head or shoulder of the one going out. Prayers are said (offered up - in church talk) to ask for blessing and success for the endeavor. Is this an official imprimatur? The Protestant churches do not have a hierarchy like the Catholic Church. This is as close as the evangelicals come - pastors and elders present this worker to God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit through these prayers. We are saying we believe this person was called by God to do the work, and prepared, able and willing. We are saying this worker is adequate for the good work the Lord will have him do. The worker is being blessed by the church through the elders, and being launched into the world for God to use for His glory and as He sees fit. This is why we are not to be hasty, for we the church body is saying this person represents Jesus and the church in which we fellowship. If something goes wrong, heaven forbid, the world wonders what we were thinking to send ‘that person’. If the world sees ‘that person’ denigrate the name of Jesus, why would it have any respect for those who sent ‘that person’?
Think of the times you have cringed when a pastor or a priest of a church is accused of some sin - sexual abuse, immorality, greed, embezzlement. Several things have happened (beyond the sin committed). The pastor or priest was no longer of 'good reputation', the sins were covered up by the church until they could no longer be hidden, and the secular public sneers at the church, thinking, “Those ‘holy’ ones are worse than the rest of us.” The name of Jesus Christ has been shamed.

"identify with the sins" - Some versions say, “share responsibility” - What? I wasn't involved! Why must I share the responsibility? Because you are the church, shame brought upon the church by the sins of a leader stains you also. Sharing the gospel is so much more difficult when the person with whom you are talking doesn't want anything to do with the church. The behavior of the believers turns them off. That is a mighty barrier to surmount. Yes, we share the gospel by the power of the Holy Spirit. But, how will they call upon Jesus to save them if they haven't heard? How will they hear if they won't listen because the church's reputation deafens them to the message?

"keep yourself pure" - This can also be read "keep yourself free from sin." The church, the local body of believers, must have a spotless reputation, must be stable, above reproach, respectable. Of course there will be lies told about the church. The lies will fall away, the truth will out. Exposed sins of leaders and church members are an acid eating away at the facade of the church.

- Parenthetical advice -

Vs. 23: - “(Stop drinking just water, but use a little wine for your digestion and your frequent illnesses.)”

"use a little wine" - Paul was well aware of how physical illness hampers a ministry. (Gal. 4:13-15) We can only guess what Timothy's illness might be - indigestion, irritable bowel syndrome, diarrhea. Fatherly advice to be careful and stay healthy.

- Behavior will be revealed -

Vs. 24: - “The sins of some people are obvious, going before them into judgment, but for others, they show up later.“

"sins of some people are obvious" - Some are committed in full view of everyone around. Some in secret and known only to themselves, or maybe a few others. Neither will escape judgment. (See: Eccl. 11:9; 12:13-14; Matt. 10:26; Rom. 2:16; 1 Cor. 2:5) Nothing can be hidden from God.

Vs. 25: - “Similarly good works are also obvious, and the ones that are not cannot remain hidden.“

"good works are also obvious" - This is a good thing. This brings glory to Jesus. That is our goal as Christians.

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1 Tim. 5:19-20 - Accusations Against Leaders

19 Do not accept an accusation against an elder unless it can be confirmed by two or three witnesses.
20 Those guilty of sin must be rebuked before all, as a warning to the rest.“

Leaders Who Defame Jesus’ Name

Vs. 19: - “Do not accept an accusation against an elder unless it can be confirmed by two or three witnesses.”

"Do not accept an accusation" - Accusing a leader of misconduct is not to be accepted lightly. I do not mean accusations should be brushed off, or ignored. If someone brings an accusation, they should bring corroboration. This is a principle taught throughout the Bible. A witness or two is always required if a person is being accused of breaking the Law (both for leaders and non-leaders). See: Deut. 17:6, 19:15. The principle was reiterated by Jesus. Matt. 18:16. When a leader is accused, per the above procedure, action must be taken.

The encyclopedia of laws in the new covenant has been drastically reduced. The primary 'laws' of the church are: Love Jesus. Love one another. Make disciples.
All else follows those. From there it is common sense.
Ask yourself, "If I do this, will my love for (insert name here) be demonstrated to the non-believing world?"
Or, "Will my love for Jesus be seen?”
“Will He be glorified, or will He be profaned?"
If you can answer positively to these types of questions, or if the Holy Spirit does not convict your spirit, then your action is acceptable.

Censuring an elder of the church is not to be done on a whim. Rebuking an elder may bring shame on the church. Letting a leader offend without reprimand will bring even more shame. It has to be done. Just know there will be a cost, and sometimes that cost must be paid.

Vs. 20: - “Those guilty of sin must be rebuked before all, as a warning to the rest.“

"Those guilty of sin must be rebuked..." - If a leader is the offender, that person is not free from consequences. Look back to chapter 3 and the character requirements of elders and deacons. The phrase 'above reproach' jumps out. The leaders of the church must never defame the name of Jesus.
What sullies the reputation of the body of believers the most? Doesn't your heart drop when you hear on the news, "Pastor John Doe of the Big City Church congregation has been arrested for..."? That church had no one that exhorted or rebuked the leader. His misdeeds multiplied until he became a criminal.
A church should never cover up bad behavior. Which was worse for the Catholic Church - priests committing sexual abuse, or the coverup of the crimes?
When someone fails, we are to help restore such a one, even and especially our leaders. See: James 5:16.

1 Tim. 5:17-18 - Take Care of Your Leaders

17 Elders who provide effective leadership must be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard in speaking and teaching.
18 For the scripture says, "Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain," and, "The worker deserves his pay."

Vs. 17: - “Elders who provide effective leadership must be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard in speaking and teaching.”

"effective leadership" - Paul doubles back to his instructions pertaining to leaders - see the discussion of 1 Tim. 3. The leader of a church should be supported, paid by the church. See: Matt 10:10; Luk 10:7; 1 Cor 9:14

"Work hard" - Teaching and preaching. The elders are the key leaders of the local body. Not only are they to be familiar with the members, their needs, failures, and successes, but also to provide the instructions necessary to grow in the faith.
Teaching and preaching - how information we need is transferred to us. Dr. Howard Hendrix once said, "You haven't taught, until the concept is caught." Those who guide their flocks best are those who enable us to visualize and apply the scripture to our lives.

There are people who will say that we don't need preachers and teachers. After all. We have the Holy Spirit. He's been given to us to teach us what we need to know. (See: John 14:16, 26) It is also true that God has given spiritual gifts - see 1 Cor. 12:8, 28. Some have the gift of wisdom - being able to see the spiritual importance of scripture or prophecy (also a gift). Some have been given the gift of knowledge - being able to apply the spiritual information practically. Some are evangelists. Some are healers, or administrators, and some are teachers.

Vs. 18: - “For the scripture says, "Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain," and, "The worker deserves his pay."”

“Do not muzzle an ox...“ - From Deut. 25:4. This is a command to the Israelites, in the midst of a couple of chapters of various laws about community living. I do not know if the Jews had any cattle or grain when in Egyptian captivity. We know for sure they didn’t have some of this while wandering through the wilderness for 40 years. There must have been some sheep or other type cattle to be used for offerings and sacrifices. They were fed manna and quail - bread and meat. In those wandering years, the adults that escaped from Egypt died. Perhaps the knowledge of how to raise, harvest and process grain was lost when the adults died.
Try to imagine how the grain would be separated from the stalks of wheat. My minds sees an ox connected to a post, and the ox walks in a circle with harvest grain laying on the ground. The tromping hooves broke up the heads of grain and the stalks. The resulting wheat would then be winnowed, leaving just he kernels of grain. If the ox is going to be worked all day long, it would be cruel to prevent the animal from getting an occasional ‘snack’ - after all, the animal earned it, saving the humans from such labor! By the way: Wikipedia has a really good explanation of indoor and outdoor threshing. (See: threshing floors.)

"worker deserves his pay" - God has always provided for those who serve Him as priest - or as teacher, preacher, and evangelist. The Levites were supported by the tithes the people brought to the tabernacle or temple. (See: Lev. 19:13; Deut. 24:15; 25:4) Our pastors and elders are supported by our tithes and gifts. It has been this way since the beginning of the church in Jerusalem. See: Acts 4:33-37.

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Gal. 1:10-12 - Appointed by God

10 Am I now trying to gain the approval of people, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a slave of Christ!
11 Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel I preached is not of human origin.
12 For I did not receive it or learn it from any human source; instead I received it by a revelation of Jesus Christ.

Paul’s Personal Testimony

This starts a long section of this letter in which Paul gives personal history (See verses 1:13-2:14). He is defending and justifying his apostleship. He is giving his background to Christians of Galatia who may not have met him.

Vs. 10 “trying to please people?” - Paul was committed completely to God even before he believed in Jesus. He was sure the early church was blaspheming God. He was so sure that he hunted them down, arrested them under the authority of the Jewish leaders to punish and execute them if necessary. All to please God!

Paul was flabbergasted when he met Jesus face-to-face on the road to Damascus. (See: Acts 9:1-5 )
God (Jesus) said, “Why are you persecuting Me?”
Paul’s response, “Wait. What?”

Paul knew this encounter was with God. No one else comes in blinding light! He knew, or at least thought he knew, persecuting Christians was serving God. Consider the confusion therein: he was passionately serving God, yet God just revealed He was being persecuted!

Paul asked, “Who am I persecuting, really?” (A rough paraphrase of, “Who are you?”)
The answer knocked Paul even further off balance, “I am…”
Instantly, Paul knew who was speaking! Jesus was God Himself.

Paul probably had memorized the scripture in which Moses asked, “Who should I say has sent me?” (See: Exo. 3:14) He KNOWS who “I Am” is.
The Jews knew Jesus’ claimed to be God. Jesus answered some question concerning His authority and the Jewish leaders parsed every sentence, every word Jesus uttered. See John 8:57-59. They knew exactly what Jesus meant. They were not confused. Up until this moment, neither was Paul!

The point is: Paul’s passion to serve God was not diminished by the encounter near Damascus, only redirected.

“I would not be a slave of Christ!” - We can desire to get approval from those around us, or seek God’s approval first. A man cannot serve two masters. (Luke 16:13, Matt. 8:21-22, Luke 14:16-24, 1 John 2:15-16) If people are pleased because we serve Christ, great. ( Col. 3:23-24 ) Sometimes in movies, a character saves another by some action. The second guy says, “I owe you one.” We are the second guy. We don't owe just one. We owe Jesus ALL.
Can we ever repay? Our mind, our soul, our spirit, and our body are His.
He paid for them. We can accept that fact and live for Jesus.
Or, we can reject Him and lose it all.
Being Christ’s slave is not onerous.
What a paradox: we are free, and we are slaves!

vs. 11 “not of human origin” - Paul did not receive the gospel from Barnabas, Ananias, Peter or any other human.
He learned the Law from Gamaliel.
He learned the gospel from Jesus.
That is one definition of ‘apostle’ - having learned God’s message of salvation from Jesus. Paul is unique. All the other apostles - Peter, James, John, and others - has personal contact with Jesus. They walked, talked, and learned from Him during His time here on earth. They were present during the sham trial and the real crucifixion. They met Him and talked with Him after the resurrection - in the upper room at Pentecost. They received the Holy Spirit, and preached in Jerusalem. Paul was not there for any of it. No wonder there was some skepticism about his commitment!

vs. 12 “revelation of Jesus Christ.” - The Good News was given to Paul by Jesus. See: Acts 9:15, 16. Think about that for a moment. Paul who was intelligent, learned, schooled in the scriptures (our Old Testament) after the encounter on the road to Damascus was taught by Jesus. I think he met Jesus face-to-face.
There is a cryptic reference in 2 Cor. 12:1-7, in which Paul refers to a man who was taken up into the third heaven.
Three Heavens! Per my understanding, are as follows:

1. Earth’s Atmosphere
2. Starry Night, the visible universe
3. In the presence of God and Jesus

There he was instructed, was given revelations too fantastic to be able to fully describe or explain! Paul does not say it was his own experience, but hints at it. As if it were too amazing to completely understand even though it happened to him. Look back at Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel who were overwhelmed by their experience.

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