Gospel Over Culture: Understanding Paul's Words | Building a Gospel-Shaped Church | Week 8

If you have your Bibles today, and I hope you do, take those out and I'll meet you in

First Timothy chapter 5. We continue working our way through uh this letter

that Paul wrote to his young apprentice Timothy as he's leading a church in

Ephesus. This church had its issues just like every church. There's people there.

There's sinful people there just like every church. And he's giving him some

pastoral instructions uh as he works as we work through this

letter. Uh today I confess that both of the topics pop both of the people groups

that we're going to look at uh it's the last two groups that we'll look

at it's uh not comfortable for me to talk about but as I've mentioned before

u I'm not going to skirt around uncomfortable issues. I need to teach

the whole council of God's word. That is some of the wisdom that my dad taught

me. Joel, you got to teach it all. And so, we'll press through and and look at

all of what scripture has to say, even the ones that

aren't as comfortable. We finish uh we're going to take a break after

today and next week begins our Advent series. Uh so the next four weeks as we

look forward to the coming of Christ uh we'll be looking at our advent season. So I want to en encourage you to invite

friends to come with you for advent. It's just a special time that we can all

turn our hearts attention uh to the coming Christ child and ultimately to

his return to gather up his church. Uh following that we'll start the new year.

We'll finish up Timothy. We've got a couple of more uh portions of Timothy and then we're going to jump into a a

book of the Bible that I've never taught through uh the the Gospel of Matthew.

And so we'll start that in January and I hope to finish that up by 2030.

Thanks for getting that joke. But anyway, so we jump in today

uh looking at two groups of people. Uh we looked at honoring our elders last

week and our widows, young and old. And today we jump into two other groups, how

we can honor the elders of our church. And then the issue of slavery,

slavery in scripture. But the first group that we talk about are the elders.

And I confess to you as we read through this uh I'm I'm here to tell you and I want

to say this upfront before I jump into it that I feel

honored by Community of Grace. So the passage we're about to read, I

need you to know that I feel honored and taken care of and loved by this church body.

It's going to talk about double portions.

It's going to Does it talk about uh financially taking care of them? I just

need you to know, church, that I feel taken care of and am not here at all today saying I want or need more. God is

my provider and I am well taken care of. But he goes

into the issue of elders and how we can honor them. I am not the only elder. I

serve as one of the elders, a plurality of leadership here at Community of Grace

and I'm blessed to serve alongside some godly godly men and I'm thankful for

them. You have nominated recently a bunch of other men and I'm here to tell you the men that have been nominated are

of the highest quality men. Some of them have accepted and some of them have said

not at this time uh to serve as an elder here. But I just want you to know that I

appreciate your part in the nomination and the elder process here at Community

of Grace. So we look

at today's passage because it feels like Paul's jumping around all over the places all over the place in chapters

4-6. But it makes sense when it we come to put it all together in light of what

he said in chapter 3 14 and 15. Look at what it says. He Paul says to Timothy,

"I hope to come to you soon, but I'm writing these things to you so that if I delay,

you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God,

a pillar and buttress of the truth." And so, how one is to behave, he's

giving us a blueprint for a gospel-shaped church. That is who we want to be. Community of Grace. I've

said it before. In fact, somebody mentioned it to me online this last week. Uh uh the area code 80015.

It It needs to be more difficult for people to go to hell living in the area code 80015 because of the presence of

community of grace. That we be a church so committed to to connecting our church

and community to become change agents for Jesus. Man, it's they got to go around

us to get to hell. I It's my desire that we be the biggest

little church in Denver. Man, we leave a footprint for the kingdom of God,

the biggest little church in Denver. And so he

starts looking at this group we know as the elders.

We have already looked at other groups of people identifying church leaders in

chapter 3. We've looked at training and godliness in chapter 4. We've looked at showing honor and respect to our elders

in chapter 5 and even supporting our widows chapter 5:3. But here's the

underlying truth, and it's the same all the way through. The gospel of Jesus should be on full display in the church.

All groups of people should put on display the gospel of Jesus. That's

every single one of us. You know, oftentimes, and maybe more often than not, workplace relationships

are not the best. Maybe you've had an employer that did

nothing but serve himself, thought of nobody else but himself,

and sometimes that uh creates dissension among the g the ranks, bickering back

and forth between other employees about leadership, gossip, frustration, things going on

between employer and employee. But that is not to be the case in the

church. That should not be how it is in the church. In fact, the elders in a

church should have such care and such a desire to meet the needs of the people

that there there is a common concern going both ways. And that doesn't happen

all the time in our workplace settings. But in the church, it is to be

different. There's a real concern for the body by the elders. And so scripture

tells us, look in verse 17 of chapter 5. Let's look at this verse. Let the elders

who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor

in preaching and teaching. The elders who rule well, that word

rule. I would suggest that a another

way of translating that Greek word would be managing. Those who manage

well, should be considered. Now, I told you last week that chapter 5 has 16

imperative verbs, commands within it. The word be considered is the imperative

verb in in verse 17. Those that manage well, those that rule well should be

considered worthy of double honor. So you ask the question, how do we do that,

Joel? How how do we how do we show double honor?

When we talk about double honor, Paul is communicating that we we simply would be

very generous with our honor of our elders.

I want to be clear that this is not an open invitation for the church body to sit back in judgment and criticize and

critique how well the elders are managing

because the truth is the elders are not responsible to the body. The elders are

responsible and will be held accountable by God. Let me show you where I'm coming from. Hebrews chapter 13:E1 17

when speaking about the elders. Verse 17 says, "Obey your leaders and submit to

them for they are keeping watch over your souls as those will who will have

to give an account. Let them do this with joy, not with groaning,

for that would be of no advantage to you folks. We are the elders looking after

the souls. We are going to give an account to God for how we are managing the body of

Christ. The elder is responsible to God.

We are to manage well. So one of the ways one of the qualifiers that Paul

gives in this uh issue of honoring elders is that they manage well.

Second qualifier he gives is uh managing well. I just said that. The third

qualifier is pointed out to the one who teaches and preaches. We've already

looked at how important it is that elders be able to teach.

That they be able to refute those false teachers that are within the church. That they be able to say, "No, no, no,

no. That's not right. That's not what God's word says." and that they're able to teach

and respond to the false teaching. We see the word labor in that verse as

well. Those who labor in preaching and teaching. It is the same Greek word that is used in chapter 3 verse 10 where he

says this saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance. For to this end we toil, there's that same

word, toil in labor, the hard work of teaching and preaching.

Fourth way, fourth qualifier for managing

for these elders who are managing well and deserving of double honor, Philip Jensen, he comments here and I

appreciate his words. So I thought I would quote them here. He says the double double is usually taken to refer

to both senses of the word honor and value. That is both honor and honorarium.

More likely, however, the next few verses spell out the two honors do such

men. They are to be paid and protected. They are to be paid because the two

because of two extraordinary quotations from scripture. The first one out of

Deuteronomy 25 says, 'You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain. And the second one from Luke

10:7, the laborer deserves his wages. So another way we can honor our elders

is to take care of them. But in that taking

care of them, there's also another way that we can honor them, and that's to

protect them from false or unfounded accusations.

Look with me again at verse

19. Do not admit a charge against an elder except in the evidence of two or

three witnesses. We can honor elders by protecting them against false accusation.

In bringing this up, Paul instructs the instructs the church on how to deal with

true accusations. Those that are living in sin need to be dealt with. If we find an elder to be

living in sin, sin needs to be dealt with. But here's the deal, church.

Sin amongst any of us needs to be dealt with. But especially in this context, Paul is

dealing with those that are leading the church. But in dealing with sin,

the goal is not to to to shame them. The goal is to restore them.

I it's to bring them back.

When Jesus speaks of treating a sinner as a gentile or a tax collector, he's not speaking as a Pharisee who would

have had nothing to do with sinners. But he's addressing them as savior, a

savior who would eat and drink with a f as a friend with sinners and tax collectors and lay down his life to save

them. We all need to be careful in how we're living. Huh?

True. Every one of us secret sins that are in our lives, we

all need to be careful with how we're living. Sin is a serious issue within the church

and it needs to be taken care of and dealt with. Verse 22 and following are difficult to

uh interpret or at least I found them difficult to interpret.

It would be easy uh to look at these verses. Look at it with me. Verse 22. Do

not be hasty in the laying on of hands nor take part in the sin of others. Is he talking about the ordination of of

elders or is he talking about the restoring of sinners?

We're not sure. Not not easy. You guys look at it. Check me on this and you do your own study.

But it could easily be argued both ways.

It's not easy to understand what Paul's referring to when it comes to the laying on of hands. But verse 23, it's even

more difficult. Why did this verse get in there? Did he

just all of a sudden have Oh, I have a thought. Timothy, by the way, don't just drink water anymore. Have a glass of

wine every once in a while. It's good for your stomach. And then he goes right back to the issue of sin.

If he would have left that verse out, no one would have known a difference. No one would have thought I it feels like

that's just a I had a thought and so I need to write it down.

The the teaching is not difficult. It's plain. It's straightforward. Timothy had some stomach things going on. Timothy,

if you'll just add a little glass of wine every once in a while, the internal combustion system of your body will work a little better.

And then he goes back to the other topic

after verse 23. back to sin. Here's the deal. The sinner may be able to hide his sin now, but the day is coming when it

will be brought out of the shadows. In the same way, a person might be able to hide their good deeds now, but the day

is coming when even good deeds will be brought out of the shadows. We need to watch how we're living, folks.

We need to watch and take great care of our private life and how we're living

because what's going on in secret one day will be brought to light.

One day it will be brought to light.

Church, I'm not only grateful for our elders that we have, but I'm grateful for the elders that have been nominated.

As I mentioned earlier, uh some of these men have become dear

friends to me and I'm thankful to serve the Lord alongside of them. So Paul

addresses a group of people, the elders, and how we can honor them. But then he

moves on in chapter 6 verses 1 and two to another topic that is a sensitive

topic in our society and that of slavery. When you and I think of the word slaves

or slavery, images come up that are horrible, that are that are just

terrible and rightly so. But I do believe that I want to bring

some context today to help our understanding of this sensitive topic

because it it's relevant for us today. On November third, November 19th of

1863, President Abraham Lincoln gave the Gettysburg Address, one of the most

famous speeches ever given by a president of the United States. President Lincoln called for the

equality of people, which was a direct in direct conflict with the practices of the Confederate South.

Some even called it the Christian South.

pastors, church members across the South were buying, selling, and trading and using, and even abusing

predominantly African slaves. They came up with

the slave Bible. Missionaries were so concerned about the

souls of of these slaves that they, man, we got to get the gospel to them. So the

church came up with a Bible that would they

would they would find acceptable to give to the slaves.

I'll re remind you of some of the details about this slave. But I had no idea this thing existed

until speaking with one of the black pastors that I met at an IMB meeting from Kentucky.

Just just check this out. In their attempt to eliminate all verses that could plant the seed of rebellion in the

minds of slaves, about 90% of the Old Testament and 50% of the New Testament

was deleted. In the standard Protestant Bible, there

are 1,189 chapters. This one, this Bible that you and I are holding,

but in the Bible given to slaves, it only contains 232 chapters.

Don't be deceived by the size of this book. It was written or it's printed in a font size that people like me can

read. It's it's actually really small. It's excerpts from the King James version. It's just they cut out

everything. This was a horrible chapter not only in our nation, but it was a horrible

chapter amongst Christians in our nation.

What about slaves?

That time in our nation's history uh makes our text here in First Timothy

even more sensitive. So Paul addresses slavery. When people

come across Paul's words, they might be confused. Is Paul affirming? Is Paul

saying it's okay to have slaves? You look at some of the New Testament, other New Testament like Colossians.

Is Paul okay with slavery? You you go to the Old Testament and that can even

bring more confusion to this issue of slavery.

It'll be helpful to have a little background in our uh in the context of our

discussion of slavery. World history is filled with various types of slavery and

I want to mention just a few. I do not have time to

go into great depth about slavery, but I want to point out a few.

First one I want to point out is Hebrew servantthood. Hebrew servantthood. When

we look at God's law for his people in the Old Testament, we see ai a system of servantthood.

It was set up for for people that were living in poverty to become servants.

This servantthood was designed to help pe provide the poor people, the poorer Israelites and their families. Uh so so

look with me if you if you want to turn to Leviticus chapter 25

and I'm going to read verses 35-43 just to help us with context

and understanding this issue of slavery. I think it's a it's a it's an important thing because I think we get asked

questions about slavery. I'm going to start in Leviticus 25:35.

If your brother becomes poor and cannot maintain himself with you, you shall support him as though he were a stranger

and a sojourer, and he shall live with you. Take no interest from him or

prophet. But fear your God, that your brother may live beside you. You shall

not lend him your money at interest, nor give him your food for profit. I am the

Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt to give you the land of Canaan and to be your God. Verse 39,

check this out. If your brother becomes poor beside you

and sells himself to you, you shall not make him serve as a slave.

He shall be with you as a hired worker and a sojourer. He shall serve with you until the year of Jubilee.

For he shall go out from you and his children with him and go back to his own clan and return to the possession of his

fathers. For they are my servants whom I brought out of the land of Egypt. They shall not

be sold as slaves. You shall not rule over them ruthlessly, but shall fear

your God. This is pointing out that system of Hebrew servantthood.

Hebrew servantthood.

They were not to be treated as a slave, but a hired worker. They entered a contractual agreement with an employer,

working until he was back on his feet.

Were there unlikely were there likely some unjust people that treated him poorly? Sure.

Another form of slavery that we see in history is Roman slavery.

Slavery was a huge part of the Roman society and economy. Some scholars estimate that onethird of every Roman

citizen was a slave. Out of that onethird there

were there were different practices of slavery. Some were simply employees like

teachers and craftsmen and cooks and etc.

But we need to understand that Roman slavery was not primarily

based on a person's skin color or ethnicity. It was based on their

economic status and their social status.

Despite some of these more humane practices of slavery in some cases, I don't want to paint a picture that

everything was rainbows and unicorns. They were still slaves.

They were still vulnerable for uh shame, abuse, being taken advantage of.

Make no mistake that there were still some cases of abuse in that setting as well. Another

form of slavery was in indentured servitude. This form of slavery was

common in colonial America. Many could come could not afford to come

to the new country on their own dime. They couldn't do it. So they would

contract themselves out as an indentured servant and agreed to work in a certain household until they were able to pay

back their debt. Historians estimate that over one half to twothird of the twothirds of the eur

European white immigrants who came to America came as indentured servants.

And this is really close to that Hebrew servantthood.

The last group that I want to point out is the African slave trade.

We're talking about slavery that was promoted in the 18th and 19th century. Millions of Africans were sold and

traded. They were transported from their homeland across the Atlantic. Many of them did not survive the journey.

When sold into slavery, they were subjected to harsh, cruel conditions.

Frederick Douglas, who was a prominent figure in the abolitionist movement, he

said this about his first slave master. He said, quote, "He was a cruel man,

hardened by a long life of slaveholding. He would at times seem to take great

pleasure in whipping a slave. I have often been awakened at the dawn

of a day by the most heartrening shrieks of an own aunt of mine.

who he used to tie up to a joist and whip till she was literally covered with

blood. No words, no tears, no prayers from from this gory victim seemed to

move the iron heart of its bloody purpose.

So you ask the question, Joel, why are you talking about this uncomfortable topic today?

Why are you bringing all this stuff up? Why are you bringing back American history and and and and this dark

chapter in the church, man, coming up with the slave Bible? Why are you bringing all this up?

Number one, I think it's not a bad idea. And I'm saying I think a bunch today. You can disagree with me. You guys talk

about this on your way home. I don't think it's a bad idea to be

reminded of our history. But the other reason I bring this up today is I want you to be aware that

this is not the kind of slavery that Paul is addressing in chapter 6:es 1 and

two.

Some of the slaves that Paul was addressing in chapter 6 verses 1 and two

were likely sitting amongst the other people sitting in the church that day.

sitting amongst brothers and sisters that loved them and cared for them.

Paul certainly wasn't ignorant to cruel slave owners. I'm guys, I'm I'm not acting and or trying to act like there

was everyone was perfect,

but he was by no means condoning the mistreatment of slaves. So, what about slavery in

scripture? I want to hit that really quick. You can go and do homework on this. This

this is uh it's it's we see it.

Biblical history is filled with various instances of slavery from the Hebrew servantthood all the way to the Roman

Gre Greco Roman slavery in the times of the New Testament.

But here's the deal. You might you might write this down. Slavery is not a part

of God's original plan. It is not a part of his original

created order of things. Slavery is a product of sin.

With that said, slavery is ultimately connected to sin in scripture, which means that specific situations in a

sinful world deserve specific instructions to a situation that's going

on in a sinful world. It was happening. And Paul is addressing

what was happening. But make no mistake, slavery is a

product of sin. He was addressing specific surroundings

of the specific surrounding of slavery in a specific time. And when we understand this, we can see that

biblical instruction concerning slavery does not imply, be

clear on this, because there is instruction concerning slavery. It does not imply biblical approval of slavery.

Slavery is not God's ultimate design. It is a product of sin. And when Paul addressed it, addresses it, he is not

endorsing it. He is giving Timothy some pastoral tools on how to help this

church that he is leading.

The Bible condemns slavery. You think about Genesis 1 verse 27.

God said he created people in his own image,

male and female. Slavery undermines that dignity that God

created in every single one of us. Slavery undermines that.

President Lincoln did not come up with the idea that all people are created

equally. God did. God did.

We are all to be equally submissive to God because all of us will be equally

judged by God. So let me read chapter 6 verses 1 and

two here what he's teaching this young

apprentice of his Timothy. He says, 'Let all that are under a yoke of bondervant,

let all who are under a yoke as bondervants regard their own master as

worthy of honor. And here's why. So that the name of God and the teaching

may not be reviled. Folks, I know that some of you in this

room, not okay, I'm acting as if I'm Paul.

There's people sitting here listening to these words that I know you're in the yoke of slavery.

But man, treat your master with honor in this sinful situation that you find yourself trapped in so that the word of

God may not be reviled.

God loves all and he sent his son to die for all. None are better than the other.

We will ultimately be set free from sin and death by God's grace through faith

in Jesus Christ. We are all equally

valued and have dignity in God's eyes.

Slavery undermines that. Scripture does not condone slavery.