1 Timothy 5:19-20

Criticism of leaders is a favorite spectator sport. Paul directed that his readers should not entertain accusations against elders unless two or three witnesses agreed to give evidence of wrongdoing (cf. Deuteronomy 19:15; Matthew 18:16; John 8:17; 2 Corinthians 13:1). Following a private rebuke Timothy should publicly rebuke a persistently erring elder. This procedure would also discourage others from sinning. The sin in view is difficult to ascertain. The present tense implies continued sin, but the general word for sin (Gr. tous hamartanontas) leaves the offense unspecified. Perhaps the sin involved violating one of the elder qualifications including the general qualification of blamelessness. [Note: David A. Mappes, "The Discipline of a Sinning Elder," Bibliotheca Sacra 154:615 (July-September 1997):340.]

Who are the "all" and the "rest," the elders or the entire church?

". . . since the level at which the sin of the elder is being dealt with is that of two or three witnesses, the analogy with Matthew 18:15-18, particularly 1 Timothy 5:17, ’tell it to the church,’ would point to ’all the church’ as more likely . . ." [Note: Knight, The Pastoral . . ., p. 236.]

In our day the church leaders would be those responsible to carry out what Paul commanded Timothy to do. It seems reasonable to assume, on the basis of Matthew 18, that if they could deal with the problem adequately without involving the whole congregation, they would do so.

"’Where there’s smoke, there’s fire’ may be a good slogan for a volunteer fire department, but it does not apply to local churches. ’Where there’s smoke, there’s fire’ could possibly mean that somebody’s tongue has been ’set on fire of hell’! (James 3:6)." [Note: Wiersbe, 2:232.]