Lay hands suddenly on no man, neither be partaker of other men's sins: keep thyself pure. 1 Timothy 5:22
In Paul’s letters to Timothy and Titus, the Spirit of God issued some of the most vital instructions in gospel order. When these principles are heeded, the enemy is shut out of the churches. This allows the flame of righteousness to burn in the hearts of the believers, and permits the light of the true gospel to shine brightly over the earth. Thus, the church’s great commission is fulfilled, and souls are saved.
But alas, for the greater part of the Christian era, these principles have been neglected. Unchecked by these heavenly rules, Satan himself sits down on the pews. As an honoured guest he ascends the pulpit, preaching apostasy and sin. And thus, shame and reproach have covered the church throughout the ages.
In one vital point of gospel order, Timothy was instructed to ‘lay hands suddenly on no man’. That is, not to be rash in ordaining any to the sacred office. Truly, it is sinful for a man to urge himself into gospel ministry without the prompting of the Holy Spirit. Timothy was instructed not to be a ‘partaker of other men's sins’ by approving them in the sacred office. Two verses later, in verse 24, Paul explains why great caution is to be exercised in appointing men to gospel work:
Some men's sins are open beforehand, going before to judgment; and some men they follow after.
There are some who will present themselves as willing workers whose ‘sins are open beforehand’ — their unsuitability for the ministry needs no deliberating upon, as the sins that God will one day judge them for if they do not repent are presently known to all. But with ‘some men they follow after’. The sinful characters of others are concealed under a cloak of piety that may not be seen by men until the day of judgment.
It is not to be deduced from this instruction that we are to set ourselves up as judges of other men, as though we should attempt to dissect the character and motives of our brethren, for in doing such we will be judged ourselves (Luke 6:37). What we are instructed to do is exercise wise caution in regards to working with or promoting anyone to public ministry prematurely. There need not be undue hesitation in laying hands on a worthy man, but ascertaining a man’s worthiness requires allowing him to develop his character. In time, a man’s deeds and doctrine will be shown to be in harmony with the spirit and truth of the word of God, or it will not.
Christopher Sparks