Paul's Charge to Timothy - Part 3

You are reading Part 3 of a six part series.  click here for part 2 or here to start.

Our last post covered reproof as it is mentioned in 2 Tim 4:2. In this third part of our series regarding Paul's Instruction to Timothy,we turn our attention to rebuking.  This is a tacky issue for most Christians and therefore I want to implore you to bear with me as I try to unravel what Paul means by saying that there is a place for rebuking.  I intend no offense by what I might say but as I always instruct my audience.  Check out what I say against scripture.  I strongly encourage discussion and if you strongly disagree and believe I am in error, please comment accordingly.
 

During my previous posts, I have actually incorporated the third term use in the Timothy charge – rebuke.  A rebuke is stronger than a reprove.  Rebuking tends towards the person while reproving tends towards the doctrine, belief or action.  Additionally, rebuking tends towards the believer while reproving tends towards the sinner.  This is not set in stone but it is a useful way of referring to it.  If you try and look up reprove and rebuke in your bible, and compare it with another translation you will see that the two words are interchanged a lot.  It is a bit like the difference between scarlet and crimson.

Do not concern yourself too much with the comparison and try to come up with a hard and fast difference. However be aware that the “do not judge” policies of some appears to have come about as a result of a misunderstanding of the difference between reproof and rebuke.

According to Mickelson’s Enhanced Strong’s Greek and Hebrew Dictionaries, the Greek word used in this passage – Elegcho (pronounced  - El-eng-kho) means Confute or Admonish.  Confute means to deny or disprove, while admonish is to reprimand, rebuke or warn.  Since the verse contains the word rebuke as well, it may be seen to mean that Paul’s intentions with this word was more with the confuting facet –Disproving.  Remember that a theme in Paul’s letter to Timothy was to beware of false prophets and teachings.  Be on your guard from blasphemers.  Timothy was sent by Paul into pagan hotspots where Christians were contending with pagans.  (Pagans do not call themselves pagans by the way) – Corinth, Thessalonica, Philippi, Colossi.   Thessalonian Christians were contending with Non-Christian Jews. In this context, which is relevant, the denial and disproval was targeted at false teachings and pagan belief. This raises an interesting point:

Have you ever used this saying, or had this saying said to you, “Do not judge lest you be judged yourself?”  You may be surprised by this, but the quote in the bible is actually “Judge not that ye not be judged”(Mt 7:1)  It is also used in Romans chapter two verse one.

Therefore you are without excuse, whoever you are, when you judge someone else. For on whatever grounds you judge another, you condemn yourself, because you who judge practice the same things.

This verse is a favourite of  those who come under rebuke or reproof. The main problem with their defence is that while Jesus said, “Judge not, lest you be judged,” also said later in the same verse “you will know them [false prophets, etc.] by their fruits."  If I have a bad fruit, I can judge if it is good or not by looking at it and inspecting it. 

Then across in John 7:24, Jesus tells us to judge!

Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.

Paul says plenty of times do not judge but his letters are full of judgements.

Towards the end of Chapter 4, James says that we should not judge but then rips into people in chapter 5!

There was a popular African-American preacher who was a strong Anti-Homosexuality campaigner.  He preached from the pulpit and on TV with all the fire and brimstone against homosexual activity.  Recently he fell from grace as he was exposed as a homosexual himself when it was revealed that he was having sexual relations with a young man. – “For on whatever grounds you judge another, you condemn yourself, because you who judge practice the same things.”

The founder of the Seventh Day Adventist Church – Ellen G White, laid down many so called God Inspired laws on her followers. One such rule was the banning of eating shellfish, eggs, duck, pork, tea, coffee, etc.  She claimed that God showed her that eating of such things was an abomination to God.  I will not debate whether the list is scriptural or not, but nevertheless she literally persecuted and tormented believed that were caught easting such things.  Yet there are eyewitness reports, even from her family that she loved eating oysters.  Demanded herrings (banned) to eat (this was screamed out by one of her children at a camp meeting when the organisers questioned their cleanliness) and one of her trusted companions noted that her table always had a large bowl of fresh eggs on it. – “For on whatever grounds you judge another, you condemn yourself, because you who judge practice the same things.”

Mrs White’s judgemental actions were akin to the Pharisees.  They introduced man-made rules on top of the Laws of God.  Jesus himself never broke any of the Law yet we see the Pharisees accuse him four times of breaking the Sabbath.  He did not break any of the Sabbath Laws laid down by God through Moses but rather willingly broke pharisaic law to prove a point.  In fact Jesus called them a Brood of Vipers twice and John the Baptist called them the same once.  Matthew 23 contains his most vitriolic attack on the Pharisees for their hypocrisy, in what is termed the Seven Woes.

“Woe to you, experts in the law and you Pharisees, hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs that look beautiful on the outside but inside are full of the bones of the dead and of everything unclean. (Matt 23:27)

So Paul’s instruction to Timothy to reprove (in this case; confute – disprove) is not in conflict with Paul’s instruction to the Romans.  Timothy was expected to challenge and disprove whatever beliefs and opinions were not in line with God.  He of course could not disprove something that he himself believed or practiced in secret as that would be hypocritical and make him no better than a Pharisee.

This has practical implications for us today.  Whenever we hear or see things or doctrines that are contradictory to scripture including the Gospel we must be ready to reprove that doctrine.

It is not we that judge but it is the Word of God that Judges.  If we judge people according to the Word of God then just as we judge them in that manner to too God judges us.

But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. (1 Cor 2:15)

Here the the word Judgeth is from the Greek, krino which means ‘to discern.’  The same word krino occurs in the "Do not Judge" verse too.  If you discern (judge) something is wrong then Paul is saying that reproval or a rebuke is in order.

If you check the Strong’s reference whenever the word “judge” appears, you will find that it translates from krino “discern.”  And we discern actions by comparing with  scripture.

So judge (discern) everything against the Word of God because you too are judged (discerned) against the Word of God.  That judgement is not divisive as in you judge someone because you see them drinking a beer, or seen at a nightclub.  Are you judging them because they are at the nightclub, or have you discerned that something is not right with their walk with God?  I see Salvation Army officers in nightclubs - giving out their magazine.I see Christians in kava bars - witnessing - I do it! See the difference?  The judgement that we are talking about when it comes to exhorting and reproving has to do with discernment.   

Now that we have covered the three facets to do with preaching the message, or the Word of God, we will move in the next post to looking at the preceding words - "Be Ready"