1 Timothy 5:17 — The elders who rule well are to be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching.
Paul is giving Timothy instructions to help him pastor and establish the local fellowship at Ephesus. In chapter 3 of this letter, he already outlined the qualifications that must be met by those who would serve as elders in the church - those whose work is much taken up with the ministry of the Word. In our text, he gives instructions about how the church is to regard the elders God has given her.
In view of all we have seen in this series concerning the Word of God, what it is and what it does, and concerning the preaching of that Word and the critical role it plays in the life of a local church, we shouldn't be surprised at what Paul says. The church is to consider such men worthy of double honor, and particularly if they are those elders the Lord has called to labor primarily in the preaching and teaching of the Word. The phrase "double honor" is interesting. "Honor" means compensation given in relation to special service as a way to show respect and honor to the one serving. "Double honor" therefore implies twice the pay that would denote such honor and respect.
We can take away several lessons from this text. First, God underlines how important His Word is, in that He wants his children to treat the preachers of His Word with double honor - they should be well paid and rewarded for their labors in view of what they are. Second, those fellowships that short-change their teaching elders or pastors ("nickel and dime" them, we might say) can hardly expect blessing from the Lord, since they are in flagrant breach of the directive the Lord gave to the church through Paul. Third, if we do not hold such men in high honor, we are out of step with the Lord on a very important point - these are the men through whom Christ speaks to His church today.
Fourth, it is not obvious how we are honoring the labors of these men if we never give to the church our portion of the double honor of which the Lord says they are worthy. And finally, if we are not there to hear the results of their labors, for which the Lord says they are worthy of double honor, how are we ourselves honoring their service and showing that we agree with what our Lord says of these men?
We live in days when churches routinely mistreat their pastors and elders in many ways, and seem to believe that paying them honor is an optional extra which it is in their power to perform or not, as they please. This week, let's meditate on this text and if we find we are out of step with the Lord, let's repent of it and restore our elders to the place they should occupy in our esteem and in our thinking - the place that the Lord accords to them! And let's show that we have done this not just by being present when they preach, but by listening attentively to what our Lord has to say to us through them and being thankful to Him for every faithful man He raises up to bring His Word to us!
