1 Timothy 5:17-25; Psalm 112

1 Timothy 5:17-25
Preachers and teachers of the Word, who do their work faithfully, deserve our respect and our support. vv.17-18  The church should provide for them so that they can provide for their own families and live without undue financial worry. We are not to listen to idle gossip about anyone but especially not about our pastor or other church leaders unless the accusation is confirmed by two or three witnesses. Obviously, if a leader is found to be in sin, he should be reprimanded before the congregation. Remember that church leaders are not exempt from sin, weaknesses, and mistakes. But we should not make it our business to find fault regarding minor imperfections, disappointments, or personality differences. Rather we should pray for our leaders and encourage them.

Paul reminds Timothy that the church should never be in a hurry to appoint a church leaders. They must have strong faith and a good character and reputation as we saw in 1 Timothy 3.

It's unclear why Paul included the instruction found in v. 23. Apparently, Timothy had been unwell, and this is encouragement to take care of himself. For one thing, the water in that day may have been impure. In any case, this is clearly not permission to over-indulge in alcohol, but rather to be careful about our health.

vv. 24-25 encourages us to be right with God on the inside and the out. Some sins may be more public than others, but this reminds us that God sees it all, and He will be our judge. We must be careful not to become self-righteous in any way. By the same token, some good deeds are more public than others, but God sees them all, and He will reward us.

Psalm 112
We are continuing with the "hallelujah psalms"! Many blessings are ours when we fear the Lord and delight in obeying his commands. v. 1

• God will bless us and our families. vv. 2-3
• We will be generous, compassionate, and righteous. vv. 4-5
• We won't be overcome by evil. v. 6
• We will confidently trust the Lord to take care of us. vv. 7-8
• We will share freely and give generously to those in need. v. 9
• We will have influence and honor, and our good deeds will be remembered. v. 9
• God will defeat the wicked! v. 10