“Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine” (1 Timothy 5:17).
TEXT — 1 Timothy 5:17-25
Message
The corporate industries especially the blue chips understand the power of appropriate remuneration for workers. Labour unions fight for wage increase regularly to ensure that their members earn living wages that make them happy. Workers are highly motivated and perform more when they are well- remunerated. Salaries, wages, bonuses, commissions, fringe benefits, promotions and awards denote various reward levels in the labour field.
The culture of remuneration in kind is brought into Apostle Paul’s instruction to Timothy in today’s passage. He said that church leaders who perform well are worthy of double honour. In saying this, Paul was not merely expressing his opinion but a principle of Christ that the labourer deserves his wages (Luke 10:7).
The double honour for excelling workers can be in the form of commendation, respect, financial support, promotion and higher responsibility. Part of the double honour for excelling leaders is that frivolous, unsubstantiated allegations must not be entertained against them. This does not exonerate them from being investigated and disciplined if they sin. However, church members should esteem such leaders highly and provoke them to do more.
Conferment of double honour on deserving workers, if not well managed, can give room for preferential treatment and become counterproductive. To avoid such, the apostle warns against partiality or treating some people without serious rebuke and discipline when they sin. All who deserve open rebuke should not be spared, whether workers or members. There should be a balance between double honour for excellence and open rebuke for infractions in the church.
Thought for the day
No one can receive honour who never gave one. our needs if we trust Him.
Listed among “500 most powerful people on the planet” by the Foreign Policy magazine in 2013, Pastor (Dr.) William F. Kumuyi is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry (DCLM) headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria. DCLM started in 1973 as a 15-member Bible study group right in Kumuyi’s apartment at University of Lagos where he was a lecturer. His revolutionary Bible teaching on personal holiness and commitment to evangelism soon gained so much traction and resulted in a widespread revival.
