However, an apostle is not a pope. If we read the New Testament carefully, we shall see that the elders are not appointed by anyone who is a dictator or who exercises autonomous authority. On the contrary, elders are appointed in the way of life. As the saints in a particular locality meet together to worship God and to serve the Lord, it will be manifested that certain brothers have a greater degree of maturity than others. Although no one will be fully mature, some will be comparatively mature. Not even in Philippians 3 did Paul regard himself as matured in full. Because maturity is relative, the qualifications of an elder are not absolute. In other words, an elder’s qualifications are comparative. Among all the saints in a local church, certain brothers, by comparison, are more qualified and mature than others. These brothers are manifested as such before the eyes of the church, and all the saints clearly realize that these are the ones who should be appointed elders. This appointment does not come either by a vote of the congregation or by the exercise of autonomous authority. Instead, elders are selected according to the insight and foresight of the saints. Based upon the saints’ insight and foresight, the apostles then appoint certain ones to be elders. The apostles minister the Word, bring others to the Lord’s salvation, and edify them after they are saved; they also establish these believers as a local church. Therefore, they have the standing and the position to say that those who have been manifested as relatively more mature than others should be appointed elders.

In verse 20 Paul continues, “Those who sin reprove before all that the rest also may be in fear.” The fact that apostles can rebuke elders who sin indicates that the apostles have authority over the elders. The expression “before all” refers to the whole church. A sinning elder should receive public reproof because of his public position. If an elder is reproved publicly, the rest of the elders will be “in fear.”

Verse 21 says, “I solemnly charge you before God and Christ Jesus and the chosen angels that you guard these things without prejudice, doing nothing by way of partiality.” The elders in a local church are God’s deputy authority. Dealing with them is a solemn thing before God. Hence, the apostle solemnly charged Timothy before God, Christ, and the angels to do it in such a way that the chosen angels, the good angels with God’s authority, may see that His authority is established and maintained among His redeemed people on earth.

Paul’s use of the term “chosen angels” indicates that here he is dealing with administration, government, authority. The book of Daniel indicates that the chosen angels are authorities, representatives of God’s administration. Paul deliberately uses the term “chosen angels” to indicate that here his instructions are related to administration, government, and authority in the church. Paul not only charged Timothy before God and Christ Jesus, but also charged him before the chosen angels.

Paul’s charge to Timothy in verse 21 was to “guard these things without prejudice, doing nothing by way of partiality.” To guard is to observe and keep. Prejudice refers to prejudgment, condemnation, before hearing the case, and partiality refers to inclination, favor, or bias. The words “without prejudice” imply without prejudgment to the credit of the accuser, whereas “doing nothing by way of partiality” implies no perverted favor to the accused elder. On the one hand, Timothy was not to take sides with those who made an accusation against an elder. To give them credit in a hasty way would be to show prejudice. On the other hand, Timothy was not to be partial, not to show perverted favor, to the elder against whom the accusation was made. Therefore, in handling an accusation against an elder, three matters should be observed: first, there must be the word of two or three witnesses; second, there should be no prejudice; and third, nothing should be done by partiality. No credit should be given privately to the accusers, and there should not be any perverted favor toward the one accused.
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