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1 Timothy 5:24
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24 Some [tis] men's [anthropos] sins [hamartia] are [eisi] open beforehand, [prodelos] going before [proago] to [eis] judgment; [krisis] and [de] [kai] some [tis] men they follow after. [epakoloutheo] KJV-Interlinear
24 The sins of some men are quite evident, going before them to judgment; for others, their sins follow after. NASB
Our context is the evaluation for possible appointment of elders, teachers of the Word of God. Paul instructs Timothy to not be too hasty in making his selections. To investigate and get to know thoroughly those who would be candidates for the ministry, or any other possible position within the Church.
The judgment here refers to the evaluation of candidates and the decisions reached, for positions in the ministry or other purposes in society.
One does not have to toe the line of asceticism in order to be a pure and noble person. Paul has already told Timothy that he could and should take small portions of wine, to help his stomach ailments, as well as other medicinal treatments to help other ailments. These things do not hinder nor negate ones lifestyle in Christianity.
And in this verse, Paul tells us that when we evaluate people, for whatever purpose we might have, we will find those who are obviously (open beforehand) not fit for the purpose, and in that regard they are easily rejected.
However, there will be those candidates whose disqualifications are not so obvious, and in that regard, investigations and evaluations are to proceed slowly and purposefully in order to discover what truth exists in their personality and attitude.
The church is to perform these evaluations, in order to recruit and promote the best qualified people for the ministry. The success of the Church depends on qualified, objective, and thorough ministers to teach students successfully.
However, this principle of evaluation is not limited to just ministers. It likewise applies to employers when hiring employees, to men and women when dating and considering someone for marriage, to people when meeting others for friendships.
We do not look at everyone with suspicion, but we certainly do not go into a relationship with our eyes closed. Common sense and patience, should dictate, or play a big role in how we approach professional or social relationships in life.
This is not a perfect world, and bad decisions are bound to occur, but with patience and objective knowledge gathered concerning someone, then we discover the best possible candidate for success, and we limit the possibilities for failure.
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