“I solemnly command you in the presence of God and Christ Jesus and the highest angels to obey these instructions without taking sides or showing favoritism to anyone.”
1 Timothy 5:21 (NLT)
Paul gives Timothy a steep challenge—to treat everyone with fairness, without favoritism. And the audience watching? God, Jesus, and the angels. That’s no small crowd. It shows how serious these instructions are.
The theme of this chapter is treating fellow believers like family. Families care for their own, and Paul applies that same principle to the church. Widows who have lived faithfully should be supported in their time of need. Elders who serve well should be respected and provided for. And families who refuse to care for their relatives are said to be “worse than unbelievers.” When we see each other as family, these responsibilities become clearer.
But living this out isn’t easy. Parents know the temptation to discipline one child differently than another because one is more like them. Leaders face the same struggle with people they know or love best. Yet Paul insists that truth and grace apply equally to all. That’s only possible by the power of the Holy Spirit. Like the true widow who anchors her hope in God, we too must rely on Christ as our living hope.
Paul closes with a sober reminder I heard often as a child: “your sins will find you out.” Our good deeds will be revealed in the same way! Nothing is hidden forever. So let us live with the awareness of heaven’s gaze—God, Jesus, and the angels watching—depending daily on the Spirit to help us walk in fairness and honor God’s Word with equality.