
Do Not Rebuke A Rebuke
First Timothy 5:1-2
Part of Sunday Messages & Discussion Questions
April 14, 2024
What binds Christians together is not social, political, or racial compatibility, but rather spiritual compatibility in Christ.
1 Timothy 5:1-2
Do not rebuke an older man, but exhort him as a father, younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, younger women as sisters, with all purity.
1 Timothy 5:1
Do not rebuke an older man, but exhort him as a father…
The goal of a rebuke is to course correct that which is coarse and incorrect.
Do not rebuke a rebuke without reviewing the rebuke.
Do not let hurt feelings hinder the reproof that was meant to help your faith.
1 Timothy 5:1
Younger men as brothers…
Iron sharpens iron—sparks may fly, but character will rise.
1 Timothy 5:2
Older women as mothers…
1 Timothy 5:2
Younger women as sisters, with all purity.
Contrary to the worldly notion of “do not judge,” Christian’s ought to do nothing without making godly judgments.
Discussion Questions
- How does the foundation of spiritual compatibility in Christ, as opposed to social or racial compatibility, impact the unity of a Christian community? With unity in Christ being our binding agent, how then should we treat each other according to 1 Timothy 5:1-2?
- In what ways does the biblical guidance on rebuking (1 Timothy 5:1-2, Titus 1:9, Titus 2:15, 2 Timothy 3:16) challenge contemporary notions of confrontation and correction? Discuss this quote: The goal of a rebuke is to course correct that which is coarse and incorrect.
- Discuss the balance/blend between love and confrontation in relationships, drawing from Proverbs 9:8, 12:1, 15:32, and 27:6. How should Christians navigate hurt feelings resulting from rebukes meant for spiritual growth?
- What is the proper understanding/context of Matthew 18:20? How does the sequence of church discipline, as laid out in Matthew 18:15-20, differ from the common misuse of how people in the church tend to deal with sin or conflict?
- Discuss the familial dynamic that Paul instructs Timothy to consider.
What implications do the instructions regarding older women as mothers and younger women as sisters (1 Timothy 5:2, Titus 2:3-5) have for the interactions and dynamics within a church community?