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

  1. 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?

  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.

  3. 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?

  4. 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?

  5. 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?