In the letters to Timothy, Paul gave clear instructions about the structure and behavior of the church. В 1 Тимотей 5:22, Paul instructed Timothy to lay hands suddenly on no man. But what did Paul mean by lay hands suddenly on no man? Because Jesus commanded His disciples to lay hands on the sick and they would recover. Does the Bible contradict Itself about the laying on of hands? Не, the Bible doesn’t contradict Itself and shall never contradict Itself. Божието Слово е истината. Therefore the Bible is reliable and trustworthy. Обаче, you must read the Scriptures in the right context. Сега, let’s have a look at what Paul meant by not lay hands suddenly on no man.
What does lay hands suddenly on no man mean in the Bible?
Не полагайте внезапно ръце на никой човек, neither be partaker of other men’s sins: keep thyself pure (1 Тимотей 5:22)
When we read 1 Тимотей 5:22 in the right context, we can conclude that 1 Тимотей 5:22 has nothing to do with the laying on of hands on the sick. Както е написано преди, Jesus commanded His followers to lay hands on the sick. Paul walked after the Spirit in obedience to the Word. Paul would never contradict the Word and disobey the Word, but confirm the Word.
In Timothy 5:22 Paul didn’t speak about the sick, but Paul spoke about an elder, who had sinned. This sin was confirmed by two or three witnesses. (Прочетете също: ‘Why did Timothy have to rebuke a sinning elder before all man in the church?‘)
When Paul instructed Timothy to not lay hands on someone too hasty, Paul meant that Timothy should not be too hasty to:
- Ordain or appoint a believer as an elder in the church (събрание)
- Re-ordain or reinstate an elder, who had committed a sin
People are ordained in ministry by the laying on of hands
A person was ordained in ministry and put into position in the church through the custom of laying on of hands. We also read this in the Book of Acts:
And the saying pleased the whole multitude: and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolas a proselyte of Antioch: Whom they set before the apostles: and when they had prayed, they laid their hands on them (Актове 6:5-6)
As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them. And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away (Актове 13:2-3)
Timothy could not reinstate a sinning elder too hastily in the church, чрез полагане на ръце.
He had to be sure, that the person was profitable to function as an elder and to be an example and spiritual leader to the believers.
Timothy had to be sure, that a person was godly, full of faith and the Holy Spirit, and walked after the Spirit according to the Word.
An elder had to live a holy life and be an example to the believers. An elder couldn’t walk after the flesh in rebellion against God в греха.
How can an ambassador of the Kingdom of God walk after the flesh in sin?
How can an ambassador of the Kingdom of God walk at the same time in the kingdom of darkness and represent the darkness by walking after the flesh in sin?
If Timothy would appoint a sinning person as an elder or reinstate a sinning elder, then Timothy would become a partaker of sin.
This spiritual law applied to the church then and this spiritual law still applies to the church today. Sin means rebellion against God and His Word. When you are born again in Christ and become a new creation, you are no longer the old creation, who lives from his fallen state and his sinful rebellious carnal nature. You’re redeemed from your sinful rebellious nature, who always resists and rebels against the words of God. Therefore if you really have been redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ, you won’t rebel anymore.
The new creation loves God above all
Когато се раждате отново, you won’t rebel against God and His Word, because of the transformation of your nature. You’ll submit to the Word of God and obey Him. Because you don’t want to do anything that displeases God defile the church, and damage or hurt the Kingdom of God.
All you want to do is to please and exalt God. That’s the desire of the new heart на новото творение, who loves God above all.
Сега, if you want to please and exalt Jesus Christ and the Father, you believe and obey the words of Jesus, пазете заповедите му, и изпълнявайте волята Му
You will do, what He wants you to do and what He has commanded you to do.
Regeneration means a new Father, ново сърце, нова природа, a new position, a new life and a new Kingdom.
Въпреки че живееш в този свят, you don’t belong to this world and the generation of fallen man (старото творение) вече.
Вие сте а ново творение и принадлежат на Бога. Therefore you obey God and His Word. You do what He says and not do what the world and the ruler of this world (дяволът) казвам. Не забравяйте, you will obey the person, you believe in and love.
How did Timothy know if someone was living a holy life?
How did Timothy know if someone was living a holy life? There were two ways to judge if someone was living a holy and sanctified life:
- By the discernment of spirits, чрез Светия Дух
- By looking at the fruit of a person’s life (including family life)
Someone can be very pious and charismatic in his or her appearance and act religiously correct in front of people, but as soon as there are no people around and when no one is looking, the person does things in secret that go against God’s will. The person can live some kind of скрит double life. В този случай, only the Holy Spirit can reveal the works and heart of the person. The Holy Spirit tells you, if the person is truly as pious as he presents himself or not.
God is omnipotent and sees everything
God is omnipotent and sees everything! Nothing is hidden before God. God reveals every dark hidden place in someone’s life. When people think that God doesn’t see what they are doing, only proves that they don’t know God or the Word; Исус.
The Holy Spirit knows what’s inside a person’s heart. He alone reveals those things, which are hidden from man’s natural eyes. That’s why we need the Holy Spirit in our lives and obey Him. So that we have spiritual eyes and discern the spirits.
Many ministers in the church walk after the flesh
Ходете в Духа, and you shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh (Галатяни 5:16 KJV)
When people are ordained in ministry and commit a sin or persevere in sin, it shows that the sinning ministers don’t walk after the Spirit but after the flesh. Because if ministers walk after the Spirit, they shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh and sin.
The flesh with all its lusts and desires has died in Christ and therefore the flesh no longer lives. This means if church ministers do the works of the flesh, it proves that their flesh has not died in Christ but is still alive. (Прочетете също: Какво казва грехът на църковните водачи за тях?).
A sinning minister has an evil heart of unbelief
Besides proving that the minister walks after the flesh, it shows that there is evil in the heart of the person.
За отвътре, извън сърцето на хората, продължете зли мисли, прелюбодеяния, блудства, убийства, кражби, алчност, нечестие, измама, ласкавост, зло око, богохулство, гордост, глупост: Всички тези зли неща идват отвътре, и оскверни човека (Знак 7:21-23)
Внимавай, братя, за да няма в някой от вас зло сърце на неверие, в отстъпление от живия Бог. Но всеки ден се увещавайте един друг, докато се нарича To day; за да не се закорави някой от вас чрез измамата на греха (Евреи 3:12-14)
A church minister has responsibilities towards God, Исус, Светият Дух, и християни.
Следователно, a minister should live a holy life devoted to God.
If a minister doesn’t live a holy life, but secretly commits sin, then the whole church (събрание) becomes a partaker of his/her sin.
Освен това, if a minister habitually lives in sin, it proves that the devil still has authority over his/her life. The minister is a slave of the devil and of sin, instead of a slave of Christ and of righteousness.
Ministers should keep the church; the body of Jesus Christ clean
Timothy was a gatekeeper of the church; тялото на Христос. His task was to keep the body of Christ clean and holy and prevent the body from any defilement. That’s why Paul instructed Timothy to lay hands suddenly on no man. This means to not (повторно)ordain or reinstate someone too quickly in ministry.
Пол знаеше, that there would be a considerable chance, that after a while, the person would do it again and fall back into the same sin and/or commit another sin.
The cross means saying farewell to the flesh; the sinful rebellious nature, that won’t submit to the will of God.
What does lay hands suddenly mean for the Church Today?
Paul commanded Timothy to lay hands on no man suddenly. What Paul commanded Timothy to do, still applies to the church today. In Today’s ministry, leaders should not be too hasty to lay hands and re-ordain or reinstate someone, who committed sin or still walks in sin. Nor should leaders be too hasty to ordain someone in ministry, who is a new convert. Let the new convert, На първо място, be disciplined and spiritually mature. Let the new convert do the things that Jesus has commanded every believer to do, which is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ; Словото, lay hands on the sick, изгони демони, и така нататък.
В наши дни, there are many ministers, who fall into sin. In some cases, the person will be dismissed and removed from ministry for a short period. The sinning leader confesses his or her sins, repents or blames someone else, and in no time, the leader will be reinstated.
Especially when the person is an family member or friend of the pastor, старейшини, leaders of the church, church board, и така нататък.
But this is not the way the Bible commands us to deal with a sinning elder or other church leaders.
В тази възраст, people deal so easily with sin. They condone sin and consider it normal. Защо? Many Christians are carnal and believe the lies of the devil and use many excuses to approve of sin. Те казват, We all sin, ние сме all sinners, Times have changed, we live in a different time now, We must love and not condemn, Jesus told us not to judge, и така нататък.
But these are all lies from the devil! Заради тези лъжи, there are only a handful of Christians, who long for a sanctified and holy life in Jesus Christ and a holy body.
Why do many Christians fall back into the same sin?
Many Christians sin, покайте се, and continue with their lives. And in no time they fall back into the same old sin. There is no true remorse anymore and therefore no true repentance. Because if there were true remorse and repentance, Christians would not fall back into the same sin again and again.
They are carnal and don’t love and fear the Lord above all. Вместо това, they love themselves and (the things and pleasures of) светът. They want to do the will of the flesh and fulfill the lusts, и желания на плътта. Instead of being controlled by the Holy Spirit and walking in righteousness and hating sin, they are controlled by the spirits of this world and condone sin and walk in sin and iniquity .
They don’t consider sin as evil and bondage to the devil and death. They don’t acknowledge, and recognize the spiritual cause of sin. Because the root of sin is spiritual and not carnal. That’s why people fall back into the same old sin over and over again and allow unclean spirits to control their lives.
If there is sin present in the leadership of the church, how much more will sin be present in the lives of Christians?
What is sin according to the Bible?
What is sin according to the Bible? Както е написано преди, sin is rebellion against God and His Word. It means that you won’t believe, receive, and follow up His words and do His words in your life. Вместо това, you adjust and change His words so that they will fit into your life and you can live your own life, fulfilling your carnal will, Страсти, и желания. And that’s what’s happening in many churches. They change and adjust the Word of God to the will, Страсти, and desires of the people.
Знаейки това, you can conclude that many church leaders and church visitors walk in sin. They walk in rebellion against God and His Word. Living according to their own will and opinions, instead of the will of God, and setting their own rules instead of keeping God’s commandments.
Мислят, че са угодни на Бог. Но в действителност, they please and serve the devil, by denying the Word of God and by adjusting and changing the Word to the knowledge of this world and to the carnal will, желание, and lusts of man.
Many churches are not founded on the Word. But they are founded upon the knowledge of this world and upon their own philosophies, мнения, констатации, и преживявания. But worldly knowledge and man’s opinions, констатации, and experiences don’t make the truth and don’t lead people to eternal life. Only the Word of God is and will always remain the Truth and leads to eternal life.
"Бъди солта на земята"
