The Meaning of 1 Timothy 5:20 Explained

1 Timothy 5:20

KJV: Them that sin rebuke before all, that others also may fear.

YLT: Those sinning, reprove before all, that the others also may have fear;

Darby: Those that sin convict before all, that the rest also may have fear.

ASV: Them that sin reprove in the sight of all, that the rest also may be in fear.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Them that sin  rebuke  before  all,  that  others  also  may  fear. 

What does 1 Timothy 5:20 Mean?

Study Notes

sin
Sin.
sinned
Sin, Summary: The literal meanings of the Heb. and (Greek - ἀλεκτοροφωνία sin," "sinner," etc)., disclose the true nature of sin in its manifold manifestations. Sin is transgression, an overstepping of the law, the divine boundary between good and evil Psalms 51:1 ; Luke 15:29 , iniquity, an act inherently wrong, whether expressly forbidden or not; error, a departure from right; Psalms 51:9 ; Romans 3:23 , missing the mark, a failure to meet the divine standard; trespass, the intrusion of self-will into the sphere of divine authority Ephesians 2:1 , lawlessness, or spiritual anarchy 1 Timothy 1:9 , unbelief, or an insult to the divine veracity John 16:9 .
Sin originated with Satan Isaiah 14:12-14 , entered the world through Adam Romans 5:12 , was, and is, universal, Christ alone excepted; Romans 3:23 ; 1 Peter 2:22 , incurs the penalties of spiritual and physical death; Genesis 2:17 ; Genesis 3:19 ; Ezekiel 18:4 ; Ezekiel 18:20 ; Romans 6:23 and has no remedy but in the sacrificial death of Christ; Hebrews 9:26 ; Acts 4:12 availed of by faith Acts 13:38 ; Acts 13:39 . Sin may be summarized as threefold: An act, the violation of, or want of obedience to the revealed will of God; a state, absence of righteousness; a nature, enmity toward God.

Context Summary

1 Timothy 5:17-25 - Impartial And Kindly Supervision
A man of years was always to be honored, and if he were called to rule in the church, he was to be treated with double honor; but none should be appointed to that sacred office hastily or with partiality. Purity, gravity, and abstinence from alcohol were prime requisites in a Christian minister then, as they are now. It is clear from 1 Timothy 5:23 that the Apostles and their helpers practiced total abstinence, or there had been no need for that special injunction to Timothy.
It is clear also from 1 Timothy 5:17-18 that the early Church was encouraged to support its ministers. The Apostle quotes the words of our Lord, to maintain this contention, Matthew 10:10; Luke 10:7. The character of a minister might not be lightly aspersed. If anything had to be said, the informant must lodge his complaint in the presence of witnesses, who could be witnesses against him, if the charge were found to be baseless and frivolous. But public wrongs must be met by public rebuke that any suspicion of favoritism might be disarmed. No man, however, should be called to the sacred and responsible position of presbyter, unless he had been tested and approved. In forming judgments of the fitness of men for office, we must not judge wholly by appearance-good or bad, 1 Timothy 5:24-25. [source]

Chapter Summary: 1 Timothy 5

1  Rules to be observed in reproving
3  Of widows
17  Of elders
23  A precept for Timothy's health
24  Some men's sins go before unto judgment, and some men's follow after

Greek Commentary for 1 Timothy 5:20

Them that sin [τους αμαρτανοντας]
The elders who continue to sin (present active participle). [source]
In the sight of all [ενωπιον παντων]
“In the eye of See next 1 Timothy 5:21 and Galatians 1:20. Public rebuke when a clear case, not promiscuous gossip. May be in fear (ποβον εχωσιν — phobon echōsin). Present active subjunctive with ινα — hina (final clause), “may keep on having fear” (of exposure). Possibly, “the rest of the elders.” [source]
May be in fear [ποβον εχωσιν]
Present active subjunctive with ινα — hina (final clause), “may keep on having fear” (of exposure). Possibly, “the rest of the elders.” [source]
Them that sin [τοὺς ἁμαρτάνοντας]
Referring to Elders, who, by reason of their public position ( προεστῶτες ), should receive public rebuke. [source]
Rebuke [ἔλεγχε]
Comp. 2 Timothy 4:2; Titus 1:9, Titus 1:13; Titus 2:15. See on reproved, John 3:20. [source]
Others [οἱ λοιποὶ]
More correctly, the rest. His fellow Elders. [source]
May fear [φόβον ἔχωσιν]
May have fear, which is stronger than A.V. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for 1 Timothy 5:20

John 3:20 Lest his works should be reproved [ἵνα μὴ ἐλεγχθῇ τὰ ἔργα αὐτοῦ]
Rather, in order that his works may not be reproved. Ελέγχω , rendered reprove, has several phases of meaning. In earlier classical Greek it signifies to disgrace or put to shame. Thus Ulysses, having succeeded in the trial of the bow, says to Telemachus, “the stranger who sits in thy halls disgraces ( ἐλέγχει ) thee not” (“Odyssey, xxi., 424). Then, to cross-examine or question, for the purpose of convincing, convicting, or refuting; to censure, accuse. So Herodotus: “In his reply Alexander became confused, and diverged from the truth, whereon the slaves interposed, confuted his statements ( ἤλεγχον , cross-questioned and caught him in falsehood), and told the whole history of the crime” (i., 115). The messenger in the “Antigone” of Sophocles, describing the consternation of the watchmen at finding Polynices' body buried, says: “Evil words were bandied among them, guard accusing ( ἐλέγχων ) guard” (260). Of arguments, to bring to the proof; prove; prove by a chain of reasoning. It occurs in Pindar in the general sense of to conquer or surpass. “Having descended into the naked race they surpassed ( ἤλεγξαν ) the Grecian band in speed (“Pythia,” xi., 75). In the New Testament it is found in the sense of reprove (Luke 3:19; 1 Timothy 5:20, etc.). Convince of crime or fault (1 Corinthians 14:24; James 2:9). To bring to light or expose by conviction (James 5:20; Ephesians 5:11, Ephesians 5:13; John 8:46; see on that passage). So of the exposure of false teachers, and their refutation (Titus 1:9, Titus 1:13; Titus 2:15). To test and expose with a view to correction, and so, nearly equivalent to chasten (Hebrews 12:5). The different meanings unite in the word convict. Conviction is the result of examination, testing, argument. The test exposes and demonstrates the error, and refutes it, thus convincing, convicting, and rebuking the subject of it. This conviction issues in chastening, by which the error is corrected and the erring one purified. If the conviction is rejected, it carries with it condemnation and punishment. The man is thus convicted of sin, of right, and of judgment (John 16:8). In this passage the evil-doer is represented as avoiding the light which tests, that light which is the offspring of love (Revelation 3:19) and the consequent exposure of his error. Compare Ephesians 5:13; John 1:9-11. This idea of loving darkness rather than light is graphically treated in Job href="/desk/?q=job+24:13-17&sr=1">Job 24:13-17. -DIVIDER-
-DIVIDER-
[source]

1 Timothy 5:22 Lay hands hastily [χειρας ταχεως επιτιτει]
Present active imperative of επιτιτημι — epitithēmi in the sense of approval (ordination) as in Acts 6:6; Acts 13:3. But it is not clear whether it is the case of ministers just ordained as in 1 Timothy 4:14 (επιτεσις — epithesis), or of warning against hasty ordination of untried men, or the recognition and restoration of deposed ministers (1 Timothy 5:20) as suits the context. The prohibition suits either situation, or both. [source]
2 Timothy 4:2 Reprove [ἔλεγξον]
Rather, convict of their errors. See on 1 Timothy 5:20and John 3:20. In Paul, 1 Corinthians 14:24; Ephesians 5:11, Ephesians 5:13. Comp. ἐλεγμόν conviction 2 Timothy 3:16. [source]

What do the individual words in 1 Timothy 5:20 mean?

Those however sinning before all rebuke so that also the rest fear might have
Τοὺς (δὲ) ἁμαρτάνοντας ἐνώπιον πάντων ἔλεγχε ἵνα καὶ οἱ λοιποὶ φόβον ἔχωσιν

Τοὺς  Those 
Parse: Article, Accusative Masculine Plural
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
(δὲ)  however 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: δέ  
Sense: but, moreover, and, etc.
ἁμαρτάνοντας  sinning 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Active, Accusative Masculine Plural
Root: ἁμαρτάνω  
Sense: to be without a share in.
ἐνώπιον  before 
Parse: Preposition
Root: ἐνώπιον  
Sense: in the presence of, before.
ἔλεγχε  rebuke 
Parse: Verb, Present Imperative Active, 2nd Person Singular
Root: ἐλέγχω  
Sense: to convict, refute, confute.
ἵνα  so  that 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: ἵνα  
Sense: that, in order that, so that.
καὶ  also 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: καί  
Sense: and, also, even, indeed, but.
λοιποὶ  rest 
Parse: Adjective, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root: λοιπός  
Sense: remaining, the rest.
φόβον  fear 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: φόβος  
Sense: fear, dread, terror.
ἔχωσιν  might  have 
Parse: Verb, Present Subjunctive Active, 3rd Person Plural
Root: ἔχω  
Sense: to have, i.e. to hold.