1st Timothy 5:1-2
1 Do not address an older man harshly but appeal to him as a father. Speak to younger men as brothers, 2 older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters - with complete purity.
One of the great thing about the Bible is not just its claim for Truth and Authority over the church of Christ but also it gives great acknowledgement and high respect to the authorities of anyone who were given such privilege to govern or to lead.
The Bible itself lead everyone who believed on its Truth and Authority through its own example of giving valuable importance to those who are in the position of authority. In many instances of Biblical texts, it was commanded to submit to one who is in the position of authority and give them due respect. The word respect is synonymous to “be subject to”, “submit to”, or “reverence to”. Some of the New Testament references can be found in the following context:
Romans 13:1-2 - 1 Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except by God's appointment, and the authorities that exist have been instituted by God. 2 So the person who resists such authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will incur judgment.
1 Peter 2:13-14 - 13 Be subject to every human institution for the Lord's sake, whether to a king as supreme 14 or to governors as those he commissions to punish wrongdoers and praise those who do good.
Ephesians 5:21;22-23;32-33
21 and submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ. …
22 Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord, 23 because the husband is the head of the wife as also Christ is the head of the church - he himself being the savior of the body. ...
32 This mystery is great - but I am actually speaking with reference to Christ and the church. 33 Nevertheless, each one of you must also love his own wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.
Colossians 3:18 - Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.
Any organize group, community, or nation; learning to submit to one's authority is of great importance. Though there are many differrent kinds of leadership styles, the Bible is clearly directing us to respect one's authority in different areas of supervision, expertise, and perimeter levels.
Paul, in his letter to Timothy in Chapter 5, gave us one practical way to act with respect towards the church, and by extension to any family or familial settings. He distinguishes the age level with respect to their approaches and how they are to be treated as one who posseses a role in a family setting.
For those who are older than us in age, we speak to them just like how we speak to our parents (our father or mother). If we are commanded to honour our mother and father, then by extension, we treat our elder brethren with the same honour. As Paul said, that we should not speak harshly.
Instead of giving us a long list of what we should do, he gave us of what we should NOT do - that is NOT to speak harshly to them. For there is one visible way to show how we treat them. And such kind gesture is a demonstration of respect to an older brethren.
Likewise, we treat our younger brethren like our siblings, just like our true brothers and sisters. This kind of attitude encourages us to exercise the fruit of Spirit to one another such as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
Moreover, we are to treat them as if we are the older siblings who are more responsible and mature enough in our actions, words, and thinking. We are ready to extend help when needed. We are willing to teach with diligence and patience. We are helping out in training them to prepare them to challenges of life.
These attitudes are direly needed in the church, not only in our level of ages but, by extension, also in our level of maturity in our walk of faith. Learning to regard with respect and value those who are ahead of us in the ministry, is one way to show our humility before God who puts authority over us.
Likewise, the one who considered themselves mature in walk of faith must learn to treat the new believers in they journey to walk faithfully in their fragile state of Christian infancy. We are to help them to understand the faith they have in Christ Jesus and help them to learn to examine themselves as well that they are truly in faith in Christ Jesus.
Therefore, as members of the body of Christ, let us regard the Authority of the Scripture which also gave us the command to submit one who is in authority, even to one another as members of the household of Christ Jesus. Older or younger, parents or children, let us submit to one another in love in reverence to our Lord Jesus Christ.
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