a brother (literally or figuratively) near or remote (m… · noun — accusative plural masculine
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).
Cross-references
Leviticus 19:32 Thou shalt rise up before the hoary head, and honour the face of the old man, and fear thy God: I am the LORD.
1 Peter 5:5-6 Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God res…
Galatians 6:1 Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest…
Titus 2:2 That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience.
1 Peter 5:1 The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory t…
Matthew 23:8 But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren.
1 Timothy 5:19-20 Against an elder receive not an accusation, but before two or three witnesses.
Titus 2:6 Young men likewise exhort to be sober minded.
Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).
Commentary
Matthew Henry on 1 Timothy 5:1-2
Here the apostle gives rules to Timothy, and in him to other ministers, in reproving. Ministers are reprovers by office; it is a part, though the least pleasing part, of their office; they are to preach the word, to reprove and rebuke, Ti2 4:2. A great difference is to be made in our reproofs, according to the age, quality, and other circumstances, of the persons rebuked; thus, and elder in age or office must be entreated as a father; on some have compassion, making a difference, Jde 1:22. Now the rule is, 1. To be very tender in rebuking elders - elders in age, elders by office. Respect must be had to the dignity of their years and place, and therefore they must not be rebuked sharply nor m…
Rebuke not an elder - That is, an elderly person; for the word πρεσβυτερος is here taken in its natural sense, and signifies one advanced in years. At Ti1 5:17, it is taken in what may be termed its ecclesiastical meaning, and signifies, an officer in the Church, what we commonly call a presbyter or bishop; for sometimes these terms were confounded. There are but few cases in which it at all becomes a young man to reprove an old man, and especially one who is a father in the Church. If such a one does wrong, or gets out of the way, he should be entreated as a father, with great caution and respect. To this at least his age entitles him. The word επιπληξῃς signifies, do not smite; i.e. do no…
Rebuke not an elder,.... By whom is meant, not an elder in office, but in age; for elders by office are afterwards spoken of, and particular rules concerning them are given, 1 Timothy 5:17. Besides, an elder is here opposed, not to a private member of a church, but to young men in age; and the apostle is here giving rules to be observed in rebuking members of churches, according to their different age and sex, and not according to their office and station; and this sense is confirmed by a parallel text in Titus 2:2. Now an ancient man, a member of a church, is not to be rebuked in a sharp and severe way; the word here used signifies to smite or strike; and so the Arabic version renders it, "…
The Church Fathers
"Rebuke not an elder." Is he now speaking of the order? I think not, but of any elderly man. What then if he should need correction? Do not rebuke him, but address him as you would a father offending.
The preacher of Almighty God, Paul the apostle, says, "Rebuke not an elder" (1 Tim. v. 1). But this rule of his is to be observed in cases where the fault of an elder does not draw through his example the hearts of the younger into ruin. But, when an elder sets an example to the young for their ruin, he is to be smitten with severe rebuke. For it is written, "Ye are all a snare to the young" (Isai. xlii. 22). And again the prophet says, "The sinner being an hundred years old is accursed" (Isai. lxv. 20).
Because, although as a rule there exist among careless or slothful brethren things which demand a strong hand in rectifying them; yet the correction ought to be so applied as ever to keep love inviolate. Wherefore also it is that the blessed Apostle Paul, in instructing Timothy upon the ruling of the Church, says: "An elder rebuke not, but intreat him as a father: the young men as brethren: old women as mothers: young women as sisters in all purity." And if this moderation is due by the Apostle's precept to all and any of the lower members, how much more is it to be paid without offence to our brethren and fellow-bishops? in order that although things sometimes happen which have to be reprimanded in the persons of priests, yet kindness may have more effect on those who are to be corrected than severity: exhortation than perturbation: love than power.
The Church Fathers: public-domain translations (Ante-Nicene and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers), verse-indexed by SermonIndex (CC BY 4.0).
Dictionary and topics
Commandments · PRECEPTS OF PAUL. EXPLICITLY STATED OR IMPLIED IN DIDACTIC EPISTLES — PRECEPTS OF PAUL. EXPLICITLY STATED OR IMPLIED IN DIDACTIC EPISTLES
Continence · General scriptures concerning — General scriptures concerning
Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).
1. Rebuke not an elder, but intreat him as a father; and the younger men as brethren;
1. Seniorem ne aspere objurges sed hortare ut patrem, juniores ut fratres;
2. The elder women as mothers; the younger as sisters, with all purity.
2. Mulieres natu grandiores, ut matres; juniores, ut sorores, cum omni castitate.
3. Honour widows that are widows indeed.
3. Viduas honora, quae vere sunt viduae.
4. But if any widow have children or nephews, let them learn first to shew piety at home, and to requite their parents: for that is good and acceptable before God.
4. Porro si qua vidua liberos aut nepotes habet, discunt primum erga propriam domum pietatem colere, et mutuum rependere progenitori…
5:1–6:2a Right conduct in God’s household (see 3:15) relates to old and young (5:1-2), widows (5:3-16), elders (5:17-25), and slaves (6:1-2a). Proper honor within the household cuts across social boundaries.
