Ez. 8-10
In Ezekiel chapter 9, God told a man clothed in linen to go throughout Jerusalem and put a mark on the foreheads of all who remained faithful to God and grieved over the abominations taking place around them. That sure seems to me to be a vision of what Jesus did for us. All who believe in Him are marked as His own and thus spared from God’s righteous wrath. We are found righteous not of ourselves, but because we are marked. This is similar to what happened with the Passover in Egypt. where God spared all who marked their homes with the blood of the lamb. I am so grateful that God’s justice does not see me, but only the mark of Christ.
1 Tim. 5
Looking back at 1 Timothy 1, I see that Paul left Timothy at the Church in Ephesus in order to “charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine.” (1 Tim 1:3b). While I am not completely certain of Timothy’s role with the church, it is clear to me that he was in some sort of position of authority. He was there to teach sound doctrine and guide them in how to behave as a body of believers.
Looking at 1 Timothy 5:1-2 in that light, I see Paul telling Timothy not to lord it over the people of the church. Instead, he was to treat them with the respect of elders and peers; like parents and siblings. Paul told him to “encourage” rather than “rebuke”. Sadly, I think Paul’s familial references have lost much of their impact for us today, as I believe families have lost the kind of respect that was expected and practiced back in Bible times. In fact, it seems respect is becoming something of an extinct notion at any level. Yet I think it is an important aspect of genuine love. Thus, we cannot demonstrate God’s love to others without respect. And it is God’s love, not our own perceived authority that has the power to change people.