Scripture to Read: 1 Timothy 5:19
Today God tells us that we are never to accept an accusation made against an elder (pastor, preacher, minister) unless there are at least two or three witnesses. Through Paul, God speaks to Timothy (and to us today) straight from His Word in the Old Testament. When God laid out His Law through Moses, God made sure that no person should be put to death based on one eyewitness: Deuteronomy 17:6, "On the evidence of two witnesses or three witnesses, he who is to die shall be put to death; he shall not be put to death on the evidence of one witness.” God then made this same Law, of having more than one witness, concerning any sin someone commits in Deuteronomy 19:15, “A single witness shall not rise up against a man on account of any iniquity or any sin which he has committed; on the evidence of two or three witnesses a matter shall be confirmed.” Jesus then shared this in Matthew 18:16 when confirming how to hold people accountable within the body of believers. God gives us this command for the protection of the elder and the protection of every one of His children. We can easily get caught up in gossip. For instance, if a good friend accuses one of our pastors of something they have done wrong, we might believe our friend because we think our friend is reliable. But they may have heard the accusation from someone else who is unreliable. Two or three witnesses guard all parties involved.
Challenge & Application
1. What did God teach you today about bringing an accusation against a pastor or anyone else?
2. How can you help guard yourself from falling into gossip and sharing false accusations on anyone?
Don’t forget to pray using the A.C.T.S. (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication) method!