“Do not accept an accusation against an elder unless it can be confirmed by two or three witnesses” (1 Timothy 5:19 NET).
In today’s internet age of online commentary and opinion, it is relatively easy for an individual with a grievance (real or imagined) to bring an accusation (real or imagined) against a product, an organization, or a person.
For instance, an advocacy group might seek to flood social media with auto-generated allegations against those who hold opposing views. Unscrupulous vendors may post fictitious “reviews” that are designed to reflect poorly upon a competing product, service, or business. Churches or other religious organizations may find it necessary to disable the comments section of a media presentation to eliminate a platform for spammers, cultists, militant secularists, or others who seek to promote a different agenda.
These present-day realities help make the ancient counsel given to us in 1 Timothy 5:19 even more timely and compelling: “Don’t pay attention to an accusation against a spiritual leader unless it is supported by two or three witnesses” (GW).
This directive recognizes that a good church leader must sometimes confront those who engage in various forms of inappropriate conduct. While such confrontations are ideally designed to help others become more Christ-like, some may choose to respond in a more negative or contentious manner. Thus, the principle given to us here in 1 Timothy 5:19 serves to protect a leader from baseless, frivolous, or undeserved accusations.
One commentator expands upon this idea with the following observation…
“Throughout Scripture, an accusation of misconduct against any member of God’s community must be substantiated by testimony from multiple witnesses (Deut. 19:15; Matt. 18:16; 2 Cor. 13:1; Heb. 10:28). This standard of reliable evidence is all the more essential when charges are brought against an elder, whose office deserves special respect and whose maturity the church has (presumably) verified (3:1–7; 5:22, 24, 25)” (1)
Another well-known preacher from an earlier generation offered some clever and practical advice for dealing with unfounded accusations against an elder…
“[Charles] Spurgeon advised in Lectures to My Students that when people come to a pastor with gossip, he should say, ‘Well, all this is very important, and I need to give it my full attention – but my memory isn’t so good and I have a lot to think about. Can you write it all down for me?’ Spurgeon says this will take care of it, because they won’t want to write down their gossip.” (2)
(1) Sproul, R. C. (Ed.). (2015). The Reformation Study Bible: English Standard Version (2015 Edition) (p. 2162). Orlando, FL: Reformation Trust.
(2) Guzik, Dave, 1 Timothy 5 – How To Treat People In The Church, https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/1-timothy-5/