“I charge you before God and the Lord Jesus Christ and the elect angels that you observe these things without prejudice, doing nothing with partiality” (1 Timothy 5:21).
In addition to what we read here concerning the subject of partiality, the Biblical epistle of James also addresses this topic in a very direct manner…
“My dear brothers and sisters, how can you claim to have faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ if you favor some people over others? For example, suppose someone comes into your meeting dressed in fancy clothes and expensive jewelry, and another comes in who is poor and dressed in dirty clothes. If you give special attention and a good seat to the rich person, but you say to the poor one, ‘You can stand over there, or else sit on the floor’—well, doesn’t this discrimination show that your judgments are guided by evil motives?” (James 2:1-4 NLT).
This reference to favoritism (or partiality) identifies someone “…who, when responsible to give judgment, has respect to the position, rank, popularity, or circumstances of men, instead of their intrinsic conditions, preferring the rich and powerful to those who are not so.” (1) However, these cautionary references are not exclusive to the New Testament…
“You shall not show partiality in judgment; you shall hear the small as well as the great; you shall not be afraid in any man’s presence, for the judgment is God’s…” (Deuteronomy 1:17).
“You shall not pervert justice; you shall not show partiality, nor take a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and twists the words of the righteous” (Deuteronomy 16:19).
“…Judge carefully, for with the LORD our God there is no injustice or partiality or bribery” (2 Chronicles 19:7 NIV).
Thus, we should remember the words of Acts 10:34: “…God shows no partiality and is no respecter of persons” (AMPC). In the words of one Pastoral author…
“The exhortation was against being a respecter of persons, giving preferential treatment to some. Every person is equal in God’s eyes. So if I, as a minister of God, become a respecter of persons, then I am misrepresenting God. How important it is that we understand that everyone is of equal importance in the eyes of God. God loves us all the same. He doesn’t have favorites. He loves us all supremely, and we should follow His example. We need to treat all people, regardless of their status in life, with dignity and respect. To do less is to offend Him.” (2)
(1) G4382 prosopolempsia Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words © 1985, Thomas Nelson Publishers
(2) Chuck Smith, The Word For Today Bible, study note on 1 Timothy 5:21 pg 1593