I Timothy 5:21 I charge thee before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, and the elect angels, that thou observe these things without preferring one before another, doing nothing by partiality

As I was reading this scripture the other day, the thought occurred to me....do I really observe every area of my life (especially ministry) without partiality? We are warned numerous times in scripture not to be a "respector of persons." I suppose it is easy to just give a pat answer and say "I would never do that"...but I fear that like most sins....the sin of partiality may be more evident in our lives than what we would like to admit. Christ warned of things that are "within" a man's heart that would defile him. We often look at the sins which are so easily outwardly manifested and condemn them (drunkenness, adultery, murder, etc.)...but we cleverly and conveniently overlook the inward (invisible) sins of pride, envy, and partiality.

In Paul's charge to Timothy above, he says that the Father, the Son, and the angels were observing what he was about to say. This tells me that all of heaven is offended when we partake in the sin of partiality. I am a pastor, so these things take special significance for me. I must always be on guard against the sins of partiality. The individual in the church who pays the biggest tithe is no more important that the widow who casts in out of her penury. The man from a prominent family is no more important than the man who can offer me nothing in the way of political advancement.

In Paul's charge to Timothy he also says "them that sin rebuke before all that others may fear." This means that I cannot rail against the sins of those "under me" (as if we should really have a sharp clergy/laity distinction anyway) while sweeping the sins of my fellow ministers (or myself for that matter) under the rug. I wonder how many of our actions have impure motivations? Do we associate with a certain group of people, hoping to gain influence with them and others? Or do we serve unselfishly and give to those who cannot repay us (monetarily or politically?)

These are some things I'm thinking about this week....and seeing where I line up or fall short in this regard. May we all do everything "without partiality."

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