SEV Biblia, Chapter 5:21
Te requiero delante de Dios y del Seor Jess, el Cristo, y de sus Angeles escogidos, que guardes estas cosas, sin perjuicio de nadie, no haciendo nada con parcialidad.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - 1 Timothy 5:21
Verse 21. I charge thee before God] The apostle would have Timothy to consider that all he did should be done as in the sight of God, the Father of the spirits of all flesh; in the sight of Christ, the saviour of sinners, who purchased the Church with his own blood; and in the sight of the most holy, approved, and eminent angels, whose office it was to minister to the heirs of salvation. The word eklektoi, elect, applied to the angels here, is supposed to distinguish those who stood, when others fell from their first estate. The former were elect, or approved; the latter reprobate, or disapproved. This is not an unfrequent sense of the word eklektov, elect. Perhaps there is nothing else meant than the angels that are chosen out from among others, by the Lord himself, to be ministering servants to the Church.
Without preferring one before another] cwriv prokrimatov? Without prejudice. Promote no man's cause; make not up thy mind on any case, till thou hast weighed both sides, and heard both parties, with their respective witnesses; and then act impartially, as the matter may appear to be proved. Do not treat any man, in religious matters, according to the rank he holds in life, or according to any personal attachment thou mayest have for him. Every man should be dealt with in the Church as he will be dealt with at the judgment-seat of Christ. A minister of the Gospel, who, in the exercise of discipline in the Church, is swayed and warped by secular considerations, will be a curse rather than a blessing to the people of God.
Accepting the persons of the rich, in ecclesiastical matters, has been a source of corruption in Christianity. With some ministers the show of piety in a rich man goes farther than the soundest Christian experience in the poor. What account can such persons give of their stewardship?
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 21. I charge thee before God , etc.] Who sees and knows all things, and is a righteous and most impartial Judge; with whom there is no respect of persons, and in whose place and stead, the judges of the earth, both civil and ecclesiastical, stand; and to whom they are accountable for the judgment they pass on men and things; and in whose house or church Timothy was, whose business he was doing, and which ought to be done, with a view to his glory; wherefore the apostle gives him this solemn charge as in his sight: and the Lord Jesus Christ : who also is God omniscient; and is Jesus Christ the righteous, the Head of the church, and the Judge of quick and dead; before whose judgment seat all must appear; where there will be no respect of persons, nor any partiality used. And the elect angels ; by whom are meant not some of the angels, the more choice, excellent, and principal among them; as the seven angels in the Apocryha: ``I am Raphael, one of the seven holy angels, which present the prayers of the saints, and which go in and out before the glory of the Holy One. (Tobit 12:15) among whom Raphael is said to be one. But this is a spurious account, and not to be credited; nor was it an ancient tradition of the Jews, that there were seven principal angels; (see Gill on Revelation 1:4). The Chaldee paraphrase on ( Genesis 11:7) is mistaken by Mr. Mede, where not seven, but seventy angels are spoken of: but here all the good angels are designed, called sometimes the holy angels, and sometimes the angels in heaven; and here, by the Syriac version, his angels; either the angels of God, as they are sometimes styled; or the angels of Jesus Christ, being made by him, and being ministers to him, and for him; and also elect, because chosen to stand in that integrity and holiness, in which they were created; and to enjoy everlasting glory and happiness, while others of the same species were passed by and left to fall from their first estate, and appointed to everlasting wrath and damnation: so that it may be observed that God's election takes place in angels as well as in men; and which flows from the sovereign will and pleasure of God; and was made in Christ, who is their head, and by whom they are confirmed in their happy state; and in which they must be considered in the pure mass, since they never fell; and which may serve to illustrate and confirm the doctrine of election with respect to men. Now before these the apostle charges Timothy; since they are near to the saints, encamp about them, minister unto them, and are concerned for their good; are spectators of their actions, and witnesses of what is done in churches, since they frequently attend the assemblies of the saints, and will descend with Christ, when he comes to judge the world in righteousness: the mention of them in this, charge gives no countenance to the worshipping of angels, since they are not set upon a level with God and Christ; nor is the charge delivered before them as judges, but as witnesses; nor are the words in the form of an oath, but of a charge; the angels are not sworn by, or appealed unto; only in their presence is this solemn charge given; and it may be observed, that even inanimate creatures, the heavens and the earth, are sometimes called upon as witnesses; and besides, it was usual with the Jews to make such kind of obtestations, So Agrippa f81 , in his speech to the Jews, exhorting them to fidelity to the Romans, beseeches them by their holy things, kai touv ierouv aggelouv tou ueou , and the holy angels of God, and their common country, that is, the good of it, that they would remain steadfast.
What is the amount of this charge follows, that thou observe these things ; either all that are contained in the epistle, or more particularly the rules prescribed in this chapter; concerning rebuking members of a different age and sex, providing for poor widows, and taking care of the ministers of the Gospel, and chiefly what regards the discipline of the church with respect to the elders of it; as not to admit an accusation against them, unless it is sufficiently evident, and yet not connive at notorious sinners, but rebuke them publicly; and this charge belongs not only to Timothy, but to the whole church, and to all succeeding ministers and churches in all ages. The manner in which these things are to be observed is, without preferring one before another ; or, as the words may be rendered, without prejudgment; that is, without prejudging a case, or determining, before hearing, how it shall be; or as the Syriac version renders it, in nothing let thy mind be prepossessed; the sense is, that he should attend to any case that should come before him in the church, without prejudice or prepossession, and hearken to what is said on both sides; and judge impartially, and not in haste, but weigh well and consider the evidence that is given, and then determine as the case appears; so the Arabic version renders it, without haste, or precipitancy; to which agrees the advice of the men of the great congregation, or Ezra's congregation, who were in his time, and succeeded him; ydb ynwtm wwh , be slow in judgment f82 , or long at it; that so by strict and close examination, things not known at first may be discovered: and when judgment is passed, it should not be through affection to one party, and disrespect to another; which is called in Scripture a respect of persons, and here a preferring one to another; and which is further explained by adding, doing nothing by partiality ; or by inclining to one side more than to another. A judge should not preponderate to either side, but should hold the balance of justice even, and do nothing to turn the scale one way or another, but as the weight and truth of the evidence direct; and such a rule should be observed in all church affairs.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 17-25 - Care must be taken that ministers are maintained. And those who ar laborious in this work are worthy of double honour and esteem. It in their just due, as much as the reward of the labourer. The apostl charges Timothy solemnly to guard against partiality. We have grea need to watch at all times, that we do not partake of other men's sins Keep thyself pure, not only from doing the like thyself, but from countenancing it, or any way helping to it in others. The apostle als charges Timothy to take care of his health. As we are not to make ou bodies masters, so neither slaves; but to use them so that they may be most helpful to us in the service of God. There are secret, and ther are open sins: some men's sins are open before-hand, and going befor unto judgment; some they follow after. God will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and make known the counsels of all hearts Looking forward to the judgment-day, let us all attend to our prope offices, whether in higher or lower stations, studying that the nam and doctrine of God may never be blasphemed on our account __________________________________________________________________
Greek Textus Receptus
διαμαρτυρομαι 1263 5736 ενωπιον 1799 του 3588 θεου 2316 και 2532 κυριου 2962 ιησου 2424 χριστου 5547 και 2532 των 3588 εκλεκτων 1588 αγγελων 32 ινα 2443 ταυτα 5023 φυλαξης 5442 5661 χωρις 5565 προκριματος 4299 μηδεν 3367 ποιων 4160 5723 κατα 2596 προσκλισιν 4346
Vincent's NT Word Studies
21. I charge (diamarturomai). In Paul 1 Thess. iv. 6 only. See on testifying, 1 Thess. ii. 12. For this sense, adjure, see Luke xvi. 28; Acts ii. 40; 2 Tim. ii. 14.
Elect angels (eklektwn aggelwn). The phrase N.T.o . The triad, God, Christ, the angels, only Luke ix. 26. It is not necessary to suppose that a class of angels distinguished from the rest is meant. It may refer to all angels, as special objects of divine complacency. Comp. Tob. viii. 15; Acts x. 22; Apoc. xiv. 10.
Observe (fulaxhv). Lit. guard. In the Pauline sense of keeping the law, Rom. ii. 26; Gal. vi. 13.
Without preferring one before another (ceriv prokrimatov). A unique expression. Prokrima prejudgment. N.T.o . o LXX, o Class. Rend. without prejudice.
By partiality (kata prosklisin). N.T.o . o LXX. According to its etymology, inclining toward. In later Greek of joining one party in preference to another. In Clement (ad Corinth. xli, xlvii, 1) in the sense of factious preferences.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
5:21 {The elect angels} (twn eklektwn aggelwn). For this triad of God, Christ, angels, see #Lu 9:26. "Elect" in the sense of the "holy" angels who kept their own principality (#Jude 1:6) and who did not sin (#2Pe 2:4). Paul shows his interest in angels in #1Co 4:9; 11:10. {Observe} (fulaxeis). First aorist active subjunctive of fulassw, to guard, to keep (#Ro 2:26). Subfinal use of hina. {Without prejudice} (cwris prokrimatos). Late and rare word (from prokinw, to judge beforehand), three times in the papyri, here only in N.T. "Without prejudgment." {By partiality} (kata prosklisin). Late word from prosklinw, to incline towards one (#Ac 5:36), only here in N.T.
