SEV Biblia, Chapter 5:1
¶ Al anciano no rias, sino exhrtalo como a padre; a los ms jvenes, como a hermanos;
Clarke's Bible Commentary - 1 Timothy 5:1
Verse 1. Rebuke not an elder] That is, an elderly person; for the word presbuterov is here taken in its natural sense, and signifies one advanced in years. At ver. 17, it is taken in what may be termed its ecclesiastical meaning, and signifies, an officer in the Church, what we commonly call a presbyter or bishop; for sometimes these terms were confounded. There are but few cases in which it at all becomes a young man to reprove an old man, and especially one who is a father in the Church. If such a one does wrong, or gets out of the way, he should be entreated as a father, with great caution and respect. To this at least his age entitles him. The word epiplhxhv signifies, do not smite; i.e. do not treat them harshly, nor with magisterial austerity. The younger men as brethren] Showing humility, and arrogating nothing to thyself on account of thy office. Feel for them as thou oughtest to feel for thy own brethren.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 1. Rebuke not an elder , etc.] By whom is meant, not an elder in office, but in age; for elders by office are afterwards spoken of, and particular rules concerning them are given, ( 1 Timothy 5:17,19).
Besides, an elder is here opposed, not to a private member of a church, but to young men in age; and the apostle is here giving rules to be observed in rebuking members of churches, according to their different age and sex, and not according to their office and station; and this sense is confirmed by a parallel text in ( Titus 2:2-6). Now an ancient man, a member of a church, is not to be rebuked in a sharp and severe way; the word here used signifies to smite or strike; and so the Arabic version renders it, do not strike an elder; meaning not with the hand, but with the tongue, giving hard words, which are as heavy blows; reproof is a smiting, and there is a gentle and a sharp one, ( <19E104> Psalm 141:4 Titus 1:13). It is with the former, and not the latter, that man in years is to be reproved, when he is in a fault, whether with respect to doctrine or practice, as such persons may be as well as younger ones; and when they are observed to err, they should not be roughly and sharply dealt with: but entreat him as a father ; as a child should entreat a father, when he is going out of the way; give him honour and respect, fear and reverence, and persuade him to desist; entreat and beseech him to return to the right path of truth and holiness; use him as a father in Christ, that has known him that is from the beginning, and as of long standing in the church: this must be understood of lesser crimes, and not of atrocious and flagitious ones, obstinately continued in, to the great scandal of religion, and dishonour of the Gospel; for then severer methods must be used; (see Isaiah 45:20).
But though this is the sense of the passage, yet the argument from hence is strong, that if an elder in years, a private member, who is ancient, and in a fault, is not to be roughly used, but gently entreated, then much more an elder in office. And the younger men as brethren ; the Syriac, Arabic, and Ethiopic versions read, as thy brethren. Timothy was a young man himself; and as he was to consider an elderly man as his father, and use him accordingly; so he was to consider young men as equal with him, at least in age, and take the more freedom with them, in reproving them for their faults, and use somewhat more authority with them; and yet consider them as brethren in Christ, and reprove them in a brotherly way, and with brotherly love.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1, 2 - Respect must be paid to the dignity of years and place. The younger, i faulty, must be rebuked, not as desirous to find fault with them, but as willing to make the best of them. There is need of much meekness an care in reproving those who deserve reproof.
Greek Textus Receptus
πρεσβυτερω 4245 μη 3361 επιπληξης 1969 5661 αλλα 235 παρακαλει 3870 5720 ως 5613 πατερα 3962 νεωτερους 3501 ως 5613 αδελφους 80
Vincent's NT Word Studies
1. Rebuke not an elder (presbuterw mh epiplhxhv). The verb N.T.o . o LXX. originally to lay on blows; hence to castigate with words. Presbuterov elder, o P., but frequent in Gospels, Acts, and Revelation. Modern critical opinion has largely abandoned the view that the original Christian polity was an imitation of that of the Synagogue. The secular and religious authorities of the Jewish communities, at least in purely Jewish localities, were the same; a fact which is against the probability that the polity was directly transferred to the Christian church. The prerogatives of the Jewish elders have nothing corresponding with them in extent in the Christian community. Functions which emerge later in the Jewish-Christian communities of Palestine do not exist in the first Palestinian-Christian society. At the most, as Weizsacker observes, it could only be a question of borrowing a current name. 115 Modern criticism compels us, I think, to abandon the view of the identity of Bishop and Presbyter which has obtained such wide acceptance, especially among English scholars, through the discussions of Lightfoot and Hatch. 116 The testimony of Clement of Rome (Ep. ad Corinth.) goes to show that the Bishops (hgoumenoi or prohgoumenoi) are distinguished from the Presbyters, and that if the Bishops are apparently designated as Presbyters, it is, because they have been chosen from the body of Presbyters, and have retained the name even when they have ceased to hold office. for this reason deceased Bishops are called Presbyters. In Clement, Presbyters signify a class or estate - members of long standing and approved character, and not office-bearers regularly appointed. Among these the Bishops are to be sought. Bishops are reckoned as Presbyters, not because the Presbyter as such is a Bishop, but because the Bishop as such is a Presbyter. In the Pastorals, Bishops and Deacons are associated without mention of Presbyters (1 Timothy iii. 1-13). Presbyters are referred to in 1 Tim. v. 17-19, but in an entirely different connection. The qualifications of Bishops and Deacons are detailed in the former passage, and the list of qualifications concludes with the statement that this is the ordering of the church as the house of God (vv. 14, 15). The offices are exhausted in the description of Bishops and Deacons. Nothing is said of Presbyters until ch. 5, where Timothy's relations to individual church-members are prescribed; and in Tit. ii. 2 ff. these members are classified as old men (presbutav) old women, young men, and servants. In 1 Tim. v. 17 are mentioned elders who rule well (oi kalwv proestwtev presbuteroi). Assuming that Presbyters and Bishops were identical, a distinction would thus be implied between two classes of Bishops - those who rule well and those who do not: where as the distinction is obviously between old and honored church-members, collectively considered, forming the presbyterial body, and certain of their number who show their qualifications for appointment as overseers.
Presbyters as such are not invested with office. There is no formal act constituting a Presbyter. The Bishops are reckoned among the Elders, but the elders as such are not officers.
Thus are to be explained the allusions to appointed Elders, Tit. i. 5; Acts xiv. 23. Elders are to be appointed as overseers or Bishops, for the overseers must have the qualitications of approved Presbyters. The ordination of Presbyters is the setting apart of Elders to the position of Superintendents. The Presbyterate denotes an honorable and influential estate in the church on the ground of age, duration of church membership, and approved character. Only Bishops are appointed There is no appointment to the Presbyterate. At the close of Clement's letter to the Corinthians, the qualifications of a Presbyter are indicated in the description of the three commissioners from the Roman church who are the bearers of the letter, and to whom no officiel title is given. They are old, members of the Roman church from youth, blameless in life, believing, and sober. 117
Robertson's NT Word Studies
5:1 {Rebuke not an elder} (presbuterwi me epiplexeis). Dative case presbuterwi used in the usual sense of an older man, not a minister (bishop as in #3:2) as is shown by "as a father." First aorist (ingressive) active subjunctive with negative me (prohibition against committing the act) of epiplessw, to strike upon, old verb, but here only in N.T. and in figurative sense with words rather than with fists. Respect for age is what is here commanded, an item appropriate to the present time. {The younger men as brethren} (newterous hws adelfous). Comparative adjective newteros from neos (young). No article, "younger men." Wise words for the young minister to know how to conduct himself with old men (reverence) and young men (fellowship, but not stooping to folly with them).
