In chapter 4:12 Paul told Timothy, “Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young.” This might well be the tendency on a shallow level of relationships. “Who does that young fella think he is?” Statements like these are the natural tension that exits in the general interaction between the young and the old, especially when the younger have authority over the older.
Is there a barrier between the old and the young? The clear answer is yes. More importantly, how can this gap be crossed properly when it comes to instruction and even correction? Not only was Paul concerned with Timothy’s tact with the older generation, but equally taken with how Timothy could best relate to his own age groups, both male and female.
All the instruction given thus far hinges on how well Timothy can bring truth to life. Today our greatest problem is not communicating truth and correction, but communicating it in a way that it is caught, appreciated, and internalized. Sometimes the way we speak is far more important than even what we speak. Timothy is being given the great secret of success: being given a big stick to correct, and the soft words to wield that stick.
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May 20, 2012 | John Bayles | The Dignity of Community (1 Timothy 5:1-2)
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