¹⁷The elders^c who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor,^d especially those whose work is preaching and teaching. ¹⁸For Scripture says, “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain,”^a^e and “The worker deserves his wages.”^b^f ¹⁹Do not entertain an accusation against an elder^g unless it is brought by two or three witnesses.^h ²⁰But those elders who are sinning you are to reproveⁱ before everyone, so that the others may take warning.^j ²¹I charge you, in the sight of God and Christ Jesus^k and the elect angels, to keep these instructions without partiality, and to do nothing out of favoritism.

²²Do not be hasty in the laying on of hands,^l and do not share in the sins of others.^m Keep yourself pure.ⁿ

²³Stop drinking only water, and use a little wine^o because of your stomach and your frequent illnesses.

²⁴The sins of some are obvious, reaching the place of judgment ahead of them; the sins of others trail behind them. ²⁵In the same way, good deeds are obvious, and even those that are not obvious cannot remain hidden forever.

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Footnotes

a Deut. 25:4
b Luke 10:7

Cross references

cSee Ac 11:30
d Php 2:29; 1 Th 5:12
e Dt 25:4; 1 Co 9:7–9
f Lk 10:7; Lev 19:13; Dt 24:14, 15; Mt 10:10; 1 Co 9:14
gSee Ac 11:30
hSee Mt 18:16
i 2 Ti 4:2; Tit 1:13; 2:15
j Dt 13:11
k 1 Ti 6:13; 2 Ti 4:1
lSee Ac 6:6
m Eph 5:11
n Ps 18:26
o 1 Ti 3:8