Charles Ellicott Commentary 1 Timothy 5:25

"In like manner also there are good works that are evident; and such as are otherwise cannot be hid." — 1 Timothy 5:25 (ASV)

Likewise also the good works of some are manifest beforehand; and they that are otherwise cannot be hid.—In his difficult post, Timothy might fear that, especially in his selection of men for the Lord’s service, true nobility of character might frequently escape his notice and be overlooked, and that thus the best and truest individuals might never be appointed as church officers.

St. Paul encourages him with the thought that in many cases self-sacrifice, generosity, stern principle will be evident enough to guide him in his choice of suitable people for this holy calling. In those rarer cases where the higher and sweeter virtues are hidden, he may be sure that in God’s good time these too will become known to him, with enough time for him to also call them into his Master’s service.

EXCURSUS ON NOTES TO 1 Timothy. ON A SUGGESTED INTERPRETATION OF VERSE 25.

It has been suggested, with considerable ingenuity, that 1 Timothy 5:25 belongs to, and is an introduction of, a new division of the Epistle, where the Apostle gives Timothy instructions concerning certain teachings to be addressed to different classes in the Christian society of Ephesus.

The connection with 1 Timothy 5:24 then would be: as it is in the case of sins, so, too, it is in the case of good works. These good works are not always distinguishable on the surface. Some, of course, are evident, but there are many noble lives whose secrets will only come to light on the last day—they cannot be hid THEN.

And this is too often the case with that unfortunate group (the slaves), those under the yoke, of whom the Apostle was about to speak (1 Timothy 6:1–2).

It is possible that St. Paul meant here to turn Timothy’s attention especially to those in slavery, that he might diligently seek out the noblest and most devoted, and ordain (see 1 Timothy 5:22) them to perform sacred duties, so that each class—the slaves as well as the rich and well-born—should possess representatives among the ordained ministers. This is at least possible when we consider the large number of slaves—many of whom also possessed high culture—in the world that St. Paul and Timothy knew.

In connection with, but not necessarily linked with, this thought is an interpretation of the general subject of the sixth chapter, which views the entire chapter as instructions to the three broad divisions into which Christian society of the first century can be said to have been roughly divided:

1. SLAVES . . .

   1 Timothy 5:25 to 1 Timothy 6:3. Instructions concerning slaves, who possessed nothing of their own.

   1 Timothy 6:4–5. The allusion to the false teachers, whose teaching concerning slavery was very different from his.

2. MIDDLE CLASS.

   1 Timothy 6:6–16. St. Paul introduces the warning against covetousness and the desire to be rich, the special danger of the middle class—the free, but who were far from wealthy—a class to which Timothy belonged.

3. THE RICH

   1 Timothy 6:17–19. Special instructions to the rich and the highly born.