John Calvin Commentary 1 Timothy 5:24

"Some men`s sins are evident, going before unto judgment; and some men also they follow after." — 1 Timothy 5:24 (ASV)

The sins of some men are visible beforehand. As there is nothing that distresses the faithful ministers of the Church more than to see no way to correct evils, and to be compelled to endure hypocrites whose wickedness they are aware of, and to be unable to banish from the Church many who are destructive plagues, or even to prevent them from spreading their poison by secret means, Paul supports Timothy with this consolation: that when it pleases God, they will one day be brought to public view. Thus he strengthens him for the exercise of patience, because he ought to calmly await the appropriate time which God in his wisdom has appointed.

There is another kind of despicable conduct that greatly distresses good and holy pastors. When they have most conscientiously fulfilled their duty, they are provoked by many unfair statements, are burdened with much ill-will, and perceive that those actions which deserved praise are turned into blame. Paul addresses this situation also by informing Timothy that there are some good works which are reserved to be brought to light at a future time; and consequently, if their praise is, as it were, buried underground by the ingratitude of men, that too ought to be patiently endured until the time of revelation has arrived.

Yet Paul not only provides a remedy for these evils. He also addresses the anguish that arises because we are often mistaken in choosing ministers: unworthy persons cunningly work their way in, and good people are unknown to us.

Moreover, even if we do not err in judging, we still cannot always persuade others to approve our judgment. As a result, the most excellent people are rejected, despite all our efforts to the contrary, while wicked men either work their way in or force themselves forward.

It is inevitable that our own condition and that of the Church will, in such circumstances, cause great anguish. Accordingly, Paul earnestly endeavors to remove, or at least to alleviate, this cause of uneasiness.

His meaning may be summed up as follows: “We must bear what cannot be immediately corrected. We must sigh and groan while the time for the remedy has not yet fully come, and we must not apply force to diseases until they are either ripe or exposed. On the other hand, when virtue does not receive the honor it deserves, we must wait for the full time of revelation, endure the world's stupidity, and wait quietly in darkness until the day dawns.”

Hastening to judgment. I now come to the words, after giving a brief illustration of the subject. When he says that the sins of some men are visible beforehand, he means that they are discovered early and come to the knowledge of men, as it were, before the proper time. He expresses the same thing with another comparison: that they run, as it were, and “hasten to their judgment”; for we see that many run headlong and, of their own accord, bring damnation on themselves, even though the whole world desires to save them. Whenever this happens, let us remember that the reprobate are prompted by an unseen movement of Providence to spew out their corruption.

In some they follow after. The rendering given by Erasmus, “Some they follow after,” I do not approve. Although it seems to be more in accordance with the Greek construction, the sense requires that the preposition ἐν must be understood, for the change of case does not destroy the contrast. As he had said that the sins of some men hasten rapidly to their judgment, so now, on the other hand, he adds that the sins of some men (or of others) come slowly to be known. But instead of the genitive “of some,” he uses the dative “in some” (or “in others”). He means that although the sins of some men may be concealed longer than we would wish and are slowly brought to light, they shall not always be concealed, for they too shall have their time. And if the version of Erasmus is preferred, the meaning must still be the same: that although the vengeance of God does not hasten, it nevertheless follows slowly behind them.