Chapter
1 2 3 4 5 6
Verse

1 Timothy 5:22

ESV Do not be hasty in the laying on of hands, nor take part in the sins of others; keep yourself pure.
NIV Do not be hasty in the laying on of hands, and do not share in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure.
NASB Do not lay hands upon anyone too quickly and thereby share responsibility for the sins of others; keep yourself free from sin.
CSB Don’t be too quick to appoint anyone as an elder, and don’t share in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure.
NLT Never be in a hurry about appointing a church leader. Do not share in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure.
KJV Lay hands suddenly on no man, neither be partaker of other men's sins: keep thyself pure.
NKJV Do not lay hands on anyone hastily, nor share in other people’s sins; keep yourself pure.

What does 1 Timothy 5:22 mean?

In addition to dealing with the removal of elders, Timothy is to be very careful in selecting elders. Haste, in the sense of careless rushing, is often spoken against in Proverbs (Proverbs 14:29; 21:5; 29:20).

Apparently, laying on of hands was a common tradition during this era for confirming elders in the local church. It was also a tradition that Timothy had experienced (1 Timothy 4:14), including the hands of Paul (2 Timothy 1:6), likely in Lystra before first traveling with him (Acts 16). This tradition of laying hands on leaders was certainly picked up from the Jewish tradition of setting apart leaders in the Old Testament (such as Moses and Joshua in Numbers 27:18–23).

Timothy is to select elders based on Paul's prior instructions (1 Timothy 3:1–7). He is not to participate in, or even be associated with, the sins of others. Paul likely had the false teachers of Ephesus in mind here, since these men wanted to lead yet were unfit to do so (1 Timothy 1:7). Instead, Timothy was to "keep [himself] pure," a common command given to believers (1 Timothy 1:5; James 1:27).
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