1 Timothy 5:24, 25 The sins of some are obvious, reaching the place of judgment ahead of them; the sins of others trail behind them. In the same way, good deeds are obvious, and even those that are not obvious cannot remain hidden for ever.
These verses stand alone rather, although the context is the solemn charge to keep these instructions without partiality. There is also the reference to not ordaining elders too quickly, these instructions being most pertinent to that question. The point itself is clear enough. We make assessments about people on the basis of what we know about them. When we make such judgements it is important to remember that The sins of some are obvious, reaching the place of judgment ahead of them; the sins of others trail behind them. The bank robber and the idolater are obvious sinners while the embezzler and the hypocrite are more difficult to detect at first. Further, some men's good deeds are not so obvious either. The anonymous donor and the prayer warrior are doing good with no-one knowing while everyone can admire the stretcher bearer or the eloquent preacher. We cannot know all there is to know at this stage but to bear in mind our ignorance is an excellent thing to do in all sorts of contexts, including making men elders and choosing Sunday School teachers for that matter.
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