1 Timothy 5:21
in 1 Timothy 5I solemnly charge you before God and Christ Jesus and the elect angels to maintain these principles without bias, and to do nothing out of partiality.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
I charge thee in the sight of God, and Christ Jesus, and the elect angels, that thou observe these things without prejudice, doing nothing by partiality.
KJV
I charge thee before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, and the elect angels, that thou observe these things without preferring one before another, doing nothing by partiality.
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This verse in 1 Timothy 5
Commentary
13 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
I charge thee before God - compare Luk 16:28; Act 2:20. The word rendered “charge” means, properly, to call to witness; then to affirm with solemn attestations; and then to admonish solemnly, to urge upon earnestly. It is a word which implies that the subject is of great importance. Paul gives this charge as in the presence of God, of the Redeemer, and of the elect angels, and wishes to secure that sense of its solemnity which must arise from the presence of such holy witnesses.
This site's exposition
I solemnly charge you before God
on 1 Timothy 5:21-22
The charge is sworn before God and Christ Jesus and the elect angels, the unseen witnesses of the church's discipline. Its content is impartiality, to do nothing out of partiality.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers4 voices
I seriously charge you before God and the Lord Jesus Christ and the elect angels to keep these instructions without bias, and to do nothing out of favoritism. I seriously charge you before God. Paul warns of severity. For Timothy did not simply resign, but …
Just as they carefully prepared their will and testament, and committed it to a trust, and adjured (the trustees to be faithful to their charge), even so do I hold it.
Let us reverence the Lord Jesus Christ, whose blood was given for us; let us esteem those who have the rule over us; let us honour the aged among us; let us train up the young men in the fear of God; let us direct our wives to that which is good. Let them exhibit the lovely habit of purity [in all their conduct]; let them show forth the sincere disposition of meekness; let them make manifest the command which they have of their tongue, by their manner of speaking; let them display their love, not by preferring one to another, but by showing equal affection to all that piously fear God.
Having spoken of Bishops and Deacons, of men, and women, of widows and elders, and of all others, and having shown how great was the authority of a Bishop, now he was speaking of judgment, he has added, "I charge thee before God and the Lord Jesus Christ and the elect angels, that thou observe these things without preferring one before another, doing nothing by partiality." Thus fearfully he charges him. For though Timothy was his beloved son, he did not therefore stand in awe of him. For as he was not ashamed to say of himself, "Lest by any means when I have preached to others, I myself should be a cast-away" (1 Cor. ix. 27); much less would he be afraid or ashamed in the case of Timothy. He called the Father and the Son to witness. But wherefore the elect Angels? From great moderation, as Moses said, "I call heaven and earth to witness" (Deut. iv. 26); and again, "Hear ye, O mountains, and strong foundations of the earth." (Mic. vi. 2.) He calls the Father and the Son to witness what he has said, making his appeal to Them against that future Day, that if anything should be done that ought not to be done, he was clear from the guilt of it. "That thou observe these things without preferring one before another, doing nothing by partiality." That is, that thou deal impartially and equally between those who are upon trial and are to be judged by thee, that no one may pre-occupy thy mind, or gain thee over to his side beforehand. But who are the elect Angels? It is because there are some not elect. As Jacob calls to witness God and the heap (Gen. xxxi. 45), so we often take at once superior and inferior persons to witness; so great a thing is testimony. As if he had said, I call to witness God and His Son and His servants, that I have charged thee: so before them I charge thee. He impresses Timothy with fear.
The Medieval Church1 voice
Having said much in the words cited above, he now begins to speak as in a court and in doing so adjures Timothy most solemnly. He was not ashamed to safeguard even Timothy with such an exhortation. For if he said of himself, "lest, having …
6 more voices on this verse
The Medieval Church1 voice
Then he says, I charge you, before God. Because the ecclesiastical judge acts in God's person in a special way when he judges; therefore, he charges him before God to judge justly. For he must argue his case in public in such a way that …
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
I charge thee before God - Referring to the last judgment, in which we shall stand before God and Christ, with his elect, that is, holy, angels, who are the witnesses of our conversation.
I charge thee before God,....
He charges him, by all that is dear, before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, and the elect angels, to guard against partiality. Ministers must give an account to God and the Lord Jesus Christ, whether, and how, they have observed all things given them in charge: and woe to them if they have been partial in their ministrations, out of an worldly politic view.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
1Co 4:9). these things--the injunctions, 1Ti 5:19, 20. without preferring one before another--rather as Greek, "prejudice"; "judging before" hearing all the facts of a case. There ought to be judgment, but not prejudging. Compare "suddenly," 1Ti 5:22, also 1Ti 5:24. partiality--in favor of a man, as "prejudice" is bias against a man.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
I charge thee before God - The apostle would have Timothy to consider that all he did should be done as in the sight of God, the Father of the spirits of all flesh; in the sight of Christ, the Savior of sinners, who purchased the Church with his own blood; and in the sight of the most holy, approved, and eminent angels, whose office it was to minister to the heirs of salvation. The word εκλεκτοι, elect, applied to the angels here, is supposed to distinguish those who stood, when others fell from their first estate. The former were elect, or approved; the latter reprobate, or disapproved. This is not an unfrequent sense of the word εκλεκτος, elect. Perhaps there is nothing else meant than the angels that are chosen out from among others, by the Lord himself, to be ministering servants to the Church. Without preferring one before another - Χωρις προκριματος· Without prejudice. Promote no man’s cause; make not up thy mind on any case, till thou hast weighed both sides, and heard both parties, with their respective witnesses; and then act impartially, as the matter may appear to be proved. Do not treat any man, in religious matters, according to the rank he holds in life, or according to any personal attachment thou mayest have for him. Every man should be dealt with in the Church as he will be dealt with at the judgment-seat of Christ. A minister of the Gospel, who, in the exercise of discipline in the Church, is swayed and warped by secular considerations, will be a curse rather than a blessing to the people of God. Accepting the persons of the rich, in ecclesiastical matters, has been a source of corruption in Christianity. With some ministers the show of piety in a rich man goes farther than the soundest Christian experience in the poor. What account can such persons give of their stewardship?
The words behind it
20 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Διαμαρτύρομαι | diamarturomai | I earnestly testify | G1263 → | |
| ἐνώπιον | enopion | before | G1799 → | 94 times |
| τοῦ | tou | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| θεοῦ | theou | God | G2316 → | 1312 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| Χριστοῦ | christou | Christ | G5547 → | 523 times |
| Ἰησοῦ | iesou | Jesus | G2424 → | 908 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| τῶν | ton | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἐκλεκτῶν | eklekton | elect | G1588 → | |
| ἀγγέλων, | angelon | angels | G32 → | |
| ἵνα | ina | that | G2443 → | 668 times |
| ταῦτα | tauta | these things | G3778 → | 1381 times |
| φυλάξῃς | phulaxes | you may keep | G5442 → | |
| χωρὶς | choris | apart from | G5565 → | |
| προκρίματος | prokrimatos | prejudice | G4299 → | |
| μηδὲν | meden | nothing | G3367 → | 90 times |
| ποιῶν | poion | doing | G4160 → | 569 times |
| κατὰ | kata | out of | G2596 → | 468 times |
| πρόσκλισιν. | prosklisin | partiality. | G4346 → |
ΔιαμαρτύρομαιI earnestly testify
diamarturomaiG1263 →
ἐνώπιονbefore
enopionG1799 →94 times
τοῦ<the>
touG3588 →19766 times
θεοῦGod
theouG2316 →1312 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ΧριστοῦChrist
christouG5547 →523 times
ἸησοῦJesus
iesouG2424 →908 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
τῶνthe
tonG3588 →19766 times
ἐκλεκτῶνelect
eklektonG1588 →
ἀγγέλων,angels
angelonG32 →
ἵναthat
inaG2443 →668 times
ταῦταthese things
tautaG3778 →1381 times
φυλάξῃςyou may keep
phulaxesG5442 →
χωρὶςapart from
chorisG5565 →
προκρίματοςprejudice
prokrimatosG4299 →
μηδὲνnothing
medenG3367 →90 times
ποιῶνdoing
poionG4160 →569 times
κατὰout of
kataG2596 →468 times
πρόσκλισιν.partiality.
prosklisinG4346 →
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
2 Peter 2:4For if God did not spare the angels when they sinned, but cast them deep into hell, placing them in chains of darkness to be held for judgment;
it leads to
- Matthew 25:41
Then He will say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Jude 1:6
And the angels who did not stay within their own domain but abandoned their proper dwelling—these He has kept in eternal chains under darkness, bound for judgment on that great day.
- Romans 8:32
He who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also, along with Him, freely give us all things?
- Revelation 20:1–3
Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven with the key to the Abyss, holding in his hand a great chain.
- Revelation 12:7–9
Then a war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back.
- Matthew 25:41
Through
Jude 1:6And the angels who did not stay within their own domain but abandoned their proper dwelling—these He has kept in eternal chains under darkness, bound for judgment on that great day.
it leads to
- 2 Peter 2:4
For if God did not spare the angels when they sinned, but cast them deep into hell, placing them in chains of darkness to be held for judgment;
- 2 Peter 2:4
Through
2 Timothy 4:1I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of His appearing and His kingdom:
it leads to
- Acts 10:42
And He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that He is the One appointed by God to judge the living and the dead.
- 2 Timothy 4:8
From now on there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but to all who…
- Acts 10:42
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About 1 Timothy
This page draws on 12 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Clement of Rome, Letter to the Corinthians (Clement); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, Homily on 1 Timothy 16; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Oecumenius, COMMENTARY ON 1 TIMOTHY; Tertullian, The Prescription Against Heretics; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on 1 Timothy and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on 1 Timothy.