What Does 1 Timothy 5:24 Mean?

(24) **Some men’s sins are open beforehand, going before to judgment; and some men they follow after.**—The preceding verse was parenthetic, and suggested by his fears lest the effect of his direction to his son in the faith *to keep himself pure* might lead Timothy to the practice of a useless and unhealthy asceticism. St. Paul now returns and closes the subject on which he had been instructing his representative at Ephesus. He tells him, in his choice of men to fill the public positions in the Church of God—in his public inquiries into their conduct and teaching—in his inquiries respecting sinners, who, having forfeited their position as members of the community, were seeking re-admission into church fellowship, not to forget there were *two* classes of sins: the one class public and open, heralds, so to speak, of the judgment to follow. In the case of men sinning thus, the church’s chief pastor would have no difficulty in determining upon his course of action. But there was another class of sins—silent and, as far as public and general knowledge went, unknown—only published after judgment had been given. To rightly estimate such characters will require much care and penetration, and *this* will be part of Timothy’s work. The judgment (*krisis*) here mentioned is that of Timothy as shown in the careful selection of candidates for ordination—in determining what sinners are fit for restoration to church fellowship—in pronouncing sentence in the matter of accused presbyters.