Rebuke not an elder, but intreat him as a father; and
the younger men as brethren; 2 The elder women as mothers; the younger as sisters,
with all purity.
The Body of Christ is meant to be a spiritual family. When you have a
grievance or know that an older man is in error, entreat him as you would your
father. Webster’s 1828 defines entreat as “to ask earnestly ; to
beseech ; to petition or pray with urgency….” Treat older men as fathers. Treat
younger men as brothers. Treat older women as mothers and younger women as
sisters. With what? All purity. A young man may treat older men as fathers,
younger men as brothers, and older women as mothers; yet lustfully chase the
younger women in the Church. A young woman may treat older men as fathers,
older women as mothers and younger women as sisters; yet flirt with many of the
young men in the Body of Christ. Likewise older men and women can fail to
conduct themselves with purity toward one another or those younger. This a
grave error. We are to treat all with
purity.
1 Tim 5:1-2 (KJV)
