Do not entertain an accusation against an elder unless it is brought by two or three witnesses. 1 Timothy 5:19 (NIV)
There are two points here and they are both important. Good leaders need to be protected from bad people. Good people need to be protected from bad leaders.
Godly leaders will always be under attack from the enemy. Satan is the accuser. He constantly fabricates lies. That’s why we need the belt of truth as the first piece of the armor of God.
John Calvin says, “None are more exposed to slanders and insults than godly teachers. They may perform their duties correctly and conscientiously, yet they never avoid a thousand criticisms.” Paul was constantly slandered by false teachers (1 Cor. 4:3). Our Lord was falsely accused. The gossip about him was that he was a glutton and a drunkard (Mat. 11:19). Some people even said that he was demon-possessed (Mark 3:22).
The pattern with slander is always the same. Some story or false statement goes around. Then people hear about it and say, “There’s no smoke without a fire.” Satan works havoc in the church through these things, so elders must restrain fabricators of gossip, slander, and lies.
Martin Luther said that there are two evils here—to promote rumors and untruths, and to be willing to believe the evil and not the good. Good leaders need to be protected from bad people. Good people need to be protected from bad leaders.
Where have you seen good leaders protected from bad people? How about good people protected from bad leaders? Thank God for this!