Verse 24 and 25 go together.

Verse 24 speaks of the evil that men do.

Verse 25 speaks of the good that men do.

Verse 24 – "Some men's sins are open before hand," The sins of some men are so open and obvious that it is clearly seen that they are sinners before Almighty God. Paul is telling Timothy that these wicked men may not be judged in this world, but they will be judged in the world to come. Timothy will have no difficulty discovering men such as these, or what to do with them – reject them, and warn others about them. The context of the passage underscores the fact that Timothy would have no difficult not laying hands on them, or giving credence to their ministry. Timothy would avoid them, and tell others to also avoid them. Evil men are to be marked so young Christians will know them, what they stand for, and stay away from them.

Verse 24 – "going before to judgment" I don’t think this phrase is speaking about God’s judgment, whether in this world or in the world to come. I think Paul is speaking about the judgment of Timothy as he considers the people he ministers to, and the ministers he will acknowledge as being of God. Paul is stating that the sins of some men or very open, and obviously point to judgment, both by man and God.

There is no doubt God will judge all unrighteousness, but I don’t think that is the meaning of this passage. I know all will be judged of God: the saved at the judgment seat of Christ, and the lost at the Great White Throne Judgment. God will judge every sin – both open and hidden. As humans, we can only judge what we see in the body, but God judges the heart. I think this passage is in particular speaking about Timothy judging men by their actions.

Verse 24 – "and some [men] they follow after" I think the meaning here is that when it comes to ordaining any man to the ministry, it is impossible to know exactly where he stands before God. All we can go by is what we see in this flesh, which may or may not be the whole truth. The sins of some are hidden, secret. But they will not always remain secret. God will reveal them in His own good time. Our part in ordaining men to the ministry is to be as careful as we know how to be. Open our eyes to see the truth as much as we can, and trust God for the rest. If there is a man who is a "secret sinner," his sins will come to light in due time. That is why Paul admonishes Timothy to "lay hands suddenly on no man."

Personally, I do not help ordain a man to the ministry, and I will not recommend to Independence Baptist Church a man, that I do not personally know and trust. As a result of this, I have helped ordain very few men, but all those men are faithful to this day. I thank my God for this. I do not count it a "feather in my cap" to sit on the ordination council of any man. I am accountable to God, and to God alone. I have known preachers who would ordain any man as long as he was doctrinally sound. I think doctrinal purity is very important, but if the character of the man is wicked, all his sound doctrine will soon be gone. I have been to Bible conferences where a part of the service was to ordain a man to the gospel ministry. I have always refused to help ordain him if I didn’t personally know him and trust him. I try not to make a big deal out of it, I just quietly leave the service. I have explained my position to some pastors, and have found agreement. But every man must stand by himself in this matter.

Verse 25 states, "Likewise also the good works of some are manifest beforehand" This verse seems straight forward enough, especially when coupled with the previous verse. The word "likewise" ties verse 25 to verse 24.

There are some men who are so obviously lead of the Lord, it is immediately seen. These are men who are strong in Christian character and grace, so sound in doctrine, so ready to learn and express the truth, so full of faith and hope in Christ Jesus, that there is no need to examine them. The knowledge they may lack is made up for in desire to learn the truth. They are not necessarily "straight-laced," but their love for the Lord leads them to purity of life, actions, and thought. Their motive is right with God, their desire is for God.

The rule of examining persons we will ordain to the gospel ministry is not made for the men in verse 25, but we examine all so we will not appear biased.

Verse 25 – "and they that are otherwise cannot be hid." Men who try to hide their sins so they will be included in the ranks of the righteous will soon be discovered. It won’t be long before their positive inclination to sin comes out: first in hidden thought, slowly in the spoken word, and finally in brazen sinful actions against God.

The conclusion is: don’t be hasty to lay hands on men, ordaining them into the gospel ministry.

Another point: I have given the interpretation as pertaining to the ordaining to the gospel ministry. But these verses can also apply to human judgment of any man or woman. We don’t have to come out for or against a person immediately. Time will tell a lot of things, especially faithfulness in the ministry.