The Christ Church Wednesday Bible Study Group is studying Paul's pastoral Epistles (Letters) to his proteges, Timothy and Titus.
Paul instructed Timothy how to minister to specific groups in his church so that no one felt that they were left out or left behind because as we have said the church (local church) is God’s household a family and we should treat family member with respect and without partiality.
1 Timothy 5:1-2 NIV [1] Do not rebuke an older man harshly, but exhort him as if he were your father. Treat younger men as brothers, [2] older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters, with absolute purity.
Paul instructed Timothy how to minister to specific groups in his church so that no one felt that they were left out or left behind because as we have said the church (local church) is God’s household a family and we should treat family member with respect and without partiality.
Show Respect to Everyone and Show no Partiality
Since Timothy was a younger man, he might be tempted to ignore the older members, so Paul urged him to love and serve all of the people, regardless of their ages. The church is a family: Treat the older members like your mother and father, and the younger members like your brothers and sisters.
1 Timothy 5:1-2 NIV [1] Do not rebuke an older man harshly, but exhort him as if he were your father. Treat younger men as brothers, [2] older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters, with absolute purity.
The Old Widows (5:3–10)
1 Timothy 5:3-4 NIV [3] Give proper recognition to those widows who are really in need. [4] But if a widow has children or grandchildren, these should learn first of all to put their religion into practice by caring for their own family and so repaying their parents and grandparents, for this is pleasing to God.
[6] But the widow who lives for pleasure is dead even while she lives. [7] Give the people these instructions, so that no one may be open to blame. [8] Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. [9] No widow may be put on the list of widows unless she is over sixty, has been faithful to her husband, [10] and is well known for her good deeds, such as bringing up children, showing hospitality, washing the feet of the Lord’s people, helping those in trouble and devoting herself to all kinds of good deeds.
From the beginning of its ministry, the church had a concern for believing widows.
Acts 6:1 NIV [1] In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Hellenistic Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food.
The response of the leadership we to establish the first deacon board.
Acts 6:2-4 NIV [2] So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, “It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. [3] Brothers and sisters, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them [4] and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.”
God gave special instructons to protect widows.
Deuteronomy 10:18 NIV [18] He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the foreigner residing among you, giving them food and clothing.
Isaiah 1:17 NIV [17] Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow.
Malachi 3:5 NIV [5] “So I will come to put you on trial. I will be quick to testify against sorcerers, adulterers and perjurers, against those who defraud laborers of their wages, who oppress the widows and the fatherless, and deprive the foreigners among you of justice, but do not fear me,” says the Lord Almighty.
It was only right that the local church show compassion to these women who were in need. From the beginning of its ministry, the church had a concern for believing widows.
However, the church must be careful not to waste its resources on people who really are not in need. Whether we like to admit it or not, there are individuals and entire families who “milk” local churches, while they themselves refuse to work or to use their own resources wisely.
So Paul gives Timothy some qualifications for the church supporting or helping widows.
No support at all unless they have no family or personal resources
Today we have social programs that help but in Paul’s day those didn’t exist so a poor widow had to depend on the church, if she was a believer or on relatives.
If a widow has relatives, they should take care of her so that the church can help those with no support.
[8] Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.
Paul said that if a relative doesn’t care for the widow in their family they are worse than an unbeliever. That may sometime even mean that you have to limit your ministry to care for a loved one. We love God by loving His people, and we have already read and seen. He has a special concern for the elderly, widows, and orphans.
In order to get help from the church the widow had to be a believer that demonstrated her trust in God.
1 Timothy 5:5-7 NIV [5] The widow who is really in need and left all alone puts her hope in God and continues night and day to pray and to ask God for help. [6] But the widow who lives for pleasure is dead even while she lives. [7] Give the people these instructions, so that no one may be open to blame.
The church can’t care for all the widows in the city, but it should certainly care for believers who are a part of the fellowship. We are concerned about everybody but especially for other believers
Galatians 6:10 NIV [10] Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.
When Paul wrote this letter the church in Ephesus had a list of windows eligible for help. To be included in the list they had to be at least 60 and have had a good marriage.
1 Timothy 5:9 NIV [9] No widow may be put on the list of widows unless she is over sixty, has been faithful to her husband,
Paul may have used 60 because it was unlikely, in that day, that a woman of that age would get remarried.
A witness of good works
In order to qualify for support from the church the widow had to be a good example.
1 Timothy 5:10 NIV [10] and is well known for her good deeds, such as bringing up children, showing hospitality, washing the feet of the Lord’s people, helping those in trouble and devoting herself to all kinds of good deeds.
Remember if her children are still alive, they should be taking care of her.
Hospitality is another factor in the qualified widow. in those days when travel was dangerous and safe places to sleep were scarce, hospitality was an important ministry. The washing of feet does not refer to a special ritual, but to the widespread practice of washing a guest’s feet when they arrived in the home.
“Relieved the afflicted” (helping those in trouble) could cover many kinds of ministry to the needy: feeding the hungry, caring for the sick, encouraging those who need it. These widows were cared for by the church, but they, in turn, helped to care for the church.
So what about the younger widows?
1 Timothy 5:11-16 NIV [11] As for younger widows, do not put them on such a list. For when their sensual desires overcome their dedication to Christ, they want to marry. [12] Thus they bring judgment on themselves, because they have broken their first pledge. [13] Besides, they get into the habit of being idle and going about from house to house. And not only do they become idlers, but also busybodies who talk nonsense, saying things they ought not to. [14] So I counsel younger widows to marry, to have children, to manage their homes and to give the enemy no opportunity for slander. [15] Some have in fact already turned away to follow Satan. [16] If any woman who is a believer has widows in her care, she should continue to help them and not let the church be burdened with them, so that the church can help those widows who are really in need.
The dangers of travel, the ravages of disease, war, and a host of other things could rob a young wife of her husband so there would certainly have been younger widows so why not enroll themfor help too? It’s clear that God is concerned about widows He didn’t mention any age requirements.
Here's Paul’s reasoning.
1 Timothy 5:11-12 NIV [11] As for younger widows, do not put them on such a list. For when their sensual desires overcome their dedication to Christ, they want to marry. [12] Thus they bring judgment on themselves, because they have broken their first pledge.
Paul seemed to imply here that the women on the list, the older widows, pledged herself to remain a widow and serve the Lord in the church. There seemed to have been an agreement between the widows and the church that they would remain widows and serve the Lord.
I think Paul is making an assumption here and a generalization that the younger widows will still have some feelings for intimacy and as says in
1 Corinthians 7:8-9 NIV [8] Now to the unmarried and the widows I say: It is good for them to stay unmarried, as I do. [9] But if they cannot control themselves, they should marry, for it is better to marry than to burn with passion.
If they married they would no longer be widows.
Let’s look at
1 Timothy 5:13 NIV [13] Besides, they get into the habit of being idle and going about from house to house. And not only do they become idlers, but also busybodies who talk nonsense, saying things they ought not to.
I believe that Paul is again here. I don’t think he is saying that all young widows are like this, but some will be so don’t take a chance that something might cause problems in the church.
That’s the negative stuff Paul said about the younger widow but he also gives some things they could do that would be positive things for the church.
1 Timothy 5:14-16 NIV [14] So I counsel younger widows to marry, to have children, to manage their homes and to give the enemy no opportunity for slander. [15] Some have in fact already turned away to follow Satan. [16] If any woman who is a believer has widows in her care, she should continue to help them and not let the church be burdened with them, so that the church can help those widows who are really in need.
The first thing for those that wanted to, was to get married and have children. Today that sounds chauvinistic but don’t get excited, that is not a command that is a suggestion that Paul is making that could have a positive impact.
If a younger widow does remarry, and this applies throughout scripture for all families where there is a husband and wife, Paul says the wife should manage the household.
1 Timothy 5:14 NIV [14] So I counsel younger widows to marry, to have children, to manage their homes and to give the enemy no opportunity for slander.
The Greek word translated "manage means to “Guide the house” or means “rule the house.” Like the woman described in Proverbs 31 the man should trust his wife to handle it.
Proverbs 31:10-11 NIV [10] A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies. [11] Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value.
That kind of shoots a hole in the theory that the man is the ruler over everything even the family.
How Christian wives and mothers manage their homes can be a testimony to those outside the church. Just as a pastor is to have a good reputation with outsiders, so the wives are to have a good witness. Women may not be able to be elders of the church, but they can minister for the Lord right in their own homes.
Verse 16 is sort of a summary of the principle of each family caring for the needs of its own family members.
1 Timothy 5:16 NIV [16] If any woman who is a believer has widows in her care, she should continue to help them and not let the church be burdened with them, so that the church can help those widows who are really in need.
Paul did not give specifics as to how those widows on the list should be helped or how a relative should take care of their widows. Each local assembly would have to decide this according to the needs of individual cases.
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