1 Timothy 5

[Josh]

Post your comments, questions, and discussion starters on 1 Timothy chapter 5 as replies to this post.


1 Timothy 5 (New International Version)

1 Timothy 5

Advice About Widows, Elders and Slaves

1Do not rebuke an older man harshly, but exhort him as if he were your father. Treat younger men as brothers, 2older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters, with absolute purity.
3Give proper recognition to those widows who are really in need. 4But 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. 5The 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. 6But the widow who lives for pleasure is dead even while she lives. 7Give the people these instructions, too, so that no one may be open to blame. 8If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

9No widow may be put on the list of widows unless she is over sixty, has been faithful to her husband, 10and is well known for her good deeds, such as bringing up children, showing hospitality, washing the feet of the saints, helping those in trouble and devoting herself to all kinds of good deeds.

11As 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. 12Thus they bring judgment on themselves, because they have broken their first pledge. 13Besides, they get into the habit of being idle and going about from house to house. And not only do they become idlers, but also gossips and busybodies, saying things they ought not to. 14So I counsel younger widows to marry, to have children, to manage their homes and to give the enemy no opportunity for slander. 15Some have in fact already turned away to follow Satan.

16If any woman who is a believer has widows in her family, she should help them and not let the church be burdened with them, so that the church can help those widows who are really in need.

17The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching. 18For the Scripture says, "Do not muzzle the ox while it is treading out the grain," and "The worker deserves his wages."[c] 19Do not entertain an accusation against an elder unless it is brought by two or three witnesses. 20Those who sin are to be rebuked publicly, so that the others may take warning.

21I charge you, in the sight of God and Christ Jesus and the elect angels, to keep these instructions without partiality, and to do nothing out of favoritism.

22Do not be hasty in the laying on of hands, and do not share in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure.

23Stop drinking only water, and use a little wine because of your stomach and your frequent illnesses.

24The sins of some men are obvious, reaching the place of judgment ahead of them; the sins of others trail behind them. 25In the same way, good deeds are obvious, and even those that are not cannot be hidden.

Footnotes:
1 Timothy 5:9 Or has had but one husband
1 Timothy 5:18 Deut. 25:4
1 Timothy 5:18 Luke 10:7

[Josh]

1Do not rebuke an older man harshly, but exhort him as if he were your father. Treat younger men as brothers, 2older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters, with absolute purity.

If the Church just took this advice more seriously, think of how many of the worst episodes in Church history and in the life of the local church would not have occurred.

3Give proper recognition to those widows who are really in need. 4But 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. 5The 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. 6But the widow who lives for pleasure is dead even while she lives. 7Give the people these instructions, too, so that no one may be open to blame. 8If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

9No widow may be put on the list of widows unless she is over sixty, has been faithful to her husband, 10and is well known for her good deeds, such as bringing up children, showing hospitality, washing the feet of the saints, helping those in trouble and devoting herself to all kinds of good deeds.

It's interesting that even though we are told in Acts 2 that the early church held things in common, here Paul stresses that individual nuclear families hold the first line of responsibility of taking care of those in need. And what about those who neglect to take care of their own families being "worse than unbelievers"?
Heavy.

And what about the stipulation of only providing aid to those widows who are known for their good deeds? Does this seem like discrimination that contradicts the mission of the church to emulate God's grace to a broken world?

[ben]

1Do not rebuke an older man harshly, but exhort him as if he were your father.

Eh Josh, I like that verse.

[Josh]

keep these instructions without partiality, and to do nothing out of favoritism.

Interesting, Thomas Talbott uses this verse as an argument against the Calvinist understanding of election.

If God tells us that part of love is not showing partiality, how can we think that He Himself shows favoritism, if He is by nature love.

[Josh]

22Do not be hasty in the laying on of hands,

Do you see this, as I do, as a general admonition not to push someone too quickly into a leadership position?

23Stop drinking only water, and use a little wine because of your stomach and your frequent illnesses.

This verse might seem random and unimportant, but I like the realistic portrait of life it portrays. Paul has known numerous miraculous healings, but here Timothy confronts an experience where God isn't performing a miraculous healing. Paul is not afraid to offer some medical advice.

Verses like this are helpful in the avoidance of strange theological extremes, for instance, the idea that the use of medicine is contrary to God's will.