Written ~ 10-28-2024
Read 1 Timothy Chapter Five
1 Timothy 5
When we read over the Book of 1 Timothy, even though it’s a letter from Paul written specifically to Timothy, the instructions Paul lays out in these chapters are just as relevant to the church today. In chapter five, for the most part Timothy is given instructions how to treat the elderly, how to treat the youth, how the congregation is to respond to the needs of the Pastor and the most notable how to take care of widows within the church. So, let’s find out what we need to do in order to remain true to the Word of God.
1 Timothy 5:1-2…
1 “Never speak harshly to an older man, but appeal to him respectfully as you would to your own father. Talk to younger men as you would to your own brothers. 2 Treat older women as you would your mother, and treat younger women with all purity as you would your own sisters.”
I’m not sure there is much more that needs to be said about the treatment of the elderly or the youth within the church, Paul is straightforward and clear. The important thing to remember is, as believers, we are now part of the same family. We have become children of God; therefore, we must treat each other as brothers and sisters, just like Jesus would do. This adds a level of protection to the members of your spiritual family, you will take better care of them, you will look after them and make sure no one is left to fend for themselves.
The next section of the chapter talks about caring for the widows in the church… it’s quite lengthy, but let’s read through the entire passage to get a complete feel for what is required of us as the body of Christ.
1 Timothy 5:3-16…
3 “Take care of any widow who has no one else to care for her. 4 But if she has children or grandchildren, their first responsibility is to show godliness at home and repay their parents by taking care of them. This is something that pleases God.
5 Now a true widow, a woman who is truly alone in this world, has placed her hope in God. She prays night and day, asking God for His help. 6 But the widow who lives only for pleasure is spiritually dead even while she lives. 7 Give these instructions to the church so that no one will be open to criticism.
8 But those who won’t care for their relatives, especially those in their own household, have denied the true faith. Such people are worse than unbelievers.
9 A widow who is put on the list for support must be a woman who is at least sixty years old and was faithful to her husband. 10 She must be well respected by everyone because of the good she has done. Has she brought up her children well? Has she been kind to strangers and served other believers humbly? Has she helped those who are in trouble? Has she always been ready to do good?
11 The younger widows should not be on the list, because their physical desires will overpower their devotion to Christ and they will want to remarry. 12 Then they would be guilty of breaking their previous pledge. 13 And if they are on the list, they will learn to be lazy and will spend their time gossiping from house to house, meddling in other people’s business and talking about things they shouldn’t. 14 So I advise these younger widows to marry again, have children, and take care of their own homes. Then the enemy will not be able to say anything against them. 15 For I am afraid that some of them have already gone astray and now follow Satan.
16 If a woman who is a believer has relatives who are widows, she must take care of them and not put the responsibility on the church. Then the church can care for the widows who are truly alone.”
First off, look within your own family unit. Do you have any widows within your family? Are you taking up the responsibility to look after them? Are we making sure their needs are met? Are we showing them the love of Jesus by taking care of them? It says in verse 5:4 that if you are doing this you are pleasing to God. But if you are not taking care of your own family it says in verse 5:8 that those who do not care for their relatives…have denied the faith and such people are worse than unbelievers! That statement right there should bring conviction to anyone who is not regarding the widows in their family as someone to honor and take care of, completely.
Now in the days of Paul, it was quite different than it is today. In the first century, there wasn’t any kind of social security or pension program, plus wage producing jobs for women were far and few between. So, the widows in those days didn’t have much opportunity to support themselves. That’s why it was the responsibility of the family first to take of their relatives, then it would become the responsibility of the church to make sure their needs were met. The treatment of the elderly within a family is the training ground for every generation being raised up in that environment. Make sure, in your family, you are showing the younger generations that it is a Biblical principle to take care of your parents and grandparents in a loving and grateful manner.
It’s interesting what Paul says about a young woman who finds herself a widow and alone. He said it’s better for her to remarry and have a family, so she does not become lazy, idle or a gossiper.
I did need a little clarification to the verses 5:9-12 where it talks about an older widow could be put on a church “list” while young widows were not to be put on that “list” because they may want to remarry. So, I consulted the Life Application Study Bible footnotes, and it gave this clearer explanation…
- Apparently, some older widows had been “put on a list for support,” meaning that they had taken a vow committing themselves to work for the church in exchange for financial support. Paul lists quite a few qualifications for such church workers: These widows should be at 60 years old, should have been faithful to their husbands, and should be well known for their kind deeds. Younger widows should not be included in this group because they might desire to marry again and thus have to break this pledge.
Since most of this chapter is dedicated to the care of the widows within the family of God, it would be wise for us to show the same consideration for those in our own families and within our churches.
The next couple of verses focus on the Elder of the church, in other words, this would be the lead Pastor.
1 Timothy 5:17-20…
17 “Elders who do their work well should be respected and paid well, especially those who work hard at both preaching and teaching. 18 For the Scripture says, “You must not muzzle an ox to keep it from eating as it treads out the grain.” (Deuteronomy 25:4) And in another place, “Those who work deserve their pay!” (Luke 10:7)
19 Do not listen to an accusation against an elder unless it is confirmed by two or three witnesses. 20 Those who sin should be reprimanded in front of the whole church; this will serve as a strong warning to others.”
In chapter three we learned about all the qualifications a lead Pastor must adhere to… if they are upholding their faith in Jesus and teaching the truth of the Scriptures and leading a life worthy or a godly example they are to be adequately provided for! They work hard to shepherd a congregation in the ways of the Lord, their needs should be met so they can continue in the work that God has commissioned them to do. But, if sin enters the heart of a church leader, it must be revealed and a reprimand to the severity of the offense must be made in public. Paul said it must happen that way, so others in the congregation, especially other church leaders, will be witness to it and be given a strong warning to keep close watch of how they live their own lives.
The rest of the chapter Paul brings his attention back onto Timothy…
1 Timothy 5:21-23…
21 “I solemnly command you in the presence of God and Christ Jesus and the highest angels to obey these instructions without taking sides or showing favoritism to anyone.
22 Never be in a hurry about appointing a church leader. Do not share in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure.
23 Don’t drink only water. You ought to drink a little wine for the sake of your stomach because you are sick so often.
It was important for Timothy to take these instructions to heart. It would not be easy for him to Pastor this church, but Paul reminded him to always keep himself pure. Why Paul added verse 5:23 about the water Timothy consumed is a little unclear, but from what I researched it’s possible the water he was frequently drinking was contaminated, so by adding wine (which would have been purified) to his diet, would have helped with his stomach issues.
Verse 5:22a should probably be combined with verses 5:24-25 to bring a little better context…
1 Timothy 5:22a and 24-25…
22a “Never be in a hurry about appointing a church leader. 24 Remember, the sins of some people are obvious, leading them to certain judgment. But there are others whose sins will not be revealed until later. 25 In the same way, the good deeds of some people are obvious. And the good deeds done in secret will someday come to light.”
If a hurried decision to appoint a Pastor or any other church leader is made, it’s very possible ungodly behaviors can be overlooked. The decision to hire or appoint church leadership should be done with prayer, guidance from the Holy Spirit and time. This way the qualifications listed in chapter three will have a chance to manifest themselves in a good or a bad way helping to make the decision much clearer and more confirmed.
Even if this chapter doesn’t apply to your life specifically today, I hope you learned something! Maybe the topics we read about today will help better prepare you for the future.
May God richly bless you in all things!
~AMEN~