1 Timothy 5:1-16 - Taking Care of Our Own

1 Timothy 5:1-16

Treatment of Church Members

1 Do not rebuke an older man, but exhort him as a father, younger men as brothers, 2 older women as mothers, younger women as sisters, with all purity.

Honor True Widows

3 Honor widows who are really widows. 4 But if any widow has children or grandchildren, let them first learn to show piety at home and to repay their parents; for this is good and acceptable before God. 5 Now she who is really a widow, and left alone, trusts in God and continues in supplications and prayers night and day. 6 But she who lives in pleasure is dead while she lives. 7 And these things command, that they may be blameless. 8 But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

9 Do not let a widow under sixty years old be taken into the number, and not unless she has been the wife of one man, 10 well reported for good works: if she has brought up children, if she has lodged strangers, if she has washed the saints’ feet, if she has relieved the afflicted, if she has diligently followed every good work.

11 But refuse the younger widows; for when they have begun to grow wanton against Christ, they desire to marry, 12 having condemnation because they have cast off their first faith. 13 And besides they learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house, and not only idle but also gossips and busybodies, saying things which they ought not. 14 Therefore I desire that the younger widows marry, bear children, manage the house, give no opportunity to the adversary to speak reproachfully. 15 For some have already turned aside after Satan. 16 If any believing man or woman has widows, let them relieve them, and do not let the church be burdened, that it may relieve those who are really widows.

We who are within the church are urged to take care of our own, starting in our own households and then as a church for those who have nobody to take care of those like widows without income or prospects.  This care begins among one another as we show respect for those older than us as parents and as siblings for those younger.  This respect extends to the younger as brothers and sisters and not with impure actions and words, for intimacy with respect is reserved for spouses alone.  When it comes to widows as the issue arose in the early church especially, we are to first make certain that they are really widows with real needs unmet by their family members; the children should first take in their elderly parents whether widows or widowers who are no longer unable to look after or support themselves.  The church is only needed to help when there is nobody in the family to care for their parents, not as a free assistance fund to support who they refuse to.  This passage also identifies the merry widow who can support herself but chooses to live in pleasure instead of seeking God in prayer for others in serving the Lord.  This one is not to be given support from the church as some well meaning but misguided sense of responsibility so that those truly in need may receive the help they need and deserve if there is no family to assist.  In fact, the stern warning is given to let those know who refuse to care for their parents or others of their household in need that they are faithless and worse off than unbelievers!  That should move true believers to tend to their own in need before the Lord.  Further instruction is given for the church to support widows in particular, making certain that they have lived for the Lord with generous assistance to others before receiving generous help from the church, a contentious idea in today’s churches who identify refusal to help for any reason to be a bad thing.  We are called to be good stewards of all the Lord provides and so provide only for those too old to remarry or work or have children to care for them.  Younger widows may use the opportunity to live for pleasure and not be responsible to care for themselves and were identified as not being eligible or entitled to help.  If they expect assistance while refusing to help themselves, then they have cast off their faith to follow ungodly ways unworthy of asking help until they straighten themselves out.  The church should not be expected to be burdened unnecessarily so their limited resources may be liberally applied to those in real need.  That is the bottom line here, to take care of our own and use the church community to support the truly needy who are unable to care for themselves as they had done for others previously.  This care begins with the families before the house of God of which the families are a part.  These are hard sayings for us to consider and contemplate.