Sermon Tone Analysis

“Refuse to enroll younger widows, for when their passions draw them away from Christ, they desire to marry and so incur condemnation for having abandoned their former faith.

Besides that, they learn to be idlers, going about from house to house, and not only idlers, but also gossips and busybodies, saying what they should not.

So I would have younger widows marry, bear children, manage their households, and give the adversary no occasion for slander.

For some have already strayed after Satan.

If any believing woman has relatives who are widows, let her care for them.

Let the church not be burdened, so that it may care for those who are truly widows.”

[1]

What business has any preacher addressing issues concerning women?

I’ll raise the question before someone else raises it.

The question is tantamount to complaining that an elder should not address any issue with which he does not have personal experience.

I am well used to such complaints, having been on the receiving end of similar criticisms for many years.

Long ago, I learned that if the preacher wanted no criticism, he should say nothing, do nothing, be nothing.

There are always critics prepared to tell the man of God what he should do or what he should not do.

Frankly, there is but one appraisal that matters to me, and that is whether He who appointed me to this service shall at last commend me, saying, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

Almost a century ago, an American President in a speech delivered at the Sorbonne, said, “It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better.

The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”

[2] My aim is to honour God through ensuring that I do not shrink from declaring to you “the whole counsel of God” [ACTS 20:27].

Should such a criterion expressing timidity in the pulpit be applied, no pastor would ever speak of a specific sin unless he has participated in and, hopefully, been delivered from said sin.

Again, applying the artificial standard that seems to be bandied about so casually, no pastor should speak of any particular theological error if he has not personally perpetuated the particular error.

Of course, holding such a position would insure that neither sin nor theological error would ever be addressed.

Such an aberrant position would ensure that the people of God would be spiritually anemic and woefully ignorant of the will of God.

Failure to speak the whole truth of God would dishonour Him Who gave us this Holy Word.

I am fully aware that there exists marked hypersensitivity about virtually all cultural issues in this day—all participants, real and imagined, tend to become dramatically polarised.

Race should never enter into consideration when discussing issues that affect the churches of our Lord—but it does.

It amuses me that at a time when western culture has made such great strides in race relations, race is a greater issue than ever before.

Similarly, at a time when women have greater visibility than ever before in every facet of society and when women have made such great advancements in the world, there is greater sensitivity to gender issues than ever before.

So, the question remains, what gives an elder the “right” to speak on any women’s issue?

The simple answer is that the issue is specifically addressed in the Word of God.

Thus, it falls under the purview of the elders’ charge to preach the whole counsel of God.

Speaking more broadly, women need to be saved the same as men must be saved.

Women who have been redeemed by the grace of God must be instructed in righteousness and in what pleases the Lord.

We appear to have forgotten that we enter Heaven as singles—sex is no consideration in the Kingdom of God.

Therefore, in the congregation of the Faithful, there are no “women’s issues” or “men’s issues,” per se.

Ultimately, all issues are resolved through reference to that which “adorn(s) the doctrine of God our Saviour.”

Ultimately, each Christian is to seek that which honours the Master and which builds unity for the Faith.

*THE PROSCRIPTION* — “Refuse to enroll younger widows.”

The context of the Apostle’s proscription is his presentation of criteria for appointment to an “order of widows,” as discussed in an earlier message.

[3] The concept of an “order of widows” was enlistment of godly widows who would commit themselves to prayer and fasting on behalf of the congregation.

This action would extend the work of the congregation in dramatic fashion.

If we believe that prayer truly changes things, and if we believe that God delights to answer the prayers of His people, then it should follow that enlisting reliable individuals to specifically pray for the ministry of the church and especially to pray for the elders would benefit the people of God.

You will recall that the criteria for appointment to the “order of widows,” were that a woman must truly be a widow sixty years of age or older, known to have been a “one man woman” and enjoying a reputation for good works.

In short, anyone appointed to this service had to be an older woman who exemplified a godly life—she would be required to be an example of a godly woman.

Whatever might be said concerning Paul’s seemingly harsh assessment of younger widows must be understood in light of the immediate context of his letter.

He is specifically addressing the possibility of enrolling younger widows in the order of widows.

It appears apparent that this may have already been done with disappointing results.

If this was the case, and it does appear to be accurate, these younger women were being enrolled more as a ministry of charity rather than seizing the opportunity to enlist them in the labours of the congregation.

Consider the context in which this letter was written.

In some respects, the context mirrors the social and cultural conditions into which churches are entering today.

Contemporary society was not positively disposed toward the Faith; Christians were seen as odd at best and as threatening to the delicate social balance at worst.

Thus, the Apostle seeks to encourage the believers to live a life that distinguishes them from the remainder of society even as he endeavours to keep them from becoming deliberately provocative.

Paul was clearly aware of the opinion of contemporary society, and he sought to avoid giving offence deliberately.

This undoubtedly accounts for Paul’s demand that the overseer “must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil” [1 TIMOTHY 3:7].

Likewise, his advice to young widows in our text would fall into this category.

Consider his concerns expressed in other places—advice to young wives [TITUS 3:7], to young men [TITUS 2:8] and to bondservants [1 TIMOTHY 6:1; TITUS 2:10].

The behaviour of the members of the assembly would bear on the reputation of the church, and thus bear on Christ.

Especially when the culture is opposed to Christian values, the people of God must be aware of attitudes.

Christians must avoid being deliberately provocative, and yet avoid compromise on doctrine.

The task is demanding, but we are called to honour God in this matter.

We are giving guidance in Paul’s cautionary warning to the Christians in Corinth.

“Though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them.

To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews.

To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law.

To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law.

To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak.

I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some.

I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings” [1 CORINTHIANS 9:19-23].

Christians must be careful not to stretch this verse beyond reason, but we must not compromise the Faith, even as we seek to avoid giving offence to any.

In another portion of that same letter, the Apostle spoke of his effort to avoid giving offence.

“So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

Give no offense to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God, just as I try to please everyone in everything I do, not seeking my own advantage, but that of many, that they may be saved” [1 CORINTHIANS 10:31-33].

The point is sufficiently important to the ministry of any congregation and to any saint that it bears repetition, just as the Apostle does in his Second Letter to the Corinthian Church.

“We put no obstacle in anyone’s way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, but as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: by great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger; by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love; by truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; through honor and dishonor, through slander and praise.

We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as punished, and yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything” [2 CORINTHIANS 6:3-10].

The congregation in Ephesus was threatened by a serious heresy.

A group threatened the spiritual health, and hence the righteous vitality, of the people of God.

The nature of the group that is attacking was exposed in Paul’s Letters to Timothy and Titus as immoral.

We learn that the group was an ascetic [see 1 TIMOTHY 4:3], Gnosticising [see 1 TIMOTHY 6:20] movement that challenged the church.

This particular group appears to have enjoyed particular success among women.

Paul exposed them when he wrote, “Among [the heretics] are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions, always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth” [2 TIMOTHY 3:6, 7].

I suggest that these verses should be seen, not so much as an attempt to snatch back women who had become enmeshed in this cultic movement so much as Paul was endeavouring to strengthen the women of the congregation against the heretics’ ascetic message.

There is no question but when viewed in isolation, Paul’s statement concerning younger widows is offensive in the modern context.

However, context is everything.

We imagine that we live in an environment that permits us to emphasise personal “rights” without consideration of personal responsibilities to the assembly or to any other entity.

This novel view of rights prevailing over responsibility has so infected our modern culture that we insist on teaching from youngest ages that each individual is special.

Thus, the sense of personal entitlement is defining for contemporary culture.

I’m not drifting off course too far when I mention the case of the young woman in New Jersey who sued her parents.

Rachel Canning sued her parents to compel them to pay her tuition and to cover her living costs.

She moved out of her family home because she did not want to abide by her parents’ rules, primarily complaining about an imposed curfew and required chores.

She feels entitled to live without parental oversight.

[4] She exemplifies the sense of entitlement felt by many people in this day.

Thus, young women, and young widows as defined in our text, feel entitled to all the church has to offer.

However, the Apostle brings that thought crashing down with his sobering assessment of reality.

What, specifically, did the Apostle say?

To be certain, widows younger than sixty years of age are not to be enrolled in the recognised ministry of prayer and fasting.

He is not excluding anyone from prayer and fasting; he is, however, stating that if the church is to be responsible for providing a stipend, then only those that meet the stated qualification may be enrolled.

He emphasises his proscription by justifying the command through appeal to what will happen in many instances if the injunction is ignored.

He follows up with the preferable alternative for those that are designated “younger widows.”

He would have them marry, bear children (if possible), manage their households and above all else, “give the adversary no occasion for slander” [1 TIMOTHY 5:14].

This is but a pointed statement applying what has been stated previously.

The Apostle is seeking to address what had already become a scandal—people who named the Name of Christ and yet lived as though righteousness was unimportant.

Paul was scandalised, and the church should have been scandalised, by those who professed to follow the Christ and yet lived as the world lived.