Untitled Sermon (15)

Verse 1) Rebuke not an elder, but intreat him as a father; and the younger men as brethren; 2 The elder women as mothers; the younger as sisters, with all purity

Paul begins to instruct Timothy on how to treat individuals and different type of individuals in the Church such as old and young men, old and young women and widows.

We start in verse 1 with a admonition from Paul that Timothy was not to “rebuke a Elderly man” in the congregation but to go to him respectfully as a Father.

He tells him next to treat the young men as brothers and respect them and not essentially lord over them arrogantly or rudely.

In verse 2 we see that Timothy is to treat the Old women in the church as Mothers and to honor the younger as his sisters, treating them all with “purity”

Purity here means “ generally speaking sinlessness of life, cleanliness in thought, word and deed, yet emphasizing Chastity; freedom from contamination by illicit sexual connection”

This applies to the Pastor as well as to everyone in a church.

We are all to treat each other as family with all the love, respect and purity that familial love dictates.

If churches would be able to do this, scandals, church splits

and members being so hurt they move churches would be a distant memory of the American Church today.

In verses 3-16 Paul instructs Timothy how the Church should treat and care for widows.

In this century, Women whose husbands died were typically rendered helpless and unprotected

and many were doomed to homelessness or prostitution.

So the churches were called to save the widows from the world in this way and care for them.

look at verse 3-4)  Honour widows that are widows indeed. 4 But if any widow have children or nephews, let them learn first to shew piety at home, and to requite their parents: for that is good and acceptable before God.

Paul tells timothy to help the widow who is truly alone,

Paul demands in verse 4 that if a widow has adult children or nephews, the responsibility is theirs to care for the widow and not the Church.

(the church is not inherently a charity or a community service program, but a divine institution.)

Paul says the Children and Nephews should “learn to show piety” towards their Widow mom or aunt and by this please their God in heaven.

A widowed parent is the perfect opportunity for Adult Children to grow in “piety” and faith by loving and caring for their parents in need.

Piety here means “piety in principle, is a veneration or reverence of the Supreme Being and love of his character, or veneration accompanied with love; and piety in practice, is the exercise of these affections in obedience to his will and devotion to his service.”

We develop, grow in and express our love and devotion for God by loving and caring and treating righteously those made in his image, especially our parents.

The man who would allow his widowed mom to be homeless or worse a prostitute is so far from the christian ethic he's probably not even saved.

The christian man who lazily and passively gives his burden and responsibility to the church to care for his widowed mom or aunt....

is immature in the faith, dishonors himself and needs to go home and “grow in or learn Piety”

Our society looks different today, for better or worse

the social status of men and women is different but the 5th commandment still stands true today.

“Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;)” Ephesians 6:2

This connects immediately with verses 7-8)  And these things give in charge, that they may be blameless. 8 But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.

Notice this contextually refers to caring for widowed female family members, but it also applies to general life.

Biblically and historically as were gonna see, women are responsible for the daily cares of children and the household.

Biblically and historically, it is the responsibility of the Man to provide by hunting, gathering and working outside the home for the care, provision and protection of the Wife, children and household.

The man is responsible, that is why he is given dominion and headship in marriage and general life.

Our world today has turned the world upside down and denied Gods wisdom, and we can see the decayed fruits of that change today.

But men today, whether in person or watching on Facebook, take back your role of Provider, Protector and leader.

If you do not provide for your family, if you abandon your family, if you fail to lead and protect your family,

Paul says “you have denied or rejected the Faith” and you are worse than a infidel aka your worse than a lost person.

and obviously ladies, the men can not sit upon their thrones, if your already on it.

If America wants to thrive and survive in the future, we better start conforming to Gods Word and Wisdom and stop denying it.

Notice verses 5-6)  Now she that is a widow indeed, and desolate, trusteth in God, and continueth in supplications and prayers night and day. 6 But she that liveth in pleasure is dead while she liveth.

some widows were living “lives of sinful pleasure” and had dead spiritual life's because of it.

Read from the Baptist New Testament Commentary

Verse 9-10)  Let not a widow be taken into the number under threescore years old, having been the wife of one man, 10 Well reported of for good works; if she have brought up children, if she have lodged strangers, if she have washed the saints’ feet, if she have relieved the afflicted, if she have diligently followed every good work.

Paul here tells Timothy the standard by which a widow is qualified to be “taken care of by the church”

(This was a list or roll of widowed women who received support from the church)

They were to be 60 years or older, not divorced or promiscuous.

If they were younger than 60, and had been married multiple times or proven to have been a unfaithful wife.

they were deemed not qualified to be under the patronage of the Church.

Notice the qualities of a Godly woman in the eyes of Paul.....” A faithful Wife, a good Mother, a hospitable and loving woman who helps strangers, serves the church, helps the hurting and pursues every other good work.”

Notice Paul's words concerning younger widows in verses 11-15)  But the younger widows refuse: for when they have begun to wax wanton against Christ, they will marry; 12 Having damnation, because they have cast off their first faith. 13 And withal they learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house; and not only idle, but tattlers also and busybodies, speaking things which they ought not. 14 I will therefore that the younger women marry, bear children, guide the house, give none occasion to the adversary to speak reproachfully. 15 For some are already turned aside after Satan.

Read page pages 105-106 in the Baptist New Testament Commentary.

It would appear that this group of “Widow Servants” in the churches.....

was typically for older women who did not want to remarry but who wanted to wait to die and see their husbands again in heaven,

so in the meantime they would be servants of the church.

This group had at one time included younger women who had fallen into sexual sin while acting as servants of the churches.

This is seen in the phrase “ when they have begun to wax wanton against Christ, they will marry”

“Wax Wanton” refers to a growing sexual intensity or temptation that younger people are suspectable to in ways elderly people generally are not.

for example, the temptation to commit fornication is more alluring to a 23 year old, than a 70 year old.

it would be unwise to expect a widow in her 20s to swear off physical love and live as a widow in her 70s, temptation to sin would be to great and it would frankly be unhealthy and unfulfilling.

Therefore the young widows should not try and live as old widows, they should follow the natural desires of their flesh, but do so biblically by getting married as we see in verse 14.

Verse 14)  I will therefore that the younger women marry, bear children, guide the house, give none occasion to the adversary to speak reproachfully. 15 For some are already turned aside after Satan.

Paul tells the young women, to get married, bear children and guide the home.

“guide” here means “take care of their own homes or manage their homes”

If the young women refuse Paul's words, the Bible says they are following Satan and not God.

The ABA Baptist New Testament Commentary says on page 109...

“Those widows who were of child-bearing age were urged to have children. With a husband and children to look after, they could occupy their time and energy by tending to the needs of their families”

and thereby avoid the sins of verse 13 “And withal they learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house; and not only idle, but tattlers also and busybodies, speaking things which they ought not”

(Read) Verse 16 “If any man or woman that believeth have widows, let them relieve them, and let not the church be charged; that it may relieve them that are widows indeed.”