Untitled Sermon (55)

1 Timothy 5:16

A Word to Believing Women

AI:       Paul encouraged believing women to help in widow care.

SP:      Consider the needs of widows and step up to help.

Widow care was a major issue in the first-century. We’ve mentioned the Jerusalem congregation. Widow care challenged the congregation’s primary mission given by Christ: namely, the Great Commission.

In crafting a widow care policy, Paul implemented several circles of responsibility in caring for widows. His final circle of responsibility falls to the “believing woman.” This verse has two thought movements:

I. Believing Women: Care for Widowed Relatives (v. 16a)

II. Congregation: Care for “True” Widows (v. 16b).

1 Timothy 5:16a. Believing Women: Care for Widowed Relatives. Verse

16a: If any believing woman has relatives who are widows, let her care for them. This verse raises three questions: (1) Who is the “believing woman?;” (2) Who is the widowed relative?; and, (3) What does it mean to “care for them?”

1. Who is the “believing woman?” There is a Greek textual discrepancy here. The Textus Receptus includes believing man or woman, which is why the KJV translates it “man or woman that believeth.” The earliest and most reliable manuscripts only have “woman” (πιστὴ). Most scholars agree the original likely only had “woman.”[1] There is good reason for this. Wives in the first-century were the managers of the household. It fits contextually that Paul would address them in this matter. As well, some wealthy widows or divorcees might have means to support other widows. We think of Lydia—a seller of purple goods who owned a house (Acts 16:14–15) or Dorcas—a weaver of garments (Acts 9:36–42). Mounce captures the spirit of Paul’s command here, “Paul was thinking of a Christian woman, either single or married, who had the financial resources to take widows into her home.”[2]

2. Who is the widowed relative? The original Greek doesn’t mention “relatives” explicitly. The literal rendering is, “If any believing woman has widows.” Translators clarify by adding “relatives,” but the application might extend further. A believing woman who had a close relationship with a widow might step up to help; or, we could envision a believing woman with whom her family had close ties. Likely, it would include in-laws as well. We even see this in-law relationship in Old Testament times with Naomi and Ruth, both widows, teaming up to care for one another.

3. What does it mean to “care for them?” To “care for” widows, then, includes basic necessities of life—food, clothing, shelter—as well as financial support. This is one word in Greek (ἐπαρκείτω). It occurs only 3 times in the NT: twice in this verse and once in verse 10. The context of verse 10 refers to the widow who “has cared for the afflicted.” Derivatives of the word occur in verses like Acts 20:34,[3] where Paul told the elders of the Ephesian congregation, “You yourselves know that these hands ministeredto my necessities and to those who were with me.” He was referencing how his tent-making vocation supplied his needs as well as those accompanying him.[4]

The sum of it is: believing women or other widows of means should step forward and help those recently widowed if needed.

            1 Timothy 5:16b. Congregation: Care for “True” Widows. Verse 16b: Let the church not be burdened, so that it may care for those who are truly widows. Three words drive the meaning here: “church,” “burdened,” and “truly.” The first word, “church,” is the Greek word, ἐκκλησία. In this instance, it refers to the house congregation in Ephesus (or congregations if there were more than one in that city).

The second word, “burdened” (βαρείσθω) means to “press down as if with a weight.”[5] It can refer to a physical weight or to a mental, psychological or emotional weight. Here, it refers to that conflict of priorities placed upon a congregation. Namely, Jesus has given us a clear mandate in the Great Commission: to make disciples. This requires people, resources, time, finances, etc. Yet, Jesus also told us to give to the needy (Matt. 6:2). When those two commands challenge one another for priority, it places a tremendous burden on the congregation, both physically (financial) and emotionally (morally) . . . which brings us to the third word.

The third word, “truly,” (ὄντως) also occurs in verse 10. It draws some distinctions between who genuinely is needy and who is not. Now, earlier Paul stated it meant those widows who are left all alone, trust God anyway, and prove it by—“night and day”—relying on him in prayer. This is not to say a congregation is forbidden from helping a widow who is not a believer. But it does offer us a priority: we support our own spiritual family members first; and then, to the extent we can, we help others.

Taken together, Paul’s point is simple enough. If a believing woman (or household) can care for a widow, she should be proactive in doing so. If not, the congregation should be proactive providing for her needs.

Timeless Principle

            Take care of our own.

Present Use

Now, this policy is not for the pagans or the world. Paul wrote this to a spiritual family of saints huddled together in a home in Ephesus. Those saints had been awakened by the Holy Spirit of God to see their sinful state. The Spirit of God had made alive their hearts to sin, self, and Satan’s world system. God then granted them faith to believe that Jesus died for their sins, was buried, and rose again. At one and the same time, he granted them repentance from sin, self, Satan, and Satan’s world system. So, this was not given in the context of cool, distant formal religious service—where we come a sanctuary (holy place) and sing songs in wooden pews and everyone has a privatized religious experience.

No, these words were issued to a faith-family, meeting in someone’s living room, who were “living life together” and bearing one another’s burdens.  

In a family atmosphere, should we limit this burden-bearing to widows only? Would this not apply also to orphans among us, the physically challenged among us, or the mentally/emotionally challenged among us?

Even the world system creates cool, distant mechanisms to address the strugglers among us. The called-out ones of God, though: We take care of our own. That principle begins in the nuclear family, and it extends to the spiritual family. Paul’s stated circles of responsibility for widow (and underprivileged) care are as follows:

1. Immediate family (5:4)

2. Extended family (5:8)

3. Any family (5:16a)

4. Congregational family (5:16b).

This comes with some complexity, too. In the first-century and in the twenty-first century, we see how a married couple bringing in a non-related widow to live in the home might complicate the marriage. In fact, that might not be wise. Providing for widows doesn’t always mean bringing a widow into your home to live with you, although it might. It might mean securing for them a comfortable place where their physical and spiritual needs are met. In modern times, this might be an apartment, a retirement home, or some other arrangements.

In addition: if other means are available, use them. I cite as an example: in the third-century, the first professing Christian emperor, Constantine, changed the scope of widow care. I don’t know if he was motivated by 1 Timothy 5 or not, but he nationalized widow care.

Mounce comments, “Eventually the responsibilities for the care of widows fell to the state under Constantine.”[6]Constantine’s Christian-minded influence had a profound impact on western thought and civilization which has carried down to present times. Today, many governments provide survivor’s benefits (both for widows and for children), disability benefits, welfare benefits, DHR services, etc. If the state can provide benefits in these ways, use them. Let not the congregation be burdened with those expenses.

As well, we often think of caring for loved ones after the fact. There is a way to care for our loved ones before troubled times arise. The civil sphere provides options like life insurance, long-term care insurance, long-term and short-term disability polices, and other benefits to prepare for widow care in advance a spouse’s untimely passing. Nuclear family units—especially husbands as leaders of the home—should look into these options in advance. It might tighten your budget slightly, which can be frustrating, but you will be thankful beyond measure should some calamity touch you.

Congregations, too, should consider these in advance if they perceive a member potentially might become a “true” widow. With modern medicine and technology, some among us might receive a terminal diagnosis, and the congregation and family can discuss widow care on a case by case basis.

To close, we take care of our own. As Jesus commanded, we should be wise as serpents but gentle as doves. We can explore options on how to care for widows without affecting resources earmarked for Great Commission purpose . . .

But when it comes right down to it: we take care of our own. God gave us the policy. Our responsibility to apply it in Christ-honoring ways.

[1]See Knight, The Pastoral Epistles, 229; Mounce, Pastoral Epistles, 298.

[2]See Mounce, Pastoral Epistles, 298.

[3]Mounce, Pastoral Epistles, points to similar cognates in Matt.26:43; Luke 9:32; 21:342 Corinthians 1:8; 5:4.

[4]See Acts 18:1–3. Paul worked as a tent-maker during his 1.5 year stay in Corinth. Based on his comment in Acts 20:30, he likely did the same during his 3-year stay in Ephesus.

[5] BDAG, 166.

[6]Mounce, Pastoral Epistles, 302.