1 Timothy 5.5-Paul Lists Three Qualifications That Identify A Widow Who Is To Be Supported Financially By The Church
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Thursday July 28, 2011
1 Timothy: 1 Timothy 5:5-Paul Lists Three Qualifications That Identify A Widow Who Is To Be Supported Financially By The Church
Lesson # 99
Please turn in your Bibles to 1 Timothy 5:3.
The apostle Paul presents three qualifications that identify a widow who is to be supported by the church financially.
1 Timothy 5:3 Honor widows who are widows indeed; 4 but if any widow has children or grandchildren, they must first learn to practice piety in regard to their own family and to make some return to their parents; for this is acceptable in the sight of God. 5 Now she who is a widow indeed and who has been left alone, has fixed her hope on God and continues in entreaties and prayers night and day. (NASU)
“Now she who is a widow indeed” is composed of the nominative feminine singular form of the definite article ho (ὁ) (owe), “she who” which is followed by the post-positive conjunction de (δέ) (theh), “now” and this is followed by the adverb ontos (ὄντως) (on-dose), “indeed” and then we have the nominative feminine singular form of the noun chera (χήρα) (hear-dah), “widow.”
The conjunction de is introducing a statement that stands in contrast with the statement in verse 4, which taught that the children and grandchildren of a Christian widow must learn through instruction their responsibilities to support financially their parents and grandparents.
Here in verse 5, Paul returns to the subject of widows who truly are in need of financial support and presents three qualifications that identify to the church in Ephesus which type of widow is to be supported by the church financially.
Therefore, the contrast is between those widows who have family members who can support them and those who do not and are thus qualified to receive financial aid from the church.
The adverb ontos means “truly” and is describing a widow who does not have children or relatives to support them financially and materially.
“And who has been left alone” is composed of the conjunction kai (καί) (keh), “and” and the nominative feminine singular perfect passive participle form of the verb monoo (μονόω) (moe-noe-owe), “who has been left alone.”
The conjunction kai is epexegetical meaning that it is introducing a participial clause that “defines in detail” a widow who is one in the truest sense in that she is qualified for financial support from the church.
Now, kai introduces three statements that define in specific terms the qualifications for widows who should receive financial support from the church.
Therefore, the word is saying that she who is truly a widow, “specifically,” is one who has been left alone, has her confident expectation of blessing upon God and continues in entreaties and prayers night and day.
The verb monoo is not describing a woman whose husband has died, though this is clearly implied but rather it is describing a widow who has no children or grandchildren or family members to support her financially.
The perfect tense of the verb is an intensive perfect used to emphasize the results or present state produced by a past action.
Here the present state is a widow who has no children or grandchildren or family members who can support her or come to her aid financially.
“Has fixed her hope on God” is composed of the third person singular perfect active indicative form of the verb elpizo (ἐλπίζω) (el-pee-zoe), “has fixed her hope” and the preposition epi (ἐπί) (eh-pee), “on” and its object is the accusative masculine singular form of the noun theos (θεός) (thay-oce), “God.”
The verb elpizo means “to confidently expect to receive” logistical grace blessing from God, i.e. His provision to meet one’s daily needs (Matthew 6:25-34; Hebrews 13:5; cf. Deuteronomy 10:18; Proverbs 15:25; Luke 7:11-15; 8:1-8) and rewards for faithful service (1 Corinthians 3:11-15; 2 Corinthians 5:10; James 1:12; Revelation 2:7, 10, 17).
It indicates that a true widow is one who not only has no children and grandchildren or family members to support her but also is one who “confidently expects to receive” God’s daily provision and blessing in the future in the form of rewards for faithful service to God.
The perfect tense of elpizo is an intensive perfect used to emphasize the results or present state produced by a past action.
Here, the present state is the confident expectation of receiving God’s daily provision and rewards for faithful service.
The past action is the widow accepting by faith the Spirit’s revelation from the Father that appears in the Word of God that the Father would provide for her daily needs and reward her for faithful service.
In other words, she possesses a confident expectation that the Father would provide her daily needs and reward her for faithful service because she has accepted by faith the Spirit’s revelation from the Father in the Word of God that He would provide for her daily needs and reward her for faithful service.
This revelation declared that she would be provided by God on a daily basis and would reward her for faithful service.
The noun theos refers to God the Father since the word was used for Him in 1 Timothy 5:4.
Also, the Lord Jesus Christ taught that the Father provides logistical grace blessing, i.e. daily provision for one’s needs through Him (Matthew 6:25-34; Philippians 4:19) and rewards the believer through His Son Jesus Christ.
The word actually contains the figure of metonymy meaning that the Father is put for His promises of daily blessings and rewards in the future for faithful service.
The noun theos is the object of the preposition epi, which functions as a marker of cause indicating that a widow in the truest sense possesses a confident expectation of blessing because of the Father’s promises.
Some interpret the word is marking God as the object of Paul and Timothy’s confidence.
However, elpizo refers to a true widow’s confident expectation of blessing, emphasizing their mental or spiritual state or their attitude because of accepting by faith the Father’s promises, which are revealed by the Spirit in the Word of God.
Therefore, God is not the object of their confidence.
Rather, Paul’s emphasis is that a true widow possesses a confident expectation of receiving daily provisions and rewards for faithful service because of the promises of the Father.
“And continues in entreaties and prayers night and day” is composed of the conjunction kai (καί) (keh), “and” and the third person singular present active indicative form of the verb prosmeno (προσμένω) (prose-may-no), “continues in” and the articular dative feminine plural form of the noun deesis (δέησις) (thay-ee-cease), “entreaties” and then we have the conjunction kai (καί) (keh), “and” followed by the articular dative feminine plural form of the noun proseuche (προσευχή) (pro-sef-hee), “prayers” followed by the genitive feminine singular form of the noun nux (νύξ) (neex), “night” and this is followed by the conjunction kai (καί) (keh), “and” and then we have the genitive feminine singular form of the noun hemera (ἡμέρα) (ee-med-ah), “day.”
The verb prosmeno means “to persevere in” entreaties and prayers day and night referring to perseverance in prayer.
So it expresses the concept of perseverance, which by way of definition, is steady persistence in a course of action, a purpose, and a state and suggests activity maintained in spite of difficulties, steadfast and long continued application.
It is remaining faithful and obedient to the Word of God despite the obstacles in life such as the old sin nature, self, the cosmic system of Satan.
It denotes not permitting our adverse circumstances to get us to surrender or quit on the plan of God.
A true widow is one who perseveres in prayer for others despite of difficulties and hardships related to being a Christian widow.
The present tense of the verb prosmeno is a customary present used to signal a regularly occurring action indicating that a true widow is one who makes it her habit of persevering in prayer for others.
The noun deesis means “specific detailed requests.”
It refers to two essential elements of a productive prayer life, namely, petition and intercessory prayer.
The word refers to specific detailed requests offered up to the Father by a widow on behalf of herself.
Thus, it speaks of petitions for one’s own needs.
It also refers to intercessory prayer on behalf of other Christians and non-believers.
The word functions as a dative instrumental of means indicating that specific detailed requests for herself and others is the means by which a true widow perseveres.
The noun proseuche literally means a “face to face audience with God the Father” and refers to petitions offered up to the Father on behalf of one’s self but from the perspective that it is an expression of worshipping God and dependence upon Him.
Therefore, Paul is saying that one of the marks of a widow who is qualified to receive financial support from the church is a woman who perseveres by means of worshipful prayers or reverential prayers.
When the widow offers up petitions for herself, she is acknowledging to the Father her total and absolute dependence upon Him to meet her daily needs and is thus worshipping Him.
Proseuche emphasizes her worshipful attitude toward the Father and expresses her dependence upon Him to meet her daily needs.
The word functions as a dative instrumental of means indicating that reverential prayers offered up to the Father by a widow is the means by which she perseveres.
“Night and day” emphasizes the dedication and devotion of a true widow to praying for her own needs as well as others.