1 Timothy 5.3-5-Paul Identifies Those Widows Who Should Be Supported Financially By The Church And Those Who Should Not
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Sunday July 31, 2011
1 Timothy: 1 Timothy 5:3-5-Paul Identifies Those Widows Who Should Be Supported Financially By The Church And Those Who Should Not
Lesson # 100
Please turn in your Bibles to 1 Timothy 5:3.
In 1 Timothy 5:3-16, the apostle Paul instructs Timothy with regards to handling the problems with widows.
This discussion is the most extensive of any group in the entire epistle.
This indicates that this was a significant problem in the Ephesian Christian community and expresses an urgency for this situation to be dealt with promptly and correctly.
In this pericope, Paul identifies four different types of widows: (1) Real widows who are in need and have no relatives to support them financially and are at least sixty years of age and have lived a godly life (verses 3, 5, 9-10, 16b). (2) Widows who have relatives who can support them financially (verses 4, 8, 16a). (3) Widows who have a self-indulgent lifestyle (verses 6-7). (4) Young widows (verses 11-15).
In 1 Timothy 5:3-16, the apostle Paul instructs Timothy as to which widows should be enrolled to receive benefits from the church and who should not.
This compassionate concern for widows is rooted in the teaching of the Old Testament, which of course reflects the Lord’s concern for them (Exodus 22:22; Deuteronomy 10:18; 14:29; 24:17; Psalm 94:6; Isaiah 1:17; Malachi 3:5) and was adopted by the first century apostolic church (Acts 6:1; James 1:27).
In fact, the office of deacon in the first century apostolic church came into existence to deal with the problem of the caring of widows in the Christian community (Acts 6:1-10).
In 1 Timothy 5:3-16, Paul is emphasizing the need for discernment in the sense that the church was not responsible to care for every widow but rather only those who had no family or relatives to support them and were thus truly alone.
In 1 Timothy 5:3, Paul commands Timothy to continue making it his habit of honoring widows who are truly widows.
1 Timothy 5:3 Honor widows who are widows indeed. (NASU)
This verse refers to a widow who is in legitimate need of financial or material support from the Christian community because of having no children or relatives to provide for her.
The apostle Paul in 1 Timothy 5:4 teaches a spiritual principle that the children and grandchildren of a widow must first learn to fulfill their financial obligations to her, which is pleasing in the sight of God.
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. (NASU)
“But if any widow has children or grandchildren” is contrasting the Christian community in Ephesus providing for widows who do not have children or relatives to support them and not having to do so for those who do possess children or grandchildren.
“They must first learn” indicates that Paul is commanding that the children and grandchildren of widows must be taught as to their responsibilities with respect to their mothers and grandmothers.
It refers to the act of carefully communicating and instructing the children and grandchildren of widows in face to face manner with regard to their responsibilities to their mothers and grandmothers.
This would involve teaching the implications of the commandment in Exodus 20:12 to honor one’s father and mother.
It emphasizes that instruction must first take place before children can exercise godliness in their own family or in other words, it must first take place before they can repay their mother and grandmother and thus please God.
“To practice piety in regard to their own family” refers to Christian children and grandchildren exercising godliness in their own family as demonstrated through providing for their parents and grandparents financially.
It denotes that by providing for their widowed mothers and grandmothers, Christian children would be honoring God because doing so is according to His will and is in obedience to His command to honor one’s mother.
This conduct expresses not only one’s reverence for one’s mother or grandmother but also expresses one’s reverence for God and is thus an act of worshipping Him.
This clause is indicating that Christian children and grandchildren exercising godliness in their own families by providing for the financial needs of their mother or grandmother is the purpose of Christian children and grandchildren receiving instruction to do so.
“And to make some return to their parents” is introducing a clause that explains in greater detail what Paul means by his previous statement that children and grandchildren of widows are to exercise godliness with their own families.
It refers to the children and grandchildren of widows fulfilling their (financial) obligations to their parents and grandparents, which would be an exercise of godliness towards one’s own family.
It is indicating that children and grandchildren exercising godliness in their own families by fulfilling their financial obligations to their parents and grandparents is the purpose of their receiving instruction to do so.
“For this is acceptable in the sight of God” presents the reason why Paul wants the children and grandchildren of widows to fulfill their financial obligations to them.
It indicates that fulfilling one’s financial obligations to one’s parents and grandparents is pleasing in view of its being acceptable to the Father since this is according to His will.
In verse 5, the apostle Paul presents three qualifications that identify a widow who is to be supported by the church financially.
1 Timothy 5:5 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” 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 for 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.
It is describing a widow who does not have children or relatives to support them financially and materially.
“And who has been left alone” 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.
“Has fixed her hope on God” refers to a true widow possessing a confident expectation of receiving logistical grace blessing from God, i.e. His provision to meet her 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).
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.
“And continues” is the verb prosmeno (προσμένω) (prose-may-no), which means “to persevere in” entreaties and prayers day and night referring to perseverance in prayer.
“Entreaties” is the noun deesis (δέησις) (thay-ee-cease), which means “specific detailed requests” referring to two essential elements of a productive prayer life, namely, petition and intercessory prayer.
It indicates that specific detailed requests for herself and others is the means by which a true widow perseveres.
“Prayers” is the noun proseuche (προσευχή) (pro-sef-hee), “prayers” which 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.
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.