1 Timothy 5.9-The First Two Qualifications That Widows Must Meet In Order To Receive Financial Support From The Church
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Tuesday August 9, 2011
1 Timothy: 1 Timothy 5:9-The First Two Qualifications That Widows Must Meet In Order To Receive Financial Support From The Church
Lesson # 104
Please turn in your Bibles to 1 Timothy 5:3.
The apostle Paul in 1 Timothy 5:9-10 presents three qualifications that widows must meet in order to receive financial support from the church at Ephesus.
In verse 9, he lists two and the third and final qualification is presented by Paul in verse 10, which he then elaborates further on, defining what he means by this qualification.
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. 6 But she who gives herself to wanton pleasure is dead even while she lives. 7 Prescribe these things as well, so that they may be above reproach. 8 But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. 9 A widow is to be put on the list only if she is not less than sixty years old, having been the wife of one man, 10 having a reputation for good works; and if she has brought up children, if she has shown hospitality to strangers, if she has washed the saints’ feet, if she has assisted those in distress, and if she has devoted herself to every good work. (NASU)
“A widow is to be put on the list” is composed of the nominative feminine singular form of the noun chera (χήρα) (hear-dah), “widow” and this is followed by the third person singular present passive imperative form of the verb katalego (καταλέγω) (kahtah-laygo), “is to be put on the list.”
As was the case in 1 Timothy 5:3, 4 and 5 the noun chera in 1 Timothy 5:9 means “widow” referring to a woman whose husband has died.
However, this time the context does not indicate whether the word refers to a widow who is qualified to receive financial aid or not.
Rather, the word is used in a generic sense and speaks of any widow without further identification as to whether or not she is qualified to receive aid from the church.
This is indicated by the fact that the word is used in relation to a list of three qualifications that serve as conditions that must be met in order for a widow to receive support.
The verb katalego refers to “enrolling” or “putting on a list” those widows who meet the three qualifications here in verses 9-10.
The NET Bible has the following note, “This list was an official enrollment, apparently with a formal pledge to continue as a widow and serve the Lord in that way (cf. v. 12). It was either (1) the list of ‘true widows’ who were given support by the church or (2) a smaller group of older women among the supported widows who were qualified for special service (perhaps to orphans, other widows, the sick, etc.). Most commentators understand it to be the former, since a special group is not indicated clearly. See G. W. Knight, Pastoral Epistles, 222–23 for discussion.”
The present imperative form of the verb katalego is a “customary present imperative” whose force is that a widow “must continue to be put on the list” if they meet the three qualifications in verses 9-10.
1 Timothy 5:9 A widow is to be put on the list only if she is not less than sixty years old, having been the wife of one man. (NASU)
“Only if she is not less than sixty years old” is composed of the negative particle me (μή) (me), “not” which is followed by the nominative neuter singular form of the adjective elasson (ἐλάσσων) (ehlass-own), “less” and then we have the genitive neuter plural form of the noun etos (ἒτος) (ehtoce), “year” followed by the cardinal number hexekonta (ἑξήκοντα) (ehex-ee-kone-dah), “sixty” and this followed by the nominative feminine singular perfect active participle form of the verb ginomai (γίνομαι) (yee-no-meh), “only if she is.”
The verb ginomai means, “to be shown or demonstrated as possessing a certain characteristic.”
The characteristic is identified as being sixty years of age.
The negative particle me is negating the meaning of this verb indicating that it is denying any idea of a widow being put on a list of those who are to receive financial support from the church if she is less than sixty years of age.
Therefore, these two words denote a widow who is “demonstrated as not being” less than sixty years of age.
The participle form of the verb is a conditional participle which implies a condition on which the fulfillment of the idea indicated by the main verb depends.
Here the fulfillment of the idea indicated by the main verb katalego is placing on a list those widows who are truly in need of financial support.
The condition implied by the verb is that of a widow being no less than sixty years of age.
Therefore, the conditional participle denotes that a widow can be put on a list to receive financial support from the church “if” she is no less than sixty years of age.
The adjective elasson is used in the neuter form as an adverb and means “less.”
It refers to a widow whose age is “less” than sixty.
It is used as a comparative adverb meaning that it is expressing comparison or degree with reference to the age of sixty.
The word is modifying the verb ginomai, whose meaning is negated by the negative particle me, “not.”
Therefore, as a comparative adverb, elasson is expressing degree with reference to not being “less” than sixty years of age.
The noun etos refers to a unit of time involving a complete cycle of seasons and is in the plural here meaning “years.”
The cardinal number hexekonta is describing or qualifying the plural noun etos, “years” and means, “sixty.”
Together, these two words denote the age of sixty.
The noun etos is a comparative genitive used to indicate a comparison between those widows who are sixty and those who are under this age.
In the ancient world, in the first century, the age of sixty was the recognized age of someone who was considered “old” whether a woman or a man.
Chuck Swindoll writes, “According to the Mishnah, a Jewish document compiled around A.D. 200 recording rabbinic tradition, the age of sixty marked the official beginning of old age at which a man could be considered an ‘elder’ (Mishnah Avot 5:24; cited by Swindoll, Charles R., Swindoll’s New Testament Insights: Insights on 1 and 2 Timothy, Titus; pages 104-105; Zondervan; 2010)
In Paul’s day, sixty would be the age at which remarriage becomes less likely as a general rule (Knight, page 223; cf. 1 Timothy 5:11-12).
Luke Timothy Johnson writes that “sixty was certainly a much more advanced age for a woman in the first century than in the twenty-first century. By setting this limit, Paul automatically accomplishes two things: he eliminates widows of a marriageable age and childbearing age, and he severely diminishes the number of those for whom the ekklesia is financially responsible-not to mention the number of years for which it would thus be responsible!” (Johnson, Luke Timothy, The First and Second Letters to Timothy: A New Translation with Introduction and Commentary; page 264; The Anchor Yale Bible; Yale University Press, New Haven and London, 2001)
1 Timothy 5:9 A widow is to be put on the list only if she is not less than sixty years old, having been the wife of one man. (NASU)
“Having been the wife of one man” is composed of the genitive masculine singular form of the adjective heis (εἷς) (eece), “one” and its modifying the genitive masculine singular form of the aner (ἀνήρ) (ah-near-deh), “of…man” and this is followed by the nominative feminine singular form of the noun gune (γυνή) (yee-nee), “wife.”
The noun aner means “man” and refers to a male as opposed to a female and the noun gune denotes a “wife.”
The cardinal number heis functions as an adjective modifying the noun gune, “wife” and means “one” in contrast to more than one.
This word indicates that a widow must be a one man woman.
This expression emphasizes the character of the widow rather than her marital status.
Thus, this expression speaks of marital fidelity and the absence of sexual immorality because of living a godly life.
This expression mirrors the requirement of overseers and deacons that they must be one-woman men (1 Timothy 3:2, 12).
This expression does not prohibit remarriage since Paul tells the younger widows to remarry in verse 14.
Mounce writes, “If the phrase means one marriage, then by urging remarriage for the younger widows Paul would be guaranteeing that, if they were to become widows again, when they were sixty, they would be ineligible for aid.” (Mounce, William D., The Word Biblical Commentary, volume 46, Pastoral Epistles, page 287; Thomas Nelson, 2000)