1 Timothy 5:3-10 "True Widows"

We have come as far as 1 Tim 5:3. We find ourselves in a section of this epistle from Paul to Timothy, where Paul is teaching about treatment of various people groups...last week we looked at treatment of the older and younger men and women, today we will look at treatment of widows, and maybe next week the treatment of those who serve in the role of the elder at church. Let's pray and then we will read 1 Tim 5:3-10 Bear with me today...I have a longer than normal introduction to this topic before we get into verse one. The topics of "widows" is a topic touched on frequently in the Bible, and this topic of widows gives us insight into the heart of God. God cares for widows, and He has a lot to say for how widows should be treated and how they should not be treated. God has specific laws regarding the widow, He defines who is a true widow, we see examples of widows being cared for in the Old Testament, like Naomi the mother-in-law of Ruth, and we have these instructions here in Timothy, on the care of widows. * In these verses today, we will hear from the Holy Spirit through Paul on practical guidance for how we are to treat widows. What we read today in Timothy will gives us the most thorough guidance on the topic of treatment of the widow in the bible as a whole. And, while this practical teaching will be our central focus today...I want to mention that generally speaking, in biblical examples throughout scripture, widows were women who belonged to a class of people who were vulnerable, without resources, and lacking family to care for them. A group of people who God has a soft spot for. Listen to just a few verses about God's mercy on these people groups: * Ps 68:5 "A father of the fatherless, a defender of widows, Is God in His holy habitation." * Exo 22: 22-24 "You shall not afflict any widow or fatherless child. 23 If you afflict them in any way, and they cry at all to Me, I will surely hear their cry; 24 and My wrath will become hot, and I will kill you with the sword; your wives shall be widows, and your children fatherless." * God is serious...He hears their cries and exacts judgment on those who afflict them. * Dt 10:18 "He administers justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the stranger, giving him food and clothing." * God judges for them, loves them and provides for them. In that last verse the Holy Spirit paired widows, orphans, and strangers....there are many more verses that list these 3 vulnerable people groups. * The widow was without a husband, and a true widow had no one, no family to care for her...she was alone...she was destitute. * The orphan had no parents, and like the widow, they were very vulnerable. They did not have foster homes or adoption programs. There was no social welfare system, and women and children did not even have rights like today, where they could get a job and support themselves. Being a widow or orphan meant absolute poverty. * The Stranger was a person without a place in a society..., they were sojourners travelling in a foreign land. They were vulnerable to be taken advantage of -or- to be enslaved. The Israelites were strangers in Egypt, and their plight gives us great insight as to why God is so sensitive and compassionate toward these vulnerable people groups... When I ponder God's sensitivities to the helpless, it raises a question in my mind...why? Why is God compassionate to the least of these? * I mean, I know His nature is love, compassion, mercy, grace...I know these things about Him, but still...why so much emphasis in His law on treating the widow, orphan and stranger with compassion? Why so many reminders from the Psalmists, the Prophets, Jesus, Paul, and James to treat these people well? * When Moses was giving the Law, he spoke about how how God protects the helpless... Deut 10:18-19 "He administers justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the stranger, giving him food and clothing. 19 Therefore love the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt." * God protects the helpless (the orphans, widows and strangers). And, just as Israel was a stranger in Egypt, they were to emulate God's character and love the strangers. * Deut 24:17-22 Moses continued giving the Law- "You shall not pervert justice due the stranger or the fatherless, nor take a widow's garment as a pledge. 18 But you shall remember that you were a slave in Egypt, and the Lord your God redeemed you from there; therefore I command you to do this thing. When you reap your harvest in your field, and forget a sheaf in the field, you shall not go back to get it; it shall be for the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands. 20 When you beat your olive trees, you shall not go over the boughs again; it shall be for the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow. 21 When you gather the grapes of your vineyard, you shall not glean it afterward; it shall be for the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow. 22 And you shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt; therefore I command you to do this thing." * God reminds Israel to show compassion and to be just. These are reflections of His character and His redemptive work. It would be hypocritical to not care for the widow, the orphan, and the stranger, because God cared for Israel when they were helpless. * God is merciful, and He expects us to show mercy on the least of these. He expects us to treat others as we have been treated by Him. * Remember when Peter asked, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?" Remember this account in Matt 18? * Jesus responded "up to seventy times seven" meaning 'Indefinitely.' Why? Why are we to forgive that often? Because that's how often God has forgiven us. We sin so often, if not in our actions, then certainly in our heart, certainly in our mind, and because of Jesus God forgives us indefinitely. * Remember the parable Jesus taught? "Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24 And when he had begun to settle accounts, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents." * And, the king forgave this man who had a debt too great to pay, but remember what the man did in return to another man who owed him a hundred denarii? * This other man begged and pleaded just like the first man begged and pleaded before the king, but instead of showing mercy and forgiveness, he threw the debtor in prison. * And, when the king found out he said, 'You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. 33 Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?' 34 And his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him. "So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses." * Different example, similar principle...forgive because you were forgiven. God forgave all your sins, all your debts...debts you could not pay, and thus you should also extend this same compassion toward others. * We were once lost, without a heavenly father, we were orphans. We we strangers, in our own version of Egypt...lost in the world, and God showed us compassion... * Demonstration of compassion to the least of these is Christlike. When we fail in this, we are a hypocrite, we are like that wicked servant who was shown compassion, but couldn't extend compassion. * God desires for us to care for widows, because He cared for us. * God, is by nature love. But, He is also a righteous God, a just God, and a God of order. As we get into these verses today, we will see all of these traits. God lays out for us today that we should take care of widows, but not all widows...God has stipulations...let's get into verse 1... 1 Tim 5:3 "Honor widows who are really widows." 1. Paul begins to advise Timothy here in verse 3 that true widows should be honored, but do you see what he is also saying? Not all widows are really widows. 2. In the technical sense a widow is woman who was married and her husband died. Though, not all widows by this definition met the criteria for support by the church. 3. So, who is really a widow that the church would support? 4. One scholar gave this insight, "In Paul's day a woman brought a dowry with her into the marriage. On the death of her spouse, a woman stayed with her son (or son-in-law) or returned to her father's house with her dowry. Expenses were paid by a father or son out of her dowry. If no dowry remained, she was really a widow." 5. I like the dowry insight, but would disagree that once the dowry was exhausted she was "really a widow," especially since in that example she had family... verse 4 and verse 16 states let the family then care for the widow. Even, absolute poverty...no dowry...no life insurance...no family to care for the person...completely without resource...even that desperate of a situation does not alone qualify the widow as being "really a widow" that the church would fully support, she also has to meet additional character criteria of a godly nature, which we will discuss. 6. Before we do, I want to clarify what is meant by "honoring widows." 7. This is not an exhortation where we would have a memorial of the deceased and a remembrance of all the good deeds and faithfulness of the widow...that is not the idea here. 8. The idea of honor both here and in verse 17, where the elder is to get double honor, the idea is of financial support, an honorarium or pay. 9. Wuest says, "It has in it the idea of properly appreciating the value of someone or something and of paying that person or thing the respect, reverence, deference, and honor due him..." 10. This is support is a way that is dignified. It's not a handout, it's not a mercy gift, though the church could do this as well, but this financial support comes with expectations. The church values the widow and will ask her to pray, to be devoted to good works, and to live a godly life in return for the financial support. This builds up the widow. She is an asset to the church is this way. continue to Verse 4 1 Tim 5:4 "But if any widow has children or grandchildren, let them first learn to show piety at home and to repay their parents; for this is good and acceptable before God." 1. Criteria #1: Family Support 2. If the widow has people who can support her, let them support her for it is honoring to the widow; it is a way to fulfill the 5th Commandment "Honor your father and mother"; and it is good and acceptable before God when you support your parents. 3. The construction of this sentence in Greek could be rendered, "Since she has children." Similar to today, in the first century there was a plague of adult children who would not support their elderly parents. It seems that this was happening in Ephesus by Paul's mentioning this criteria and setting a boundary on who will receive church support. 4. About 30 years prior, In Acts 6, there was a dispute in Jerusalem about the preferential treatment Jewish widows over the Greek widows. One of the first acts of mercy upon the poor by the Christian church was the care of widows. Fast forward 30 years to Paul writing to Timothy in Ephesus, this care seems to have become a major burden on the church. If you look down at verse 16, Paul wrote, "If any believing man or woman has widows, let them relieve them, and do not let the church be burdened, that it may relieve those who are really widows." The church has to be wise about it's financial support of people and external causes...and if a widow had family, the family should support the widow, so the church can support those widows who are really widows. 5. A good example of poor family support is in the Gospels. Do you remember the account when the Pharisees and scribes challenged Jesus because some of his disciples ate bread with unwashed hands? Mark 7...feel free to turn to Mark 7...the issue was the Pharisees were elevating tradition and accusing the disciples of being defiled because they didn't wash their hands. And Jesus responds pointing out the Pharisees were defiled because they encouraged people not to care for their parents, who cares about hand washing?, Mark 7:9-13 6. He said to them, "All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition. 10 For Moses said, 'Honor your father and your mother'; and, 'He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.' 11 But you say, 'If a man says to his father or mother, "Whatever profit you might have received from me is Corban"-' (that is, a gift to God), 12 then you no longer let him do anything for his father or his mother, 13 making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down. And many such things you do." 7. The heart of what these Pharisees were doing made them defiled. In their greed, the Pharisees would absolve a person from the 5th Commandment of honoring their father and mother if the child made the vow "Let it be a corban." The resources needed to support the parents would go to the Temple instead of the parents, and the child no longer had to care for their parents and some Pharisees would even claim sacrilege if afterwards any thing of value was given for the parent's support. Because, A vow was made, and the scribes and Pharisees would cite law on vows in Num 30 as irrevocable...they had a racket going. 8. In Jesus' day there was an issue of parental abandonment..., just after Pentecost the issue remained, in Ephesus 30 years later still a problem...today still a problem. 9. If you are an adult and your parents require care, and you are so selfish that you won't care for them, know that God does not smile on this neglect. 10. For those of you who are Honoring ...who are supporting your elderly parents....look again at this verse in Timothy... "this is good and acceptable before God." 11. Look at the middle of this verse, I covered the beginning and the end, but look at the middle...we see a reason why God wants the family to care for their widowed mother or grandmother... 12. "let them first learn to show piety at home and to repay their parents..." 13. Caring for your elderly parents or grandparents shows piety...reverence, worship, godliness. 14. This act emulates God's loving character, His compassion, and in doing so is an act of respect towards the parents and an act of worship towards God. 15. If you are wondering about care for your elderly father, or another family member, the term "Piety at "home"" broadens the scope from the widow to elderly parents...home means household which means family...so if you were looking for a biblical proof to care for other family members...here you go. 16. The phrase to "repay your parents" means to "make some return to your parents," "to requite your parents." 17. I changed your diaper when your were a kid, you can change mine when I'm old. 18. I fed you baby food when you were a baby, you can feed me mushed vegetables when I'm elderly. 19. This form of reciprocity is pleasing to God. 20. I don't think this forbids us from using good medical practices, like having a elderly relative at assisted living or residential care. Sometimes the medical need is beyond the skill set of the child. 21. But, are you visiting or calling them? Are you supporting them spiritually through prayer? Or, are they one of the many elderly in America who have been abandoned because their other family member just don't want to be bothered and they want to live their life? Terrible. 22. And, if you think I'm being harsh wait until we get to verse 8. 23. So, Criteria #1: Family Support comes before church support. continue to Verse 5 1 Tim 5:5 "Now she who is really a widow, and left alone, trusts in God and continues in supplications and prayers night and day." Criteria #2: The widow is a woman of spiritual character. 1. Paul reiterates here that that he is talking about real widows...destitute... he says she is "left alone"...she has no one to care for her as mentioned in the previous verse...which in the first century meant almost certain desolation. 2. Then Paul talks about her spiritual walk. And, I love this. 3. She trust in God, and she she continues in supplications and prayers night and day. 4. She is a woman of great spiritual character. 5. She trusts in God, which means she is saved, because if you trust in God, you are a believer...which rules out unbelieving widows as being the responsibility of the church, and while that may seem harsh, it's not really because this is not a prohibition from the church helping people who do not believe. The church does this all the time, but as we will see in verse 9, the context is moreso directed at what widow the church will bring on full-time support as in putting her on the church payroll. 6. So, this woman trusts in God, she has fixed her hope on God. The tense of the word "trust" speaks of a past completed process with present results...she has trusted in God for a long time, and that hope remains fixed...it's settled permanently. She has unwavering faith in God. 7. And, she "continues in supplications and prayers"...she is a prayer warrior. 8. This is amazing to me. An elderly woman may not be able to physically labor for the church, but she can spiritually labor. 9. What a job! The church is supporting this woman, and the expectation is for her to be a woman of faith and pray for the church. 10. She is to pray in the form of supplications and prayers... as we discussed in Chapter 2:1 11. Supplications are prayers you present to God for yourself, for your needs, for your insufficiencies. She is to pray for her own needs, and if God answers, she won't be on church support anymore. 12. Prayers are general prayers...the idea of being devoted to God. She is be in prayer. 13. And she prays "night and day." 14. which is an idiom for "constantly." 15. Similar to Psalm 1:2 "...his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night." 16. The widow is dedicated to prayer. 17. Anna, the prophetess, in Luke 2 is a great example of a woman who fulfilled this role. 18. Listen to these 2 verses about Anna. At the Temple, right after Simeon blessed the child Jesus and prophesied over Him, Anna also approached... 19. Luke 2:36-38 "Now there was one, Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, and had lived with a husband seven years from her virginity; 37 and this woman was a widow of about eighty-four years, who did not depart from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day. 38 And coming in that instant she gave thanks to the Lord, and spoke of Him to all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem." 20. That's the kind of widow you want on church payroll. We will see in a minute that she meets multiple criteria that Paul lays out in this segment. Let's keep going...verse 6 1 Tim 5:6 "But she who lives in pleasure is dead while she lives." 1. Criteria #3:The widow is not living a self-indulgent lifestyle. 2. "Living in pleasure" is not a prohibition from comfort, but rather an indicator that this woman is excessively self-indulgent. Her sin is luxury, a voluptuous lifestyle. And, this is a lifestyle...Paul said she "lives in" present tense, indicating this is a habitual lifestyle. 3. She is a woman who lives to feed her fleshly desires, and some commentators suggest this woman may maintain this lifestyle by any means necessary... even prostitution...she loves her lifestyle, but she does not love god...she is godless...in contrast to the widow in the previous verse who fed her spirit through trusting God, and being in consistent prayer. 4. This word "pleasure" is only used 2x in the New Testament...the other time is in James 5:5, and listen to this segment in James, for it gives us further insight into the issue of loving this kind of lifestyle... 5. James 5:1-5 "Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries that are coming upon you! 2 Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are moth-eaten. 3 Your gold and silver are corroded, and their corrosion will be a witness against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have heaped up treasure in the last days. 4 Indeed the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, cry out; and the cries of the reapers have reached the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth. 5 You have lived on the earth in pleasure and luxury; you have fattened your hearts as in a day of slaughter." 6. These rich people were condemned because they were covetous, selfish, and they oppressed people. They were likened to animals that have been fattened just before slaughter...judgment was coming to these people. 7. Listen to this insight in Ezekiel about the sin of Sodom... 8. Ezk 16:49-50 "Look, this was the iniquity of your sister Sodom: She and her daughter had pride, fullness of food, and abundance of idleness; neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy. 50 And they were haughty and committed abomination before Me; therefore I took them away as I saw fit." 9. We know what happened to Sodom and Gomorrah...they were utterly destroyed for their wickedness...and some of their sins line up with the issue Paul presents here in verse 6 of Timothy 5. Sodom was prideful, living in luxury (full of food and abundance of idleness), and they neglected the needy. This is part of the issue by being self-consumed and self-indulgent...you forget about other people...this is not the kind of person who will contribute to the ministry. ...not the kind of person the church will support. 10. For the church today, the leadership need to be on guard not to be deceived by a person with a good story, but they are going to use the money for ill cause like drugs and alcohol, partying. It's important to get to know the person asking for money and to use wisdom and discernment to see how they match up to the guidelines Paul is laying out here. It's ok to say, "No." Enabling an unhealthy lifestyle does not help the person. If God is breaking them down, and the church keeps bailing them out...this is counterproductive. 11. And, Paul says this kind of widow, "is dead while she lives." 12. She is physically alive, but spiritually dead. She is not born-again. When you are born-again spiritually, you are alive. 13. "Is dead" in this verse literally means "has died." 14. "is dead" is in the perfect tense which indicates she is presently spiritually dead from a past tense action...living a lifestyle of being overly self-indulgent and disregarding God. 15. Rom 8:13 "For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live." 16. So, Criteria #3: A widow is not to be given to a lifestyle of fleshly satiation... 1 Tim 5:7 "And these things command, that they may be blameless."  1. It seems that Paul is looking back on vss 5 & 6...command these things Timothy for the widow to live a Godly life (verse 5), not a fleshly life (verse 6), so she is blameless or above reproach. 2. The word command in Greek, parangellō, is a military term to "give strict orders" and it is a present imperative...a constant command...Timothy is to constantly be commanding godly behavior amongst the widows and forsaking fleshly behavior so there is a good result...the widow will be blameless...she won't be the subject of criticism within or without the church. continue to verse 8 1 Tim 5:8 "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." 1. Verse 8 is not a criteria for the widow, but a stern rebuke against the family member of the widow, who denies care of said widow. 2. There is a biblical duty to honor thy father and mother and a debt owed, as mentioned in verse 4, to repay parents for the care they provided and the money it cost them to raise their family. 3. The word "provide" in this verse is defined "to think of beforehand" or "taking thought in advance." A good provider has forethought into the future for their family. 4. The provider in this verse is labeled as "anyone" meaning any man, any woman...in context of the widow, her children or grandchildren, though other relatives could be assumed here as well... 5. The provider is to care for their own (relations in general...which is a broad definition), especially for their own household (the scope is narrowed to immediate family)... 6. You get a sense in the verse of how open handed God is toward caring for the widow...you may find yourself in a situation where God calls you to help a widow who may not be your own mother, but God clearly wants you to help. 7. I'm reminded of how Jesus taught us to love people beyond reciprocal relationships... 8. Matt 5:46-47 "For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so?" 9. A similar principal is applied to the widow.... 10. Unbelievers, like the Tax Collector, had a natural inclination to care for those in their circle of relations. People have natural loyalties to those they love, but Jesus was teaching to go beyond this in loving people. Love your enemies He taught. 11. So, a believer who didn't provide for the widow, especially their mother or grandmother...they were worse than an unbeliever. 12. Paul said, they have denied the faith...the Christian faith is an active faith...a faith expressed in loving God and loving people...failure in the most natural of ways to care for your closest relatives is a failure in being a person of faith. 13. Remember in James Chapter 1, when James said, "...be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves..." James 1:22 Great verse. This is a reminder how faith is active...we are to put feet to our faith. Faith is not a passive, but we are to demonstrate our faith... 14. James said, "Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works." James 2:18 James was not saved by works, but he had active faith. 15. Right after James said to be a "doer of the word" listen to this, he said, "Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world." James 1:27 16. Active faith is demonstrated, pure religion is demonstrated by care for orphans, widows, and living a life of holiness... 17. And, don't forget who James' big brother was...none other then Jesus Himself. Same mother, different father...1/2 brothers...but look, James said pure religion is to care for widows...I imagine he took good care of his mom...Jesus' mom...Mary. 18. Before James was saved, when Jesus was on the cross, He made sure Mary was cared for...and cared for by a believing disciple...Jn 19:27 says "Then He said to the disciple [John], "Behold your mother!" And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home." 19. At that time, it did not seem as though Jesus' siblings were saved. James was likely saved after the resurrection when Jesus appeared to him, so Jesus ensured His widowed mother was cared for. And, look, how John cared for Mary, but she was not his own mother. This is a great example of caring for the widow in that broader relational sense. Let's continue to verses 9-10 and look at more criteria for the widow, and we will close there... 1 Tim 5:9-10 "Do not let a widow under sixty years old be taken into the number, and not unless she has been the wife of one man, 10 well reported for good works: if she has brought up children, if she has lodged strangers, if she has washed the saints' feet, if she has relieved the afflicted, if she has diligently followed every good work." Criteria #4, 5, & 6: 1. Criteria #4: The widow has to at least 60 years old to be on official church support. 2. 60 was beyond the average life expectancy in first century A.D. Unhygienic living conditions, less access to medical care, and less effective medical care led to an average age of 35, which is a little misleading because of the high infant mortality rate which may have been as high as 30%. Some think about 30% of the population lived to about 70 years. A person in the first century had the potential to live into their 70's, Anna who we talked about earlier was 84, but many did not live to that age because they did not have the advancements in medicine as we do. 3. So, this widow, as the bible would say well into her years, of a great age, or aged. 4. So, when Paul lists 60 as an age criteria, this is a small percentage of the population. I'm not sure what the modern equivalent would be...80 maybe? The church just needs to access each situation carefully as they are feeling led to support...this is not a prohibition from helping single moms or younger women...churches do this all the time...moreso this is a guideline for who the church is to have on regular support. 5. There is a great deal of discernment in providing support. I have heard Pastor testimonies where they felt convicted not to support in certain situations because the Lord was telling them they were enabling. Sometimes a rough patch in life can serve to turn a person's heart to the Lord, but if someone is always bailing them out, they don't get to that point. It's tricky, there's a fine balance. Most Pastors will lean toward generosity initially, but as they get to know the person...are they taking the necessary steps to improve their situation? Are they following through with advice? If not, at some point continued support may need to cease...and I'm thinking of the more able bodied people, not the older widows. 6. And, look, Paul says this older widow, ...she is "taken into the number" or "put on the list" your translation might say. 7. This Greek word was a technical term for an official enrollment commonly of enlisted soldiers, but in our context the idea is being on official church support. Some commentators suggest the enrollment made the widow a church-deaconesses... meaning she was officially serving in some way. 8. Criteria #5: The widow has been a faithful wife to her husband. 9. "...the wife of one man" lit. in Greek a "one-man-woman" indicates she has honored the marriage covenant, she has been monogamous... This was the same stipulation Paul laid out earlier in Chapter 3 for the Bishop and Deacon. They had to be the "husband of one wife." 10. Some scholars do have the opinion that being the "woman of one man" indicates that the widow has not married more than once. There is a ancient term called univira meaning "married only once" which was praised in the Roman culture. 11. However, a prohibition from re-marrying, seems to contradict Paul's other writings... 12. Paul, in verse 14, encourages younger widows to remarry. 13. And in...1 Cor 7:39 "A wife is bound by law as long as her husband lives; but if her husband dies, she is at liberty to be married to whom she wishes, only in the Lord." 14. Feel free to form your own opinion, I am of the opinion that the widow had to be faithful to her husband and had the freedom to remarry. 15. Criteria #6: The widow had a good reputation for her good deeds. Verse 10 16. "Well reported" lit. means "borne witness to"...she had a good witness...a good testimony of her care for other people. She had godly character. Paul gives us some examples... 17. First example, She has brought up children... 18. Perhaps her own flesh and blood, but also maybe orphans... 19. There was a common practice in Roman culture of what was called "exposing infants,"...leaving them to the elements, or animals...which was legally forbidden by Constantine in 374 A.D. Parents "exposed children" for selfish reasons, financial concerns like having an extra mouth to feed, "dowry liabilities" in case of a female, or for other reasons. The exposed infant, if not found, died. If found, they may have been sold into slavery, or if they were found by a Christian family they were taken in. The widow with a good reputation, was doing something about this problem...she didn't contribute to the problem because she cared for her own...she didn't abandon them, and she may have cared for other children as well. 20. Interesting side note: Christianity had a salt and light influence on the Roman culture where the first Christian emperor, Constantine, authorized the sale of infants, in 313 A.D., to curb exposing infants. Selling infants sounds bad, but there had not been a formal practice of selling infants authorized, so the alternatives were far worse for the infant. Still, exposing didn't end, so the practice of exposure was legally forbidden by 374 A.D. 21. Those practices were barbaric, but so is abortion, especially late term abortion, and the sheer numbers of abortions happening every year. 22. In 2017, CDC reported the leading cause of death in the U.S. as Heart Disease...647k. Abortion was not even on this list...I'm sure not by accident. 23. 862k Abortions in 2017. The most dangerous time to be an American is the 9 mos from conception to birth. The mother's womb. 24. Over 47 million abortions since 1970. We have no room to judge Roman culture as barbaric. 25. The widow, who Paul referenced, was doing something about the problem...she cared for her own...she didn't abandon them, and she may have cared for other children as well. 26. Second example of good works: She has lodged strangers... 27. Last week I had a friend in town with his Pastor to bring a guy from Pennsylvania to Fort Wayne to enroll in a drug recovery program. I offered for them to stay at our house, but they got a hotel. In the first century, there were not a plethora of hotels, so the ministry of hospitality was important. 28. If you were a travelling preacher, or a Christian, it was even more difficult to find a place to stay because Jewish and Roman culture was not kind to the Christian. They would not take you in. 29. So, this widow was hospitable. Hospitality was also a required characteristic for the Bishop in Chapter 3. 30. Third example of good works: "...she has washed the saints' feet..." 31. This was an ancient custom of hospitality where the lowest servant, the doulous, would wash the guests feet since they wore sandals and the dusty roads made one's feet dirty. Probably kept the house cleaner too. 32. The widow may have literally performed this task, but more likely this represented her heart for service to the church, and I mean church by the idea of the assembly...the people...or as stated in this verse, the saints'...the holy ones...the people set apart for God. The widow had a heart of service for other Christians. 33. Fourth example of good works: "...she has relieved the afflicted..." 34. The widow assisted those in distress...she was compassionate to people hard pressed by life circumstances. 35. Perhaps this was an act of mercy assisting people who were sick or sorrowful, but a better interpretation may be persecuted Christians based on the Greek language and numerous cross references linking being afflicted with persecution. 36. Fifth example of good works: "...she has been devoted to every good work." 37. This fifth example serves as a general idea of how this woman lives life...she is a doer of the word.... she was devoted to or lit. "followed after" good works. 38. This example also serves to summarize the first four good works in that she was devoted to all these good works 39. Notice "good works" repeats in this verse and serve as a book ends in this verse for emphasis. 40. These five examples are not to be taken as a comprehensive list. Instead, Paul is providing us a sketch or an idea of the kind of woman the church would officially support. 41. She has no family or other support- verse 4 42. She is a pray warrior- verse 5 43. She is not living a self-indulgent lifestyle- verse 6 44. She is older in years- verse 9 45. She was faithful to her husband- verse 9 46. And, she is devoted to good works- verse 10 47. That's the kind of widow who we are called to full-time support as a church. Next week we will look at younger widows and begin to talk about elders. But, look when we go through check lists like this, sometimes it's hard to find application, but remember what I said in the beginning. God has a heart of compassion for the widow, the orphan, and the stranger for His own people were once strangers. He cared for them. If we want to exercise ourselves in godliness, we need to emulate God's compassionate heart, and one way we can do this is by caring for our own. John and Michelle, you are living out these verses in so many ways...with your parents, with your kids. Thank you for being an example to us. Let's pray!