Sermon Tone Analysis

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.