Servants Not Victims | 1 Timothy 5:9-16

These last two chapters in Paul’s letter is a final charge the church in Ephesus.  A final charge to teach Timothy how the church ought to function.  What kind of fruit will a healthy church produce.  One of those fruits is the fact that the church must take care of its own. 

 

“But become doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves…Pure and undefiled religion before our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.”

--James 1:22, 27

 

In the second half of this section of Ch. 5:3-16, Paul, gives the church a guideline in which widows to help within the church.  He actually addresses the widows in need and challenges them to live a certain lifestyle, to live according to God’s word, and if the widow is not living according to God’s word then the church does not have an obligation to help them.

 

Paul is a bit harsher than that, not only does the church have NO obligation to help them but the church shouldn’t help them.

 

1. The Church must be generous and take of each other—yet we need discernment in knowing who to help with charity.

 

“If any believing woman has widows, she must assist them and the church must not be burdened, so that it may assist those who are widows indeed.”

--1 Timothy 5:16

 

The Pronoun used here is (tis) in the Greek which simply can be a man or a woman, if you look at the context the of the passage Paul is addressing younger widows in verses 14-15 which is why this translation just says, “if any believing woman has widows” while other translations such as the KJV say “If any believing man or woman has widows.”

 

This is the end of this section.  After this Paul will command the church to take care of the elders of the church the spiritual leaders who bring God’s word to God’s people.  This entire chapter is pointing to the “Order of Love” the “Odo Amoris”.  If a widow is unwilling to follow God’s law, to love their own, to take care of their own then the church should not be burdened to help them—Paul implies the person in need could be burdening the church and stopping them from other charity with people in the church.

 

“Odo Amoris”

Plato and Augustine: “The Order of Love” or “The Hierarchy of Love” or “The Ladder of Love.” 

 

“The ‘order of love’ is a concept that helps us understand how we may direct the love we experience from God. In our human reality, love needs to be directed because we cannot love everybody equally: those close to us (our spouse, children, parents and friends) have more of a claim on us than others do. We need to divide our time and attention, and this is what the idea of ordering of love helps us think through. The idea goes back to St. Augustine, and he apparently took it from Plato, long before the Christian era.”

--ChristianCourier.ca

 

This discernment is needed because the human heart is depraved, sinful.  God has given His people a specific guideline to make sure the church isn’t taken advantage of—God is protecting His church.

 

 

 

 

“The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick; Who can know it? I, Yahweh, search the heart; I test the inmost being, even to give to each man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds.”

--Jeremiah 17:9-10

 

How does the church know who to help?  Paul gives a clear list and description of this list.

 

2. A widow must be a certain age, must have lived a life pleasing to God, and a good standing member of God’s local church.

 

“But she who lives in self-indulgence is dead even while she lives…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, having a reputation for good works; 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 affliction, if she has devoted herself to every good work.”

--1 Timothy 5:6, 9-10

 

“Hospitality to Strangers.”

ξενοδοχέω xenodochéō, xen-od-okh-eh'-o; from a compound of G3581 and G1209; to be hospitable:—lodge strangers.

 

We must read this and understand this church in Ephesus was a messed-up church.  They were sitting under terrible and false teaching thus bearing fruit that was Anti-Christ.  They were bearing rotten fruit and being a terrible witness of the gospel—this is why Paul reminds the church of this in the qualifications of an elder for the church.

 

“And he must have a good reputation with those outside the church, so that he will not fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.”

--1 Timothy 3:7

 

God is calling this group of women in this church to generosity, he is reminding them how the world doesn’t revolve around them, they are to live a life of service to those around them, to live a life of service, to serve the saints of the church, to be hospitable.  God is speaking against entitlement.  Much of God word tells His followers to serve each other, to give back, instead of asking for much and being entitled to something. 

 

“He who gives to the poor will never want, But he who shuts his eyes will have many curses.”

--Proverbs 28:27

 

“Give justice to the poor and the orphan; Justify the afflicted and destitute.  Protect the poor and needy; Deliver them out of the hand of the wicked.”

--Proverbs 82:3-4

 

“Laziness casts into a deep sleep, And a slack‑handed soul will suffer hunger.  He who keeps the commandment keeps his soul, But he who despises his way will die.  He who is gracious to a poor man lends to Yahweh, And He will repay him for his bountiful deed.”

--Proverbs 19:15-17

 

Paul is no longer addressing JUST the elders but now he is addressing women who are hurting the church, taking advantage of the church, who are slandering others and being busy bodies—he is reminding the church how to deal with women who are unwilling to sit under the authority of the church.

 

 

“But refuse to put younger widows on the list, for when they feel sensual desires in disregard of Christ, they want to get married, thus incurring condemnation, because they have set aside their previous pledge.  And at the same time they also learn to be idle, as they go around from house to house. And not merely idle, but also gossips and busybodies, talking about things not proper to mention.”

--1 Timothy 5:11-13

 

“Paul moves on to address problems with the church’s care of widows (1 Timothy 5:1-16). This important ministry was being abused by younger, wealthy widows (likely the same troublemakers from chapter 2). They would sign up for the church’s support and then spend their days sleeping around, spreading gossip, and damaging the church’s reputation. Paul put his foot down. He made it clear to Timothy that only older widows with no other family support should qualify. For widows who really need it, the church should show the same love and generosity of Jesus.”

--TheBibleProject.com

 

“Gossips”  (Not the same word as 1 Timothy 3:11—“Women must be dignified…”)

φλύαρος phlýaros, from φλύω phlýō (to bubble); a garrulous person, i.e. prater:—tattler.

 

“Busybodies”

περίεργος períergos, from G4012 and G2041; working all around, i.e. officious (meddlesome, neuter plural magic):—busybody, busy about trifles and neglectful of important matters esp. busy about other folk’s affairs. 

 

These “widows”, women, who are taking advantage of the church are disobedient to God and the household of God.  Remember, the church isn’t a normal non-profit charity, the church is the giver of the gospel of Christ.  The church isn’t called to blindly help everyone in need, especially those within the church, God is commanding His people to give back to each other and to Him, to generous to strangers, to give the church a good reputation in the community. 

 

“It is no sin in any case to marry, bear children, and take care of a family; but it is a sin in every case to be idle persons, gadders about, tattlers, busybodies, sifting out and detailing family secrets” 

--Adam Clarke

 

“And let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary.  So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith.”

--Galatians 6:9-10

 

“So when He had washed their feet, and taken His garments and reclined at the table again, He said to them, ‘Do you know what I have done to you?  You call Me Teacher and Lord; and you are right, for so I am.  If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.  For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you.’”

--John 13:12-15

 

3. God is calling His people to holiness. To follow Christ and His commands. 

 

“Therefore, I want younger widows to get married, bear children, keep house, and give the enemy no opportunity for reviling, for some have already turned aside after Satan.  If any believing woman has widows, she must assist them and the church must not be burdened, so that it may assist those who are widows indeed.”

--1 Timothy 5:14-16

 

Look at what Paul is doing here—he is speaking against victimhood culture.  Yes, these widows have been through a lot, yes they are in need, but he is stating that some of these women will need husbands so that they do not fall into the sin of lust.

 

“Yet I wish that all men were even as I myself am. However, each man has his own gift from God, one this way, and another that.  But I say to the unmarried and to widows that it is good for them if they remain even as I.  But if they do not have self-control, let them marry, for it is better to marry than to burn with passion.”

--1 Corinthians 7:7-9

 

“But it is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant;  and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be slave of all.  For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”

--Mark 10:43-45 (10:35-45)

 

“And He was passing through from one city and village to another, teaching, and proceeding on His way to Jerusalem.  And someone said to Him, ‘Lord, are there just a few who are being saved?’ And He said to them,  ‘Strive to enter through the narrow door, for many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able.  Once the head of the house gets up and shuts the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock on the door, saying, ‘Lord, open up to us!’ then He will answer and say to you, ‘I do not know where you are from.’  Then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets.’  And He will say, ‘I tell you, I do not know where you are from; depart from Me, all you workers of unrighteousness.’  In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but yourselves being cast out.  And they will come from east and west and from north and south, and will recline at the table in the kingdom of God.  And behold, some are last who will be first and some are first who will be last.”

--Luke 13:22-30