1 Timothy 5

Paul now advises Timothy how to relate with others in the church effectively and how to instruct them wisely. The church at Ephesus had been torn apart by the false teachers and much of this letter is aimed at putting the pieces back together. The faithful elders needed to be distinguished from the unfaithful. The unfaithful needed to be disciplined, but in fairness. And some of the leadership had to be replaced. This section contains practical principles for the regulation and maintenance of a local church's leadership.

(1) Never speak harshly to an *older man, but appeal to him respectfully as you would to your own father. Talk to **younger men as you would to your own brothers.

• *older man:
• Leviticus 19:32: “Stand up in the presence of the elderly, and show respect for the aged. Fear your God. I am the Lord.
• Proverbs 16:31: Gray hair is a crown of glory; it is gained by living a godly life.
• In today’s business world, older men are often looked down on and are often forced into early retirement. But, in older societies, older men were respected for their advice and wisdom earned from “the school of hard knocks”. Perhaps older, wiser and more conservative men would have prevented the economic mess we’re in now.
• **Younger men are to be treated as brothers; that is, as partners and friends in the work of the gospel.
• Timothy was to relate to everyone in the church in Ephesus as if they were the members of his own family. That advice would also apply to modern-day pastors.

(2) Treat older women as you would your mother, and treat younger women with all purity as you would your own sisters.

• Timothy, a young man himself, should relate to the younger women as if they were his sisters. Timothy was young, apparently unmarried and probably attracted attention from the younger unmarried women in the local church. He needed to avoid even the appearance of evil. I remember reading how a prostitute once tried to hug Billy Graham on the street with someone ready to take a picture – Billy Graham jumped over the hood of a car to avoid the situation which could have greatly harmed his effectiveness. He used to have a policy of not going into a hotel room alone - he was afraid someone would sneak a naked woman in there and she would jump on him and someone would then snap a picture to discredit him. Not only that, but he never had lunch or dinner with a woman alone. Hillary Clinton wanted to have lunch with him and he said he would, but not alone.
• One of the problems we read about is a preacher or TV evangelist involved in an affair with a member of the church or running off with a secretary.

(3) Take care of any *widow who has no one else to care for her.

·       *widow: James 1:27: Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.

·       Widows were employed and paid by the church to tend the sick and the aged and orphans, to welcome visitors and even house visiting evangelists.

• In the days the New Testament was written, there was no social "safety net" at all. And, if there was any one class of people who were vulnerable, it was elderly widows, who were without means of support from husbands or grown children, without means to adequately support themselves and unlikely to remarry - those who are really widows.
• Note the emphasis on the fact that the church is one big family. It is this concept that leads on to the question of looking after widows who have no family.
• Widows have been and still are especially vulnerable individuals. As such God has always shown special concern for their protection (cf. Deuteronomy 10:18; 24:17; Psalm 68:5; Isaiah 1:17; Luke 2:37). Think of the position of Ruth’s mother-in-law, Naomi.

(4) But if she has children or grandchildren, their first responsibility is to show godliness at home and repay their parents by taking care of them. This is something that pleases God.

·       The Pharisees taught that a gift to the altar was more acceptable to God than relieving a poor parent:Matthew 15:5: But you say it is all right for people to say to their parents, ‘Sorry, I can’t help you. For I have vowed to give to God what I would have given to you.’

• 2 Thessalonians 3:10: Even while we were with you, we gave you this command: “Those unwilling to work will not get to eat.”
• No free hand-outs. No dependency upon the church. Our present welfare system has created generations of wasted lives of people, often minorities, who believe the world and the government owe them a living.
• This whole discussion of widows appears to focus on the younger widows in particular. They may be the same women Paul spoke of in 2 Timothy 3:6-7 who were being misled by the false teachers.

(5) Now a true widow, a woman who is truly alone in this world, has placed her hope in God. She prays night and day, asking God for his help.

(6) But the widow who lives only for pleasure is spiritually dead even while she lives.

• The life lived for mere pleasure and ease is no life at all. It is a living death, whether lived by a young widow or anyone else.
• In the contemporary world, many widows were tempted to resort to immoral living (prostitution) as a means of support, and that is probably in the apostle's mind when he uses the verb spatalao (lives only for pleasure). The term "dead" describes widows who are presumably believers (cf. James 2:17).

(7) Give these instructions to the church so that no one will be open to criticism.

• We Christians must recognize that unbelievers are watching us carefully, often hoping that we might turn out to be just like them and fall – our objective is to lead others to Christ, if not by word, then by example.

(8) But those who won’t care for their relatives, especially those in their own household, have denied the true faith. Such people are worse than unbelievers.

• Mark 7:9-13: Then he said, “You skillfully sidestep God’s law in order to hold on to your own tradition. For instance, Moses gave you this law from God: ‘Honor your father and mother,’ and ‘Anyone who speaks disrespectfully of father or mother must be put to death.’ But you say it is all right for people to say to their parents, ‘Sorry, I can’t help you. For I have vowed to give to God what I would have given to you.’ In this way, you let them disregard their needy parents. And so you cancel the word of God in order to hand down your own tradition. And this is only one example among many others.”
• Even the pagans believed that they were to care for their close relatives who were no longer able to take care of themselves.
• In the strongest terms, Paul emphasizes the responsibility of a man to provide for his family - to do all he can to support them.
• At the cross, Jesus told John to assume the responsibility of caring for Mary (John 19:26-27). That’s interesting because Mary had living sons at the time, such as James!
• If any men or women do not maintain their poor relations, they in effect deny the faith.

(9) A widow who is put on the list for support must be a woman who is at least *sixty years old and was **faithful to her husband.

• *sixty years old: As it might be supposed that, previously to this age, they might be able to do something towards their own support.
• **faithful to her husband: Greek was the wife of one husband.

·       And it is likely that the "wife of one man" statement is not about the woman who was married and her husband died, and then she was alone.  It is about the woman who was married to just "one man" and none other during her marriage.  In other words, when her husband died, she had no other husbands who might financially be able to care for her.  The city and vicinity of Ephesus, where Timothy resided and ministered at the time, was a sinful place where all sorts of "strange" relationships were possible, even likely.  If she had another husband, she was to be excluded from the permanent widow's dole being discussed in this context.

• Some think that the apostle means the list of those who were deaconesses in the Church; and that no widow was to be admitted into that rank who did not answer to the following character.
• Isn’t it interesting...this woman, who has had no means for material support of herself, is supported by the church.  And yet, she is viewed as a person who has something to give back to the church.  She’s not simply the recipient of welfare.  She, in receiving the outpouring of the church’s support for her in time of need, will turn around and do what? Give back to the church, of herself.

(10) She must be well respected by everyone because of the good she has done. Has she brought up her children well? Has she been kind to strangers and served other believers humbly? Has she helped those who are in trouble? Has she always been ready to do good?

(11) The younger widows should not be on the list, because their physical desires will overpower their devotion to Christ and they will want to remarry.

·       These are widows who are still young enough to remarry. Paul does not want to see these younger widows supported by the church. This would be an unnecessary, long-term burden on the church. In order for a younger widow to be “put on the list” for support, she would apparently need to take a vow to remain single. A young widow might meet an eligible man and regret her vow, and forsake her vow (5:12). Furthermore, a young widow who is supported by the church might waste her time going about from house to house, gossiping (5:13). Consequently, younger widows are to be encouraged to remarry (5:14).

·       Paul isn’t condemning young widows for wanting to get married, only observing that many unmarried women are so hungry for marriage and companionship that they don’t conduct themselves in a godly way in regard to relationships.

(12) Then they would be guilty of breaking their previous pledge.

• The "pledge" of this verse is one of celibacy, of abstinence.

(13) And if they are on the list, they will learn to be lazy and will spend their time gossiping from house to house, meddling in other people’s business and talking about things they shouldn’t.

(14) So I advise these younger widows to marry again, have children, and take care of their own homes. Then the enemy will not be able to say anything against them.

• During the Acts period with the possibility of Israel soon receiving Christ as Messiah, Paul urged widows not to remarry:
• Corinthians 7:8: So I say to those who aren’t married and to widows—it’s better to stay unmarried, just as I am.

(15) For I am afraid that some of them have already gone astray and now follow Satan.

• There were few choices for women in the culture Paul lived in, and his remarks are directed to the Greco-Roman culture that surrounded him.  Yes, there were some who were businesswomen, like Lydia who was "a seller of purple" dye, as seen in Acts 16:14.  But, such women were rare because, much like in today's Muslim culture, the men didn't like the competition and refused to do business with them.  What we call "jobs" was a rare option because you were either a slave or free at that time, and most of the "jobs" were filled by those who were slaves. The widow could also remarry or her family might take her in.  Neither of those options would seem attractive to every widow.  The sole remaining option for a woman of that time was prostitution, which is intimated by this verse when it says, "some of them have already gone astray and now follow Satan.”

(16) If a woman who is a believer has relatives who are widows, she must take care of them and not put the responsibility on the church. Then the church can care for the widows who are truly alone.

(17) Elders who do their work well should be respected and paid well, especially those who work hard at both preaching and teaching.

(18) For the Scripture says, *“You must not muzzle an ox to keep it from eating as it treads out the grain.” And in another place, **“Those who work deserve their pay!”

• *Deuteronomy 25:4: You must not muzzle an ox to keep it from eating as it treads out the grain.
• **Luke 10:7: Don’t move around from home to home. Stay in one place, eating and drinking what they provide. Don’t hesitate to accept hospitality, because those who work deserve their pay. - So, Paul is here saying that the Gospel of Luke is scripture, just as Peter says Paul's writings are scripture!

(19) Do not listen to an accusation against an elder unless it is confirmed by two or three witnesses.

• Deuteronomy 19:15: “You must not convict anyone of a crime on the testimony of only one witness. The facts of the case must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.
• Matthew 18:16: But if you are unsuccessful, take one or two others with you and go back again, so that everything you say may be confirmed by two or three witnesses.
• 2 Corinthians 13:1: This is the third time I am coming to visit you (and as the Scriptures say, “The facts of every case must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses”).

(20) *Those who sin should be reprimanded in front of the whole church; this will serve as a strong warning to others.

• *Those who sin: In the context, these would be elders who sin.

(21) I solemnly command you in the presence of God and Christ Jesus and the holy angels to obey these instructions without taking sides or showing favoritism to anyone.

(22) Never be in a hurry about appointing a church leader. Do not share in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure.

• Paul urged Timothy to minimize the possibility of elder failure by being extremely careful about whom he appointed in the first place.

(23) Don’t drink only water. You ought to drink a little wine for the sake of your stomach because you are sick so often.

• Proverbs 23:31: Don’t gaze at the wine, seeing how red it is, how it sparkles in the cup, how smoothly it goes down.
• Proverbs 31:6: Alcohol is for the dying, and wine for those in bitter distress
• Isaiah 5:11: What sorrow for those who get up early in the morning looking for a drink of alcohol and spend long evenings drinking wine to make themselves flaming drunk.
• Philippians 2:25-27: Meanwhile, I thought I should send Epaphroditus back to you. He is a true brother, co-worker, and fellow soldier. And he was your messenger to help me in my need. I am sending him because he has been longing to see you, and he was very distressed that you heard he was ill. And he certainly was ill; in fact, he almost died. But God had mercy on him—and also on me, so that I would not have one sorrow after another.
• 2 Timothy 4:20: Erastus stayed at Corinth, and I left Trophimus sick at Miletus.
• Bacchus is the Roman god of wine. When people engaged in these unbelievable drunken brawls, they were called Bacchanalian feasts. They engaged in orgies of sexual perversion. The key element in pagan worship was drunkenness. Two thousand years later, people still do the same.
• What do an alcohol-filled life and a Holy Spirit-filled life have in common? In both cases, a man becomes “a different person.” How many women stay married to a wife-beater because they say he's really nice when he's sober!
• The priests under the Mosaic law, while performing sacred rites, were forbidden to drink wine: Leviticus 10:9; Ezekiel 44:21.
• But use a little wine. Mingled with water--the common method of drinking wine in the East. It was not for the pleasure to be derived from the use of wine, or because it would produce hilarity or excitement, but solely because it was regarded as necessary for the promotion of health; that is, as a medicine. The word would include all infirmities of body, but seems to refer here to some attacks of sickness to which Timothy was liable, or to some feebleness of constitution; but beyond this we have no information in regard to the nature of his maladies.
• Why would Paul advise Timothy to use a little wine for your stomach's sake? Water in the ancient world was often impure; Timothy was probably having problems from the impure water, and since the fermentation process would eliminate some of the harmful things in the water, it would be better for him to drink a little wine rather than water all the time. Timothy was probably abstaining from alcohol for the sake of setting a good example. However, this abstinence was hurting his health - wine was safer to drink than water. So Paul is telling Timothy that it isn't wise to sacrifice his health for the sake of this abstinence - he will do more good for the Lord by taking care of his body in this circumstance.
• Since Paul's instruction was for medicinal purposes, this verse contributes nothing to either side of the debate over the use of wine as a beverage.
• Timothy was the victim of frequent infirmities; yet Paul did not simply command a healing on apostolic authority, or even send him a handkerchief with healing power (Acts 19:11-12). This demonstrates that Paul did not have miraculous powers at his own command after Acts 28:28.
• It was the illness of Timothy that led to this instruction; and one cannot help wondering if perhaps the good physician Luke had a hand in this prescription.


• Paul’s frequency of healing declined with the passing of time:
• Galatians 4:13-15:  Paul was ill
• 2 Corinthians 12:7-10:  Paul was afflicted
• Philippians 2:25-30: Epaphroditus was ill (A.D. 60)
• 1 Timothy 5:23: Timothy was ill (A.D. 62-3)
• 2 Timothy 4:20:  Trophimus was ill (A.D. 64)

(24) Remember, the sins of some people are obvious, leading them to certain judgment. But there are others whose sins will not be revealed until later.

(25) In the same way, the good deeds of some people are obvious. And the good deeds done in secret will someday come to light.

---

NOTE: Unless otherwise noted, the scripture version used is the New Living Translation.

---

NOTE: Sources and References are on line at: http://1timothy-study.blogspot.com/2010/12/1-timothy-references-and-sources.html

• Acts 6:1-6: But as the believers rapidly multiplied, there were rumblings of discontent. The Greek-speaking believers complained about the Hebrew-speaking believers, saying that their widows were being discriminated against in the daily distribution of food. So the Twelve called a meeting of all the believers. They said, “We apostles should spend our time teaching the word of God, not running a food program. And so, brothers, select seven men who are well respected and are full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will give them this responsibility. Then we apostles can spend our time in prayer and teaching the word.” Everyone liked this idea, and they chose the following: Stephen (a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit), Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas of Antioch (an earlier convert to the Jewish faith). These seven were presented to the apostles, who prayed for them as they laid their hands on them.