Home	Our Hope
Bible Study		March 13, 2011
Order in the Church

Introduction

This lesson is the third in a series where Paul discusses issues of order in the church. In this lesson Paul discusses a wide range of issues on the topic of relationships among the church members.

Lesson (1 Timothy 5)

¹ Do not rebuke an older man harshly, but exhort him as if he were your father. Treat younger men as brothers, ² older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters, with absolute purity.

Exhort means to urge or give earnest advice. Paul is probably using the 5^th commandment, "Honor your father and your mother", as his base here. In doing so he presents a model where all the members of the church treat each other as members of one family. While the context here is correcting the actions of the members, the model of one loving caring family is valid in all ways.

When Paul says "absolute purity" it isn't clear if his intent is specific to young ladies Timothy's age or whether he intends this for all the groups mentioned. But for our purposes we can apply it to all groups. In any case the message is that all correction of the church members should be done with pure motives, not for any personal gain. No person in responsibility in the church should use that position for any reason but to benefit the church.

³ Give proper recognition to those widows who are really in need. ⁴ But if a widow has children or grandchildren, these should learn first of all to put their religion into practice by caring for their own family and so repaying their parents and grandparents, for this is pleasing to God.

There are very few translations where these verses are presented clearly. So it's easy for the reader to misunderstand. The message here is that widows in the church should be assigned the task of caring for their own children and that they should be paid for this so they can provide for themselves. It may seem odd that a widow should be paid for caring for her own children until we understand the extended family and tribal system of that time. By "children" this verse is including the children of sisters and brothers and possibly cousins. Caring for her own biological children would have been a widow's responsibility.

So Paul here is setting down a means for widows with children and grandchildren to support themselves rather than being a burden on the church. For us this instruction for widows should be seen as an example of a greater principle. The message is that we should do whatever we can to support ourselves rather than relying on charity. That way charity can be reserved for those "who are really in need," as verse 3 says.

⁵ The widow who is really in need and left all alone puts her hope in God and continues night and day to pray and to ask God for help. ⁶ But the widow who lives for pleasure is dead even while she lives.

The Aramaic translation uses a specific example instead of the general word "pleasure". It uses a word that can mean "the Theatre", "the Arena", or "gladiatorial shows". We all know of the Coliseum in Rome. It may have been the largest in its time but every decent sized city had a coliseum or amphitheatre. They held plays, sporting events, and other activities and were the center for social activities. Because it attracted many people it would also have been a site for commerce.

From this we can see a little better that Paul is contrasting the widow in need and a widow who is not. The widow in need, in fact has the greater benefit because she must necessarily draw closer to God. The widow with plenty can spend it living a life focused on earthly pleasures and fall away from God.

⁷ Give the people these instructions, so that no one may be open to blame. ⁸ Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

Again the Aramaic gives a different perspective. ^"8 For if a man does not take care of those who are his own, especially those who are members of the household of faith, this one has renounced the faith and is worse than those who are unbelievers." Here we see that Paul is speaking specifically to men. But he also says "give the people these instructions, so that no one may be open to blame." Therefore there is every reason to believe he would apply the same to women, boys, and girls. This caring is so fundamental to the faith that one who does not do so is not part of the faith.

In saying "household of faith" we can see that Paul puts a special emphasis on caring for family members who are also believers.

⁹ No widow may be put on the list of widows unless she is over sixty, has been faithful to her husband, ¹⁰ and is well known for her good deeds, such as bringing up children, showing hospitality, washing the feet of the Lord's people, helping those in trouble and devoting herself to all kinds of good deeds.

At the time Paul wrote this, "it appears that from the first formation of the Christian church, provision was made out of the public funds of the society for the indigent widows who belonged to it."¹ Churches kept track of the needy among them, perhaps in lists as the NIV says, so that the congregation could know who to help. Why don't churches do that now?

¹¹ As for younger widows, do not put them on such a list. For when their sensual desires overcome their dedication to Christ, they want to marry. ¹² Thus they bring judgment on themselves, because they have broken their first pledge. ¹³ Besides, they get into the habit of being idle and going about from house to house. And not only do they become idlers, but also busybodies who talk nonsense, saying things they ought not to. ¹⁴ So I counsel younger widows to marry, to have children, to manage their homes and to give the enemy no opportunity for slander. ¹⁵ Some have in fact already turned away to follow Satan.

We'll look at this large group of verses as one because many interpreters struggle with it and a lack of understanding leads to offense. First we can say that verse 11 cannot mean that it is wrong for widows to marry. That would directly contradict what is said in verse 14, "I counsel younger widows to marry." Again the Aramaic has a different perspective that helps a little but still requires interpretation. It says "¹¹ But avoid those widows who are younger, for these separate from The Messiah and seek to have a husband; ¹² And their judgment is set, for they have rejected their former faith." We see in this translation that the issue is turning from the faith. The key to understanding this message comes in verse 15 "Some have in fact already turned away to follow Satan." Paul is talking about the widows turning away from their husband, the Messiah, to a new husband but not to a man husband. He is talking about them turning to Satan and doing the works of Satan.

In summary, Paul's message is that younger widows should not be supported by the church because they are too likely to turn to Satan if they remain widows. Instead they should marry, have children, and manage their homes so that they do not give unbelievers a reason to slander the faith. This runs parallel to Paul's instructions to men from another epistle. There he says if you cannot control your sexual desires, you should marry.

¹⁶ If any woman who is a believer has widows in her care, she should continue to help them and not let the church be burdened with them, so that the church can help those widows who are really in need.

The larger message here is that becoming a believer does not mean you should dump your responsibilities on the church.

Paul's message in the previous verses focuses on widows, which were a serious problem in that time. A woman without a husband could have a very hard life. Also there were likely more widows as a percentage of the population then due to limited medical abilities. Also, battles between forces relied on having and killing large numbers of men.

But the theme is one that we can apply in this age, where widows are less common and government support is available. That is, carry as much of your weight as possible or more than your weight if possible so that those who are truly in need can be helped.

Having dealt with caring for widows, Paul now turns to caring for elders of the church.

¹⁷ The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching. ¹⁸ For Scripture says, "Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain," and "The worker deserves his wages."

"The church's monetary support of its leaders is a controversial matter in Paul's time, just as it is now. Dishonest religious teachers are everywhere in Paul's world. People offering religious teaching are infamous for seeking out wealthy patrons who will enable them to live luxuriously, only to leave town quickly when others become suspicious."²

The elders or at least many of the elders in the churches were volunteers. Although tithes and offerings would have been given, much of that would have gone to helping the needy. Paul reminds that the elders should not be forgotten. They deserve not only respect, honor, and praise, but the members of the church need to make sure their needs are met. The muzzled ox metaphor is a quote from Deuteronomy 25:4 in a message that Paul repeats in 1 Corinthians 9:9.

¹⁹ Do not entertain an accusation against an elder unless it is brought by two or three witnesses. ²⁰ But those elders who are sinning you are to reprove before everyone, so that the others may take warning.

Continuing on with his theme of respect for elders of the church, Paul says that elders should not be subjected to frivolous charges. Satan would like nothing more than to bury an elder in a storm of nonsense charges. The Biblical standard of evidence is 2 or 3 reliable witnesses, so Paul is only confirming that this established standard should be applied here as well.

But on the other hand, those elders who are found guilty of sinning should be publicly reprimanded.

How do the churches actions above measure against Paul's standard? What should they do?

Paul says that admonishment of elders should be public as a warning to others. What other purposes are achieved by this?

Paul now has some messages for Timothy.

²¹ I charge you, in the sight of God and Christ Jesus and the elect angels, to keep these instructions without partiality, and to do nothing out of favoritism.

Paul used the word "purity" earlier to show Timothy's motivation should be selfless. Here he says everyone should be treated the same. Factors such as wealth, skin color, and ancestry, should have no role.

²² Do not be hasty in the laying on of hands, and do not share in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure.

²³ Stop drinking only water, and use a little wine because of your stomach and your frequent illnesses.

This chapter finishes with a wonderful saying.

²⁴ The sins of some are obvious, reaching the place of judgment ahead of them; the sins of others trail behind them. ²⁵ In the same way, good deeds are obvious, and even those that are not obvious cannot remain hidden forever.

¹ Barnes Notes on the Bible, quoting Patey's Horae Paulinae http://bible.cc/1_timothy/5-9.htm

² NIV Standard Lesson Commentary, Spring 2011, Unit 1, March 27, Section II, A