Women in the Church (part IV)

“Widows”

1 Timothy 5:3-16

Big Picture: In this passage we’re given three reasons why caring for one's parents and grandparents (or anyone in our family who is “helpless”) is essential to all who profess faith in Jesus.

· Such an action is pleasing to God.

· Not to care for one's relatives denies the faith and makes one worse than an unbeliever

· That the church might not be burdened.

For a widowed member of the church to be supported financially by the local congregation, the following prerequisites must be met:

· She must be truly alone, with no family to support her (5,16)

· She is over sixty - an age when remarriage would be unlikely (9)

· She is godly (5,9-10)

· She puts her hope in God (5)

· She continues night and day to pray (5)

· She has been faithful to her husband (9)

· She is well known for her good deeds (10)

· She has brought up children (orphans?) (10)

· She has shown hospitality (10)

· She has washed the feet of the Lord’s people (10)

· She has helped those in trouble (10)

· She has devoted herself to all kinds of good deeds (10)

Point # 1 The church should give proper recognition (honour) to widows who are really in need (3), but those widows with family should be cared for by their families (4).

Point # 2 The widow “who is really in need” is alone, has set her hope on God and continues in prayer (5), but those widows living in self-indulgent pleasure are already dead (6).

Point # 3 Timothy is to command these things in the church (7), but if someone does not listen they have denied the faith and are worse than unbelievers (8).

Point # 4 The Church must let older, godly women be enrolled (9-10), but refuse to enroll younger, ungodly widows who are likely to abandon their pledge (11-13).

Point # 5 To sum up, the younger widows should remarry (14-15), those who have families should receive support from them (16a), and the church should care for those widows who are truly in need (16b)