1 Timothy 5:1-16

Not only is the local church the pillar and ground of the truth; the same passage (1 Tim. 3:15) also refers to a church as the house(hold) of God.  We have already noted that the conduct of a local church is like that of a family.  The roles of men and women in a church in 1 Timothy 2 are based in the familial roles.  The leadership qualifications called for a man who was proven first at home (1 Tim. 3:5).  Chapter five continues this idea that a church is a family.

·        5:1-2: The general pattern of relationships in the Body of Christ is to be like that at home.  We treat people respectfully, and in ways specific to their age and gender.  After a contentious church meeting, a brother was heard to say: “You can tell we are family; we fight with each other.”  Others might think, “No, we are family because we kiss and make up after a fight.”  The fact is, contention is not the point of being a family; it is that we treat each other with appropriate respect.  I say appropriate because it means that we are, for example, honoring those who are older.  We listen to them, recognizing their wisdom, contrary to what is common in our world where older people are assigned positions in retirement villages and assisted living homes so that the young will not have to be bothered by them.  Older people remain engaged in the Body of Christ.  They are valuable.  Further, younger women are treated politely, as sisters, but with no hint of impure motives.  This is not condescending, as some feminists would say today, but in fact honors women.  And it does not lead to the kind of sexually condescending relationships with women that are common today, the very result of the equality-driven philosophy of our world.  The church is family; a godly family!

·        5:3-16: Paul’s advice on the care of widows is similar to what the Jerusalem Church did in Acts 6:1-7.  Widows needed care in the world at that time, even as today.  Usually the husband was the wage-earner; so upon his death it could be difficult for the surviving widow.  The Mosaic Law provided for their care (Deut. 14:28-29) as part of God’s own special mercy for widows and orphans ((Ps. 146:8-9).  So the churches needed to care for them as well.  But note the basic principles.

o   Each family was to care for their own widows, children repaying their parents (v4,8,16).  Those who failed to do so were worse than unbelievers.  It was a serious matter.  How it was carried out might involve others, such as professional help; but they were to never be guilty of neglect.

o   But then, for true widows (those who were truly alone, without family) the church was to be their family.  While younger widows were encouraged to remarry and be wives and mothers, those who were older and had lived godly lives (v9-10) were to be involved in the church’s ministry.  Again, unlike what often happens in our world, they were not considered useless.  The church is family; a godly family!