Intro:
How do you know if someone is walking in godliness? Is it by how much Bible they know? How much they can explain? Or how often they come to church?
Those things are definitely important, but Paul takes Timothy somewhere much more practical. How the church treats people. Paul wants Timothy to look at how the church treats their family. How they care for people who are grieving and in need. How they use their time. Look at whether their faith produces a life of good works.
Because according to Paul, godliness isn't just something you know. It's something people should be able to see.
And in this section, Paul shows Timothy how the church should treat God’s people.
Main Point:
Paul instructs Timothy on how believers are to care for ALL of God’s people: like it’s a family.
Point 1: The Church Corrects as a Family (v1-2)
Looking at context we know that Timothy is ministering to the church at a younger age, and is most likely younger than a majority of the congregation.
And Paul, as we have studied, has been walking the walk of faith for many years at this point. We can be confident to say he definitely knows that the church is not always walking in line, and correction will be a necessity for Timothy. That's why these first 2 verses of instruction to Timothy are important.
Rebuke (epiplēssō) - to chastise with words, to chide, upbraid, rebuke, to strike upon
This rebuke that Paul is talking about is when someone in the congregation needs correction, or when sin needs addressed. Whether individually or as a whole group. Paul instructs Timothy NOT to rebuke them in correction, but instead, to encourage them in correction.
I want to bring emphasis to this because if you look ahead at verse 20 in the same chapter, he says “As for those who persist in sin, rebuke them in the presence of all, so that the rest may stand in fear.”
So at the beginning of the chapter he says don’t rebuke them at all, but later on he tells them to rebuke them in front of everyone. So what does Paul mean? Is he contradicting himself? No.
Paul does NOT want Timothy to let sin go unaddressed or leave the church without correction, he wants him to correct and address sin “-in all purity.” There may be a circumstance where Timothy needs to confront sin publicly as it talks about in verse 20, “for those who persist in sin”. But in lots of cases, he must privately confront sin in older men and women of the church.
This I can imagine would be a difficult task for us if we were put in Timothy's position.
Because the truth is the older a person is, the more life they have experienced. They are harder to connect with about the truth of scripture as you have probably heard a few popular phrases.
“Oh you’ll understand when you're my age.”
“I’ve been doing this longer than you’ve been alive.”
“I’ve been through things you haven’t experienced yet.”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about—you’re too young.”
And it's true they have the wisdom of experiencing life, but that does NOT mean they are always right, or are clear of being corrected and taught from someone younger.
This same principle applies when dealing with those who are our peers. Just because someone is our age, or even younger than us, does not mean they are beyond correction. We can sometimes be more comfortable correcting someone our own age because we feel like we are on equal ground with them.
Paul’s instruction is not simply about who has more experience or who has more authority, it is about how we approach one another when correction is necessary. And that approach is with the goal of restoring them and doing so gently.
Galatians 6:1 talks about this: “Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness.”
David Guzik says something profound about rebuking: “Some become experts at criticizing the one who brought the rebuke, and consider their hurt feelings more important than the truth of the rebuke. No one likes to be rebuked; but the wise person uses the rebuke as a valuable means to growth.”
And so what Paul does here in these 2 verses is guide Timothy and us as readers to view the church in a new different perspective. Instead of viewing the body as just a group of believers, he shows us to view the congregation as one body in Christ, like a family.
Notice his comparisons in Verse 2:
Older man -> Father
Younger men -> Brothers
Older women -> Mothers
Younger women -> Sisters
These family terms are nothing new in the Bible. We’ve heard these terms used very often when talking about fellow members of the church.
James 1:2a - “Count it all joy, my brothers,”
1 Timothy 1:2a - “To Timothy, my true child in the faith:”
1 Thessalonians 2:11a - “For you know how, like a father with his children”
1 Thessalonians 2:7b - “-like a nursing mother taking care of her own children.”
But why? Why does Paul use this family imagery when talking about correction?
Paul is giving Timothy the proper heart for his correction: take sin seriously, but take the person seriously too. We don't correct people because we are above them; we correct them because they are our family. The body of Christ.
Romans 12:5 it says: “so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. If we view the church as a family, then correction will not come from a place of superiority, pride, or a desire to embarrass someone. We correct, because we love them like family.
And that same love shouldn't stop at correction. If we truly see one another as family, then we should care about one another's lives, struggles, needs, and spiritual growth. Family doesn't simply tell you when you're wrong; family cares enough to walk with you through it. That's why Paul also in the last chapter verse 13 about devoting himself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, and to teaching.
This correction is the love and care a Christian should embody amongst their fellow members of the church. That is why Timothy is commanded to teach the church and devote himself to them. If the church is a family, then the needs of the older men and women of the church, our brothers and sisters in Christ, should matter to us.
This love comes from the faith that is instilled within us by the Holy Spirit.
We should not only be willing to speak the truth when correction is needed, but also be willing to step in and provide care when someone is in need. That's exactly where Paul goes next about treating God’s people.
Point 2: The Church Cares With Responsibility (v3-8)
Something interesting to note about this: Verses 3-16 in 1 Timothy is the longest section in the entire Bible that talks about widows. We are going to see him in this long section dive into 4 different “categories” of widows that Timothy might face. And to truly understand it we need to observe exactly what the text is saying.
So firstly we need to answer the question: What is a widow?
GotQuestions: “A widow is a woman whose husband has died. Often in Scripture, when widows are referred to, it appears to carry the idea of a woman whose husband has died who also has no one to provide for her. Thus, widows are often grouped with vulnerable members of society such as the fatherless, aliens, and the poor (Deuteronomy 14:29; 16:11; 24:20; 26:12).”
So widows are those who have lost their significant other, and have no one to provide for them. Similar to an orphan, whose parents have passed away.
Honor (timaō) - to revere, to respect, admire
When Paul instructs the church to honor widows who are truly widows, he's not telling them simply to acknowledge that these women exist. He's calling them to actually care for them. Scripture repeatedly connects our love for people with our willingness to serve them. James says in 1:27 “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction-” And in Galatians 5:13 it says, “Through love serve one another.”
So it's important that widows in the church are to be honored and respected. But looking at the scripture here, notice Paul uses an important word here in verse 3: “Honor widows who are TRULY widows.”
Were there fake widows? Why does he have to say that they are true widows? It's possible that fake widows were an issue at one point, but I don’t think that's what he’s talking about here.
Looking at verse 4, we can see he is talking about widows who do not have ANY means of support at all. “But if a widow has children or grandchildren, let them first learn to show godliness to their own household and to make some return to their parents, for this is pleasing in the sight of God.
Those widows that truly have no one and are truly left alone are ones that need the support from the church directly. But Paul shows Timothy that those who do have some support like children or grandchildren, he must instruct them to first look towards their lasting family.
The instruction he is giving is if the widows have family members that are also followers of Jesus Christ, they have responsibility to care for one another. Like a family should. It's likely that the resources of the church were limited and shouldn’t be given out to those who have a way of providing for themselves. So he doesn’t want Timothy to immediately put the responsibility on the church to provide when the widow's own family has the ability and responsibility to care for her.
In verses 5-6 we see Paul show a contrast of true widows in need versus widows that are self-indulgent.
Verse 5 shows the characteristics of a true widow:
Lives for God
Has their hope set in God
Prays continually
Verse 6 on the contrast shows a Self-indulgent widow:
Lives for pleasure
Lives for herself
Has no dependance on God
While the true widow in her time of grief depends on God, lives for God, and sets their hope on God. The self indulgent widow would do the opposite. They would seek their comfort in the worldly things, fulfill their personal pleasures, and have no dependance on anyone but themselves. And Paul delivers a brutal truth about these self indulgent widows. “she who is self-indulgent is dead even while she lives”
When Paul says dead, he obviously doesn’t mean she's physically dead. He means they are spiritually dead. They no longer live with God at the core of their life, but for themselves.
And because God gives us life, they can either live that life toward God and others, or turn inward and live for themselves, and build up their wrath on the day of slaughter.
James talks about this same thing in 5:5 - “You have lived on the earth in luxury and in self-indulgence. You have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter.”
Paul’s importance with this section is that he doesn't want the church to simply give financial assistance to someone whose life is characterized by self-centered indulgence rather than godliness.
On verse 7 Paul says “Command these things as well, so that they may be without reproach.”
The word command (parangellō) means to order, to charge with, to declare.
Paul is charging Timothy to instruct “these things”. Which is referring back to what Paul said in v3-6.
Honor/support widows who are truly in need (v.3)
If a widow has children/grandchildren, her family should care for her (v.4)
The genuinely widow should be characterized by hope in God and prayer (v.5)
A widow who lives for self indulgence is described as spiritually dead (v. 6)
He charges Timothy to command these things so that the church is without reproach, or above reproach.
The Greek (anepilēmptos) meaning without fault, blameless.
Paul’s purpose in instructing Timothy with these things is for everyone: the widows, their families, and the church, should be without blame in how they conduct themselves. By supporting widows who are truly deserving while refusing support to those who are not, the church will remain above criticism, and God will continue to be honored.
And we see here in verse 8 Paul REALLY driving this point home. He says “But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”
QUESTION!
How is somebody who does not provide for his family worse than an unbeliever? (from GotQuestions)
They show a lack of the most important characteristic of godliness: Love.
They lack the love or care to fulfill this important charge or supporting and caring for their own people.
Even an unbeliever has the common sense to support their own household. But a person who claims to be a follower of Christ that doesn’t provide for their household or relatives, has denied their faith and lacks true love. It's like it says in Titus 1:16 “They profess to know God, but they deny him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work.”
Now denying their faith in this context does not necessarily mean the person has literally become an unbeliever or lost salvation. It's instead saying that their actions are denying the gospel/Christian faith by contradicting what that faith requires.
So Paul describes 3 of the 4 categorized groups of widows he’s addressing in the section:
True Widows
Widows with children/grandchildren
Widows who “live for self indulgence”
He shows that there is a responsibility for both a household and the church: the family is responsible to care for its own, and the church is responsible to care for those who are truly in need. But the big question we need to answer: How does the church determine who should receive such care?
Paul answers that question in verses 9-16. By giving Timothy the specific qualifications for the widows who are to be enrolled and cared for by the church. In other words, the church is called to care, but it is also called to discernment how that care is given.
Point 3: The Church Cares with Discernment (v9-16)
We need to again observe the text directly to understand exactly what Paul is instructing Timothy to do. He is going to show Timothy the importance of discerning the qualified versus the unqualified widows that need church support.
In verse 9 we see the word “enrolled”. This is not a common word we’ve seen for Paul so it's important we understand what he means to be enrolled. The Greek word (katalegō) means “to set down in a list or register.”
When Paul says that a widow is to be “enrolled” he's not talking about being enrolled into Christianity or becoming a member of the church. He's talking about being placed on a recognized list of widows whom the church would take responsibility for supporting and caring for. Once again, the church does not have unlimited resources, so the church should use its resources effectively for the true people that are in need.
He lists 3 qualifications for those to enroll:
If she is not less than 60 years of age (v9a)
Having been the wife of ONE husband (v9b)
Having a reputation of good works (v10a)
These 3 qualifications target older (above than 60 years old), faithful (being only with one husband), and reputable (known for good works) widows. But what good works does Paul mean here? Well notice the colon in verse 10 after “reputation”. These are things we need to take note of so we can better understand what the writer is discussing. He goes on to list what these good works are.
If she’s brought up children (v10b)
Has shown hospitality (v10c)
Has washed the feet of saints (v10d)
Has cared for the afflicted (v10e)
Has devoted herself to every good work (v10f)
So now that Paul has explained what qualifies someone to be recognized on this list for needing support, we have to look at the contrast: What disqualifies someone from being on this roster?
He says in v11, “But-”,which is a key word to recognize when we are looking at a contrast, “But, refuse to enroll younger widows,”.
This would make total sense as the very first qualification we saw in v9 was that they need to be older than 60, so immediately the younger widows are disqualified. But why?
Why can’t a younger widow qualify, even if she meets all the other qualifications? At first, that might seem unfair. Why should someone be disqualified simply because of her age? But Paul doesn’t give this instruction without an explanation. He goes on to explain why this distinction is necessary and why it is ultimately for the spiritual good of the younger widow.
We have learned over the many studies of Paul that he has seen many things. He has been around many churches, planted dozens of churches, and has met many people, including widows, along his journey. So through all of this, Paul has seen what can happen when someone’s desires begin to pull us away from Christ. And that is one of the first reasons he disqualifies young widows: as it says “for when their passions draw them away from Christ”
Paul’s primary concern is the spiritual welfare of younger widows. And after losing her husband, a young widow would be very vulnerable to the influences and temptations of the sinful world around her. She may be tempted toward a life centered on worldly pleasures.
What kind of temptation is he talking about?
One of the first temptations Paul describes is that “they desire to marry and so incur condemnation for having abandoned their former faith.”
The young widow may choose to remarry without regard for her relationship with Christ, potentially entering a marriage that does not share her faith. In doing so, she could begin to turn away from her commitment to Christ and abandon the purpose of serving Him.
Paul is not teaching that younger widows should avoid marriage. In fact, he encourages them to remarry later in verse 14. His concern is that they would marry in a way that honors Christ, rather than allowing their desires to lead them away from their faith and their calling to live for Him.
The next temptation “learn to be idlers, going from house to house”
“Besides that” or “at the same time” (hama) means at the same time, at once, or together.
So at the same time as being tempted to remarry or search for another husband, we see in verse 13 that Paul was also concerned that they would become idlers. Not idle as if they don’t move anymore, that's not what he means as he says right after “going from house to house”, but Paul means because they are being provided for, they could fall into the trap of doing nothing productive for the kingdom.They become stagnant in their growth because they have nothing productive to do because they are being provided for all their needs. Which can lead to sin.
Phillips on Precept Austin noted something important about the going from house to house that I thought I’d mention: “The older widows who were supported by the church were expected to do house-to-house visitation to minister to people materially and spiritually. The younger widows, however, might meet all kinds of temptation in their going in and out of the various houses.”
And the final temptation he lists is becoming “gossips and busybodies, saying what they should not.”
Gossips (phlyaros) - uttering or doing silly things, babbling
Busybodies (periergos) - meddling, busy about trifles and neglectful of important matters, busy about other folks' affairs
Gossips on one hand talk about someone else's business.
Busybodies on the other hand get involved in someone else's business.
So Paul uses all these things to disqualify young widows from being enrolled, so your next question should be. What do they need to do instead? If they are not to be enrolled in this support, what instructions do they have?
Well he tells us, look at verse 14: he says “So I would have” or “Therefore, I desire that”.
Meaning what follows is what Paul desires for the younger widows to do.
“-marry”
The widows have already experienced marriage life, and Paul recommends under the right circumstances, to find a new partner.
Bearing children is typically the next step in most marriages.
Gives the newly created Christian mother responsibilities to pursue. Calls for them to be devoted to their family.
Because Paul doesn't want their behavior to provide an opportunity for someone to bring accusation or reproach against them or the church.
Paul used strong language here. “So I would have” or “Therefore I want” is very commanding from Paul. He is taking this matter very seriously because, as we see in verse 15, “For some have already strayed after Satan.”
This explains the entire reason Paul has harped on these younger widows about their lifestyle. He says “for some have ALREADY—” meaning this wasn't merely a hypothetical situation that Paul was warning Timothy might happen someday. It was already happening Some of these younger widows had already turned aside from the path of godliness and were following after Satan.
Now, we need to be careful not to say more than the text says about exactly what that looked like. But we can be certain about the direction they had gone: they had turned away. They had left the path Paul wanted them to remain on and were now following after Satan.
And notice that Paul says “some.” He isn't saying that every younger widow was doing this. He's saying that there were already examples of this happening, and that reality makes his instructions in verses 11–14 even more urgent.
Paul isn't simply trying to establish a church policy about who receives financial support. He's trying to protect these women from a pattern of life that could lead them away from Christ. He has just told them to marry, raise children, manage their households, and give the adversary no opportunity for reproach. Now he gives the reason: some had already gone the opposite direction.
And that brings us to verse 16. Paul now is wrapping around one last time talking about the responsibility of those with relatives that are widows and applies it one more time. “'If any believing woman has relatives who are widows, let her care for them. Let the church not be burdened, so that it may care for those who are truly widows.”
This again brings up the purpose of discerning the difference in the widows without support from relatives like children or grandchildren, and the ones who do have support. That allows the church to focus its resources on those who are genuinely without support and need it from the church.
Now, this was a lot of information. And as I was writing this message, there was one thing that kept popping into my mind: “What in the world does this have to do with me?”
I bet we think about this a lot when we come across hard texts like this one. And honestly, this was probably one of the hardest passages for me to work through. But I’m grateful that I got to sit with God and really break down this text, because the more I studied it, the more I saw the bigger lesson Paul was trying to teach.
Paul isn't simply giving Timothy a list of rules about widows or don’t be rude to older men. He's showing Timothy how God's people are supposed to care for God's people. Not only support the church family, but to serve those in need. Jesus said in Mark 10:45, “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve.” If our Savior came as a servant, then we shouldn't be surprised when Scripture calls His people to serve others, especially those who are genuinely in need.
The faith that we and the church are to profess needs to be visible not just within the confines of the people in our church but outside the church walls. The people who do not see God. The church is a family, and we are called to treat one another like family.
I love what a good friend of mine Auvic said when reflecting on this passage:
“Think about this. We are all widows because we are the bride of Christ… and He died for us.”
These are some great self reflection questions I want us to sit on and think about this week: “How am I treating the people God has placed around me?”
“Do I treat God's people like family?”
“Do I notice when someone is struggling, or do I overlook them because their problems are inconvenient?”
“Do I care for the people God has placed in my life, or do I assume someone else will take care of them?”
“Does the way I treat people actually demonstrate the faith that I claim to have?”
Because throughout this passage, Paul keeps bringing us back to the same idea: our faith is not merely something we say we believe. Our faith should be visible in the way we live and in the way we care for others.
God has placed people in our lives for a reason. Some may need encouragement. Some may need practical help. Some may need correction. Some may simply need someone to notice them and care enough to walk alongside them. So treat God's people like family. Don't neglect the people God has placed in your care. And let your life be a demonstration of your faith.
Application:
Treat God’s people how you would a family.
Serve others in need.
Do not neglect the people that God has placed in your care.
Let your life be a demonstration of your faith.
Work Cited: