Instruction about behavior toward others
5
📚Do not rebuke an older man, but plead with him as if he was your father, and treat the younger men as brothers, 2 📚the older women as mothers, and the younger as sisters, with complete purity.5:1-2 The pastor whom Christ has appointed as the leader of the church has authority, but he should not regard the church as his own little kingdom and try to rule it like a dictator. He should recognize that the church is like a home, like a family (1 Tim 3:15) and behave accordingly (1 Pet 5:1-3).⚜
3 📚Honour widows who are widows indeed.
5:3 The church and its pastor have a responsibility to look after the poor in the church. This is especially true when the poor are widows who have no resources and cannot work.⚜
Instruction about widows
4 📚But if any widow has children or nephews, let them first learn to practice piety 📖 at home, and to repay 📖 their parents, for that is good and acceptable before God.
5:4 Notice carefully the responsibility that children and grandchildren have toward needy parents and grandparents.⚜
5 📚Now she who is a widow indeed, and alone, trusts in God, and continues in requests and prayers night and day.
5:5 Paul is speaking about Christian widows. If they are in need and there is no one to help them, the church or an individual in the church must do so. This is the way God has appointed to meet their needs.⚜
6 📚But she who lives in pleasure is dead while she lives 📖. 7 📚And command these things, so that they may be blameless. 8 📚But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his own household, he has denied the faith 📖, and is worse than an unbeliever.
9 📚Do not let a widow less than sixty years old be taken into the number 📖. She must have been the wife of one man, 10 📚and be well spoken of in the matter of good works, if she has raised children, if she has shown hospitality 📖, if she has washed the saints’ feet 📖, if she has helped those in trouble, if she has carefully sought to do every sort of good work.
11 📚But refuse the younger widows, for when they are overcome with desires against Christ, they will want to marry, 12 📚being condemned, because they disregard their first assurance.
5:11-12 All the widows on the list must be dedicated to Christ and consecrated by the church for service. Remarriage in itself is not wrong but if those widows dedicated to Christ’s service remarry it was not likely that they would be able to devote themselves fully to their service and might even leave it altogether. Leaving the work of Christ which we have promised to do is no small sin. In this way God’s judgment could come on such widows.⚜
13 📚And besides they learn to be idle, going about from house to house, and not only idle, but also gossips and busybodies, speaking things which they should not.
5:13 This is one reason why younger widows (v 14) should not be appointed to serve in the church.⚜
14 📚So I want the younger women to marry, bear children, manage the house, and give no occasion to the enemy 📖 to speak reproachfully.
5:14 Paul is saying it is far better for young widows to remarry than to be dedicated to service in the church, promise to do it, and then break their promise, leave that service and remarry.⚜
15 📚For some have already turned aside after Satan 📖.
5:15 It seems clear that some widows had already promised to serve in some way in the church, then were overcome by sensual desires (v 11) and left Christ’s service.⚜
16 📚If any man or woman who believes has widows, let them assist them, and do not let the church be burdened, so it can assist those who are truly widows.
5:16 Women who are able to help the widows among their relatives are to take this responsibility just like everyone else. Compare verses 4 and 8.⚜
Instruction about the treatment of elders
17 📚Let the elders who manage the church well be counted worthy of double honour 📖, especially those who labour in the word and teaching. 18 📚For the Scripture says, You shall not muzzle the ox that treads out the grain. And, The labourer is worthy of his wages.
19 📚Do not receive an accusation against an elder, except in the presence of two or three 📖 witnesses.
5:19 Sometimes an innocent servant of Christ may be accused of some wrong doing or other. If others believe such accusations that person’s service can be grievously affected. So Paul gives this wise instruction here.⚜
20 📚Those who sin rebuke in the presence of everyone, so that others also may be afraid.
5:20 To safeguard the holiness and purity of the church, discipline is necessary. If known sin in the church is not resisted and publicly rebuked then that sin may bring ruin to the church. See Acts 5:1-11; 1 Cor 5:1-5, 13; Matt 18:15-17. One way to make God’s children fear to sin is to expose their sins publicly. Of course great care must be taken in a matter like this and God’s love even for the sinful must not be forgotten.⚜
Instruction to Timothy
21 📚I charge you in the presence of God and the Lord Jesus Christ, and the elect angels, that you observe these things without showing favoritism, doing nothing from partiality.
5:21 See how strongly, how emphatically Paul writes here. He knew that showing favoritism is a very common matter even in churches. Many church leaders will defend sinning relatives or close friends and try to cover up their sin instead of exposing and rebuking it. But if others sin they may behave very harshly toward them. This is very wrong and can work great harm to the church. Every servant of Christ should wholeheartedly obey Paul’s instructions here.⚜
22 📚Lay hands 📖 suddenly on no man, and do not share in other men’s sins. Keep yourself pure.
23 📚No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for your stomach’s sake and your frequent infirmities 📖.
24 📚Some men’s sins are evident, preceding them to judgment, and they follow some men. 25 📚So also good works are evident beforehand, and those that are not cannot be hidden.
5:24-25 Sometimes neither the good deeds nor the bad deeds of a person are obvious to the general public. Men can for a time hide either their secret sins or their good works (Ps 90:8; Eccl 12:14; Matt 6:1-4). For this reason church leaders should not be hasty in appointing people as elders and deacons. Eventually everything that people do will be revealed – Matt 10:26; Luke 8:17; 12:2-3; Rom 2:16; 1 Cor 4:5.⚜