Paul speaks to Timothy about caring for the Church Family; but they should set limits to protect the Church and those receiving help. 1 Timothy 5
5 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.
Paul tells Timothy, his beloved ‘spiritual son’, to treat every group in the Church, male and female, young and old, as family members. The Church is one body and should have Relationships among its members, not just an organisation!
He immediately emphasises the duty to care for widows who are really in need.
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.
If a widow has family members to take care of her, let them learn that RELIGION BEGINS AT OUR OWN DOORSTEP. MSG
The Message Bible says we mustn’t overlook those closest to us when providing care. The Church shouldn’t be burdened when the family can meet the needs of its members.
Paul continues with a spiritual revelation regarding those widows who aren’t living for the Lord;
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.
In 2 Timothy 3:4, Paul specifically speaks of the Last Days and says there will be Fierce Times because people will have gone farther away from God. He cites three three ‘loves’ that will mark these Days, Love of Self, Love of Money and Love of Pleasure. Anything we Love to excess will destroy the Love of God in our hearts.
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.
It’s as if Paul is trying to shame the Church into helping meeting poor family members.
Paul instructs Timothy that only widows over sixty and of good character should be supported by the Church. Younger women should not be on the list for support for several reasons. They may want to marry again and no longer live for Christ alone and risk coming under judgement.
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. … 15 Some have in fact already turned away to follow Satan.
Paul warns against the danger of being idle and using their time to Gossip, instead of being God Fearing. It seems that falling into this lifestyle has completely destroyed their walk with God and they’re now following Satan. We may find it hard to believe that gossip and idleness can be so devastating to the Christian but it had. God’s Spirit had obviously revealed something to Paul and he warned Timothy what was happening. In this case the giving of aid was having the wrong effect and allowing the enemy to get control of women’s lives. It also opened the way for public accusation and criticism of the Church, something the world loves.
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.
Paul concludes this section by insisting that the Church is only responsible for those who have no other support. They had to be wise in their giving, to the truly needy and those living for God.
God bless and keep you today.