How the Gospel Shapes Our Attitude Towards Our Treasures: 1 Timothy 6:3-10

While many of us may not enjoy the inconvenience of detouring due to the bridges that are under construction right now, we should appreciate the warning signs that inform us of the bridges being out.  Imagine the danger of traveling full speed along the highway, especially at night, and not finding out that the bridge was out until it was too late!  It would be a danger that you never saw coming. 

I mention that because in 1 Timothy 6:3-10, Paul warned Timothy about a danger that few people ever see coming.  Here, Paul warned Timothy about the dangers of loving the riches of this world.  Because the dangers are eternal, believers today must also understand the dangers of loving the riches of this world.  My prayer is that God would use this passage today to stir in us a desire for true riches, which Paul says in found in godliness with contentment. 

[3] If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness, [4] he is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy craving for controversy and for quarrels about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions, [5] and constant friction among people who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain.

[6] But godliness with contentment is great gain, [7] for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. [8] But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. [9] But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. [10] For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.  (1 Timothy 6:3-10 ESV) How do we avoid the danger of loving the riches of this world? 

     I.         Know the Great Rebellion of Viewing Godliness as a Means of Gain (6:3-5)

Paul begins this section by describing the false teachers who’ve been causing so much trouble in Ephesus.  First, he says that they are both arrogant and ignorant.  They are “puffed up with conceit” and “understand nothing” (4a).  Paul also tells gives reasons why these false teachers are arrogant and ignorant, and in doing so gives us a good measure by which to judge false teaching.  Heresy, or false doctrine, is teaching that is different from Paul’s doctrine, different from Jesus’ healthy words, and doesn’t produce true godliness (3).  It stands to reason why Paul would call them arrogant and ignorant: they think they know better than Paul and Jesus!  And although these false teachers have a form of godliness (1:3-11, 4:1-5, 2 Tim. 3:1-9), it is not true godliness.  It is a mere appearance of godliness, void of the power of true godliness and for that reason one can spot their ungodly behavior if they pay close attention. 

These false teachers are not only arrogant and ignorant (3-4a); they are also divisive (4b-5a).  They have an “unhealthy craving for controversy and for quarrels about words.”  Their the kind of people who seem to enjoy stirring the pot.  Notice the progression that their stirring produces: envy and dissension, which leads to slander and evil suspicions, which ends up causing friction among people.  They are arrogant, ignorant, and divisive individuals.  Know anyone like this?  How frustrating is it to argue with a divisive individual who is both arrogant and ignorant!  What makes people in the church into such wicked people?  Paul tells us in the end of verse 5. 

The reason they have such unhealthy attitudes and cravings is because they are “depraved in mind and deprived of truth,” and they view “godliness” as a “means of gain” (their greedy).  They are ultimately motivated by greed, not a desire to be godly.  They view godliness and the promotion of godliness as a means to get wealthy.    

One modern illustration of these types of teachers is the promotion of a prosperity gospel of health and wealth in the church today.  This is essentially a theology that views godliness as a means of material gain.  We’re told that if we will be godly enough, have enough faith, and consequently give enough, we will be blessed materially. 

We must be on guard against false teachers in the church who would exploit God’s people for money.  A helpful way to do so is by measuring all teaching by the grid that Paul gives us here.  Does it square with the clear teaching of Scripture?  Does this teaching produce genuine godliness?  If not then we must reject such teaching and expose such teachers.  We must especially be on guard against both a health and wealth prosperity gospel that is often preached today, which views godliness as a means of material gain.  We must also guard against the subtle materialism that has infected the church in America.  Materialism is the love of money and the things money can by rather than the God who made those things and provides the money to buy them. 

   II.         Know the Great Gain of Godliness with Contentment (6:6-8)

Every time that Paul brings us the false teachers in this epistle, he has then taken the time to correct their false teaching and ungodly attitudes.  After pointing out their greed, he then admonished believers to avoid being greedy and gives the Biblical case for true godliness, which is accompanied by contentment.  He begins by stating the irony of the false teachers’ desire to be wealthy by being godly.  They viewed godliness as a means of gain and the irony is that there actually is “great gain” in true godliness, which manifests itself in “contentment.” 

Now what is the contentment that marks true godliness and why does Paul say that there is great gain in it?  This passage gives us a great start in defining contentment.  Contentment is (1) not desiring to be rich (there is contrast here between contentment and discontentment (desiring to be rich) and (2) being satisfied with life’s basic necessities (having food and clothing).  Like I said, this is a great start to defining Biblical contentment, but I believe we have to go further if we are going to see what it means for a Christian to truly be content.  When we read the Bible, we find that true, Biblical contentment is being satisfied with God Himself.  It is being satisfied with Christ alone.  Under this contentment with life’s basic necessities must be a deep hope in, trust in, and dependence upon God.  It involves a heart that is looking to God in faith for provision and trusting Him with what He provides. 

[20] Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head and fell on the ground and worshiped. [21] And he said, “Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.”  (Job 1:20-21 ESV)

[25] “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? [26] Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? [27] And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? [28] And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, [29] yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. [30] But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? [31] Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ [32] For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. [33] But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.  (Matthew 6:25-33 ESV)

[10] I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity. [11] Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. [12] I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. [13] I can do all things through him who strengthens me.  (Philippians 4:10-13 ESV)  What all this means it that until Christ has satisfied your heart, you cannot truly learn to be content.  God is the source of true contentment and as Augustine said, our hearts are restless until they find their rest in Him!  

Now why does Paul say that there is great gain in true godliness with contentment?  I think it is because true godliness provides a person with truth wealth.  The reason I believe this is Paul’s point is because his reason for why godliness with contentment is great gain is because brought nothing into the world and we will take nothing out of the world.  The implication is that this world’s treasures are not true treasures. 

Didn’t Jesus say something similar in Matthew 6:19-24, where He told His disciples to lay up treasures in heaven, and not on earth?  I remember an illustration that a pastor once used of a person who was allowed to bring one treasure from earth into heaven with him.  He chose a valuable golden brick that had been in his family for generations.  When he got to heaven, the angels looked at him perplexed and asked, “You could bring anything, so why did you bring a paving stone?” 

Have you learned the great gain that there is in godliness with contentment?  Will you by faith ask God to help you do so today?  The logic is really pretty simple: the results of greed are temporary at best and damning at worst.  So why waste our lives pursing and storing up what is not truly valuable?  

III.         Know the Great Danger of Desiring the Riches of this World (6:9-10)

Paul now proceeds to warn Timothy of the dangers of loving the riches of this world.  Please don’t let this warning go in one ear and out the other.  Paul says that “through this craving” some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.  This temptation took some men who were dear elders in this church and turned them into the ignorant, arrogant, divisive, and damned false teachers that we read about here.

This section is contrasts with those are godly with contentment.  Rather than being satisfied with life’s necessities, those who desire to be rich are never satisfied, even with life’s luxuries.  That is because greed is never satisfied.  It never says “enough.” 

In verse 9, Paul gives a three-fold danger for those who desire to be rich.  Notice that it is also a progression.  First, this desire leads them into temptation.  They are lured.  Once lured, they find themselves in a snare (or trap).  Finally, this snare awakens in them a host of senseless and harmful desires that plunge them into eternal destruction.  They literally drown in the ruin and destruction of their own wicked desires.

The reason this happens is because the love of money is “a root of all kinds of evils.”  Haven’t you seen this to be true?  Loving money has been at the root of countless broken friendships, shattered marriages, bad reputations, addictions, prejudices, pride, lust, etc.  It literally is a root of all kinds of evil.  Now be careful in pointing out that money is not the root of all evil.  That is true.  It is not money but the love of money that is the root of all kinds of evil.  But I say be careful because of Jesus’ words in Mark 10:25, that“It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.”  Again, while it is true that loving money is the root of all kinds of evil, I believe this passage is describing the great difficulty of having money and not loving it.  It’s really hard to be rich and not love money.

The end of verse 10 contains very sobering words.  Through this desire to have more money, some have “wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.”  Judas is such an illustration of the danger of this craving.  Someone so close to Christ was drawn away by this desire for money. 

May Proverbs 30:7-9 become our prayer:            [7] Two things I ask of you; deny them not to me before I die: [8] Remove far from me falsehood and lying; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is needful for me, [9] lest I be full and deny you and say, “Who is the LORD?” or lest I be poor and steal and profane the name of my God.  This is a prayer that recognizes God for the supreme treasure that He is.  It is a prayer that recognizes the emptiness of the riches of this world and believes that every joy that money cannot buy will be theirs forever in God.  Will you embrace Christ as the supreme Treasure of your life today?  This is how the gospel shapes our attitude towards our treasures: it eternally quenches our thirst and satisfied our hunger with the Treasure that Christ is.  

How the Gospel Shapes Our Relationships with Those in Authority: 1 Timothy 5:17-6:2

Authority is everywhere that we turn.  Whether it’s in the home, in the workplace, in the government, or even in the church, nearly every sphere in which we live finds us under the authority of someone.  I believe that one of the reasons that authority is so woven into the fabric of God’s universe is because God wants us to understand how to relate to His authority.  He is the Lord of Lord and the King of Kings, so understanding how to live under authority is one of the most important principles in His world. 

I bring up the subject of authority because as we continue to make our way through 1 Timothy 5:1-6:2 (where Paul instructed Timothy on how the gospel should shape various relationships we have as believers), we’re going to see in verses 5:17-6:2 how the gospel calls us to honor those in authority both inside and outside of the church.  My prayer again today is that God would use this passage to cause us to ask for grace to relate to one another in ways that are in accordance with the gospel. 

 [17] Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching. [18] For the Scripture says, “You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain,” and, “The laborer deserves his wages.” [19] Do not admit a charge against an elder except on the evidence of two or three witnesses. [20] As for those who persist in sin, rebuke them in the presence of all, so that the rest may stand in fear. [21] In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of the elect angels I charge you to keep these rules without prejudging, doing nothing from partiality. [22] Do not be hasty in the laying on of hands, nor take part in the sins of others; keep yourself pure. [23] (No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments.) [24] The sins of some people are conspicuous, going before them to judgment, but the sins of others appear later. [25] So also good works are conspicuous, and even those that are not cannot remain hidden.

[6:1] Let all who are under a yoke as bondservants regard their own masters as worthy of all honor, so that the name of God and the teaching may not be reviled. [2] Those who have believing masters must not be disrespectful on the ground that they are brothers; rather they must serve all the better since those who benefit by their good service are believers and beloved.  Teach and urge these things. (1 Timothy 5:17-6:2 ESV)

     I.         Honoring Authority Inside the Church (5:17-25): Elders

 “Honor” is a key word in this section (see 5:3,17; 6:1).  As we said last week, it means respect, care, and also financial support in some cases.  In verses 17-25, Paul describes what it means to honor those who are in authority inside the church.  He begins by saying that “elders who rule well” should be counted worthy of “double honor.”  “Elder” is one of three words (elder, pastor, overseer) that are used interchangeably (Acts 20:28, 1 Peter 5:1-2) in the New Testament to describe the primary leadership of the church.  They normally existed in plurality and their leadership involved “ruling” and “preaching and teaching.”

The first way that Paul says these leaders are to be honored is by supporting them (17-18).  By “double honor,” Paul means that elders should be paid both respect and financial support.  He says that this is especially important for the elders who “labor in preaching and teaching.”  Apparently some elders will be more prominent as teachers in the group.  Paul gives two quotations here in support of this command, one from the Old Testament (Deut. 25:4) and one from the New Testament (Luke 10:7).  The basic principle is that someone who works at something should be able to benefit from it, just like a chef should be able to snack while their cooking! 

After describing how we are to honor elders in supporting them (17-18), Paul then describes how we are to honor elders in correcting them (19-21).  Timothy is told not to admit a charge against an elder unless the evidence of “two or three witnesses” verifies it, but that if there is evidence and the person persists in sin, they are to be publically rebuked.  This is meant to protect the person who is pastor and the position of pastor.  It first protects the pastor and church leaders from malicious and unsubstantiated claims.  But it also protects the position of pastor from being occupied by unrepentant men.  God does not take accusations against pastors lightly.  And because God does not take the accusations lightly, elders who persist in sin are to be publically rebuked.  This could possibly imply that the more public a sin is, the more public a response it demands, with the goal being to instill the fear of the Lord in the congregation.  Timothy is solemnly charged to do this “without prejudging” or “showing partiality.”  Disqualifying sins on the part of an elder are not to be covered up, no matter how popular or influential they are. 

Next, Paul moves to describe how to honor elders in selecting them (22-25).  A church must not be “hasty” in selecting and ordaining elders.  Otherwise they may find out too late that someone is unqualified.  This is why Paul would say that leaders should be tested first (3:10).  As He says in verses 24-25, some people’s sins are obvious, allowing you to make a judgment about them ahead of time, but the sins of some leaders appear later.  The same is true for good works.  As one commentator said, “Time and truth go hand in hand.” [1] Time, testing, and patience in selecting leaders avoids two tragedies: (1) It helps the church to avoid ordaining an unqualified person and (2) also to not miss out on a qualified person.  There is also an indication here that being hasty in selecting church leaders actually makes one a partaker of their sins (22).

Now before moving on, let’s deal with verse 23.  Timothy is encouraged to drink a little wine for his stomach trouble and other frequent ailments.  This prescription for drinking wine here is strictly medicinal, and that makes this neither a commendation nor a condemnation of drinking in and of itself.  Drinking was apparently a problem among the false teachers, for which reason Timothy had probably been abstaining.  Because of the health problems associated with his abstinence, Paul told him to drink some wine. 

This passage calls us to honor both the person and the position of pastor.  Those who are faithful pastors should receive the double honor of respect and financial assistance.  Also, we should respect those men enough to watch what we say about them and to squash any unwarranted accusation against them.  However, because we honor the position of elder in the church, we must not ignore pastors who persist in sin and we must not allow people to occupy these roles who are not qualified, not matter how gifted or popular they are.  This way we give both the person and the position appropriate honor.  I would encourage you to honor your pastors this week with a letter, an email, or a phone call, just letting them know that you appreciate them and are praying for them.  Also, you would do me a great honor by bringing to my attention any sinful behavior that you ever detect.  I’ll never be a perfect pastor, but I constantly ask the Lord for grace to be a humble and a faithful one. 

   II.         Honoring Authority Outside the Church (6:1-2): Masters

Paul now turns to honoring authority outside the church by dealing specifically with the relationship between slaves and masters that was prominent in the first century world.  It is important to understand before diving in that Paul’s instruction to slaves and masters is not an endorsement or an approval of slavery.  He simply had a bigger agenda than a person’s individual rights.  Like it or not, slavery was a major reality in the first century world.  “Some historians have estimated that half of the population of the Roman Empire was composed of slaves.”[2]  Paul’s concern in such a world was ultimately the glory of God and the credibility of the gospel among unbelievers.  Also, the slave/master relationship in the first century didn’t carry the racial connotations that it does now.  Many people became slaves voluntarily in order to secure more economic stability.  “Essentially, first-century slaves resembled the indentured servants of the American colonial period. In many cases, slaves were better off than day-laborers, since much of their food, clothing, and shelter was provided. The system of slavery served as the economic structure in the Roman world, and the master-slave relationship closely parallels the twentieth-century employer-employee relationship.”[3]

Since Paul’s concern was ultimately God’s glory and the gospel’s credibility among the unbelievers, Paul instructed believers who were slaves to regard their masters as worthy of “all honor.”  Paul says this honor should be given, even to unbelieving masters.  Again, the reason for this is so that “the name of God and the teaching may not be reviled.”  Those who have believing masters (6:2) should not take advantage of their relationship with their brother either.  They should rather work all the harder since it is their brother whom they love that is being benefited by their service.

The Old Testament story of Joseph is one of my favorite examples of faithful servant hood.  As both a prisoner and a slave, Joseph honored his masters and worked hard.  As a slave, he chose to honor the Lord by honoring his master and tried to be the best slave that Egypt had ever seen.  As a prisoner, he chose to honor the Lord by honoring his master and tried to be the best prisoner that Egypt had ever seen. 

We see this same instruction elsewhere in the New Testament.  Ephesians 6:5-9: [5] Bondservants, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, with a sincere heart, as you would Christ, [6] not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, [7] rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man, [8] knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether he is a bondservant or is free. [9] Masters, do the same to them, and stop your threatening, knowing that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and that there is no partiality with him.

Colossians 3:22-4:1: [22] Bondservants, obey in everything those who are your earthly masters, not by way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord. [23] Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, [24] knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. [25] For the wrongdoer will be paid back for the wrong he has done, and there is no partiality. [4:1] Masters, treat your bondservants justly and fairly, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven.  Believers should be known for being the hardest working people in the workforce.  They should be known for honoring their employers, their teachers, their politicians, etc.  How are you doing with honoring those who are in authority both in and out of the church? 

There is a reason we have such a problem with authority.  It is because we are sinners to the core.  We have rebellion written all over our hearts.  It started in the Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve chose to rebel against God’s authority and we have followed in their footsteps step for step.  God will judge rebellion in His world, but He has also made a way for rebels to be reconciled to Him.  He sent His Son Jesus Christ into the world, and He lived His entire life in submission to God and the authorities that God had placed in the world.  This was to earn substitute righteousness for us.  He then died on the cross, bearing the punishment for our rebellion.  God showed the universe that He had accepted the payment by raising Jesus from the dead on the third day.  Now people who have rebellion written on their hearts can get new hearts through faith in Jesus and can learn to live under God’s authority as they were created to do.  And living under God’s authority is not drudgery; it is a life of joy, hope, peace, and safety for eternity.  That’s why people like the apostle Paul would gladly call themselves slaves of Christ, because there is no greater joy or privilege than to belong to Jesus! 

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[1] MacArthur Study Bible Notes

[2] Warren Wiersbe, Be Faithful, 90

[3] MacArthur Study Bible Notes

How the Gospel Shapes Our Relationships with Those in Need: 1 Timothy 5:3-16

The last time we were together in 1^st Timothy, we began looking at 1 Timothy 5:1-16, where Paul instructed Timothy on how the gospel should shape various relationships within the church.  We learned that the gospel radically shapes our relationships with others in the church.  Specifically in verses 1-2, Paul explained how the gospel makes us family with those in Christ.  Today, in verses 3-16, we’ll see that the gospel also calls us to be compassionate and discerning towards those in need.  My prayer again today is that God would use this passage to cause us to ask for grace to relate to one another in ways that are in accordance with the gospel. 

 [5:3] Honor widows who are truly widows. [4] 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. [5] She who is truly a widow, left all alone, has set her hope on God and continues in supplications and prayers night and day, [6] but she who is self-indulgent is dead even while she lives. [7] Command these things as well, so that they may be without reproach. [8] 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.

[9] Let a widow be enrolled if she is not less than sixty years of age, having been the wife of one husband, [10] and having a reputation for good works: if she has brought up children, has shown hospitality, has washed the feet of the saints, has cared for the afflicted, and has devoted herself to every good work. [11] But refuse to enroll younger widows, for when their passions draw them away from Christ, they desire to marry [12] and so incur condemnation for having abandoned their former faith. [13] Besides that, they learn to be idlers, going about from house to house, and not only idlers, but also gossips and busybodies, saying what they should not. [14] So I would have younger widows marry, bear children, manage their households, and give the adversary no occasion for slander. [15] For some have already strayed after Satan. [16] 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.  (1 Timothy 5:1-16 ESV)

     I.         A Call to Compassion (5:3)

This entire passage seems to be an unpacking of verse 3, to “Honor widows who are truly widows,” which is first a call to have compassion upon those in need.  To “honor” someone means to show them respect, care, and in some cases financial support.  As we will see, to “honor” widows means all of those things in this passage.

The expectation for God’s people to have compassion on those in need is one of the greater themes in the Bible.  God instructs His people in both the Old Testament and the New Testament to have compassion upon the needy (the widow, the orphan, the sojourner, and the poor).  James 1:27 is a good summary: “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.”  The reason this is such a prominent expectation for God’s people is because showing compassion to those who are in need is an essential expression of God’s character and as God’s people, we are to put Him on display to the world.  Psalm 68:5 says a “Father of the fatherless and protector of widows is God in his holy habitation.”  Psalm 146:5-9 reads, “5 Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God, 6 who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, who keeps faith forever; 7 who executes justice for the oppressed, who gives food to the hungry.  The Lord sets the prisoners free; 8 the Lord opens the eyes of the blind. The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down; the Lord loves the righteous. 9 The Lord watches over the sojourners; he upholds the widow and the fatherless, but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.” 

The greatest illustration of God’s compassion for those in need is the gospel of Jesus Christ.  We were a needy, undeserving, and even ill deserving people, like the rest of humanity.  But God, in His great love, had compassion upon us and went to the greatest lengths imaginable to meet our need for Him.  He sent His only Son to take our place and called us to be His sons and daughters. 

“He left His Father’s throne above

So free, so infinite His grace

Emptied Himself of all but love

And bled for Adam’s helpless race

‘Tis mercy all, immense and free

For O my God, it found out me!

Amazing love! How can it be,

That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?”

It is this love that we are to express to those who are in need.  So, who are the truly needy in your life?  Who are the widows, the orphans, the sojourners, and the poor?  This is not a minor issue.  According to John 13:34-35, the proof of our being disciples is our love for one another, especially those in need within the family.  1 John 3:16-17 basically says that if we can ignore need in the lives of a brother or sister, then we are not truly believers: “[16] By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.  But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him?”  Ask God to help you identify how you can have compassion upon those in need in your life.

   II.         A Call to Discernment (5:3b-16)

There is a remarkable balance in this passage.  It not only call us to compassion upon those in need, it also call us to be discerning in expressing that compassion towards those in need.  We are to honor widows “who are truly widows.”  The clarification in this command obviously means that there must be a distinction between those who are true widows and those who are not so that the church will not be unnecessarily burdened.  But what makes a widow “truly” a widow?  This passage describes a true widow is two ways: as someone who is (1) truly needy and someone who is (2) truly godly. 

First, a widow must be truly needy.  That is the point of the family and age requirement.  She has not one to care for her (5: she is left all alone) and is not able to care for herself (9: she’s over 60).  If a widow does have children or grandchildren, then those family members should be responsible to give her this honor that Paul speaks of.  And part of this honor is financial support, or what Paul calls “making some return” to their parents or grandparents.  The idea is that raising their children was an investment that they should then receive a return upon.  They changed your diapers, now you get to change theirs!

This instruction is important not only for the church to understand, but also for families.  It is important because it is pleasing to God and is what Paul calls a display of godliness (4).  This is part of what it means to obey God in honoring your parents (Exodus 20:12).  It is also important because it is a measure of whether you are truly a believer or not (8).  Paul says that if someone does not provide for their relatives that they have “denied the faith” and are “worse than an unbeliever.”  His point is that even most pagans have the compassion to take care of their own relatives. 

A true widow is also someone who must be truly godly.  Now, this does not mean that the church should never help an unbeliever in need.  The issue here seems to be some form of regular support by the church that widows were enrolled to receive.  To qualify for enrollment, a widow must be “above reproach” (7).  And Paul describes here what it means for a widow to be above reproach by laying out another beautiful description of Biblical womanhood in this passage.  According to verse 5, a true widow is someone who has “set her hope on God and continues in supplications and prayers night and day.”  She is a virtuous woman (Proverbs 31:10-31, 1 Peter 3:1-6) and a prayer warrior. 

Verses 9-10 add to this description of being above reproach.  She must have “been the wife of one husband.”  In the Greek this is the feminine form of “husband of one wife” (3:2,12) and like those passages, it simply means that she is above reproach in the area of marriage.  She must also have “a reputation for good works.”  Those good works are her bringing up faithful children, her showing hospitality, her washing the feet of the saints, her caring for the afflicted, and her devoting herself to every good work.  Basically, she is a woman who has been a faithful wife & mother and a godly servant to the Lord’s people.  She is the kind of woman that all young ladies should aspire to be. 

There is good reason to believe that some of Paul’s restrictions are due to a specific situation going on at Ephesus at the time.  For example, Paul’s comments in verses 11-12 do not mean that any younger widow who gets remarried has departed from Christ because he tells younger widows to remarry two verses later (14)!  The issue here was that some younger widows in the church were departing from the faith in remarrying and were possibly taking advantage of the church (15, see also 2 Timothy 3:6-7).  This is why he called these women “self-indulgent” pleasure seekers who were not only disqualified to be a true widow, but were “dead” (lost) while they lived (6).  For these reasons and because younger widows could legitimately either support themselves or remarry, Paul instructed Timothy to refuse to enroll them for the regular support of the church.  This probably did not rule out some support, but did rule out enrollment for the type of support Paul is describing here. 

Enrolling a younger widow not only opened the church to the possibility of supporting someone who would then depart from the faith, but it also cultivated an environment for younger widows to become ungodly women.  Paul says that it could teach them to be “idlers…gossips and busybodies” (13).  It could encourage them to become professional time wasters, women who did not mind their own business but spent their time doing and saying what they should not.  So Paul encourages these widows to remarry, have children, and to manage their own households well (14).  This will “give the adversary no occasion to slander.”  (Titus 2:3-5)  Satan is the accuser of the brothers and Paul wants to muzzle his ability to stir up disrespect among outsiders. 

The need to be discerning with the Lord’s resources is so important.  Being naïve not only allows the church to be taken advantage of, it also hinders the church from truly supporting those who are in need and can actually hurt those who are receiving the help by teaching them ungodly behavior.  This is why it is sometimes wiser to encourage some people who are in need to be more faithful to the Lord before simply giving them more resources. 

This passage is nicely wrapped with an overview statement in verse 3 and a summary statement in verse 16.  The church is only to be burdened by those who are truly in need and truly above reproach.  As I said, there is a great deal of balance in this passage.  It is unacceptable for the church to ignore need and it is equally unacceptable for God’s people and God’s resources to be taken advantage of.  The reason this is so important is because the church’s care for those in need within the family is one of the strongest witnesses of the gospel’s power that there is (John 13:34-35).  Such compassion “can draw inquiring and even antagonistic outsiders to the Christ who causes that compassion in His Children.”[1]  Join me in asking God for grace today to reflect His compassion towards the need that we encounter and to have discernment in stewarding His resources.

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[1] Lea & Griffin, NAC, 153