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READ: 1 TIMOTHY 5:1-16 [Series 16] WIDOWS
The passage before us here is probably the key passage/widows
God’s attitude towards widows is one of compassion
A widow is a woman (definition) who has lost her husband/death
Bible says that death is an enemy and the fatal enemy came into her life and snatched away her loved one
The place that knows him knows him no more forever
All she has is her precious memories and how they linger!
There is much said about her in the OT
Her place in OT civil life was guaranteed
The farmer had to leave part of his harvest uncollected so that the widow/particular (poor/general) could gather food
When thou cuttest down thine harvest
in thy field, and hast forgot a sheaf in the field, thou shalt not go
again to fetch it: it shall be for the stranger, for the fatherless,
and for the widow: that the LORD thy God may bless thee in all the work
of thine hands.(Deuteronomy 24:19)
Perhaps the OT story that gives us the spirit of this is the story of
Naomi/Ruth in that lovely little book that bears Ruth’s name
When we move into the NT, we meet with various widows
First one: Anna who spent many holy hours/temple (Luke 2)
We meet with the poor widow/Nain who had not only buried her husband but who was now faced with burying her only son
The widow who put into the treasury all that she had drew the eternal admiration of the watching Saviour
Of course, the Lord himself (it is thought) experienced the pains of
widowhood when he cared/his poor mother who lost Joseph to the callous
and brutal hand/death reaching into His family
If the widow was cared for/OT, we might expect her to be no less cared for in the NT after grace/truth came by Jesus Christ
Again, if we have light ventured to us in the OT, we might expect
further light/NT given to us to complete the canon/Scripture
One thing is apparent as we read these words in 1 Timothy 5
There is nothing sentimental/mushy about them
Subject matter might be tender enough – but there is a good
practical dose of practical reality about them that keeps us/line
3 main thoughts:
1) THE SUSTENANCE OF THE WIDOW:
A/ There was no such/thing as the welfare state in those days
Government took your money/tax with was no handouts
It is this that made the story of the widow/Nain so moving
When her son/alive – there was an income but now he was dead
This is why the widow/temple had only two mites to her living
This is why the Lord Jesus/Cross gave Mary into the care/John
A widow could not care/herself and government would not do it
Widow was to face severe economic as well as emotional strain
B/ Here in the NT church, things worked a little differently
Record that the church looked after widows
Classic passage: Acts 6:1 And in
those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplied, there
arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews, because their
widows were neglected in the daily ministration.
Almost secondary/whole but we learn: Cared for their widows
They served tables (Acts 6:2) i.e. met the practical needs
Under church as a whole: Their spiritual needs would also be met
But the serving/tables denotes that they were fed/cared for
C/ What we expect from such an institution like the Church
Second great commandment: Love our neighbours as ourselves
Very amiss of the church to neglect the widows/midst
Bible is a very practical book – See James/particular:
Pure
religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the
fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself
unspotted from the world. (James 1:27)
A church that is all doctrine but no works is not/NT pattern
D/ However, it was not to be assumed that the church was relieving the immediate carer/widow of their duty
Who had the first duty? Answer: The widow’s family
This is taught here in 1 Timothy 5
[i] In v4 special mention is made of children and nephews
One is the immediate family – the other slightly wider
But all have a responsibility in this matter
[ii] In v8, this responsibility is repeated again
The widow’s house (household or kindred) are mentioned
This time the charge carries an serious note as argument
Those who neglect their widows are worse than infidels
Why is this? They have denied the faith
Serious charge!
Might be tempted to think that denying/faith is doctrinal
Such is the spirit/1 Corinthians 15 re: Resurrection
Paul dealt with the doctrinal side of such denial: 1:19-20
But here is a denial in a very practical sense
Faith and works go hand in hand in the Bible
(Not as a cause/justification: Romans 3:28) but as a cause/effect
Where there are no works, then faith is dead
Faith carries two meanings/Bible:
Faith in the subjective sense – the element/trust
Faith in the objective sense – the body/doctrine to be believed
Either way- the neglect/household esp. widows led to a denial
The sums simply did not add up as they ought to have done
So
the commandment was given (16) that those (both male and female) who
had widows had the first responsibility of care, so that the church did
not need to be charged
E/ Where there was none to care/widows, then the church had the care of the widow if they were widows indeed (v3)
Not only to care for them – but also to honour them (v3)
If ever there was a case for the quoting of Matthew 25:40:
And
the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you,
Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren,
ye have done it unto me
It is in regard to the widow – hence the idea of honouring them
The widow herself has certain responsibilities in this matter:
2) THE SPIRITUALITY OF THE WIDOW:
A/ Just as the widow’s family could not expect the church to
relieve them of their responsibilities, neither could the widow
She must be a widow indeed (v3) specifically desolate (v5)
If she is rich widow or well catered for, then it is not the duty of the church to provide for her
Church is not first/foremost a centre for social charity
Church is first/foremost a place where God/worshipped
Church is first/foremost a place where the gospel is preached and people are induced to think about their souls
Any charity work must be strictly subservient to this end
Nothing should be allowed to eclipse the chief end/church
B/ Furthermore, there is an expectation that the widow should be a praying woman – trusting God/supplicating day/night
This raises an obvious question:
Not many ministers can reach these glorious heights/piety
Is it reasonable to expect a wee woman who has maybe been saved late in life to attain these dizzy heights?
Was Anna (Luke 2) not the exception rather than the rule?
None is saying that those who do not attain must be left/starve
Christ said: Just as you would not leave a donkey to die in a ditch on the Sabbath, so it is always lawful to save life
There is a common humanity that seeks to relieve suffering
How much more a sanctified humanity redeemed by Christ?
But
the professing Christian widow even in her poverty should not turn her
back upon God or just expect the church to bale her out as if she had
no responsibilities towards Him
C/ Several commentators are of
the opinion that the requirements of v9-10 relate not merely to a
list/widows, but to a list of those widows who had official work to do
within/church
We know that women/general cannot teach the church (2:11-12)
They cannot rule in the church as elders are required to do
But they can work within the church, particularly with children and with the younger women
Titus 2:3-5 shows that their work is of great importance
D/ Especially in this church work, the Christian widow is to display an aptness for the work
[i]
It cannot be that she is required to have less of a prayer life than
the ordinary Christian widow – Strong spiritual element (v5)
[ii] In practical matters – her testimony will be strong (v10)
Can this be done?
Just as we could point to Anna in her praying, we can point to another beloved sister who had a testimony in this regard
Strictly speaking, we do not know whether Dorcas (Acts 9) was a widow herself - just that she helped widows
Furthermore, we do not know whether she did so in any formal way – such as put her on to the list as mentioned in v9
But we do have an example of a good, practical woman who was well reported of for her good works
It can be done – It is within reach of us all by the power/God
3) THE SNARE OF THE WIDOW:
A/ Every Christian faces dangers in the spiritual life
Some/these are in line with those faced by other saints/general
But some are relatively unique to them in their station/life
An example: A Christian businessman who makes money
Specific danger is that he could become greedy or too busy
While greed grows/many soils… businessmen are more likely
In this full passage/widows, Paul deals with their dangers
Perhaps he can foresee problems or has already dealt with them
Whatever…there are real dangers here which Paul must point out
B/ The Apostle takes the dangers here by degrees:
[i]
Talks bout some who (doubtless because they are freed from their
husbands by death) go back to a very carefree lifestyle (v6)
Paul isn’t denying any the right to be happy, least of all a widow
It is a natural right to be happy and rejoice in good things
Paul does not speak of pure pleasure but of wantonness (James 5:5)
Speaks of those who are abandoned to it
Outwardly alive – but inwardly (spiritually) dead as the dodo
By implication (v7) – fully accountable for their wicked deeds
Reality/danger is seen in the charge which Timothy must give (v7)
[ii] v11-12 points out another danger here
Here the address concerns those who were to be admitted into the number (v9) i.e. had a ministry in the church
Problem is not with the widows marrying again
Marriage is honourable in all and the bed undefiled (Hebrews 13:4)
In v14 he makes full allowance for a young woman to marry and lists several advantages in doing so
But his problem is with widows contracting marriages that grow out of their wantonness against Christ (v11)
Manifesting itself in apostasy from God (v12)
[iii] Not only is it a problem with one person, but it spreads like a plague from house to house (v13)
[iv] The root of all this is Satan himself (v15)
It was already happening (v15)
The roaring lion was going round seeking out professing Christian widows with a view of devouring them and wreaking havoc/church
C/ So Paul urges Timothy to try and prevent these things either from happening or from going to from bad to worse
The trouble with problems is that they come and challenge the people/God and they just don’t go away of their own accord
The Christian congregation is not on its own when that happens
The Christian congregation has a work to do for God
It is not God’s will that His work should be held up or even destroyed by any matter but rather go forward
Therefore instructions are given which ought to be carried out
In everything the individual Christian does, he ought to say to himself; “Is this the will of God? – is this for His glory?”
If it is- do it – but if not, avoid like the plague
The work/God will go on, either with/without us
Christ will build His church and the gates/hell shall not prevail against it (Matthew 16:18)
Let’s be a successful part of that successful building
THE END