1 Timothy 5.9-12-Paul Presents Three Qualifications That Widows Must Meet To Receive Financial Aid And Prohibits Younger Widows From Receiving Support
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Sunday August 14, 2011
1 Timothy: 1 Timothy 5:9-12-Paul Presents Three Qualifications That Widows Must Meet To Receive Financial Aid And Prohibits Younger Widows From Receiving Support
Lesson # 107
Please turn in your Bibles to 1 Timothy 5:9.
The apostle Paul in 1 Timothy 5:9-10 presents three qualifications that widows must meet in order to receive financial support from the church at Ephesus.
1 Timothy 5:9 A widow is to be put on the list only if she is not less than sixty years old, having been the wife of one man. (NASU)
“A widow is to be put on the list” refers to a widow’s name being placed on a list which identifies her as qualified to receive financial support from the church.
“Only if she is not less than sixty years old” denies any idea of a widow being put on a list of those who are to receive financial support from the church if she is less than sixty years of age.
It denotes that she can be put on a list to receive financial support from the church “if” she is no less than sixty years of age.
In the ancient world, in the first century, the age of sixty was the recognized age of someone who was considered “old” whether a woman or a man.
In Paul’s day, sixty would be the age at which remarriage becomes less likely as a general rule (Knight, page 223; cf. 1 Timothy 5:11-12).
“Having been the wife of one man” emphasizes the character of the widow rather than her marital status.
This expression speaks of marital fidelity and the absence of sexual immorality because of living a godly life.
1 Timothy 5:10 having a reputation for good works; and if she has brought up children, if she has shown hospitality to strangers, if she has washed the saints’ feet, if she has assisted those in distress, and if she has devoted herself to every good work. (NASU)
“Having a reputation for good works” refers to the fact that the Christian community speaks well of a widow based upon their personal experience with her through the years that she is a person who performs good deeds for the benefit of others.
“For good works” indicates the cause or the basis why a widow possesses a reputation in the Christian community and refers to actions done by the power of the Spirit as a result of obedience to the Lord Jesus’ command to love one another.
“If she has brought up children” is the protasis of a first class condition that indicates the assumption of truth for the sake of argument.
Here the protasis is “if and let assume that it is true for the sake argument that she has brought up children.”
The audience would respond that there were Christian widows who did raise children.
The apodasis is “(then) this widow must continue to be put on the list (to receive financial support).”
This requirement of raising children does not disqualify childless women in the church or women who have raised their own children since the latter might have children who had died or were not available for whatever reason or were perhaps unwilling to help her.
“If she has shown hospitality to strangers” is also a protasis of a first class condition that indicates the assumption of truth for the sake of argument.
Here the protasis is “if and let assume that it is true for the sake argument that she has show hospitality.”
The audience would respond that there were Christian widows who had done so throughout their lives.
The apodasis is “(then) this widow must continue to be put on the list (to receive financial support).”
“If she has washed the saints’ feet” is a protasis of a first class condition that indicates the assumption of truth for the sake of argument and refers to the literal act of washing the feet of members of the body of Christ as an outward symbol of humble service to the body of Christ.
Here the protasis is “if and let assume that it is true for the sake argument that she has washed the feet of the saints.”
The audience would respond that there were Christian widows who had done so throughout their lives.
The apodasis is “(then) this widow must continue to be put on the list (to receive financial support).”
“If she has assisted those in distress” is a protasis of a first class condition that indicates the assumption of truth for the sake of argument.
Here the protasis is “if and let assume that it is true for the sake argument that she has assisted those in distress.”
The audience would respond that there were Christian widows who had done so throughout their lives.
The apodasis is “(then) this widow must continue to be put on the list (to receive financial support).”
“If she has devoted herself to every good work” is a protasis of a first class condition that indicates the assumption of truth for the sake of argument and speaks of a widow devoting or dedicating herself to performing good works that are divine in quality and character.
Here the protasis is “if and let assume that it is true for the sake argument that she has devoted herself to every good work.”
The audience would respond that there were Christian widows who had done so throughout their lives.
The apodasis is “(then) this widow must continue to be put on the list (to receive financial support).”
“Good works” refers to actions as good in the sense that they are divine in quality and character because they are in accordance with the Father’s will because they are the result of these women being influenced by the Spirit.
Therefore, these works are divine in quality and character because the teaching of the Spirit as recorded in the Word is the basis for these actions.
In 1 Timothy 5:10-11, the apostle Paul prohibits young widows being put on the list to receive financial aid from the church and then gives his reason for this prohibition.
1 Timothy 5:11 But refuse to put younger widows on the list, for when they feel sensual desires in disregard of Christ, they want to get married. (NASB95)
“But refuse to put younger widows on the list” marks a contrast between those widows who are at least sixty years of age or more and are thus qualified to receive this support and those widows who are not sixty years of age yet and are thus not qualified.
“For when they feel sensual desires in disregard of Christ, they want to get married” presents the reason why Paul wants Timothy to continue making it his habit of refusing to put younger widows on the list to receive financial support from the church at Ephesus.
Now, we know that Paul is not condemning these younger widows from remarrying since in verse 14 he expresses his desire that they would get remarried.
He also teaches in 1 Corinthians 7:9 that it is better for women who are young widows or single to marry than burn in sexual desire for a man.
Therefore, the apostle’s real concern is not remarriage but rather that the normal sexual desires of these younger widows would cause them to break their pledge or vow to serve Christ wholeheartedly, which they made when they were entered on the list of widows who were to receive support.
Paul describes this departure as following after Satan in verse 15.
Some believe the widows were giving in to their sexual desires and thus turning against Christ and marrying non-Christians, thus, they were abandoning the Christian faith, which they were obeying before they remarried.
The problem with this interpretation is that it is introducing unbelieving husbands into the text and is failing to see the self-evident contrast in the text itself.
Others however, take this desire to remarry as in conflict with a vow they took to commit their lives to serving the Lord Jesus Christ.
A vow they took evidently when they were enrolled to receive financial support from the church, which involved an ongoing financial commitment to the widow by the church for the rest of her life.
Though remarriage is not a sin, it becomes sin for these younger widows when they violate the solemn vow they made to the Lord to remain single in order to serve the Lord.
The breaking of vows to the Lord is prohibited (cf. Numbers 30:2; Deuteronomy 23:21; Ecclesiastes 5:4-5).
Paul is not saying that her sexual desires are taking her away from being totally devoted to Christ but rather that they are taking her away from keeping her vow to be totally devoted to Him as a widow.
“Thus incurring condemnation” indicates that divine discipline is the direct result of a widow remarrying and breaking her vow that she made when she was put on the list to receive financial aid from the church.
“Because they have set aside their previous pledge” expresses the reason why a young widow will receive discipline from the Lord as a result of getting married due to her sexual attraction to the opposite sex.
It refers to a young widow’s pledge or promise to remain single and devote herself totally to serving the Lord and His people when she was placed on the list to receive financial support from the church which involved a financial commitment by the church to her for the rest of her life.