Introduction:

Overall disrespect is a growing problem in our society. The primary concern today is how children and adolescents treat their elders. Before the Internet and widespread access to education, we had to rely on our elders’ knowledge and experiences to learn essential life skills. But, for the first time in history, the younger generation is now more educated than the older. While that doesn’t mean they know everything, they rely less on our elders to learn what they need to know in life. That is sad because nothing can equate to life learned tried and true experiences that our seniors have lived through. Today, “respect your elders” is practically an artifact that generation after generation has passed down. It is a biblical concept but corruption in society has swindled it away. None the less the church is a family relationship and Paul’s begins teaching to entreat an elder as a father.

In 1Timothy 5, the Apostle Paul instructs young Timothy in how to meet the challenges of managing the people of God. We see four categories listed in this passage. In this context he talks about older men and women, younger men and younger women, it is obvious what he has in mind here is a family relationship. Paul knew that if Timothy was to excel as a godly leader he must understand this principle. Without that, the church in Ephesus could not prosper.

I Respect for our Elders (5:1-2)

1. Confronting older men or an elder here means a senior. An older man must be treated with respect by being appealed to as a father. Paul is telling Timothy, “Do not rebuke an older man harshly, but exhort him as if he were your father. Treat younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters, with absolute purity.” (5:1, 2) The word “rebuke” is a strong term. It refers to harsh or strong rebuke. In dealing with seniors there should be an altitude of gentleness and respect.

2. Folks, in the intimate, loving relationships of a family, you do not harshly rebuke, even fathers are told not to provoke their children to wrath in Ephesians 6:4. The word entreats is from the Greek word (parakaleo) which means to “encourage, admonish, or appeal”. It could be translated “strengthen” and has the idea of coming along side to hold up one who is weak. It is from the root word for (parakletos) which is the word for the Holy Spirit who is called alongside us to strengthen believers. The Holy Spirit comes along and strengthens. And we are to come along and strengthen. The same respect shown to one’s father must be shown when rebuking any older man. The Bible makes it clear that older men are to be treated with respect.

3. Confronting younger men (5:1c) “treat younger men as brothers” again we see the principle of treating others as family. This assumes no air of superiority yet brotherly confrontations may take place but are to be done in humility and love. Confronting older women (5:2a) “treat older women as mothers”. Confronting younger women (5:2b) “as sisters, with absolute purity”. He is stressing that Timothy must interact with them as he would want his sister to be treated. Leaders and Pastors must never interact with younger women in a non-appropriate way. Timothy, as any godly man, was to always make certain his conduct towards younger women was always pure and above reproach. Do not put yourself in a compromise situation.

II The Care of Widows in the Church (5:3-6)

1. God’s people must treat widows with the same care that He does. However the emphasis is that they are truly widowed and have suffered lost. Remember, the widows of Paul’s day knew nothing of Social Security, welfare, food stamps or other social services programs. Once widowed, through spousal death or abandonment, there was little recourse other than charity.

2. God takes a special interest in women who have lost their husbands. Acts 6 and Psalms 68:5 “A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling.”
Exo 22:22-23 “”Do not take advantage of a widow or an orphan. {23} If you do and they cry out to me, I will certainly hear their cry.

3. The obligation of the church to support widows comes in verse 3. The word honor means to support, not only respect but financial and spiritual support. The word “widow” conveys bereaved, having suffered loss, having been robbed. It’s a woman without a husband, whether it was through death or desertion or divorce or separation or whatever. So it says support those women who are alone when they are really alone. In other words, when they are widows, indeed they have no means of support.

The issue here is those women who are widows indeed; that is, real widows; that is, really destitute, really alone, really without support and in need of care. The church’s first responsibility, then, is to support them. When I say the church, I’m not talking about the church as an organization or a structure, I’m talking about you and me we have that responsibility. It’s not just our responsibility to vote to do that and to take money out of a budget to do that, it’s our responsibility as individuals to do that.

Now, in verse four we note that the good Lord expects that this responsibility is upon the immediate family before the church. It doesn’t mean that you are to support a woman who has the resources or a woman who is not eligible by age.

There are some women who have been left alone, they have enough to live on they have maybe more than enough to live on. The Greek verb for “requite” conveys the concept to recompense. That is to say children and family members need to make compensation. It is a shame not to do so. It is not always easy but God does reward…

So, the family has the primary responsibility to care for its own widows. It is “putting your religion into practice” it is interesting that verse 8 is a commentary on verse 4. Those that will not care for their own are denying the principle of compassionate love that is at the heart of the Christian faith.

III Evaluation of the Widows needing Care (5:5-10)

1. Now, we have a second point here that is very critical, and that is the obligation of the church to evaluate the women needing that support. Which of these are we responsible to take care of? We have to be cautious with this stewardship, and the Spirit of God gives us criteria by which we can evaluate our action.

2. The church is to support “qualifying” women who have lost their husbands and to “show respect and care for” to treat graciously”. The church is not obligated to support all widows, only those who are widows indeed. Not all widows are truly alone and without means.
Some have resources left to them from their husbands or through their remaining family members. But even these need the spiritual care and comfort of the church.

3. This is a Christian lady and we note her faith inaction in verse five. Now get this – only to such women does the church have this special responsibility. We may choose to help non-Christian women; we must help Christian women. This is a mandate. We might choose to do good to all men, especially those of the household of faith. We are bound to serve the Christian women who are destitute.

She exhibits her faith in God not sordid ways to make money. She cannot expect funds from the church when her faith is contrary to the Word of God. She looks to God for the supply of her needs. Verse six conveys the principle that if a widow lives only for pleasure she has a dead faith and unworthy of the church support. There can be no division between faith and conduct. Paul tells Timothy in verse 7 to give these special instructions to the church that there be no misinterpretation. A good pastor will teach these truths as hard as they may seem so all will know what God expects of them both in the home and in the church.

4. In verse 8 Paul gives strong rebuke to those that care little they are “worse than an unbeliever”. Even the pagans knew the importance and felt the duty of providing for their parents. For believers to fail to measure up to that standard is inexcusable.

5. Last in this section the church is obligated to maintain high standards for widows who serve in the church (5:9-10) Widows are to be an asset to the church. They have a wealth of wisdom and experience to share with the younger women and have time to participate in ministries.

6. Paul now gives guidelines for the widow’s ministry to the church. In the early church there were groups of widows who served in some official capacity. There was a “list” of widows and there were requirements to get on that “list”. The qualifications to get on the list were no less than 60 years old and faithful to her husband; the GK literally reads, “a one-man woman”.

This does not exclude women who have been married more than once because Paul commands younger widows to remarry. It speaks of purity in action and attitude. She has lived in complete fidelity to her husband A widow who does not measure up to this standard would not be a proper role model for the younger women to emulate.

Conclusion:

Faith has a very important role in giving and helping. It begins with faith in God and his special grace. Have you received the grace of God? If so you want to manifest this grace to others.