1 Timothy 5 Studies

For those who may wish to ‘study’ this chapter, the following simple resources are provided for you. Each chapter is divided into a number of studies and each study or passage has a simple four-Part, verse-by-verse approach, to help you take in and think further about what you have read.

Passage: 1 Tim 5:1-8

1 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.

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. 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. 7 Give the people these instructions, so that no one may be open to blame. 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.

A. Find Out:      

1. How was Timothy to deal with various men? v.1
2. How, similarly, with various women? v.2
3. Who was he to acknowledge and why? v.3,5
4. Who should otherwise look after widows? v.4
5. What did Paul tell Timothy to do? v.7
6. What responsibility did he clearly state? v.8

B. Think:

1. How is a leader to be careful about his attitudes towards members of his flock?
2. What particular needs do you think widows have?
3. What is the main point made by Paul here?

C. Comment:

     First, note something that is not so obvious as it seems. The leader is to recognise differences of various age groups and shouldn’t treat everyone the same. Men and women older than him should be respected as father and mother figures respectively. Younger men and women are to be treated as brothers and sisters. Each group requires love to be shown in different ways: the older group require respect while, with young women, there needs to be care to maintain purity.

     Second, Paul moves on to deal with the need of widows in the congregation. In this he recognises the “weaker sex” have a greater need to be looked after, when left after a bereavement. The widower would be more likely as a family leader to look after himself, whereas the widow has need of care, provision and protection, and if they have no family, the church is to provide that. However, if there are children and grandchildren then they, the family, have the duty of caring for the elderly widow. In a day when social services seek to provide much care for the needy, when the nuclear family hardly exists, we see how far we have strayed from Paul’s exhortation. Perhaps more than any time previously, we are failing our elderly in this respect.

D. Application:

1. In the Bible the elderly are honoured and respected. Do we do that?
2. People of different ages and conditions have different needs.

Passage: 1 Tim 5:9-16

9 No widow may be put on the list of widows unless she is over sixty, has been faithful to her husband, 10 and is well known for her good deeds, such as bringing up children, showing hospitality, washing the feet of the Lord’s people, helping those in trouble and devoting herself to all kinds of good deeds.

11 As for younger widows, do not put them on such a list. For when their sensual desires overcome their dedication to Christ, they want to marry. 12 Thus they bring judgment on themselves, because they have broken their first pledge. 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. 14 So I counsel younger widows to marry, to have children, to manage their homes and to give the enemy no opportunity for slander. 15 Some have in fact already turned away to follow Satan.

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.

A. Find Out:

1. What was required to be “put on the list”? v.9,10
2. What is a temptation for younger widows? v.11
3. What would they be thus doing? v.12
4. What also might happen? v.13
5. So what does Paul counsel? v.14
6. What responsibility does he repeat? v.16

B. Think:

1. How are the requirements for the widows’ list a guide for wives?
2. What is the heart of what Paul is saying to young widows?
3. How may self-centred desire over-ride the will of God?

C. Comment:

     We need to read the passage carefully, bearing in mind that “all Scripture is God inspired” (2 Timothy 3:16) and this IS scripture!

     First of all, Paul distinguishes between widows who are in real need and worthy of care, protection and support by the church, and those who are not worthy of this. Perhaps if we consider those not worthy, with what is more difficult to understand, that will help us catch the sense of what Paul is saying.

     In v.11 Paul is not saying that ALL young widows will let self-centred desires over-ride the will of God, but just that it is a possible temptation. Paul’s view is that young women should not go looking for a husband but should just rest in God’s will for them, and IF it is His will for them to be remarried, then allow Him to bring a new husband to them. The freedom of young widows also provides the temptation to become an aimless, unfruitful person, filling in your time with wrong talk. OK, says Paul, be open to the Lord to give you another husband who will help you to have a new sense of fulfilment, but remember it’s a matter of attitude; will you go looking, or will you leave it to the Lord?

D. Application:

1. Allowing God to bring His will to us is difficult when we have strong yearning, but we must let Him do it.
2. Have I died to self? (see Romans 6:2,7,11)

Passage: 1 Tim 5:17-20

17 The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honour, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching. 18 For Scripture says, ‘Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain,’ and ‘The worker deserves his wages.’ 19 Do not entertain an accusation against an elder unless it is brought by two or three witnesses. 20 But those elders who are sinning you are to reprove before everyone, so that the others may take warning.

A. Find Out:

1. What do elders do generally? v.17a
2. What do some do specifically? v.17c
3. How are they to be treated? v.17b
4. What Scriptural backing is there for that? v.18
5. What care is to be taken over an elder? v.19
6. Yet how are they to be dealt with? v.20

B. Think:

1. What are Paul’s instructions about the care of an elder?
2. What does he say about respect for an elder?
3. What does he say about the responsibility of an elder?

C. Comment:

      Remember Paul has just been writing about the physical care of elderly widows. The emphasis is on physical provision, thus when Paul continues here, it is about physical provision for elders. He uses the word “Honour” but the two Scriptural references are clearly in respect of tangible physical provision.

      Let’s first observe the activities of an elder: he directs the affairs of the church, he gets the direction of the church from the Lord, he oversees the life of the church in the light of that divinely given guidance. Some elders will preach and teach, but the implication is that not necessarily all will. The key activity is catching the sense of direction, and having the wisdom and authority to implement it.

      Then Paul says how to respond to these men: first provide for them (so that they can be free to pursue their calling), second respect them (so don’t say anything lightly against them), but finally deal with them if they sin (for they are God’s representatives on one hand but not above discipline on the other). Thus we have the PART PLAYED by elders, the PROVISION for elders, the PROTECTION of elders, and PUBLIC REBUKE for elders in these verses.

D. Application:

1. Elders carry heavy responsibilities and need all the love, care and protection of the flock.
2. Elders are answerable to God.

Passage: 1 Thess 5:21-25

21 I charge you, in the sight of God and Christ Jesus and the elect angels, to keep these instructions without partiality, and to do nothing out of favouritism.

22 Do not be hasty in the laying on of hands, and do not share in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure.

23 Stop drinking only water, and use a little wine because of your stomach and your frequent illnesses.

24 The sins of some are obvious, reaching the place of judgment ahead of them; the sins of others trail behind them. 25 In the same way, good deeds are obvious, and even those that are not obvious cannot remain hidden for ever.

A. Find Out:

1. How was Timothy to follow Paul’s instructions? v.21
2. What was Timothy to do? v.22a
3. Why? v.22b
4. What did Paul counsel and why? v.23
5. How are sins sometimes different? v.24
6. How are good deeds similar? v.25

B. Think:

1. How can the minister be “tainted” by others?
2. How was human frailty seen to be a part of Timothy’s life?
3. What is Paul inferring in the last two verses?

C. Comment:

     We see Paul continuing to instruct and encourage young Timothy in the way he should lead the church. First, Paul gives a very strong exhortation to Timothy, as if to emphasise responsibility, to follow all that he has been saying. This has been divinely inspired wisdom and as such must be followed.

     Next, we see Paul warning Timothy to be careful in his ministry, not to inadvertently identify himself with other people’s sins. When laying on hands to pray for someone, identification is part of that act.

     Next comes a beautiful bit of “parental care”: look after yourself, says Paul. I know you have stomach upsets (perhaps because of the tension of ministry?) so take a little wine to help your digestion. Note Paul doesn’t say pray harder, try to relax or whatever else. For this situation a little physical help is counselled. Let’s not always be too super-spiritual and miss simple physical help along the way.

      Finally, Paul infers that Timothy would do well to ensure good works are the mark of his life. Bad deeds are sometimes obvious, sometimes not, but good deeds are almost always obvious. Let them be seen says Paul.

D. Application:

1. When we pray for other people, we can share in what they have been doing. Be careful.
2. Simple physical help is sometimes all that is needed.