1 Timothy 5
Bible Passage: 1 Timothy 5
Social service is not something we do very much of in our church in Singapore.
And yet… when I look at the Bible and today’s passage, maybe this is something for us to think about more and do more.
Today’s chapter shows us that as followers of Jesus, we have the potential to be the most effective agents for social service. Jesus is our best example. While He was preaching about the kingdom of God, Jesus never failed to be also concerned for the needs of the people. His compassion never fails… and this was evident in the way the early church (including Timothy) was also taught on how to care for the members of the church.
There are some principles that Paul laid down for Timothy that perhaps we can also think about today….
1. The care described in this chapter was regular and ongoing for people who were “taken into the number” (1 Tim 5:9).
Presumably, the church was to give short term support to people who needed help until they were able to get back on their feet. However, able bodied people who refuse to work to support themselve should not be catered for (compare 2 Thess 3:10).
2. The care was for “widows who are really widows” (1 Tim 5:3)
If we read the Bible, we often see that widows are often those who has no one to support her and she needed the support and protection of the community (see Ex 22:22-24; Deut 14:28-29; 24:17-22; 26:12-13). If a widow had able-bodied children or grandchildren, she would need to depend on them to provide for her and not the church (1 Tim 5:4).
3. The widow (i.e. the person receiving help and support from the church) has certain responsibilities.
First, she is to lead a frugal lifestyle, lest she is reproached for taking advantage of the support of the church by leading an extravagant lifestyle (1 Tim 6-7).
Secondly, she has to also meet some criteria related to her earlier life and character (1 Tim 5:9-10). This was to ensure thatshe could also serve her fellow believers in any way that she could.
4. Younger widows were expected to remarry.
Again this is in line with the principle that support provided by the church should not be long term for someone who has other options. If we contribute to someone who has alternatives to support, this can lead to wantoness, idleness and gossip (1 Tim 5:11-14).
So although this passage specifically addresses the care of widows, the principles can apply for a much broader range of human need. There are other parts of the Bible that we can also refer to to derive principles of social care and provisions.
Let us strive to care for those in real need today.
One Comment
PS
A preacher shared this testimony about a Taiwanese sister:
When her husband passed away, she and her young children were driven out of the house by her late husband’s siblings. By the grace of Lord Jesus, she brought up her children after much hardship.
When her mother-in-law was advance in age and became “redundant” at home, her brothers-in-law pushed the old and fragile lady to her. This sis accepted her out of Christian love. She told the siblings that they were not to intervene when she brought the old mother to believe in Christ.
After baptism, this sis, out of a pure and innocent heart, prayed to Lord Jesus that her mother was very old and didn’t have much enjoyment in life. Now she wanted to take good care of her during the latter part of life ie she’ll buy meat for the old sis to eat everyday.
This Taiwanese sis cooked meat for her mother-in-law to eat everyday. A miracle happened. The old sis who had dropped all her teeth, started to grow new teeth again.
The preacher met the sis again a few years back and sent his regards to the old sis. The sis replied that her mother-in-law was called back by the Lord when she was ninety plus and when she died, she had grown twenty plus new teeth 😀
This testimony touched my heart deeply. Yes, Lord Jesus does take care of widows. (He has fulfilled this exceedingly in my family.)
When we take care of our parents, Lord Jesus blesses us exceedingly too (Exo 20:12)
1 Tim 5:8 But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.
Paul put it very stringently: If a believer does not provide for his family, he has denied his faith! And is worse than an unbeliever!!
If i read it together with 1 Tim 5:24-25 Some men’s sins are clearly evident, proceeding them to judgement, but those of some men follow later. Likewise, the good works of some are clearly evident, and those that are otherwise cannot be hidden.
James 4:17 Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.
Other people may not know. God knows. And God knows best.