Bible Phrasing: 1 Timothy 5:3–16

Paul's guidelines for a church's responsibility toward widows

First Timothy 5:3–16 has at least four parts. In part one (5:3–8), Paul gives general teaching for what a widow is. Part 2 (5:9–10) describes the enrollment process of a widow into the church's care. The topic of younger widows takes place in 5:11-15. Finally, in part 4, Paul summaries his argument for the responsibility toward widows (5:16). 

1) Part one starts with a command: "Honor widows who are truly widows." Two questions immediately come to the foreground following this command: 1) what constitutes a "true widow" and 2) what obligations exist for the church and family members when helping widows? The answer to question #1 (vv 5, 6) is bookended by the answer to question #2 (vv 4, 8).

The answer to question #2: Quite naturally, a widow with family members is part of a family already, and thus, does not necessarily require the care of the church. In the case where a widow has children or grandchildren, Paul expects them to rise to the occasion by 1) showing godliness to their household and 2) making some return to their parents. The reason for these two expectations is the end of verse 4: "for this is pleasing in the sight of God." One may ask, "What if the children or grandchildren do not learn to show godliness or make a return for their parents?" The answer is given generally in 5:8. No serious Christian would fail in providing for their relatives, especially of their own household. It's one thing to help a relative who does not live in the same house. Of course, true Christians are expected to help these relatives. But relatives who are in the same house? To Paul, it appears blatantly obvious what the duty of a Christian is: provide for the widow. 

Paul expects Timothy to train the living family members of widows--Paul assumes they are Christ-followers ("to show godliness")--to take care of them so that the church is not burdened with their care (5:16). If a widow's family members fail to care for her, the offense is so egregious that Paul considers their inaction to be a denial of the Christian faith.  Conversely, families who display godliness and return for their parents are of such a caliber that they are "without reproach" (5:7). 

The answer to question #1: What does it mean for a widow to be "truly a widow"? begins in verse 4. Paul explains that a widow is a person who has been "left all alone" most assumedly because her husband has died. But the question of a "true widow" has more to do with the quality of the widow's faith than merely her marital status. For instance, Paul describes the widow as one who has 1) set her hope on God, 2) continues in supplications and prayers, and 3) remains consistent in her faith ("night and day"). The opposite of a true widow is the widow who is engaged in a level of self-indulgence that is deadly. Her self-indulgence may include a self-destructive pursuit of sexual pleasure or an unrestrained pursuit of any pleasure that pulls her away from Christ. See 5:11 where Paul warns of young widows being particularly prone to this temptation. 

2) In part 2, Paul provides a straightforward qualifying list to ensure proper enrollment of true widows. The first requirement is age: she must not be less than 60 years of age. The second is marital fidelity: one-husband wife. Finally, she must have a reputation for good works: 1) she's a proven mother, 2) she's hospitable, 3) she's a servant, 4) she's caring, and 5) she's devoted to every good work. Such qualities would easily be noticed by any church. To summarize, qualifying (or true) widows are: Not < 60, One-husband women, and devoted to every good work.

3) Paul gives a rationale in part 3 for refusing to enroll young widows to the church's care. After giving the direction, Paul gives a reason: for when their passions draw them away from Christ, they desire to marry. At first, the rationale appears to be don't enroll them ... because they will want to get remarried. 

Paul's concern is not on remarriage itself, though. It's on the widow's motivation for remarriage. The wrong motivation for remarriage can bring about condemnation. Paul's rationale becomes more clear when the motivation for remarriage comes to the foreground:

       --> Refuse to enroll widows 

                --> Because [if you enroll them] their passions may lead them away from Christ

                        --> then they'll desire to remarry, having abandoned their faith in Christ

                                --> and thus, they will incur God's judgment for straying away from Christ

Paul adds another list to bolster the argument for why Timothy should refuse to enroll younger widows: 

                                        --> Besides, [without faith in Christ] they'll learn the wrong things

                                                --> Therefore, don't enroll them. Let them get remarried. 

So Paul concludes that younger widows should not be enrolled into the care of the church, but should be remarried. Paul has four particular desires for the younger widows: remarry, bear children, manage their households, and give the adversary no occasion for slander. 

The final grounds clause may link to either 5:11 or 5:14. If the grounds clause is linked to 5:11, the argument would go something like this:

    Refuse to enroll the younger widows... 

            because they may be drawn away from Christ...

            because they may abandon their former faith...

            because they may stray after Satan. 

A more natural reading may be to link the grounds clause to 5:14:

    I would have younger widows remarry... 

            because [those who did not remarry] have already strayed after Satan. 

In other words, there is some evidence that substantiates Paul's refusal to enroll younger women, namely, that some of the younger widows who did not remarry soon after their husbands left them alone, have already strayed away from the Christian faith. 

4) The final verse of the passage reiterates rather succinctly the aforementioned points.  

• Christians should take care of relatives who are widows. They are the first line of care. 
• The church should only take care of widows who are truly widows.