1 Tim 5:3-6

3. Honour widows that are widows indeed.
4. But if any widow have children or nephews, let them learn first to shew piety at home, and to requite their parents; for that is good and acceptable before God.
5. Now she that is a widow indeed, and desolate, trusteth in God, and continueth in supplications and prayers night and day.
6. But she that liveth in pleasure is dead while she liveth.

1. Summarize the teaching of verses 3-5.
2. Explain verse 6:  how can one be alive and dead at the same time?  Consult the Spirit of Prophecy materials on this text.

1 Tim 5:7

7. And these things give in charge, that they may be blameless.

1. Why does one preach according to verse 7 (“charge” in verse 7 is imperative)?

1 Tim 5:8

8. but if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.

1. Summarize this verse

1 Tim 5:9, 10

9. Let not a widow be taken into the number under threescore years old, having been the wife of one man,
10. Well reported of for good works; if she have brought up children, if she have lodged strangers, if she have washed the saints feet, if she have relieved the afflicted, if she have diligently followed every good work.

1. In Scripture we find our duties listed.  Are these listed duties to be understood as interechangable as regards the roles of men and women?  For example, does God intend for a woman to follow a woman’s list to be faithful to God’s will for her?  If a man were to follow a woman’s list would he be doing God’s will?  To rephrase the question, are the roles set forth in Scripture gender oriented?  Do we have any information that goes beyond “I think” from which to draw answers to these questions?  Specifically, if a woman has washed a man’s feet she has done a good work (5:10); does this mean a man should, according to Scripture, wash a woman’s feet?

   Please support your answer from Scripture or the Spirit of Prophecy materials.

1 Tim 5:11-13

11. But the younger widows refuse: for when they have begun to wax wanton against Christ, they will marry;
12. Having damnation, because they have cast off their first faith.
13. And withal they learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house; and not only idle, but tattlers also and busybodies, speaking things which they ought not.

1. Comment on verse 12.

1 Tim  5:14, 15

14. I will therefore that the younger women marry, bear children, guide the house, give no occasion to the adversary to speak reproachfully.
15. For some are already turned aside after Satan.

1. State in your own words the teaching of these verses.

1 Tim 5:16

16. If any man or woman that believeth have widows, let them relieve them, and let not the church be charged; that it may relieve them that are widows indeed.

1. Summarize to yourself verses 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, and 9-15.  Is verse 16 your summary?  Why or why not?

Assignment Answers

1 Tim 5:1, 2

1. In 5:1 presbuteros refers to an older man; note the context – – an older man, younger men; an older woman, younger women.
2. The KJB “intreat” is from the greek parakalei, with a dictionary meaning of “call to ones side”, “summon”, or, “appeal to”, “implore” (Arndt & Gingrich, p. 622).  A younger man is responsible for an older man who the younger man sees doing wrong and has to attempt to correct him by appealing to him, but the younger man is not to rebuke an older man; rebuke meaning to strike at (Arndt & Gingrich, p. 297).
3. He is to treat them as if they were his brothers.
4. A young man is to treat the older women as if they were his mother, and the younger women as if they were his sisters.  The interesting element in this instruction is, to me, to be found in the necessity to try to correct one’s fellow worshipers, that God places on us, while He rules out any rudeness by one to another.  Our efforts at service are to be gentle in these verses, if we are young people.

1 Tim 5:3-6

1. The church has a responsibility to care for women in need; but those women must meet certain qualifications.  However, the responsibility to care for women in need is to be met by the family members and not by the church, if there are family members, even if a woman qualifies for church assistance.
2. “To prevent disease from spreading to the body and destroying life, a man would submit to part even with his right hand.  Much more should he be willing to surrender that which imperils the life of the soul.

   Through the gospel, souls that are degraded and enslaved by Satan are to be redeemed to share the glorious liberty of the sons of God.  God’s purpose is not merely to deliver from the suffering that is the inevitable result of sin, but to save from sin itself.  The soul, corrupted and deformed, is to be purified, transformed, that it may be clothed in “the beauty of the Lord our God, “ “conformed to the image of His Son.”
   “Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him” (Psalm 90:17; Romans 8:29; 1 Cor 2:9).  Eternity alone can reveal the glorious destiny to which man, restored to God’s image, may attain.
   In order for us to reach this high ideal, that which causes the soul to stumble must be sacrificed.  It is through the will that sin retains its hold upon us.  The surrender of the will is represented as plucking out the eye or cutting off the hand.  Often it seems to us that to surrender the will to God is to consent to go through life maimed or crippled.  But it is better, says Christ, for self to be maimed, wounded, crippled, if thus you may enter into life.  That which you look upon as disaster is the door to highest benefit.
   God is the fountain of life, and we can have life only as we are in communion with Him.  Separated from God, existence may be ours for a little time, but we do not possess life.  “She that liveth in pleasure is dead while she liveth” (1 Timothy 5:6).  Only through the surrender of our will to God is it possible for Him to impart life to us: (Thoughts from the Mount fo Blessing, pp. 60, 61).
                  
   Summary:  Verse 6 says that the one living voluptuously (greek spatalao: live luxuriously or voluptuously, in indulgence – – Arndt & Gingrich, p. 768) has died, though that one still lives.  As Ellen White formulated it above, “Separated from God, existence may be ours for a little time, but we do not possess life.”  To quote Ezekiel, “The soul that sins, it shall die.” Eze 18:4.  Sin brings death to the soul of the person doing the sinning (See above re ”soul” – – 1 Tim 1:2c: 10, 8, 16, 14.

1 Tim 5:7

1. The content which Timothy is to order, or command (greek paraggelia: imperative), the apostolic instruction Paul has been giving to Timothy, is to be given to the people so that they may be without reproach, or irreproachable (Arndt & Gingrich, p. 64).

   By implication, in this verse the good life of the follower of the gospel comes after he has been told the necessity of obeying the gospel; therefore the preacher is here ordered (imperative) to pass on the instruction of the gospel writer.

1 Tim 5:8

1. If we do not provide for those we are able to help we deny the faith we profess to follow, and are worse, in our standing with God, than one who does not recognize his responsibility to his fellowmen because of his unknowledge of God.

   We are accountable in the judgment for what we appear to be.

1 Tim 5:9, 10

Christ values acts of heartfelt courtesy.  When anyone did Him a favor, with heavenly politeness He blessed the actor.  He did not refuse the simplest flower plucked by the hand of a child and offered to Him in love.  He accepted the offerings of children, and blessed the givers, inscribing their names in the book of life.  In the Scriptures, Mary’s anointing of Jesus is mentioned as distinguishing her from the other Mary’s.  Acts of love and reverence for Jesus are an evidence of Faith in Him as the Son of God.  And the Holy Spirit mentions, as evidence of Woman’s loyalty to Christ: “If she have washed the saints’ feet, if she have relieved the afflicted, if she have diligently followed every good work” 1 Tim 5:10 (The Desire of Ages, p. 564).

Note from above that woman’s loyalty to Christ is evidenced, in the Holy Spirit’s opinion, by the fact she has done certain deeds, but

There is no example given in the Word for brethren to wash sister’s feet; but there is an example for sisters to wash the feet of the brethren.  Mary washed the feet of Jesus with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head (se also 1 Tim 5:10).  I saw that the Lord had moved upon sisters to wash the feet of brethren and that it was according to gospel order (Early Writings, p. 117).

Conclusion:  The duties of men and women set forth are to be followed as exactly as possible; they are not to be generalized.  A woman’s duties are a woman’s duties; a man’s duties are a man’s duties, while general principles and assignments are for all to follow.  A man can’t serve the Lord by following the wrong list of responsibilities; nor can a woman.

Note again that some lists of responsibility are clearly gender oriented:  “God does not intend that any other should do the mother’s work in the training of her child” (Present Truth & Review and Harold Articles, vol. 2, p. 518).

1 Tim 5:11-13

1. A large portion of 1 Timothy chapter 5 deals with our responsibility to those in our area who need our help with financial affairs.  In verses 11-13 Paul continues his general theme, “us” helping “them” – – we are to help them live the Christian life.  To quote the expanded golden rule, we are to do unto others according to our superior knowledge what they would have us do unto them if they knew what we know.  In verse 12 the application of this verse means we are not to do for people that which we foresee will eventually cause them to be in trouble with God.

   Verse 12 presents us with a situation where people in all sincerity had a faith-relationship with God which circumstances changed.  Because of, whatever, they set aside their first faith.  This setting aside of the first-faith brings judgment – – in an unfavorable sense (Arndt & Gingrich, p. 451).

1 Tim 5:14, 15

1. Verse 15 refers to verses 11 and 13.  The solution for these problems is to be busy – – to be the master of a house (oikodespotein); an interesting job assignment coming from Paul who so often is said to put down women!  Just wait till we get to verse 16!

   None who are able to labor should be taught to expect food and clothing and shelter free of cost.  For their own sake, as well as for the sake of others, some way should be devised whereby they may return an equivalent for what they receive.  Encourage every effort toward self-support.  This will strengthen self-respect and a noble independence.  And occupation of mind and body in useful work is essential as a safeguard against temptation (The Ministry of Healing, p. 177).

1 Tim 5:16

1. Verse 16, as translated in the KJV, makes a good summary for the teachings of verses 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, and 9-15; but verse 16 is in need of a more careful translation, and that translation has a message of its own to add to what we have already learned from chapter 5.

   In the Xeroxed interlinear translation of our verse appearing above, the interlinear translation is accurate; if any believing woman has widows let her relieve them.

   Today we often hear of what we are told is Paul’s lack of appreciation for women – – but that concept is not in harmony with verse 14, where Paul says younger widows should marry and be house masters (oikodespotein).  It is also out of harmony with our verse – – verse 16 – – where Paul says that if a believing woman has widows she should relieve them – – no greater commission of responsibility could be given to a man.

   Conclusion:  In verse 8 a man is told to care for his family; in verse 16 a woman is told to care for her family.  Verse 16 is not therefore a conclusion for verses 1-15.

1 Timothy & Titus: intro | lesson 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13