Instructions for Widows

Transcript

GR 1277
6/20/2004
Instructions for Widows
1 Timothy 5:9-16
Gil Rugh


I want to direct your attention to the book of I Timothy 5. The family of God is comprised of all those who have come to place their faith in Christ as their Savior. Paul wrote to the Galatians in Galatians 3:26 and said, for you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. The family of God is comprised of everyone who has come to recognize their sinful condition, recognize that there is no hope for forgiveness apart from the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross. And they have turned from their sin and from everything else they hoped in and trusted in, and placed their faith in Christ. At that moment a person is born again, born from above, becomes a member of God’s family. God is the head of His family, He is our Father. And He gives clear instructions and directions concerning what is required of those who are part of His family. These aren’t instructions on how to get into His family. He gives those, that is what I just shared with you—the gospel of Jesus Christ. He also then spends an extensive amount of time instructing us on how we are to conduct ourselves as members of God’s family.

That’s what is happening in I Timothy 3, 4, 5. Chapter 3 says he is writing so that we might know how to conduct ourselves in the household of God, in the family of God. And another name for the family of God, the household of God, is the church. It’s the church of the living God, the church is comprised of the people who are part of God’s family.

When we get over to chapter 5 beginning with verse 3 and down through verse 16, God is giving us instructions regarding widows—the church’s responsibility toward widows and widows to whom the church does not have responsibility. It’s a rather extensive section, and it indicates God’s concern for the details of our lives as His people. And any time we are not functioning as God instructs us, then we are in rebellion; we have turned away from the truth. And the problems multiply. We cannot keep disobedience confined to one area, and so the church at Ephesus, where Timothy is when Paul writes him, has some serious problems to deal with. And some of these problems are in the area of widows and the proper relationship of the church to widows.

In verses 3-8 he made clear that the prime responsibility in the material provision for widows is their own family—children and grandchildren. This is the first lesson in godliness—be sure you are taking care of your family. If you have a widowed mother, grandmother, and you want to be a godly person, start there. What he said in verse 4, first learn to practice piety or godliness in regard to your own family. That’s the Numberl lesson. If you don’t make proper provision here, you are denying the truth that is found in Jesus Christ. Verse 8, you’ve denied the faith, you’re worse than an unbeliever. So these are serious matters. Matters that we might sometimes say, well I could have done better, I could have given more attention to it if Probably something I was responsible for, but I didn’t give much thought to. Before God it is a matter of utmost seriousness. I mean for God to say you have denied the faith, you’re worse than an unbeliever, makes this a very serious matter, something worthy of our attention.

He’s moving in to talk about widows who are eligible for support from the church, the family of God. And so he has made clear that if you have physical family, they are responsible for you. So I ought not to expect the church to care for my family; it is my responsibility. He also has indicated that widows who are cared for by the church must be godly widows. He mentioned that in verse 5. He contrasted that with ungodly widows in verse 6; they live for pleasure and they are dead while they live. Seeming paradox. They are spiritually dead while they are physically alive; the life of God is not in them. They are dead in their trespasses and sins, as Paul wrote to the Ephesians earlier in his letter to them in chapter 2 verse 1.

Jesus addressed this matter during His earthly ministry, and used it as an example of hypocrisy and a way that people go about avoiding obeying the Word of God. Turn back to Mark 7. The context here is very religious people in Judaism are in conversation with Christ, and they see themselves as very righteous and very spiritual. In fact they are looking down on Christ and His disciples because they are not doing some of the traditional, ceremonial things that it was thought were necessary to be truly godly. I just want to pick up with verse 6, Jesus says very bluntly and directly, rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you, hypocrites. This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. But in vain do they worship Me, teaching as doctrine the precepts of men. It is empty, worthless worship for me to get up here and tell you what I think, give you my ideas that we as a church or religious group have our traditions and our practices. And they may hinder our worship, not help. Verse 8, Jesus says, they have been neglecting the commandment of God and holding to the tradition of men.

Now note verse 9, you are experts at setting aside the commandment of God in order to keep your tradition. If you want to be viewed as a religious and godly person within your circle, your denomination, your church, whatever, you don’t just get up and say, I don’t believe that, I don’t believe the Bible, I reject what God says. The Jews didn’t do that either--do you know what they did? They devised practices that enabled them to do what they wanted to do, that looked like they were being extra spiritual in the doing of it. But what they were doing canceled out the Word of God. That means they had put themselves and their teaching and their ideas above God’s Word. You have become experts at setting aside the commandment of God in order to keep your tradition. And what is the example He uses? Taking care of your parents, quoting from the Fifth Commandment. Moses said, honor your father and mother. He who speaks evil of father or mother is to be put to death. But you say, if a man says to his father or mother, whatever I have that would be of help to you, it is Corban; it’s been devoted to God. I would love to help you, I would love to use these resources to help you, but I’ ve devoted them to God. And I couldn’t take what has been given to God and now is His and use it for you. Now in that it still remained in their possession, they still utilized it and benefited from it. It was just a way of being selfish, so they didn’t have to spend it on their parents.

Verse 13, Jesus says, you are thus invalidating the Word of God by your tradition which you have handed down. And you do many things like this. Once you start that pattern, your tradition is more important than the Word of God, and things multiply. And nothing has changed. Take out your Bible and point out to people in the average Protestant church today where their tradition is in conflict with the Word and see if they say, thank you for pointing that out to me, we will make a change, or if they are offended. Even we, who pride ourselves in Bible-believing, can in subtle ways invalidate God’s Word by our practices.... In the care of our parents we need to be careful. Oh I would love to take care of my parents, but I’m occupied in the service of the Lord. I can’t take time and energy and resources away from my service to the Lord to care for my widowed grandmother. Well I need to learn the first lesson of godliness and fulfill that responsibility. There is a way for me to do everything God wants me to do. He never calls me to do something He has not made sufficient provision for me to carry out. Maybe at first glance I don’t know how I will do it, but I need to seek wisdom from God; because when He has told me to do something, He requires me to do it. And His grace is my sufficiency.

Verses 9-10, he talks about widows who are eligible to be put on the roll, a list, at church of those widows who can be supported with the funds given to the church. There are going to be three basic qualifications—her age, her faithfulness in her past marriage and her good works. That doesn’t say everything Paul is going to say, that gives you a good idea of what we’re talking about. Verse 9 begins, a widow is to be put on the list only if she is not less than 60 years of age. Evidently that list, in light of the context, is the list of widows who can be supported out of the church’s funds. First requirement was 60. We have an elderly widow, 60 or older. I was a little discouraged in working on this. I had passed the 60 line and one commentator noted that in the ancient world those 60 and above were viewed as the infirm. I didn’t put that quote down; I figured it was something to be ignored. But in antiquity 60 was the age when you were viewed as an old man or an old woman. In fact the Old Testament follows the same breakdown. We won’t go back to Leviticus 27, but you can jot it down if you want to see how in Israel’s history they broke down the ages, Leviticus 27:1-7. It will deal with infants up to 5, but the breakdown in Israel is from 5-20, that’s the young people; from 20-60, and from 60 and above. So we’d have the young, the middle-aged, and the old, even in Israel when Moses put that down in writing 1500 years before Christ. And we haven’t changed a lot, have we. We look at people from 5-20 as basically young people, from 20-60 usually those people are entering into their jobs as men in careers and marriages and family, and at 60 your family is grown. Those responsibilities have changed and health begins to break down in significant ways, sometimes more rapidly, sometimes less, but the deterioration is obvious. Fifteen hundred years before Christ and 2000 years after Christ we still have basically the same age breakdown.

Well the widow had to be 60 to be enrolled. Now let me just note--some take this enrolling to mean these are widows that are basically paid by the church to do ministry. But I don’t think there is anything in the context here that indicates they are being paid to do ministry. Later in the church’s history, there was a widow’s ministry that developed, but we are moving on now 200-300 years before there is any clarity on that. There is nothing in the context here that indicates she is being hired to do work. In fact in this period of time it would have been the opposite. As I mentioned, those 60 and above were viewed as having basically moved beyond their productive years. Doesn’t mean these widows wouldn’t do anything, but the purpose of the enrollment is not to get work out of them. And so the things we will look at that qualify them, the basic work they do are things they did in the past. We’ll see that in a moment. So we are talking about what the church should do for these widows, not what these widows should do for the church.
And they are being cared for on the basis of their past life and their present need. Not less than 60 years of age, that’s the first requirement. It’s not subjective. A widow says I’m 50 but I’d like to be enrolled. I’m sorry, you cannot be enrolled. Why? The Bible says you have to be 60, clear-cut age.

The second requirement, having been the wife of one man. Some take this to mean she could have not been married more than once. A divorced woman would not be eligible. It literally is a one-man woman. The reverse of it was used in the requirements of elders in chapter 3 verse 2, an elder has to be the husband of one wife, or literally a one-woman man. We went into some detail on that when we looked into chapter 3 verse 2. Basically it’s not saying you can’t have been married more than once, but it is saying you have to have demonstrated faithfulness in your marriage. A person who married a second time or a third time could still demonstrate faithfulness in their marriage. So the requirement here is a woman has to have demonstrated a godly life in her marriage relationship, sexual faithfulness in that relationship. In a moment Paul is going to recommend the younger widows remarry. Strange he would tell them to remarry if that indicates some kind of inferior status and would keep them from ever being enrolled by the church. What is there in remarriage that would keep you from being enrolled? Why would Paul require it of certain widows if it was an inferior status? I see no reason to say that a one-man woman is saying she can only have been married once. All right, that’s the second qualification—faithfulness in her marriage while her husband was alive.

The third requirement is, she must have had a reputation for good works. Verse 10, having a reputation for good works. And this is on the basis of what she has done. Now note, not that she is going to do good works, and we assume these good works continue to the present; it is not something that happened way back in her past. But they are examining her past here, for these works. They are all in the past tense. Now they are not things she is going to do for the church; these are characteristics of a godly woman. And she has demonstrated that.

There are 5 areas of her good works that are mentioned, each begins with the word if. So having a reputation for good works, if she has brought up children, if, if, if. These are the examples of the good works we are talking about. The first one is if she has brought up children. This particular verb is only used here in the New Testament. It does not mean giving birth to children, but the bringing up of children. I say that because this does not require that this widow would have given birth to children, but she may have. She has been married. But if she is a widow indeed, it means she does not have children or grandchildren who can care for her. So she may be like the widow Ruth in the Old Testament whose husband and two sons all died in adulthood and she was left then with no children or grandchildren to care for her. So this widow has been involved in the raising of children, perhaps her own who have passed away; perhaps she was involved in the care and helping of orphans or other children not her own. The qualities here in the woman’s realm are the home. And all the qualifications will relate to that; it’s going to become more clear as Paul specifies the responsibility of widows in marrying in a moment. So she has to have demonstrated this kind of care of children.

She has to have shown hospitality to strangers. Hospitality is a mark of godliness. It was a requirement of elders back in chapter 3. Paul wrote to the Romans in Romans 12:13 and told them to be practicing hospitality. Hebrews 13:2 warns us not to neglect showing hospitality, and Peter in I Peter 4:9 says, be hospitable to one another without complaint. So hospitality is a mark of godly character, that willingness to open your home, to be gracious, to be concerned about the care of others. And that would involve in biblical times people who traveled in ministry, staying in the motels of the day, the inns of the day. It was expensive and they were of a rather low reputation. So it would be like going and staying in the red light district of town, not a very good place to go and stay. So generally you went and stayed in somebody’s home; so you showed hospitality to strangers, primarily believers who would come. You would be glad to have them in your home and care for them.

If she has washed the saints’ feet. I take it here, is demonstrating humility in the willingness to be a servant. Jesus exemplified this in John 13 and it may involve literally washing of the saints’ feet here. I don’t think we’re talking about a foot-washing service as part of church general practice, but rather the demonstration of humility and the willingness to serve. Doesn’t mean she wouldn’t have literally washed feet; that was usually the work of a servant, who washed the feet that of those who had been traveling with open sandals. But it was a lowly task, and in John 13 Jesus exemplifies something of the significance of that when He washed the disciples’ feet.

If she has assisted those in distress. She has been willing to be a helper to those going through difficult times. This is a person who is not self-centered, whose life has not been about her; it’s been about others. She has given herself to the care of children; she’s been willing to open her home to strangers; she’s been willing to wash feet, do acts of service in humility. She’s been willing to help those going through difficult times. That would be all kinds of difficulties; some could be persecution; some could just be people who would go through difficulty, losing loved ones, having children who are sick or die, and all those things. Here is a woman that has demonstrated her godly character, and she has assisted those in distress.

Then he just wraps it up with this fifth one, if she has devoted herself to every good work. Not just doing good works, but that word devoted means she’s been zealous; she’s pursued these things; she’s looked for opportunities to serve. This is the kind of woman that can be enrolled. She doesn’t have anyone else to care for her, but she has demonstrated godly character as a willing servant of the Lord. And so now in her need the church assumes the responsibility for her, not because she is going to work for them, but as soon as she has strength, she will continue to serve as Godly people do. It’s not a mark of godliness that I decide I’m done. I may not be able to do what I used to do with the strength I used to have, but my service to the Lord is not over until He calls me to glory. And so this woman naturally would, but she is not being hired by the church. She is being honored, recognized and cared for because of her need and the godly character she has demonstrated.

Verse 11 begins with a but. I have given you instructions on who could be enrolled, but there are certain people you must not put on the list for support by the church. But refuse, and that’s a strong word. This is an absolute no, no. Refuse, and you get the idea with this word here that there is some pressure to do it. And there was in Ephesus, and the practice had created trouble. Refuse to put younger widows on the list. Literally, refuse younger widows; they can’t be enrolled. That doesn’t mean you never help a younger widow who is in need, but they cannot be enrolled for regular church support. He’s going to give two reasons. First one, when they feel sensual desires and disregard of Christ, they want to get married. These are young women who have been married. Now I Corinthians 7 says that God has given the gift of celibacy, singleness, to some women and to some men. Paul said he is an example of that. Other men and women are so gifted of God, and so are free of the burdens and responsibilities of family life to serve the Lord. But He also warns in that context, even in the marriage relationship, to be very careful that your physical relationship, your sexual relationship is all that God says it must be. Even in marriage you must maintain that physical commitment and intimacy. He says you can take a break for a time for prayer. But don’t make it a long time. You get the idea that God’s plan is that sexual expression of our love in marriage is to be a rather regular thing. I mean if you have to say to your husband or wife, could we take a break today for prayer, this is an important part of our marriage. A lot of marriages are in trouble, sad how many people are in marriage trouble and you find out their physical intimacy hasn’t gone on as it should for some time. Then they say, I don’t know what’s happened. You rejected the Word of God and were rebellious against God and refused to obey Him, that’s what happened. God says Satan will tempt you if you don’t keep up that responsibility.

He also says in that context in I Corinthians 7 that if you have desires for sexual fulfillment, you should get married. It is better to marry than to burn, referring to sexual passion. Now Paul is not going into all the details he’s gone into in I Corinthians 7, but I take it what he is talking about in verse 11, widows placed on the roll, now they’re supported by the church. They don’t need to get married, they don’t need a husband. If they are young and they have the desires that led them into marriage in the first place, now they are going to disregard Christ. And I take it in this context what is involved, and we’ll look at verses 11-12 together, they want to get married, verse 12, thus incurring condemnation because they’ve set aside their previous pledge. Some take this to mean that they gave a vow that they would not get married when they were enrolled, and then if they get married they have rejected that vow. I don’t think that’s the best way to take this.

Start at the end of verse 12, the word translated pledge is the word faith, some of your Bibles have a little number in front of pledge and in the margin it will say literally faith. The Greek word for faith ispistos. It’s basically the same word you had in verse 8, the last part of the verse where it referred to the one who has denied the faith and is worse than one who does not have faith. It’s always used of faith, the faith or faithfulness in the pastoral epistles. That’s the way it is used in the New Testament. I take it when it says at the end of verse 12, they incur condemnation because they have set aside their previous faith. And what is taking place here evidently, maybe with good intention, the church and this younger widow have entered into a relationship that the younger widow is going to be supported by the church. But she has the desires for sexual fulfillment that I Corinthians 7 talks about when you’re not gifted by God for singleness. And that leads her into marriage. Well why is marriage wrong? Paul is going to recommend marriage in a moment. Evidently this is a marriage in disregard of Christ, according to verse 11. That’s why in verse 15 he’ll talk about some of these widows have turned aside to follow Satan. Now because the desires come, the emotions get involved with the desires and she wants to marry evidently an unbeliever, someone who is not one she is allowed to marry. We are free to marry, but only in the Lord, as God’s children. Anytime a believer marries an unbeliever it is an act of defiant rebellion against God. It is a disregarding of Christ. It is a setting aside of their faith and denying their faith. Just like in verse 8, those who refuse or fail to support their widowed mothers or grandmothers, they have denied the faith. They are worse than those who don’t have faith. So those who, in the pursuit of fulfilling their sexual desires, would marry an unbeliever, they’ve disregarded Christ. They have denied their faith.

We are in the same context here, and we’re talking about actions that are resolved which really say, I reject what I claim to believe. And so instead of following Christ, they’re following Satan, according to verse 15. We like to think, well there is disobedience, there is obedience and then there is this middle area where I am. Well I probably shouldn’t marry this person and I doubt they’re a believer, but I think it will work out all right and I don’t think I’m being disobedient to God. Well quit thinking, obey. It is disobedience, God says. We’re like the Pharisees, we’re playing games and think we can nullify the Word of God and it’s all right with God. I mean we have young people, going to get married, they’re going to marry an unbeliever, but they’re sure it’s going to be all right. And sometimes we as parents cave in and think, well he’s a good man, she’s a nice girl. I have to have a serious talk with my son or daughter. You understand you are declaring your disregard for Christ, that you have decided to turn and follow Satan. Oh no, it’s not that, and I think it’s going to work out all right. Don’t tell me what you think. Let me tell you what God says. We find ways to put what we think above what God says. How are we different than those that Jesus condemned in Mark 7? He said this is just one example of the many things you do to put yourselves above God, to set aside His Word. This is a serious area.

So I take it that’s what he’s talking about, when they feel sensual desires, in disregard of Christ they want to get married. They’re pursuing marriage that is not proper. It is never proper for a believer to marry an unbeliever, you cannot be unequally
yoked. But it is right for them to be married, and it’s not right for them to be supported by the church. So we create that kind of problem.

There is a second problem created. At the same time, they also learn to be idle. They learn to be idle. You know we have that little saying, idleness is the devil’s workshop. You know our kids get to be teenagers, they’re going out and we say, where are you going? I’m going to go hang out at the mall. What are you going to do? I don’t know, we’ll sit around and figure out something. What’s your mind doing—nothing to do, sitting around equals potential trouble. Right? What did God say about us as His children? Idleness, hanging around, not doing what we should, trouble. So this is a second reason in addition to what he said. They also learn to be idle. They have time on their hands. Now they have time on their hands, they have the energy of youth and they have somebody paying the bills. How many young people get into trouble like that because their parents want to help them out? They go off to school or whatever and the parents are paying all the bills and they have more time on their hands than they should have and they don’t have to be concerned about income because somebody else is paying for it and the next thing, what? They are getting into things they shouldn’t,

So that’s the danger for these widows. Not merely idle, but also gossips and busybodies, talking about things not proper to mention. What are we going to do? Well they can’t watch the soaps, they didn’t have television. They can’t get on the phone, they didn’t have phones. So they go from house to house. I’m tired of sitting in the house, what am I going to do? They don’t have family to take care of; they don’t have to work because somebody else, the church, is paying the bills. So I guess I’ll go over and see what so-and-so is doing. And pretty soon they’re sitting around talking, and they’re not talking about profitable things because she doesn’t have kids to be cared for or a husband to care for or a house to keep up or bills to pay, everything is taken care of. So they are gossiping; they’re busybodies. Pretty soon they’re talking about things they shouldn’t be talking about, saying things about people that shouldn’t be said. We say, couldn’t young men get into this? Of course, they could. We’re talking about widows because if the young man’s wife dies, he’ll keep on working, probably, if he has a job. We’re talking here about who would be supported by the church—that’s the danger there. So what is a young widow to do?

Therefore, I want, he’s giving here instructions from God. Some people, some commentators, handle the Word rather loosely, they take passages like this where Paul says I want or it’s my opinion and say well that was just Paul giving advice. We can do that with any of the scripture because all the scripture was penned by human beings. But the Bible tells us that holy men of old spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. It was the Spirit within them speaking. So this is not just Paul’s Pharisaical rabbinical background coming out, it’s not just the prejudices of the day or the culture of the time. This is God’s plan, and Paul is God’s mouthpiece. Here’s what they are to do—get married. They evidently don’t have the gift of celibacy because they’ve already been married. I take it that was an indication of their desire for physical fulfillment in the marriage relationship. So they should get married again. God’s plan is marriage. We understand that. Genesis 2, it’s not good for the man to be alone, I’ll make a helper suitable for him. The man and the woman are made for each other, they complete each other, except for the grace gift of God, that’s what it’s called—a grace gift--in I Corinthians 7, of God—singleness, celibacy. Marriage is the plan. We have all kinds of reasons to set aside the Word of God. Even as adults today we want our kids to get their education; we want them to get their jobs; we want them to get financially set and established; we want, we want, we want. Then we wonder why we have immorality everywhere. Kids run off to the college campus and it turns into party life and sexual expression and we say, I don’t know what’s happening to youth today. Well part of the problem comes from the parents. We’ve set a different agenda. I’m not saying a man doesn’t have to learn to make a living, but we need to be careful we haven’t set priorities that are in conflict with the Word of God.

The younger women are to get married. Bear children. Now this is the word that means to give birth to children. In the marriage relationship children are part of the plan. Now in God’s plan a couple may get married and for God’s reasons He does not make it possible for them to have children. He’s sovereign in that, but in the general plan it’s children. I realize in our selfish, self-centered society they give all kinds of reasons why children are not necessary. They want to tell you how much a kid costs. Who would have kids if you figured out the cost first? It’s going to tie you down. You know one of the big differences when we had our first child? It used to be, I’d say to Marilyn, let’s go someplace and we’d get in the car and go. Then we had Greg—diapers, bottles, food. Pretty soon it’s not worth the trouble to go, we’ll just stay home. Plan of God in marriage is to have children; that will keep her busy. This is the focal point for the woman’s role in God’s plan. We saw that in chapter 2 verse 15, the women will be preserved through the bearing of children. Keep house. Oh boy, can you imagine this in our society? What do you think the role of the woman is? Housekeeper. I didn’t say it, I just read it. Keep house, keep house. It’s the word oiko despotane. Oiko is the word for house and despotane is the form of ....we bring it into English, despot. She’s the despot of the home, she runs the house.

Proverbs 31:27 says of the excellent wife, she looks well to the ways of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. The role of housewife and mother much demeaned today. I mentioned last week the article in the paper, concerned about the disparity between the wages of a man and a woman. And studies have shown the real cause of the disparity is the woman takes time off from her career and job to have children. And it’s not fair. We have to find a way to bring sameness to it. And what we’re really saying is this is just an interruption in the life of a woman, and it’s not fair that a man doesn’t have that interruption. What the world wants to do is make the man and the woman the same. But you understand the Bible says the role or realm and life of the woman is her home. And the men ought to know that. She’s the despot of the home, that’s her realm. Ultimately, as the man I am responsible there. I also understand my wife is best equipped in the managing of that household and keeping it going and caring for it.

One man who has an outstanding commentary on I Timothy, and it’s a paradox. Because what he has to say is very good, but you have to understand he doesn’t believe Paul wrote I Timothy. He believes it was written by a person who just claimed to be Paul much later. So he can write off what he doesn’t like in I Timothy by saying this man was just putting this in here for these reasons. But he is very good because he can deal with what is here, and he’s always clear on what it does say. Now he may find a reason to reject it, but regarding this he says, the widows are thus expected to spend their time in family life and domestic pursuit. What the scripture says is not foggy at all.

So this is what the young widow is to do. Give the enemy no occasion for reproach. Serious matter. Any time we do not function biblically, we open the door for the enemy. Human beings, but behind them all is the devil as we see in verse 15, to reproach our testimony for Christ. You see the issues here. You don’t do it God’s way; you’ve turned to a different road. There are only two roads, there are only two leaders. Jesus said he who is not with me is against me. We either obey God or we disobey God.
I remember as a child when I would disobey I would sometimes try to explain how my disobedience wasn’t really disobedience. Your children do that, you see through it, don’t you? What makes us think that God is somewhat befuddled. Looks pretty good, that’s what they’re doing, huh? I didn’t understand that, I thought they were being disobedient. Of course not, what kind of God would He be? Puts it right bluntly here. If they haven’t done what I’ve said here, they’ve turned aside to follow Satan. Now you see the church can add to this with good intentions, but bad theology. Oh we want to support all widows, and I can see younger widows are in a tight spot; we ought to put them on the roll too. They may have good intentions and our heart might be beating, but it’s bad. It’s bad for the church, and it’s bad for the people. We don’t overrule the Word of God by our sentiments, our feelings, why we think we have an exception.

If any woman who is a believer has dependent widows, she must assist them. The church must not be burdened so that it may assist those who are widows indeed. Now the woman is selected out here. If any woman who is a believer has dependent widows. We say, well why didn’t he just say anybody? Well in the realm, what is the woman’s realm? The home. In biblical times they didn’t have retirement centers; they didn’t have nursing homes; they didn’t have other alternatives. So you’re going to take care of a widowed mother, widowed grandmother, what did you do? You took her into your home. Who is responsible for the home? Read verse 14. Who is the despot of the house? The woman. So naturally, it is natural. So any woman who is a believer and has dependent widows, this comes into her realm. That’s her realm, that’s her role.

She must assist them so the church is not burdened, so they may help those who are widows indeed. If the church is not doing what it should do and is supporting the younger widows, that will mean it won’t have resources to do what it should do. It’s a simple pattern. The church is to be careful to function as it should. I wonder how God wants this family to work. Here are some instructions; here is what you are to do. Be careful, because in these areas that we would easily overlook, we can be guilty of denying our faith, disregarding Christ, setting aside what we have claimed to believe, and following after the devil. It’s happening in the church at Ephesus. We must be clear to be faithful to the Word of God, allow God to be the authority in our family, allow what He says to rule. And our goal is, by His grace to submit, obey, honor Him and thus
experience the fullness of His blessing. That’s the privilege that is ours as those who are members of His family through faith in His Son.

Let’s pray together. Thank you, Lord, for the greatness of your grace. Thank you, Lord for the provisions you have made for every area of life for us as your children. Thank you that we indeed are your family, that’s what the church is. Lord, we are privileged to live under your care and protection and authority. Thank you for these instructions regarding family life relating to widows. I pray that we might be careful to carry out our obligations, individually and as a church in a way that will enable you to bring the greatest blessing to our lives and to our ministry. We pray in Christ’s name, amen.