1 Timothy 5: Timothy 5:3-Paul Commands Timothy To Continue Making It His Habit Of Honoring Widows Who Really Need Help

Transcription

1 1 Timothy 5:3-4 1 Timothy 5:3-Paul Commands Timothy To Continue Making It His Habit Of Honoring Widows Who Really Need Help Review of 1 Timothy 5:1-2 In 1 Timothy 5:1, Paul instructs his young delegate Timothy as to how to conduct himself with regards to both older and younger men. 1 Timothy 5:1 Do not severely reprimand an older man but rather continue making it your habit of appealing to them as a father, younger men as brothers. (My translation) This verse contains a prohibition and is followed up with a command. The former tells Timothy what not to do with regards to older Christian men whereas the latter what he is to do with regards to not only older men but also younger men in the Christian community. An older man is the adjective presbuteros is not referring to overseers, i.e. pastor-teachers or those with the gift of administrations, i.e. leadership as it does in 1 Timothy 5:17 and 19. Rather the word in verse 1 is describing males in the Christian community who were older. This is indicated by the fact that the plural form of the word appears in verse 2 with reference to the older women in the Christian community. 1 Timothy 2:11-15 and 1 Timothy 3:1-7 make clear that women were prohibited from exercising authority and teaching men in the local assembly. Thus, the feminine form of presbuteros in verse 2 is referring to older women and not women pastors, i.e. overseers. Therefore, presbuteros in 1 Timothy 5:1 is referring to the older men in the Christian community. This word refers to a man who has reached his forties or was forty-six years of age or older The prohibition do not severely reprimand an older man is prohibiting Timothy severely reprimanding or rebuking an older Christian man. It makes no comment as to whether Timothy was in fact guilty of severely reprimanding older men in the Christian community. However, Paul s statements in 1 Timothy 1:3 and 4:6 indicate that Timothy was carrying out everything he wrote in this epistle. Thus, the prohibition here in 1 Timothy 5:1 is simply a reminder to Timothy to continue doing what they talked about before Paul left for Macedonia. Furthermore, Paul would not have delegated Timothy such a difficult task as the one in Ephesus unless he felt confident that his young delegate could carry out everything he required of him. But rather continue making it your habit of appealing to them as a father is a strong emphatic adversative clause and stands in direct contrast with the previous prohibition for Timothy to not severely reprimanding an older Christian 2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 1

2 man. This command calls for Timothy to appeal to older Christian men as if they were his father in the sense of showing the respect and honor as he would with his own father. Therefore, the emphatic contrast is between Timothy severely reprimanding an older Christian man and treating older Christian men as if they were his father, with all honor and respect. This command denotes that Timothy is to ask earnestly that an older Christian man abandon ungodly behavior in contrast to severely reprimanding him for this behavior. He is to appeal to older Christian men as if they were his own father, thus they were to be treated with the utmost respect and with honor. This command speaks of Timothy appealing to the older Christian men when they are conducting themselves in an ungodly fashion in the sense of bringing to their attention that such behavior is wrong but doing so by treating them with honor and respect so as to illicit a positive response to such an appeal. Paul s statements in 1 Timothy 1:3 and 4:6 indicate that Timothy was carrying out everything he wrote in this epistle including this command. Thus, this command here in 1 Timothy 5:1 is simply a reminder to Timothy to continue doing what they talked about before Paul left for Macedonia. Furthermore, Paul would not have delegated Timothy such a difficult task as the one in Ephesus unless he felt confident that his young delegate could carry out everything he required of him. Therefore, the present imperative is simply a reminder to Timothy to continue doing what Paul told him to do before he left for Macedonia. As a father marks the manner in which Timothy was to treat older Christian men. He was to treat them as if they were his own biological father. Thus, the implication is that he was to treat them with the utmost respect and with great honor since this was the case in Graeco-Roman society and the Jewish family in the first century. Younger men is the adjective neos, which refers to Christian men who have not reached the age of forty or forty-six which marked an older man. It is not referring to men younger than Timothy but those who were younger in comparison to those who were considered older by Graeco-Roman and Jewish society. As brothers marks the manner in which Timothy was to treat younger Christian men. He was to treat them as if they were his own biological brothers. The idea behind the word is that Timothy is to treat younger Christian men as his peers and not as inferiors. This however, does not diminish his authority as a pastor or as Paul s delegate to the Ephesian Christian community. The apostle Paul in 1 Timothy 5:2 continues his thought from 1 Timothy 5:1 by addressing Timothy s proper conduct with respect to older and younger women in the Christian community in Ephesus. 1 Timothy 5:2 Continue making it your habit of appealing to older women as mothers, younger women as sisters, with absolute purity. (My translation) 2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 2

3 This verse teaches that when the need arises, Timothy is ask earnestly older Christian women to abandon ungodly behavior in contrast to severely reprimanding them. It denotes that he is to ask earnestly younger Christian women to abandon ungodly behavior in contrast to severely reprimanding them. He is to appeal to older Christian women as if they were his own mother and younger Christian women as if they were his sisters. When the need arises, Paul wants Timothy to appeal to the older and younger Christian women when they are conducting themselves in an ungodly fashion in the sense of bringing to their attention that such behavior is wrong but doing so by treating them with honor and respect so as to illicit a positive response to such an appeal. Paul s statements in 1 Timothy 1:3 and 4:6 indicate that Timothy was carrying out everything he wrote in this epistle including this command in 1 Timothy 5:2. Thus, this command is simply a reminder to Timothy to continue doing what they talked about before Paul left for Macedonia. Furthermore, Paul would not have delegated Timothy such a difficult task as the one in Ephesus unless he felt confident that his young delegate could carry out everything he required of him. Therefore, this command is simply a reminder to Timothy to continue doing what Paul told him to do before he left for Macedonia. Older women is referring to those women who were either forty years of age and older or forty-six and older. As mothers marks the manner in which Timothy was to treat older Christian women. He was to treat older Christian women as if they were his own biological mother. Thus, the implication is that he was to treat them with the utmost respect and with great honor since this was the case in Graeco-Roman society and the Jewish family in the first century. Younger women refers to Christian women who have not yet reached the age of forty or forty-six, which marked an older women. It is not referring to women younger than Timothy but those who were younger in comparison to those who were considered older by Graeco-Roman and Jewish society. As sisters marks the manner in which Timothy was to treat younger Christian women. He was to treat them as if they were his own biological sisters. The idea behind the word is that Timothy is to treat younger Christian women as his peers and not as inferiors. This however, does not diminish his authority as a pastor or as Paul s delegate to the Ephesian Christian community. With absolute purity refers to Timothy conforming his behavior to the holy standards of the gospel with regards to women in the Ephesian Christian community. It refers to conforming one s behavior to the holy standards of the gospel with regards to sexual behavior. It denotes that sexual purity was the manner in which Timothy was to conduct himself with respect to younger 2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 3

4 Christian women. Paul wants Timothy to perfectly embody sexual purity with respect to younger Christian women. 1 Timothy 5:3-16 In 1 Timothy 5:3-16, the apostle Paul instructs Timothy with regards to handling the problems with widows. This discussion is the most extensive of any group in the entire epistle. This indicates that this was a significant problem in the Ephesian Christian community and expresses an urgency for this situation to be dealt with promptly and correctly. In this pericope, Paul identifies four different types of widows: (1) Real widows who are in need and have no relatives to support them financially and are at least sixty years of age and have lived a godly life (verses 3, 5, 9-10, 16b). (2) Widows who have relatives who can support them financially (verses 4, 8, 16a). (3) Widows who have a self-indulgent lifestyle (verses 6-7). (4) Young widows (verses 11-15). Paul teaches that only the first group is to be supported financially by the Ephesian Christian community. The relatives and the children of the second group were responsible to financially support this category of widows. The third group was not worthy of financial support. The fourth group was to remarry, not only so as to be supported by their husbands but to keep them occupied so that they do not become busybodies and gossips. The apostle did not want the church to waste its financial resources on people who were really not in need. Therefore, in 1 Timothy 5:3-16, the apostle Paul instructs Timothy as to which widows should be enrolled to receive benefits from the church and who should not. This is not an official order of widows because since this passage does not address the duties of widows but rather simply the qualifications that must be met by widows in order for them to be supported by the church. This compassionate concern for widows is rooted in the teaching of the Old Testament, which of course reflects the Lord s concern for them (Exodus 22:22; Deuteronomy 10:18; 14:29; 24:17; Psalm 94:6; Isaiah 1:17; Malachi 3:5) and was adopted by the first century apostolic church (Acts 6:1; James 1:27). In fact, the office of deacon in the first century apostolic church came into existence to deal with the problem of the caring of widows in the Christian community (Acts 6:1-10). Towner writes, In Jewish communities, the synagogue and wider community leadership provided an institutionally structured mechanism for ensuring that both daily and longer-term requirements of the needy were met. In the Graeco-Roman world, generally, the female obtained her status and social identity by virtue of being embedded in a male-first to her father, and then passing from his household 2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 4

5 and that embedding to embedding in her husband and is family. This was at least how things were understood in the traditional mainstream. As Malina explains Females are always perceived as embedded in some male unless they find themselves in the anomalous situation of being a widow or divorceé without kin. It is precisely this anomalous situation that Paul seeks to address, but an additional cultural trend outside the mainstream-that of the new Roman woman already considered in 1 Timothy 2:9-15-may make the background to this text still more anomalous. In any case, various solutions were open to the church to ensure that widows were not dishonored, and providing church support was only one of those options. The death of a husband raised questions about the disposition of the dowry (given by the wife s family to the husband for oversight). The widow might find herself without support if the dowry, as part of the husband s property, were to pass directly to his children, if she were too old or otherwise unable to remarry (the normal recourse), of if there were neither dowry nor family to provide for her needs. In such cases, the state would provide providential. But in Judaism and Greco-Roman society it was first the responsibility of the family to provide for its widows. (Towner, Philip H., The Letters to Timothy and Titus; pages ; William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company; Grand Rapids, MI, 2006; cited B. J. Malina, The New Testament World: Insights from Cultural Anthropology; rev. ed.; Louisville; Westminster/John Knox, 1993; page 143) 1 Timothy 5:3-16, Paul is emphasizing the need for discernment in the sense that the church was not responsible to care for every widow but rather only those who had no family or relatives to support them and were thus truly alone. This passage also harkens back to 1 Timothy 2:9-15 in that it rebukes women who were imitating the lifestyle of the new type of woman emerging in certain social circles in Rome and throughout the Empire. We call these women liberated here in the 21 st century. In 1 Timothy 5:3-16, Paul rejects such a lifestyle for a Christian woman and stipulated that it disqualifies Christian widows from receiving assistance from the church. 1 Timothy 5:3 Honor widows who are widows indeed; 4 but if any widow has children or grandchildren, they must first learn to practice piety in regard to their own family and to make some return to their parents; for this is acceptable in the sight of God. 5 Now she who is a widow indeed and who has been left alone, has fixed her hope on God and continues in entreaties and prayers night and day. 6 But she who gives herself to wanton pleasure is dead even while she lives. 7 Prescribe these things as well, so that they may be above reproach. 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. 9 A widow is to be put on the list only if she is not less than sixty years old, having been the wife of one man, 10 having a reputation for good 2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 5

6 works; and if she has brought up children, if she has shown hospitality to strangers, if she has washed the saints feet, if she has assisted those in distress, and if she has devoted herself to every good work. 11 But refuse to put younger widows on the list, for when they feel sensual desires in disregard of Christ, they want to get married, 12 thus incurring condemnation, because they have set aside their previous pledge. 13 At the same time they also learn to be idle, as they go around from house to house; and not merely idle, but also gossips and busybodies, talking about things not proper to mention. 14 Therefore, I want younger widows to get married, bear children, keep house, and give the enemy no occasion for reproach; 15 for some have already turned aside to follow Satan. 16 If any woman who is a believer has dependent widows, she must assist them and the church must not be burdened, so that it may assist those who are widows indeed. (NASU) Honoring Widows Who Truly Are In Need 1 Timothy 5:3 Honor widows who are widows indeed. (NASU) Verse 3 is composed of the accusative feminine plural form of the noun chera (χήρα) (hear-dah), widows which is followed by the second person singular present active imperative form of the verb timao (τιµάω) (tee-mah-owe), honor and then we have the articular accusative feminine plural form of the noun chera (χήρα) (hear-dah), widows as well as the adverb ontos (ὄντως) (on-dose), indeed. Asyndeton In 1 Timothy 5:3, once again, as he did in 1 Timothy 4:11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 and 5:1, Paul is employing the figure of asyndeton, which means that he is not using a connective word between the command in 1 Timothy 5:2 and the command in 1 Timothy 5:3. Paul uses this figure in order to emphasize the prohibition in 1 Timothy 5:3 in the sense that he wants Timothy to dwell upon it and obey it. This figure emphasizes the importance of this command for the Christian community in Ephesus. Chera The noun chera in Greek literature, as far back as Homer in the eighth century B.C. denoted a widow. It is often linked with orphanos, orphan. The word conveys the idea of being in need. The noun chera is the feminine form of the adjective cheros, which means deprived. Thus, the idea of chera is that of a 2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 6

7 woman deprived of her husband. One of the greatest fears of women in the ancient world according to Stahlin was becoming a widow (Theological Dictionary of the New Testament volume 9, page 442). Many women preferred to die at their spouse s grave rather than continue life without their husband. The reason for this attitude was that losing a husband to death meant that a woman often lost her sole sustainer, provider and protector. Chera appears 68 times in the Septuagint and almost always translates the Hebrew term ʾǎl mā nā(h), widow. Sometimes it describes a woman separated from her husband or a woman without a husband (LXX 2 Kings 20:3). However, the majority of instances the word simply means widow. In the Old Testament, widows along with orphans, strangers and the poor helped to compose a group of disadvantaged people in Israel (Exodus 22:21-22; Isaiah 1:23; 10:2; Jeremiah 5:28). God in His grace made special provisions for the protection of this group (Leviticus 22:13; Deuteronomy 10:18). For instance, during the harvest, field gleanings were to be left for the widow and the orphan (Deuteronomy 24:19-22). Also, the levirate marriage was put into effect when a widow was also without a male child (Deuteronomy 25:5-10). The Lord promised that He would personally uphold and defend the rights of the widow (Deuteronomy 10:18; Proverbs 15:25). However, despite these provisions for the protection and maintaining the rights of the widow in Israel, the Old Testament reveals that the widow had a difficult time of it. They were exploited and abused (Isaiah 1:23; Ezekiel 22:7). Thus, widowhood was considered by many to be a reproach (Isaiah 4:1). The noun chera occurs 26 times in the New Testament. The Lord Jesus Christ demonstrated great compassion for the widow not only in His dealings with them (Luke 7:11-15) but also this compassion is reflect in His teaching concerning them (Luke 7:11-15; 18:1-8) and His denunciation of the scribes and Pharisees for exploiting them (Luke 20:47; cf. Matthew 23:14; Mark 12:40). The early first century apostolic church demonstrated great concern for the care of widows according to Acts 6:1-6 (cf. James 1:27). In 1 Timothy 5:3, the noun chera appears twice and in both instances, the word means widow referring to a woman whose husband has died. Specifically, it refers to a special category of widows, namely those who are not receiving financial and material support from their children or relatives. It refers to those who are in need financially because they have no children or relatives to support them financially and are at least sixty years of age and have lived a godly life (verses 3, 5, 9-10, 16b). This indicated by the adverb ontos, indeed, which modifies chera. Also it is indicated by the qualifications that are listed in verses 3, 5 and Therefore, in 1 Timothy 5:3, the noun chera refers to a widow who is 2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 7

8 in legitimate need of financial or material support from the Christian community because of having no children or relatives to provide for her. The first time that the word is used by Paul in 1 Timothy 5:3, it functions as an accusative direct object meaning that it is receiving the action of the verb timao, honor. The second time it functions as an accusative of simple apposition meaning that the word stands apposite to the first instance of the word. In this second use the word is articular with the article functioning in an anaphoric sense meaning that it is pointing back to the first instance of the word indicating that the same meaning is retained in the second instance of the word. We will translate the first use of chera, widows and the second as those who are widows. Timao The verb timao in classical Greek means to honor, revere, respect and refers to honor or respect bestowed upon someone or something. It was used of men showing respect, honor, reverence to the gods or even of gods bestowing honor and respect upon man. From this sense comes the meaning to reward, to give honors to (Liddell-Scott, page 1793). Timao can also mean to esteem, to value, to prize when it is used of things. It is often used as a legal term in the active form meaning to estimate the amount of punishment, to award the penalty, along with other various shades of meaning. Moulton and Milligan also contend that the word had the idea of setting a value, a price in the non-legal sense (Pages ). Timao occurs 46 times in the Septuagint, nearly half of these are non-canonical. Most of the time the word translates the Hebrew kā ḇēḏ, which means to be honored in Proverbs 13:18; 27:18; Isaiah 28:13) or to honor (Isaiah 8:23). It used in Exodus 20:12 and Deuteronomy 5:16 to honor one s father and mother. The verb appears 21 times in the New Testament. Six of which are used in the command to honor one s father and mother (Matthew 15:4; 19:19; Mark 7:10; 10:1; Luke 18:20; Ephesians 6:2). In 1 Timothy 5:3, the verb timao refers to providing for someone financially as a means of showing due respect (Analytical Lexicon of the Greek New Testament; Timothy Friberg; Barbara Friberg; Neva F. Miller). Louw and Nida define the word to give assistance to, to provide for the needs of as a sign of respect, to support and honor, to provide aid or financial assistance with the implication that this is an appropriate means of showing respect. (57.117). Towner writes, A reference to the acknowledgment of respect clearly does not do full justice to the intention of the passage. On the one hand, it would be unlikely that Paul would restrict respect in this sense only to one category of widow. On the other hand, the passage draws out the implication of honor in very material terms. Consequently, while it is incorrect to interpret the verb as commanding 2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 8

9 payment to qualified widows, honor should be understood to mean something like provide the support that honor demands. That is to say, the subtext of the honor command is explicitly material. This is borne out additionally by the parallel statement in versed 16b, where honor, already developed in terms of practical support (verses 4, 8), is paraphrased with a verb meaning to assist or aid. (ibid., pages ). Therefore, in 1 Timothy 5:3, the verb timao means to honor in the sense of providing for widows financially who have no children or relatives to support them. This is clearly indicated by the verb apodidomi and the noun amoibe that appear in 1 Timothy 5:4. The former implies payment of an incurred obligation and the latter refers to that which is given as a means of repayment. Furthermore, that timao involves the idea of providing material and financial assistance is further indicated by the verb eparkeo, assist that appears twice in 1 Timothy 5:16 and refers to providing assistance materially and financially. Also, Acts 6:1-6 reveals the early first century apostolic church understood that to honor a widow was to provide for her needs materially. Lastly, in Matthew 15:4 and 6, the verb is used of honoring one s mother and father but the context indicates quite clearly that the word expresses a financial idea of setting a price, even an honorarium. The Lord made clear that the fifth commandment involved financial support of one s parents (Matthew 15:5-6; Mark 7:11-12). Mounce citing Winter also draws attention the legal providential, which refers to the rules pertaining to a woman s dowry (Tyndale Bulletin; 1988; 83-99). Mounce writes, The dowry was part of the legal requirement of marriage, and Greek and Roman laws were specific in how the dowry was to be managed after the husband s death. A person was placed in charge of the dowry, perhaps a son. The widow could remain in her husband s home or return to her parents home along with the dowry. There were also laws requiring children to care for their parents. From this background two points are clarified. (1) Some of the people in the Ephesian church who were responsible for a widow s dowry were evidently not doing their job. It is even possible that this was caused by the Ephesian heresy. (2) Many of the widows may have come from the poor class, and their dowry was insufficient to support them (or there was no dowry). These widows would be the primary recipients of the church s generosity. (Mounce, William D., The Word Biblical Commentary, volume 46, Pastoral Epistles, page 279; Thomas Nelson, 2000) The present imperative form of the verb timao is a customary present imperative whose force is for Timothy to simply continue making it his habit of honoring those women who are widows and are in need of material and financial aid due to having no children or relatives to support them. It is a command for action to be continued, action that may or may not have already been going on. It is 2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 9

10 often a character building command to the effect of make this your habit, train yourself in this, discipline yourself. This is the use of the present imperative in general precepts. The present imperative of timao means, to continue making it your habit of honoring those women who are widows and are in need of material and financial aid due to having no children or relatives to support them. Paul s statements in 1 Timothy 1:3 and 4:6 indicate that Timothy was carrying out everything he wrote in this epistle including this command. Thus, this command here in 1 Timothy 5:3 is simply a reminder to Timothy to continue doing what they talked about before Paul left for Macedonia. Furthermore, Paul would not have delegated Timothy such a difficult task as the one in Ephesus unless he felt confident that his young delegate could carry out everything he required of him. Therefore, the present imperative is simply a reminder to Timothy to continue doing what Paul told him to do before he left for Macedonia. The active voice is a simple active indicating that Timothy as the subject is to continue making it his habit of honoring those women who are widows and are in need of material and financial aid due to having no children or relatives to support them. We will translate the verb timao, Continue making it your habit of honoring. Ontos The adverb ontos means truly and is describing those widows that do not have children or relatives to support them financially and materially. The word contains the idea that these widows are such in the truest sense meaning that they meet the qualifications presented by Paul in this pericope making them eligible for financial aid from the church. It does not deny that others are widows in the normal sense of the word but rather it is used to signify those who qualify for the church s care. (Knight, George W. III, The Pastoral Epistles: A Commentary on the Greek Text; page 216; William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., Grand Rapids, Michigan/Cambridge, U.K., The Paternoster Press; Bletchley). Translation of 1 Timothy 5:3 1 Timothy 5:3 Continue making it your habit of honoring widows who are truly widows. (My translation) Summary of 1 Timothy 5:3 This verse begins a pericope that ends in 1 Timothy 5:16 and addresses the issue of which widows in the Ephesian Christian community who were eligible to 2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 10

11 receive financial as well as material aid from the church. It contains the figure of asyndeton in order to emphasize the prohibition in 1 Timothy 5:3 in the sense that he wants Timothy to dwell upon it and obey it. This figure emphasizes the importance of this command for the Christian community in Ephesus. Widows refers to a woman whose husband has died. Specifically, it refers to a special category of widows, namely those who are not receiving financial and material support from their children or relatives. It refers to those who are in need financially because they have no children or relatives to support them financially and are at least sixty years of age and have lived a godly life (verses 3, 5, 9-10, 16b). Continue making it your habit of honoring refers to providing for widows financially who have no children or relatives to support them as an expression of honoring them. Paul s statements in 1 Timothy 1:3 and 4:6 indicate that Timothy was carrying out everything he wrote in this epistle including this command. Thus, this command here in 1 Timothy 5:3 is simply a reminder to Timothy to continue doing what they talked about before Paul left for Macedonia. It is simply a reminder to Timothy to continue doing what Paul told him to do before he left for Macedonia. Who are truly widows refers to those widows who meet the qualifications presented by Paul in this pericope making them eligible for financial aid from the church but does not deny that other widows are not in the normal sense of the word William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 11

12 1 Timothy 5:4-A Widow s Own Children Or Grandchildren Are Obligated Financially To Take Care Of Her And Repay Her For This Pleases God Review of 1 Timothy 5:1-3 In 1 Timothy 5:1, Paul instructs his young delegate Timothy as to how to conduct himself with regards to both older and younger men. 1 Timothy 5:1 Do not severely reprimand an older man but rather continue making it your habit of appealing to them as a father, younger men as brothers. (My translation) This verse contains a prohibition and is followed up with a command. The former tells Timothy what not to do with regards to older Christian men whereas the latter what he is to do with regards to not only older men but also younger men in the Christian community. An older man is the adjective presbuteros is not referring to overseers, i.e. pastor-teachers or those with the gift of administrations, i.e. leadership as it does in 1 Timothy 5:17 and 19. Rather the word in verse 1 is describing males in the Christian community who were older. This is indicated by the fact that the plural form of the word appears in verse 2 with reference to the older women in the Christian community. 1 Timothy 2:11-15 and 1 Timothy 3:1-7 make clear that women were prohibited from exercising authority and teaching men in the local assembly. Thus, the feminine form of presbuteros in verse 2 is referring to older women and not women pastors, i.e. overseers. Therefore, presbuteros in 1 Timothy 5:1 is referring to the older men in the Christian community. This word refers to a man who has reached his forties or was forty-six years of age or older The prohibition do not severely reprimand an older man is prohibiting Timothy severely reprimanding or rebuking an older Christian man. It makes no comment as to whether Timothy was in fact guilty of severely reprimanding older men in the Christian community. However, Paul s statements in 1 Timothy 1:3 and 4:6 indicate that Timothy was carrying out everything he wrote in this epistle. Thus, the prohibition here in 1 Timothy 5:1 is simply a reminder to Timothy to continue doing what they talked about before Paul left for Macedonia. Furthermore, Paul would not have delegated Timothy such a difficult task as the one in Ephesus unless he felt confident that his young delegate could carry out everything he required of him. But rather continue making it your habit of appealing to them as a father is a strong emphatic adversative clause and stands in direct contrast with the previous prohibition for Timothy to not severely reprimanding an older Christian man. This command calls for Timothy to appeal to older Christian men as if they were his father in the sense of showing the respect and honor as he would with his 2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 12

13 own father. Therefore, the emphatic contrast is between Timothy severely reprimanding an older Christian man and treating older Christian men as if they were his father, with all honor and respect. This command denotes that Timothy is to ask earnestly that an older Christian man abandon ungodly behavior in contrast to severely reprimanding him for this behavior. He is to appeal to older Christian men as if they were his own father, thus they were to be treated with the utmost respect and with honor. This command speaks of Timothy appealing to the older Christian men when they are conducting themselves in an ungodly fashion in the sense of bringing to their attention that such behavior is wrong but doing so by treating them with honor and respect so as to illicit a positive response to such an appeal. Paul s statements in 1 Timothy 1:3 and 4:6 indicate that Timothy was carrying out everything he wrote in this epistle including this command. Thus, this command here in 1 Timothy 5:1 is simply a reminder to Timothy to continue doing what they talked about before Paul left for Macedonia. Furthermore, Paul would not have delegated Timothy such a difficult task as the one in Ephesus unless he felt confident that his young delegate could carry out everything he required of him. Therefore, the present imperative is simply a reminder to Timothy to continue doing what Paul told him to do before he left for Macedonia. As a father marks the manner in which Timothy was to treat older Christian men. He was to treat them as if they were his own biological father. Thus, the implication is that he was to treat them with the utmost respect and with great honor since this was the case in Graeco-Roman society and the Jewish family in the first century. Younger men is the adjective neos, which refers to Christian men who have not reached the age of forty or forty-six which marked an older man. It is not referring to men younger than Timothy but those who were younger in comparison to those who were considered older by Graeco-Roman and Jewish society. As brothers marks the manner in which Timothy was to treat younger Christian men. He was to treat them as if they were his own biological brothers. The idea behind the word is that Timothy is to treat younger Christian men as his peers and not as inferiors. This however, does not diminish his authority as a pastor or as Paul s delegate to the Ephesian Christian community. The apostle Paul in 1 Timothy 5:2 continues his thought from 1 Timothy 5:1 by addressing Timothy s proper conduct with respect to older and younger women in the Christian community in Ephesus. 1 Timothy 5:2 Continue making it your habit of appealing to older women as mothers, younger women as sisters, with absolute purity. (My translation) This verse teaches that when the need arises, Timothy is ask earnestly older Christian women to abandon ungodly behavior in contrast to severely 2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 13

14 reprimanding them. It denotes that he is to ask earnestly younger Christian women to abandon ungodly behavior in contrast to severely reprimanding them. He is to appeal to older Christian women as if they were his own mother and younger Christian women as if they were his sisters. When the need arises, Paul wants Timothy to appeal to the older and younger Christian women when they are conducting themselves in an ungodly fashion in the sense of bringing to their attention that such behavior is wrong but doing so by treating them with honor and respect so as to illicit a positive response to such an appeal. Paul s statements in 1 Timothy 1:3 and 4:6 indicate that Timothy was carrying out everything he wrote in this epistle including this command in 1 Timothy 5:2. Thus, this command is simply a reminder to Timothy to continue doing what they talked about before Paul left for Macedonia. Furthermore, Paul would not have delegated Timothy such a difficult task as the one in Ephesus unless he felt confident that his young delegate could carry out everything he required of him. Therefore, this command is simply a reminder to Timothy to continue doing what Paul told him to do before he left for Macedonia. Older women is referring to those women who were either forty years of age and older or forty-six and older. As mothers marks the manner in which Timothy was to treat older Christian women. He was to treat older Christian women as if they were his own biological mother. Thus, the implication is that he was to treat them with the utmost respect and with great honor since this was the case in Graeco-Roman society and the Jewish family in the first century. Younger women refers to Christian women who have not yet reached the age of forty or forty-six, which marked an older women. It is not referring to women younger than Timothy but those who were younger in comparison to those who were considered older by Graeco-Roman and Jewish society. As sisters marks the manner in which Timothy was to treat younger Christian women. He was to treat them as if they were his own biological sisters. The idea behind the word is that Timothy is to treat younger Christian women as his peers and not as inferiors. This however, does not diminish his authority as a pastor or as Paul s delegate to the Ephesian Christian community. With absolute purity refers to Timothy conforming his behavior to the holy standards of the gospel with regards to women in the Ephesian Christian community. It refers to conforming one s behavior to the holy standards of the gospel with regards to sexual behavior. It denotes that sexual purity was the manner in which Timothy was to conduct himself with respect to younger Christian women. Paul wants Timothy to perfectly embody sexual purity with respect to younger Christian women William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 14

15 In 1 Timothy 5:3-16, the apostle Paul instructs Timothy with regards to handling the problems with widows. This discussion is the most extensive of any group in the entire epistle. This indicates that this was a significant problem in the Ephesian Christian community and expresses an urgency for this situation to be dealt with promptly and correctly. In this pericope, Paul identifies four different types of widows: (1) Real widows who are in need and have no relatives to support them financially and are at least sixty years of age and have lived a godly life (verses 3, 5, 9-10, 16b). (2) Widows who have relatives who can support them financially (verses 4, 8, 16a). (3) Widows who have a self-indulgent lifestyle (verses 6-7). (4) Young widows (verses 11-15). Paul teaches that only the first group is to be supported financially by the Ephesian Christian community. The relatives and the children of the second group were responsible to financially support this category of widows. The third group was not worthy of financial support. The fourth group was to remarry, not only so as to be supported by their husbands but to keep them occupied so that they do not become busybodies and gossips. The apostle did not want the church to waste its financial resources on people who were really not in need. Therefore, in 1 Timothy 5:3-16, the apostle Paul instructs Timothy as to which widows should be enrolled to receive benefits from the church and who should not. This is not an official order of widows because since this passage does not address the duties of widows but rather simply the qualifications that must be met by widows in order for them to be supported by the church. This compassionate concern for widows is rooted in the teaching of the Old Testament, which of course reflects the Lord s concern for them (Exodus 22:22; Deuteronomy 10:18; 14:29; 24:17; Psalm 94:6; Isaiah 1:17; Malachi 3:5) and was adopted by the first century apostolic church (Acts 6:1; James 1:27). In fact, the office of deacon in the first century apostolic church came into existence to deal with the problem of the caring of widows in the Christian community (Acts 6:1-10). 1 Timothy 5:3-16, Paul is emphasizing the need for discernment in the sense that the church was not responsible to care for every widow but rather only those who had no family or relatives to support them and were thus truly alone. 1 Timothy 5:3 Continue making it your habit of honoring widows who are truly widows. (My translation) This verse begins a pericope that ends in 1 Timothy 5:16 and addresses the issue of which widows in the Ephesian Christian community who were eligible to receive financial as well as material aid from the church. It contains the figure of asyndeton in order to emphasize the prohibition in 1 Timothy 5:3 in the sense 2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 15

16 that he wants Timothy to dwell upon it and obey it. This figure emphasizes the importance of this command for the Christian community in Ephesus. Widows refers to a woman whose husband has died. Specifically, it refers to a special category of widows, namely those who are not receiving financial and material support from their children or relatives. It refers to those who are in need financially because they have no children or relatives to support them financially and are at least sixty years of age and have lived a godly life (verses 3, 5, 9-10, 16b). Continue making it your habit of honoring refers to providing for widows financially who have no children or relatives to support them as an expression of honoring them. Paul s statements in 1 Timothy 1:3 and 4:6 indicate that Timothy was carrying out everything he wrote in this epistle including this command. Thus, this command here in 1 Timothy 5:3 is simply a reminder to Timothy to continue doing what they talked about before Paul left for Macedonia. It is simply a reminder to Timothy to continue doing what Paul told him to do before he left for Macedonia. Who are truly widows refers to those widows who meet the qualifications presented by Paul in this pericope making them eligible for financial aid from the church but does not deny that other widows are not in the normal sense of the word. Taking Care of Widows is the Responsibility of Their Children and Grandchildren The apostle Paul in 1 Timothy 5:4 teaches that the children and grandchildren of a widow must learn to fulfill their obligation to her and so repay her what they owe her, which is pleasing in the sight of God. 1 Timothy 5:3 Honor widows who are widows indeed; 4 but if any widow has children or grandchildren, they must first learn to practice piety in regard to their own family and to make some return to their parents; for this is acceptable in the sight of God. (NASU) But if any widow has children or grandchildren is composed of the conjunction de (δέ) (theh), but and the conditional particle ei (εἰ) (ee), if and the nominative feminine singular form of the indefinite pronoun tis (τις) (teece), any followed by the nominative feminine singular form of the noun chera (χήρα) (hear-dah), widow and then we have the accusative neuter plural form of the noun teknon (τέκνον) (tek-known), children and the particle of separation e (ἡ) (ee), or and the accusative neuter plural form of the adjective ekgonos (ἔκγονον) (ekkoe-noce), grandchildren and the third person singular present active indicative form of the verb echo (ἒχω) (eh-ho), has William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 16

17 De The conjunction de is introducing a mild contrast between Paul s command in verse 3 with his command in verse 4. In verse 3, he commanded Timothy to continue making it his habit of honoring widows in the sense of providing financial support for those widows who do not have children or relatives to help them. Now, in verse 4, he commands that the children and grandchildren of widows must learn to exercise godliness in their own family. In other words, they are obligated to repay their mother or grandmother for this is pleasing in the sight of God. Therefore, the contrast is between the Christian community in Ephesus providing for widows who do not have children or relatives to support them and not having to do so for those who do possess children or grandchildren. We will translate de, however. First Class Condition The conditional particle ei introduces a protasis of a first class condition that indicates the assumption of truth for the sake of argument. It is employed with the indicative mood of the verb echo, has to explicitly convey a protasis of a first class condition that indicates the assumption of truth for the sake of argument. However, the apodasis is introduced implicitly meaning without a structural marker, thus we will insert the word then into our translation before the apodasis statement in order to account for this. The idea behind the first class condition is not since but rather, if-and let us assume that it is true for the sake of argument that, then... This would encourage Paul s audience to respond and come to the conclusion of the apodosis since they already agreed with him on the protasis. Therefore, Paul is employing the first class condition as a tool of persuasion with his audience. Paul s audience would respond to his protasis. Here the protasis is if and let assume that it is true for the sake argument that any widow has children or grandchildren. The audience would respond that there were Christian widows who did have children and grandchildren. The apodasis is (then) these children and grandchildren must first learn to exercise godliness in their own family. In other words, they are obligated to repay their mother or grandmother. The basic relation that the protasis has to the apodasis is evidence-inference. The evidence is a widow having children or grandchildren and the inference is that these children and grandchildren must first learn to exercise godliness in their own family or in other words, they are to repay their mother and grandmother William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 17

18 Therefore, we will translate or paraphrase the conditional particle ei, if, and let us assume that it is true for the sake of argument that and we agree that there are then Indefinite Pronoun Tis The indefinite pronoun tis is used as an adjective since it is modifying the noun chera, widow and thus refers to a Christian widow without further identification. It speaks of no particular Christian widow. She is hypothetical. Paul s use of tis here indicates that this conditional clause is presenting an eternal spiritual truth. We will translate the word some. Chera As was the case in 1 Timothy 5:3, where the word appeared twice, the noun chera in 1 Timothy 5:4 means widow referring to a woman whose husband has died. However, unlike verse 3, the word refers to those widows who have children or grandchildren who can support them in contrast to those mentioned in verse 3 who do not have children or relatives to support them. Therefore, it refers to a Christian widow who does not qualify to receive financial aid from the Christian community in Ephesus. The word is a nominative subject meaning that it is performing the action of the verb echo, has. We will translate chera, widow. Echo The verb echo denotes the possession of persons to whom one has a close relationship with. Here it refers to the children that a Christian widow possesses. The present tense of the verb is a gnomic present, which is used to describe something that does take place. It indicates that a hypothetical Christian widow that does possess children or grandchildren who can support her financially. The gnomic present indicates that Paul is referring to a hypothetical Christian widow in order to teach a spiritual principle that is always applicable for Christians. The present tense is also a customary or stative present used to signal an ongoing state. This indicates that a Christian widow that does exist in a state of possessing children or grandchildren who can support her. The active voice is also stative indicating that the subject exists in the state indicated by the verb echo. This indicates that a hypothetical Christian widow who does exist in the state of possessing children or grandchildren who can support her William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 18

19 The indicative mood is employed with the conditional particle ei in order to convey explicitly the protasis of a first class condition that indicates the assumption of the truth for the sake of argument. We will translate echo, does possess. Teknon The noun teknon means children and speaks of one s own immediate offspring but without specific reference to sex or age (Louw and Nida, 10.36). The word speaks of offspring of Christian widows. Here in 1 Timothy 5:4, the word is used in a literal sense speaking of the offspring or children of no particular Christian widow or a hypothetical Christian widow. The word is an accusative direct object meaning that it is receiving the action of the verb echo. We will translate the word children. Particle of Separation The particle of separation e introduces a second group of individuals that are related to the first. This second group is the grandchildren of a hypothetical Christian widow and who are directly related to the children of the widow because they are of course the offspring of the children of the widow. We will translate the word or. Ekgonos This term denotes one who has sprung from or born of and is often rendered descendants. Specifically, it is rendered grandchildren. Here it refers to the grandchildren of Christian widows. Like teknon, children, ekgonos is an accusative direct object receiving the action of the verb echo, does possess. A Widow s Children and Grandchildren Must Learn to Practice Godliness 1 Timothy 5:3 Honor widows who are widows indeed; 4 but if any widow has children or grandchildren, they must first learn to practice piety in regard to their own family and to make some return to their parents; for this is acceptable in the sight of God. (NASU) They must first learn to practice piety in regard to their own family is composed of the third person plural present active imperative form of the verb manthano (µανθάνω) (mahn-thano), must learn and this is followed by the adverb protos (πρῶτος) (pro-toce), first and then we have the articular 2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 19