1 Timothy 5:1-25 Godly Honor

1 Timothy 5:1-25 Godly Honor

As we continue through the book of 1 Timothy, we come to the place where we need to talk about how we should give honor to those in the church who have authority. The fact is that although we are all brothers and sisters in Christ, there is a system. We still give respect to those who are older than us.

In today’s society, there is an increasing desire to not honor those who have gone before us. The selfishness that promotes beauty and youth seem to help people neglect those around us whom the Bible called for us to care. In this section, we have two groups: the elderly and the elders.

In this case, we have instruction from Paul concerning how we correct each other. In this case, Paul urges Timothy to treat people with respect. This is the guiding principle behind Godly honor – treating people with the respect and dignity that is due to them.

“Do not rebuke an older man, but exhort him as a father, younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, and with all propriety, the younger women as sisters.” (1 Timothy 5:1–2, HCSB)

THE ELDERLY

Let’s start with the widows, in a class of people called the elderly. In this case, we have a set of specific regulations about who qualifies to be a widow. The fact that there are qualifications, which in cases mirror other qualifications for deacons and elders, proves that widows were a special class, even office in the church. The church placed a high value in the widow. Perhaps it comes from the Old Testament temple system, enhanced by Jesus’ teachings.

A widow by this definition is someone who has no support. No support from the family. While in today’s society, there is governmental support, it is often not enough. We have to work to help the elderly in our church. We do provide Bible studies and an occasional dinner. However, the Bible shows that it was the deacons who actually took care of the widows.

“In those days, as the number of the disciples was multiplying, there arose a complaint by the Hellenistic Jews against the Hebraic Jews that their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution. Then the Twelve summoned the whole company of the disciples and said, “It would not be right for us to give up preaching about God to handle financial matters. Therefore, brothers, select from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and wisdom, whom we can appoint to this duty.” (Acts 6:1–3, HCSB)

When you look at the beginning, it was the deacons who served the widows. Can you imagine that? God placed in his church the role of helping the widows in the church to the deacons. This is the connection between deacons and widows. It is interesting that we have qualifications for elders and deacons in 1 Timothy 3. Now, we have qualifications for widows and instructions for following elders 1 Timothy 5. Why is that? I believe it is because designed the deacons to serve the widows and that the elders were designed in the church to lead and feed spiritually.

Frankly, the idea that the pastor should visit the elderly widows is false. That is a deacon’s job. The sick are called to come to the elders for prayer and healing in James 5. While the pastor makes hospital visits for that reason, it is actually the responsibility of the sick family to call the elder. The elderly call out for help. The widows call for the deacons. The sick elderly call out for the pastor.

Support mechanism for widows (1 Timothy 5:3-8)

1. They must be real widows

“Support widows who are genuinely widows.” (1 Timothy 5:3, HCSB)

Those who don’t get support from their family qualifies for support through the church. Those who are widows should first turn to their family for support.

Women who have support from their family are not considered true widows.

“But if any widow has children or grandchildren, they must learn to practice godliness toward their own family first and to repay their parents, for this pleases God. The real widow, left all alone, has put her hope in God and continues night and day in her petitions and prayers;” (1 Timothy 5:4–5, HCSB)

So a true widow gets support from the church because she cannot get support anywhere else.

2. They need to be faithful witness.

“The real widow, left all alone, has put her hope in God and continues night and day in her petitions and prayers; however, she who is self-indulgent is dead even while she lives. Command this also, so they won’t be blamed.” (1 Timothy 5:5–7, HCSB)

“There was also a prophetess, Anna, a daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was well along in years, having lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, and was a widow for 84 years. She did not leave the temple complex, serving God night and day with fasting and prayers.” (Luke 2:36–37, HCSB)

She should not be pursuing selfish interests. Instead, she should be faithful to God. By Paul’s definition, a worldly widow is a dead woman, even though she is alive. She is dead because she is not serving God. A widow is a woman who has served the family and the husband and now serves God.

WARNING: Supporters of widows who stop supporting

“But if anyone does not provide for his own, that is his own household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” (1 Timothy 5:8, HCSB)

At this point, Paul warns the people who support widows in the family. He warns that if they stop supporting the elderly in their family, then he is not a Christian. It is a Christian duty to take care of the elderly. First through the family, next through the church, and finally through the state.

3. They need to be old enough to be a widow (1 Timothy 5:9-15)

The emphasis in this section is about age. A true widow is someone who cannot remarry. Younger women who lose a husband, women who can still bear children, can remarry. However, after the point of being able to produce children, they become widows. There are different qualifications, but they seem to center around circumstances of age.

THE ELDERS

1. Paying elders.

“The elders who are good leaders should be considered worthy of an ample honorarium, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching. For the Scripture says: Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain, and, the worker is worthy of his wages.” (1 Timothy 5:17–18, HCSB)

While payment of elders is not expected in every situation, these verses describe the attitude of the church to paying elders. When one church pays elders, they idea is that they are doing a specialized work. Those who are preachers and teachers are expected to be paid well. In today’s world, when many people can look to other pastors from the Internet and on television, it is necessary that a church invests in their pastors.

2. Disciplining elders.

“Don’t accept an accusation against an elder unless it is supported by two or three witnesses. Publicly rebuke those who sin, so that the rest will also be afraid. I solemnly charge you before God and Christ Jesus and the elect angels to observe these things without prejudice, doing nothing out of favoritism.” (1 Timothy 5:19–21, HCSB)

Here is the procedure outlined by Paul for disciplining elders. It should be a process of restoration:

It should be based on facts from witnesses, not rumors.

Many churches conduct a kangaroo court based on rumors. A person who is in control and a bully will try to make up accusations – many of them unbiblical. This is why the church should have a minimum of two and at best three witnesses. In this case, Paul refers to the elect angels. He is probably drawing on the image of the heavenly court.

It should be public so that others may fear the consequences.

These kinds of disciplinary procedures should be done in the open, not in the backroom of the church.

It should be done without favoritism.

Many people use discipline procedures to get other people on their side. People in the church play politics with their leaders and it is despicable.

3. Maturing of the elders.

Elders should be set apart from sin and from immaturity.

“Don’t be too quick to appoint anyone as an elder, and don’t share in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure.” (1 Timothy 5:22, HCSB)

Appointing elders should never be a rush job. The church should take its time with elders. Pastors who are called to appoint other elders should not appoint elders because of previous sin problems. They elders should stay above reproach and pure.

Elders should have accountability.

“Don’t continue drinking only water, but use a little wine because of your stomach and your frequent illnesses. Some people’s sins are obvious, going before them to judgment, but the sins of others surface later.” (1 Timothy 5:23–24, HCSB)

Here, Paul gives Timothy some medical advice and tells him to take care of his illnesses. However, that does not mean that Timothy was to be a drunkard. I think that one can see the relationship between using a little wine and addiction here. Some people use too much liquor and the addiction shows up later.

This is especially true with pornography. An elder is called to be pure. He is called to be careful and not share in the sins of others. He is called to be a leader who works mostly in isolation, a self-starter to can also get things done. With all of this pressure, secret sins can crop up. This brings out the need for accountability.

Elders should bear fruit in their ministry.

“Likewise, good works are obvious, and those that are not obvious cannot remain hidden.” (1 Timothy 5:25, HCSB)

Just as sin will not remain hidden forever, good works should not remain hidden forever. When an elder leads the church, the church should see the fruit of their labor in time. This may include baptisms, deeper discipleship, financial stewardship, and eventually increased kingdom growth.