Why do we no longer do This?

 

1 Timothy 5:1-16

“Do not rebuke an older man but encourage him as you would a father.  Treat younger men like brothers, older women like mothers, younger women like sisters, in all purity.”

If you were born in the forties or fifties, this Scripture above seems like a no brainier, that is what your mother and dad had taught you from a child, but since that time it sure seems like it has not been taught at home or at school.  Paul is talking about the church, but most of us were taught it applied to all walks of life.  Our society is often discourteous to older people, the apostle Paul in his letter to the churches at Colossae gave this insight; “Conduct yourselves wisely toward outsiders making the best use of the time.  Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.” (Colossians 4: 5,6,)

But as Christians, we should be reminded that both “Rich and poor have this in common: The Lord is the Maker of them all.” (Proverbs 22:2)  That also applies to older men and women, and younger men and younger women, in the area of being kind and courteous.  When it comes to widows, Paul used a lot of ink, and it is ink that needs to be read and then applied in the Church today.

We would be very wise to read and then read it again, because God is very serious about His church taking care of what Paul calls a real widow.  Paul gave Timothy some guidelines on defining a widow, and we would be wise to follow them, and even go beyond these guidelines.  First, we as a church are to show honor to widows, but if they have children or grandchildren that can provide for them; they should do so, and not look to the church for material support.  The apostle Paul tells us, “But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” (Verse 8)

Paul gives this command to the church; a widow has to be of a certain age, the wife of one husband, and have a reputation for good works, and if she has brought up children, has shown hospitality, and has been a servant to others, she has done well.  Paul tells us not to enroll younger widows because they will desire to remarry, and some of them become idlers, going from house to house and some even become gossips and busybodies.  Paul tells these young widows to remarry and have children and manage their households, and by doing so they will not give the adversary a foothold in their life.

In summation let me give these thoughts, no where is Paul telling the church not to minister, or support anyone of any age, and especially young mothers with children who find themselves without the support of their husband.  Anyone who would use this Scripture to do so has missed the mark.  James 2:15, is very clear, that as a church we are to help those who have needs in the local church.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice’