1 Timothy 5

Notes

Ver. 1, 2. And as the most decent behaviour is necessary to protect you, who are so young, from contempt, take care that you reprove aged professors, and especially church-rulers, when they fall into any sinful infirmity, with the utmost humility and meekness, treating them with all honour and respect; but such as are young rebuke in a more free, yet meek, affable, affectionate, and evidently modest and pure manner. 3. Take care that Christian widows who are poor, and have no relations able and willing to support them, be honourably provided for by the church. 4. But if any religious widows have children or grandchildren who are able to supply their necessities, let those children from a conscientious regard to God, and gratitude to their mothers for their labour, care, and kindness about them when young, exert themselves to provide for them; for such behaviour is in itself equitable, worthy, honourable, and well-pleasing to God. 5. Now, a widow, who is a proper and encouraging object of the church's charity, is one who, being destitute of relations to relieve her, trusts her temporal and eternal concerns to the care of God, and in consequence thereof is addicted to daily and fervent prayer for his gracious fulfilment of his promises. 6. But the widow who gives up herself to a jovial, loose, and voluptuous manner of life under the power of carnal inclinations, appears dead in trespasses and sins, while she enjoys a natural life, and renders herself unworthy of the care of either her friends or the church. 7. These things are of such importance to the edification of professors, and to the reputation, beauty, and order of churches, that you ought solemnly to declare and enforce them in your public and private ministrations—that such persons may walk orderly, and occasion no reproach to the church for misapplying her charity. 8. And if any professor unnaturally neglect, or refuse to do what he can for the support of his near relations, and chiefly his aged parents, wife, and children, he ought to be held as a practical renouncer of the gospel of Christ, and worse than a mere heathen. 9. Let no widow be admitted as an assistant to the deacons, in helping and administering to the poor and sick, unless she be at least sixty years of age, and have lived in a chaste and faithful manner with her own husband. 10. Nor, indeed, unless she be well known to have faithfully and prudently discharged the duties of the married state, in the careful and religious education of her own children, and in hospitable and kind entertainment of strangers, particularly ministers and saints; and in tender compassion to the afflicted; and, in fine, unless she has laboured with care and diligence to perform every good office toward God or men, as opportunity offered. 11. But let no younger widows be admitted; for they will perhaps grow voluptuous and lascivious, contrary to their profession of Christ, and consult their own ease and pleasure rather than his glory; and at last, to get rid of their restraints and labours, marry into a heathen family; 12. And thus expose themselves to shame and condemnation in the view of the world, to the censures of the church, and even to the righteous judgments of God here and hereafter, because of their rejection of their former Christian profession of faith in Christ, and desertion of the trust committed to them. 13. And, moreover, young widows addicted to pleasure soon contract a habit of idleness, and trifle away their time in gadding abroad for their amusement; nay, they even grow impertinent, flirting, loose, and foolish talkers, officious pryers and intruders into other people's affairs, and thus invent and carry about reports hurtful to the reputation and peace of their neighbours. 14. Instead therefore of admitting younger widows into the public service of the church, let them be allowed to marry in the Lord, if a proper opportunity offer itself; and in that station carefully educate the children which the Lord may give them, and manage their household and relative affairs with such faithfulness, prudence, diligence, sobriety, and modesty as shall oblige their enemies to forbear reproaching them, or the ways of Christ on their account. 15. I speak the more particularly and earnestly on this point, as some young widows have, by the instigation of Satan, already turned aside from their Christian profession, and followed the sinful courses which I have just mentioned. 16. And I again insist, that if any have mothers or grandmothers, or other near relations in widowhood, if capable, they shall supply their necessities, that the church stock, being eased of that burden, may be the more sufficient for the relief of such as have no friends able or willing to assist them. 17. It is very necessary that churchrulers be duly provided for and honoured; let therefore all of them who conduct themselves in a prudent and faithful manner be reckoned worthy of high esteem and necessary maintenance, especially such of them as addict themselves to the painful and laborious work of faithfully preaching the gospel. 18. For the ancient law which allowed the oxen while treading out the corn to eat of it for their necessary refreshment, plainly hinted that they who employ their time and talents in instructing and governing other church-members, should, in return, partake of a liberal maintenance from such as receive spiritual benefit by them; and Jesus Christ has expressly declared that his labouring servants are worthy of a proper subsistence. 19. And as the support of their character is necessary to their usefulness, another branch of honour due to them is, that no accusation be received against them but before sundry witnesses, and where two or three credible persons are ready to confirm the truth of it. 20. But if they, or any others, be found guilty of public and enormous crimes, they must, without respect of persons, be publicly rebuked in presence of the whole church, that others as well as themselves may be deterred from the commission of the like wickedness. 21. And as an impartial regard to the censuring of offenders, and to other things which I have mentioned, is of great importance to the church, and very irksome to the administrators, I solemnly charge you, as in the presence of the all-seeing and heart-searching God, and of Jesus Christ, the only Head of his church, who will shortly judge the quick and the dead; and of those holy angels whom he has called to everlasting happiness; and as you will answer at his tribunal at the last day—to take heed that you maintain and practise these directions without any partial respect to or prejudice against any man whatsoever. 22. But in order that you may have as little of the disagreeable work of censuring church-officers as possible, be always extremely cautious, and careful and deliberate, in your inquiries into their character before they are admitted to their office; beware lest, by any precipitant and unadvised steps, you render yourself a partaker in the guilt and mischievous influence of unsound and ungodly ministers. 24. For as some men's erroneous principles and practices are so notoriously sinful as renders it a plain duty to refuse them admission to any office in the church, so there are others who can artfully conceal their sentiments and wickedness till after they have obtained a call or admission. 25. In like manner, the religious sentiments, gifts, graces, and moral temper and behaviour of some men are so remarkably good and manifest as to render their admission perfectly clear, while it will require much prudent, tender, and close converse with others, of a bashful and recluse temper, to satisfy a conscientious inquirer whether they be fit or not.

Ver. 12. This cannot be intended as an absolute condemnation of a Christian widow for marrying again, for such marriages were sanctioned by the law of God; nor can it refer to widows who have entered into vows of celibacy, for such entangling vows are nowhere mentioned or sanctioned in the New Testament; but the reference is to widows who have 'cast off their first faith' to Christ. See ver. 15. C.

Reflections.—Aged persons, and such as are in office in the church, should be treated with great veneration even when overtaken in a fault. And with kind concern should the very youngest be cautioned and reproved for their sins of infirmity. Friends and church-rulers should take great care of poor widows. And it is necessary for the credit of religion that all widows behave in a grave, prudent, orderly, and holy manner. Alas! that any of them, unaffected with their husbands' departure into eternity, should ever wax wanton against Christ and his law!—It is not merely in acts of devotion, but in all our business, and particularly in managing our families, that we should serve God.—Church governors, particularly preaching elders, have a divine right, from both Old and New Testaments, to high respect and a liberal maintenance from their people, according to their ability. And what awful obligations to faithfulness in their work lie on ministers! They are Christ's deputies, and to him they must give an account. With great prudence, faithfulness, tenderness, courage, and impartiality, must they therefore proceed in rebuking the scandalous, or ordaining other church-officers. And the undoing or salvation of souls is deeply connected therewith. An ignorant, careless, and scandalous ministry is a great plague and reproach to a church. And it is hard for the most faithful to keep themselves from being partakers in other men's sins. But great is the mercy that Jesus', their Master's, blood cleanseth from all sin. Yea, he kindly allows them a moderate use of creature refreshments as their labours and bodily infirmities require.