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1 Timothy 5:4 – True Religion

An elderly mother is cared for by her daughter (Grok)

But if a widow has children or grandchildren, these should learn first of all to put their religion into practice by caring for their own family and so repaying their parents and grandparents, for this is pleasing to God. 

Summary: True religion begins at home.   

Caring for family is one of the great blessings of life. It is also one of the great challenges! Interestingly, putting our religion into practice is a very similar challenge. 

In some cultures today, and more commonly many years ago, the family was the primary unit of survival. The family hierarchy was an important structure that held the family together. Honoring one’s elders is hardwired into such cultures. 

Old age is, in some ways, the ultimate test of being a parent. Do your kids respect and love you? Are they willing to take care of you when you need help?

Many people are obsessed with “I.” This is as true now as it was six thousand years ago. These people are so busy trying to get what they want that there is no time for anyone else. 

God’s Word changes all of that. 

“Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.” (Exodus 20:12)

The Fifth Commandment sets the stage — honor your parents. 

Leaving your parents alone when they are old or letting them go hungry is not how we honor our parents. Honoring parents takes time and commitment. Most of all, it requires true love (agapē). 

And what does all of this have to do with religion? 

In his letter to the twelve tribes of Israel, James writes: 

“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” (James 1:27)

After all, what is religion? 

Isn’t it our commitment to God? Some associate religion with rules, and for the Jews, there is a reason for this, but for Christians, true religion is loving God above all else and our neighbors as ourselves (Matthew 22:37-40). 

Widows who have children and grandchildren who fear God should have no reason to fear hunger and loneliness. Children whose mother is alone in the world can honor God by caring for an old woman who can no longer care for herself. 

Application: Honor your father and your mother, especially when they are old.  

Food for Thought: What do we have to ‘repay’ our parents for? 

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1 Timothy 5:3 – Wants & Needs

Picture of a meter that measures "need, want, greed" (Grok)

Give proper recognition to those widows who are really in need.

Summary: This passage touches on a topic that every Christian can relate to: how do we tell who is really in need?   

This verse seems innocuous at first, but on closer examination, there is an important principle here. 

First, what is Paul talking about? What kind of “recognition” do widows need? 

In his book, “Acts of the Apostle,” Luke records this: 

“All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had.” (Acts 4:32)

Sounds idyllic, doesn’t it? 

At first, it probably was. People were overwhelmed with the power of the Holy Spirit and the joy of knowing the Lord. Then, the Bible records the first known division in the church: 

“In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Hellenistic Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food.” (Acts 6:1)

It doesn’t sound quite as friendly, does it? 

The trouble was that while both Hellenistic Jews and Hebraic Jews shared the same history and lineage, the Hebraic Jews, those more closely tied to Jerusalem and their traditional languages, appear to have looked down on the Jews who lived in the Gentile nations as ‘lesser’ Jews. 

The solution to this first fracture was to divide the leadership of the church between the “ministry of the word of God” (Acts 6:2a, 4) and the ministry of material gifts (Acts 6:2b). Once this had been decided, questions started arising about how the gifts should be distributed. 

Paul’s instructions in the verses that follow explain how to decide between who is truly needy and who is not, which raises the question, “What is the difference between a ‘want’ and a ‘need’?”

Everyone needs to eat, but having food to eat requires work. If we all did what we wanted, it would be hard to imagine everyone being able to eat. 

The next best thing for someone who doesn’t want to work is to get someone else to share the fruits of their labor with them. Even better, get a whole group of people to share their food! 

The temptation to take advantage of well-meaning believers is very real, and sincere believers are often confronted with the same challenges Timothy had to deal with: Who is really in need? 

Application: Give to those in need (Luke 12:33).

Food for Thought: How do you decide who is really in need? 

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1 Timothy 5:2a – In Search of Purity

A single dandelion weed releases seeds into the air (Grok)

…older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters, with absolute purity.

Summary: Paul’s words challenge men to treat women with purity, echoing the words of the Old Testament laws.  

Paul’s instructions to Timothy provide clear guidance on how to treat people. Not only people in church, but all people. In this passage, Paul once again instructs Timothy about those older and younger than he is. This time, the focus is on women. 

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1 Timothy 5:1b – Little Brother

Jesus hands the man with the spilled apple cart a better apple glowing with life. (Grok)

Treat younger men as brothers…

Summary: Paul’s instruction to Timothy about younger men is part of our Lord’s plan for setting things right in the world.   

Life is hard without Jesus. 

I remember, when I was very young, hearing someone say, “Too bad life doesn’t come with an instruction manual!” It was a comment that seemed to capture all the confusion of life’s many decisions and turning points. 

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1 Timothy 5:1a – For Father’s Sake

Job and his friends. Public Domain.
Job and his friends, Doré’s English Bible, Public Domain

Do not rebuke an older man harshly, but exhort him as if he were your father.

Summary: Paul gives Timothy specific instructions for correcting the behavior of older men.   

Old men hate to be rebuked, especially “harshly”!

Let’s face it, “old men” have been around for a while. They know things. Even if the things they know are not useful anymore, they still know things simply because they have survived as long as they have. 

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1 Timothy 4:16b – The Test of Fire

Cartoon: Two guys are talking. The one on the left looks cool and calm. The other one looks like he has been on fire. The first guy asks, "Did you pass the test?" (Grok)

Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.

Summary: Once again, Paul challenges us to dive into the Greek to understand what he is trying to tell us.   

In the last meditation, “1 Timothy 4:16a – Me, Myself, and I,” we looked at Paul’s admonition to Timothy to “Watch your life and doctrine closely.” Paul wasn’t reprimanding Timothy in any way, but was instead encouraging and cautioning him as one worker does to a co-worker. 

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