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[0:00] 1 Timothy, chapter 5, you need a Bible there in the chair in front of you, the black Bible, you can pull that out, go towards the back and find page 164.

[0:14] 1 Timothy, chapter 5, 1 Timothy 5. 1 Timothy, chapter 5. I thought about splitting this in half, but I'm like, it all runs together, so I'm like, no, we need to keep this together as a whole.

[0:35] So we're going to do these 16 verses together. Verses 1 through 16 of chapter 5 in 1 Timothy. So I'll read, and then we'll jump in, okay?

[0:46] 1 Timothy 5, verse 1. Do not sharply rebuke an older man, but exhort as a father the younger ones as brothers, the older women as mothers, the younger women as sisters in all purity.

[1:10] Honor widows who are truly widows. But if any widow has children or grandchildren, let them to their own family to be godly, to give, to return to their parents, for this is acceptable in the sight of God.

[1:29] Now the one who is a true widow, who is left alone, she hopes in God and continues in entreaties and prayers night and day. Verse 6. But she who gives herself to wanton pleasure, as dead though she lives, command these things, so that they may be irreproachable.

[1:49] But if anyone to his own house, and even to his own, does not provide for them, he's denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

[2:01] Let a widow, then, be put on the list only if she's not less than 60 years old, the wife of one man, a reputation for good works. If she's brought up children, if she's shown hospitality, if she's washed the feet of the saints, if she's helped those in distress, if she's devoted herself to every good work.

[2:21] But refuse younger widows. When they feel sensual desires and disregard to Christ, they want to get married, incurring condemnation because they've nullified their first pledge.

[2:33] At the same time, they learn idleness going to houses. And not merely idleness, but also gossips and busybodies, talking about things not proper.

[2:45] Verse 14. Therefore, I want the younger to get married, bear children, keep house, not giving the enemy an opportunity for reproach, for some have already turned aside to follow after Satan.

[2:58] If a female believer has widows, let her help them. And let not the church be burdened, so that it may help those who are true widows.

[3:15] Troubleshooting. You know, that word, that bad word, when your product is giving you fits, and you don't know what to do with it, and you go to the back of the manual, it has troubleshooting steps to go through, and trying to find out what the problem is.

[3:33] You don't know what the problem is. It's driving you crazy. It gives you a series of steps to follow. Okay, do this, and do this, and do this. If it's doing this, don't do this. No, no, no, no, no, no, all that stuff. And sometimes the focus is on one particular problem.

[3:46] Like, they'll bring up one specific problem that you might have, like, all the time. Like, this is one problem that has a standard for this product that you get. Like, oh my goodness, and then, you know, go through all these steps and stuff like that.

[4:00] Fix it this way. In my business, selling these Canon printheads, I have one common problem. I always have with people, and I encourage them to, I have to clean their parking station.

[4:16] The Canon printheads, Canon printers, with the printheads, the printheads, with little cartridges, it goes to a certain spot called the parking station. It's where the unit goes and sparks itself.

[4:26] Well, that gets all, we call, gunked up with ink. So I tell people to go in there with their hands, with damp paper towels, and clean that. Like, clean all the ink off. And nine times out of ten, it actually solves their problem.

[4:40] So that's another thing that they can do, almost a sure way to fix their problem, a common problem. Today, in God's manual for church life, Paul gave Timothy some troubleshooting steps to follow, especially with one specific problem that the church was having.

[5:03] It was with widows. I mean, if you look at the amount of verses here, three through 16, this was a problem. Huge problem in the church.

[5:13] So I titled this, God's manual for church life, on shepherding members and widows. On shepherding members and widows.

[5:27] You know, and you have your manual, on shepherding, okay, page 12. You know, page 12. So he just exhorted Timothy, like they did last week.

[5:38] Command and teach these things. So now Paul gave Timothy instructions on how to shepherd all the different age groups of members.

[5:52] When gathering together, treat them with grace and respect. Or be careful not to abuse your authority.

[6:04] And you see that in these two verses. So you see, on how to shepherd members as a whole. But then what Paul does, he gets very specific. Because there was something going on in the church.

[6:17] It was a problem. Even more specific was how he was to shepherd widows in the church body. Who were true widows?

[6:28] What constituted a true widow? What were the dangers to these young widows? What was going on? All these things, Timothy had to command the body gently, but firmly.

[6:47] So again, I brought this up before. These truths are mainly directed to me as your pastor. On how I'm to shepherd God's church.

[6:58] How I'm supposed to shepherd you. And yet having said that, I want you, as we go through these verses, notice and take to heart the qualities Paul will give of a godly widow, especially for you ladies.

[7:16] Just notice these qualities that he brings up. As followers of Christ, do I have that? Yeah. As followers of Christ, see the ways your love for Christ and His church body can be displayed and see that as you see and read about these widows.

[7:36] I mean, it's quite stunning the character qualities that Paul talks about these widows and what they have. So you can take that to heart and grab those qualities to your own life.

[7:51] So having said that, notice he starts in verses 1 and 2 on shepherding members. Do not sharply rebuke an older man.

[8:01] Rebuke means to reprove with severity or sharpness. This was prohibited. Paul will tell Timothy later, the Lord's bonds must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wrong, correcting with gentleness those who are in opposition.

[8:19] 2 Timothy 2, 24-25. And notice he says, don't sharply rebuke with severity an older man. Now, contextually, he's talking about those older than Timothy.

[8:31] Not to the other elders or the other pastors. He's not talking about them. Those who are older than him. And remember, Timothy was like in his 30s, in his 40s. Younger guy. Maybe 48.

[8:41] So he's really, really young guy. But yet, having said that, these older men were not beyond correction.

[8:54] Timothy's going to need to correct them, but notice what he says. Next part of verse 1. But New America says, appeal, the word actually means to exhort or gently correct. So, he begins to express gently correct or exhort the older men as fathers and mothers and sisters and brothers.

[9:19] What's he saying? How does he shepherd members in the church, regard the disciples as family members where there are healthy family relationships?

[9:29] Notice, healthy, adjective is important, because there are many unhealthy family relationships. Like, probably screaming at each other is probably not a healthy family relationship or a way to express each other within a relationship.

[9:45] That's not a good thing. You understand that, right? So, that's why Timothy's told by Paul to be gently correcting them. It would keep him from having a superiority complex with the body.

[9:59] So, he says, exhort as a father, treat these older men as he would treat his father, or rather, the way he should treat his father. Ephesians chapter 6, honor your father and mother, which goes back to the fifth commandment.

[10:18] Notice, he says, next part of verse 1, the younger men as brothers. Timothy had the authority, but yet, treat these younger men, those younger men, treat them as your brother.

[10:31] Notice, the older women, verse 2, as mothers. Exhort them as a mother, as your mama, should be treated with respect, with honor, not beyond correction, but you have to be careful with that.

[10:44] And then notice, the last part of verse 2, the younger women as sisters in all purity. Purity in a sexual realm. That's what he's talking about.

[10:56] See, as a younger pastor, he should deal with these younger women younger than him in a pure and godly way. He should protect and guard himself. So, show respect to all the members.

[11:13] Be kind. Teach them. Be patient with them. Be gracious with them. So this is on shepherding members. This is how I'm called to shepherd you.

[11:25] And then, Paul goes into something more specific. Speaking of older women, speaking of these members, I need to give you some aspects on shepherding widows.

[11:39] And I'm just gonna give you a summary real quick and then we can jump into the text. True widows should be cared for by the church. True widows. And he's gonna define that.

[11:51] Children and grandkids who know Christ, they should care for their widowed mom or grandmom. It's an act of godliness. It's a way to return the care she gave to them. This pleases God. If you're not doing that, you're denying Christ.

[12:06] A true widow completely hopes in God alone to care for her needs. An ungodly widow, which he's gonna bring out, should not be supported so as to continue in her sin. He's gonna give specific criterion for true widows.

[12:19] These young widows, they should get married, not allowing them to stay in sin. We're gonna look at that in just a moment. Unfortunately, it's interesting, the government has taken over what is often exclusively done by religious entities now.

[12:32] That's why you got social security type stuff. Whereas this time period, there was no such thing as social security. You didn't have anything. Christians were the ones who were taking up the responsibility to do this, actually.

[12:45] But what's so good for us is we come to this text, not only can we be looking at just the different qualities of a woman and just what she looks like as a widow, but then for us as a church, as a body, who are the true widows in our church?

[13:04] Who are the ones that really need the help of the church? We should consider that and think about it, right? We should. This directs us towards that. Now, instead of starting in verse three, I actually want us to start in verse seven.

[13:19] Go to verse seven if you would, please. Command these things. Just that right there. Command these things. What are the commands? Command these things.

[13:31] Command what things? There's actually six commands that Paul gives. Actually, one of I kind of made it into a command. But it's really six commands that Paul gives to Timothy on how to deal with this whole thing regarding widows.

[13:45] Number one, honor the true widows. Look at verse three. Honor widows who are, says widows indeed, or true widows.

[13:57] Widows. You see many references to this in the Old Testament. References like this in the New Testament, how to take care of them. God is on the side of the widows. Psalm 146.

[14:09] Only those who are truly widows should be honored. And when he says honored, you're going to see within the context, he's talking about materially or financially helping them and taking care of them.

[14:22] They should be the ones within the members in the church. You should be caring for them and taking care of them. Specific ones were qualified to be cared for by the church body, but not those who had the kids or the grandkids to take care of them, which leads to the second command.

[14:38] Encourage Christian responsibility. Look at verse 4. But if any widow has children or grandchildren, and New American sentences let them first learn to practice piety, literally it's like this, let them to their own to be godly.

[14:58] It's the word godliness, actually. Let them learn godliness. So what is he saying here? Kids and or grandkids who are believers should be the ones who take care of their widowed mama or grandmama.

[15:17] This would keep them from reluctance or indifference to the task and responsibility given to them by God. It's on them, not the body, not the church. Notice he says learn.

[15:31] These kids will learn. Piety. It's really the word where you get godliness. As they take care of their mom. As they take care of their grandma. That's why he says, to their own. That's why he says that.

[15:45] So, we show godliness first within our physical family in how we graciously treat each other. You see that principle.

[15:58] Remember, godliness is the outward evidence of one's trust in Christ Jesus. He's brought this word up before. Even from chapter one. Paul is trying to make, godliness is the evidence that God is at work in your heart.

[16:12] God is at work in your life. There's evidences of that happening in your life. And the way it's displayed is when first these kids take care of their mama who's widowed.

[16:28] Notice the next part there in verse four. To learn godliness and to give return. Literally, to give return or to give recompense. Not in the sense of you owe me, although you owe me.

[16:43] The moms and grandmas, you owe me, kid. All my kids, you owe me. But more, it's a way of returning the care that kids, or grandkids, receive from their mama.

[16:56] So, another way to put it, believing kids and grandkids learn godliness by putting their money where their mouth is.

[17:09] Almost literally. You say you love Christ? Well then, care for your mama. Your widowed mama. Take care of her.

[17:20] And you can even stand that out and take care of her of your parents. And look at what Paul says at the end of verse four. For this is acceptable in the sight of God.

[17:35] Or, in other words, this pleases God. He welcomes this action of the children taking care of their parents. He welcomes them putting their faith in action.

[17:50] This is convicting. This is convicting. One writer says this, A failure in piety toward my parents is a failure in piety toward God. Christians are called to care for their parents.

[18:06] That's the principle we see. Honor true widows. Encourage Christian responsibility. And here's a third command.

[18:16] This is kind of one of my main joke commands. Watch for these highlights. First, here's a godly woman or you could even say godly widow.

[18:28] Here's a godly widow. Look at verse five. Now the one is a true widow who's really alone and numeric sentences has fixed her hope.

[18:39] Literally, it's just hopes in God. You see that? In opposition to one being cared for by the family, a true widow who is truly alone, she hopes in God to care and provide for her physical needs because no one else would.

[19:02] No one else does. She's by herself. She trusted God to be faithful to His promise to care for her. In Psalm 146, verse nine, He cares for the widows.

[19:17] See, that's the qualities I was talking about earlier. What a character quality for us to embrace ourselves. How much do we trust God like this widow? And he's going to go into more in just a little bit.

[19:28] We'll look at that in a moment. And to notice as well, he says, hopes in God and continues and intrigues and prayers night and day. She trusts God and prays.

[19:41] This is what she's known for. It reminded me of Anna or Anna. Luke chapter two. Remember that? She was waiting for the Messiah.

[19:52] She was a widow for all those years. And she was night and day in the temple. It's like her. It's like her. She's like her. Waiting for Jesus to come.

[20:03] She was known for her hope in God and constant, consistent praying. That's the kind of woman she was.

[20:15] I mean, should not every woman be known for these qualities? Should not these qualities be the highlight of every Christian woman? Of every Christian in general?

[20:26] Well, watch for these highlights. Here's a godly widow notice the difference. Verse six.

[20:37] An ungodly widow. But she who gives herself to wanton pleasure is dead though she lives. As opposed to the widow of verse five.

[20:51] This one lives for herself only. She lives luxuriously, voluptuously, in indulgence. Maybe what Paul warned about Timothy in chapter two verse nine and ten.

[21:06] Remember that? She abandoned herself to pleasure. And notice he says, though physically alive, she was spiritually dead.

[21:19] This one should not be cared for or honored by the church body. So maybe this was probably happening in the church body. And you're going to find out later, this one or these ones, plural, they had turned to follow after Satan.

[21:37] He's going to bring that up in verse 15. Paul's going to continue this, these qualities of this ungodly widow. She was using the support of the church to support her sinful lifestyle.

[21:52] That's what she was doing. So, honor the true widows, encourage Christian responsibility, watch for these highlights ungodly widow, ungodly widow.

[22:05] Now, right embedded in this, verse seven, Paul gives us the first reason why it's important to do this. Why, reason number one, to have irreproachable widows.

[22:17] Why is it so important for him to command these things? Why is it so important for him to tell the church these things? Why is it so important for Paul to tell Timothy and Timothy to tell the church this is the way it's going to be within the widows? Why?

[22:28] So that you can have irreproachable widows, verse seven, command these things so that, there's the purpose, they, and I believe that's talking about the widows, not the parents, those who take care of their parents, they, the widows, may be irreproachable.

[22:45] Direct these commands to the widows so that they would be blameless. and, and really, admonishing the church body with these commands about the widows so that the church body would be blameless as well.

[23:00] Admonish the church body with these commands so that these widows would be blameless, irreproachable. This is the same word that Paul uses in reference to elders. honors. Honor the true ones, encourage Christian responsibility, watch for these highlights.

[23:19] He gives a reason why, and then he gives the fourth command, which is a warning. Verse eight, warn of irresponsibility. Look at verse eight, and he gets in your kitchen.

[23:32] But if anyone, it literally is, if anyone for his own, especially to those in his own house, does not provide for them, he's denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

[23:45] Wow. Wow. If kids or grandkids don't take care of their widowed mama, huge repercussions follow.

[23:58] If they don't provide for those in their own household expecting the church body to take the weight, they've denied the faith and they're worse than a non-Christian.

[24:13] That's heavy. I mean, you think about it. Taking care of parents, this is something that many non-Christians do instinctively.

[24:25] I mean, I have family members who they take care of their parents. It was like nothing. They don't know Christ. They're not Christians. They don't follow Christ. They do that instinctively. Of course, yeah. And you don't?

[24:40] Christians? Their own profession of Christ, their own profession of trust in Christ, it comes under scrutiny.

[24:53] That's what you see. Their actions speak louder than their words. Don't pass the buck. Paul strongly expressed the responsibility of Christian families.

[25:08] It's heavy. So, one of this irresponsibility, fifth command he gives, and this takes up quite a bit of space, verse 9 and 10, and then the sixth one is 11 to 15, it's even more.

[25:26] Number five, enlist these godly widows. So now he's gonna go into more specifically, what are you supposed to look for in a godly widow? What's she like? Or what should she be like?

[25:37] What would she be like? Who was a true widow who needed help? Who was a true widow? Enlist these godly widows. Look at verse 9.

[25:48] Let a widow be put on the list only if she's not less than 60 years old. Notice there's a list. And we're not told exactly what this list was.

[25:58] What is this list? We don't know. Timothy knew. But by the way, I do want to point this out. This tells us that there was actually a list of members that they knew who was who.

[26:11] This actually implies that there was membership in the church because you knew who was in the church, who wasn't in the church. They were able to put them on a list, by the way. But the point is saying the church body, they had some list of widows who had no one to cure or help them financially.

[26:28] These had committed themselves to serving Christ's body. So Paul defined those that should be on this list. First, whatever this list was, these qualifications.

[26:39] First, not less than 60 years old. So it probably doesn't apply to anybody here. There's no amens to that. Wow.

[26:51] It probably doesn't apply to anybody here. Okay. The 35-year-old says that. Okay. See, in that time period, old was when you got to 60.

[27:04] Well, now it's like 90. I mean, gosh. When you're 90, it's like, okay, you're kind of getting there. Right? Now you're kind of old. Although some people lived like 102 or something like that. They're like, oh my goodness.

[27:14] Anyways, but that was the time period because the idea you're beyond the age of remarriage and bearing children.

[27:26] And even before you turn 60, you would be expected to work and you would be able to provide for them. But once they turn 60, they would be in that category of old. So, if she's not less than 60 years old, then notice the next part of verse 9.

[27:40] He goes into her past life and conduct which was godly. The wife of one man, a one woman, a one man woman, kind of flip that around from what he said about elders.

[27:53] A one woman man. Here is a one man woman. Which denoted that she wasn't divorced numerous times. She was faithful to her husband.

[28:05] Now, it probably wouldn't count if she was widowed twice. Probably wouldn't count there. Notice the next part here into verse 10. Having a reputation for good works.

[28:17] Well attested in her good deeds. Her good deeds displayed her salvation and her trust in Christ Jesus alone. And then what he does, she's an example to the church body.

[28:31] These deeds are shown in the following ways. Notice the if statements. Next part of verse 10. Look at it. If she's brought up children, if she's shown hospitality, if she's washed the feet of the saints, if she's assisted those in distress, if she's devoted herself to every good work.

[28:47] Let's see those. That's how she's had a reputation for good deeds. Notice the first. Raise children. Wait a second. Why aren't they taking care of her then?

[28:59] Why? Either because they died or they're unsaved. So remember, the kids and the grandkids who know Christ should take care of their parents who know Christ.

[29:16] But the expectation of those who don't know Christ to do that. Do you understand that? She's brought up children. She's shown hospitality to strangers.

[29:27] She reached out to others. I mean, look at this. Reached out to others with her resources and care. She's the one who needs care. She needed care, but she's willing to give help and care to others.

[29:45] She's giving to others. Look at this. Next part. Wash the feet of the saints. She would serve the church body with humility. Some widows are so willing to serve others doing things that no one else wants to do.

[30:05] She's not arrogant. She's not prideful. Oh, I'm too good for that. No. And when you read that, she washes the feet of the saints.

[30:20] It triggers your thinking to who? Jesus. Remember when he washed the disciples' feet? I mean, she is a woman who practices the gospel.

[30:37] Here Jesus washes the feet of his disciples. Here Jesus humbles himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. He dies for sinners.

[30:49] He resurrected from the dead. We should be condemned and judged, and yet Jesus is the display of God's love towards us. Repent and trust Christ Jesus and he'll save you and forgive you.

[31:02] That gospel truth, she lives that. You should respond to Christ today if you're not a Christian.

[31:13] You should respond and trust Jesus Christ if you don't know Christ. This woman, she practices what she preaches. Look at the next part.

[31:27] She helps those in distress. She would even help those who were suffering and in distress themselves. She's in need. She needs someone to provide for them, but she provides for others and cares for those hurting.

[31:40] Wow, what a woman. What a widow. I put this up here. She was truly self-giving, truly self-sacrificial, and truly selfish.

[31:54] This is the kind of woman he's talking about. See what I mean? When I talked about this earlier, these qualities, wow, we can really grasp a hold of these, can't we? And devoted, last part, she devoted herself to every good work, to all kinds of good deeds she devoted herself.

[32:14] She was known at church body for her commitment to Christ, her marital fidelity, her sexual purity, cared for her kids, showed hospitality, cared for struggling members.

[32:25] Oh my goodness, an elderly, faithful, God, put on her on the list, Timothy. Her. That's the one you want to look for. Timothy's like, oh, okay, I'm going to put her on the list.

[32:39] Here's the one. Enlist these godly widows. Verse 11, but refuse younger widows.

[32:54] It's quite amazing. Verses 11 through 15, he goes into this problem that's going on in the church. The sixth command, last command for you, refuse these ungodly widows.

[33:16] Refuse in contrast to the above. Don't put these young widows on lists. And notice he says, when, for when they feel sensual desires and disregard of Christ, another way to translate that is this, I feel sensual, a strong impulse of sexual desire that alienates them from Christ.

[33:36] That's the meaning of this phrase. It alienates them from Christ. It separates them from Christ. There's something serious going on here.

[33:49] And he says, it's that they want to get married. What? I thought, she's widowed, I thought remarriage wasn't a bad thing.

[34:01] So what's he talking about? Look at the next part, verse 12. In curing condemnation, which I believe is condemnation from God, God's judgment, because they have, were to set aside, literally nullified, their, and it says previous pledge, it should be first, actually first faith, that's the word.

[34:22] So what's going on? What happened? You would not believe that many different ideas that commentators would have about this, but let's land on this part.

[34:37] These women had made some kind of solemn oath or promise to Christ not to marry again, but to serve the church body. So then they're enrolled as a widow.

[34:50] But then, they would break that promise while the church was taking care of them. And then they wanted to get remarried. And then you'll see later on other things that they were doing.

[35:03] We'll go to that in a second. So it seems like they were, they made some solemn oath, some solemn promise not to marry, but to Christ, not to remarry.

[35:15] But again, they wanted to serve the body, but then something happened. And it changed. They, they would break that pledge, thus incurring God's judgment upon them.

[35:30] Some commentators think that actually this widow married a non-Christian. I don't, I think it's, it doesn't have anything to do with the text or in the context, so I, I struggled with that.

[35:40] But notice what else was going on. It wasn't just this. Because he says in verse 13, at the same time or besides this, verse 13, they would learn idleness.

[35:57] It was just as bad as they became idle. They were not serving the body of Christ, but they wanted the body to serve them. Waiting on them hand and foot. In other words, they became lazy gluttons.

[36:09] And then what's worse continues. Learn idleness literally as they, as they went from house or here it says they go around from house to house.

[36:24] So what was going on? Well, they would visit the saints and take advantage of members by sticking their noses in other people's business and then gossiping about it in the church body.

[36:36] That's why he says not meaning idleness, but also gossips and busybodies. They spewed out whatever came into their minds.

[36:49] They became meddlesome, nosy, because they had too much time on their hands. These younger widows were trouble.

[37:04] Actually, even older women can do this. there was women in this church who did this to me when I first came. They were widows and they were trouble.

[37:15] Major trouble in this church. And they literally went on the telephone from house to house talking bad about me. That's what they did. Notice he says at the end of verse 13, talking about things not proper.

[37:32] They were saying things they should not be saying. Now, were they getting involved in the false teaching? Remember, Paul brought this up earlier. Were they promoting the false teachers to the members to go against the elders?

[37:48] Maybe. Were they instigating disunity within a church body? Most likely. Most likely. That was a problem.

[37:59] A little of the chirping like the little chihuahuas chirping and nipping at your ankles. These younger widows were proving to be more trouble and bringing more harm than good.

[38:15] Notice as opposed to verse 9 and 10. Oh, they enjoyed the support. All the while, they're inciting rebellion against the leaders.

[38:32] That's the kind of woman they were. And you kind of get a glimpse of that because in 2 Timothy, Paul was talking about how the false teachers are taking advantage of weak-willed women. There's a reference to this.

[38:48] So what does Paul say? How can these women stay out of other people's business? Mind your own business. How can they stay focused on their own lives? Notice verse 14. Therefore, I want the younger get married, build children, keep house.

[39:04] How can these young women stay out of other people's business? Stay focused on their own lives? Get married, bear children, keep house. The younger widows were supported but not doing these things.

[39:16] They were breeding trouble and disunity in the body. And notice, as they are, as they get married, bear children, keeping house, staying busy with their own business, he says in the next part, verse 14, giving the enemy no occasion for reproach.

[39:33] As they did those above actions, they'd be so concerned, at least they should be so concerned. She should be caring for her husband. She should be looking after her kids.

[39:46] That's what she's supposed to be doing. As she's doing these things, she's so concerned about that these women would not give the enemy an opportunity for reproach to bring a stain upon them or on the church body because of them.

[40:06] That's what he means by that. Reproach. Notice, in contrast to what he said earlier, in verse 7, said the widow may be above reproach, but when they're doing these things, or I should say not doing those things that Paul gives, they're bringing a reproach.

[40:29] And then the horrible, horrifying verse that you see, verse 15, for some have already turned aside to fall after Satan. Whoa.

[40:44] So now, the cat's out of the bag. What's really going on? Paul doesn't give us the details, but Timothy already knew about them.

[41:03] Maybe they were instigating and promoting the false teaching from the false teacher spoken about in chapter 1. they were falling after Satan. They were gossipers, busybodies, meddlesome.

[41:14] They were big problems. But it's so good for us because then we're able to not only look at the great qualities we see in godly widows, but then these other qualities, it's like, whoa, we need to be careful of this.

[41:30] even for some of you ladies, be mindful of this. Mindful of the things that we say, mindful of the things that we're getting involved in. Should we really be getting involved in those things?

[41:44] Well, notice, he goes and lands everything in verse 16, which really is the second reason why this is so important. Why is it so important for him to command these things?

[41:57] First, the widows are irreproachable. Second reason why, the true widows are helped, and the church is unburdened. Verse 16, if any female believer, so you can translate that, has widows, let her help them.

[42:19] Faithfulness by a female member to a specific family member who was a widow, she would free up the church to care for the truly destitute widows. So this is referred to a female believer, who did not remarry, and who can care for another widow or widows in the family.

[42:35] It's hard to determine what Paul's talking about here. Like, why does he bring this up? Why is he saying this? Were there women who are widows and are taking care of other widows? We don't know.

[42:45] He doesn't give us the details. But regardless of where you stand with this, the same idea is here. It's this. Care for their own so that the body was not burdened, look at the next part, so that, and let not the church be burdened, so that it may assist those who are true widows.

[43:07] Care for their own so that the body was not burdened, so that the church was not financially burdened by these widows who can be taken care of by their family.

[43:17] The church body is not to assume a family's responsibility and be burdened by caring for widows who already have the help, or anyone else for that matter. The body should help those who are true widows.

[43:36] That's why this is so important. That's why Paul is saying this. The true widows, the ones who really need the help, they get the help. And the church, they're not burdened with things that they should not be burdened with.

[43:50] That's the point. And then these widows are irreproachable. As Christians care for the widow and their family, they not only serve and minister to that family member who's part of the church body, but they also free the church to care for widows who have no one else to care for them.

[44:09] You see what's happening? You're ministering to your own family and you're actually ministering to the body. When you are caring for your family, you're actually ministering and caring for the body.

[44:21] That's what Paul's saying. True widows need real help. Recap. He's talking about how to shepherd all the different age groups of the members.

[44:34] Be careful not to abuse your authority, Timothy. But he did tell you something about these widows. How to shepherd the widows in the church body. It was so good for us to walk through this, isn't it?

[44:46] It was so good because we can take the heart, the qualities of a godly widow, and especially for you ladies. You see the negative ones too. Don't focus so much on the negative. But you see the negative things too, right?

[45:00] As followers of Christ, we can see the ways our love for Christ and his church body can be displayed. Display that gospel of grace to each other. Remember, that's what we, the concept and the idea that we have is we trust in Christ and the truth of the gospel and it affects the way we live, right?

[45:21] It changes how we treat each other. Responding to each other with graciousness and then speaking about this gospel of grace to others so they hear the gospel. So let's take a moment and pray.

[45:32] Lord, thank you. Thank you for your word and thank you that you're faithful to care for your own. And thankful that, we're very thankful that you use means by which to care for your own, which is the church body.

[45:52] Make known to us the different ways, different members who need to help, truly need help. Help us to be mindful of those who need help.

[46:09] And we also pray that you work in us to be people of godliness, a response of your grace at work in our lives, of our trusting in Christ.

[46:25] Christ. Even just seeing how this godly widow, these godly widows, they were washing the feet of the saints.

[46:39] May we respond that way to each other. How can we serve each other? That's good. Thank you, Jesus, for serving us. You did not come to be served, but to serve.

[46:52]  To give your life is a ransom for many. Thank you.