First Timothy - Chapter 5 Summary
FAITHFUL INTERACTION
1ST TIMOTHY 5:1-25
Application: The student will learn how to interact scripturally with all people who are a part of his church.
PAUL IS WRITING TO HIS SPIRITUAL SON, TIMOTHY, THE BISHOP OF THE CHURCH AT EPHESUS.
PAUL IS STRONGLY FAMILIAR WITH THIS CHURCH AS WE ARE TAUGHT IN ACTS 20 WHEN HE ASKS THE ELDERS OF THIS CHURCH TO MEET WITH HIM ONE LAST TIME.
SO KNOWING THE CHURCH LEADERS AND KNOWING TIMOTHY SO WELL, PAUL SEEKS TO HELP TIMOTHY TO UNDERSTAND HOW TO BEST GET ALONG WITH ALL GROUPS HE WILL BE SEEING AND WORKING WITH AS HE PASTORS THE CHURCH.
OUR STUDY BOOK TODAY IS VERY FOCUSED UPON OUR NOT IGNORING ANY OF GOD'S WORD, EVEN IF WE FIND OURSELVES IN DIFFICULTY FOLLOWING.
OUR PREFERENCES ARE NOT DOCTRINE BUT ARE OPINIONS ONLY.
THEY MAY BE STRONGLY HELD OPINIONS BUT THEY MUST ALWAYS BE SECONDARY TO TRUE SCRIPTURAL COMMANDS WHICH ALWAYS TEACH US BEST.
OUR FIRST SECTION IN VERSES 1 & 2 TEACH US HOW TO GET ALONG WITH OUR CHURCH FAMILY.
OUR FIRST COMMAND IS A NEGATIVE ONE.
WE ARE NOT TO REBUKE AN ELDER MAN, RATHER WE ARE TO TREAT HIM AS A FATHER.
THE GREEK WORDS HERE MEAN WE ARE NOT TO STRIKE OUT AS IN VERBAL CONFRONTATION IN THE CONGREGATION. WE ARE TO HANDLE SUCH MATTERS QUIETLY & IN PRIVATE.
NEXT WE ARE TO TREAT YOUNGER MEN AS BROTHERS. THE SPECIAL BOND OF BROTHERS IN BLOOD SHOULD TRANSLATE INTO OUR NEW BROTHERS IN CHRIST.
OLDER WOMEN ARE TO BE TREATED WITH RESPECT AND AS WE WOULD TREAT OUR OWN MOTHERS. MOTHERS NORMALLY HAVE A SPECIAL PLACE IN OUR HEART SO WE SHOULD ACT THE SAME WAY TOWARD OUR MOTHER-LADIES IN CHRIST.
YOUNGER WOMEN ARE TO BE TREATED AS SISTERS. OUR BEHAVIOR TOWARD THEM IS TO BE FROM LOVE AND REVERENCE BUT MOST OF ALL IN PROTECTION OF THEM, JUST AS WE WOULD A BLOOD SISTER.
THESE INSTRUCTIONS ON CHURCH BEHAVIOR WILL BE CONSIDERED AS GODLY AND WILL BRING HARMONY TO OUR CHURCH FAMILY.
BOTH MOSES AND SOLOMON WROTE ABOUT THESE MATTERS LONG BEFORE PAUL AND WERE EVEN MORE CAREFUL IN THEIR INSTRUCTIONS.
LEVITICUS 19:32 :
“You shall rise before the grey headed and honor the presence of an old man, and fear your God: I am the Lord.”
PROVERBS 16:31 :
“The silver haired head is a crown of glory, if it is found in the way of righteousness.”
WE NOTICE HERE THAT PAUL DOES NOT INSTRUCT TIMOTHY NOT TO REBUKE AN ELDER. HE JUST SAYS TO DO IT PRIVATELY.
WE WILL LEARN IN OUR NEXT CHAPTER THAT PAUL DOES INSTRUCT TIMES WHEN IT IS NECESSARY TO REBUKE AN ELDER HARSHLY AND IN PUBLIC.
PREACHER SPURGEON TAUGHT THAT WE ARE TO WELCOME POSITIVE FEEDBACK NO MATTER OUR CHURCH POSITION AND TO WELCOME CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM AS A BLESSING AND BE GRATEFUL FOR IT AS WE GROW SPIRITUALLY FROM IT.
VERSES 3-8 ALLOW US PAUL'S TEACHING ON HOW TO GET ALONG WITH THOSE IN NEED.
WIDOWS ARE TO BE HONORED. HERE IN THESE DAYS, WIDOWS WERE NORMALLY CARED FOR BY THEIR OWN CHILDREN, BUT SOME WIDOWS HAD NO CHILDREN AND WERE TRULY ALONE.
THESE NEEDED SPECIAL CARE & ATTENTION.
OUR GREEK WORD HERE IS LITERALLY TRANSLATED AS “SUSTAIN”.
WHEN THEY ARE CARED FOR AND SUSTAINED BY THE CHURCH, THEY ARE TO ACT IN GODLY WAYS, THANKFUL & REVERENT TO GOD FOR HIS ASSISTANCE THROUGH HIS CHURCH.
A WIDOW UNDER SIXTY IS A SPECIAL CASE IN THAT IT IS POSSIBLE SHE MAY REMARRY SO CARE MUST BE USED IN HANDLING HER CASE.
IN VERSES 11-16 PAUL INSTRUCTS ON HOW TO INTERACT AND HELP YOUNGER WIDOWS.
THE CONCERN SEEMS TO BE NOT TO ALLOW THEM TO BECOME FULL TIME CHARITY CASES AND CERTAINLY NOT TO ALLOW THOSE WHO ARE NOT GODLY TO BECOME BURDENS ON THE CHURCH.
IT FURTHER SEEMS THAT THESE MAY BE SUBJECT TO REMARRIAGE AND FORMING NEW FAMILIES. BUT IN THEIR SEARCH FOR A NEW HUSBAND THEY ARE NOT TO ACT IN A WANTON WAY.
IN VERSES 17-18 PAUL INSTRUCTS ON THE CARE OF ELDERS.
THEY ARE TO BE HONORED ACCORDING TO SCRIPTURAL PRINCIPLES.
IF THEY ARE ABLE TO WORK WITHIN THE CHURCH, THEY ARE TO BE SUPPORTED AND GIVEN THE WORK AND AS A RESULT WILL RECEIVE DOUBLE HONOR.
PAUL HERE IS USING BOTH DEUT 25:4 & LUKE 10:7 AS EVIDENCE.
IN VERSES 19-20 PAUL LEADS US INTO HOW TO HANDLE AN ELDER ACCUSED OF SIN.
THE ACCUSATION MUST BE RECEIVED BY TWO OR THREE WITNESSES.
IN THIS CASE, REBUKE IS REQUIRED BY THE CHURCH SO THAT EVERY MEMBER KNOWS THE MATTER HAS BEEN ADDRESSED,
AGAIN HERE WE COULD TAKE A SUGGESTION FROM PREACHER SPURGEON WHO TAUGHT THAT WHEN GOSSIP IS REPORTED TO A PASTOR, HE IS TO SAY, MY MEMORY IS NOT SO GOOD AND I WANT TO INVESTIGATE SO PLEASE WRITE IT DOWN FOR ME TO HELP ME REMEMBER.
9 TIMES OUT OF 10 THEY WILL WALK AWAY, NOT BEING WILLING TO COMMIT GOSSIP TO WRITING.
IN THE FIRST 1,000 YEARS OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH, ACCUSATIONS AGAINST THE PASTOR HIMSELF REQUIRED 72 WITNESSES TO TESTIFY.
IN VERSE 21 PAUL WARNS AGAINST SHOWING PREJUDICE OR PARTIALITY.
THE WARNING IS MOST SERIOUS.
HE CHARGES TIMOTHY BEFORE GOD AND THE LORD JESUS AND THE ELECT ANGELS.
THESE ARE THE ANGELS WE MEET IN JUDE 6 THAT JUDE TEACHES DID NOT SIN.
PAUL ALSO GIVES THIS SAME WARNING IN GALATIANS 3:26-29 WHEN HE SAYS PARTIALITY ACCORDING TO RACE OR GENDER IS A SIN.
IN VERSE 22 PAUL WARNS NOT TO QUICKLY APPROVE ANY MAN INTO THE MINISTRY.
HE SAYS DO NOT LAY HANDS ON HASTILY.
TAKE TIME TO ASSURE HE IS OF PROPER & GODLY CHARACTER.
TIMOTHY SHOULD ALSO TAKE CARE TO KEEP HIMSELF PURE SO THAT HIS EXAMPLE SHOULD LIGHT THE WAY FOR OTHERS WHO MAY BE CALLED INTO THE MINISTRY.
HE IS NOT JUST TO HEAR THE COMMANDS BUT ALSO TO LIVE THEM.
HE IS NOT TO SHARE IN OTHER PEOPLE'S SINS.
PAUL SEEMS TO BE TEACHING THAT EACH OF US HAS ENOUGH SIN OF OUR OWN, AND WE DO NOT NEED MORE SIN BY JOINING THOSE OF OTHERS.
THERE ARE SEVERAL WAYS WE COULD FIND OURSELVES IN THIS SITUATION:
WE SET A BAD EXAMPLE AND OTHERS FOLLOW IT.
WE CAN APPROVE OR IGNORE OTHERS WHO ARE SINNING.
WE CAN REMAIN IN A CHURCH THAT TEACHES FALSELY
ON DOCTRINE THAT IS NOT SCRIPTURALLY PROPER
NOW IN VERSE 23 PAUL STRETCHES HIS TEACHING TO PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICE TO TIMOTHY.
USE A LITTLE WINE FOR YOUR STOMACH'S SAKE.
HERE IS A VERY INTERESTING SUGGESTION THAT MAY SEEM NOT TO COMPLY WITH 1ST TIMOTHY 3:3.
BUT HERE PAUL IS WARNING HIM ACTUALLY ABOUT CONTINUAL WATER CONSUMPTION BECAUSE THERE WERE PLACES WHERE THE WATER WAS IMPURE AND HAD BACTERIA CAUSING MUCH SICKNESS.
NOTICE THE ADVICE IS “A LITTLE WINE”.
IN THOSE DAYS CHURCH MEALS NORMALLY WERE SERVED WITH 20 PARTS WATER TO ONE PART WINE AS THE FERMENTED PORTION WOULD OVERCOME THE BACTERIA CAUSING ILLNESS.
PAUL IS SIMPLY TELLING TIMOTHY TO CARE FOR HIS BODY SO THAT HE CAN BETTER SERVE THE LORD.
WE SEE HERE ALSO THAT TIMOTHY HAD MANY INFIRMITIES AND PAUL WANTED HIM TO BE CAREFUL TO CARE FOR HIMSELF.
WE REMEMBER THAT WE LEARNED IN ACTS 19 THAT PAUL HAD HEALING POWERS WHERE EVEN A TOUCH FROM HIS HANDKERCHIEF WOULD HEAL.
CLEARLY HE HAS NOT CHOSEN TO USE THIS POWER WHEN THE LETTER WAS WRITTEN FOR IF HE HAD HE WOULD HAVE SENT TIMOTHY A CLOTH TO HEAL HIM ALONG WITH THIS LETTER.
OR IT MAY BE POSSIBLE THAT PAUL ( WHO HAD HIS OWN THORN IN HIS FLESH THAT JESUS REFUSED TO REMOVE) THOUGHT THAT THESE INFIRMITIES IN TIMOTHY WERE SIMILAR & GIVEN BY THE LORD & THEREFORE NOT WITHIN PAUL'S POWER TO HEAL.
IN VERSES 24-25 WE SEE PAUL TEACHING OF THE DIFFICULTY OF LOOKING AT A MAN'S SIN AND HIS GOOD WORKS.
SOME MENS' SINS ARE CLEARLY EVIDENT AND YET THERE ARE SOME WHICH ARE WELL HIDDEN.
GOOD WORKS ARE EVIDENT AND ARE SEEN BY THOSE TO WHOM THE GOOD WORK IS DONE.
GOD'S HOLY SPIRIT IS CONTINUALLY WORKING WITHIN US TO HAVE CONVICTION OF SIN, HAVE IT CONFESSED, AND THEREBY FORGIVEN.
SOME WHO ARE LOOKED UPON AS HOLY ARE JUST BETTER AT HIDING SIN.
SUCH ADVICE PERTAINS IN PARTICULAR TO CHOOSING SPIRITUAL LEADERS BY TIMOTHY.
THIS IS WHY SUCH CARE BE TAKEN AND THE CHOICES MADE OVER TIME BECAUSE TIME WILL PROVIDE A GOOD REPORT.
IN THIS HIGH HOLY TIME OF EASTER AND IN THESE DAYS OF SUCH DIVISION & DISCORD WITHIN OUR OWN NATION, IT MAKES GOOD SENSE TO REMEMBER THAT THERE STILL IS ONE TRUTH THAT OVERCOMES ALL FOR US.
THAT TRUTH IS GIVEN AS A REMINDER BY PAUL TO TIMOTHY IN OUR NEXT CHAPTER (6:13-16) AND LET'S CLOSE WITH THOSE WORDS FROM OUR DAILY DEVOTIONAL FOR TOMORROW.
