Saturday, December 26, 2020

In the same way, good deeds are obvious, and even those that are not obvious cannot remain hidden forever.

 1 Timothy 5:1-25

Do not rebuke an older man harshly, but exhort him as if he were your father. Treat younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters, with absolute purity.

Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

As for younger widows, do not put them on such a list. For when their sensual desires overcome their dedication to Christ, they want to marry. So I counsel younger widows to marry, to have children, to manage their homes and to give the enemy no opportunity for slander. Some have in fact already turned away to follow Satan.

The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching. For Scripture says, “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain,” and “The worker deserves his wages.”

I charge you, in the sight of God and Christ Jesus and the elect angels, to keep these instructions without partiality, and to do nothing out of favoritism.

Do not be hasty in the laying on of hands, and do not share in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure.

In the same way, good deeds are obvious, and even those that are not obvious cannot remain hidden forever.

5:1-2: Paul's advice is sound. Treat other people as if they were your own family.

5:3-6: Widows who have no means of support deserve special consideration. Their lot was unenviable. There was a grain dole in Rome and some other places, but no other state welfare in Paul's day. The church was quick to realize and accept its responsibility to help. It soon had a sizeable problem, and not all of the cases were equally deserving. Paul's rule is that the church should reserve its help for those who are really destitute. It should take on to its books only older widows of good Christian character, and committed to Christian work. The younger ones should remarry. And wherever possible widows should be cared for by their own relatives. In the city where the goddess Diana was served by a host of prostitutes, the reputation of those who serve Christ must be beyond reproach.

5:17-22: elders must be carefully chosen, treated with respect, and paid for their work. They are especially open to false charges against them. Timothy must take care to deal fairly in such cases.

V 23 is in parenthesis, a personal note. Timothy is clearly not strong. He needs to take care of himself.

Why?

Treat everyone like our family with honor and respect. This is a character to a Christian.

And treat our relative should our obligation either.

Don't worry about the unfair matter, for good deeds are obvious, and even those that are not obvious cannot remain hidden forever.

Workers like elders should be supported by the church, their wage, their family.

How?

Obey the teaching from the Lord and do the right things will be honored before the Lord!





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