1 Timothy 5 Study Notes

5:1-2 The church is described in these verses in family terms (3:4-5,15). Verse 1 does not prohibit the correcting of older men but speaks to the respectful manner in which this should be done.

5:3-7 Care for widows has always been a concern of God’s and a command for God’s people (Ex 22:22; Dt 27:19; Is 1:17). The widow who is truly in need and deserves support from the church is one without family members to support her and who devotes herself to prayer and not to self-indulgence.

5:8 The strong language in this verse indicates that provision for one’s own household is a spiritual responsibility.

5:9 The phrase wife of one husband probably refers to marital faithfulness (see note at 3:2). If it forbids remarriage after the death of a husband (which seems unlikely), then Paul’s advice in v. 14 would make those women ineligible.

5:10 This list (along with the last phrase of the previous verse) reviews the deeds of godly older women. These are examples to which younger women should aspire.

5:11-16 The issue in these verses is either that these widows who were being supported by the church had pledged to remain unmarried or that these younger widows might be tempted by their desires to marry unbelievers, thus turning away from the faith. Since these concerns were prompted by the fact that some have already turned away to follow Satan, Paul must have seen this as an important matter. It seems likely that his concern was over remarriage to an unbeliever, with the wife adopting the religion of her husband, as was a common custom in that era.

5:17 The phrase good leaders can also be translated as “those who rule well.” The role of elder (pastor) involved authority, particularly in preaching and teaching. These elders were to be considered worthy of double honor. The exact identity of this “double honor” is not clear, but plainly extra respect is due those who work hard in leading the church through preaching and teaching.

5:18 The command not to muzzle an ox is a quote from Dt 25:4. An owner was commanded to allow his ox to eat of the grain it was grinding. The idea is that a person who works for something should be able to benefit from it. The worker is worthy of his wages is a direct quote from Lk 10:7. This indicates that Paul was already referring to the recorded statements of Jesus as authoritative Scripture.

5:19 This requirement is based on Dt 19:15 (cp. Mt 18:16; 2Co 13:1).

5:20 The people to be publicly rebuked were elders who sinned. The rest who would fear to sin as a result of this rebuke included the rest of the elders and probably the rest of the congregation as well.

5:21-22 These things refers back to the instructions in vv. 19-20. God the Father, Christ, and the angels see our actions and care what we do. Elect angels are distinguished from fallen angels. They will be involved in the judgment (cp. Mt 13:41-42; 16:27; 24:31; 25:31; 2Th 1:7; Heb 12:22-24; Rv 14:10,14-20).

5:23 How this verse connects to the rest of the paragraph is not clear. It appears to be a qualification to the call for purity in vv. 22 and 24, clarifying that there would be nothing wrong with Timothy using a little wine.

5:24-25 After the aside of v. 23, Paul returned to the issue of appointing elders to serve the church. These verses illustrate why it is wise to be patient and thorough in assessing potential elders.