THE GOOD WORKS OF A NEW TESTAMENT WOMAN
(I Tim. 5:9-10)
Overview of I Tim. 4:1-5:16
4:1-2 How False Teaching Enters the Church
4:3-5 Common Grace
4:6 Word of God in Life of the Believer
4:7a Godliness – Divine / Human Role
4:7b Train Yourself to be Godly
4:7c Spiritual Disciplines (The Word of God)
4:7d Spiritual Disciplines (Devotions, Worship)
4.7e Spiritual Disciplines (Church Attendance, Journaling, Practicing Presence of God)
4:8-9 Why Godliness Has Great Value
4:10 Putting Our Hope in the Living God
4:12 Setting an Example for Believers
4:13 What a Christian Worship Service Looked Like in the First Century
4:14 Neglecting the Spiritual Gift God has Given Us
4:15-16 Getting Home Before Dark
5:1-2 So, How Should We Describe the Church?
5:3-16 God’s Tilt Towards the Disenfranchised
5:3-16 Sorting Out those Worthy of Relief – A Biblical Approach to Social Welfare
5:3-16 The Biblical Rationale for Providing for Relatives
5:5-16 The Tale of Two Widows – A Biblical Approach to Pleasure
5:9-10 The Good Words of a New Testament Woman
3Give proper recognition to those widows who are really in need. 4But 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. 5The widow who is really in need and left all alone puts her hope in God and continues night and day to pray and to ask God for help. 6But the widow who lives for pleasure is dead even while she lives. 7Give the people these instructions, too, so that no one may be open to blame. 8If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.
9No widow may be put on the list of widows unless she is over sixty, has been faithful to her husband, 10and is well known for her good deeds, such as bringing up children, showing hospitality, washing the feet of the saints, helping those in trouble and devoting herself to all kinds of good deeds.
11 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. 12Thus they bring judgment on themselves, because they have broken their first pledge. 13Besides, they get into the habit of being idle and going about from house to house. And not only do they become idlers, but also gossips and busybodies, saying things they ought not to. 14So I counsel younger widows to marry, to have children, to manage their homes and to give the enemy no opportunity for slander. 15Some have in fact already turned away to follow Satan.
16If any woman who is a believer has widows in her family, she should help them and not let the church be burdened with them, so that the church can help those widows who are really in need.
INTRODUCTION:
A. Topics for Discussion in I Tim. 5:3-16
1. God Tilts Towards the Disenfranchised
2. Sorting Out Those Worthy of Relief – A Biblical Approach to Social Welfare
3. The Biblical Rationale for Providing for Our Relatives
4. The Tale of Two Widows – The Biblical Approach to Pleasure (5-6)
5. The Good Works of a New Testament Woman
6. Ministry to Widows in the Early Church
7. Gossips, Busybodies and False Teachers
8. What about “Younger Widows”?
B. The Breakdown of the Passage
1. Different classes of widows in I Tim. 5:3-16
The widow who is really in need (3, 5, 16)
The widow who has children, grandchildren, relatives (4,7-8)
The widow who lives for pleasure (6)
The widow who qualifies for official service (9-10)
The widow who should remarry (11-15)
2. Two main sections are:
a. Widows served by the church – Destitute (3-8, 16)
b. Widows who serve the church – Deserving (9-15)
C. Definition of the word “widow”
“The English word widow describes a woman whose husband is dead. The Greek word chera includes that meaning, but is not limited to it. It is an adjective used as a noun, and means “bereft,” “robbed,” “having suffered loss,” or “left alone.” The word does not speak of how a woman was left alone, it merely describes the situation. It is broad enough to encompass those who lost their husbands through death, desertion, divorce, or imprisonment. It could even encompass those cases where a polygamist came to Christ and sent away his extra wives (William Barclay, The Letters to Timothy, Titus, and Philemon [Philadelphia: Westminster, 1975], 105.
In our society the single mother or any single woman deserted by her husband or divorced or left alone because her husband is imprisoned would be in the same category as a widow.
D. “The List of Widows” (9)
These were “serving widows” or “widows who served the church.”
“What complicated this matter very much was the social background of the times. It was next to impossible for a single or a widowed woman to earn her living honestly. There was practically no trade or profession open to her. The result was inevitable; she was almost driven to prostitution in order to live. The Christian woman, therefore, had either to marry, or to dedicate her life completely to the service of there Church; there was no halfway house.” (Barclay 114)
There is no indication that all the widows on the list were eligible for church support. This is more a list of those eligible for ministry although some of them certainly may have received support from the church while others had their own means of support.
These standards for a widow are indeed standards for all Christian women and guidelines for Christian men too.
REQUIREMENTS TO BE ON THE LIST!!!
I. SHE MUST BE OVER 60
“No widow may be put on the list of widows unless she is over sixty, …”
Sixty was the culturally recognized age of retirement, as well as, practically, an age when marriage was unlikely. Presumably, at this age the temptations that faced the younger widow (11-15) would have ceased to be a serious concern” (Towner, 116).
Plato, in his plan for the ideal state, held that sixty was the right age for men and women to become priests and priestesses. (Barclay, 109)
ILLUSTRATION: Life Expectancy:
Roman Empire: 22-25
World in 1900: 30
USA in 1940: 62
World in 1985: 62
USA today: 77.1
Those is USA who are 65 today – 40.3 million
The church ought to lead in defining retirement not as a state of permanent idleness but as a transition when a wise person chooses some other endeavor. The Bible does not picture older people winding down as they serve God; rather it depicts them as winding up! (Life Application Bible Commentary, pg. 105)
QUESTION: Is retirement a Christian concept? Where did it come from? Can you find “retirement” in the Bible?
As a result of the “Great Depression” and influenced by Keynesian economics, the Social Security Act was proposed by the first Roosevelt administration and passed on August 14, 1935, which among other things included retirement benefits for all Americans. The life expectancy of Americans at that time was around 60 whereas retirement age was set for 65.
If we used the same formula , that is Social Security retirement benefits start 5 years after the life expectancy of Americans, Social Security would not start until we were 83.
Christians should steer away from the word “retirement.” A better term to use would be “CAREER CHANGE.” If some asks, “When are you going to retire?” we should respond, “I am making a career change at 65.”
Turning 65 just means that we have more time to involve ourselves in Christian ministry. We certainly don’t want to make the mistake of the rich fool in the parable of Jesus who bragged, “You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat drink and be merry.” God said to him, “You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you …” (Luke 12:19-20).
II. FAITHFUL TO HER HUSBAND
…has been faithful to her husband,…
Some translations say a “one man as husband,” others say “has had but one husband.” There is no doubt that the key term in the sentence is “faithfulness.”
The older women, according to Titus 2:3-5, are to teach the younger women how to live as a Christian wife, mother, woman. Having been faithful to their own husband would be a living example to a younger women.
III. WELL KNOWN FOR GOOD DEEDS
“…and is well known for her good deeds, …devoting herself to all kinds of good deeds.”
Serving others was not a once or twice thing in her life. It was something that she devoted herself to, to such an extent that she had a reputation, was well known for her good deeds.
The Greek term for “devoted” is epakoloutheo which means to diligently follow every good work. If a woman cleans her house diligently we could say she is devoted to having a clean house. These widows focused on service, on doing good deeds, to such an extent that they became WELL KNOWN for their service.
“The Apostolic Constitutions,” a document of church order from the third century, tells us what the life and organization of the church was at that time. The document speaks of registered widows giving themselves to prayer, nursing the sick, caring for orphans, visiting Christians in prison, evangelizing pagan women and teaching female converts in preparation for their baptism (Stott 133 and Barclay 109).
Ray Stedman writes, “I always feel hurt when I see a widow who has been left a considerable amount of money spending her days traveling around the world, going to bridge parties, and entertaining herself. The apostle implies that such a woman might as well be dead (the woman who lives for pleasure is dead, even while she lives). She is not using her life as God intended. Her life is all focused on herself instead of others. As a result she is missing out on wonderful ministry. (The Care and Feeding of Widows, pg 3).
IV. BRINGING UP CHILDREN
…such as bringing up children,…
Infanticide was encouraged in the ancient world. “Seneca regarded the drowning of children at birth as both reasonable and commonplace. Tacitus charged that the Jewish teaching that it is “a deadly sin to kill an unwanted child” was but another of their “sinister and revolting” practices (The Histories 5.5., 1984 ed.) It was common to expose an unwanted infant out-of-doors where it could, in principle, be taken up by someone who wished to rear it, but where it typically fell victim to the elements or to animals and birds. Not only was the exposure of infants a very common practice, it was justified by law and advocated by philosophers. Both Plato and Aristotle recommended infanticide as legitimate state policy.” (The Rise of Christianity, Rodney Stark, pg. 118).
Barclay writes, “When a child was born, he was brought and laid before his father’s feet. If the father stooped and lifted him, that meant that he acknowledged him and was prepared to accept responsibility for his upbringing. If the father turned and walked away, the child was quite literally thrown out, like an unwanted piece of rubbish.” (Barclay pg. 110)
Such babies were often collected by the unscrupulous and raised to be prostitutes, slaves or gladiators.
Some commentators feel that “bringing up children” in our text to refer to the Christian widow collecting and raising such discarded babies or possibly raising church orphans.
This statement “bringing up children” of course could refer to raising her own children successfully which was one of the marks of an ideal woman in the Greco-Roman and Jewish world, as it is in our own. Raising children successfully is certainly a mark of maturity and wisdom according to the Bible and in our own culture.
We often think of a “good deed” as something we do for others outside the home. The daily care, protection, guidance … raising of your children is a “good deed.” Every time you cook a meal, clean a room, bathe a child, give spiritual instruction, drive them to a school event, comb their hair …. All of these actions are “good deeds” and pleasing to God!
V. HOSPITALITY
“…showing hospitality …”
QUESTION: Are you xenophobic or philoxenic?
Xenophobic: Fear and hatred of strangers and foreigners or of anything strange or foreign. Philoxenic: Love of strangers.
1. There were no motels / hotels etc in ancient world … in fact in USA there wasn’t much in the way of such lodgings before the 1940s.
2. There were inns but they were not highly praised.
“In the ancient world, inns were notoriously bad. In one of Aristophane’s plays Heracles asks his companion where they will lodge for the night; and the answer is: “Where the fleas are the fewest.” Plato speaks of the inn-keeper being like a pirate who holds his guests to ransom. Inns tended to be dirty and expensive and, above all, immoral (Barclay, 82)
“Persecution, poverty, orphans, widows, and traveling Christians made hospitality essential in New Testament times. They had no hotels or motels, and the inns were notoriously evil. Often the inns were brothels or places where travelers were robbed and beaten.” (MacArthur, pg. 107)
3. There was also the problem of muggings and robbery, e.g. the Good Samaritan took care of a person who was robbed. The Greeks actually had a god, “Zeus Xenios.” The Protector of Strangers.
4. Although our situation is not like that of the NT period, there are many Christian people who need to experience Christian hospitality: Senior Citizens, Singles, Overseas Visitors.
Right now ISI is looking for people who will welcome and befriend an international student. What a perfect way to practice NT hospitality.
5. We must be very careful never to be xenophobic and instead should make sure we are philoxenic.
VI. WASHING THE FEET OF THE SAINTS
“…washing the feet of the saints.”
One thing is plain, is that washing the feet of the saints, although a good deed, is different than being hospitable.
We have numerous examples of washing feet in the Old and New Testaments: Abraham’s guests, Lot’s guests, Abraham’s servant when he went for Rebekah, Abigail ready to wash the feet of David’s servants, woman washing Jesus’ feet with tears, Jesus washing disciple’s feet.
Washing the feet of guests was usually the duty of a slave, the most menial of tasks.
QUESTION: Why is foot washing pointed out specifically?
The widow must serve with true humility, with a servant’s heart.
“The pope dares not touch his feet to the earth lest his holiness be defiled. He has himself borne upon the shoulders of men and adored as God upon earth. Since the foundation of the world, no one has ever dared try anything more wicked. I have seen with my own eyes how the Pope was carried with pomp on the shoulders of princes, making threatening crosses with his hand, and adored in the open squares by people on bended knee. All those who managed to kiss his feet or his sandals deemed themselves happy beyond the other and proclaimed to have obtained the greatest indulgences and that for this the punishments of hell had been remitted for many years. Oh, the most evil of the beasts, harlots most shameless.” (Michael Servatus in Out of the Flames, pg 60, when he witnessed the Pope’s coronation of Charles V of Spain as the Holy Roman Emperor in Bologna in 1530)
ILLUSTRATION: John Kerry, after President Bush’s poll number surged in April after a news conference is quoted as saying, “I can’t believe I am losing to this idiot.”
ILLUSTRATION: Brethren teacher / leader in England that always polished the shoes of his guests. They were expected to leave their shoes outside their door when they went to bed. When they awoke, their shoes would be cleanly polished.
VII. HELPING THOSE IN TROUBLE
“…helping those in trouble…”
If financial support was given to these widows, it was sure that they were busily involved. Paul strictly challenges the Thessalonians not to support lazy members who refused to work. (II Thes. 3:10)
“Helping fellow Christians under various sorts of stress is a responsibility that goes with the bond of fellowship in Christ (Mt. 25:35-40; Gal. 6:10; James 1:27). Paul asks that the ‘qualified’ widow be especially know for this good deed.” (Towner, 119)
Ray Steadman (Deceased pastor of Peninsula Bible Church in Palo Alto) writes, “My wife Elaine was born across the bay in El Cerrito, California. Just a few months later her father died; her mother was left a widow, all alone, with no family around. But right across the street lived a dear godly woman, named Mrs. Rasmussen. She took that family into her heart, surrounded them with love and ministered to their needs. At that time my wife’s mother was a Catholic and Mrs. Rasmussen was a Protestant, but that made absolutely no difference to this woman. She took them in. She prayed for them, loved them, ministered to them and encouraged them. When they left finally to go to live in Montana, she kept in touch with them by letter all the rest of her life. When Elaine and I were married and came back from Hawaii after the war, we stopped to see her. Her face was alight with the Spirit of God. She was cheerful, even though at the time she was bound by arthritis to a wheel chair. She was still an angel of mercy to the whole neighborhood; everybody loved her. What a godly woman! I am sure she turned hundreds of people to Christ by the power of her devoted, lovely, serving life. (The Care and Feeding of Widows)
So What????
1. Don’t retire from the race before the race is over. What would you think of a miler who retired after lap 3, although capable of finishing the race? His explanation: I didn’t feel like running anymore. I just wanted to rest.
2. Take My Life and Let It Be
Take my moments and my days,
Let them flow with ceaseless praise.
Take my silver and my gold.
Not one mite would I withhold.
Take my intellect and use
Every power as Thou would choose.
3. However, I consider my live worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me …(Acts 20:24) … I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race …” (II Tim. 4:7).
“My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of Him who sent me and to finish His work” (John 4:34).
4. The Retirement years are not yours. For the committed Christian, retirement is no more than a “Career Change.” Our retirement comes when we retire from this world and enter into God’s presence through death.