1 Timothy 5
5
Conduct toward Others
1Don’t be harsh or verbally abusive to an older man; # 5:1 Or “elder” (one who is given responsibility within the church). it is better to appeal to him as a father. And as you minister to the younger men it is best to encourage them as your dear brothers. 2Honor the older women # 5:2 Or “woman elders.” as mothers, and the younger women, treat as your dear sisters with utmost purity. # 5:2 Or “holiness.”
3The church needs to honor and support the widows, especially those who are in dire need. 4But if they have children or grandchildren at home, then it is only proper to let them provide for the ones who raised them when they were children, for kindness begins at home and it pleases God.
5For the true widow # 5:5 There is an implication in the Aramaic that the “true widow” is one whose husband was killed due to persecution of believers. is all alone and has placed her complete hope in God. She is Messiah’s missionary # 5:5 As translated from the Aramaic. and will need the support of the church as one who remains in prayer day and night. 6But the widow who serves only herself lives a life of self-indulgence and is wasting her life away.
7Be sure to give clear instruction concerning these matters so that none of them will live with shame. 8For if a believer fails to provide for their own relatives when they are in need, they have compromised # 5:8 Or “denied.” their convictions of faith and need to be corrected, for they are living worse than the unbelievers.
9The widows who are worthy to be supported by the church should be at least sixty years old and not remarried. 10They should have a beautiful testimony of raising their families, practicing hospitality, encouraging other believers, comforting troubled ones, # 5:10 Or “paying the expenses of those who are persecuted.” and have a reputation for doing good works.
11But you need not concern yourself with the younger widows, for some will depart from the Messiah because of their desire to remarry. # 5:11 There is a sexual connotation implied in the text. 12For they will face their own punishment # 5:12 Or “judgment.” of living with a disturbed conscience for invalidating their former faith. 13Those widows who go around from house to house as busybodies # 5:13 The Greek word used for “busybodies” can also imply “gaining illegal knowledge of the supernatural.” See Acts 19:19 where the same Greek word is used for black magic. are only learning to be lazy, making their situation even worse by talking too much, gossiping, and speaking things they shouldn’t. They become far too obsessed with empty things that will not bear good fruit.
14For this reason, teach the younger women to remarry and bear children and care for their household. This will keep them from giving our adversary a reason to gloat. 15For there are already those who have begun to turn aside from their faith and are influenced by Satan.
16So if any believer has a widow in their family, instruct them to support her financially so that the church will not be burdened with her care. This will leave finances available for those widows who are truly in need.
Respect toward Church Leaders
17The pastors # 5:17 Or “elders,” also v. 19. who lead the church well should be paid well. They should receive double honor for faithfully preaching and teaching the revelation of the Word of God. 18For the Scriptures have taught us: “Do not muzzle an ox or forbid it to eat while it grinds the grain.” # 5:18 See Deut. 25:4. And also, “The one who labors deserves his wages.” # 5:18 See Lev. 19:13; Deut. 24:15.
19Refuse to listen to suspicious accusations against the pastors who lead the flock unless you have two or three witnesses to confirm the accusations. 20But if indeed you find that they have sinned, bring correction to them before the congregation so that the rest of the people will respect you. # 5:20 Or “fear.” That is, the congregation will see proper correction and fear falling into sin.
21Timothy, in the presence of God and our Lord Jesus Christ, and before the chosen messengers, # 5:21 This word can refer to angels or men. I solemnly charge you to put into practice all these matters without bias, prejudice, or favoritism.
22Don’t be hasty to ordain them with the laying on of hands, or you may end up sharing in their guilt should they fall. Keep yourself pure and holy with your standards high. 23(If drinking the water causes you to have stomach ailments, # 5:23 The Greek text literally means “bladder frequency.” This translation has chosen to bracket this parenthetical verse to show it is inserted in the middle of Paul’s words regarding the topic of ordination (laying on of hands). Paul does not encourage the drinking of wine, nor does he condemn its moderate use. drink some wine instead.)
24The sins of some people stand out and are well known. Yet there are others whose sins are not as obvious, but the truth of who they really are will eventually be seen and will bring them judgment. # 5:24 An alternate Aramaic translation is “there are some who confess their sins and bring them [their sins] to judgment, and there are those whose sins follow them.” 25It is the same way with good works, even if they are not known at first, they will eventually be recognized and acknowledged.
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Learn More About The Passion Translation1 Timothy 5
5
Rules for Living with Others
1Do not speak angrily to an older man, but talk to him as if he were your father. Treat younger men like brothers. 2Treat older women like mothers, and younger women like sisters. Always treat them in a pure way.
3Take care of widows who are all alone. 4But if a widow has children or grandchildren, the first thing they need to learn is to do their duty to their own family. When they do this, they will be repaying their parents or grandparents. That pleases God. 5If a widow is all alone and without help, then she puts her hope in God and prays night and day for God’s help. 6But the widow who uses her life to please herself is really dead while she is still living. 7Tell the believers there to do these things so that no one can say they are doing wrong. 8A believer should take care of his own relatives, especially his own family. If he does not do that, he has turned against the faith. He is worse than a person who does not believe in God.
9To be on your list of widows, a woman must be 60 years old or older. She must have been faithful to her husband. 10She must be known as a woman who has done good works. By this, I mean good works such as raising her children, accepting visitors in her home, washing the feet of God’s people, helping those in trouble, and using her life to do all kinds of good deeds.
11But do not put younger widows on that list. After they give themselves to Christ, they are often pulled away from him by their physical desires. And then they want to marry again. 12And they will be judged for not doing what they first promised to do. 13Also, those younger widows begin to waste their time going from house to house. They begin to gossip and busy themselves with other people’s lives. They say things that they should not say. 14So I want the younger widows to marry, have children, and take care of their homes. If they do this, then no enemy will have any reason to criticize them. 15But some of the younger widows have already turned away to follow Satan.
16If any woman who is a believer has widows in her family, then she should care for them herself. The church should not have to care for them. Then the church will be able to care for the widows who have no living family.
17The elders who lead the church well should receive great honor. Those who work hard by speaking and teaching especially should receive great honor. 18For the Scripture says, “When an ox is working in the grain, do not cover its mouth to keep it from eating.”# Quotation from Deuteronomy 25:4. And the Scripture also says, “A worker should be given his pay.”# Quotation from Luke 10:7.
19Do not listen to someone who accuses an elder, unless there are two or three other persons who say he did wrong. 20Tell those who keep on sinning that they are wrong. Do this in front of the whole church so that the others will have a warning.
21Before God and Jesus Christ and the chosen angels, I command you to do these things. Be careful to do them without showing favor to anyone.
22Think carefully before you lay your hands on# A sign of giving authority or power to another person. anyone for the Lord’s service. Do not share in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure.
23Timothy, you stop drinking only water and drink a little wine. This will help your stomach, and you will not be sick so often.
24The sins of some people are easy to see even before they are judged. But the sins of others are seen only later. 25So also good deeds are easy to see. But even when they are not easy to see, they cannot stay hidden.
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