1Ti 5 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for 1Tim 5:1-6:2: 5:1–6:2a Right conduct in God’s household (see 3:15 ) relates to old and young (5:1-2 ), widows (5:3-16 ), elders (5:17-25 ), and slaves (6:1-2a ). Proper honor within the household cuts across social boundaries.

Summary for 1Tim 5:1-6:2: 5:1–6:2a ^a Right conduct in God’s household (see 3:15 ^b) relates to old and young (5:1-2 ^c), widows (5:3-16 ^d), elders (5:17-25 ^e), and slaves (6:1-2a ^f). Proper honor within the household cuts across social boundaries.
Summary for 1Tim 5:3-16: 5:3-16 ^g A widow without wealth or family was alone in a world that did not provide for her. The Christian community was expected to care for such widows among its members (see Deut 10:17-19 ^h; Isa 1:17 ⁱ; cp. Acts 6:1-6 ^j; Jas 1:27 ^k). Some have argued that this passage suggests a religious order of widows in the first-century church at Ephesus, but there is no certain evidence of such an order in the first-century church, only of a ministry of care for community members without means.
5:5 ^l The only recourse for a widow who was truly alone was hope in God (Pss 68:5 ^m; 146:9 ⁿ).
5:6 ^o Some widows in Ephesus were living only for pleasure, more interested in receiving than in giving (see also 6:17-19 ^p; Jas 5:5 ^q). They did not need support.
5:8 ^r Faith is not mere belief but a whole way of life (see Jas 2:14-26 ^s).
5:9 ^t at least sixty: Young widows required a different approach (5:11-15 ^u). Young and old were customarily divided at around forty; elders would probably have been over fifty (see Titus 2:2 ^v).

• was faithful to her husband (literally was the wife of one husband): The grammar is identical in 1 Tim 3:2 ^w, 12 ^x; Titus 1:6 ^y.
5:10 ^z and served other believers humbly: Cp. Gen 18:4 ^aa; Luke 7:44 ^ab; John 13:1-17 ^ac.
Summary for 1Tim 5:11-15: 5:11-15 ^ad Young widows still in their childbearing years required a different approach. Paul was concerned that the false teachers were leading them astray.
Summary for 1Tim 5:11-12: 5:11-12 ^ae If Paul was concerned about remarriage to unbelievers (cp. 5:14 ^af), their previous pledge would refer to their Christian faith, which they would surrender upon entering a pagan marriage; such a marriage would probably have alienated them from Christ. It is also possible that Paul and the church recognized a special category of “sacred widowhood” (see 5:5 ^ag; cp. Acts 9:36-37 ^ah), entered by a vow that Paul refers to as the previous pledge.
5:13 ^ai Too seldom do those who are fully supported by the church invest their lives in remarkable piety (cp. 2:9-10 ^aj; 5:10 ^ak). Abusing the church’s support does not help them or the Good News (cp. 5:14 ^al).

• talking about things they shouldn’t: The wording suggests involvement in the false teaching (5:15 ^am; cp. 2 Thes 3:11-13 ^an; Titus 1:11 ^ao).
5:14 ^ap Paul is advising younger widows to remarry—and to marry believers (5:11-12 ^aq; cp. 2:15 ^ar).

• not ... say anything against them: Their actions were hurting their testimony for the Good News (see 1 Thes 4:11-12 ^as; Titus 2:8 ^at).
5:15 ^au now follow Satan: They had committed apostasy, renouncing Christ, probably in connection with the false teachers (1:6-7 ^av; cp. 3:6-7 ^aw; Heb 2:1 ^ax) and their self-indulgence (1 Tim 5:6 ^ay, 13 ^az).
5:16 ^ba Individual Christian households maintained their function and identity within the church (cp. 2:15 ^bb; 3:15 ^bc). They were not eclipsed by the church, although the household of God is primary to the identity of the believing community (see Mark 3:31-35 ^bd).
Summary for 1Tim 5:17-25: 5:17-25 ^be Elders: As in Judaism, community leaders (see also 3:1-7 ^bf; Titus 1:5-9 ^bg) were usually older men who were leaders in the wider community. The letters to Timothy and Titus recognize an office of elders, as here (see also 1 Tim 4:14 ^bh; Titus 1:5 ^bi), but the word is also used generally for older men in the community (as in 1 Tim 5:1 ^bj).
Summary for 1Tim 5:17-18: 5:17-18 ^bk should be respected and paid well (literally should be worthy of double honor): Cp. Gal 6:6 ^bl. There is no evidence of a paid clergy at this time; the word used here is never used for a continuous salary, though it does imply something beyond a show of respect. The quotations from Scripture (Deut 25:4 ^bm; Luke 10:7 ^bn) suggest gifts of money.
Summary for 1Tim 5:19-21: 5:19-21 ^bo The climate created by the false teachers may have led to spurious charges against the leaders of the community. This passage follows the outline of Deut 19:15-21 ^bp.

• two or three witnesses: See Deut 17:6 ^bq; 19:15 ^br; Matt 18:16 ^bs; 2 Cor 13:1 ^bt; Heb 10:28 ^bu.
5:20 ^bv Those who sin: This term refers either to one who is (rightly) accused or to one making a (false) accusation (Deut 19:16-19 ^bw).

• The others are either the other elders or the rest of the church (cp. Deut 19:20 ^bx; Acts 5:1-11 ^by).
5:21 ^bz God and Christ Jesus and the highest angels constitute three witnesses (5:19 ^ca). These witnesses confirm the accusation against leaders who sin (5:20 ^cb).

• Angels are associated with God’s judgment (Dan 7:9-10 ^cc; Matt 13:49 ^cd; 25:31 ^ce, 41 ^cf; Luke 9:26 ^cg; 2 Thes 1:7 ^ch).
5:22 ^ci Do not share in the sins of others: Those who commission an elder are responsible for his conduct.
5:23 ^cj Possibly the concern with purity (5:22 ^ck) was being taken too far with respect to wine (see 3:3 ^cl; Num 6:1-21 ^cm) or food (1 Cor 10:21 ^cn). Wine may have been considered medicinal.
Summary for 1Tim 5:24-25: 5:24-25 ^co These two proverbial statements summarize 5:17-23 ^cp and point to God’s judgment.