Honoring true widows compared to false widows.

1 Timothy 5:3-16

Click for a description of the mark of the beast.
Click for a description of the image of the beast.

“Honor widows who are really widows.” 1 Timothy 5:3

Paul exhorted Timothy to honor widows who were true widows. Why did Paul make a distinction between real and false widows? Because false widows were overrunning the Church that the youthful Timothy was leading. We have to remember that the Church was wherever Believers gather, usually in the home of one of the other Believers. The false widows were making themselves at home where the Believers were gathered, and taking advantage of their generosity, taking advantage of young Timothy. By the Holy Spirit, Paul let Timothy know it was time to shut the door to the false widows and to honor widows who really were widows. This is described in the coming verses of this post.

What was a “true widow”? Basically, a woman who had no one who could care for her and she was not able to care for herself. Young widows were not “true widows” and were urged to find a way to pick themselves up from their loss, including remarrying. All of this is stated in the coming verses of this post.

“But if any widow has children or grandchildren, let them first learn to show piety at home and to repay their parents; for this is good and acceptable before God.” 1 Timothy 5:4

If a widow had children or grandchildren, those children were expected to care for their mother/grandmother. By Jewish customs, they are commanded, “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you.” Exodus 20:12. Paul affirmed, “this is good and acceptable before God“.

We live in a world today where the beast that gives people what to do, feel, think, and say are tearing Christian families apart to blaspheme God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. Even when widows are cared for by their surviving family, the care feels more like affliction than anything else. More times than not, the family of an aging parent are put under the care of a home-health person or placed in an “assisted living” facility. “For from now on five in one house will be divided: three against two, and two against three. Father will be divided against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.” Luke 12:52-53

“Now she who is really a widow, and left alone, trusts in God and continues in supplications and prayers night and day. But she who lives in pleasure is dead while she lives. And these things command, that they may be blameless. But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” 1 Timothy 5:5-8

Paul gave Timothy a description of the character of true widows. Timothy was taught to open the home [the Church] to welcome true widows into the gathering of Believers. True widows were those faithful to God through Jesus Christ and living in the presence of the Holy Spirit. They were welcomed to join the fellowship of Believers and to be cared for by the kindness, love, and goodwill of fellow Christians.

True widows had no one else to care for them and were left alone. In today’s culture, it’s an epidemic that senior citizens live alone, and left to depend on “life alert” systems. There was a popular television commercial with the phrase, “Help I’ve fallen and can’t get up”, which was spoken by an elderly woman who lived alone and had fallen and couldn’t raise herself up. The marketing message was that by saying those words in a computer box [a life alert system], help would be sent right away [in the form of medical personnel].

A true widow included those whose faith was in the Living God, our Creator, and communicated with Him night and day. A false widow is one that indulged in physical pleasures and was dead to God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit. Those false widows would not be welcomed into the gathering of Believers. True widows were to be blameless in the eyes of God by living for Jesus in the presence of the Holy Spirit.

If a fellow Christian refuses to care for a fellow Christian, especially those under the same roof, that person has denied the faith of living for Jesus Christ and is worse than an unbeliever. We live in an atheistic culture that has made it near impossible for Christians to care for other Christians, or even to gather with other true Believers. This is written about the beast that gives people what to speak, do, think, and feel, “It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation. All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” Revelations 13:7-8 The “him” in that verse is the beast of the image and mark of the beast.

“Do not let a widow under sixty years old be taken into the number, and not unless she has been the wife of one man, well reported for good works: if she has brought up children, if she has lodged strangers, if she has washed the saints’ feet, if she has relieved the afflicted, if she has diligently followed every good work.” 1 Timothy 5:9-10

Focus is given to this verse when we consider that Timothy was a young man, probably in his 20’s or 30’s. He was prone to sexual temptations as any man would be at that age. By the Holy Spirit, Paul exhorted Timothy not to bring young widows into the home where Believers gathered. Especially if they were known to be men-chasers who have had several husbands. Or if they were known to be deviant from the will of God in their behaviors. Or if she had forsaken motherly duties and not raised her children. Or if she was inhospitable and hostile to others and had a sour and unGodly attitude. Or if she was filled with herself and unable to be humble in the service of God. Or if she had caused affliction to others. Or if she was untrustworthy to persevere in good works.

For focus, we could say that young widows would be welcomed into Timothy’s Church if they could be trusted not to entice him [and other Believers] with sexual temptations. These young widows would have been married only once, having a reputation of doing good works in the service of God through Jesus Christ, was a motherly person who raised her children, was hospitable to strangers by the standards of Jesus Christ, was humble in her service to fellow Believers, gave relief to those afflicted and suffering in the world, and was diligent is every good work.

“But refuse the younger widows; for when they have begun to grow wanton against Christ, they desire to marry, having condemnation because they have cast off their first faith. And besides they learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house, and not only idle but also gossips and busybodies, saying things which they ought not.” 1 Timothy 5:11-13

These verses are describing the younger widows as being spots in the love feasts of those gathering in the name of Jesus Christ. More specifically, the young widows have raging hormones that cause them to seek sexual gratification over faith in Jesus Christ. Paul urged Timothy not to allow those young widows into his Church.

The young widows were to be refused entry into the home/Church for several reasons;

• They tend to leave faith in Jesus Christ in order to purse their lust for men, young men like Timothy. They desire a marriage with men over their marriage with Jesus Christ. Their condemnation is not because they have sexual desires for men but because they have left living for Jesus Christ to follow the lust of the flesh.
• Young widows learn to be idle. Idle does not mean setting around doing nothing but rather having nothing constructive to do with their time. They were prone to go from house-to-house, gossiping, prying and interfering in the life of others, etc. They engaged in conversations about things that a Christian would never speak about.

“Therefore I desire that the younger widows marry, bear children, manage the house, give no opportunity to the adversary to speak reproachfully. For some have already turned aside after Satan.” 1 Timothy 5:14-15

In the days of Paul and Timothy, idle time was removed from a woman when she married to care for her husband, have children, and manage the house. That is noble character of a woman to be a caring wife, mother, and able to manage the family.

Click here for a post on the “Role of women in this world compared to God’s role for women”.

Today, the majority of women have discarded the idea that it is noble to be a homemaker. They focus more on work as they are thrust into positions of community leadership, business managers, given power and authority at all levels of government. That is the agenda of the government of the beast. Women are considered to be peaceful by nature while men are considered to be aggressive. The United Nations believe that world peace will be achieved by having women in places of authority while discarding the need for the Holy Spirit that comes through Jesus Christ. They worship the creature instead of God the Creator. Women are empowered by the beast that has power over physiology. They are empowered with uncanny knowledge, heightened intuition, uncanny authority over others, extraordinary skills and talents, fabricated emotions, etc.

We are living in times that Jesus spoke about, “But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days!” Matthew 24:19

“If any believing man or woman has widows, let them relieve them, and do not let the church be burdened, that it may relieve those who are really widows.” 1 Timothy 5:16

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“….to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets,“
‘I will not impose any other burden on you, except to hold on to what you have until I come.’”
“I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown.”
Revelation 2:24-25, 3:1