Hi guys,

Today a short verse but with a powerful lesson! Hope this study brings you something.

Here you can find the text I'm reading:

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1 Timothy 5:3, “Give proper recognition to those widows who are really in need.”

Interesting points:
1. In this verse Paul transitions from the treatment of women in the previous verse to discuss guidelines for the Church concerning the plight of widows. This verse helps us understand that the Church must be discerning to help those that “are really in need” – a point he will help us better understand as we study this chapter through Verse 16. As church finances are finite, it is important to focus attention on those who are most needy.

2. By definition, a widow is a woman that has lost her husband to death but the widow in need has no one to fall back on – no family, children or grandchildren – nor the means to provide for herself because she cannot find employment. She is the most vulnerable of women and can be easily exploited by the unscrupulous.

3. The term “Give proper recognition” is also translated “Honor” or even “Support”, alluding to the previous verse concerning treating older women with the same respect and honor we would provide our mothers. We can infer from this that the widows worthy of such assistance are elderly or especially frail so they are unable to work or make ends meet.

Application.
Brothers, the surrounding culture of the early church is vastly different from our own. Besides death, women can lose their husbands to divorce, abandonment or even debilitating diseases that render the man unable to care for his wife.

Most have the ability to enter the workforce (and should be encouraged to if they can), a few may have the financial resources to make ends meet until they can find their feet but there are extenuating circumstances that can make today’s definition of the “widow” broader and the church should be discerning of the times, especially with COVID-19 wreaking havoc on the ability of many to raise sufficient income to survive.

We men love to help a “damsel in distress” but we must be very cautious in doing so, ensuring that we seek the counsel of our spouses (for those of us that are married) and other discerning sisters in Christ to verifying the need and in offering assistance. Additionally, it is wise for us men to address/respond to widows as a coordinated Church effort and avoid “all semblance of evil” by visiting widows by ourselves.