Honoring Widows

1 Timothy 5:3-16

About the Sermon

Widows are near to the heart of God, and so it is no surprise that the matter of their care fills a good portion of Paul’s first letter to Timothy. The early church invested great energy in the care of their widows. It is possible that in Ephesus the church’s generosity was unsustainable. Paul, in 1 Timothy 5:3–16, seems to offer needed regulation on how the church went about its care for its older widowed members. Many things have changed since the first century, but something clear remains: the church’s responsibility to its most vulnerable members. Some work will need to be done to reconstruct the historical situation, but once we do we’ll see a beautiful picture of how God cares for His people.

About the Series

What if we could read a letter written by one of Jesus’ apostles to a first century church leader? What would we learn about Christ’s deign for her leadership and health? We need look no further than Paul’s first letter to Timothy. Paul tells us why he wrote this letter: that we may “know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth” (3:14–15). That will involve a variety of things, chief among them instruction in sound—literally, healthy—doctrine for a healthy church and a radiant witness (1:3, 10; 4:6; 6:3). From worship to widow-care, from anger to parenting, Paul’s words are for us.
What if we could read a letter written by one of Jesus’ apostles to a first century church leader? What would we learn about Christ’s deign for her leadership and health? We need look no further than Paul’s first letter to Timothy. Paul tells us why he wrote this letter: that we may “know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth” (3:14–15). That will involve a variety of things, chief among them instruction in sound—literally, healthy—doctrine for a healthy church and a radiant witness (1:3, 10; 4:6; 6:3). From worship to widow-care, from anger to parenting, Paul’s words are for us.

Sermons in the Series