1 Timothy 5:11–13 (ESV) — 11 But refuse to enroll younger widows, for when their
passions draw them away from Christ, they desire to marry 12 and so incur condemnation for having abandoned their former faith. 13 Besides that, they learn to be idlers, going about from house to
house, and not only idlers, but also gossips and busybodies, saying what they
should not.
NOTE: Paul's
admonition to younger widows seems harsh. Verse 13 provides some of his
reasoning, but the enrolling of a younger widow and even a stipend (if that was
the case) provides status to individuals. And status, when enjoyed young, can
have destructive effects upon the person. He worried for the church and it's
witness, but he also worried for the individual. Wisdom is learned, but it is
also experienced. Younger widows are not ready for the responsibilities of a
ministry as a widow. Too much in life can still change.
Constable suggests
that Paul may have understood widowhood (until death) to be a calling (in a
sense), and that there are too many unknows for a woman to accept the calling
for life and then to renounce that calling to marry. Also, many women are
subject to Satan's trap, and remarry to an unbeliever, thereby causing even
greater problems for the church and for her ministry.
PRAYER: God give the
church wisdom to know when to call widows to service, and when to encourage
them in other avenues. It would be great to use widows in special ministry
service. I don't know if any churches really do that. But I pray for the body
that I am a part of to take care of our widows and to use them properly.
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