Honor Widows Indeed
Part 9: 1 Timothy 5:3-16
Honour widows that are widows indeed ...she that is a widow indeed, and desolate, trusteth in God, and continueth in supplications and prayers night and day. (1 Timothy 5:3, 5).
Widows were a prominent figure in the epistles as well as the early apostolic churches of the 1st through 3rd centuries. The Bible encourages special honor be given to these godly women of the church, and their role became more and more organized and formalized in the early church. Let's take a closer look at these brave and influential women.
Read 1 Timothy 5:3-8
Two Topics
1 Timothy 5 describes these widows, and in the passage, two topics are discussed. First, the issue of godly vs. worldly widows and the responsibility of the church toward them is discussed in 1 Timothy 5:3-8. Secondly, Paul changes the topic to discuss a "list" of widows and the things he expects of them in 1 Timothy 5:9-16.
1. Two Kinds of Widows
How are the members of the church to treat “widows indeed” in vers. 3?
The word “requite” in verse 4 means “to give a return.” What, then, is the responsibility of the family to the widow?
Our parents cared for us when we could not care for ourselves. We owe them the same in return. In fact, when we see to the needs of aging parents, we are only rendering a small portion of what, in most cases, they have generously and sacrificially given to us. An oft-quoted proverb says, “While one poor father provided for the needs of ten children, it often appears to take ten rich children to see to the needs of one father.”1
Paul is encouraging the families of widows to care for them and support them. Verse 8 even tells the families that if they do not care for their household, including their parents, then they are extremely displeasing to God.
In verses 3, 4, and 16 of our passage and also in Acts 6, how is the church involved in the lives of these widows who find themselves all alone?
In 1 Timothy 5:3, the members of the church are to treat the "widows indeed" with honor. There are two characteristics of these kinds of widows found in 1 Timothy 5:5. She is "desolate", and she trusts in God. Apparently, these honored widows truly have no family on which they can depend. The family of a widow has the first responsibility to support her, but some women are not so blessed. Some may be found alone in the world, or "desolate", because they either don't have any family, or their family has neglected their responsibility. In this case, the church does what it can to support a widow who indeed needs help. A godly woman truly trusts in God in this difficult time in her life.
What are two characteristics of a “widow indeed” in 1 Timothy 5:5?
We can conclude from these verses that since this widow continues in prayer "night and day," that she has the time to do so, something that may not have been so easily done while she was a wife and mother. This woman takes her new situation and uses her freedom and time for spiritual pursuits. These kinds of women are called "widows indeed." I highly recommend reading Lenski's Interpretation of Paul's Letter to Timothy. His very long explanation of 1 Timothy 5:3-8 is incredibly precise yet practical. He brings out Paul's heart of compassion for a truly needy widow who is all alone. He says, for instance,