Bible Phrasing: 1 Timothy 5:17-21

 

First Timothy 5:17-21 follows a lengthy section that instructs the church how to care for widows. Now, Paul turns his focus onto how the church should care for its elders. By elders, Paul is not referring to the elderly. He is referring to the church's spiritual leaders. First Timothy 5:17–21 has three parts.

PART 1

1) The first section (1 Timothy 5:17–18) is about elders and their compensation. There's the primary command, the caveat, and the Scripture support:

The Command: "Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor" 
The Caveat: "Especially those who labor in preaching and teaching"

The Scripture support: For Scripture says, "You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain," and, "The laborer deserves his wages."

Two main questions of clarification are worth asking: 1) How does "especially" relate to the command? and 2) How do the Scriptures Paul cites support the consideration for double honor for ruling elders? 

How does "especially" relate to the command?

Does "especially" modify the first or second part of the command? If the adverb modifies the first part of the command, Paul strongly insinuates that "those who labor in preaching and teaching" are to be differentiated from the broad category of "elders who rule well." If the adverb modifies the second part of the command, "be considered worthy of double honor," then Paul strongly suggests somehow that "those who labor in preaching and teaching" are worthy of a greater double honor. 

The likely interpretation is that Paul envisions two groups of elders: those who rule well in general, and those who rule well by preaching and teaching. Although all elders should be able to teach (1 Timothy 3:2), not all elders will labor primarily in those specific ways.  The text does not suggest that teaching and preaching gives access to "more" double honor ("especially those who preach and teach are worthy of double honor"). "Double honor" is reserved for both categories of elders who rule well. The keyword is "well." 

How do the Scriptures support the consideration for double honor for ruling elders?

The consideration for double honor is grounded in two passages of Scripture. The first passage is from Deuteronomy 25:4, "you shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain." The second passage is: "the laborer deserves his wages," most likely a reference to Jesus's words from Luke 10:7.  

Why does Paul ground the support of elders on these two passages? The Luke 10:7 passage is more obvious in this context: it is right and good for pastors who serve faithfully to receive hospitality and generosity from the church. 

The Deuteronomy 25:4 passage is less clear. What do oxen have to do with elders? Both labor and both have rights to be remunerated for their labor. God provides food for the oxen as they labor, which is why Israel was commanded not to muzzle them. Similarly, elders are entitled to their wages as they labor, which is why Paul commands the church to be generous to their elders. 

PART 2

In the second part, 5:19-20, Paul stipulates two main ideas. First, charges against elders should be well-established. And second, Paul instructs that those who are in persistent sin should be rebuked publicly. 

The first stipulation contains a negative command (do not), an exception (except on...), and a qualifier (two or three witnesses).  The second stipulation contains a qualifier (as for those...), a positive command (rebuke them...), and a reason for the command (so that...). 

These two commands are necessary for the church and fit Paul's major thesis in 1 Timothy 3:14–15. Elders, perhaps more than any other church member, are open to accusations because of their public ministry. It is important, therefore, to allow admission of charges and public rebukes to elders who abuse their position in the household of God. But these verses stipulate features to protect elders against baseless accusations. It is unlikely that two or three witnesses would admit a charge if it were baseless. Deuteronomy 19:15, from where the caveat of two or three witnesses derives, is adamant that disputes are in "the presence of the Lord." This is why Paul concludes this section with verse 21.

PART 3

Paul's charge to Timothy in verse 21 functions as a natural conclusion to the previous sections. First, "these instructions" likely refers back to the material contained in 5:8–20. The first occurrence of "these things" is in 3:14, which includes the material from chapters 1-3. Paul uses "these things" more frequently in the latter half of the letter (4:6, 11; 5:7, 21; 6:2, 11) to summarize sections of commands. So "these instructions" in 5:21 likely summarizes commands related to widows and elders. 

As mentioned above, 5:21 captures the theme of Deuteronomy 19:15, which explains that disputes are to be held in "the presence of the Lord," the covenant God. Paul continues that thought here, "in the presence of God," but adds "Christ Jesus," and "elect angels." In other words, a large swath of heavenly beings, but most importantly, God himself, are present and can observe Timothy's keeping of these rules. Several observations are noteworthy.

1) "These instructions" are from God himself, which is why Paul binds Timothy to keep them. The instructions are authoritative, not because Paul thinks they may be good for building community; rather, they are commands instituted by God and should be held in high regard. 

2) Secondly, invoking the presence of God, Christ Jesus, and the elect angels, requires Timothy to look past the Apostle Paul to the authority undergirding the apostle's ministry. Paul is and always has been a mere messenger of God's own pleasure. Paul is binding Timothy to the authority that surpasses even his apostolic authority; the very authority of God. 

3) Timothy is to keep these instructions "without prejudging." Paul clarifies what he means by prejudging: Timothy is to do nothing "from partiality." It is especially important for Timothy to remain above board in the way he handles sensitive issues like qualifying and providing for widows or receiving charges and accusations against elders. If Timothy is tempted to offer preferential treatment, it could negatively impact God's household, resulting in a failed ministry. Paul wants to impress on Timothy the weight of the task before him. It's a task that requires faithfulness, judiciousness, and impartiality. 

Bible Phrasing: 1 Timothy 5:3–16

Paul's guidelines for a church's responsibility toward widows

First Timothy 5:3–16 has at least four parts. In part one (5:3–8), Paul gives general teaching for what a widow is. Part 2 (5:9–10) describes the enrollment process of a widow into the church's care. The topic of younger widows takes place in 5:11-15. Finally, in part 4, Paul summaries his argument for the responsibility toward widows (5:16). 

1) Part one starts with a command: "Honor widows who are truly widows." Two questions immediately come to the foreground following this command: 1) what constitutes a "true widow" and 2) what obligations exist for the church and family members when helping widows? The answer to question #1 (vv 5, 6) is bookended by the answer to question #2 (vv 4, 8).

The answer to question #2: Quite naturally, a widow with family members is part of a family already, and thus, does not necessarily require the care of the church. In the case where a widow has children or grandchildren, Paul expects them to rise to the occasion by 1) showing godliness to their household and 2) making some return to their parents. The reason for these two expectations is the end of verse 4: "for this is pleasing in the sight of God." One may ask, "What if the children or grandchildren do not learn to show godliness or make a return for their parents?" The answer is given generally in 5:8. No serious Christian would fail in providing for their relatives, especially of their own household. It's one thing to help a relative who does not live in the same house. Of course, true Christians are expected to help these relatives. But relatives who are in the same house? To Paul, it appears blatantly obvious what the duty of a Christian is: provide for the widow. 

Paul expects Timothy to train the living family members of widows--Paul assumes they are Christ-followers ("to show godliness")--to take care of them so that the church is not burdened with their care (5:16). If a widow's family members fail to care for her, the offense is so egregious that Paul considers their inaction to be a denial of the Christian faith.  Conversely, families who display godliness and return for their parents are of such a caliber that they are "without reproach" (5:7). 

The answer to question #1: What does it mean for a widow to be "truly a widow"? begins in verse 4. Paul explains that a widow is a person who has been "left all alone" most assumedly because her husband has died. But the question of a "true widow" has more to do with the quality of the widow's faith than merely her marital status. For instance, Paul describes the widow as one who has 1) set her hope on God, 2) continues in supplications and prayers, and 3) remains consistent in her faith ("night and day"). The opposite of a true widow is the widow who is engaged in a level of self-indulgence that is deadly. Her self-indulgence may include a self-destructive pursuit of sexual pleasure or an unrestrained pursuit of any pleasure that pulls her away from Christ. See 5:11 where Paul warns of young widows being particularly prone to this temptation. 

2) In part 2, Paul provides a straightforward qualifying list to ensure proper enrollment of true widows. The first requirement is age: she must not be less than 60 years of age. The second is marital fidelity: one-husband wife. Finally, she must have a reputation for good works: 1) she's a proven mother, 2) she's hospitable, 3) she's a servant, 4) she's caring, and 5) she's devoted to every good work. Such qualities would easily be noticed by any church. To summarize, qualifying (or true) widows are: Not < 60, One-husband women, and devoted to every good work.

3) Paul gives a rationale in part 3 for refusing to enroll young widows to the church's care. After giving the direction, Paul gives a reason: for when their passions draw them away from Christ, they desire to marry. At first, the rationale appears to be don't enroll them ... because they will want to get remarried. 

Paul's concern is not on remarriage itself, though. It's on the widow's motivation for remarriage. The wrong motivation for remarriage can bring about condemnation. Paul's rationale becomes more clear when the motivation for remarriage comes to the foreground:

       --> Refuse to enroll widows 

                --> Because [if you enroll them] their passions may lead them away from Christ

                        --> then they'll desire to remarry, having abandoned their faith in Christ

                                --> and thus, they will incur God's judgment for straying away from Christ

Paul adds another list to bolster the argument for why Timothy should refuse to enroll younger widows: 

                                        --> Besides, [without faith in Christ] they'll learn the wrong things

                                                --> Therefore, don't enroll them. Let them get remarried. 

So Paul concludes that younger widows should not be enrolled into the care of the church, but should be remarried. Paul has four particular desires for the younger widows: remarry, bear children, manage their households, and give the adversary no occasion for slander. 

The final grounds clause may link to either 5:11 or 5:14. If the grounds clause is linked to 5:11, the argument would go something like this:

    Refuse to enroll the younger widows... 

            because they may be drawn away from Christ...

            because they may abandon their former faith...

            because they may stray after Satan. 

A more natural reading may be to link the grounds clause to 5:14:

    I would have younger widows remarry... 

            because [those who did not remarry] have already strayed after Satan. 

In other words, there is some evidence that substantiates Paul's refusal to enroll younger women, namely, that some of the younger widows who did not remarry soon after their husbands left them alone, have already strayed away from the Christian faith. 

4) The final verse of the passage reiterates rather succinctly the aforementioned points.  

• Christians should take care of relatives who are widows. They are the first line of care. 
• The church should only take care of widows who are truly widows. 

Bible Phrasing: 1 Timothy 5:1–2

Several observations about 1 Timothy 5:1-2 are listed below:

1) The familial language is important to situate these instructions within the social context of God's household (1 Tim 3:14–15). 

2) Paul refers to older men, younger men, older women, and younger women, as distinct parts that make up the whole social community.

3) Timothy is to relate carefully to each of these segments of the community of faith. 

4) In the community of faith, Timothy is to relate to each corresponding segment as he would to fathers, brothers, mothers, sisters. This is one big family. 

5) The leading command of these two verses is in verse 1: Do not rebuke. 

6) Paul offers a corrective command to replace the prohibition: encouragement or exhort. 

7) The first segment Paul notes is a singular noun ("older man/a father"). 

8) The bottom three segments are in the plural form ("younger men/brothers," "older women/mothers," "younger women/sisters"). 

9) There are at least 10 interactions at play in these two verses:

Paul --> Timothy 

Timothy --> Older men

Timothy --> Younger men

Timothy --> Older women

Timothy --> Younger women

Younger women --> Timothy

Older women --> Timothy

Younger men --> Timothy

Older men --> Timothy

Timothy --> Paul

10) The implicit verb for the lower three segments/interactions is "encourage." 

12) The groups are organized by male first, then female: older man/younger men, older women/younger women.

13) Within the groups, age takes precedence: older/younger

14) The interactions move from generic categories (men/women) to familial categories (father/brother/mother/sister). 

15) The only interaction with a caveat is Timothy's interaction with younger women: the encouragement should happen "in all purity." 

Bible Phrasing: 1 Timothy 4:11–16

At this point in the letter, almost the entirety of Paul's instruction shifts to focus on Timothy the man. This section focuses entirely on Paul's commands for Timothy. While the overarching theme of these verses in Timothy's public ministry toward the community of faith, there are three aspects Paul focuses on 4:11–16. 

The phrase "these things" occurs seven times in 1 Timothy and usually refers back material from the previous section. It also appears to function as a transition to new material. Verse 4:11 refers back to the theological instruction early in 4:1–5, the rejection of myths (4:6–8), and the emphasis on godliness (4:9–10). But the transition from 4:11 to 4:12 leads Paul to introduce the first aspect on how Timothy should handle his youth. 

Paul expects Timothy not to allow people to despise him for his youth. The prohibition alone would likely not be sufficient for the youthful Timothy, which is perhaps why Paul emphasizes the need for Timothy to be an example for believers. Paul highlights five important areas: speech, conduct, love, faith, and purity. 

While verse 12 has focused on Timothy's personal qualities, 4:13 and 4:14 focus on Timothy's corporate responsibilities. The public reading of the word would have been a hallmark of corporate worship. It was accompanied by exhortation and teaching. The main difference between the two acts lies in the distinction between belief and practice. Timothy's role was not only to expound the Scriptures but to appeal to the believers at Ephesus to adopt a new manner of life in light of the establishment of new belief. 

Paul obviously found in Timothy a special gift to be up for this task. This gift was given by prophecy and confirmed by the elders when they they laid their hands on him. A ceremony like this would have been public and would likely have communicated a spiritual commissioning for the work of the Lord. Laying on of hands is not a new practice, and would have been a feature of Israel's early history (Num 27:18–23; Deut 34:9). The act was prevalent in the early church as leaders were chosen from among Jesus's follows (Acts 6:6 and 13:3). 

Finally, 4:15 and 4:16 brings the two aspects of Timothy's responsibilities, both the personal and corporate, together into a succinct summary. There are two commands, each followed by a reason. The first command is intense and doubled up with the exhortation to practice and to immerse. The reason for Timothy to do so is clear: so that all may see your progress. In the second command, Paul emphasizes Timothy's need to look inwardly at his manner of life and teaching. He exhorts Timothy to remain in these commands. The reason is because it will save (σώσεις) Timothy and his hearers. 

Did Paul mean that Timothy can save people? In light of the context, it is unlikely Paul meant that Timothy provides salvation through his personal and public example. Rather, it is more likely that Paul takes up an earlier theme of the letter from 2:15. There, a woman will be saved through childbearing -- as I noted there, that does not mean that childbearing will save a woman. There are women who cannot have children. And the Scriptures are clear that salvation is through Christ alone. Rather, Paul's point is that both women and men have specific roles assigned through the created order and therefore, must persist in their God-given roles. By doing so, they acknowledge their manner of lives conform to God's good design. 

Here then, Paul is emphasizing the need for Timothy to remain in God's sovereign plan and will for his life. Timothy's manner of life should conform to the gift he has, which confirmed by prophecies and the leadership of the church. If he persists in his God-given role, he'll be a good servant of Jesus Christ and a good example to believers. Unlike the false teachers he's called to combat (1 Tim 1:3–5), he'll be able to spread true doctrine. And paired with exhortation, he'll be able to establish an important pattern for other believers to follow. Ultimately, the pattern Timothy sets will allow other believers to persist in their God-given manner of life, leading ultimately to God's salvation.