1 Timothy 5 - Should Ministers Be Paid?

Click Here To Read Or Listen to 1 Timothy 5 

Widows, Elders and Slaves

5 Do not rebuke an older man harshly, but exhort him as if he were your father. Treat younger men as brothers, 2 older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters, with absolute purity. 3 Give proper recognition to those widows who are really in need. 4 But if a widow has children or grandchildren, these should learn first of all to put their religion into practice by caring for their own family and so repaying their parents and grandparents, for this is pleasing to God. 5 The widow who is really in need and left all alone puts her hope in God and continues night and day to pray and to ask God for help. 6 But the widow who lives for pleasure is dead even while she lives. 7 Give the people these instructions, so that no one may be open to blame. 8 Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

Paul continues to give instructions for young Timothy, as he pastors the church at Ephesus. As a younger man, Timothy would be pastoring older men. Sometimes older men might have problems with a younger pastor. They might think the pastor is a "a little green" and possibly give him pushback if he disagrees with them. Paul tells Timothy to have an extra grace with these older men, just as the rest of scriptures teach about honoring elders. 

He gives similar instructions for younger men, older women, and young women. He uses the language of family (brother and sister) denoting that the church is the family of God. Importantly young men should behave with pure intentions toward younger women. We have all seen how much damage can happen to a church where this instruction is not heeded. 

It is interesting that Paul affirms the proper treatment of widow but adds for those, "Who are really in need". The assumption would be that there were widows expecting help who were not in need and possibly taking advantage of the situation. In the cases where a widow had kids or grandkids, Paul instructs them to take care of their parent or grandparent. To do so would be to put into practice their faith, and allow them to give the parents back what they had already received from them in life. 

He distinguishes the behavior of two different types of widows. The one who is truly in need and puts all of her hope in God to provide for her. She prays day and night. On the contrary, the women who is living only according to the lusts of the flesh is dead even though physically she is alive. 

The Passion Translation says it this way, 

"For the true widow  is all alone and has placed her complete hope in God. She is Messiah’s missionary  and will need the support of the church as one who remains in prayer day and night.But the widow who serves only herself lives a life of self-indulgence and is wasting her life away." (TPT)

Paul is very serious about relatives helping family members who have lost a loved one. If they don't do so, Paul calls them an "unbeliever" and "has denied their faith". As a pastor I have seen the difference between an older person with say, "dementia" or "alzheimer's", whose family has failed to help support them. And a situation where the son(s) and daughter(s) pitch in to help support their parents. The difference is too big to describe, you would have to experience it. 

Having just lost my mom from dementia a year ago, and seeing what it has put my dad through, I am so grateful my sister and I were both able to be there for both them. It is a not only a duty, but a joy to care for a parent and help them to die well. I will never regret doing this, and it really helped me with the grieving process to know I did all I could. It brought me closer to my sister as well. 

9 No widow may be put on the list of widows unless she is over sixty, has been faithful to her husband, 10 and is well known for her good deeds, such as bringing up children, showing hospitality, washing the feet of the Lord’s people, helping those in trouble and devoting herself to all kinds of good deeds. 11 As for younger widows, do not put them on such a list. For when their sensual desires overcome their dedication to Christ, they want to marry. 12 Thus they bring judgment on themselves, because they have broken their first pledge. 13 Besides, they get into the habit of being idle and going about from house to house. And not only do they become idlers, but also busybodies who talk nonsense, saying things they ought not to. 14 So I counsel younger widows to marry, to have children, to manage their homes and to give the enemy no opportunity for slander. 15 Some have in fact already turned away to follow Satan. 16 If any woman who is a believer has widows in her care, she should continue to help them and not let the church be burdened with them, so that the church can help those widows who are really in need.

As you can see widows were a huge issue in the Ephesian church. There was persecution so some widows' husbands might have died from it. Paul even gives a list of qualities which would make a widow eligible for the help from the church. I don't think Paul is being cruel here, but he is being realistic and practical. The church needs to be wise stewards of its resources and has to make choices between "good" and "best".  

Apparently some of the younger widows spent their time looking for a new husband and went about it in a way that was very detrimental to the church. They got involved in gossip and other meaningless conversations, as a result of being idle. I.e. They didn't have a job and sat around all day. It is in this situation that Paul encourages young widows to get married, have children, and manage their households.

You need to remember Paul's culture is much different than our culture regarding women working or staying home. This is part of what caused the idleness. This was especially true for the women who could not control their lust, which the devil took advantage of and brought harm to the church. Paul commends those who are caring for widows and urges them to continue to take care of them to take the burden off of the church. This would also free up resources for others in need. 

17 The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching. 18 For Scripture says, “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain,”[a] and “The worker deserves his wages.”[b] 19 Do not entertain an accusation against an elder unless it is brought by two or three witnesses. 20 But those elders who are sinning you are to reprove before everyone, so that the others may take warning. 21 I charge you, in the sight of God and Christ Jesus and the elect angels, to keep these instructions without partiality, and to do nothing out of favoritism.

Paul continues to give more practical instruction like providing for elders who teach and preach. We noted before that elders were the spiritual overseers of the flock, but some of them preached and taught and some did not. Most pastors today preach and teach, so they would fall under the latter category. 

And Paul says these elders are "worthy of a double honor". Commentators translate this to mean paying ministers of the gospel. 

"In this context, double honor means financial support. Paul already stated that certain widows were worthy of honor (1 Timothy 5:3), speaking of financial support. Now he added, let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in the word and doctrine. Some think the church should not support pastors and staff, and that the paid ministry is an abomination – they say that the church instead should be using the money to support the needy. This is an attractive way of thinking; but it isn’t Biblical. If the needy (that is, the truly needy) are worthy of honor, then those who properly rule and teach in the church are worthy of double honor."

If someone has a complaint or accusation against an elder, it needed to be brought with two or three witnesses to the whole church. If they were guilty, they were to be brought before the church to publicly be rebuked for their sin. Pastors need to live lives worthy of their calling because others are watching them and considering them to be the shepherd of their spiritual lives. This does not mean they cannot be restored, but the more authority one has in the church, the more they are held accountable to be above reproach. This is not to mean pastors are not human. Speaking as a pastor, I know I am far from perfect and constantly need grace from my congregation. This "sinning" by the elders Paul mentions is obviously something very destructive to the church. 

Many congregations have had great trouble because sin in the leadership was not forthrightly dealt with. It’s important that everyone understand that leadership in the church does not shield one from accountability; it makes one even more accountable. - Guzik

22 Do not be hasty in the laying on of hands, and do not share in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure. 23 Stop drinking only water, and use a little wine because of your stomach and your frequent illnesses. 24 The sins of some are obvious, reaching the place of judgment ahead of them; the sins of others trail behind them. 25 In the same way, good deeds are obvious, and even those that are not obvious cannot remain hidden forever.

The laying on of hands refers to ordaining someone into the ministry of Word and Sacrament. I.e. the teaching elders he just referred to. Paul then adds something very interesting. 

Timothy apparently had stomach issues. Because of his piety he didn't drink any wine, but Paul tells him to drink a little wine. Though he is not outright endorsing drinking alcohol, I do believe he is telling Timothy to "lighten up" a little. 

Timothy was probably abstaining from alcohol for the sake of setting a good example. However, this abstinence was hurting his health – wine was safer to drink than water. So, Paul told Timothy that it wasn’t wise to sacrifice his health for the sake of this abstinence – he would do more good for Jesus and His kingdom by taking care of his body in this circumstance.

At the end of the day he finishes by saying that although some sins are out in the open for the public to see, some may be hidden from the public's eye. But one day all of our sins and good deeds will be revealed for what they really are. I.e. You can't fool God!