widows | Bob's boy's Christianity blog

Just as Jesus warned of false teachers (Matthew 7:15), Paul warns Timothy while he was at Ephesus of such men in chapter four. As he exhorts Timothy in his teaching, Paul says in verse 12: “let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers tan example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.” This is one of the passages that lead many to believe Timothy to be much younger than he probably was. Paul is speaking here in relative terms. Timothy was old enough by the time of this writing to have had much experience at teachings, having traveled a great deal with and without Paul to do so.

In chapter five, Paul tells him that the church should take care of its widows, but those who have others to care for them should be taken care of by their own people — the right thing to do, of course. Verse 23 is used by some to excuse all sorts of alcohol use. The verse actually says “No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments.” The words “a little” are key here, and such wine was not so strong as what people drink today anyway. Water was often not very pure in many places, and anyone who had “frequent ailments,” as Timothy apparently did, would benefit from the substitution.

/Bob’s boy

Bible Reading Schedule for this month
Click links below to read or listen to audio of one of this week’s chapters in Colossians and Luke

1 Tim 1, 1 Tim 2, 1 Tim 3, 1 Tim 4, 1 Tim 5

___________________

some images © V. Gilbert & Arlisle F. Beers

Please visit this site’s menu item “The Author’s Books” for info on the author’s books, website, and Facebook page.

All of my comments in this blog are solely my responsibility. When reading any commentary, you should always refer first to the scripture, which is God’s unchanging and unfailing word.

International Hellenist Of Mystery (Photo credit: Mike_tn)

As we mentioned before, the Lord’s church was exploding in numbers in those days. We are talking about thousands in numbers. And it was not like it is today. There was not a Northside congregation, a Southside congregation, and on and on. They were unified, and when you get that many people together (even of one mind), problems develop. It is an inevitable fact.

Verse one tells us that a complaint came up by the Hellenists. This is what they called Greek-speaking Jews. The complaint was that their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution. Acts 4:32-37 tells had they had everything in common, and everyone was working together to help those among them who were in need. But the numbers had just become too large. The church had an internal administrative problem on its hands.

So in verse 2, we are told that the apostles summoned “the full number” of disciples, and they told them that “It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables.” The apostles needed to be about the work of preaching Christ crucified, but they recognized that there were other matters to be dealt with. So it was up to them to provide a solution. It was a solution that fit the model of the church so well because it came from the Holy Spirit. And it still works today.

(This year’s reading plan for Luke, Acts, and 1 and 2 Chronicles averages just 15 verses per day – 5 days per week!)
Schedule for this week
Read or listen to audio of today’s selection from Acts here
Read or listen to audio of today’s selection from 2 Chronicles here

/Bob’s boy

___________________

some images © V. Gilbert & Arlisle F. Beers

All of my comments in this blog, however, are solely my responsibility. When reading ANY commentary, you should ALWAYS refer first to the scripture, which is God’s unchanging and unfailing word. Please check out my Books and my Facebook Author’s Page. You will find the links at this site’s menu item “The Author’s Books“.