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Guidelines for Helping - 1 Timothy 5
Guidelines for Helping - 1 Timothy 5
As Christians, there is a very general principle we should follow: as we have opportunity and ability to do good, we have an obligation to do so.
There was the flat statement that if a man would not work, let him not eat (2 Thess. 3:10). Taking care of one's self is an obligation. Obviously, there are times when all the efforts are made; one simply does not have the resources and abilities to provide even for himself. Caring brethren did temporarily provide the needs in such situations, yet they did so with a discerning eye to the situation.
One is to then take care of his own family: "if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever” (1Tim. 5:7). The word ‘especially’ here elevates the responsibility of the immediate household above the extended family of relatives.
There is then the next level of responsibility to help by taking care of relatives. To the above Paul adds: 'If any believing woman has relatives who are widows, let her care for them. Let the church not be burdened, so that it may care for those who are truly widows” (5:16).
The church is not to be burdened in the above cases. There were limitations and restrictions put on the benevolence that the church collectively rendered. Note that while the above situations involved those who were members of the church, they acted in their individual capacity and not collectively with the rest of the congregation.
There then was a limited area where the church collective was to help. So we see with the church, being ‘put on the list’ or ‘enrolled’ (ESV) was reserved for ‘widows indeed’ (KJV). These were widows who had been the wife of one husband, had a reputation for doing good works, had brought up children, had shown hospitality, had washed the feet of the saints, had cared for the afflicted, and had devoted herself to every good work. The point is that not all widows were taken on as a permanent responsibility by the church. The church may (and probably did) provide the same temporary help that it would any needy saint, but they did not take full-time responsibility for their care.
We see three things in the above passages. God does expect each of us to step up and attempt to take care of ourselves and our families. The church did provide temporary help to saints who were unable to provide for themselves. The church was limited in who it would obligate itself to take full-time responsibility for concerning their basic needs of life.
Hugh DeLong
