First Timothy Lesson 26 Quest. 5

All right. We are in, I believe, Lesson 26. And as far as I can tell from remembering last week and listening to it, I think we I've gotten through question 4, so I'd like to start by reading the passage that we have, just to get context and get the verses we're going to be doing. We're really on the last couple of verses, but I'll read 3 through 8 of 1 Timothy chapter 5.

So honor widows who are widows indeed, but if any widow has children or grandchildren, they first must learn to practice piety in regard to their own family and to make some return to their parents, for this is acceptable in the sight of God.

Now she who is a widow indeed and who has been left alone has fixed her hope on God and continues in entreaties and prayers night and day But she who gives herself to wanton pleasure is dead even while she lives. Prescribe these things as well, so that they may be above reproach. But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever." It's pretty powerful verses here with just about widows. Classifying them giving you know who are the ones who are widows indeed? So we get into all that and then we get into some of those ones about you know She but she who gives herself to wanton pleasures dead even while she lives we looked at that So the ones who the qualifications basically shows that she's a godly woman And that's a widow indeed and and so those are the ones that the body is to take care of the the ones Who need correction or whatever those who are given a wanton pleasure who are not really godly women Those are the ones who kind of a check on the widows indeed so now we get to the ones where But if anyone does not provide for his own and especially for those of his household he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever and Again, these are, to me, when you read this, it's pretty significant.

It's a pretty stark warning and there's a lot to it. So, again, the first in question five, what does the word provide mean? So, the first question I have is who is this directed at to provide?

Church? The head of the household. Head of the household? Okay. Any others? The government. No. Wrong. Court of last resort. Yes. When the church body does not do what it's supposed to do, the government will take it. So I heard the church and head of household. It could be both. Now we have the mixed answer. I have a better one.

What does the verse say? Anyone. Anyone. Anyone. So it could be head of household. It could be anybody in the body. It could be anyone in the body to provide. So this is an all-inclusive statement. So we're talking about heads of household, but we're also saying anyone who has a family member who is in need, you're to bribe for them. And this is, I believe, within the body. So I said this is a general statement or a directive, but in context, this is for any family in context that has a widow. So I guess I may have another question, I think, about this too. So does this mean And kind of what we're talking about, what you guys are talking about. What about the homeless? Does this mean we're supposed to take care of all the homeless by this? No? I don't think so. I think this is family. This is within your own family.

So somebody may bring this out and say that, you know, we're supposed to take care of every homeless person and all this. And, you know, I should have looked up the verse. There's one that I always think of when everybody says about this, that if you don't work, you don't eat. There's a verse. Well, it's hard to read because a lot of these people were on the food stamps. Yeah. cut off. They only might get $38 or something. Yeah, so there's going to be some changes.

And I think the church still has some responsibility for homeless and taking care of people. But what this is really saying is this is a family matter. This is within families, you know, taking care of your, you know, to provide for. And in this specific case, it's talking about widows. In context, it's about if anybody has a widow in their family, they should be taking care of them. Yeah, I think Abraham I mean throughout the scriptures there's lots of things with families and you know what goes on and the dynamics of it. So this is you know I think this is in the New Testament side on this side of the cross and what we're supposed to do. And so in this case, again in the context, it's about widows.

So, now as usual for me, what does provide mean? Seed to their needs. I like that. Seed to their needs. Think ahead about what is needed. Think ahead about what's needed. Good. Other thoughts? So I have to do my usual, which is? What does Webster say? That was like the English version, just to see what, if any of the, just does it match or make sense with the biblical aspect of providing. So Merriam-Webster has, number one, to make preparation to meet a need. Pretty good.

To make a proviso or stipulation. To take precautionary measures. So pretty much the first one is to make preparation to meet a need. And I think that's kind of looking ahead and doing that. I think that kind of made, with the biblical sense of to provide. So, the Greek word for to provide is perneo, and that means to perceive before, foresee, think of beforehand, provide, to take thought of, care for. So again, it's that, just what JD was saying, thinking ahead, what do they need? taking care of them, to provide for them.

So it's not just kind of an ad hoc, you know, we'll do something. It's thinking ahead. This woman has lost her husband and she's been a godly woman and we're going to take care of her. It's not like, oh, it's Friday and we've got to bring a meal over or something like that. This is really thinking about How are we going to take care of this woman who is a godly woman?

The criteria that we looked at before, she's godly, she's praying all the time, the three criteria that are there. But it's really just, as we talked about in the last class, it's if she's a godly woman. It's really just saying, is she a godly woman? It's not like check boxes one, two, and my crass statement was, if she makes two out of the three, is she not a widow indeed?

It's really not that. It's that by practice, she's a godly woman. And so then you're going to take care of her, provide for her. And so this is really thinking ahead. She's a woman. She's a godly woman. She's in the family. She's got no one. We will take care of her.

So that's the provide, to be thinking ahead to provide for her. So Mike had this from Vincent. Vincent says that the uses provide in its earlier and more literal meaning of taking thought of, thought in advance. This has been mostly merged in the later meaning of furnish, so that translation conveys the sense of providing honestly for ourselves and our families. A Christian is exhorted to take careful forethought that this manner of life, his outward expression conforms to, is honestly representative of what he is as a child of God. So again, it's really saying, are we being Christ-like in providing and loving this widow who needs help? And thinking ahead, she's going to need help, and we need to provide it.

Do you think that's prophetic? How's it prophetic? It might be if, you know, I would say prophetic in that if you had a woman whose husband has, you know, cancer or lung disease or something, and you can see ahead, she doesn't have anybody else, you know, not prophetic, but you're thinking ahead that she's going to need help. If her husband passes away, she's going to need help.

So we talked about we talked about a couple of classes ago about the principles of this applying more broadly. And I think that the Tom Allison scenario. Sorry to drop names, but yeah, that situation is a picture of the body thinking head. Now obviously this has to do with widows and family members specifically, but you mentioned I think the principle of this is seen in what's being done there, even in our own body, right? It's body life.

It's really that you're taking care of the body. In context, this is widows, but in the broader sense, the principle is we take care of each other. You see a brother in need or a sister in need, she's not a widow, but you take care of them. And that's the overriding principle of this. This is now specifically honing down on a widow, but yes, the principle is there for body, as I say, body life.

If you see something hurting, you know, that's part of your body. It hurts, so you take care of it. I also said that it's interesting that the Greek verb for provide is in the present tense, active voice, and indicative mood. This means we're continually supposed to do this. Not just, you know, do it once, like an heiress tense, where you do it once and you've taken care of it and it's gone. This is continually taking care of that widow. You're continually supposed to provide.

And it's indicative, it's a fact, it's a statement. and it's active, that means we're supposed to do it. We're the ones doing it. So I think that's a, you know, it's not just a one and done. It's really a thought that you're going to take care of this widow for as long as she needs. It's a continual need that you'll meet.

And again, it's within the family. This is talking about within the family. So if it's in your family, take care of it. The broader aspect is if there's nobody in the family or is not doing this, the broader aspect is the church should look at it in the principle of taking care of her. But this is saying the family should take care of it first. I was thinking of 2 Corinthians 1, 3 or 4 where we may comfort them. Yeah, it's 2 Corinthians 1, 4.

Yeah, I think that one, I always think of that. When you're going through a trial, it's like I think of that one because you're thinking through it that maybe you'll comfort somebody later. The reason why you're going in, you may not know exactly. I mean, he's using it for all of his purposes, but one of the purposes is somewhere down the road, I went through that and I understand it. I understand where you're at. And I think that's an important concept. Any other thoughts on this or we'll get on to question 6?

Who are his own? So in verse 8, but if anyone, again broad sense, does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. So who are his own? Immediate family? So it isn't everyone that he comes in contact with?

And this is kind of, I did have this question. Is this a command to take care of all the homeless people on the street through this? No, but you can direct. Yeah. The question though is, does this direct us to his, you know, does not provide for his own. Right. So this is now honing down on the, this is a statement of fact or basically a command to say, Take care of your own. This is first and foremost. Take care of your own family. If they have a need, you take care of it. But your own would be blood related. Yes. Your own family. Right. But it could be also a church family. In this instance, it's family. Like I said, blood or marriage. Your wife's family, your family, whatever.

I have a question. I was just curious about The way it reads, but if anyone does not provide for his own, and then it goes on to contrast and especially for those of his household. Yeah. So what's the how far does that extend? Because it's specified as household in the next? I think the household is immediate. Own is all of your family. You know, if you had you know, a cousin, you know, an uncle or whatever, and he dies. But especially those who live in your house. But yes, especially those in your house. And sometimes they move. Yeah, there's a subcontext on this that says, yeah, only three levels out, and then you forget them.

No, there's not a clause on this one that says, it's really, You know, the way the way it's phrased is for his own broad family. OK. And then especially his household ones. If you have, you know, your mother and mother in law or father in law or, you know, whatever, and they've lost their husband, you take care of them. He's about to move out. Well, what if they tell you, hey, we're all from the same family. That's taking. That's pretty broad range. I see it legal in your history area. It's like you need a broad, broad context of that. No, that is not what it means. They were all.

So again, I think answering your question, especially the household means especially take care of the ones you're familiar with. You may not know your uncles, but you'll find out and you'll take care of them, something like that. So it's really just focusing on your own family within your marriage or your family, whatever that tree is, but especially the ones that are of your household, the ones that are close by, immediate family. Yeah, the words his own refer to near relatives for his own house, to members of one's own household. So relatives and then focusing in on those who are of his own household. So broad family down to especially your own household. All right, question seven.

Does the faith do away with responsibility of a man providing for his own? So from verse 8, but if anyone does not provide for his household, and especially for those of his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. Pretty strong statement. When you first read this, it's like, ooh, wow. So let's break down in this verse. So what does deny mean, and does this have any relationship to a person's salvation?

No. No. No, it has to do with responsibility. So, it's nothing to do with salvation. So, it's not like if you don't take care of your aunt, who is a widow, that you are somehow losing your salvation. So, absolutely nothing to do with salvation. So, it's kind of hard when you say denying the faith. What does that mean? It's like, wow, I'm not going to lose my salvation. It has nothing to do with my salvation or my position.

Yeah, I mean, it's a faith issue, not a salvation issue is what I'm getting at. So, you know, it sounds pretty harsh when you do it. It's deny the faith and it's like, okay, you know, but it just clearly is not salvation. Yeah, I was just thinking, like, any time we choose to walk by the flesh, we deny the faith. Right, right. So, when you put that in context, it's like, how many times did I do that today? You know, and that's where 1 John 1, 9 comes in, right? Confess.

Yeah, so that's how you deal with denying the faith, but this is a clear principle that they were dealing with in the century. where these widows didn't have the support that they needed and they were godly and the church had not stepped up and taken care of them and that was an attitude that represented what an unbeliever would do. And so therefore the denying or maybe the disowning of their faith in that moment or in that situation was worse than an unbeliever because you know to do it. You know better. You know better and you're not living your Christian life.

It can cause community problems. Well, the biggest thing is that you know the truth and you're not living it out. Yeah. That's the key on this one. Deny it. We'll get in. So, of course, my next one is, what does deny mean? What does deny mean? In this context, what does deny mean? You deny the faith.

Refuse. Refuse? Yeah. I'm trying. That kind of fits. Well, you refuse to do what the Lord has... He provides for you, you provide for them. You deny that, then you're acting as though you were an unbeliever. Yeah. It's like a blindness, maybe. Yeah? Kind of you're blind to what you know? Or, you know... You're indifferent to it. Indifferent to it. That's a good one. Refusing, I think, is there. It's more kind of like you know the truth and you're not obeying the truth. You know it and you're just, I'm not going to, either by direction or by negligence, you're not doing what you know. What about ignore? Ignore?

Yeah, that's a good one. That's a really good one. That's a really good one. Yeah, that's really good. You know, you're ignoring it. You know what you're supposed to do and you're not doing it. You're ignoring it. That's a great one. Yeah. like put it off of your mind. Every time it comes to you, you put it off. It's like denying the faith. That's what it is. Denying the faith.

So of course I did my usual to Miriam. So I always try and do that just to see if something fits as a better description. So for Miriam, the first one is declare something to be untrue. Interesting. By denying, you're probably doing that. You're saying it's untrue.

At least in the moment. In the moment. You have to get to that place in your head where you're like, nah. Yeah, so I mean, as I went through this, it was kind of like, yeah, you know. So this is, I think, to refuse to admit or acknowledge something. Disavow. That's probably there too. You're refusing to acknowledge what you're supposed to do. Maybe a stubbornness. Stubborn. That's Fred's responsibility, not mine. That's somebody else's. You're disavowing what you should be doing.

Let them take care of it. Let the church take care of it. I think that's why a lot of people don't read their Bibles. There are a lot of reasons why they don't read it, but if you don't read, you don't know. Well, I'd rather not know. See, that's how people are. Right. Ignorance is bliss.

I keep thinking of the verse that says, don't quench the Holy Spirit. So I just think, you know, the Holy Spirit should be active in the life of a believer. So we're just purposely ignoring what we know through the Holy Spirit's promptings to be true and what we should be doing. You're refusing to acknowledge the prompting of the Holy Spirit.

They're quenching. You're denying the faith. But we're trying to get to deny. So I think that is, they also have to give a negative answer to, to refuse, to grant, to restrain. There are a couple. To refuse to accept the existence, truth, or validity of something. So that kind of fit in there, yeah, to refuse. So deny is really just purposely not acknowledging or refusing to know what you're supposed to do.

And the quenching of the Holy Spirit. He's prompting you, help this lady. Yeah, the church will take care of it. The government will take care of it. You're purposely going against what the scripture has said, and again, the body life. Take care of that person who's part of the body.

So, yeah. But being put on the list apparently meant that the congregation supported him, wife of one man, one man, woman, married only once, not remarried. So if you're remarried, you are not qualified, correct? Right. Right, because you're not a widow at that point. A widow indeed is somebody who is alone.

And they were put on the list. You know, this is where really the deacons were formed. You know, with Stephen and all that, because taking care of the widows. And so the church started to do it. Here, this is the command for Timothy at Ephesus to go, this is how you're supposed to run the local body. And the family is supposed to take care of these widows first. So again, this is Paul telling Timothy how to run the body or the believers. So, Mike had these notes too.

Vincent comments on the words, he hath denied the faith as follows. Faith demands the performance of natural functions and fruits. The words the faith refer to the body of Christian belief. By refusing the natural functions which Christian faith implies, one practically denies his possession of the faith. Faith does not abolish natural obligations, but perfects and strengthens them. So I think the third one was, by refusing the natural function which Christian faith implies, one practically, practically denies his possession of faith. I think that's probably the best of that definition. Practically? Practically denying. That's a conditional attitude. Right.

It's not positionally, which is why we're not losing our salvation, but conditionally, or practically, you are walking as Even worse than an unbeliever. That's worse than an unbeliever, because an unbeliever doesn't know any better. You're supposed to know better. Well, I don't think the Holy Spirit gives in.

He just waits until everything is a disaster. Hopefully, this is functionally how we're supposed to function. So this is where we're supposed to be, not how it actually happens. Look how far our government has went. Well, that's a lot. I don't want to get into the politics of it, but it's, you know, has the church and individuals failed to do what they're supposed to do? You know, we could get into the whole thing, where the homeless are, where were the family members of those who are homeless? You know, and their responsibility.

And if they're not unbeliever, they don't know any better. Well, I think one of the things, not to get political for sure, but When things function the way God designed them, and in this case we're talking about the situation of the widows, when families take care of their own, and especially their household, that removes the need for any control outside of, and that allows faith to flourish, right? Because then, when they're being taken care of, they can flourish, they can, they're well, right? They're whole. to a degree, and that gives the family a strength that God intended the family to have. Right. And when you take that away, society breaks down as a whole. If we do what this says, it works. It works. Society will work if families do this. This. Exactly. I mean, this is the plan. This is what God has in plan. If it doesn't go this way, it goes by the way of the world and it fails.

So, you know, we can't have unbelievers do this, because as we're saying, they don't know, and if you know and you don't do it, you're worse than these guys, because they don't even know what's going on. But if we do what this says as a body of believers, it functions, and it functions in a correct order, and all is taken care of. But when we don't, we deny the faith. We deny who we are in Christ. We deny living according to Christ's life. He would take care. We take care. We take care of the family.

I said also, it's kind of interesting, the Greek word for provide is a perfect tense, middle voice, and indicative, which is kind of interesting. That means that we have participated. That means middle voice. We participate in the result of the action. So we're part of this.

And denied past completed action with present results. So if we don't do this, this has consequences. It has results. If we don't take care of the widows, it has results. And part of that's going to be that we're like an unbeliever. And denied past, completed, actually present the faith. What Vincent just described is, you know, by refusing the natural functions, which Christian faith implies, one practically denies his possession of the faith. And that's all through not providing for your family. So again, it's an action that if we don't do it, it has results. And the results are not living according to Christ, you know, the life of Christ.

So again, it's kind of a... I was just thinking about, I mean, a lot of unbelievers take care of their families. So if you were to kind of like step back and just do an observation of this time where Timothy is, you've got, you know, pagan society, caring for their family. They may do that, and here you are, as a believer, not. That contrast...

What's the testimony? I mean, here they are caring for their family, and they don't maybe even know any better, but they are doing it. Do you know what that's called? But you know what I'm saying. This is exactly what he's talking about. This is exactly what he's talking about. You are worse than an unbeliever. Some may do that. They'll take care of their family. You may be in Backwoods, Kentucky and they don't know the Lord, but they're taking care of their family. And here you are in Douglas County, Rich County, and you don't take care of your family. Yes, that's kind of the culture. That's a whole different issue. It's living the life of Christ out, practically.

And so I said, what are your thoughts on this? And the question I had was, is this a lot of pressure to provide for your own family? I guess it depends on how you look at it. Is it hard? Maybe. Is there pressure to get something done, maybe? But what is your source of, you know, what is your source of providing?

Is it, this is really hard and it's going to mess up my work day, you know, or my work schedule, or... So, sure there's pressure, but from a biblical perspective, you have all the necessary you have the Holy Spirit to walk through that in a way that you still have rest. I would just say it shows the bigness of self. It's all about me. I don't have time. I don't feel like it. There's too much of a pain.

Whatever. It should be the normal way that we think and care and honor our parents or family. It even goes back to how the child is raised, taught. Yeah, I mean, but it's really scripturally what you're taught. I mean, somebody who's an unbeliever may be taught to take care of it, and backwards Kentuckian, they take care of their family, but they have no idea what the scripture says.

We as believers know the truth. I said a lot of pressure. I think there is pressure, but I think the key is an overriding principle of love. Christ love. That's what you're doing. If it's a lot of pressure, a lot of work, a lot of extra, the overriding principle is love. Love of that person. Love of that believer. Sacrificial love. Sacrificial love. You give.

It may be pressure. It may be extra money. It may be whatever. Inconvenient. It could be all of those things, but if it's done out of love, it's taken care of. So I think that's the overriding pressure. That's what I was getting at. It's like, you know, this could be a lot of pressure. I mean, think about it.

You know, there are a lot of people who maybe don't make enough money or whatever, and you have to take care of your family. That's tough. But, you know, again, I think also the body also, that family needs help. I mean, there's some families I know down with Davis, you know, they've helped out with their old houses and things like that. So you as a body, we still have obligations to individuals and families within the body. But this is a family taking care of its own members. I thought we were just honoring widows. Well, this is a little...

It's like the principle. It's the principle, yeah. It's really the principle. So again, it's saying if you don't take care of that widow, You're denying the faith and you're worse than an unbeliever who is taking care of his widow. So the broader principle is within his family.

But the fact that this emphasizes to this degree is pretty important. Yes. I mean, we deny the faith in all aspects of our life when we walk by the flesh, but to call this out in this way is a big deal. Like I said when I first started reading this, it's pretty harsh. It sounds pretty harsh. So, but it's very, you know, important for it. He's calling it out. Remember, this is Paul telling Timothy how to run the body, the church at Ephesus. So he's just saying these are the principles, how you run this body. And this is how the body and the individual family should function.

So I don't know if we have enough time. It's forty five right now. Yeah. I'll hold off and then we'll take one question and we'll figure out who's taking the next lesson. So give us more time for snacks. The all important snacks. So, yes. All right. That's that's close. And we'll finish with question eight next week. Heavenly Father, we thank you again. We thank you for this section of scripture which really shows us principles.

Principles of the body life, our life in Christ and as a body together. Just taking care of each other in need and specifically within the family structure that you have. to be able to take care of our family and the responsibilities we have. It may be inconvenient, but the principle is loving that family member. And in this case in particular, pointing out about widows, a broader sense being all family. So we thank you for this guidance, this instruction, this directive, for us to focus on just loving our family, loving the body, and taking care of them, even if it's inconvenient.

So we thank you again for this direction you've given us in Scripture, and we just pray for Roger in the next meeting, just one that gives him as much pain-free as you can as he stands and gives his message, and just prepare our hearts to receive it. Father, we just give you all thanks for all these things, in Jesus' name. Amen.