Advice About Widows, Elders And Slaves – 1 Timothy 5:1-25

Advice About Widows, Elders and Slaves –1 Timothy 5:1-25Topics:Caring, Children, Church, Culture, Drinking, Family,Favoritism, God, Gossip, Help, Holiness, Husbands, JesusChrist, Life-style, Marriage, Ministry, Neglect, Parents, Pastors,Resources, Satan, Serving, Singleness, Teaching, Temptation,WorldOpen It QuestionsA. What groups of people are treated with special favor in oursociety today?B.Whose responsibility is it to care for the needy?C.How much money do you think a pastor should make?Why?1

D.What adjectives would you use to describe our society’smorality?Explore It Questions1. How should believers treat older men, younger men, olderwomen, and younger women? (5:1-2)2.To whom did Paul tell Timothy to give proper recognition?(5:3)3.What should the children and grandchildren of a widowdo? (5:4)4.What does the widow who is really in need and left alonedo? (5:5)2

5.What is true about the widow who lives for pleasure? (5:6)6.Why did Paul tell Timothy to give these instructions? (5:7)7.Why is it important to provide for your family? (5:8)8.When should the church go out of its way to care forwidows? (5:9-10)9.Why should younger widows not be put on the "list ofwidows"? (5:11)3

10. How do younger widows bring judgment upon themselves?(5:12)11. To what habits may younger widows fall prey? (5:13)12. What was Paul’s advice to younger widows? (5:14)13. What had some of the younger widows already done?(5:15)14. Why did Paul encourage Christian women to care for thewidows in their families? (5:16)4

15. Of what is the elder who directs the affairs of the churchworthy? (5:17)16. Why should elders be paid? (5:18)17. How should accusations against an elder be handled? (5:19)18. Why should those who sin be rebuked publicly? (5:20)19. How did Paul encourage Timothy to keep theseinstructions? (5:21)5

20. What did Paul encourage Timothy to do and not to do?(5:22)21. Why did Paul encourage Timothy to use a little wine?(5:23)22. What is the impact of a person’s sins and good deeds?(5:24-25)Get It Questions23. How should we treat fellow Christians?24. What plan does your church have for caring for the needsof the widows in your church?6

25. What sort of people besides widows are tempted to misusetheir idle time?26. What does it mean to care properly for needy familymembers?27. Which of your family members need your active care?28. Are the pastors in your church properly provided for?29. How do you think a pastor’s salary should be determined?Why?7

30. When and how have you learned from the mistakes ofothers?31. In what negative ways does favoritism affect how we treatothers?32. How can we keep ourselves pure in a society that does notsupport God’s ideals?33. In what way might our sins and good deeds precede us andfollow us in life?Apply It Questions34. In what area of your life do you need to depend on God tohelp you keep yourself pure?8

35. How can you assist your church in the care of widows orothers in need?36. In what specific ways do you need to treat older men,younger men, older women, or younger women?Adult Questions for LESSONMaker.9

New Hope Missionary Baptist Church of Southfield, MichiganWelcome to Bible Study!FacilitatorsRev. Rodney KempRev. Valerie CrumpRev. Jacqueline AlbertDean Donna WilsonMinister-in-Training, Alicia MartinRobbin Cooper, Sunday School SuperintendentJacqueline Bray, Adult TeacherJonathan Clark, Adult TeacherVineta Mitchell, Adult TeacherGloria Vinson, Adult TeacherKendall Taylor, Youth TeacherStudy to show yourself approved (2 Tim. 2:15)

New Hope Missionary Baptist Church of Southfield, Michigan

Instructions for Widows, Elders, and ServantsTOPICS Caring Children Church Culture Drinking Family Gossip Help Holiness Husband Jesus Christ Life-Style Marriage Ministry Neglect Parents Pastors Resources Satan Serving Singleness Teaching Temptation World

Instructions for Widows, Elders, and ServantsOPEN ITQUESTIONSA. What groups of people aretreated with special favor inour society today?

Instructions for Widows, Elders, and ServantsOPEN ITQUESTIONSB. Whose responsibility isit to care for the needy?

Instructions for Widows, Elders, and ServantsOPEN ITQUESTIONSC. How much money do youthink a pastor should make?Why?

Instructions for Widows, Elders, and ServantsOPEN ITQUESTIONSD. What adjectives would youuse to describe our society’smorality?

Instructions for Widows, Elders, and ServantsINTRODUCTIONPaul thought of Timothy’s audience in Ephesus.There, men and women of all ages were underTimothy’s care. Paul thought of the groupswithin the congregation needing specialattention. He wanted Timothy to practice goodgeneral principles of personal care and also todeal with some specific people-needs. Paulchose the treatment of widows and elders asprime examples. He also had some instructionsconcerning servants who were believers.

Instructions for Widows, Elders, and ServantsNew LivingTranslationSCRIPTURES ANDEXPLORE IT QUESTIONS

Instructions for Widows, Elders, and Servants1NeverSCRIPTURE1 TIMOTHY5:1-4(NLT)speak harshly to an older man, butappeal to him respectfully as you would to yourown father. Talk to younger men as you wouldto your own brothers. 2 Treat older women asyou would your mother and treat youngerwomen with all purity as you would your ownsisters. 3 Take care of any widow who has noone else to care for her. 4 But if she has childrenor grandchildren, their first responsibility is toshow godliness at home and repay their parentsby taking care of them. This is something thatpleases God.

Instructions for Widows, Elders, and Servants1.EXPLORE ITQUESTIONSHow should believers treat oldermen, younger men, older women,and younger women? (5:1-2)1Neverspeak harshly to an older man, butappeal to him respectfully as you would toyour own father. Talk to younger men asyou would to your own brothers.2 Treat older women as you would yourmother and treat younger women with allpurity as you would your own sisters.

Instructions for Widows, Elders, and Servants2.EXPLORE ITQUESTIONSTo whom did Paul tell Timothyto give proper recognition? (5:3)3 Takecare of any widow who hasno one else to care for her.

Instructions for Widows, Elders, and Servants3.EXPLORE ITQUESTIONSWhat should the children andgrandchildren of a widowdo? (5:4)4 Butif she has children or grandchildren, their first responsibility is toshow godliness at home and repaytheir parents by taking care of them.This is something that pleases God.

Instructions for Widows, Elders, and Servants5 NowSCRIPTURE1 TIMOTHY5:5-8(NLT)a true widow, a woman who is trulyalone in this world, has placed her hope inGod. She prays night and day, asking God forhis help. 6 But the widow who lives only forpleasure is spiritually dead even while shelives. 7 Give these instructions to the church sothat no one will be open to criticism. 8 Butthose who won’t care for their relatives,especially those in their own household, havedenied the true faith. Such people are worsethan unbelievers.

Instructions for Widows, Elders, and Servants4.EXPLORE ITQUESTIONSWhat does the widow who isreally in need and left alonedo? (5:5)5 Nowa true widow, a woman who istruly alone in this world, has placedher hope in God. She prays night andday, asking God for his help.

Instructions for Widows, Elders, and Servants5.EXPLORE ITQUESTIONSWhat is true about the widowwho lives for pleasure? (5:6)6 Butthe widow who lives only forpleasure is spiritually dead evenwhile she lives.

Instructions for Widows, Elders, and Servants6.EXPLORE ITQUESTIONSWhy did Paul tell Timothy togive these instructions? (5:7)7 Givethese instructions to thechurch so that no one will be opento criticism.

Instructions for Widows, Elders, and Servants7.EXPLORE ITQUESTIONSWhy is it important to providefor your family? (5:8)8 Butthose who won’t care for theirrelatives, especially those in theirown household, have denied the truefaith. Such people are worse thanunbelievers.

Instructions for Widows, Elders, and Servants9 A widowSCRIPTURE1 TIMOTHY5:9-10(NLT)who is put on the list forsupport must be a woman who is at leastsixty years old and was faithful to herhusband. 10 She must be well respectedby everyone because of the good she hasdone. Has she brought up her childrenwell? Has she been kind to strangers andserved other believers humbly? Has shehelped those who are in trouble? Has shealways been ready to do good?

Instructions for Widows, Elders, and Servants8.9AEXPLORE ITQUESTIONSWhen should the church go out of itsway to care for widows? (5:9-10)widow who is put on the list for support mustbe a woman who is at least sixty years old andwas faithful to her husband. 10 She must be wellrespected by everyone because of the good shehas done. Has she brought up her children well?Has she been kind to strangers and served otherbelievers humbly? Has she helped those who arein trouble? Has she always been ready to dogood?

Instructions for Widows, Elders, and Servants11 TheSCRIPTURE1 Timothy5:11-13(NLT)younger widows should not be on the list,because their physical desires will overpowertheir devotion to Christ, and they will want toremarry.12 Then they would be guilty of breaking theirprevious pledge.13 And if they are on the list, they will learn to belazy and will spend their time gossiping fromhouse to house, meddling in other people’sbusiness and talking about things they shouldn’t.

Instructions for Widows, Elders, and Servants9.EXPLORE ITQUESTIONSWhy should younger widows not be puton the "list of widows"? (5:11)11 Theyounger widows should notbe on the list, because theirphysical desires will overpowertheir devotion to Christ, and theywill want to remarry.

Instructions for Widows, Elders, and Servants10.EXPLORE ITQUESTIONSHow do younger widows bringjudgment upon themselves?(5:12)12 Thenthey would be guilty ofbreaking their previous pledge.

Instructions for Widows, Elders, and Servants11.EXPLORE ITQUESTIONSTo what habits may youngerwidows fall prey? (5:13)13 Andif they are on the list, they willlearn to be lazy and will spend their timegossiping from house to house, meddlingin other people’s business and talkingabout things they shouldn’t.

Instructions for Widows, Elders, and Servants14 SoSCRIPTURE1 Timothy5:14-16(NLT)I advise these younger widows to marryagain, have children, and take care of theirown homes. Then the enemy will not be ableto say anything against them.15 For I am afraid that some of them havealready gone astray and now follow Satan.16 If a woman who is a believer has relativeswho are widows, she must take care of themand not put the responsibility on the church.Then the church can care for the widows whoare truly alone.

Instructions for Widows, Elders, and Servants12.EXPLORE ITQUESTIONSWhat was Paul’s advice toyounger widows? (5:14)14 SoI advise these younger widows tomarry again, have children, and takecare of their own homes. Then the enemywill not be able to say anything againstthem.

Instructions for Widows, Elders, and Servants13.EXPLORE ITQUESTIONSWhat had some of the youngerwidows already done? (5:15)15 ForI am afraid that some of themhave already gone astray and nowfollow Satan.

Instructions for Widows, Elders, and Servants14.EXPLORE ITQUESTIONSWhy did Paul encourage Christianwomen to care for the widows intheir families? (5:16)16 Ifa woman who is a believer hasrelatives who are widows, she musttake care of them and not put theresponsibility on the church. Thenthe church can care for the widowswho are truly alone.

Instructions for Widows, Elders, and Servants17 EldersSCRIPTURE1 Timothy5:17-20(NLT)who do their work well should berespected and paid well, especially those whowork hard at both preaching and teaching.18 For the Scripture says, “You must not muzzlean ox to keep it from eating as it treads out thegrain.” And in another place, “Those who workdeserve their pay!”19 Do not listen to an accusation against an elderunless it is confirmed by two or three witnesses.20 Those who sin should be reprimanded in frontof the whole church; this will serve as a strongwarning to others.