Honor in the Family

November 13, 2022 Series: God's House: A Series from 1 Timothy

Passage: 1 Timothy 5:1–16

Prayer for All Members Based on Pastor Micah’s Message, November 13, 2022

1 Timothy 5:1-16

Showing Honor Within the Family

Introduction: In 1 Timothy 5:1-16, Paul is prescribing some housekeeping rules for the house of the Lord, but more than that, these rules dictate general principles for how God wants us to live in community in His house.

  1. Encourage One Another With Humility and Purity. (5:1-2)

    Do not rebuke an older man but encourage him as you would a father, younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, younger women as sisters, in all purity.

    Beginning with instructing Timothy to respect older members, Paul tells us to engage every person with dignity, grace, and respect. When correction is needed, it must be done in the proper spirit to encourage and uplift one another as fellow servants of Christ. In telling Timothy to treat the women in all purity, Paul is saying to be above reproach, and this too can be applied universally: as a part of God’s house, our lives should be lived above reproach.

    Father, please help us encourage our family of faith by engaging one another in love and respect.

  2. Honor Widows Who Are Faithful to Christ. (5:3-16)

    • The Responsibility for Widows (3-4)

      Honor widows who are truly widows. But if a widow has children or grandchildren, let them first learn to show godliness to their own household...

      To honor was to provide financial support, which was extra important for the widow. Her care falls first to her family, presumably also in the church, and then to the church. As a church it is a matter of primary importance to be sure there is no one in need among us. We are a family of faith; therefore, we take care of our own.

    • The Responsibility of Widows (5-6)
      She who is truly a widow, left all alone, has set her hope on God and continues in supplications and prayers

      night and day, but she who is self-indulgent is dead even while she lives.

      The widow is to place her hope in Christ alone, praying and serving continually, as opposed to the widow who is worldly. This too can be generally applied: Is our faith and hope in Christ? Do we invest in His church?

    • The Pastor’s Role: Commands for All (7-8)
      Command these things as well, so that they may be without reproach. But if anyone does not provide for his

      relatives ... he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

      Timothy was to take these things to the whole church, commanding widows to trust entirely in Christ, and commanding church members to take care of their families for the sake of Christ.

    • The Widows’ Roll: Guidelines for Who Should Be Supported (9-16)

      Let a widow be enrolled if she is not less than sixty years of age... having a reputation for good works...But refuse to enroll younger widows, for when their passions draw them away from Christ, they desire to marry and so incur condemnation for having abandoned their former faith. Besides that, they learn to be idle...

      Older widows who have lived a life of faithfulness devoted to good works should be included. Younger widows, who may be tempted to stray from serving Christ or to be idle, should be excluded.

      We all need to work faithfully for the Lord. Taking care of families is a good work to do, and those who don’t have families should spend time in supplication for the church, being busy for the glory of God, sharing the gospel, and discipling others.

      Lord, please help us to live out the gospel by giving of ourselves for our families and our church. Cause the world to know we belong to You by our love for one another.

More in God's House: A Series from 1 Timothy

February 5, 2023

Final Words

January 29, 2023

Fight the Good Fight

January 22, 2023

Godliness with Contentment