Proper Pastoral Relationships – 1 Timothy 5:1-7

1 Timothy verse by verse. This lesson looks at how a pastor is to relate to the various groups of people within the church – men, women & widows.

1. Brief review of theme: 1 Timothy 3:14-15. 1 Timothy presents a benchmark with which local churches can examine themselves.
2. This chapter/section: Paul instructs Timothy concerning how to interact with 5 groups of people within the church – men, women, widows, elders & servants (6:1-2)
3. This lesson: Paul instructs Timothy on the appropriate attitude he is to adopt in dealing with men, women & widows in the church.

The Treatment of Older Men (Vs. 1a)

1. ‘elder’ = reference to age, not office (non-technical term).
2. ‘rebuke’ = Literally means to strike, to beat with a blow. Term originally referred to fist fighting but it metaphorically meant “to censure severely,” “to reprimand harshly,” or “to beat down with verbal abuse.” (Gromacki)
   1. Lev. 19:32 “Thou shalt rise up before the hoary head, and honour the face of the old man, and fear thy God: I am the LORD.”
   2. Note: Refer 4:12 for balance. An older man is not to have a belittling attitude to his young pastor and a young pastor is not to have a disrespectful attitude to an older man.
3. ‘intreat’ = to exhort
   1. A man is not above humble exhortation because of his age.
   2. Prov. 16:31 “The hoary head is a crown of glory, if it be found in the way of righteousness.”
   3. Paul instructed Titus to instruct the aged men in sound doctrine (Titus 2:3)
   4. ‘father’ = family term. Speaks of a relationship characterised by respect and fond attachment. He should use a ‘tender’ and ‘subdued’ tone when confronting an older man (Fairbairn).
   5. Applications
      1. Be respectful in your use of titles (e.g. Mr, Sir etc…)
      2. Be respectful in your language
      3. Be respectful in your manner (e.g. tone of voice, body language)

The Treatment of Younger Men (Vs. 1b)

1. ‘brethren’ = family term. While a pastor has God-given authority to exercise in the local church, he is not to have a spirit of superiority or arrogance when dealing with his peers in the Lord.
2. Note: We are to adopt a family spirit in the local church in our dealings with one another. Christ is not ashamed to call us brethren! (Heb 2:11)

The Treatment of Older Women (Vs. 2a)

1. ‘mothers’ = family term
2. To be treated in a similar fashion to older men.
3. Question: How would you treat your mother? Kindness, gentleness, respect, love, care etc…

The Treatment of Younger Women (Vs. 2b)

1. ‘sisters’ = family term. Denotes appropriate affection, respect and chivalry.
2. ‘purity’ = wholesome and appropriate words and activities
   1. Purity in thought
   2. Purity in word
      1. No blue jokes.
      2. No double meanings
      3. No crass language
   3. Purity in conduct
      1. Establish good standards of interaction with young ladies.
      2. Implications for social media!
      3. Remember the 3 big killers of men in the ministry: Fame, Fortune and Females

The Treatment of Widows (Vs. 3-7)

1. How? – Give Honour (Vs. 3)
   1. ‘honour’ = respect and support (including financial)
   2. ‘widow’ = The basic thought in the word ‘widow’ is that of loneliness. The word comes from an adjective meaning “bereft” and speaks of her resultant loneliness as having been bereft of her husband. (Hiebert)
   3. ‘indeed’ = truly, genuinely
2. Who? – Widows indeed (Vs. 4-6) Note: Paul outlines three types of widows in these verses so as to demonstrate who qualifies as a “widow indeed” (a genuine widow). There is the widow with children (Vs. 4), the genuine widow (Vs. 5) and the worldly widow (Vs. 6)
   1. Widows with children/family (Vs. 4)
      1. ‘nephews’ = grandchildren
      2. The word means “sprung from one,” that is offspring or descendants. (Hiebert)
      3. ‘piety’ = godliness
      4. ‘requite’ = to render recompense, to reward or pay back
      5. Widows indeed (Vs. 5) A widow indeed is characterized by the following:
         1. She is without family – ‘desolate’
         2. She is a woman of faith – “trusteth in God”
         3. She is a woman of prayer – “continueth in supplications and prayers”
         4. Illustration: Anna the prophetess – Luke 2:36-37
      6. Worldly widows (Vs. 6)
         1. ‘pleasure’ = living after the lusts of the flesh
         2. ‘dead’ = her life is devoid of spiritual life
3. Why? – Blameless living (Vs. 7)
   1. ‘charge’ = command
   2. ‘blameless’ = un-rebukeable, above reproach

Conclusion:

1. How do we treat each other in the local church?
2. Is there a family spirit in our dealings one with another?
3. Do we demonstrate practical love to the needy?

Sermon 20 of 27 in 1 Timothy Series

Sermon Audio Id: 121116448476