March 17, 2025
Please use the comment section on this page to share insights from today’s reading OR your own personal Bible reading.
Reading along with us in Joshua and Timothy? Here’s today’s reading:
1 Timothy 5 (NIV)
Widows, Elders and Slaves
1 Do not rebuke an older man harshly, but exhort him as if he were your father. Treat younger men as brothers, 2 older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters, with absolute purity.
3 Give proper recognition to those widows who are really in need.……Continue Reading
Chapter makes me think of my 79 year old sister who recently lost her husband and how her 3 sons have come to fill in wherever necessary. We have Brenda and a few others Let’s make sure their needs are met. Easier for them now. With programs like social security etc. but still. Paul brings up leadership I’m guessing people were knit picking on small trivial facts about leaders. Why he mentioned at least two witnesses bring an accusation against an elder.
1 Timothy 5
1 Timothy 5. I thought it was interesting to read the part about our call to take care of our families. I think in society today, so many have gotten away from this and broken families is such a norm and it is sad to see the hurt this causes.
Also, a side note: for anybody looking for ways to get inspired doing this daily reading I found something that’s been helpful to me… I saw somewhere online a suggestion of leaving your bible right where you constantly see it and leave it open. I have started to leave mine open on the kitchen counter and it has been a huge change. Now I find myself when I’m waiting for water to boil I will read (or re read something), I walk in the door and the open bible is one of the first things I see, etc. our phones are so accessible to us that I found myself constantly just pulling out my phone when I had down time. But now, the word of God is sitting right in front of me and so often that the pull to even just read a little here and there is so strong im reading more than ever.
Glad to hear, Kaitlyn. And good idea!
1Timothy 5
I can remember having conversations with others a bit younger at work and feeling so bad for their moms. Saying they called their moms once a month or once a week. And was resentful doing that. I would scold them and tell them I called mine every night. Actually my mom was not a fan of hearing from me everyday.lol Later in life she talked about her friends saying how they never hear from children or grandchildren and thought that was terrible. She eventually looked forward to my calls (as I would force myself on her for years). Because of that we become best friends which I had always wanted. You will not just all of a sudden want to call them. You need to nuture the relationship along the way. In our church body I love watching the younger moms and their kids and my older friends. We have that, thank God. As an older member I cherish that! I know its meant everything to Gary, the love and support he receives because it’s the love of Christ. Sorry so long.
No problem at all Linda. Thanks for sharing. You are both dear to us!!!
1Timothy 5
1Timothy 4
In the family of God, we are to treat older men as fathers, and older women as mothers. There is a form of honor here. Likewise younger men aa brothers and younger women as sisters. vs 1,2. Most of this chapter is about how widows should be cared for. vs3-16. When a widow is 60 years old the church can consider helping her that is unless her own household is helping her. She must also be devoted to the Lord and had only one husband according to this passage. Younger widows will most likely marry again. Our elders should be given double honor especially those who teach the word and labor in it. God’s word is always right. May we never treat it carelessly.
Treat younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters, with absolute purity. The church is our forever family – love them with a strong belief that you will dwell with them in heaven for all eternity.
1 Timothy 5
It is sad to see how far we have fallen away from the practices God intended when it comes to taking care of family. So many broken families and single parents with an over dependence on public assistance to provide for them. God makes it clear that you should be caring for yourself and your family if you are able and not expecting someone else to do that for you.
”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.“
I Timothy 5:8 NKJV
Family is the basic structure God put in place to establish society, and the priority of the care and regard found in it does not change when we become believers and function as a church. In fact the way we think about our families in purity should translate to others where impurity might be more tempting…but not if I see her/him as a sister/brother. It should also translate to how we should provide for them physically and financially. It is interesting as well how Paul gives direction on what widows to support and what widows shouldn’t be supported, but direction still being given to them. How important it is to differentiate between need and real need, both in our lives and the lives of others. But we should all be looking our for each other and finding the roles we have in each other’s lives and quite possibly find the very reason God has placed you in Living Hope! And elders are both to be honored as well as internalize the responsibility we have to live right before God and the congregation, dealing with sin in the right way recognizing it will come out, one way or another.