1 Timothy 5
Names of God Bible
Guidelines for Dealing with Other Christians
5 Never use harsh words when you correct an older man, but talk to him as if he were your father. Talk to younger men as if they were your brothers, 2 older women as if they were your mothers, and younger women as if they were your sisters, while keeping yourself morally pure.
3 Honor widows who have no families. 4 The children or grandchildren of a widow must first learn to respect their own family by repaying their parents. This is pleasing in God’s sight.
5 A widow who has no family has placed her confidence in God by praying and asking for his help night and day. 6 But the widow who lives for pleasure is dead although she is still alive. 7 Insist on these things so that widows will have good reputations. 8 If anyone doesn’t take care of his own relatives, especially his immediate family, he has denied the Christian faith and is worse than an unbeliever.
9 Any widow who had only one husband and is at least 60 years old should be put on your list of widows. 10 People should tell about the good things she has done: raising children, being hospitable, taking care of believers’ needs, helping the suffering, or always doing good things.
11 Don’t include younger widows on your list. Whenever their natural desires become stronger than their devotion to Christ, they’ll want to marry. 12 They condemn themselves by rejecting the Christian faith, the faith they first accepted. 13 At the same time, they learn to go around from house to house since they have nothing else to do. Not only this, but they also gossip and get involved in other people’s business, saying things they shouldn’t say.
14 So I want younger widows to marry, have children, manage their homes, and not give the enemy any chance to ridicule them. 15 Some of them have already turned away to follow Satan. 16 If any woman is a believer and has relatives who are widows, she should help them. In this way the church is not burdened and can help widows who have no families.
17 Give double honor to spiritual leaders[a] who handle their duties well. This is especially true if they work hard at teaching the word of God. 18 After all, Scripture says, “Never muzzle an ox when it is threshing[b] grain,” and “The worker deserves his pay.”
19 Don’t pay attention to an accusation against a spiritual leader unless it is supported by two or three witnesses. 20 Reprimand those leaders who sin. Do it in front of everyone so that the other leaders will also be afraid.
21 I solemnly call on you in the sight of God, Christ Yeshua, and the chosen angels to be impartial when you follow what I’ve told you. Never play favorites.
22 Don’t be in a hurry to place your hands on anyone to ordain him. Don’t participate in the sins of others. Keep yourself morally pure.
23 Stop drinking only water. Instead, drink a little wine for your stomach because you are frequently sick.
24 The sins of some people are obvious, going ahead of them to judgment. The sins of others follow them there. 25 In the same way, the good things that people do are obvious, and those that aren’t obvious can’t remain hidden.
Footnotes
- 1 Timothy 5:17 Or “pastors,” or “elders.”
- 1 Timothy 5:18 Threshing is the process of beating stalks to separate them from the grain.
1 Timothy 5
Holman Christian Standard Bible
5 Do not rebuke an older man, but exhort him as a father, younger men as brothers, 2 older women as mothers, and with all propriety, the younger women as sisters.
The Support of Widows
3 Support[a] widows(A) who are genuinely widows. 4 But if any widow has children or grandchildren, they must learn to practice godliness toward their own family first and to repay their parents, for this pleases God. 5 The real widow, left all alone, has put her hope in God(B) and continues night and day in her petitions and prayers; 6 however, she who is self-indulgent is dead even while she lives.(C) 7 Command this also, so they won’t be blamed. 8 But if anyone does not provide(D) for his own, that is his own household, he has denied the faith(E) and is worse than an unbeliever.
9 No widow should be placed on the official support list[b] unless she is at least 60 years old, has been the wife of one husband, 10 and is well known for good works(F)—that is, if she has brought up children, shown hospitality,(G) washed the saints’ feet,(H) helped the afflicted,(I) and devoted herself to every good work.(J) 11 But refuse to enroll younger widows, for when they are drawn away from Christ by desire, they want to marry(K) 12 and will therefore receive condemnation(L) because they have renounced their original pledge. 13 At the same time, they also learn to be idle, going from house to house; they are not only idle, but are also gossips(M) and busybodies, saying things they shouldn’t say. 14 Therefore, I want younger women to marry,(N) have children, manage their households, and give the adversary no opportunity to accuse us.(O) 15 For some have already turned away(P) to follow Satan. 16 If any[c] believing woman has widows in her family, she should help them, and the church should not be burdened, so that it can help those who are genuinely widows.
Honoring the Elders
17 The elders who are good leaders should be considered worthy of an ample honorarium,[d] especially those who work hard(Q) at preaching and teaching. 18 For the Scripture says:
Do not muzzle an ox
while it is treading out the grain,(R)[e] and,
the worker is worthy of his wages.(S)
19 Don’t accept an accusation against an elder unless it is supported by two or three witnesses.(T) 20 Publicly rebuke those who sin, so that the rest will also be afraid. 21 I solemnly charge you before God and Christ Jesus and the elect angels to observe(U) these things without prejudice, doing nothing out of favoritism. 22 Don’t be too quick to appoint[f](V) anyone as an elder, and don’t share in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure.(W) 23 Don’t continue drinking only water, but use a little wine because of your stomach and your frequent illnesses. 24 Some people’s sins are obvious, going before them to judgment,(X) but the sins of others surface[g] later. 25 Likewise, good works are obvious, and those that are not obvious cannot remain hidden.
Footnotes
- 1 Timothy 5:3 Lit Honor
- 1 Timothy 5:9 Lit be enrolled
- 1 Timothy 5:16 Other mss add believing man or
- 1 Timothy 5:17 Or of respect and remuneration; lit of double honor
- 1 Timothy 5:18 Dt 25:4
- 1 Timothy 5:22 Lit to lay hands on = to ordain
- 1 Timothy 5:24 Lit follow
The Names of God Bible (without notes) © 2011 by Baker Publishing Group.
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