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Read the New Testament in 24 Weeks

A reading plan that walks through the entire New Testament in 24 weeks of daily readings.

Duration: 168 days

1 Timothy 5-6

IV. Duties Toward Others

Chapter 5

¹^[a]Do not rebuke an older man, but appeal to him as a father. Treat younger men as brothers,^(A) ²older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters with complete purity.

Rules for Widows. ³Honor widows who are truly widows. ⁴But if a widow has children or grandchildren, let these first learn to perform their religious duty to their own family and to make recompense to their parents, for this is pleasing to God. ⁵The real widow, who is all alone, has set her hope on God and continues in supplications and prayers night and day.^(B) ⁶But the one who is self-indulgent is dead while she lives. ⁷Command this, so that they may be irreproachable. ⁸And whoever does not provide for relatives and especially family members has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

⁹Let a widow be enrolled if she is not less than sixty years old, married only once, ¹⁰with a reputation for good works, namely, that she has raised children, practiced hospitality, washed the feet of the holy ones, helped those in distress, involved herself in every good work.^(C) ¹¹But exclude younger widows, for when their sensuality estranges them from Christ, they want to marry ¹²and will incur condemnation for breaking their first pledge. ¹³And furthermore, they learn to be idlers, going about from house to house, and not only idlers but gossips and busybodies as well, talking about things that ought not to be mentioned.^(D) ¹⁴So I would like younger widows to marry, have children, and manage a home, so as to give the adversary no pretext for maligning us.^(E) ¹⁵For some have already turned away to follow Satan. ¹⁶If any woman believer^[b] has widowed relatives, she must assist them; the church is not to be burdened, so that it will be able to help those who are truly widows.

Rules for Presbyters.^[c] ¹⁷Presbyters who preside well deserve double honor, especially those who toil in preaching and teaching.^(F) ¹⁸For the scripture says, “You shall not muzzle an ox when it is threshing,” and, “A worker deserves his pay.”^(G) ¹⁹Do not accept an accusation against a presbyter unless it is supported by two or three witnesses.^(H) ²⁰Reprimand publicly those who do sin, so that the rest also will be afraid.^(I) ²¹I charge you before God and Christ Jesus and the elect angels to keep these rules without prejudice, doing nothing out of favoritism. ²²Do not lay hands too readily on anyone, and do not share in another’s sins. Keep yourself pure.^(J) ²³Stop drinking only water, but have a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent illnesses.

²⁴Some people’s sins are public, preceding them to judgment; but other people are followed by their sins. ²⁵Similarly, good works are also public; and even those that are not cannot remain hidden.

Chapter 6

Rules for Slaves. ¹^[d]Those who are under the yoke of slavery must regard their masters as worthy of full respect, so that the name of God and our teaching^[e] may not suffer abuse.^(K) ²Those whose masters are believers must not take advantage of them because they are brothers but must give better service because those who will profit from their work are believers and are beloved.^(L)

V. False Teaching and True Wealth

Teach and urge these things.^[f] ³Whoever teaches something different and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the religious teaching^(M) ⁴is conceited, understanding nothing, and has a morbid disposition for arguments and verbal disputes. From these come envy, rivalry, insults, evil suspicions, ⁵and mutual friction among people with corrupted minds, who are deprived of the truth, supposing religion to be a means of gain.^(N) ⁶^[g]Indeed, religion with contentment is a great gain.^(O) ⁷For we brought nothing into the world, just as we shall not be able to take anything out of it.^(P) ⁸If we have food and clothing, we shall be content with that.^(Q) ⁹Those who want to be rich are falling into temptation and into a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires, which plunge them into ruin and destruction.^(R) ¹⁰For the love of money is the root of all evils, and some people in their desire for it have strayed from the faith and have pierced themselves with many pains.

Exhortations to Timothy.^[h] ¹¹But you, man of God,^[i] avoid all this. Instead, pursue righteousness, devotion, faith, love, patience, and gentleness.^(S) ¹²Compete well for the faith. Lay hold of eternal life, to which you were called when you made the noble confession in the presence of many witnesses.^(T) ¹³I charge [you] before God, who gives life to all things, and before Christ Jesus, who gave testimony under Pontius Pilate for the noble confession,^(U) ¹⁴to keep the commandment without stain or reproach until the appearance of our Lord Jesus Christ ¹⁵that the blessed and only ruler will make manifest at the proper time, the King of kings and Lord of lords,^(V) ¹⁶who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, and whom no human being has seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal power. Amen.^(W)

Right Use of Wealth.^[j] ¹⁷Tell the rich in the present age not to be proud and not to rely on so uncertain a thing as wealth but rather on God, who richly provides us with all things for our enjoyment.^(X) ¹⁸Tell them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous, ready to share, ¹⁹thus accumulating as treasure a good foundation for the future, so as to win the life that is true life.^(Y)

VI. Final Recommendation and Warning^[k]

²⁰O Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you. Avoid profane babbling and the absurdities of so-called knowledge.^(Z) ²¹By professing it, some people have deviated from the faith.

Grace be with all of you.^(AA)

Footnotes

5:1–16 After a few words of general advice based on common sense (1 Tm 5:1–2), the letter takes up, in its several aspects, the subject of widows. The first responsibility for their care belongs to the family circle, not to the Christian community as such (1 Tm 5:3–4, 16). The widow left without the aid of relatives may benefit the community by her prayer, and the community should consider her material sustenance its responsibility (1 Tm 5:5–8). Widows who wish to work directly for the Christian community should not be accepted unless they are well beyond the probability of marriage, i.e., sixty years of age, married only once, and with a reputation for good works (1 Tm 5:9–10). Younger widows are apt to be troublesome and should be encouraged to remarry (1 Tm 5:11–15).
5:16 Woman believer: some early Latin manuscripts and Fathers have a masculine here, while most later manuscripts and patristic quotations conflate the two readings, perhaps to avoid unfair restriction to women.
5:17–25 The function of presbyters is not exactly the same as that of the episkopos, “bishop” (1 Tm 3:1); in fact, the relation of the two at the time of this letter is obscure (but cf. note on Ti 1:5–9). The Pastorals seem to reflect a transitional stage that developed in many regions of the church into the monarchical episcopate of the second and third centuries. The presbyters possess the responsibility of preaching and teaching, for which functions they are supported by the community (1 Tm 5:17–18). The realization that their position subjects them to adverse criticism is implied in the direction to Timothy (1 Tm 5:19–20) to make sure of the truth of any accusation against them before public reproof is given. He must be as objective as possible in weighing charges against presbyters (1 Tm 5:21), learning from his experience to take care in selecting them (1 Tm 5:22). Some scholars take 1 Tm 5:22 as a reference not to ordination of presbyters but to reconciliation of public sinners. The letter now sounds an informal note of personal concern in its advice to Timothy not to be so ascetic that he even avoids wine (1 Tm 5:23). Judgment concerning the fitness of candidates to serve as presbyters is easy with persons of open conduct, more difficult and prolonged with those of greater reserve (1 Tm 5:24–25).
6:1–2 Compare the tables for household duties, such as that of Col 3:18–4:1. Domestic relationships derive new meaning from the Christian faith.
6:1 Our teaching: this refers to the teaching of the Christian community.
6:2b–10 Timothy is exhorted to maintain steadfastly the position outlined in this letter, not allowing himself to be pressured into any other course. He must realize that false teachers can be discerned by their pride, envy, quarrelsomeness, and greed for material gain. 1 Tm 6:6 is rather obscure and is interpreted, and therefore translated, variously. The suggestion seems to be that the important gain that religion brings is spiritual, but that there is material gain, too, up to the point of what is needed for physical sustenance (cf. 1 Tm 6:17–19).
6:6 Contentment: the word autarkeia is a technical Greek philosophical term for the virtue of independence from material goods (Aristotle, Cynics, Stoics).
6:11–16 Timothy’s position demands total dedication to God and faultless witness to Christ (1 Tm 6:11–14) operating from an awareness, through faith, of the coming revelation in Jesus of the invisible God (1 Tm 6:15–16).
6:11 Man of God: a title applied to Moses and the prophets (Dt 33:1; 1 Sm 2:27; 1 Kgs 12:22; 13:1; etc.).
6:17–19 Timothy is directed to instruct the rich, advising them to make good use of their wealth by aiding the poor.
6:20–21 A final solemn warning against the heretical teachers, with what seems to be a specific reference to gnosticism, the great rival and enemy of the church for two centuries and more (the Greek word for “knowledge” is gnōsis). If gnosticism is being referred to here, it is probable that the warnings against “speculations” and “myths and genealogies” (cf. especially 1 Tm 1:4; Ti 3:9) involve allusions to that same kind of heresy. Characteristic of the various gnostic systems of speculation was an elaborate mythology of innumerable superhuman intermediaries, on a descending scale (“genealogies”), between God and the world. Thus would be explained the emphasis upon Christ’s being the one mediator (as in 1 Tm 2:5). Although fully developed gnosticism belonged to the second and later centuries, there are signs that incipient forms of it belonged to Paul’s own period.

New American Bible (Revised Edition) (NABRE)

Scripture texts, prefaces, introductions, footnotes and cross references used in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC All Rights Reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.