Children Take Care of Widows 1 Timothy 5:4

As Paul the apostle continued to give Timothy instructions concerning specific individuals within the church at Ephesus, he shared about “elder” and “younger men”, “elder” and “younger women”, and he included caring for “widows that are widows indeed”. In chapter five and verse four of his letter to Timothy, Paul told Timothy that “children and nephews” should take care of widows where we read:

But if any widow have children or nephews, let them learn first to show piety at home, and to requite their parents: for that is good and acceptable before God.

The verse begins, “But if any widow have children or nephews, let them learn first to show piety at home,...” Paul began this verse with the word, “But” which is a disassociation conjunction that means what is about to be stated takes precedence over what was previously stated, and in this case, Paul is sharing about taking care of widows. He continued, “if any widow” or “married woman whose husband has died” “have children” or “offspring or sons and daughters” “or nephews” which literally means “sprung from one, born and begotten” and refers to “those who are within the widows family such as nephews, nieces and grandchildren” “let them learn” which means “learn, be apprised, be informed, increase in knowledge and be in practice or the habit of” “first” or “chief, principal or in front of” “to show piety” or “reference, regard and respect” “at home” which is “within, pertaining to, and belonging to one's own place of abode”. Paul knew there were families who could show their devotion to the Lord as they cared for someone who was related to them and was now a widow.

The verse goes on to say, “...and to requite their parents: for that is good and acceptable before God.” Paul added, “and to requite” which means “requital or recompense” “their parents” or “ancestors, mother, father or grandparents”. The idea is they could “pay back,repay or return favor” to those who were responsible for their being, “for that is good” which means “beautiful, handsome, excellent, eminent, choice, surpassing, precious, useful, suitable, commendable and admirable” “and acceptable” or “agreeable and satisfactory” “before God” which means “before the throne of God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit”. In other words, when a woman becomes a widow, her family had the opportunity to “repay, return or pay back” their ancestor who was responsible for their existence, and this is well pleasing worship before the throne of God.

When we think about Paul's words in this area, it may be helpful to note that many people had a tendency to put the care of widows in the hands of the church only. Rather than caring for their relative themselves, children, grandchildren, nephews and nieces would place the care for the “widow” upon the church. Paul told Timothy this was not to be. The family of the widow was to care for her first before the aid of the church was relied upon. Only those widows who had no family at all were to be solely cared for by the church. There are many family members today who rather than care for “widows” themselves put the care of their relative upon the church, and this misses the mark of “first” showing “piety at home”. Let us allow the Lord Jesus to make this truth so real to us that should we ever encounter a “widow” in our families, we will be the first to respond and worship the Lord as we do.

Next time Paul tells Timothy more about widows that are “widows indeed”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

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