1 Timothy 5
1 Don’t berate an older mana but encourage him as a father—the same with younger menb as brothers, 2 older womenc as mothers, and younger women as sisters—with complete sacredness.d
3 Support widowse who really are bereft.f 4 However, if someone widowed has children or descendants, the childreng should first learn to treat their own household with respecth and to give back in reciprocity to their elder family members since this is pleasing from God’s perspective. 5 However, the one who is really widowed and left completely alone has placed her hope in God and keeps on with her requests and her prayers night and day. 6 The widowi who lives luxuriously has died though she is still alive. 7 Spread these ideas so that people will be guiltless. 8 However, if someone does not even take care of a member of their own household, then they have refused faithfulness and are worse than faithless.
9 A widow should be appointedj to an official positionk if she is at least 60 years old, is a one-man woman, 10 and is known for admirable actions—for example, if she raised children, if she welcomed foreigners,l if she washed the feet of those who are designated for sacred purposes, if she came to the aid ofm those being oppressed, if she closely followed every selfless action.n
11 Decline to appoint youngero widowed women because when they feel compelled toward luxuryp rather thanq Christ, they could want to marry, 12 inviting judgment because they set aside the first commitment.r 13 At the same time, they also learn to be inactive, going around house to house, and not only inactives but also oblivious,t wasting time,u and talking about inappropriate things.v 14 Therefore, I wish for younger women to marry, have children, and manage a household, so as not to give someone in oppositionw opportunity to criticizex because of it. 15 Already, some were turned away, following in the Adversary’sy footsteps. 16 if a faithful woman has widows with her, she should come to their aidz, and the assembly should not overburden itself,aa so that it can come to the aid ofbb those who are truly bereft.cc
17 The eldersdd who have ledee you honorably should be eligible for dual support,ff especially those who labor with conversationgg and teaching. 18 You see, the scripture says, “Don’t muzzle an ox while it is treading the grain,”hh and “The laborer is worth their payment.”ii 19 Do not affirm an accusation against an elder except based on two or three witnesses. 20 However, exposejj the elderskk who do deviate in front of everyone so that the rest will be warned. 21 I swear in front of God and Christ Jesus and the chosen messengers that you would observe these things without there being any prejudice or anyone doing anything based on bias.ll 22 Don’t lay hands onmm anyone hastily, but also don’t be complicitnn in other people’s deviations. Keep yourself genuine. 23 (Don’t drink water anymore,oo but instead use a little wine for your stomach and your recurringpp illnesses) 24 Some people’s deviations are obvious, leading to a decisive response,qq but for some, they catch up with them later. 25 Similarly, honorable actions are also obvious, and ones that aren’t obvious can’t stay hidden.
FOOTNOTES:
a Or ‘elder.’ This is the masculine or general (meaning it is what is used to refer to the word in general and what is used when the person’s gender is not specified or if it is a mixed gender group) form of presbuteros.
b The words ‘younger men’ are the adjective form (neos) of the same root for the noun (neotes) ‘youth’ in 1 Timothy 4:12.
c Or ‘elder.’ This is the feminine form of presbuteros: presbuteras.
d Traditionally, ‘purity.’ The Greek hagneia has to do with being designated for sacred purposes and is the noun form of the more common adjective hagios, ‘sacred’ or ‘holy.’
e Literally, this is an adjective referring to the condition of being ‘bereaved.’ All the instances in 1 Timothy of this word are feminine, referring to women who have been bereaved of family or husband and left alone.
f This is the same word translated as ‘widows’ earlier in this sentence.
g Literally, ‘they’ referring back to ‘children or descendants’
h This word is eusebeia, translated in this verse in various ways, including ‘duty,’ ‘religion,’ ‘piety,’ and ‘godliness.’ It is the same word traditionally translated most often elsewhere as ‘godliness.’ While the word eusebeia was often used to refer to reverence for a deity, it was not limited to that context and included other senses of treating people with respect, including examples of directing it toward one’s parents and toward one’s wife.
i Literally, this is an adjective referring to the condition of being ‘bereaved.’
j Traditionally, ‘put on the list.’ The word means to be written down or recounted and included enlisting in the military and other contexts of being enrolled in some capacity.
k The words ‘to an official position’ are added for clarity. Some people take this verse to be about enrolling widows in a program to receive care. The context suggests that the widows were serving others and being entrusted with some sort of leadership.
l Traditionally, ‘shown hospitality.’
m Or ‘protected’ or ‘provided for’
n Traditionally, ‘good.’ This word specifically means ‘good for others’ or ‘benevolent’ or ‘kind’ or ‘generous.’
o This is the same word for ‘younger women’ in 1 Timothy 5:2.
p The Greek word katastreniao means ‘strongly drawn toward living in luxury.’
q There are no words here in Greek between ‘feel compelled toward luxury’ and ‘Christ.’ The form of the word Christou is genitive and requires additional words in English to make sense of it. It may be a genitive of separation, indicating that the compulsion toward luxury moves than away from Christ, but it is not clear.
r Or ‘faithfulness’
s Traditionally, ‘lazy’
t Traditionally, ‘gossips’
u Traditionally, ‘busybodies’
v Traditionally, ‘saying what they should not say’ or ‘speaking things which they ought not.’
w Traditionally, ‘adversary’ but this is not a word used to describe Satan. This means any one opposed, presumably, someone opposed to the church and the way of Jesus.
x Traditionally, ‘revile us’ or ‘speak reproachfully’ or ‘slander us.’
y In contrast to ‘opponent’ in the previous verse, this word is Satanas. The word Satanas was not a name. It meant ‘adversary’ in the sense of prosecutor or opponent. It carries the meaning of someone who is against another, trying to sabotage their efforts and their wellbeing, and against someone as a plaintiff in court. It is an enemy, but also someone accusing another of wrongdoing, whether truly or falsely. It’s not just about pointing out something bad, but actively moving to cause adversity for someone else. The concept of HaShatan in the Hebrew Bible was not the evil archnemesis of God that Christian teaching has turned it into. It was described as a member of the council of spiritual beings whose role was to test people to see how genuine they were. The clearest example of this is in the book of Job.
z Or ‘protect’ or ‘provide for’ or ‘help’
aa The word ‘itself’ is included here to make it clear that this is intended as a reflexive verb, something the church would be doing to itself by taking on more than it could handle, not that the widows would be a burden.
bb Or ‘protect’ or ‘provide for’
cc This is the same word translated as ‘widows’ previously but literally means ‘bereaved’ or ‘bereft.’
dd Traditionally, ‘elders.’ It does seem to be referring to a particular role that older men filled in leading the church; however, it is also simply the same word for ‘older man’ that is used in 1 Timothy 5:1 that can also refer to elders of mixed gender.
ee Or ‘stands as a leader’ or ‘is a leader’ or ‘acts as a champion’ or ‘acts as an avenger.’ In various ways, it means to ‘take responsibility for others,’ and most literally, it means to stand at the front, ahead of others (not in front of an audience but more like at the front of a procession).
ff This is time, the noun form of the same root that appears as a verb in verse 3 toward widows. It can mean honor as in valued treatment or reward or compensation. In this verse the ‘dual support’ seems to refer to both definitions of the word being present together: recognition of value and reward.
gg Or ‘speaking’ but it has the sense of discussion and likely was not intended to mean presenting a monologue.
hh Quotation of Deuteronomy 25:4
ii Quotation of Luke 10:7
jj Reference to Deuteronomy 19:15. This is not a special requirement for elders but rather a safeguard with any accusation of wrongdoing to prevent sentencing an innocent person.
kk Literally, ‘those.’ ‘Elders’ has been added for clarity.
ll This sentence is not a command. It’s a promise the writer is making to Timothy that there won’t be any retaliation for holding people accountable, even leaders and prominent figures.
mm Referring to taking people into custody or administering punishment. Justice must not be avoided, but it must also be true to be justice. Impulsive action against an innocent person is not just.
nn Turning a blind eye to someone harming others, even if they are a leader, is being complicit in the harm.
oo Most translations add another word here like ‘just’ or ‘only’ or ‘exclusively.’ There is no word like that in the Greek, but it is possible it was intended with that meaning.
pp Or ‘frequent’
qq Traditionally, ‘judgment’