사귐의 소리 2025

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1 Timothy 5:3–8 “Living as a True Widow”

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5–7 minutes

1 Timothy 5:3-8 NIV

Suggested Praise Songs:

Resources for Family Worship (with Children):

Explanation:

The Apostle continues by giving several guidelines regarding widows, a matter that often stirred much discussion in church life at the time. Following the model of the early Jerusalem church, the church cared for widows who were in financial difficulty. The “true widow” (v. 3) refers to those whom the church community had decided to support financially. The command “give proper recognition” reflects the fifth commandment of the Ten Commandments. It means not only showing respect in heart but also providing material support. If the widow has children or grandchildren, however, the church should not be burdened; she must be supported by her family. In this way, they are taught to “put their religion into practice by caring for their own family” (v. 4). This “religious duty” refers to keeping the fifth commandment.

On the other hand, if there are no children to provide support, then the church must care for her. The true widows who receive support from the church must “put their hope in God and continue night and day to pray and to ask God for help” (v. 5). Since they are receiving material support from the church, they should help the church spiritually. Those who devote themselves to continual prayer and petition cannot fall into sexual immorality.

The phrase “living for pleasure” (v. 6) refers to the pursuit of luxury and indulgence. Among wealthy widows who had inherited property from their deceased husbands, some lived recklessly. Concerning them, the Apostle says, “She is dead even while she lives.” Spiritually, they are dead, and so they are as good as they are already dead.

In verse 7, the Apostle repeats the teaching from verse 4 about “putting their religion into practice by caring for their own family.” The words “give the people these instructions” (v. 7) point to the requirement of the law regarding family care. Believers who neglect this responsibility may be “open to criticism.” The Apostle expands the commandment about honoring parents to include relatives and the whole family (v. 8). The statement, “such a person has denied the faith,” does not mean that failure to care for family results in loss of salvation. Rather, caring for one’s family is a basic duty of being human. Moreover, it is a command given by God through the law. If a non-believer fails to care for family, they deny a human duty; but if a believer does so, they deny both human duty and God’s command. For this reason, the Apostle declares that such a person “is worse than an unbeliever.”

Meditation:

Faith begins in the heart. It starts when we repent, welcome Jesus Christ as Lord, and are reborn as new people. The faith that begins in the heart spreads throughout one’s entire being, just as yeast spreads through a whole batch of dough, influencing both words and actions. As the Apostle James said, if faith is genuine, it must be revealed through action. That is why he declared, “As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead” (James 2:26).

In theory, this is clear, but in reality, it often does not happen. In fact, the reason James spoke in this way is that those who claimed to have faith were not living it out in their actions. He said that if someone sees a brother or sister in need, lacking daily food, and only says, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed” (James 2:16) without helping, then that person’s faith is as good as dead. Faith must be expressed through love.

If faith is alive, then even if one is materially wealthy, they cannot sink into luxury and indulgence. Living faith places a higher value on the spiritual than the material, on the heavenly rather than the earthly. Moreover, if faith is alive, one cannot ignore relatives or family in hardship. Doing so would not only deny a basic human duty but also disobey God’s command. If a member of Christ’s body is going hungry, one cannot eat their fill alone, because the church is an extended family.

The Apostle teaches that if a person turns away from God and indulges only in the flesh and material things, then that person is “dead even while they live” (v. 6). A tree uprooted from the soil may seem alive for a while, but it has already been cut off from its source of life. Likewise, a person separated from God is alive but dead. Any joy experienced apart from God is, in truth, a torment to oneself.

Prayer:

Lord, materialism has spread so widely and deeply among people. Even those who claim to believe are soaked in materialism. They say they trust in You, but in truth, they try to use You to gain more material wealth. They indulge in luxury, excess, and pleasure, and boast that it is Your blessing. Help us instead to live like the true widow—to “put our hope in God and continue night and day to pray and to ask God for help.” Amen.

Discussion Questions for Children & Youth:

Key Point: True faith shows itself in love, care, and responsibility for family and church. To live faithfully is not to chase luxury and pleasure but to place our hope in God, pray continually, and care for one another as one family in Christ.

  • For Preschool-Elementary
    • The Bible says the church is like a family. What does it feel like when someone in your family takes care of you?
    • If you saw a friend who was hungry or sad, what is one way you could show them love instead of just saying nice words?
    • Why do you think God wants us to pray every day, just like the “true widow” in the Bible?
  • Youth
    • James says that faith without actions is dead. Can you think of an example where someone showed their faith through action rather than words?
    • Why do you think the Apostle Paul calls those who live only for pleasure “dead even while they live”? What does that mean for us today in a materialistic world?
    • How can you balance school, family, friends, and church so that your faith shows through your daily choices?

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