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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | DownloadEzekiel, Jonah, and Pastoral Epistles by Patrick Fairbairn - 1 Timothy 5:16 - 5:16
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Ver. 16. If any woman that believes hath widows, let support be given to them, (There are two variations here from the received text. The first and most important i s the simple ðéóôç ́ (instead of ðéóôï ́ ò ç ̓ ̀ ðéóôç ́ the reading of à , A, C, F, G, P, also the Vulg. as represented by the Cod. Amiat. (si qua fidelis), Cop., Arm., and some of the Fathers. The other reading is found only in D, K, L of the older MSS., and was doubtless introduced as a correction, because it seemed strange that a charge of the kind given here should be connected with believing females only, and not also with men. But the whole section treats of female obligations; and the oversight of widows in a household properly belonged to the female head of each. The other change is å ̓ ðáñêåé ́ óùù , instead of å ̓ ðáñêåé ́ ôù , the reading of à , A, F, G.) and let not the church be burdened, that it may relieve those who are widows indeed. A return is here made to the principle of private beneficence with respect to young or widowed relatives, and that for the purpose of extending it somewhat beyond the line indicated in vers. 4 and 8. In these earlier verses the children and widows spoken of were relatives of the nearer kind; they belonged to the believer’s household, and had consequently the strongest claim on the means and resources of the house. But now a wider circle is embraced. There might be widows, the apostle suggests, who were not constituent members of a believer’s family, such as a sister, or stepdaughter, or niece; and in cases of that description, the home resources (if adequate) should, according to the apostle, be charged with the maintenance of the bereaved, so as to allow the benefactions of the church to be applied to the support of those who were widows in the stronger sense, destitute in themselves, and without the sympathy of any near Christian relative to fall back upon. The direction is founded on the great principle everywhere recognised in the gospel, that the grace of salvation comes, not to supplant, but to sanctify and elevate, the relations of nature, and the affections these are fitted to call forth; so that its influence should be manifested in honouring to the full the claims of kindred, and rendering obedience to them more prompt, and generous, and noble. That only a believing woman is mentioned as possibly having widows to whom such private kindness and support should be extended, is merely to be regarded as defining more closely the class of cases referred to—cases in which a widow might be conveniently taken charge of by a Christian female, and made part of the household. A very limited class, usually; and the charge is put somewhat generally: Let support be given them, without saying how. She must interest herself in obtaining it.