{"id":326,"date":"2016-12-15T10:45:51","date_gmt":"2016-12-15T10:45:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.devotionsfromthebible.com\/dvblog\/?p=326"},"modified":"2024-09-27T09:40:45","modified_gmt":"2024-09-27T09:40:45","slug":"daily-devotional-in-i-timothy-5","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.devotionsfromthebible.com\/dvblog\/i-timothy\/daily-devotional-in-i-timothy-5\/","title":{"rendered":"Daily Devotion in I Timothy 5"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"\"<\/a>
Artwork from a 1611 KJV<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
HEAR the devotion and KJV chapter.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Daily Nugget:<\/strong>
If you ever sat at certain church offices for any time, you may find many coming through the door expecting a handout. Perhaps because the government passes out so much of other people\u2019s money to them, they expect the church to do the same thing.\u00a0Although many churches help others, there is not a scriptural basis in the manner many ministries give today.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Wanting<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

As Paul said earlier in II Thessalonians 3, it is right for all that can to work.\u00a0In no way did he suggest giving charity to everyone, as is often done today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To better understand the early church\u2019s view on giving, examine the restrictions given to one group of people they tried to help \u2014 widows. They did not just hand out their support to anyone who came through the door claiming to be a widow.\u00a0To help them, the widow had to be:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  • Unsupported because she had no family to help her (I Timothy\u00a0 5:4, 8, 16).<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • A saved and godly woman (I Timothy\u00a0 5:5) known for a prayer life of praying night and day.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • At least 60 years old (I Timothy\u00a0 5:9). Younger widows were not to be supported (I Timothy\u00a0 5:11).<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Married only once (I Timothy\u00a0 5:9).<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Known for her good works in helping others (I Timothy\u00a0 5:10).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    The spiritual widows would be supported if they were qualified under those conditions.\u00a0I doubt if too many today wanting help from a church, even widows, would meet the early church’s qualifications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cWell, they were mean and cheap,\u201d is what some may have said about the church that did not give to those that did not have it.\u00a0That is not the reason, as many in the early churches sold what they had to help each other and to help the ministry grow. Their generosity was never in question.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    They did not meet the needs of every \u201cgimme\u201d because their common sense and scriptural training taught them it would not help those wanting support.\u00a0Giving to those who asked for help in many cases could:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n
    • Further encourage their not working.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Not help if a person\u2019s need is because of a spiritual problem.\u00a0 It would not encourage them to get right with God and help themselves.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Rob a person of their pride in meeting their own and family\u2019s needs and feeling good about themselves when being the provider they should be.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Show others that begging was a solution rather than working and seeking God\u2019s help.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Keep families from their responsibilities to help their members.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Channel the church’s responsibility away from its real purpose \u2014 to win souls to the Lord.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

      Many mean well in helping those who appear needy.\u00a0It is a noble cause, but it often does more damage to our society than help.\u00a0The proof is that now we have so many that expect others to help them.\u00a0The early Christians had much discernment in helping others, and so we should today!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Today\u2019s Thought:\u00a0<\/strong>
      \u201cI have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.\u201d Psalms 37:25<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Words to Understand:<\/strong>
      Desolate:\u00a0 alone; laid waste
      Infidel: a person that rejects scriptural practices and truths
      Piety: pious; proper conduct
      Rebuke: correct
      Threescore: A \u201cscore\u201d is twenty, so \u201cthreescore\u201d is three times 20 or \u201c60.\u201d
      Wine: an alcoholic or non-alcoholic drink. The non-alcoholic \u201cwine\u201d was often preserved grape juice with much water removed making it a syrup; it happens to be helpful to the stomach whereas alcoholic wines are not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Today\u2019s Reading:<\/strong>
      I Timothy 5<\/em>
      1 Rebuke not an elder, but intreat him as a father; and the younger men as brethren;<\/em>
      2 The elder women as mothers; the younger as sisters, with all purity.<\/em>
      3 \u00b6 Honour widows that are widows indeed.<\/em>
      4 But if any widow have children or nephews, let them learn first to shew piety at home, and to requite their parents: for that is good and acceptable before God.<\/em>
      5 Now she that is a widow indeed, and desolate, trusteth in God, and continueth in supplications and prayers night and day.<\/em>
      6 But she that liveth in pleasure is dead while she liveth.<\/em>
      7 And these things give in charge, that they may be blameless.<\/em>
      8 But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.<\/em>
      9 Let not a widow be taken into the number under threescore years old, having been the wife of one man,<\/em>
      10 Well reported of for good works; if she have brought up children, if she have lodged strangers, if she have washed the saints’ feet, if she have relieved the afflicted, if she have diligently followed every good work.<\/em>
      11 But the younger widows refuse: for when they have begun to wax wanton against Christ, they will marry;<\/em>
      12 Having damnation, because they have cast off their first faith.<\/em>
      13 And withal they learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house; and not only idle, but tattlers also and busybodies, speaking things which they ought not.<\/em>
      14 I will therefore that the younger women marry, bear children, guide the house, give none occasion to the adversary to speak reproachfully.<\/em>
      15 For some are already turned aside after Satan.<\/em>
      16 If any man or woman that believeth have widows, let them relieve them, and let not the church be charged; that it may relieve them that are widows indeed.<\/em>
      17 \u00b6 Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine.<\/em>
      18 For the scripture saith, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn. And, The labourer is worthy of his reward.<\/em>
      19 Against an elder receive not an accusation, but before two or three witnesses.<\/em>
      20 Them that sin rebuke before all, that others also may fear.<\/em>
      21 I charge thee before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, and the elect angels, that thou observe these things without preferring one before another, doing nothing by partiality.<\/em>
      22 Lay hands suddenly on no man, neither be partaker of other men’s sins: keep thyself pure.<\/em>
      23 Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for thy stomach’s sake and thine often infirmities.<\/em>
      24 Some men’s sins are open beforehand, going before to judgment; and some men they follow after.<\/em>
      25 Likewise also the good works of some are manifest beforehand; and they that are otherwise cannot be hid.<\/em>
      <\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      Daily Nugget:If you ever sat at certain church offices for any time, you may find many coming through the door…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2173,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":{"facebook_374886073925309_111414703907598":"","twitter_429426831_429426831":""},"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","footnotes":""},"categories":[52],"tags":[15,33,41],"class_list":["post-326","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-i-timothy","tag-christian-life","tag-church","tag-giving","wpcat-52-id"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.devotionsfromthebible.com\/dvblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/326","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.devotionsfromthebible.com\/dvblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.devotionsfromthebible.com\/dvblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.devotionsfromthebible.com\/dvblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.devotionsfromthebible.com\/dvblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=326"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"http:\/\/www.devotionsfromthebible.com\/dvblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/326\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7627,"href":"http:\/\/www.devotionsfromthebible.com\/dvblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/326\/revisions\/7627"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.devotionsfromthebible.com\/dvblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2173"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.devotionsfromthebible.com\/dvblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=326"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.devotionsfromthebible.com\/dvblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=326"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.devotionsfromthebible.com\/dvblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=326"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}