Chapter
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Verse
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1 Timothy chapter 5

English Standard Version

1Do not rebuke an older man but encourage him as you would a father, younger men as brothers, 2older women as mothers, younger women as sisters, in all purity.
3Honor widows who are truly widows. 4But if a widow has children or grandchildren, let them first learn to show godliness to their own household and to make some return to their parents, for this is pleasing in the sight of God. 5She who is truly a widow, left all alone, has set her hope on God and continues in supplications and prayers night and day, 6but she who is self-indulgent is dead even while she lives. 7Command these things as well, so that they may be without reproach. 8But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.
9Let a widow be enrolled if she is not less than sixty years of age, having been the wife of one husband, 10and having a reputation for good works: if she has brought up children, has shown hospitality, has washed the feet of the saints, has cared for the afflicted, and has devoted herself to every good work. 11But refuse to enroll younger widows, for when their passions draw them away from Christ, they desire to marry 12and so incur condemnation for having abandoned their former faith. 13Besides that, they learn to be idlers, going about from house to house, and not only idlers, but also gossips and busybodies, saying what they should not. 14So I would have younger widows marry, bear children, manage their households, and give the adversary no occasion for slander. 15For some have already strayed after Satan. 16If any believing woman has relatives who are widows, let her care for them. Let the church not be burdened, so that it may care for those who are truly widows.
17Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching. 18For the Scripture says, “You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain,” and, “The laborer deserves his wages.” 19Do not admit a charge against an elder except on the evidence of two or three witnesses. 20As for those who persist in sin, rebuke them in the presence of all, so that the rest may stand in fear. 21In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of the elect angels I charge you to keep these rules without prejudging, doing nothing from partiality. 22Do not be hasty in the laying on of hands, nor take part in the sins of others; keep yourself pure. 23(No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments.) 24The sins of some people are conspicuous, going before them to judgment, but the sins of others appear later. 25So also good works are conspicuous, and even those that are not cannot remain hidden.
New International Version

1Do not rebuke an older man harshly, but exhort him as if he were your father. Treat younger men as brothers, 2older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters, with absolute purity.
3Give proper recognition to those widows who are really in need. 4But if a widow has children or grandchildren, these should learn first of all to put their religion into practice by caring for their own family and so repaying their parents and grandparents, for this is pleasing to God. 5The widow who is really in need and left all alone puts her hope in God and continues night and day to pray and to ask God for help. 6But the widow who lives for pleasure is dead even while she lives. 7Give the people these instructions, so that no one may be open to blame. 8Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.
9No widow may be put on the list of widows unless she is over sixty, has been faithful to her husband, 10and is well known for her good deeds, such as bringing up children, showing hospitality, washing the feet of the Lord's people, helping those in trouble and devoting herself to all kinds of good deeds.
11As for younger widows, do not put them on such a list. For when their sensual desires overcome their dedication to Christ, they want to marry. 12Thus they bring judgment on themselves, because they have broken their first pledge. 13Besides, they get into the habit of being idle and going about from house to house. And not only do they become idlers, but also busybodies who talk nonsense, saying things they ought not to. 14So I counsel younger widows to marry, to have children, to manage their homes and to give the enemy no opportunity for slander. 15Some have in fact already turned away to follow Satan.
16If any woman who is a believer has widows in her care, she should continue to help them and not let the church be burdened with them, so that the church can help those widows who are really in need.
17The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching. 18For Scripture says, 'Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain,' and 'The worker deserves his wages.' 19Do not entertain an accusation against an elder unless it is brought by two or three witnesses. 20But those elders who are sinning you are to reprove before everyone, so that the others may take warning. 21I charge you, in the sight of God and Christ Jesus and the elect angels, to keep these instructions without partiality, and to do nothing out of favoritism.
22Do not be hasty in the laying on of hands, and do not share in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure.
23Stop drinking only water, and use a little wine because of your stomach and your frequent illnesses.
24The sins of some are obvious, reaching the place of judgment ahead of them; the sins of others trail behind them. 25In the same way, good deeds are obvious, and even those that are not obvious cannot remain hidden forever.
New American Standard Bible

1Do not sharply rebuke an older man, but rather appeal to him as a father, and to the younger men as brothers, 2to the older women as mothers, and to the younger women as sisters, in all purity.
3Honor widows who are actually widows; 4but if any widow has children or grandchildren, they must first learn to show proper respect for their own family and to give back compensation to their parents; for this is acceptable in the sight of God. 5Now she who is actually a widow and has been left alone has set her hope on God, and she continues in requests and prayers night and day. 6But she who indulges herself in luxury is dead, even while she lives. 7Give these instructions as well, so that they may be above reproach. 8But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.
9A widow is to be put on the list only if she is not less than sixty years old, having been the wife of one man, 10having a reputation for good works; and if she has brought up children, if she has shown hospitality to strangers, if she has washed the saints’ feet, if she has assisted those in distress, and if she has devoted herself to every good work. 11But refuse to register younger widows, for when they feel physical desires alienating them from Christ, they want to get married, 12thereby incurring condemnation, because they have ignored their previous pledge. 13At the same time they also learn to be idle, as they go around from house to house; and not merely idle, but also they become gossips and busybodies, talking about things not proper to mention. 14Therefore, I want younger widows to get married, have children, manage their households, and give the enemy no opportunity for reproach; 15for some have already turned away to follow Satan. 16If any woman who is a believer has dependent widows, she must assist them and the church must not be burdened, so that it may assist those who are actually widows.
17The elders who lead well are to be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching. 18For the Scripture says, 'YOU SHALL NOT MUZZLE THE OX WHILE IT IS THRESHING,' and 'The laborer is worthy of his wages.' 19Do not accept an accusation against an elder except on the basis of two or three witnesses. 20Those who continue in sin, rebuke in the presence of all, so that the rest also will be fearful of sinning. 21I solemnly exhort you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of His chosen angels, to maintain these principles without bias, doing nothing in a spirit of partiality. 22Do not lay hands upon anyone too quickly and thereby share responsibility for the sins of others; keep yourself free from sin.
23Do not go on drinking only water, but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments.
24The sins of some people are quite evident, going before them to judgment; for others, their sins follow after. 25Likewise also, deeds that are good are quite evident, and those which are otherwise cannot be concealed.
Christian Standard Bible

1Don't rebuke an older man, but exhort him as a father, younger men as brothers, 2older women as mothers, and the younger women as sisters with all purity.
3Support widows who are genuinely in need. 4But if any widow has children or grandchildren, let them learn to practice godliness toward their own family first and to repay their parents, for this pleases God. 5The widow who is truly in need and left all alone has put her hope in God and continues night and day in her petitions and prayers; 6however, she who is self-indulgent is dead even while she lives. 7Command this also, so that they will be above reproach. 8But if anyone does not provide for his own family, especially for his own household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.
9No widow is to be enrolled on the list for support unless she is at least sixty years old, has been the wife of one husband, 10and is well known for good works--that is, if she has brought up children, shown hospitality, washed the saints' feet, helped the afflicted, and devoted herself to every good work. 11But refuse to enroll younger widows, for when they are drawn away from Christ by desire, they want to marry 12and will therefore receive condemnation because they have renounced their original pledge. 13At the same time, they also learn to be idle, going from house to house; they are not only idle, but are also gossips and busybodies, saying things they shouldn't say. 14Therefore, I want younger women to marry, have children, manage their households, and give the adversary no opportunity to accuse us. 15For some have already turned away to follow Satan. 16If any believing woman has widows in her family, let her help them. Let the church not be burdened, so that it can help widows in genuine need.
17The elders who are good leaders are to be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching. 18For the Scripture says: Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain, and, "The worker is worthy of his wages."
19Don't accept an accusation against an elder unless it is supported by two or three witnesses. 20Publicly rebuke those who sin, so that the rest will be afraid. 21I solemnly charge you before God and Christ Jesus and the elect angels to observe these things without prejudice, doing nothing out of favoritism. 22Don't be too quick to appoint anyone as an elder, and don't share in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure. 23Don't continue drinking only water, but use a little wine because of your stomach and your frequent illnesses. 24Some people's sins are obvious, preceding them to judgment, but the sins of others surface later. 25Likewise, good works are obvious, and those that are not obvious cannot remain hidden.
New Living Translation

1Never speak harshly to an older man, but appeal to him respectfully as you would to your own father. Talk to younger men as you would to your own brothers. 2Treat older women as you would your mother, and treat younger women with all purity as you would your own sisters.
3Take care of any widow who has no one else to care for her. 4But if she has children or grandchildren, their first responsibility is to show godliness at home and repay their parents by taking care of them. This is something that pleases God.
5Now a true widow, a woman who is truly alone in this world, has placed her hope in God. She prays night and day, asking God for his help. 6But the widow who lives only for pleasure is spiritually dead even while she lives. 7Give these instructions to the church so that no one will be open to criticism.
8But those who won’t care for their relatives, especially those in their own household, have denied the true faith. Such people are worse than unbelievers.
9A widow who is put on the list for support must be a woman who is at least sixty years old and was faithful to her husband. 10She must be well respected by everyone because of the good she has done. Has she brought up her children well? Has she been kind to strangers and served other believers humbly? Has she helped those who are in trouble? Has she always been ready to do good?
11The younger widows should not be on the list, because their physical desires will overpower their devotion to Christ and they will want to remarry. 12Then they would be guilty of breaking their previous pledge. 13And if they are on the list, they will learn to be lazy and will spend their time gossiping from house to house, meddling in other people’s business and talking about things they shouldn’t. 14So I advise these younger widows to marry again, have children, and take care of their own homes. Then the enemy will not be able to say anything against them. 15For I am afraid that some of them have already gone astray and now follow Satan.
16If a woman who is a believer has relatives who are widows, she must take care of them and not put the responsibility on the church. Then the church can care for the widows who are truly alone.
17Elders who do their work well should be respected and paid well, especially those who work hard at both preaching and teaching. 18For the Scripture says, 'You must not muzzle an ox to keep it from eating as it treads out the grain.' And in another place, 'Those who work deserve their pay!'
19Do not listen to an accusation against an elder unless it is confirmed by two or three witnesses. 20Those who sin should be reprimanded in front of the whole church; this will serve as a strong warning to others.
21I solemnly command you in the presence of God and Christ Jesus and the highest angels to obey these instructions without taking sides or showing favoritism to anyone.
22Never be in a hurry about appointing a church leader. Do not share in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure.
23Don’t drink only water. You ought to drink a little wine for the sake of your stomach because you are sick so often.
24Remember, the sins of some people are obvious, leading them to certain judgment. But there are others whose sins will not be revealed until later. 25In the same way, the good deeds of some people are obvious. And the good deeds done in secret will someday come to light.
King James Version

1Rebuke not an elder, but intreat him as a father; and the younger men as brethren; 2The elder women as mothers; the younger as sisters, with all purity.
3Honour widows that are widows indeed. 4But 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. 5Now she that is a widow indeed, and desolate, trusteth in God, and continueth in supplications and prayers night and day. 6But she that liveth in pleasure is dead while she liveth. 7And these things give in charge, that they may be blameless. 8But 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. 9Let not a widow be taken into the number under threescore years old, having been the wife of one man, 10Well 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. 11But the younger widows refuse: for when they have begun to wax wanton against Christ, they will marry; 12Having damnation, because they have cast off their first faith. 13And 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. 14I will therefore that the younger women marry, bear children, guide the house, give none occasion to the adversary to speak reproachfully. 15For some are already turned aside after Satan. 16If 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.
17Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine. 18For the scripture saith, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn. And, The labourer is worthy of his reward. 19Against an elder receive not an accusation, but before two or three witnesses. 20Them that sin rebuke before all, that others also may fear. 21I 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. 22Lay hands suddenly on no man, neither be partaker of other men's sins: keep thyself pure. 23Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for thy stomach's sake and thine often infirmities. 24Some men's sins are open beforehand, going before to judgment; and some men they follow after. 25Likewise also the good works of some are manifest beforehand; and they that are otherwise cannot be hid.

What does 1 Timothy chapter 5 mean?

Chapter 5 begins a new section giving instructions regarding various groups. Paul provides Timothy with guidance regarding various persons within the Ephesian church. These include both older and younger people (1 Timothy 5:1–2), widows (1 Timothy 5:3–16), and elders (1 Timothy 5:17–25). Chapter 6 will continue this discussion in the context of servants or slaves.

The first section in this chapter (1 Timothy 5:1–2) includes specific information regarding treatment of older and younger men. Timothy is to treat both with respect: older men as fathers, younger men as brothers. Verse two deals with older and younger women, who are to be honored and not treated with lustful or inappropriate attitudes.

Verses 3 through 16 provide a lengthy set of instructions relating to widows in the church. Paul's overall message is to "Honor widows who are truly widows" (1 Timothy 5:3). This means the church should prioritize those who are truly in need. Charity should not be squandered on those who have the ability to help themselves. Family is always the first line of defense against poverty (1 Timothy 5:4). Those who are truly left alone are to be helped by other believers (1 Timothy 5:5–6). Rules for widows helped by the church are given in verses 9 through 16.

The third section of this chapter focuses on proper ways to honor and discipline elders (1 Timothy 5:17–25). Those who rule well are worthy of "double honor" (1 Timothy 5:17). In this context, that means not only the respect of the church members, but financial support to allow them to focus on the needs of the congregation. Accusations against elders are to be handled according to specific instructions (1 Timothy 5:19–21). In particular, Timothy is to avoid wasting time on charges which lack evidence or credibility. However, if an elder is found to be in sin, they are to be publicly rebuked.

In addition, Paul strongly warns Timothy to use much caution in selecting elders (1 Timothy 5:22–25). Both sins and good deeds can be hidden from the eyes of other people. God, however, is well aware of them.
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