1 Timothy 5 - Rules of Conduct
1 Timothy 5 - Rules of Conduct
Chapter 5 lays down some rules and structure for the church towards others, specifically around benevolence. Taking care of others and adequately navigating needs. The reality is, the church finds itself having way more needs than recourse, so it needs to be smart and a wise steward of those resources. Thinking through that lens, I think we can read this chapter and take away a lot of substantial learnings on stewarding the resources we have, and how we can leverage them wisely and steward them in a way that honors God and inspires others.
“Do not rebuke an older man harshly, but exhort him as if he were your father. Treat younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters, with absolute purity. Give proper recognition to those widows who are really in need.” - 1 Timothy 5:1-3 NIV
A great starter that honestly we could just focus on this because my guess is none of us have arrived yet is honoring others well. I read these opening few verses, and it speaks of practically loving others well. Many of us have a bit of dysfunction in our families, but these few verses unpack moving from disfunction to love and honor. It’s also important to recognize that love is not just a feeling; it is an action. Give proper recognition to those widows who are really in need. Paul goes on with instructions and clarity of meeting those needs and stepping up and doing something about it.
We all have a part to play, reading chapter 5 reminds me of serving and living an honoring life well to those around us. The resource we have is ours to serve and meet the needs of others, not to hord and grow our net worth. I can personally say I am so thankful that my mom relocated and moved to our city, giving us the ability to walk this out and serve her well. It also creates the opportunity for her to pour into our family as well, and this has also been a great blessing. These learnings and teaching from Paul extend beyond our own families, we need to take these to the streets and neighborhoods we live in...but let us not miss the needs of our own families as we do that.
So much great content in chapter 5, read it, and process it through your reality and situation. Great lessons on staying pure, keeping out of the fray, and living a life of purpose. Here is one last element that jumped out to me, and I found some great relevance in it.
“Refuse to listen to suspicious accusations against the pastors who lead the flock unless you have two or three witnesses to confirm the accusations. But if indeed you find that they have sinned, bring correction to them before the congregation so that the rest of the people will respect you.” - 1 Timothy 5:19-20 TPT
In a world full of fake news, slander, and accusations gone wild, we need to heed this warning. Today it is so easy with the click of a button to slander and piles on charges against leaders, pastors, and anyone frankly. With no real evidence or viability, reputations are tarnished and damaged for no good reason. As Christ-followers, we must not fall into these rumor mills and social media blasts and slander sessions. Fill the gaps with trust, lean into trusting and honoring our leaders when we do not have all the information.
Some practical and straightforward rules of conduct today that can be a few simple takeaways. As easy as it sounds, treat others as we would like to be treated. Serve and love others in all situations while filling the gaps with trust just as we would want to be done to us.