1 Timothy 5:7-8

Summary retelling of 1 Timothy 5:7-8

Paul reminds Timothy to command these things that we’ve been talking about in addition to believing them himself.  This is so that the people who follow these teachings will be beyond reproach.  Then Paul tells us that anyone who has denied care for his or her family is guilty of denying their faith.  In God’s eyes, they are worse than an unbeliever.

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

Again we hear Paul remind Timothy to command.  Paul knows human nature.  There are a few people who will do things because they genuinely are able to work themselves into submitting to the Holy Spirit and believing that God’s ways are correct.  However, most people don’t believe God’s ways are correct until they have experienced them first hand.  For those people, you need to command.  They need to do before they can reflect on why God’s ways make sense.  It is really unfortunate that we have this way from time to time, but every human being has this trait to one degree or another.

What are the areas where it is hard for you to act in faith and thus you need to be “commanded?”  Why is it good for you to recognize these areas of your life?  How does recognizing these areas about your own life help you in your relationships with others?

Second Thought:

Paul also knows that there are people who deny help to their families.  I feel it necessary to add here that Paul is making an assumption – these families in Ephesus who are being denied are deserving of help.  Of course there are people who simply abuse our help and we should not enable them – see yesterday’s lesson.  However, Paul knows that there are widows in Ephesus whose families are ignoring them and refusing to help.  This is our old friend the self-monger at work again.  People care more about oneself than others; it is actually quite easy to forget about helping those people that we should help.

I’ve asked this before, but it bears repeating: who are the ones in your life to whom you can offer support?  What support can you offer?

Third Thought:

Paul makes a harsh claim.  Paul says that those who do not offer support to their families are worse than an unbeliever.  While this is harsh, it is true.  A person who does not believe in God will absolutely indulge their self-monger side.  They simply don’t know any better.  On the other hand, a follower of God should know better.  Thus, when they fail to show compassion it is a blatant refusal to be obedient to God.

Can you buy into Paul’s logic?  Is it worse to err by “refusal to obey” than it is to err because “it’s my nature?”  Are both still wrong?

Passage for Tomorrow: 1 Timothy 5:9-10