1 Timothy 5:14

5:9-16 Every one brought into any office in the church, should be free from just censure; and many are proper objects of charity, yet ought not to be employed in public services. Those who would find mercy when they are in distress, must show mercy when they are in prosperity; and those who show most readiness for every good work, are most likely to be faithful in whatever is trusted to them. Those who are idle, very seldom are only idle, they make mischief among neighbours, and sow discord among brethren. All believers are required to relieve those belonging to their families who are destitute, that the church may not be prevented from relieving such as are entirely destitute and friendless.

1 Timothy 5:14-16 . I will therefore that the younger women — Or widows rather, (concerning whom only the apostle is here speaking,) marry — Instead of thinking to intrude themselves into a situation for which they are generally so unfit. From this command it is evident, that under the gospel second marriages are lawful both to men and women, and that abstaining from them is no mark of superior piety. It is true the apostle, in his first epistle to the Corinthians, advised all who had the gift of continency to remain unmarried; not, however, because celibacy is a more holy state than marriage, but because in the then persecuted state of the church, a single life was more free from trouble and temptation. See 1 Corinthians 7:9 ; 1 Corinthians 7:26 ; 1 Corinthians 7:32-39 . Give no occasion to the adversary, &c. — To reproach the gospel on account of the bad behaviour of those who profess it. For some widows have already turned aside after Satan — Who has drawn them from Christ. He means that some of the widows employed by the church as teachers, had, through the temptations of Satan, deserted their station in the church, and, by marrying, incapacitated themselves for continuing in the excellent office they had engaged in.

If any man or woman that believeth have poor widows — Nearly related to them; let them relieve them — If they are able; and let not the church be charged — Or burdened, with maintaining them; that it may relieve them that are widows indeed — That have no friends able to support them, and who, if the church did not grant them aid, would be entirely destitute.

I will therefore that the younger women marry: I will, here, must not be interpreted into an absolute precept, (for the apostle would never have made that necessary by his precept which God had left indifferent), but in a limited sense, viz. if they have not the gift of continency, if they cannot restrain themselves from such scandalous courses, let them marry; bear children, and not only bring forth children, but take care of their education; guide the house, and take care of the government of families within doors (which is the woman’s proper province); give none occasion to the adversary to speak reproachfully; and give no occasion to Jews or pagans (the adversaries of Christian religion) to speak of the church, or any particular members of it, reproachfully, as living beneath the rules of morality and decency.

1 Timothy 5:14 . Νεωτέρας , the younger women ) He does not acid, widows , for the widow in this passage is properly she who remains a widow. And this arrangement (mode of acting), which the apostle mentions, equally applies to the unmarried and to widows under sixty years. The monastic system regarding nuns is quite inconsistent with the whole meaning of the apostle; and Paul does not write to Timothy about the government of any company of monks, for there were none such in existence.— γαμεῖν , τεκνογονεῖν , οἰκοδεσποτεῖν , to marry, to bear children, rule their family [ guide the house ]) Three successive steps in domestic society. So they shall have full employment, without idleness or curiosity.— τῷ ἀντικειμένῳ , to the adversary ) The word שטן , Symmachus, in Psalms 38 :(20) 21, has translated by the word ἀντίκειμαι , and in the following verse mention is made of Satan: yet the word ἀντικείμενος , adversary, may be in this place understood of wicked men; comp. ch 1 Timothy 6:1 ; Titus 2:8 ; Titus 2:10 .— λοιδορίας χάριν , for the sake of calumny [by way of reproach]) which is eager to exaggerate the vices of a few, and to impute them to the whole Church and its doctrines.

That the younger women marry (νεωτέρας γαμεῖν) Better, the younger widows. This seems to be required by οὖν therefore, connecting the subject of the verb with the class just described. They are enjoined to marry, rather than to assume a position in the church which they might disgrace by the conduct described in 1 Timothy 5:11-13. Comp. 1 Corinthians 7:8, 1 Corinthians 7:9. Bear children (τεκνογονεῖν) N.T.o. olxx, oClass. Comp. τεκνογονία childbearing, 1 Timothy 2:15. Guide the house (οἰκοδεσποτεῖν) Better, rule the house. N.T.o. olxx, oClass. Ὁικοδεσπότης master of the house is quite common in the Synoptic Gospels. Occasion (ἀφορμὴν) See on Romans 7:8. To the adversary (τῷ ἀντικειμένῳ) The one who is set over against. Not Satan, but the human enemy of Christianity. Comp. Philippians 1:28, and ὁ ἐξ ἐναντίας he that is of the contrary part, Titus 2:8. To speak reproachfully (λοιδορίας χάριν) Lit. in the interest of reviling. Const. with give on occasion. Λοιδορία reviling only here and 1 Peter 3:9. For the verb λοιδορεῖν to revile see John 9:28; Acts 23:4; 1 Corinthians 4:12; and note on John 9:28.

14. younger women—rather, as ellipsis ought to be supplied, "the younger widows," namely younger widows in general, as distinguished from the older widows taken on the roll of presbyteresses (1Ti 5:9). The "therefore" means seeing that young widows are exposed to such temptations, "I will," or "desire," &c. (1Ti 5:11-13). The precept here that they should marry again is not inconsistent with 1Co 7:40; for the circumstances of the two cases were distinct (compare 1Co 7:26). Here remarriage is recommended as an antidote to sexual passion, idleness, and the other evils noted in 1Ti 5:11-13. Of course, where there was no tendency to these evils, marriage again would not be so requisite; Paul speaks of what is generally desirable, and supposing there should be danger of such evils, as was likely. "He does not impose a law, but points out a remedy, to younger widows" [Chrysostom]. bear children—(1Ti 2:15); thus gaining one of the qualifications (1Ti 5:10) for being afterwards a presbyteress widow, should Providence so ordain it. guide—Greek, "rule the house" in the woman's due place; not usurping authority over the man (1Ti 2:12). give none occasion—literally, "starting-point": handle of reproach through the loose conduct of nominal Christians. the adversary—of Christianity, Jew or Gentile.

Php 1:28; Tit 2:8, "He that is of the contrary part." Not Satan, who is introduced in a different relation (1Ti 5:15). to speak reproachfully—literally, "for the sake of reproach" (1Ti 3:7; 6:1; Tit 2:5, 10). If the handle were given, the adversary would use it for the sake of reproach. The adversary is eager to exaggerate the faults of a few, and to lay the blame on the whole Church and its doctrines [Bengel].

Verse 14. - Desire for will , A.V.; widows (in italics) for women A.V.; rule the household for guide the house , A.V.; for reviling for to speak reproachfully , A.V. Widows . As the whole discourse is about widows, it is better to supply this as the substantive understood in νεωτέρας . In ver. 11 we have νεωτέρας χήρας . The οῦν which precedes is a further proof that this direction or command of the apostle's springs from what he had just been saying about the young widows, and therefore that what follows relates to them, and not to women generally. In order to avoid the scandal mentioned in ver. 11 of the young widows first dedicating their widowhood to Christ, and then drawing back and marrying, he directs that they should follow the natural course and marry, in doing which they would be blameless. Bear children ( τεκνογονεῖν ): here only in the New Testament or LXX.; but τεκνογονία occurs in 1 Timothy 2:15 (where see note). Rule the household ( οἰκοδεσποτεῖν ; here only in this sense); act the part of οἰκοδέσποινα , the mistress of a family (Plutarch and elsewhere). οἱκοδεσπότης frequent in the New Testament, and kindred words are used in classical Greek. For reviling ( λοιδορίας χάριν ). The adversary ( ὁ ἀντικείμενος ), the opponent of Christianity, was always seeking some occasion to speak reproachfully of Christians and revile them. Any misconduct on the part of Christian widows would give him the occasion he was looking for.

They must be doubly careful, therefore, lest they should bring reproach upon the Name of Christ (camp. James 2:7 ; 1 Peter 2:12 ; 1 Peter 4:4, 14, 15 ). " Λοιδορίας χάριν is added... to ἀφορμὴν διδόναι to specify the manner in which the occasion would be used" Ellicott). Do not give the adversary a starting-point from which he may be able to carry out his desire to revile the people of God. 1 Timothy 5:14

14 . I will therefore ] Rather, with R.V. ‘I desire;’ the stronger verb, as in 1 Timothy 2:8 , 1 Timothy 6:9 ; Titus 3:8 : and four other passages of St Paul’s Epistles: while the weaker verb is used by him more than sixty times, of which four only are in the Pastoral Epistles. younger women] The passage implies a limitation to widows, as R.V. ‘Do not lead the younger widows to expect such help at all as a matter of course. Then those who marry “in the Lord” again will find scope for an active irreproachable Christian life; while,’ as he said before, ‘those who have been misled, in their trouble, by the world and the flesh, and seek a worldly heathen re-marriage, will not compromise the Church by having had a place on the roll of godly almswomen.’ bear children, guide the house ] Compound verbs again, as in 1 Timothy 5:10 , used only here in N. T., the substantives connected with them however occurring ch. 1 Timothy 2:15 and Matthew 10:25 , &c. to the adversary ] The word occurs in three stages in N. T., (1) still retaining its participial force; in Luke 13:17 governing its pronoun, ‘those who opposed him,’ and 1 Corinthians 16:9 , ‘and many (are) opposing,’ 2 Thessalonians 2:4 , ‘he that opposeth and exalteth himself.’ (2) As abstract adjective in the plural, Php 1:28 , ‘in nothing affrighted by the adversaries,’ (3) as abstract adjective in the singular, in this passage.