1 Timothy 5:8

5:3-8 Honour widows that are widows indeed, relieve them, and maintain them. It is the duty of children, if their parents are in need, and they are able to relieve them, to do it to the utmost of their power. Widowhood is a desolate state; but let widows trust in the Lord, and continue in prayer. All who live in pleasure, are dead while they live, spiritually dead, dead in trespasses and sins. Alas, what numbers there are of this description among nominal Christians, even to the latest period of life! If any men or women do not maintain their poor relations, they in effect deny the faith. If they spend upon their lusts and pleasures, what should maintain their families, they have denied the faith, and are worse than infidels. If professors of the gospel give way to any corrupt principle or conduct, they are worse than those who do not profess to believe the doctrines of grace.

1 Timothy 5:8 . If any provide not — Food and raiment; for his own — Poor relations; and especially those of his own house — Των οικειων , his own domestics, those relations who live in his own family, and consequently are under his eye; he hath denied the faith — Namely, by such a practice, which is utterly inconsistent with Christianity, which does not destroy, but perfects natural duties. Here we see, to disobey the precepts of the gospel, is to deny or renounce the faith of the gospel; from whence we infer, that the faith of the gospel includes obedience to its precepts; and is worse than an infidel — Dr. Whitby shows here, by very apposite citations, that the heathen were sensible of the reasonableness and necessity of taking care of their near relations, and especially of their parents, when reduced to poverty and want. But “what has this to do with heaping up money for our children, for which it is often so impertinently alleged? But all men have their reasons for laying up money; one will go to hell for fear of want, another acts like a heathen, lest he should be worse than an infidel!” — Wesley.

But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house: here is a manifest distinction between his own, idiwn, and his own household, oikeiwn, they are distinguished by terms in the Greek, and as to the care which men and women ought to extend to them. By his own he means his relations, all of a man’s family or stock; by his own household, he seemeth to mean those who cohabit with him. The apostle saith that he who is careless of providing for the former, (so far as he is able), but especially for the latter, hath denied the Christian faith, that is, in the practice of it, though in words he professeth it; he liveth not up to the rule of the gospel, which directeth other things. And is worse than an infidel; and is worse than a heathen, that believeth not; because many good-natured heathens do this by the light of nature, and those who do it not, yet are more excusable, being strangers to the obligation of the revealed law of God in the case.

1 Timothy 5:8 . Ἰδίων , his own ) even out of his house .— τῶν οἰκείων , those of his own house ) Such even especially as the mother or lonely (helpless) widow, at home , 1 Timothy 5:4 . Many parents make this an excuse for their avarice; but this passage chiefly treats of the duty of grandchildren, which ought to flow from love, not to be opposed to faith.— οὐ προνοεῖ , does not provide ) with food and necessary clothing.— τὴν πίστιν ἤρνηται , has denied the faith ) Paul hopes that there will be no one among Christians who does not provide for his mother. Faith does not set aside natural duties, but perfects and strengthens them.— ἀπίστου , an infidel ) whom even nature teaches this, although he has never embraced the faith.

Provide (προνοεῖ) See on Romans 12:17. His own - those of his own house (τῶν ἰδίων - οἰκείων) His own relations, see on John 1:11. Those who form part of his family, see on Galatians 6:10. He hath denied the faith (τὴν πίστιν ἤρνηται) The verb not in Paul, but Quite often in Pastorals. The phrase only here and Revelation 2:13. Faith demands works and fruits. By refusing the natural duties which Christian faith implies, one practically denies his possession of faith. Faith does not abolish natural duties, but perfects and strengthens them" (Bengel). Comp. James 2:14-17. Infidel (ἀπίστου) Better, unbeliever. One who is not a Christian, as 1 Corinthians 6:6; 1 Corinthians 7:12, 1 Corinthians 7:13, etc. Even an unbeliever will perform these duties from natural promptings.

8. But—reverting to 1Ti 5:4, "If any (a general proposition; therefore including in its application the widow's children or grandchildren) provide not for his own (relations in general), and especially for those of his own house (in particular), he hath (practically) denied the faith." Faith without love and its works is dead; "for the subject matter of faith is not mere opinion, but the grace and truth of God, to which he that believes gives up his spirit, as he that loves gives up his heart" [Mack]. If in any case a duty of love is plain, it is in relation to one's own relatives; to fail in so plain an obligation is a plain proof of want of love, and therefore of want of faith. "Faith does not set aside natural duties, but strengthens them" [Bengel]. worse than an infidel—because even an infidel (or unbeliever) is taught by nature to provide for his own relatives, and generally recognizes the duty; the Christian who does not so, is worse (Mt 5:46, 47). He has less excuse with his greater light than the infidel who may break the laws of nature.

Verse 8. - Provideth for provide , A.V.; his own household for those of his own house , A.V. and T.R.; unbeliever for infidel , A.V. Provideth ( προνοεῖ ). Elsewhere in the New Testament only in Romans 12:17 and 2 Corinthians 8:21 , where it has an accusative of the thing provided; here, as in classical Greek, with a genitive of the person; frequent in the LXX., and still more so in classical Greek. The substantive προνοία occurs in Acts 24:2 and Romans 13:14 . His own household ; because in many cases the widow would be actually living in the house of her child or grandchild. But even if she were not, filial duty would prompt a proper provision for her wants He hath denied the faith; viz. by repudiating these duties which the Christian faith required of him (see Ephesians 6:1-3 ). 1 Timothy 5:8

8 . But if any provide not ] The warning is general in form, but taken up 1 Timothy 5:4 and is again taken up 1 Timothy 5:16 . The negative must be taken closely with the verb fail to provide , see note on 1 Timothy 3:5 . for his own ] His own relatives and connexions. According to the best reading there is only one article for the two adjectives, so that it is one phrase rather than two. The R.V. indicates this by omitting the ‘for’ after ‘specially’. By rendering also his own household it indicates the full meaning ‘relatives and dependents dwelling in the same house.’ he hath denied the faith ] The Christian religion based on ‘faith that worketh by love,’ and so here the Christian’s ‘rule of life,’ briefly described in the earliest days as ‘the way,’ Acts 22:4 , &c. There is the same close identification of ‘creed’ and ‘life’ in 1 Timothy 5:12 , where see note. worse than an infidel ] Better, as throughout its use so characteristic of the Epistles to the Corinthians (14 times), an unbeliever . It was the technical word for the heathen who had not yet ‘professed the faith,’ just as its opposite ‘faithful’ or ‘believer’ is the term used of all who had been admitted into the Christian body; e.g. Ephesians 1:1 , and here, 1 Timothy 5:16 . The clause has no sting therefore such as attaches to ‘infidel,’ implying the deliberate rejection of religion.

1 Timothy 5:8 . The Christian faith includes the law of love. The moral teaching of Christianity recognises the divine origin of all natural and innocent human affections. The unbeliever, i.e. , the born heathen, possesses natural family affection; and though these feelings may be stunted by savagery, the heathen are not likely to be sophisticated by human perversions of religion, such as those denounced by Jesus in Mark 7. Ell. says. “It is worthy of notice that the Essenes were not permitted to give relief to their relatives without leave from their ἐπίτροποι , though they might freely do so to others in need; see Joseph. Bell. Jud . ii. 8, 6.” The Christian who falls below the best heathen standard of family affection is the more blameworthy, since he has, what the heathen has not, the supreme example of love in Jesus Christ. We may add that Jesus Himself gave an example of providing for one’s own, when He provided a home for His mother with the beloved disciple. οἱ ἴδιοι are near relatives: οἱ οἰκεῖοι , members of one’s household. One of the most subtle temptations of the Devil is his suggestion that we can best comply with the demands of duty in some place far away from our home. Jesus always says, Do the next thing; “Begin from Jerusalem”.

The path of duty begins from within our own house, and we must walk it on our own feet. οἰκείων : The omission of the article in the true text before οἰκείων precludes the possibility of taking the word here in the allegorical sense in which it is used in Gal. and Eph.: “the household of the faith”; “the household of God”. προνοεῖ : This verb is only found elsewhere in N.T. in the phrase προνοεῖσθαι καλά , Romans 12:17 , 2 Corinthians 8:21 (from Proverbs 3:4 , προνοοῦ καλὰ ἐνώπιον Κυρίου καὶ ἀνθρώπων ).