 Okay, welcome back. After the break, we will look at chapter 5 now. Okay, before the break, we were looking at chapter 4. We now look at chapter 5. Before we look and study chapter 5, you know, we'll divide this chapter into 6 sections, you know, based on what is being addressed by Paul to Timothy. So the 6 sections are verses 1 to 3, whereas he's talking about relationships within the church. In verses 7, sorry, verses 4 to 8, he's talking about believers' responsibility to their own family. Verses 9 to 16, the church's responsibility towards widows. Verses 17 to 20, he's talking about how to lead spiritual leaders. And verses 21 to 23, he's giving Timothy's spiritual notes to a spiritual leader. And verses 24 to 25, the outcomes. Okay, so we're just dividing this entire section or this chapter into 6 sections so that we can be able to study it easily. Okay, the first one is verses 1 to 3 where Paul is talking to Timothy or telling Timothy or writing to Timothy about relationships within the church. So can somebody read first Timothy chapter 5 verses 1, 2 and 3 please. First Timothy chapter 5 verses 1, 2, 3. Can somebody read that? Anyone can read verses 1, 2 and 3. Do not rebuke an older man but exhort him as a father. Younger man as a brother, older woman as a mother, younger woman as a sister. Older woman as a mother, younger woman as a sister with all purity. Owner widows, how are really widows? Thank you, Prince. So here we see Paul is giving instructions to Timothy, to young Timothy, how to relate to people of different ages even as he leads them spiritually. So he's saying in the house of God, we need to honour all people, we need to honour everyone and how do we honour people in specific age groups, people who are older, honour older people and treat them as fathers and mothers, honour younger people and treat them as brothers and sisters and he says honour widows. And then he's giving them, he's giving them instructions, do not rebuke an older man. Now the Greek word for rebuke is not the normal word we use for rebuke in the New Testament. This word rebuke here mentioned is the only place that it is used and it literally means to strike at. So Timothy was told not to attack older men with words but to treat them with respect. As he would treat a younger man with respect and he would treat them as brothers who also treat older men with honour and with respect. Now why is he telling Timothy about this? Because it's in continuation of what we saw in chapter 4 and as I mentioned last class, for us it is divided into chapter wise but for Timothy it was a letter. So in the previous paragraph, so to say in the letter, he's talking about people who are false teachers, who are, their consciences are seared and they're teaching false doctrines, false truths and some of them are leaders and some of them are older people in the house of God. So Paul is moving on to tell Timothy, treat all of them with honour whether they are older, younger or even widows treat everyone with honour in the house of God. So also we learn that in the house of God we need to treat everyone, we can apply these instructions for ourselves. We need to treat one another with honour in the house of God and even as we live in our families we need to treat people with honour. Then the second section is verses 4 to 8 where he's talking about believers' responsibilities towards their own family, verses 4 to 8. Can somebody read verses 4 to 8 please, quickly. I'll read. Yeah, thanks Ghanan. But if any widow has children or grandchildren, let them first learn to show pity at home and to repay their parents. For this is good and acceptable before God. Now she who is really a widow and left alone, trust in God and continues in supplications and prayers night and day. But she who lives in pleasure is dead while she lives and these things command that they may be blameless. But 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. Thank you Ghanan. So he's talking here about believers' responsibility towards their own family and Paul is instructing how believers must take care of their family members who are widowed and also talking about local church how they need to take care of widows. So Paul is saying if widows, people who are widowed, if they have children, if they have grandchildren, then the children and grandchildren must rise up to the occasion of taking care or addressing the needs of their parents or grandparents who are widowed. And he's saying by doing so, the children or grandchildren are showing their faith in God in action and their piety by taking care of older people in the house. And he says don't expect the church to take care of them, church will take care of widows who have no one to take care of them. If they don't have children, they don't have any family there, then the church will take care. But if the widowed person has children or grandchildren, then let them not burden the church by letting them take care of their widowed parents or grandparents. But it's the responsibility of the children and the grandchildren. And when they do it, he's saying they show faith, they show piety at home. And something that he mentions here is he's saying this is good and acceptable before God. That means God is pleased with this. When we take care of our parents, when we take care of our grandparents, when we take care of widowed people in our family, you know, God is very, very pleased with this. Then Paul goes on to talk about in verse five is giving a description of who really a widow is. Okay, so a widow is he saying is somebody who is first of all left alone. Okay, has nobody and who trusts in God. And it's not just spending her time going around and gossiping and talking and creating confusion, but somebody who's spending her time or his time in supplications and prayer day and night. Okay, so, so this is who a widow is. And he says a widow should be somebody who's really spending time in prayer and supplication. And in verse seven Paul is encouraging Timothy to provide these instructions to the local church. The message Bible says so that they will do the right thing in their extended family. So Paul is telling Timothy please teach all of these things in the church so that people will know what are the responsibilities they need to shoulder at home and in their family life, teach them so that you know, teach them all of these things so that they can be blameless, so that they can be do the right things in the eyes of God, they can be right in the eyes of God, and they can live right before the Lord. So here also we learn that we cannot separate our faith from our responsibility that we have towards our family. And Paul says if we do that, if we separate our faith and we separate our responsibilities towards our family, then we are worse than an unbeliever. That's what he says. Okay, in says this in verse eight, the last phrase he says, you know, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. Okay, so we cannot separate our faith in God from our responsibility towards our family. If we do that, we're worse than an unbeliever. We need to be careful that our faith does not, you know, become an excuse or a reason for us to abandon our responsibility towards our family. So what do I mean saying that, you know, sometimes, you know, God has called me as a missionary, as an evangelist, you know, so I can't go back and take care of my parents who are unwell, who are sick. I can't support them. And all of those things we can do to the extent that, you know, God has provided for us, God has made way for us, but it's our responsibility to take care of our family and we cannot make excuses based on our faith and because of that, we cannot abandon our responsibility towards our family. So Paul says if we run away from that responsibility, then we are worse than an unbeliever. And we see in verse eight, he puts the responsibility on the believer to provide for his own household and not just leave it to the church to take care of the widows. Okay, we move on to the next third section, verses nine to 16, where Paul is talking about the church's responsibility towards the widows. So can somebody read verses nine to 16, please? Do not let a widow under 60 years old be taken into the number and not unless she has been the wife of one man. Well reported for good works. If she has brought up children, if she has locked strangers, if she has washed and sensed feet, if she has relieved the afflicted, if she has diligently followed every good work, but refused the younger widow for when they have begun to grow one tone against Christ, they desire to marry having condemnation because they have cast off their fast faith and besides they learn to be a idle, wondering about from house to house and not only idle, but also gossip and busy bodies saying things which they are not. Therefore, I desire that the younger widow marry their children, manage the house, give no opportunity to the adversary to speak reproachfully. For some have already turned aside after Satan. If any believing man or woman has widows, let them relieve them and do not let the church be burdened. That if may relieve those who are really widows. Thank you. So Paul has mentioned in the preceding verses, you know, that family has to the family responsible towards their, you know, towards those who are widowed to take care of them because that is what is good acceptable and pleasing in God's sight. And then he goes on to talk about, you know, it's also the church's responsibility to take care of the widows. And before he talks about what the church has to do and who he is there, how they have to take care of the widows, he's talking about who qualifies to be a widow. So a widow is somebody who's 60 years and older. She should have been the wife of one man. You know, she should have, you know, served the church and also she should have brought up her children well. She should have done good works. How, what are the good works, you know, entertaining strangers in their house, showing hospitality to people who come to their house, you know, taking care of other believers. Saints is basically believers, you know, having fellowship with them, taking care of them. So he says, you know, such kind of widows have been very diligent in doing good work. Those are the widows that the church can take care of. Okay. And then he's talking about younger widows. He says it's better for them, you know, if they get married, because if they are just left by themselves, they'll get into a lot of unnecessary things. So he says, let them get, let them marry again, let them have their children and let them, you know, spend their time managing their own households and so that they can move forward in life. If not, they will get into all wrong things, you know, just being idle can lead them to gossiping, you know, talking bad about people, going from house to house, gossiping, creating a lot of confusion. So, you know, and eventually there'll be easy pray for, you know, false teachers, false doctrines and they will move away from their faith. So he says, you know, let the young women widows remarry. And he's talking here, you know, he's saying that, you know, when they do this, you know, it will not give an opportunity to the advisory to speak reportively. Okay. So those who, you know, are leaders or elders in the church or other women, other men to speak bad about them and cause confusion in the church. So better they get married. And also, you know, he says for some have already turned the site to Satan. Some of these widows who had nothing to do just idling sitting around. There's such prey to all these false teachers, false doctrines that, you know, Satan has kind of taken opportunity of the situation and they have been led aside, led away from the truth and now they're away from the truth or away from the church. So he says, let them marry, have their children and take care of their own family. Okay. But he says, you know, the church will take care of these older widows. But if they're these widows have, you know, children or grandchildren who can take care of them, then let them not put the burden on the church. Let them relieve the church from the burden of taking care of these widows. But if they really don't have anyone, then the church will go ahead and take care of the widows. Okay. Then Paul moves on to teaching Timothy about how he as a leader should lead other leaders. Now I said in the church, there are a lot of leaders. So he goes on to teach Timothy how he as a leader should teach other leaders. And I also mentioned to you that, you know, nine years before Paul came back to the Ephesus and left Timothy dead. He had come dead nine years back and he had appointed leaders. So, and we, we see that Paul administered three years and appointed leaders over there. So now he's telling teaching Timothy how he as a leader should lead other leaders in verses 17 to 20. So can somebody read verses 17 to 20, please? Somebody can read verses 17 to 20. So that, can you read verses 17 to 20, please? I'm not sure. The elders who direct the affairs of the church are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching. For the scripture says, do not muzzle the ox while it is trading out the gray. And the worker deserves his wages. Do not entertain an attestation against an elder unless it's brought by two or three witnesses. Those who sin are to be rebuked publicly so that the others may take warning. Okay. Thank you. So we see that Paul is talking about elders here in verse 17. He says, let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in word and doctrine. We saw in chapter three, Paul is talking there about spiritual leaders. And, you know, the spiritual leaders, he calls them as elders. The word elders, the Greek is presbyteros. Okay. The Greek is presbyteros. As mentioned in the early church, you know, the spiritual leaders or elders where the terms given to those were bishops, presbyters, elders, and they're used interchangeably to basically to refer to as one who's providing spiritual leadership. So he mentions about them in chapter three. He calls these spiritual leaders as elders and these elders, you know, in the early church had the names like bishops, presbyters or elders, basically from the Greek word presbyteros. And so all of these words are used interchangeably and just can mean one simple thing that all of them are basically people who provide spiritual leadership. Okay. So Paul has, earlier in this chapter, chapter four, he tells, you know, how to honor people in the church. All people in the church are to be honored. He talks about giving honor to older men, older women, younger men, younger women and widows. And now he says that those who are in spiritual leadership, you know, are deserving of double honor or we need to give them double honor. So he says Paul is telling Timothy, treat all people with honor, but those who are in spiritual leadership, you know, are deserving of double honor. They deserve greater respect and regard. And in verse 18 he says, for the scripture says, you shall not muzzle an ox while it threads out the grain and the laborer is worth of his wages. So part of this includes taking care, part of this honoring or double honor for a leader is taking care of their material needs as well. So those who are involved in the church in preaching and teaching the doctrine or even serving or administration, you know, they need to be paid. They need their material needs need to also be taken care of. And he says, Timothy ensure that the church takes care of the material needs of people, but also mention that those who are in leadership position, especially those who are teaching the word of God and the doctrine are to be given double honor, which means they need to be given greater respect and regard. In verse 19 he says, do not receive an accusation against a leader except from two or three witnesses. So he says, you know, when people bring accusations to you against another spiritual leader, he's saying, you know, you need just don't listen to one person. You need two or more witnesses before handling the matter, before, you know, taking the matter forward, before discussing it with the person involved. You need, and before you make a decision, you need to take into account two or more witnesses. Okay. In verse 20 he says, you know, those who are sinning rebuke in the presence of all that the rest may also fear. Now, it does not mean that if somebody is caught up in a sin or doing anything wrong, you know, bring them up in the front of the church and then, you know, rebuke them in front of the whole church. He's here talking basically about elders. So he's talking about spiritual leaders and those who are under Timothy's leadership. He says, if a spiritual leader is caught in a sin, you know, then what you need to do is first you need to have two or more witnesses who testify to the fact that they're sinning. And once they, you know, you hear it from two or three more witnesses, it's confirmed. Then, you know, you need to correct them in private, each them in private, you know, tell them in private. But if they don't heed to that instruction, if they continue to sin, they continue to, you know, not listen and get more involved in the sin, then you need to rebuke it, you know, in front of the entire church. You know, it should become very something you address in a public. And why is he saying that it's not to put down the person who is doing it so that the church can be aware that yes, this leader is caught up in the sin. It's not something that is acceptable in the church, in the leadership, and it's not acceptable before God and by rebuking him, people who are also involved in that sin, who are partakers of the same sin or the same, you know, or doing other sins, you know, will also heed, will listen. And, you know, people will not be led astray by doing wrong things and they think it's okay for them to do wrong things, because when spiritual leaders are doing, we can also do it. But Paul is saying take necessary action, take necessary steps. First, get two or three witnesses, correct the person. The person continues to live in that sin, then, you know, address it publicly so that all will learn and all will walk in reverence of God. And none of them will be led astray by continuing to do the wrong things and spiritual leaders will not go astray. Then we move on to the next section in verses 21 to 23, where he is giving some personal notes to a spiritual leader. So, can somebody read verses 21 to 23, please? Thomas, would you like to read verses 21 to 23? Okay. Okay, so that can you go ahead and read, please, 21 to 23? Yeah, sure. I charge you in the sight of God in Christ Jesus and the elect angels to keep these instructions without passionality and to do nothing out of favoritism. Do not be hasty in the day of hands. And do not share in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure. Stop drinking only water and use a little wine because of your stomach and your frequently illness. Thank you. No, just 23 will do. Thank you. So here Paul goes on to say in verse 21, you know, I charge you before God and the Lord Jesus Christ and the elect angels that you observe these things without prejudice and do nothing with partiality. Okay, so it's interesting that Paul is charging or exerting Timothy and reminding him that God, the Lord Jesus and the elect angels are watching over him, even as Timothy is leading the church at Ephesus. So he's saying, hey, even if I'm not there, there is somebody who's watching you and that is God and the elect angels, they are watching you. So do whatever you do, do it without any prejudice. You know, without prejudice means without prejudging. Don't judge people beforehand and don't treat people with partiality. That means your personal preference. You know, somebody's good to you, nice to you. They're listening to your truths. They're not causing any difficulty. They're not being a hindrance to you. And don't treat them in one way and don't treat people who are, you know, trying to make life difficult. They're not listening to the false teachers. Don't treat them in another different way. So he's saying treat everyone equally. Don't show partiality. Don't show favoritism and do nothing without prejudging or giving personal preferences to people. So everyone is to be treated equally and fairly. Don't, you know, distinguish people based on their language, their cultural backgrounds, you know, don't give preferences to people based on their social and economic status. Make sure that in the church, everyone has the same opportunity. Everyone is expected to live by the same standards and to carry on their responsibility. So even as Paul is writing that to the church at Ephesus and to Timothy, it's also something that is applicable to our life and to our church today, you know, even as we are spiritual leaders, you know, maybe leading a youth group, children's group, worship ministry, a Bible study group, maybe overseeing a church, we are pastors, you know, don't prejudge people. Okay, prejudge people in the way they dress, the way they act, you know, how their inclination towards spiritual growth, the inclination towards you. If somebody is nice to you, then don't treat them in one way. If somebody doesn't talk to you or is, you know, just kind of keeps away from you or is causing even some problem or difficulty or you know is gossiping about you, don't treat them in another way. So don't treat people also based on their social status, you know, because they have money, you think that, you know, they can support you, they'll give more to the church, they'll give you a lot of gifts or they're people from your same place. Okay, also we don't treat with favoritism and people from outside, outside other states or other countries, but, you know, we need to treat everyone equal in the church of God because God treats everyone equally. God, there is no Jew, no Greek, no male, no female, all are one in His sight. He's not a partial God. He doesn't show favoritism and so we shouldn't entertain that and we shouldn't be doing that. In verse 22 he says, do not lay hands on anyone hastily nor share in other people's sins, but keep yourself pure. Now it's not talking about laying hands on people when they are sick or going through some difficulty, but he's basically talking about, you know, leaders here. So he's saying, you know, don't be in a haste to appoint anyone as a spiritual leader, you know, or give them a title or a position as soon as they become believers or they come to the church, you know, if they're very eager to serve, if they love to serve, then put them in, you know, give them some roles, some responsibilities and keep watching them, okay? So if they're doing their functions, if they're doing their roles, even though it's very small, they show commitment, they show passion, they're sincere in what they're doing and they do it well and they're very faithful, then go on to give them, you know, a leadership role, responsibility, give them a title, a designation and then, you know, also continue watching them and groom them to the next level, okay? So don't be hasty in putting anyone to the leadership position and it's very important for us, even as, you know, some of you are in places of responsibility, you know, when we are quick to put people in a responsible position and then if they are not doing it well, they're causing a lot of confusion and harm and problem and you have to remove them, it'll cause a lot of tension, it'll cause a lot of unnecessary pain and sometimes, you know, church can even break into two or the Bible study group can break into two you know, people can be angry with you as a leader for doing things so, you know, be very slow in giving titles and leadership roles to people, you know, first watch over them, give them small responsibilities if they're faithful, sincere, then give them, you know, some more responsibilities just to see how they can take on and once you know they have the right attitude, they have the right mindset, they are following the leadership, they are following things that are in place already, then you can give them a title and a leadership responsibility but even in that you need to groom them and help them, okay? So, you're saying don't be hasty in laying on of hands or don't be hasty in making anyone appointing anyone as a leader. He also says don't share in other people's sin or self-pure. Now, this is very important, you know, Paul is saying, telling Timothy that there will be many people who will come and ask you advice, okay? Advice that, you know, they want to do something and, you know, they're doing something in the church or maybe something in their family or something in their personal lives and they come to you and they ask you and Paul is saying, you know, you tell them what they need to be doing according to the word of God according to the standard in God's word, you tell them what they need to be doing and, you know, if if they don't want to heed to that they want to go ahead and do what they want to then release them but make sure that you are not, you know, supporting them in their sin, supporting them in their stand or supporting them in what is wrong, okay? So he says, you keep yourself pure and, you know, don't indulge in their sins or don't be part of what they want to do, okay? And then he says, you know, don't become an accomplice in crime that means don't take part in what wrong they have to do. You just tell them what is right and let them do it. So if people are making their decision, let them make it on their own you don't include your name but he's telling Timothy, you always be on God, okay? Because people can always say, you know, pastor told me this, Timothy told me to do this or this is what the direction that the pastor gave me or my teacher gave me or my Bible study group leader gave me. So be very cautious, you know, to step away and don't indulge or be involved in doing anything that is wrong, okay? So Kiran says she wants verse 21 to be explained again. Okay, Paul is saying here in verse 21, I charge you before God and the Lord Jesus Christ and the elect angels that you observe these things without prejudice and do nothing with partiality. That means in the church, we don't prejudge people, okay? The way they dress, the way they speak, if they speak good English, the way they dress and you think, you know, they really educated, they're very rich, then we treat them in one way. People who are not well dressed or, you know, you know, people who are simple, you know, we don't give them preference, we don't treat them well. We also don't, we shouldn't show favoritism or partiality. That means favoring people from our own place, people who are our own people group, treating them one kind people, treating other people a different kind or talking to them or not share, you know, ministering to them well or not visiting them, but only visiting people who are nice to us, who give us gifts, who support our work, who talk well about us, who talk nice about us, but people who constantly question what we do, people who always tell us, you know, pastor, you could have done this, you could have done it this way, we could do this, you could do that, you know, we get angry and when we get angry, we don't want to relate with such people, we don't associate, we don't want to visit them, we don't want to get involved in them, we don't want to give them any leadership responsibilities, but Paul is saying don't treat anyone with prejudice or partiality. Did I explain that again clearly to you Kiran? Then he goes on towards 23 where he's telling Timothy, you know, Timothy is having an ongoing stomach problem, so he's saying you know, telling Timothy, no longer drink only water, but use some eno, okay? He's not telling him use eno, but he's telling you some wine now people have taken this and say it's okay for us to drink a little wine because it's given in the Bible I'm not drinking too much, I'm drinking little wine but here Paul is mentioning wine because Timothy's having ongoing stomach issues stomach problems, you don't know what it is so wine was used in Paul's time, Timothy's time to treat stomach ailments, okay? So he's saying use a little wine for your stomach's sake because of your frequent infirmities but if Paul was writing to us, to writing to Timothy in today's time in our age, in our time he would have told him, you know Timothy you know no longer drink only water but use given some medications use Jellusil or use you know, Omiprazole whatever we use for stomach ailments you know he would have told him that's what we use in our country in India so you know he would have mentioned it so here he does not give us license or does not give us freedom to indulge in drinking alcohol or even wine because you know Paul mentions it it's because in Paul's time little wine was used for stomach ailments okay and so it does not understanding of this verse does not mean that we can indulge in drinking alcohol yes we could use some alcohol-free wines um yeah you could use but why would you want to use it why do you want to even drink alcohol-free wines because you know you are when you're saying that it's okay then it's okay next time you say it's okay to even drink a little wine with alcohol you see how does addiction happen you know it's not that people start smoking one pack of cigarette it's just somebody who says just hey just try one puff nothing is going to happen but that one puff for most people it leads to two puffs to three puffs to one cigarette to one packet to even five or ten packets in a day see so why even use alcohol-free wines when you have other so many drinks that you can drink soft drinks and other juices that you can drink why even want to use alcohol-free wines okay so even when we partake in the Lord's communion we're using grape juice we're not basically using wine okay you need to be very careful about that as well because you can have been let us say it's okay because people drink wine in church during communion okay thank you for sharing your thought on that Kanan okay then we move on to the last section we're talking about outcomes versus 24 and 25 so can somebody read versus 24 and 25 please I'll read yeah please thank you some men are clearly evident precedingly them to judgment but those of some men follow later likewise the good works of some are clearly evident and those that are otherwise cannot be hidden thank you so in versus 24 and 25 Paul seems to tie back to the issue of leaders sinning in versus 19 and 20 he tells Timothy the need to keep self away from becoming a partner in other people's wrongdoing he mentions that in verse 22 now he's telling Timothy that the outcome of his lifestyle will be evident you know will be seen in how he lives and in this regard he's saying some people sins are already out in the open people know about it the church knows about it the leaders knows about it and we will see them be judged but he's saying some people sin will be exposed sometime later but it will be exposed so it does not mean that since their sins are not exposed nobody knows about it there'll be a time when the sin will be exposed because God says in his word your sin will find you out similarly he says when people do good you know sometimes it's very clearly evident to others the good that they are doing for others the way they're helping the church the good person that they are while some people when they're doing good you know it's hidden nobody can see they do it behind the scenes but Paul is saying you know it will be rewarded God will surely reward them so just like people who feel that their sins are not exposed not to be happy about it and continue sinning because there'll be a time when it'll be exposed they'll be judged just like other people sins are exposed and they were judged so also he says those who are doing good everyone who can see it will praise them but for those of you who are doing it quietly and nobody knows about it don't feel disappointed don't feel discouraged God is watching he is your rewarder because this is what God Jesus reminds us in Matthew chapter 10 verse 26 you know therefore do not fear them for there's nothing covered that will not be revealed and hidden that will not be known okay so then he's telling Timothy we all have you know a life to live and we have to live that right in the eyes of God in the sight of God live that right in the eyes in the sight of believers and the world and we also need to teach others to do right so we live right first and then we teach others to live right okay so that is the end of chapter 4 so what is the takeaway for this anyone knows what is our takeaway for sorry chapter 5 that is what is the takeaway for chapter 5 takeaway is to honour everyone okay older men older women treat them as fathers and mothers honour younger men and younger women as brothers and sisters and sorry those who are in spiritual leadership are worthy of double honour that is the key takeaway any comments any questions any doubts you all have chapter 4 and chapter 5 which we did today yeah you need to take care of videos yes it's clear okay if there are no questions any doubts then we'll end class is that alright okay thank you all for joining have a good day ahead and I'll see you soon for our next class goodbye everyone