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Timothy's attitude towards old women and men (1–2). Attitude towards widows (3–16). Timothy and the elders (17–20). Conclusion of Pastoral Instructions (21–25). 1 Timothy 5:1. Do not reproach the elder, but exhort him as if he were a father; younger ones, like brothers; 1 Timothy 5:2. old women as mothers; young, like sisters, with all purity. Each group and condition of believers must be dealt with differently. There is no need to reproach an old person, that is, reprimand him too harshly. That what is meant here is the really old age of a person, and not the position of a person as a presbyter (in Greek, the word πρεσβύτεροι is put here), this is clear from the fact that this definition is further contrasted with terms that specifically mean ages (old women, young women). Timothy was young, so it was not difficult for him to speak with the elder as with his father. "With all purity." In relation to young women, Timofey should be free from any desires. 1 Timothy 5:3. Honor widows, true widows. 1 Timothy 5:4. If any widow has children or grandchildren, then let them first learn to honor their family and pay tribute to their parents, for this pleases God. 1 Timothy 5:5. A true widow and lonely person trusts in God and remains in prayers and prayers day and night; 1 Timothy 5:6. and the voluptuous one died alive. 1 Timothy 5:7. And instill this in them so that they may be blameless. Widows, of whom there were quite a large number in those dangerous times for Christianity, caused the Apostolic Church a lot of trouble. Timothy must honor them, that is, treat them with respect and help them from church funds. But only these should be “true widows,” that is, women who were left completely alone after the death of their husbands. There are widows of a different kind - those with children or grandchildren: they, of course, should receive benefits from these latter and not burden themselves with the church treasury. “Let them learn first”... The Apostle speaks not about children and grandchildren, but about the widows themselves (John Chrysostom, Theodoret, etc.) and instead of “let them learn,” it is better to read: “let them learn” (μανθανέτω). “Honor your family” - more precisely: take care that children or grandchildren acquire pious habits (εύσεβείν) and increase in respect for their ancestors (τ. προγόνοις - inaccurately in Russian: “parents.”) It is a different matter for a widow in the true sense of the word (v. 5): she, having no children or grandchildren, being completely alone, will, of course, place all her hope only in God and will stand away from practical household work, devoting all her time to prayer and pious deeds. If she indulges in a voluptuous life instead of piety, then this will clearly show that she is only a Christian in name and a participant in a new, better life: in fact, she is a spiritually dead person (cf. Rev. 3:1). Timothy must constantly instill in widows the idea of ​​this, so that they do not serve as a subject of criticism, mainly from persons who do not belong to the Church (cf. 1 Pet 3:16). 1 Timothy 5:8. If anyone does not take care of his own, and especially his family, he has renounced the faith and is worse than an infidel. Anyone who does not care about his brothers and especially about members of his own family has renounced the faith of Christ, the main requirement of which is that Christians show active love towards their neighbors, and even worse than a pagan, who could not be denied caring for his relatives. The Apostle, of course, here refers mainly to those Christians who, for various reasons, refused to help their relatives - widows. Thus this verse is a transition to the next. 1 Timothy 5:9. A widow must be elected no less than one who is sixty years old and has been the wife of one husband, 1 Timothy 5:10. known for good works, if she raised children, received strangers, washed the feet of saints, helped the needy, and was zealous for every good work. In the catalog or list of widows receiving benefits from the Church (such a list is indicated by the verb καταλεγέσύω, inaccurately translated in Russian by the expression: “must be elected”), widows must be included who satisfy three conditions: 1) when they are not younger than 60 years old - the age when a woman is no longer able to earn food for herself through her own labor, 2) when the widow had one husband (cf. 1 Tim. 3:2) and, finally, 3) in general when she is known to the Church for her good deeds. “She washed the feet of the saints,” that is, Christians who came to her house from afar. “She was zealous in every work,” that is, she responded to every good social undertaking. 1 Timothy 5:11. Do not accept young widows, for they, falling into luxury and contrary to Christ, want to marry. 1 Timothy 5:12. They are subject to condemnation because they rejected their former faith; 1 Timothy 5:13. Moreover, being idle, they learn to walk from house to house and are not only idle, but also talkative, curious, and say things they shouldn’t. Young widows should not be included in the list of widows receiving benefits from the Church, because they, being comforted by Christ or, more precisely, receiving benefits from the Church of Christ (in Russian, the expression καταστηναάχοσι) is translated too generally: “falling into luxury that is contrary to Christ”), at the same time they are not thinking about serving Christ or His Church, but about your personal benefits and, above all, about the joys of married life. “They are subject to condemnation” (what and from whom is not said), because they changed their previously expressed decision - to give themselves to the service of the Church. In addition, the apostle considers it necessary to point out that such widows become accustomed to idleness and empty gossip in conversations with other women. 1 Timothy 5:14. So I wish that young widows marry, bear children, manage the house and not give the enemy any reason for slander; 1 Timothy 5:15. for some have already turned aside after Satan. 1 Timothy 5:16. If any faithful person has widows, then they should be contented with them and not burden the Church, so that it can provide contentment for true widows. Therefore, the apostle decisively demands (“I wish” is not a completely correct translation of the expression βούλομαι) that young widows remarry and take care of children and housekeeping, without giving the opponents of Christianity - Jews and pagans - a reason to blaspheme the Christian faith. And there is reason to fear for young widows: some of them have already gone down a bad path (“following Satan”). The apostle concludes his instructions regarding widows with an invitation to all believers to help their widows, relatives and friends, without burdening the Church with worries about them. 1 Timothy 5:17. Great honor should be given to elders who are in charge, especially those who labor in the word and in doctrine. 1 Timothy 5:18. For the Scripture says: Do not muzzle the ox that is threshing; and: the worker is worthy of his reward. 1 Timothy 5:19. Accept an accusation against a presbyter in no other way than in the presence of two or three witnesses. 1 Timothy 5:20. Reprove those who sin before everyone, so that others may also have fear. Turning to the elders, the apostle demands that they be doubly honored for their primate service - both as elders in age and as bearers of a special high title. Especially deserving of such honor are those who not only deal with the affairs of church government, but also act as preachers and teachers of the faith. Respect should be expressed, first of all, in the reward for their labors, which the elders should receive, like every worker: this is said both in the Old (Deut. 25:4) and in the New Testament (Matthew 10:10). As for elders who do not satisfy their high appointment, the accusation against them must be brought with a sufficient number of witnesses. In this case, the one who complains about the presbyter will, of course, be more careful in his speeches against the presbyter than in the case when he is alone with the bishop. If the presbyter turns out to be truly guilty, then he must be exposed before all other presbyters, in order to thereby protect the latter from repeating the same offenses of which the guilty presbyter was exposed. 1 Timothy 5:21. Before God and the Lord Jesus Christ and the chosen Angels, I conjure you to preserve this without prejudice, doing nothing out of partiality. 1 Timothy 5:22. Do not lay your hands on anyone hastily, and do not become a participant in the sins of others. Keep yourself clean. 1 Timothy 5:23. From now on, drink more than just water, but use a little wine, for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments. The question of the trial of the elders is so important that the apostle conjures Timothy by God, Christ and the Angels closest to the throne of God (“elected”), so that he remembers his instructions, just expressed by him. Timothy must be free from any bias when examining the accusations brought against the elders. Timothy should also not be hasty in ordaining persons to various church positions and, above all, to presbyters, because a person who is not sufficiently prepared for presbyteral service can commit many offenses, the moral responsibility for which should rightly lie with the bishop who appointed such a person as a presbyter... But in addition to responsibility for the sins of others, the bishop may be subject to condemnation for his own personal ones, and the apostle instills in Timothy to control himself clean. However, Timofey should not be overly harsh with himself: he can also drink a little wine to strengthen the stomach (red wine is given by doctors for a weak stomach as an astringent), then Timofey, apparently, did not want to drink wine at all for fear that he would not be reproached for voluptuousness... 1 Timothy 5:24. Some people's sins are obvious and directly lead to condemnation, and some are revealed later. 1 Timothy 5:25. Likewise, good deeds are evident; and even if they are not, they cannot hide. The apostle concludes his appeal to Timothy with some consolation for him. Since, indeed, Timothy could have been reproached for his drinking of wine, the apostle reassures him with the fact that his true motive for drinking wine will not hide from the eyes of the All-Righteous Judge. Thus, the sins of some individuals are obvious to everyone now, while others have the same sins covered up; nevertheless, these hidden sins will be revealed over time - at the Last Judgment. 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