These persons are variously regarded by commentators as simply destitute widows, or as deaconesses, or as presbyteresses. The most simple and natural explanation is that they belonged to the first class, for the directions here given apply to what the Church is to do for such widows, not what duty is required of them in the Church administration.

I. THE ENROLMENT OF WIDOWS IN THE ALMONER'S LIST OF THE CHURCH. "Let none be enrolled as a widow under threescore years old."

1. The existence of such a list is implied in Acts 6:1, where a murmuring is said to have arisen because "the widows were neglected in the dally ministration." There are also traces of such a list in the earlier Christian writers.

2. Such a class would be recruited from the ordinary vicissitudes of life, from the special persecutions that followed the gospel, and perhaps also from the separations from polygamous husbands brought about through the influence of Christianity.

II. THE QUALIFICATIONS OF WIDOWS FOR A PLACE IN THE CHURCH'S LIST.

1. As to age. "Not under threescore years old." As this age marks a relatively greater degree of senility in the East than in the West, the widows must be regarded as of the infirm class, and therefore as not in any degree able for the active duties of limb. This one consideration inclines us to believe that they did not belong to the order of deaconesses or presbyteresses. If widows had been enrolled at a much earlier age, they must have become a serious burden for a great length of time upon the Church's liberality. Therefore young widows were not to be enrolled at all.

2. As to her previous married life. "The wife of one man."

(1) This does not mean that she should not have been twice married, because

(a) the apostle counsels the younger women to marry again (ver. 14), and sanctions second marriages (Romans 7:1);

(b) because the ascetic idea of married life, which some would associate with widows holding a certain ecclesiastical rank, received no sanction from the apostle.

(2) It does not mean that she should not have had several husbands at one time, for polyandry was quite unusual.

(3) It signifies that she should never have stood related but to one living husband; not divorced from one husband and then married to another - a chaste and faithful spouse, true to her marriage vow.

3. As to her reputation for good works. "Well reported of in respect to good works." There must not only be no evil spoken of her, but she must have a reputation for good works. This reputation covers live facts of goodness.

(1) "If she hath brought up children." This would imply self-sacrifice, sympathy and zeal for youthful training. She would train her children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, commanding them like Abraham to keep the way of the Lord, from which they would not so easily depart in after-life.

(2) "If she hath lodged strangers." She may have seen better days, and had frequent opportunities of showing hospitality to Christian travelers moving from place to place. The readiness to welcome strangers was most characteristic of the early Christians.

(3) "If she hath washed the saints' feet," in token, not only of conventional hospitality, but of deep humility after the highest of all examples.

(4) "If she hath relieved the afflicted." Not by mere gifts, but by matronly sympathy and encouragement, implying the visitation of the distressed in their homes.

(5) "If she hath diligently followed every good work." She must not have wearied in well-doing, but have followed that which was good with eagerness, constancy, and true fidelity to God and man. - T.C.

I. I SHALL PROVE THAT FAMILY RELIGION IS A DUTY, FROM THE LIGHT OF NATURE AND OF SCRIPTURE.

1. If family religion be a just debt to the supreme Being, upon account of His perfections and the relation He sustains to us as families, then it must be our duty to maintain it according to the law of nature. Now this is the case in fact. God is the most excellent of beings, and therefore worthy of homage in every capacity, from His reasonable creatures. Again, God is the author of our sociable natures, and as such claims social worship from us. Again, God is the proprietor, supporter, and benefactor of our families, as well as of our persons, and therefore our families as such should pay Him homage. He is the owner of your families, and where is the man that dares deny it?

2. If family religion was the principal design of the institution of families, then is family religion our indispensable duty. And that family religion was the principal end of the institution is evident; for can you think that God would unite a member of immortals, heirs of the eternal world, together in the most intimate bonds, in this state of trial, without any reference to their future state? Were your families made for this world only, or for the next?

3. If family religion tends to the greatest advantage of our families, then it is our duty; and to neglect it is wickedly to rob ourselves and ours of the greatest advantage.

4. You are to consider family religion not merely as a duty imposed by authority, but as your greatest privilege granted by Divine grace. I now proceed to some arguments more purely Scriptural, which prove the necessity of family religion in general, or of some particular branch of it.(1) We may argue from the examples of the saints, recorded and commended in Scripture (Genesis 18:16, 18; Genesis 26:25; Genesis 25:1, 3; Genesis 33:20).(2) We may argue from several Scripture precepts, which either directly or consequentially refer to the whole, or to some branch of family religion. The apostle Paul, having given various directions about relative duties in families, subjoins, "Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving" (Colossians 4:2). Peter exhorts "husbands to dwell with their wives according to knowledge, etc., that their prayers might not be hindered" (1 Peter 3:7), which certainly implies that they should pray together. I proceed —

II. TO SHOW IN WHAT SEASONS, OR HOW FREQUENTLY, FAMILY RELIGION SHOULD BE STATEDLY PERFORMED. Now it is more than intimated in Scripture, that it should be performed every day, and particularly morning and evening. Thus the sacrifices under the law, which were attended with prayer, were offered daily, morning and evening. To this the Psalmist alludes: "Let my prayer be set before Thee as incense" which was offered in the morning, "and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice" (Psalm 141:2). He elsewhere resolves, "Every day will I bless Thee" (Psalm 145:2). Yea, his devotion was so extraordinary, that he resolves, "Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray and cry aloud" (Psalm 55:17). So Daniel performed family worship thrice a day.

III. I shall consider, WHAT PARTICULAR OBLIGATION THE HEADS OF FAMILIES LIE UNDER, and what authority they are invested with to maintain religion in their houses. In all societies there must be a subordination, and particularly in families, and it is the place of the head of such societies to rule and direct. Particularly it belongs to the head of a family, when there is no fitter person present, to perform worship in it, to use proper means to cause all his domestics to attend upon it.

IV. And lastly, I COME TO ANSWER THE USUAL OBJECTIONS AGAINST THIS IMPORTANT DUTY OF FAMILY RELIGION.

1. "I have no time, and my secular business would suffer by family religion."

2. "I have no ability to pray; I am too ignorant."

3. "I am ashamed."

4. "But, alas! I know not how to begin it."

5. "But my family will not join with me."

6. "But I shall be ridiculed and laughed at."

(S. Davies, M. A.)

If any one provide not for his own kindred, and for those of his own house, as parents or children, he lives in a manner so contrary to the Christian faith, that he, in fact, denies it, and is worse than an infidel. "Indeed," says Archbishop Seeker, "Nature as well as Christianity enjoins this domestic duty so strongly, that the whole world cries out shame where it is neglected." That man, therefore, deserves censure, who, intent on the interests of others, disregards his own. The astrologer who was looking at the stars, and telling the fortunes of his neighbours, did not see the pit which lay at his feet, and into which he fell. It is well to do a good turn to a stranger, or even to an enemy, but "not to bulge our own vessel in attempting to raise that of our neighbour," as the following story from AEsop may show. "A wolf that lay licking his wounds, and extremely faint and ill from the bite of a dog, called out to a sheep passing by, 'Hark' ye, friend, if you would but help me to a sup of water out of yonder brook, I would manage myself to get something to eat.' 'Yes,' said the sheep, 'I make no doubt of it; but when I bring you drink, my carcase shall serve you for meat.'"

Paul, TimothyEphesusAge, Enrolled, Faithful, Husband, Less, List, None, Numbered, Roll, Sixty, Threescore, Unless, Widow, Widows, Wife1. Rules to be observed in reproving.
3. Of widows.
17. Of elders.
23. A precept for Timothy's health.
24. Some men's sins go before unto judgment, and some men's follow after.

1 Timothy 5:9

     5448   poverty, attitudes to

1 Timothy 5:1-16

     5745   women

1 Timothy 5:3-16

     5310   exploitation
     5743   widows

1 Timothy 5:8-9

     8252   faithfulness, relationships

1 Timothy 5:8-10

     5449   poverty, remedies

1 Timothy 5:9-10

     5765   attitudes, to people
     5963   sympathy
     7342   cleanliness
     8446   hospitality, duty of

Of Confirmation.
It is surprising that it should have entered any one's mind to make a Sacrament of Confirmation out of that laying on of hands which Christ applied to little children, and by which the apostles bestowed the Holy Spirit, ordained presbyters, and healed the sick; as the Apostle writes to Timothy: "Lay hands suddenly on no man." (1 Tim. v. 22.) Why not also make a confirmation out of the sacrament of bread, because it is written: "And when he had received meat, he was strengthened" (Acts ix. 19); or …
Martin Luther—First Principles of the Reformation

Whereas, Then, all Christians have to Guard Humility...
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St. Augustine—Of Holy Virginity.

That, Namely, Befalleth them which in Undisciplined Younger Widows...
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St. Augustine—Of the Work of Monks.

Truly we must Consider, that God Gives us Some Goods...
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St. Augustine—On the Good of Marriage

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St. Chrysostom—On the Priesthood

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Saint Gregory the Great—the Epistles of Saint Gregory the Great

Sundry Exhortations.
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Thomas Charles Edwards—The Expositor's Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Excursus on the Deaconess of the Early Church.
It has been supposed by many that the deaconess of the Early Church had an Apostolic institution and that its existence may be referred to by St. Paul in his Epistle to the Romans (xvi. 1) where he speaks of Phoebe as being a diakonos of the Church of Cenchrea. It moreover has been suggested that the "widows" of 1 Tim. v. 9 may have been deaconesses, and this seems not unlikely from the fact that the age for the admission of women to this ministry was fixed by Tertullian at sixty years (De Vel. …
Philip Schaff—The Seven Ecumenical Councils

What Diversity There Ought to be in the Art of Preaching.
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Leo the Great—Writings of Leo the Great

Thoughts Upon Worldly-Riches. Sect. Ii.
TIMOTHY after his Conversion to the Christian Faith, being found to be a Man of great Parts, Learning, and Piety, and so every way qualified for the work of the Ministry, St. Paul who had planted a Church at Ephesus the Metropolis or chief City of all Asia, left him to dress and propagate it, after his departure from it, giving him Power to ordain Elders or Priests, and to visit and exercise Jurisdiction over them, to see they did not teach false Doctrines, 1 Tim. i. 3. That they be unblameable in …
William Beveridge—Private Thoughts Upon a Christian Life

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James Stalker—The Trial and Death of Jesus Christ

And not Without Just Cause a Doubt is Raised...
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St. Augustine—On the Good of Marriage

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St. Augustine—On the Good of Marriage

But Since, as the Lord Saith, "Not all Receive this Word...
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St. Augustine—On the Good of Widowhood.

For that Also is no Foolish Question which is Wont to be Proposed...
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St. Augustine—On the Good of Widowhood.

Epistle xxxi. To Cyriacus, Bishop.
To Cyriacus, Bishop. Gregory to Cyriacus, Bishop of Constantinople. We have received the letters of your Blessedness, which speak to us in words not of the tongue but of the soul. For they open to me your mind, which, however, was not closed to me, since of myself I retain experience of the same sweetness. Wherefore I return thanks continually to Almighty God, since, if charity the mother of virtues abides in your heart towards us, you will never lose the branches of good works, seeing that you …
Saint Gregory the Great—the Epistles of Saint Gregory the Great

Preaching (I. ).
Earthen vessels, frail and slight, Yet the golden Lamp we bear; Master, break us, that the light So may fire the murky air; Skill and wisdom none we claim, Only seek to lift Thy Name. I have on purpose reserved the subject of Preaching for our closing pages. Preaching is, from many points of view, the goal and summing up of all other parts and works of the Ministry. What we have said already about the Clergyman's life and labour, in secret, in society, in the parish; what we have said about his …
Handley C. G. Moule—To My Younger Brethren

The Praise of Men.
"They loved the praise of men more than the praise of God."--John xii. 43. This is spoken of the chief rulers of the Jews, who, though they believed in Christ's Divine mission, were afraid to confess Him, lest they should incur temporal loss and shame from the Pharisees. The censure passed by St. John on these persons is too often applicable to Christians at the present day; perhaps, indeed, there is no one among us who has not at some time or other fallen under it. We love the good opinion …
John Henry Newman—Parochial and Plain Sermons, Vol. VII

An Essay on the Mosaic Account of the Creation and Fall of Man
THERE are not a few difficulties in the account, which Moses has given of the creation of the world, and of the formation, and temptation, and fall of our first parents. Some by the six days of the creation have understood as many years. Whilst others have thought the creation of the world instantaneous: and that the number of days mentioned by Moses is only intended to assist our conception, who are best able to think of things in order of succession. No one part of this account is fuller of difficulties, …
Nathaniel Lardner—An Essay on the Mosaic Account of the Creation and Fall of Man

The Past Day Returns not Hereafter, and after Yesterday Proceeds To-Day...
25. The past day returns not hereafter, and after yesterday proceeds to-day, and after to-day will proceed to-morrow; and, lo, all times and the things of time pass away, that there may come the promise that shall abide; and "whoso shall have persevered even unto the end, this one shall be saved." [2287] If the world is now perishing, the married woman, for whom beareth she? Or in heart about to bear, and in flesh not about to bear, why doth she marry? But if the world is still about to last, why …
St. Augustine—On the Good of Widowhood.

A Discourse of the Building, Nature, Excellency, and Government of the House of God; with Counsels and Directions to the Inhabitants Thereof.
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John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

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Andrew Murray—The Ministry of Intercession

For He Himself Also, with an Eye to the Like Necessities of Saints...
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St. Augustine—Of the Work of Monks.

But Thou who Both Hast Sons, and Livest in that End of the World...
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St. Augustine—On the Good of Widowhood.

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