Paul's Exhortations & Instructions to Brother Timothy 1st Letter Volume 51

Paul Instructs Timothy on how Members of Christ Body should be Treated in Christ Church Part 7

1 Timothy 5:11-12 But the younger widows refuse: for when they have begun to wax wanton against Christ, they will marry; Having damnation, because they have cast off their first faith. KJV

Now the Apostle Paul begins to focus his instruction to Brother Timothy concerning the younger widows in the Church of our Lord, Master, and Savior Jesus Christ, specifically on how the Church leaders should see them and treat them. Apparently, the Apostle Paul had received reports from many of the Churches expressing concern about the behavior of many of the younger widows in the various Churches of our Lord Jesus Christ and the reports did not speak of them in a positive light. Therefore, Paul immediately and instantly commands Timothy to not allow younger widows to serve in the paid or compensated office of deaconess in the Church as he writes these words first to Timothy, "But the younger widows refuse: for when they have begun to wax wanton against Christ, they will marry;" (1 Timothy 5:11) (KJV). Remember, Paul had just instructed Timothy that the cutoff age for widows to be accepted in the paid/compensated office of the Church was to be the age of 60 years old. Now Paul is declaring to Timothy that all widows that are under this age of 60 must not even be considered for such an office in the Church and he follows up this command with reports of their behavior being damaging to the Church body. The English word 'refuse' is translated by the Greek word paraiteomai which means or carries the same idea of meaning that our English dictionary gives to it and that is, to beg off, that is, decline, shun: - avoid, refuse, or reject.

Just before Paul declares why he sees that the younger widows should be 'refused', he uses the little English word 'when' and this word is translated by the Greek word hotan which means whenever (implying hypothesis or more or less uncertainty); also causative (conjugationally) inasmuch as: as long as or soon as. The English phrase 'they have begun to wax wanton against' is translated by one Greek word katastrēniaō (another one of these Greek words used this one time only in the entire New Testament) and it means to become voluptuous against: - begin to wax wanton against; that is, signifying to feel the sexual impulse, only here, and to run riot. In other words, Paul felt strongly that the widows that were under the age of 60 were more likely to have a strong need to have their sexual desires with a man fulfilled and in so doing would be more vulnerable, that is, susceptible to attack from the enemy in their bodies wanting to fulfill their sexual desires, just as Paul wished that everyone could be as he was with the spiritual gift of celibacy, but knowing that all did not have said gift he warned the Corinthian believers with these words, "I wish that all men were like I myself am [in this matter of self-control]. But each has his own special gift from God, one of this kind and one of another. But to the unmarried people and to the widows, I declare that it is well (good, advantageous, expedient, and wholesome) for them to remain [single] even as I do. But if they have not self-control (restraint of their passions), they should marry. For it is better to marry than to be aflame [with passion and tortured continually with ungratified desire]." (1 Corinthians 7:7-9) (Amplified Bible).

Paul knew that the younger the widow, the more likely she would want to marry again, so as to be able to gratify her sexual desires and passions, which is exactly why Paul set the age limit that he did (under the direction of God the Holy Spirit). Here is what Albert Barnes had to say concerning the younger widows being refused of this office, "The sense here is, that they would not be subordinate to the restraints implied in that situation, they would become impatient, and would marry again. The idea is not that of wantonness or lewdness, but it is that of a mind not subdued by age and by trials, and that would be impatient under the necessary restraints of the condition which was contemplated. They could not be depended on with certainty, but they might be expected again to enter into the married relation." This next verse perhaps has been long mis-understood by the Apostle Paul as to what he meant in writing these words to Brother Timothy concerning the younger widows who are desiring to re-marry instead of pledging themselves to the sole servitude, service, or slavery of our Lord Jesus Christ and His Church and it even wrongly caused the Catholic Church and other Churches to set up a system of women in service to Christ Church forbidding them to marry a husband and remain celibate for their entire earthly lives in the Church without ever knowing or discerning if all of these women had the gift of celibacy or self-control from God the Holy Spirit and in so doing has caused a lot of harm to other members of Christ Body through sexual abuse. Just yesterday (August 14, 2018)  we learned in the news that in Pennsylvania it was discovered that over many years it is alleged that Celibate Priest were allowed to sexually abuse and molest children over the course of many generations in the Catholic Church.

Paul writes these words to Timothy, "Having damnation, because they have cast off their first faith." (1 Timothy 5:12) (Amplified Bible). The English word 'damnation' is translated by the Greek word krima meaning a decision (the function or the effect, for or against [“crime”]): - avenge, condemned, condemnation, judgment. In other words, Paul is not here declaring that younger widows who elect to re-marry instead of pledging themselves to the service of Christ and His Church are to be damned to hell, of course not, but what he is declaring is that if they were to be allowed to serve in that capacity or office in the Church and then back away from said office in order to re-marry, they would bring upon themselves the burden of God's judgement for their about face and that would be their condemnation weighing upon their conscience like a heavy weight on their backs would feel. Here again is what Albert Barnes had to say concerning Paul's reference here to damnation, "Or, rather, having 'condemnation;' or incurring guilt. This does not mean of necessity that they would lose their souls. The meaning is, that they would contract guilt, if they had been admitted among this class of persons, and then married again. The Apostle does not say that that would be wrong in itself (compare notes on 1 Timothy 5:14), or that they would be absolutely prohibited from it, but that injury would be done if they were admitted among those who were 'widows indeed' - who were supported by the Church, and who were entrusted with a certain degree of care over the more youthful females - and then should leave that situation. It might give occasion for scandal it might break in upon the arrangements; it would show that there was a relaxing of the faith, and of the deadness to the world, which they were supposed to have; and it was better that they should be married 1 Timothy 5:14, without having been thus admitted."

When Paul writes here, 'because they have cast off their first faith', he probably means simply having entered into the office of deaconness and then turned away from the office in order to re-marry, however, Paul is certainly not saying these women have lost their faith in Christ or lost their salvation, for their is no such thing for all who have truly been born again, because if you are born you can't then be unborn. The little English phrase 'they have cast off' is translated by one Greek word atheteō meaning to set aside, that is, (by implication) to disesteem, neutralize or violate: Here is what the JFB Commentary had to say concerning the casting off of their first faith, "Namely, pledged to Christ and the service of the Church. There could be no hardship at the age of sixty or upwards in not marrying again (end of 1 Timothy 5:9), for the sake of serving better the cause of Christ as presbyteresses; though, to ordinary widows, no barrier existed against remarriage (1 Corinthians 7:39). This is altogether distinct from Rome’s unnatural vows of celibacy in the case of young marriageable women. The widow-presbyteresses, moreover, engaged to remain single, not as though single life were holier than married life (according to Rome’s teaching), but because the interests of Christ’s cause made it desirable (see on 1 Timothy 3:2). They had pledged 'their first faith' to Christ as presbyteress widows; they now wish to transfer their faith to a husband."

If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...

Sincerely in Christ,

Clifford D. Tate, Sr.
Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…