1 Timothy 5:5, 6 Two Widows

1 Timothy 5:5, 6 The widow who is really in need and left all alone puts her hope in God and continues night and day to pray and to ask God for help. But the widow who lives for pleasure is dead even while she lives.

In 1 Timothy 5:5, 6 two sorts of widows are contrasted. On the one hand, we have a widow really in need and left all alone who puts her hope in God and continues night and day to pray and to ask God for help. This is the sort of widow that should be put on the list of widows in the church, people who worked for the church in return for financial provision. Such a woman deserves to be helped and will be a help because of her prayerful disposition. On the other hand, there is the widow who lives for pleasure. Such a woman has not died like her husband but in truth she is dead even while she lives. That is to say, she is spiritually dead and no use to the church in her current state. Perhaps while her husband was alive she appeared to be spiritual but with his death it has become apparent that she lacks spirituality. Later on in verse 15 Paul reveals that there have been some bad experiences in this respect. Once again we are reminded of Jesus's adage about being as gentle as doves and yet as wise as snakes. Pastors ought to be able to discern who is really in need and prayerful and who is merely living for pleasure and act appropriately.