The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Timothy — Section 123

position made helpful to her religious lire. (2) l"eligion of a duola~ positicm. • Bul she that giveth herself to pleasure is dead while she liveth." fn the absence of children or grandchildren that can care for her, the temptation is, where a woman bas not ,1 lawful way of making o. livinp:, to seek a living by giving herself up to nnlawful pleasure. Such a one necessarily loses any Christian status that she had entitling her to be cared for by the Church. It can be said of her more radically, that she makes a contradiction of her life, While living, she is making of herself moral rottenness. As in this state she is a fit object for Christian sympathy, And, if she comes to see herself to be in this state, there is hope for her from him who bath said, " Him that cometh unto me, I will in no wise cast out." But that is the true reading of her state upon which all effort after her-salvation must proceed," She is dead while she liveth." Reason for insisting on the qualification, "These things also command, that they may be without reproach." The requirement was to be laid authoritatively upon the Chnrch, in the interest of the widows themselves, There was their character as a dass to be protected, Let none be admitted into their number who were not fit subjects for Church support. General principle by which this case is ruled. " But if any provideth not for his own, and specially his own household, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an unbeliever." The law for the believer is that he is to provide, more widely, for his own and, less widely, for those who belong to the family. He who does not observe this is virtually unchurching himself. He is falling below the unbeliever, whG is taught by nature, or by his religion which is wrong on so many points, to do as much. With regard to caring for parents, Plutarch says that all men, though some may think otherwise, say that nature and the law of nature requires that parents should have the highest honour next the gods; that men can do nothing more acceptable to the gods than by readily heaping favours upon their parents ; and that nothing is a greater evidence of atheism or impiety than to despise them. On t,be other hand, there is a clear obligation also founded in nature for parer.ta to provide for their children while they are in a state of dependence, This obligation is violated by the man who spends on his own lusts what should bo spent on his family. 3, Qualifir,ati<>n of age. " Let none be enrolled as a widow under threescore years old." In accordance with what has gone before, we are to think of a roll of widows supported by the Church, for which the minimum requirement of age is here laid doy;n as sixty. 4. Qual{fication of regularity of marriage. "Having been the wife of one man." It is difficult to see how such second marriage as is sanctioned in ver. 14 should exclude from the roll It is better, therefore, to think of some irregularity, such as unlawful divorce from a first husband. 5. Qualification of serviceableness. "Well reported of for good works ; if she hath brought up children, if she hath used hospitality to strangers, if she bath washed the saints' feet, if she hath relieved the afflicted, if she bath diligently followed every good work." Some of the works are mentioned for which she id to be well reported of. First, what she has done for childrt1n, either her own or orphans. To bring up children well implies great self-denial and power of management, and is to do a great service to the Church. Secondly, what she has done for strangers. We are to think of their being entPrtained for the Church. If they were not Christians, they would be sent away with a good impression of Christianity. Thirdly, what she has done for the saints. The washing of the feet is common in the East, We need not wonder at stress being laid on her performing a humble service. Humble services are to be per- formed toward the members of the Christian circle, for the sake of Christ and after the eMmple of Christ. Fourthly, what she has done for the ajfticted, or hard pressed in any way, We are to think of relief being afforded hy a visit of sympathy, a word of encouragement, the undertaking of work as well as the bestowal of charity. It is added generally, "If she hath diligently followed every good work." It is evident that one who had been so serviceable to the Church would, in case of her destitution, have a claim to be supported by the Church. It can easily be seen, too, how, with such qualifi- cations, she would be expected, in lieu of the support rendered to her, to render such service to the Church as was in her power. Thus the roll of Church widows would have the honourable character of a roll of Church workers. And we can ihink of widow, being admitted upon the roll who did not need Church support, but wanted to do Church work. And there seems to have been, in accordance with this, in the early Church, an order of presbJJtery wuww-. who, under the sanctions of the Church, attended to tht 116 THE FIRST EPISTLE TO TIMOTHY. [ou. v.1-26,