Page 78 - Pastoral Ministries -Student Textbook

Pastoral ministry toward widows

Definition of a widow
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A widow is a “Woman whose husband has died and who has not remarried.” When we are talking about
widows, we are looking at a group of people who are also vulnerable in the society. “If a man died in Bible times,
his widow often suffered at the hands of the powerful (Job 24:21). This was especially true if she had no family
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to provide for her and her children.” It was at the heart of God in the Old Testament that widows must be taken
care of and not taken advantage. God said, “Ye shall not afflict any widow…they cry at all unto me, I will surely
hear their cry (Ex 22:22-23 ASV).” Just as it is God’s subject in the Old Testament it is also a subject that finds its
place in the ministry of the gospel. Therefore, we must pay attention to it. James tells us that taking care of the
widows is not only an acceptable thing to God but also pure and faultless religion (James 1:27).

Lesson from 1 timothy 5:3-16
1 Timothy is one of the pastoral letters describing what pastoral ministry is all about and who qualifies to be a
minister in the household of God. When Paul was giving instructions to Timothy concerning the widows he
says, “Honor widows who are widows indeed (1 Tim 5:3, NASU),” NIV put it this way “Give proper recognition
to those widows who are really in need.” The “honor” or the “proper recognition” that is talked about is that
special reverence with a physical support in picture. “The Greek word timao¯ which is rendered ‘give proper
recognition to’ conveys more than the normal idea of respect, for it here includes material support as is clear
from the subsequent passage (cf. Mt 15:5)”. With regard to the exemplary life they have lived, especially
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those who are old, their old age is worth noting and the needs that come along with it.

We need to note that it is not every woman who lost her husband is to be considered on the list of widows the
church should take care of. Those who are to be considered have guidelines surrounding them. The first thing
we note is that they are those “widows indeed” or those “really in need.” “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 (v.5).”

Widows to be considered on the support list of the church

1. Widows without support and left alone (v.5)

“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 (v.5).”
1 Tim 5:9-10 gives us detailed guideline of that 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.” The church should consider these
characteristics:
No widow may be put on the list of widows unless she is over sixty, has been faithful to her husband,
and is well known for her good deeds, such as bringing up children, showing hospitality, washing the
feet of the saints, helping those in trouble and devoting herself to all kinds of good deeds (1 Tim 5:9-
10, NIV).
We see that those who qualify to be on the widow’s list must be sixty years and above. There is a reason of why
they should be of that specified range of age. The reasons below explain why.

6 from Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Copyright © 1986, Thomas Nelson Publishers
7 Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary
8 Donald Guthrie, The Tyndale New Testament commentaries: The pastoral epistles (IVP: England, 1990), 112.
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