Page 79 - Pastoral Ministries -Student Textbook

Windows not to be considered on the support list of the church
2. Young widows

Young widows who are not be put on the list due to the following reasons:
Their sensual desires overcome their dedication to Christ and they want to remarry. Thus, they bring
judgment on themselves, because they have broken their first pledge. Besides, they get into the
habit of being idle and going about from house to house. And not only do they become idlers, but
also gossips and busybodies, saying things they ought not to. So, Paul counselled younger widows to
marry, to have children, to manage their homes and to give the enemy no opportunity for slander.
Some have in fact already turned away to follow Satan (1 Tim 5:11-15, NIV).

The pastor has a responsibility of encouraging these young widows to get married so that they may manage
their homes, giving the enemy no opportunity for slander.

Now there some who are not less than 60 years but because of the nature of their environment they are also
not considered on the support list of the church and these are:

The widow with children

But if a widow has children or grandchildren, these should learn first of all to put their religion into
practice by caring for their own family and so repaying their parents and grandparents, for this is
pleasing to God (v.4).

In this situation we see that the church or the pastor has a great responsibility of teaching his congregation the
need of young people to obey God in their attitude and actions toward their parents. He has to encourage them
reminding them that it is something highly pleasing to God. In this situation the widow may have support from
her children or grandchildren hence she cannot be a burden to the church.

Widows under a believing woman

If any woman who is a believer has widows in her family, she should help them and not let the church be
burdened with them, so that the church can help those widows who are really in need (1 Tim 5:16, NIV).

The pastor or the church also has a responsibility of teaching godly women who have widows to take this
responsibility of caring for those widows in their families so that the church focuses on those who are really in
need.

Pastoral ministry toward widowers
Who is a widower? If we are to follow the definition of a widow above and replace ‘widow’ with ‘widower’, then
a widower is a man who lost his wife and has remained unmarried.

What we have noticed in the instructions that were given to Timothy in 1 Tim 5 is that widowers are not in the
picture. Looking at how vulnerable widows are both in that culture and our cultures today one can rightly hold
as to why they are a big concern in sight of God.

To those widowers who are young it is right for them to be encouraged to get married especially if they are
unable to control themselves. To those who are older I think this suggestion also goes to them “Now to the
unmarried … I say: It is good for them to stay unmarried, as I am. But if they cannot control themselves, they
should marry, for it is better to marry than to burn with passion 1 Cor 7:8-9,NIV).

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