Brotherly love. The kindness and severity of God.

There is a text that I continue to find shocking. Maybe I understand it wrongly but it seems simple and clear on its face. As a backdrop, we all know that pure religion that honors and worships God helps the orphan abd widow in their need as they are most vulnerable. And of course, helping a Christian widow or orphan is an especially important duty and privilege of brotherly love. Here’s the shocking passage in that context of God’s heart for the vulnerable needy:

1 Timothy 5:9-10
A widow is to be put on the list only if she is not less than sixty years old, having been the wife of one man, having a reputation for good works; and if she has brought up children, if she has shown hospitality to strangers, if she has washed the saints’ feet, if she has assisted those in distress, and if she has devoted herself to every good work.

This is a very revealing condition of the Father’s love and mercy. In order for an elderly Christian widow, a child of God for whom Christ died, and who is alone and hungry with no other help than the church, God says don’t feed her unles she has been obedient and has loved the saints by meeting their needs during her walk. Am I getting that right ? What does it mean for us who aren’t widows ? I’m honestly wondering how to apply this text.

It’s actually similar to a passage where Paul said if a brother won’t work, don’t feed him and Paul went further and said avoid that hungry brother.

To be clear, I think the text is a very positive indication of how critical brotherly love and serving others is to God.

Do you think this is applicable today? Paul was writing to a specific culture in a specific time.

So I am not sure what your question is. I know of no church that supports widows. The SSA does that and families, hopefully.

Obviously, though, the principle Paul lays down is sound. He was no bleeding heart. People had to earn their right to be on the dole which seems only reasonable and fair.

Hi Todd,

Most cultures are very poor in the world. I’ve lived in a few nations like that. It’s a very relevant issue.

Second, I think the emphasis is 3 fold. God loves His people and seriously expects us to express that love in meeting each others’ needs. So serious is he that he considers it a condemning sin not to. Jesus says we will be a goat because we didn’t.

One main understanding of this historically by the church, was this is speaking of elder ladies being taken into the church for service and teaching the younger women and ministry to the poor similar to presbyters.

//seriously expects us to express that love in meeting each others’ needs.//

What "others?” There are a billion people in the world who live on less than $10.00 per day.

I am not arguing with your point. But as Jesus said, the poor will always be with us.

In other words, there is a practical aspect to your point that I would like you to elucidate on.

all people, especially the household of faith. I’m guessing Todd, but to answer your question……somewhere between zero and one billion. How many brothers and sisters do you think God is forcing us to help ?

Well, the basic idea of the parable of the Good Samaritan is that your neighbor is whoever needs you to be.

It is obvious that we are to help those brothers and sisters we know personally who are in need. We can also help folks we don’t know personally through volunteerism, donations etc.

Scripture is clear that we are to be generous. That word is defined as "showing a readiness to give more of something, as money or time, than is strictly necessary or expected.”

Thanks Todd. Consider this:

For if the eagerness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what a person has, not according to what he does not have. 13 It is not that there should be relief for others and hardship for you, but it is a question of equality. 14 At the present time your surplus is available for their need, so that their abundance may in turn meet your need, in order that there may be equality. 2 Corinthians 8:12-14 (CSB)

This word "equality” has to do with what is just, right or fair. The concept is that God has supplied our abundance, if we have it, because it belongs to and is given for someone else. Radical and challenging idea.

The same word is applied to the hypocritical Pharisees whom Jesus cursed in Matthew 23 because they tithed 10% but failed in the greater matters of justice or "equality” that God says his people were to have for those in need in the Kingdom in Deuteronomy.

Paul moves the conversation though in Philemon in a path by saying he could command Philemon to release his valuable possession (His slave) to meet Paul’s need but he hoped that Philemon, noted for his faith AND brotherly love, would give Paul what he needed as he was compelled by love which is actually what Paul says to Corinth when he says show your love to be genuine by meeting the needs of thousands of starving Christian Jews in Jerusalem.