The Lord's Concern for Widows, Part 2

Jim Butler1 Timothy 5:9–16

What qualifications must a widow meet for the church to enroll her in ongoing financial support, and how should the church handle younger widows? Expounding 1 Timothy 5:9–16, this sermon works through Paul's three-part framework: the existence of a formal widow's list, the qualifications for older widows (age, marital fidelity, and a record of good works), and the apostolic counsel to younger widows to marry, bear children, and manage the household rather than receive church support. The underlying principle throughout is that the church is a steward of God's resources and must distribute them according to Scripture, not sentiment — and that God's own character of compassion for the needy is the ultimate ground and pattern for the church's care.