1 Timothy 5 is the fifth chapter of the

First Epistle to Timothy The First Epistle to Timothy is one of three letters in the New Testament of the Bible often grouped together as the pastoral epistles, along with Second Timothy and Titus. The letter, traditionally attributed to the Apostle Paul, consists ma ...

in the

New Testament The New Testament grc, Ἡ Καινὴ Διαθήκη, transl. ; la, Novum Testamentum. (NT) is the second division of the Christian biblical canon. It discusses the teachings and person of Jesus, as well as events in first-century Christ ...

of the

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words '' Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρ ...

Bible The Bible (from Koine Greek , , 'the books') is a collection of religious texts or scriptures that are held to be sacred in Christianity, Judaism, Samaritanism, and many other religions. The Bible is an anthologya compilation of texts o ...

. The author has been traditionally identified as Paul the Apostle since as early as AD 180, Halley, Henry H. ''Halley's Bible Handbook'': an abbreviated Bible commentary. 24th edition. Zondervan Publishing House. 1965. p. 631Holman Illustrated Bible Handbook. Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville, Tennessee. 2012. although most modern scholars consider the letter

pseudepigraphical Pseudepigrapha (also anglicized as "pseudepigraph" or "pseudepigraphs") are falsely attributed works, texts whose claimed author is not the true author, or a work whose real author attributed it to a figure of the past.Bauckham, Richard; "Pseu ...

, perhaps written as late as the first half of the second century AD. This chapter deals with church organisation, especially in relation to

widow A widow (female) or widower (male) is a person whose spouse has died. Terminology The state of having lost one's spouse to death is termed ''widowhood''. An archaic term for a widow is "relict," literally "someone left over". This word can ...

s and elders.Drury, C., ''73. The Pastoral Epistles'', in Barton, J. and Muddiman, J. (2001)
The Oxford Bible Commentary
, p. 1226

Text

The original text was written in

Koine Greek Koine Greek (; Koine el, ἡ κοινὴ διάλεκτος, hē koinè diálektos, the common dialect; ), also known as Hellenistic Greek, common Attic, the Alexandrian dialect, Biblical Greek or New Testament Greek, was the common supra-reg ...

. This chapter is divided into 25 verses.

Textual witnesses

Some early manuscripts containing the text of this chapter are: *

Codex Sinaiticus The Codex Sinaiticus ( Shelfmark: London, British Library, Add MS 43725), designated by siglum [Aleph] or 01 (in the Gregory-Aland numbering of New Testament manuscripts), δ 2 (in the von Soden numbering of New Testament manuscripts ...

(AD 330–360) *

Codex Alexandrinus The Codex Alexandrinus (London, British Library, Royal MS 1. D. V-VIII), designated by the siglum A or 02 (in the Gregory-Aland numbering of New Testament manuscripts), δ 4 (in the von Soden numbering of New Testament manuscripts), is a manu ...

(400–440) *

Codex Ephraemi Rescriptus The Codex Ephraemi Rescriptus (Paris, National Library of France, Greek 9) designated by the siglum C or 04 {in the Gregory-Aland numbering of New Testament manuscripts), δ 3 (in the von Soden numbering of New Testament manuscripts), is a m ...

(c. 450; extant verses 1–19) *

Codex Freerianus Codex Freerianus, designated by I or 016 (in the Gregory-Aland numbering), α 1041 ( von Soden), also called the ''Washington Manuscript of the Pauline Epistles'', is a 5th-century manuscript in an uncial hand on vellum in Greek. It is named afte ...

(c. 450; extant verses 5–9, 16–19) *

Codex Claromontanus Codex Claromontanus, symbolized by Dp, D2 or 06 (in the Gregory-Aland numbering), δ 1026 ( von Soden), is a Greek-Latin diglot uncial manuscript of the New Testament, written in an uncial hand on vellum. The Greek and Latin texts are on facing p ...

(c. 550)

Old Testament references

* 1 Timothy 5:18:

New Testament references

* 1 Timothy 5:18:

Verse 1

:''Do not rebuke an older man, but exhort him as a father, younger men as brothers,'' The word ''presbuteros'' is used here and elsewhere in this chapter. In Greek, it is used both to designate

old age Old age refers to ages nearing or surpassing the life expectancy of human beings, and is thus the end of the human life cycle. Terms and euphemisms for people at this age include old people, the elderly (worldwide usage), OAPs (British usage ...

and as the title of an office in Judaism and Christianity. This usage can lead to some ambiguity, but in the first verse it is best regarded as concerning older men within the community.

"Real widows" and other widows (5:3–16)

The writer's advice regarding widows is more "detailed and precise" than the advice about other groups given elsewhere in the letter.

Verse 16

:''If any believing man or woman has widows, let them relieve them, and do not let the church be burdened, that it may relieve those who are really widows.'' * "If any believing man or woman has widows": that is, if any member of a church have mothers, grandmothers or any near relatives who are widows, and incapable of taking care of themselves. * "Let them relieve them and let not the church be charged": the members should take care of them out of their own substance; which is what Paul previously calls to show piety at home, and requit their own parents, so not burden the church with the maintenance of them. * "Those who are really widows" (KJV: "that are widows indeed"): so the church may be in a better capacity, to supply the needs of the widows who have neither children nor any relatives to provide for them. Gill, J.
''John Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible'' – 1 Timothy 5:16
/ref>

The rights of elders (5:17–19)

Verse 18

:''For the Scripture says,'' ::''"You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain,"'' :''and,'' ::''"The laborer is worthy of his wages."'' *"You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain": citing verbatim . *"The laborer is worthy of his wages": citing 'a saying of Jesus', according to . ::''"And remain in the same house, eating and drinking such things as they give, for the laborer is worthy of his wages. Do not go from house to house."''

Verse 23

:''Stop drinking only water, and use a little wine because of your stomach and your frequent illnesses.'' Whilst this verse appears to provide some personal advice for

Timothy Timothy is a masculine name. It comes from the Greek name ( Timόtheos) meaning "honouring God", "in God's honour", or "honoured by God". Timothy (and its variations) is a common name in several countries. People Given name * Timothy (given name ...

, biblical commentator Clare Drury suggests that "it may also be a roundabout way of attacking the

asceticism Asceticism (; from the el, ἄσκησις, áskesis, exercise', 'training) is a lifestyle characterized by abstinence from sensual pleasures, often for the purpose of pursuing spiritual goals. Ascetics may withdraw from the world for their p ...

of the writer's opponents".Drury, C., ''73. The Pastoral Epistles'', in Barton, J. and Muddiman, J. (2001)
The Oxford Bible Commentary
, p. 1227

References

Sources

External links

* King James Bible - Wikisource
English Translation with Parallel Latin Vulgate''Online Bible'' at GospelHall.org
(ESV, KJV, Darby, American Standard Version, Bible in Basic English)
Multiple bible versions at ''Bible Gateway''
(NKJV, NIV, NRSV etc.) {{First Epistle to Timothy 05