1 Timothy 5:11

1 Timothy 5:11 says, But the younger widows refuse: for when they have begun to wax wanton against Christ, they will marry;  Paul said to not help the younger widows because when they began to be in need they would marry.  We again have to remember that women in that day were dependent on a man to provide for them since they had very few rights and even few jobs available to them.  I am not sure that we should expect younger widows to marry just for security, and they have many more job opportunities today.  Still, they shouldn’t just rely on others to support them if they are unwilling to work to support themselves if they are physically able to do so.  

Verse twelve adds, Having damnation, because they have cast off their first faith.  Paul also said that young widows who cast off their faith would bring damnation to themselves.  I don’t believe that anyone who has truly accepted Jesus Christ as their personal Savior and Lord will ever lose their salvation, so to me this would mean widows who had never put their faith in God.  

Verse thirteen continues, And withal they learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house; and not only idle, but tattlers also and busybodies, speaking things which they ought not.  Paul said that these young widows who remained unmarried would have nothing but idle time on their hands and would wander around doing nothing but engaging in idle gossip.  Most young widows today are generally busy providing for themself and don’t have a lot of time for idle gossip, but there are some who expect family or society to provide for them, even if they are capable of providing for themselves.  Often those who are this way seem to enjoy spreading gossip about others instead of trying to provide for themselves.  

Verse fourteen states, I will therefore that the younger women marry, bear children, guide the house, give none occasion to the adversary to speak reproachfully.  Paul said it would be his desire that young widows get married again, have children, and guide her household so that no one would have any occasion to speak reproachfully about her.  He did not say that God commanded this, and not all young widows today who do not remarry live lives that bring them reproach.  I believe that if a young widow who is a Christian remarries, it should be because God had sent the right man to her.  

Verse fifteen adds. For some are already turned aside after Satan.  Paul said some young widows had already turned away from God and started following Satan.  I don’t believe that a Christian widow could ever lose her salvation, but she might engage in activities that she was tempted by Satan to do, and to me, that would even mean marrying for the wrong reason.

Verse sixteen adds If any man or woman that believeth have widows, let them relieve them, and let not the church be charged; that it may relieve them that are widows indeed.  Paul said if a family had widows that they should provide for them and not look to the rest of the church to do so.  We often look to the government or the church as a whole to meet the needs of our family that we ourselves should be meeting.