1 b[Lev. 19:32] Do not rebuke an older man but encourage him as you would a father.cTitus 2:6 Treat younger men like brothers, 2 older women like mothers, younger women like sisters, in all purity.
3 Honor widowsdver. 5, 16 who are truly widows. 4 But if a widow has children or grandchildren, let them first learneMatt. 15:4-6; Mark 7:10-13; Eph. 6:1, 2; [Gen. 45:9-11] to show godliness to their own household and to make some return to their parents, forfch. 2:3 this is pleasing in the sight of God. 5 Shegver. 3, 16 who is truly a widow, left all alone, has set her hope on God andh[Luke 2:37; 18:1-5] continues in supplications and prayers night and day, 6 butiJames 5:5; [Ezek. 16:49] she who is self-indulgent isjRev. 3:1 dead even while she lives. 7 kch. 4:11; 6:2 Command these things as well, so that they may be without reproach. 8 But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially forlSee Gal. 6:10 members of his household, he hasmRev. 2:13; [2 Tim. 3:5; Titus 1:16; 2 Pet. 2:1; Rev. 3:8] denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.
9 Let a widow be enrolled if she is not less than sixty years of age, having beenn[ch. 3:2] the wife of one husband,1Or a woman of one man 10 and having a reputation for good works: if she has brought up children, hasn[See ver. 9 above] shown hospitality,oSee Gen. 18:4 has washed the feet of the saints, haspver. 16 cared for the afflicted, and hasq[ch. 6:18] devoted herself to every good work. 11 But refuse to enroll younger widows, for whenr[Rev. 18:3, 7, 9] their passions draw them away from Christ, they desire to marry 12 and so incur condemnation for having abandoned their former faith. 13 Besides that, they learn to be idlers, going about from house to house, and not only idlers, but alsos3 John 10 (Gk.) gossips andt2 Thess. 3:11; 1 Pet. 4:15 busybodies, saying what they should not. 14 So I would haveu[1 Cor. 7:9] younger widows marry, bear children,v[Titus 2:5] manage their households, andwch. 6:1; Titus 2:5, 8 give the adversary no occasion for slander. 15 x[ch. 1:20] For some have already strayed after Satan. 16 If any believing woman has relatives who are widows, let her care for them. Let the church not be burdened, so that it may care for thoseyver. 3, 5 who are really widows.
17 Let the elderszRom. 12:8; 1 Thess. 5:12; [1 Cor. 12:28] who rule well be considered worthy ofaDeut. 21:17 double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching. 18 For the Scripture says,b1 Cor. 9:9; Cited from Deut. 25:4 “You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain, ” and, cMatt. 10:10; Luke 10:7; [Lev. 19:13; Deut. 24:15; 1 Cor. 9:4, 7-14] “The laborer deserves his wages. ” 19 Do not admit a charge against an elder exceptdSee Deut. 19:15 on the evidence of two or three witnesses. 20 As for those who persist in sin,eTitus 1:13; 2:15 rebuke them in the presence of all,fDeut. 13:11 so that the rest may stand in fear. 21 In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of the elect angelsgch. 6:13; 2 Tim. 2:14; 4:1 I charge you to keep these rules without prejudging,hSee 2 Cor. 5:16 doing nothing from partiality. 22 i[ch. 3:10] Do not be hasty in thejSee Acts 6:6 laying on of hands, nork[2 John 11] take part in the sins of others; keep yourself pure. 23 (No longer drink only water, butl[ch. 3:8] use a little winemPs. 104:15 for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments.) 24 The sins of some men are conspicuous, going before them to judgment, but the sins of others appear later. 25 So also good works are conspicuous, andn[Ps. 37:6; Prov. 10:9] even those that are not cannot remain hidden.