牧者的责任
提摩太前书五章1至8节
1不可严责老年人，只要劝他如同父亲；劝少年人如同弟兄；
2劝老年妇女如同母亲；劝少年妇女如同姐妹；总要清清洁洁的。
3要尊敬那真为寡妇的。
4若寡妇有儿女，或有孙子、孙女，便叫他们先在自己家中学着行孝，报答亲恩，因为这在神面前是可悦纳的。
5那独居无靠真为寡妇的，是仰赖神，昼夜不住地祈求祷告。
6但那好宴乐的寡妇，正活着的时候也是死的。
7这些事你要嘱咐她们，叫她们无可指责。
8人若不看顾亲属，就是背了真道，比不信的人还不好。不看顾自己家里的人更是如此。
信息分享
这整章经文充满对待不同类别会友的建议。头两节经文是教导牧者怎样对待四个类别的信徒：年长的、年轻的、年长和年轻的妇女。保罗教导提摩太的原则，同样适用于我们今天。
请特别留意第5节的规劝。保罗形容寡妇是「独居无靠」，实在是非常的贴切。你想象过她们的境况吗？今天的教会有不少寡妇。女性的寿命可能比男性长十年甚至更多，而这十多年会非常孤独。
我们的教会可以在哪些方面服侍她们呢？我们可以怎样关顾她们的需要呢？她们去教会需不需要接送？他们是否还和家人住在一起？她们屋前的草需不需要修剪？她们有没有做不了的杂事，而教会弟兄却能帮助完成？她们如何购物？他们的家人是否住得太远，无法提供帮助？我们能不能在某些方面满足她们的需要？
留意保罗怎样描述这些寡妇，他说她们「仰赖神，昼夜不住地祈求祷告」。探访这样的寡妇，一定叫我们同蒙祝福，我们愿意尝试吗？
今天最后一节经文直截了当地提醒我们。注意保罗在第8节说：「人若不看顾自己家里的人，就是背了真道，比不信的人还不好。」因此，看顾家里的人，不单是我们的责任，更是活在世人面前的一个见证。愿神帮助我们活出一个真正基督徒的样式。
THE MANY RESPONSIBILITIES OF A PASTOR
1 Timothy 5: 1-8
1 Do not rebuke an older man, but exhort him as a father, younger men as brothers,
2 older women as mothers, younger women as sisters, with all purity.
3 Honor widows who are really widows.
4 But if any widow has children or grandchildren, let them first learn to show piety at home and to repay their parents; for this is good and[a] acceptable before God.
5 Now she who is really a widow, and left alone, trusts in God and continues in supplications and prayers night and day.
6 But she who lives in pleasure is dead while she lives.
7 And these things command, that they may be blameless.
8 But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.
Message
This whole chapter is filled with instructions regarding the various groups. The first two verses cover the pastor’s attitude to four different groups, men who are older than the pastor, young men of the same age, older women and younger women. While it is addressed to Pastor Timothy, the principles involved can be applied to us today.
Notice particularly the tenderness of verse 5. “A widow who is really in need and left all alone” is a vivid picture. Can you picture her for yourself? There are dozens of these ladies in our churches today.
Life expectancy for women is greater than that for men by possibly ten years or more but those ten years can be extremely lonely.
Can your church, my church be doing more for these believing ladies? In what way can we be more thoughtful of their needs? Do they need a ride to the services? Are they still living in the family home? Does the grass need cutting? Are there odd jobs they can’t do but some of the men in our church could do? What about shopping? Is their family living too far away to help? Can we respond to their need in some way?
Notice the description Paul gives of these believing women – “the window puts her trust in God and continues night and day to pray and ask God for help.” It would be a blessing to visit a widow like that. It would be a challenge to us.
The last verse of today’s reading speaks very plainly to us all. Notice again what Paul said in verse 8, “If anyone does not provide for his relatives and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the truth (of the Gospel) and is worse than an unbeliever.” It all comes back to our personal responsibilities and our example before the world. May God help us to be true in our profession of being a follower of Christ!