Bible Time

¹DO not rebuke an elder, but treat him as a father, and the younger men as your brothers; ²And the elder women treat as mothers, and the younger as your sisters, with all purity. ³Honor widows who are widows indeed. ⁴And if any of the widows have children or grandchildren, let them know that aid should be sought first from those of their own household so that the children have the opportunity to repay their obligations to their parents; for this is acceptable before God. ⁵Now she who is indeed a widow and destitute trusts in God and is constant in prayers and supplications both night and day. ⁶But she who lives wholly for pleasure is dead while she lives. ⁷Continually charge them with these things, so that they may be blameless. ⁸But, if any man does not provide for his own, and especially for those who are of his own household who are of the faith, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. ⁹When you select a worthy widow to help, select therefore one who is not less than 60 years, who has been the wife of one man only, ¹⁰And is well spoken of for good works, if she has brought up children, if she has lodged strangers, if she has washed the feet of the saints, if she has comforted the distressed, if she has been diligent in every good work. ¹¹But refuse the younger widows; for when they have begun to wax wanton against Messiah, they will marry. ¹²Their judgment awaits them because they have been untrue to their first faith. ¹³And with it all, they learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house; and not only to be idle, but also tattlers and busybodies, speaking things which they ought not. ¹⁴I would, therefore, that the younger widows marry, bear children, manage their own households, and give no occasion to the adversary for disdain. ¹⁵For, as conditions are now, some have already strayed after Satan. ¹⁶If any believers, either men or women, have widows in their families, let them feed them, and do not let them be a burden on the congregation, so that the church may have enough for those who are widows indeed.

¹⁷Let the elders who minister well be esteemed worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in the word and doctrine. ¹⁸For the scripture says, You will not muzzle the ox that threshes. And again, The laborer is worthy of his hire. ¹⁹Do not accept an accusation against an elder unless it is supported by the testimony of 2 or 3 witnesses. ²⁰Those who sin, rebuke in the presence of all men, that others may also fear. ²¹I adjure you before God and our Lord Jesus Messiah and his elect angels that you observe these things without prejudice, doing nothing by partiality. ²²Do not lay hands hastily on any man, nor be a partaker of other men's sins; keep yourself pure. ²³Do not drink water in excess, but use a little wine for your stomach's sake and because of your frequent illnesses. ²⁴There are men whose crimes are well known and the notoriety of them precedes them to the house of judgment, and there are others, the notoriety of whose crimes follows after them; ²⁵Likewise the fame of the good works of some is also well known beforehand; and if their acts are otherwise, they cannot be hidden either.