MOOR of the Word with Pastor Chuck Pourciau

Paul stated that elders who rule well are worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching. The assumption is that some elders will not work as hard at preaching and teaching as others. Their role may be less prominent in those areas. “Work hard” means “to work to the point of fatigue or exhaustion.” It does not stress the amount of work, but rather the effort. Exce...

“Honor” is a word that generally means respect or regard, but it can also refer to financial support. The use here could be compared to the English word “honorarium” which is when money is given to someone to honor them.  Paul, as was his custom, does not refer to money directly. He prefers instead to deal with the heart attitude that will result in remuneration. Those who honor elders will not be...

The church will rise no higher than the level of its leadership. Therefore, the church must be diligent in recognizing, installing, and supporting its leaders. Just think of the tragedy of the failure of God’s people, Israel. It’s failure is was a failure of leadership. The story of Israel’s leaders is one of decline, apostasy, and defection, which led to the defection of the people.

By remarrying and rearing a family, a young widow will avoid bringing reproach on the cause of Christ. Consistent with her calling as described in verse 10, she will avoid falling into some sexual sin or some perversion of God’s intended role for women. On the other hand, those who violate God’s purposes give ammunition to the enemies of the church. So, by marrying, bearing children, and keeping t...

Paul has been explaining why younger widows shouldn’t be on the list of widows who participate in participate in the ministry of mentoring younger women and children. The first reason he gave in the previous verse is that they may find the vow to remain a widow until death a vow too difficult to keep. Here, in verse 13, he offered a second reason. This second reason is their lack of maturity. Acco...

The verb translated “refuse” is a very strong one, offering no wiggle room. In I Timothy 4:7, it was used to speak of rejecting false teaching. Paul provided two reasons for not entrusting these younger widows with this particular ministry role.

We noted in 1 Timothy 5:10 that Paul stated that the widow who is qualified to do ministry to younger women must have a reputation of good works. In the remainder of the verse, Paul shows us some of what such a reputation entails.  Please understand that these are qualities that should be evidenced in any woman who follows Jesus. Therefore, if they become 60-year-old widows, they will automaticall...

Their duties surely included helping with the baptism of women, visiting the sick, visiting prisoners, teaching and discipling younger women, helping younger women rear and nurture their children, and providing hospitality for visitors and strangers. They may have also assisted in placing orphans into proper Christian homes. That was a very important ministry in the Roman world, since orphaned or...

The church’s reputation, and that of her Lord, are at stake. According to Paul, by supporting those widows who are deserving, and refusing to support those who are not, the church, as well as its pastors, will be above criticism and God will be honored. Paul flipped over the coin and showed them the negative side of his admonition to be certain to care for the godly widows in their family and in t...

What does it mean that she has fixed her hope on God. It means that she knows that God has promised in the Scriptures to care for widows, and she trusts him to do so in her circumstance. As the Lord said in Jeremiah 49:11, “Let your widows trust in Me.”  Believer may choose to help non-Christian widows and that is admirable and good, but the church is obligated to provide for the believing ones. I...

Notice that he said that we are honor widows who are “widows indeed.” What’s the difference between a widow and a widow indeed? Not all widows are fully alone and without means. They may have family close by or even in the same home. They and their husbands may have been good stewards and she may have a secure retirement income. Widows indeed are the ones who are widows in need. 

As we navigate through the Bible, we see that God intends for the husband to care for and support his wife. When a wife is widowed, that support is gone. But she is still to be cared for. Because of that, God takes special interest in the plight of women who have lost their husbands. God has no patience with those who would bring harm to a widow or orphan. Exodus 22:22-24: “You shall not afflict a...

Nothing so easily makes or breaks a young pastor as his conduct with women. Thoughtlessness or indiscretion, as well as outright immorality, violate his calling to lead the flock to purity. Younger women must be confronted with their sin and encouraged to godliness. They must, however, never be led into sin, but be treated as beloved spiritual sisters whose purity is the highest consideration.

When confronting rebellious family members, we are to do so lovingly. After all, it’s love that led us to confront them in the first place. He counsels Timothy not to “sharply rebuke” an older man. This verb is a strong term that references harsh or violent rebuke. And this was not how to confront a brother or sister. He is prohibiting what could be termed as verbal violence. Even rebellious Chris...

Timothy was leader of a spiritual family in the city of Ephesus. Part of his role, and that of other brothers and sisters, was loving confrontation. Based on what we studied earlier in this epistle, there were some in the family who had abandoned truth and godliness. Others had, according to Paul, shipwrecked their faith. Some women were acting unbecomingly and seeking to usurp the role reserved o...

Timothy was a young man in the reckoning of his culture. He faced some formidable foes in the Ephesian false teachers. Paul reminded Timothy of his constant prayers on his behalf, as he remembered Timothy’s tears. About three years after writing this first epistle to him, Paul had to exhort Timothy to rekindle his spiritual gift in 2 Timothy 1. He reminded him that power, not fear, came from God....

Timothy was a young man in the reckoning of his culture. He faced some formidable foes in the Ephesian false teachers. Paul reminded Timothy of his constant prayers on his behalf, as he remembered Timothy’s tears. About three years after writing this first epistle to him, Paul had to exhort Timothy to rekindle his spiritual gift in 2 Timothy 1. He reminded him that power, not fear, came from God....

Didaskalia (teaching) is found fifteen times in the three pastoral letters of Paul. As you might expect, it involves the systematic explanation of Scripture. This can be done one on one, in small groups, or with the entire congregation. In short, the effective pastor is involved continually in disseminating the truth of Scripture to his people. He does so by many different means. 

The verb “give attention to” was a present active indicative verb. It is an ongoing activity. It never ceases. This was to be Timothy’s continual focus. It was to be a way of life. This encompasses not just the act of teaching, but all the commitment, study, and preparation associated with it. Such a commitment will consume much of the pastor’s time. If it doesn’t, disaster awaits. In this era of...

Paul instructed Timothy to be an example in love. Of course, Paul was referencing Biblical love, since it is vastly different from the version of love proposed by the world. Biblical love involves self-sacrificing service on behalf of others regardless of how one feels. One does not have to feel affection toward someone treat them lovingly because Biblical love isn’t based on emotions. Note how Je...

How was Timothy to be an example? First, he was to be an example in speech. Our speech must reflect he will and ways of God. In my previous church, there was another pastor in the county known as the cussing preacher. How seriously do you think his congregation took his sermons?

This authority with which the pastor delivers the Lord’s message is built on a fourfold foundation. First, he has a strong commitment to the authority of Scripture. If he is in any way unsure of the veracity of the Bible, his preaching will lack authority. The second stone in his foundation of authority is the right interpretation of Scripture. If he is uncertain as to its meaning, how will he eff...

The word translated “prescribe” means to command or to order. When a pastor is proclaiming the clear truth of Scripture, he doesn’t have to soft-pedal or apologize for it. In fact, he must not. He must declare it boldly and without hesitation. It must not appear as a suggestion or one option among many. He’s not just throwing out some ideas to be considered. He is delivering not his truth, but God...

A godly pastor lives with home that is not motivated by instant gratification. According to this verse, he has fixed his home not on immediate results but on the living God. He constantly labors with a focus on eternity, on treasures that will not deteriorate, on building up treasures in heaven. Earthly acclaim is not his goal. Instead, he has his focus on the invisible kingdom in the realm of ete...

As helpful as it is, physical fitness is still an earthly treasure that doesn’t carry over into eternity. We must be sure that it doesn’t become the idol in and of itself. Rather, we seek fitness so that we may be most fully usable by God in this life. We must view it as a means to an end and not as an end itself.