Ver. 16. “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.” Observe how again he speaks of those as “widows indeed,” who are left destitute, and have no resource from any other quarter. It was better to have it so. For thus two great objects were attained. Those1270 had an opportunity of doing good, whilst these were honorably maintained, and the Church not burdened. And he has well said, “If any believer.” For it is not fit that believing women should be maintained by unbelievers, lest they should seem to stand in need of them. And observe how persuasively he speaks; he has not said, “let them maintain them expensively,” but “let them relieve them.” “That the Church,” he says, “may relieve them that are widows indeed.” She therefore has the reward of this help also, for she that helps the Church, helps not her only, but those widows too whom the Church is thus enabled to maintain more bountifully. “I will therefore that the younger widows”—do what? live in luxury and pleasure? By no means; but—“marry, bear children, guide the house.” That he may not be supposed to encourage them to live luxuriously, he adds, that they give no occasion to the adversary to speak reproachfully. They ought indeed to have been super- ior to the things of this world, but since they are not, let them abide in them at least upright. Ver. 17, 18. “Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially they who labor in the word and doctrine. For the Scripture saith, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn. And, The laborer is worthy of his reward.” The “honor” of which he here speaks is attention to them, and the supply of their neces- sities, as is shown by his adding, “Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn” (Deut. xxv. 4.); and, “The laborer is worthy of his reward.” (Luke x. 7.) So when he says, “Honor widows,” he means, “support” them in all that is necessary. Thus he says, “That it may relieve those that are widows indeed”; and again, “Honor widows that are widows in- deed,” that is, who are in poverty, for the greater their poverty, the more truly are they widows. He alleges the Law, he alleges the words of Christ, both agreeing herein. For the Law says, “Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn.” See how he would have the teacher labor! For there is not, indeed there is not, any other labor such as his. But this is from the Law. But how does he quote from Christ? “The laborer is worthy of his reward.” Let us not then look only to the reward, but to the terms of the commandment. “The laborer,” he says, “is worthy of his reward.” So that if any one lives in sloth and luxury, he is unworthy of it. Unless he is as the ox treading out the corn, and bearing the yoke, in spite of heat and thorns, and ceases not till he has carried the corn into the granary, he is not worthy. Therefore to teachers should be granted a supply of their necessities without grudging, that they may not faint nor be discouraged, nor by attention to inferior things deprive themselves of 1270 Gr. fem. referring to the widows kept by their relations, see Hom. xiii. and xiv., or perhaps to women relieving them. See below, l. 9 of this page. Downes, missing the sense, guesses it should be ἐκεῖνοι. 797 1 Timothy 5:11-15