1 Timothy 5 addresses the treatment of one another in the family of God: - older and younger men and women (vv 1-2) - widows who have need (vv 3-16) - church elders (vv 17-25)

God's special care for widows is a recurring theme in Scripture (Deut 14:29; Ps 94:6; Mal 3:5). God issued special instruction for the care and protection of widows in the Old Testament (Deut 10:18; 24:17; Is 1:17). Similarly, in the New Testament, God has given the church a responsibility to care for widows in need (1 Tim 5:3-16; James 1:27).

Paul instructs us as the family of God, explaining how we must act, react, and interact among one another in the local church.

History is replete with examples of those who abandoned the faith. By God's grace, we will hold fast.