Verse 16. If any man or woman that believeth. Christians are often simply called believers, because faith is the leading and most important act of their religion.

Have widows. Widowed mothers, or grandmothers, or any other widows whose support would naturally devolve on them.

Let them relieve them. That is, let them support them. This was an obvious rule of duty. See Barnes "1 Ti 5:8".

Nothing can be more unreasonable than to leave those who are properly dependent on us to be supported by others, when we are able to maintain them ourselves.

That it may relieve, etc. That it may have the means of supporting those who are truly dependent. To require or expect the church, therefore, to support those whom we ought ourselves to support, is, in fact, to rob the poor and friendless. In regard to these directions respecting widows, 1 Ti 5:3-16, we may remark in general, as the result of the exposition which has been given,

(1.) they were to be poor widows, who had not the means of support themselves.

(2.) They were, probably, to be not merely supported, but to be usefully employed in the service of the church, particularly in overseeing the conduct, and imparting instruction to the female members.

(3.) They were to be of such age and character that there would be security of stability and correctness of deportment; such that they would not be tempted to leave the situation, or to act so as to give occasion of reproach.

(4.) It is by no means certain that this was intended to be a permanent arrangement. It grew probably out of the peculiar customs respecting intercourse between the sexes in the oriental world, and would undoubtedly be proper now in similar circumstances. But it by no means follows that this arrangement is binding on the churches where the customs of society are different. Yet

(5.) the passage inculcates the general principle that the poor widows of the church are to be assisted, when they have no relatives on whom they can naturally depend. No class of people are more helpless than aged widows, and for that class God has always shown a special concern, and his people should do so likewise.

{*} "charged" "burdened"