Continuing in our study of 1 Timothy 5 Day 1. Read! By this time you should have been able to read 1 Timothy more than 5 or 6 times, hopefully in more than one version. Day 2. Older Men & Women - 1 Tim 5:1-2 Paul instructs TImothy to treat older brothers and sisters as he would his own father and mother; with respect, gentleness, and love. Does this characterize you in the fellowship? What about with your own parents? For leaders (especially young leaders) this exhortation to Timothy comes on the heals of Paul instructing Timothy to not let anyone look down on him (1 Tim 4:12) but instead set an example. Paul then follows up with the way that Timothy should confront and rebuke an older man. Have you ever had to confront an older man something he was in the wrong for? Would you shrink back from such a thing? Why or why not? Would you be able to do it with gentleness and respect? Day 3. Absolute Purity! 1 Tim 5:2 This of course is a challenge to all men, to treat women with ABSOLUTE purity. This is a high calling, and one that is not made easy by women in our culture, for even older women are wanting to look and stay young, even far past its appropriateness. Day 4. Worse Than An Unbeliever? 1 Tim 5:8 Paul instructs Timothy about the actions of some of the Christians there that were not taking care of their family as they aged and apparently expecting the church to pick up the responsibility, and the tab. Paul clearly rebukes this and says that if they have family (believers or not) they should be the ones to provide for them in their older age and non income generating years. This might challange some of today's popular thinking about 'retirement homes', especially the thinking motivated by convenience. But obviously there will be times and circumstances where care is needed that exceeds that which the family can personally give (i.e. medical, etc.) in which case outside assistance and help is necessary. Day 5. Don't Muzzle - 1 Tim 5:18 I believe this to be an admonition for Timothy to make sure that leaders were supported financially (as he likely was) as much as possible for their labor, especially when their labor is that of preaching and teaching. We are all in the 'ministry' (c.f. 2 Cor 5:11-21), but some should be supported to do the work of the ministry.