Pastoral Epistles: 1 Timothy 5:13-14 - Reasons for the Exclusion

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. According to the original language, they too often qualify as idlers. Visits that should be for the purpose of ministry are now occasions for idleness “as they go around from house to house.” Nothing constructive occurs, and trivial activity occupies her.