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1 Timothy 5:8
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8 But [de] if any [ei tis] provide [pronoeo] not [ou] for his own, [idios] and [kai] specially [malista] for those of his own house, [oikeios] he hath denied [arneomai] the faith, [pistis] and [kai] is [esti] worse than [cheiron] an infidel. [apistos] KJV-Interlinear
8 But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith, and is worse than an unbeliever. NASB
Only a few words need to be straightened out here, in order to understand this verse.
First the word for denied, ‘arneomai,’ which means to reject, contradict, refuse.
The second word or rather phrase is, ‘worse than an infidel.’ This is not a reference to your spiritual status, but is an expression used to express extreme disgust in someone for not doing (or for doing in some cases) what they are supposed to do (or not do).
An infidel is a broad word usually referring to unbelievers, or those who do not believe in the things that ‘believers’ believe in. It is usually used in a derogatory way, to show bias, or prejudice, or repulsiveness, or revulsion toward someone.
When someone does something that you are horrified with, you will generally compare them with something disgusting while at the same time insulting them. You might say that they are lower than a snake, or worse than a pile of dog doo-doo, or something of that nature. Of course you probably will use more colorful language while expressing your disapproval.
And anyway, our subject here is the people who do not take care of their own.
To provide, ‘pronoeo,’ means to plan before. This indicates forethought. And its connotation is that you have someone in your family (widows are our context as the example of someone who is helpless), or your entire family in general, or others who are near to you, but not necessarily a part of your family.
The expression, ‘not for his own,’ is vague intentionally to describe those who you know and are in need of help.
And then ‘especially for ones own family’ further defines those immediate family or extended family members, such that this creates a larger circle of acquaintances (family and friends, etc.).
And now since you have the means (this is presumed), and are aware of someone's need, but within your own mind you have already decided (your general attitude toward others, greed, selfishness, etc) to not help them, then that makes you the worst kind of low life, less than human, disgusting person that words can’t even begin to describe.
If you do not have the means, then this does not apply, unless you take your limited resources and give it away, thus cheating your own immediate family, etc. And in that case then this principle would apply.
This refusal to help is not limited to widows or relatives or friends simply because they are having financial difficulties, but it also extends to parents who will give to the church and starve their children, thinking that they are doing Gods work, but sacrificing their own children so to speak, by their good deeds. Or parents who pray for health cures, but refuse to see a doctor (who has the cure). And so forth.
It is these types of people who are irresponsible, and disobedient to the mandate that God gives to all people, especially Christians, to take care of your own. We have already studied this principle in this chapter and in the previous chapter.
To disobey God, in the name of God, believing that you are somehow being good, when in fact you are nothing more than arrogant and naïve, is the quintessence of hypocrisy and the dysfunctional spiritual life.
Even unbelievers accept personal responsibility for their own, and that based on common sense intuition of what is the right thing to do.
Therefore, believers who presumably have the Word of God to back them up, with an understanding of compassion and charity and responsibility and so forth, but refuse to follow these obvious principles of life, makes them more disgusting then unbelievers who are not even guided by doctrinal principles.
God never authorizes disobedience in the name of obedience.
You cannot do something wrong and call it right.
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