Through the expression of marriage, Paul once again teaches Timothy the one thing he should look to when shepherding the Ephesian congregation.

11 As for younger widows, do not put them on such a list. For when their sensual desires overcome their dedication to Christ, they want to marry. 

These younger (lit. new, fresh, youthful) widows may be those under 60 in comparison to v. 9, but in light of v. 14 later on, they seem to be those who are capable of getting married and having a family of their own.

It is assumed from this verse that once you are registered on the list as church widows, you are to serve the church and help look after the congregation.

The word for ‘sensual desires overcome’[1] is a strange compound word that occurs only once here in the entire New Testament. It is a combination of ‘according to’ and ‘to revel’, where revel means to excessively enjoy oneself. The Greek word for ‘to revel’[2] also appears only twice in the New Testament, both times in Revelation 18. It is used to describe those who mourn after Babylon’s fall, admiring its prosperity and luxury.

So, when Paul says here, ‘their sensual desire overcome and marry’, he does not refer to their ‘physical’ desire. He uses it as symbolism to mean those who pursue being ‘of the world’ while they are ‘in the world’, contrary to our Lord’s definition of God’s children: ‘They are not of the world, even as I am not of it’ (John 17:16). Therefore, ‘marry’ in this verse in particular indicates human affairs in the world but without God’s desire or His working in mind. Just as in, ‘For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark’ (Matt 24:38).

Unlike our readily presumption and judgement, Paul is not against young or old women, but anything that is contrary to revealing our God’s desire to make Himself known to all people through believers’ prayerful lifestyle in all spheres and their commitment to look to Him only (as opposed to themselves) to reflect His God-ness. A call to see a passage in light of the whole letter (at least, if not the whole Scripture).

12 Thus they bring judgment on themselves, because they have broken their first pledge. 

Coincidentally, a similar word is found in Revelation 2:4, which is addressed to the Ephesian church, where Timothy is now serving.

‘Yet I hold this against you: you have forsaken the love you had at first’ (Rev 2:4). The cross-reference points this verse to Jeremiah 2:2, where God refers the first love, ‘devotion of your youth’, to the time when Israel ‘followed me in the wilderness’. The time when Israel was with God all the time, with nothing else to look at. Although they tried many times to look elsewhere whenever they had opportunities, God considered it the time when Israel loved Him. This was the time when they were in the world but not of the world, before ‘Babylon’ was established.

13 Besides, they get into the habit of being idle and going about from house to house. And not only do they become idlers, but also busybodies who talk nonsense, saying things they ought not to. 

As discussed above, as a sign of becoming ‘of the world’, they begin to engage in worldly affairs without any concern of God in them.   

14 So I counsel younger widows to marry, to have children, to manage their homes and to give the enemy no opportunity for slander. 

The word for slander appears again in 1 Peter. Again, coincidentally, after talking about the wife and husband’s attitudes towards each other, ‘Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing’ (1 Pet 3:9). This slandering of the enemy is not only against the young widows but for the whole church, whom the enemy endeavours to turn into ‘Babylon’ all the time. More importantly, this is the slander beyond which believers must see the blessing we are called to inherit.

Marriage, raising children, and housekeeping in this verse would be a believer’s normal, quiet, mundane life, but with God in view, somewhat like in Ch. 3.

15 Some have in fact already turned away to follow Satan.

To those who remain in Babylon, our Lord still calls, ‘Come out, my people’ (Rev 18:4, Jer 51:6)! He does so through us, through believers, by our conduct and attitude in line with His desire, according to which Paul is giving these detailed and careful instructions to Timothy.

Dear Lord our God, I’m so sorry that I am so shortsighted and readily make decisions without considering your desire for me and for all people. When we see and make decisions about things, stop us and enlarge our views and minds so that we may remember your desire. Let us hear your voice calling us out from Babylon. You desire no evil person to perish with the city. You desire all people to come to know you, who are the truth. Lord, in a world prevalent with falsehood, let our hearts go out to those who are really in need—in need of material, but also in need of you, your true word. Let us be your voice, calling them to you. Let us provide them with your truth. Let us be of you, not of the world. Have mercy on us, O Lord, my Master.

Image: A map of Exodus, The Education Center of the National Library of Israel, via Wikimedia Commons

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[1] καταστρηνιάω (katastrēniaō) ‘to desire’ (G2691) to be filled with desires that conflict with dedication to someonefeel desirous

[2] στρηνιάω (strēniaō) ‘to revel’ (G4763) to revel, occurs twice – to be wanton, live in luxury, with an implication that this luxury contributes to improper sensuality and immorality; to revel, riot, Rev. 18:7, 9