1 Timothy 5:14Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

"Therefore I desire." Since they themselves desire it, I also desire that young widows marry, bear children, attend to the household, and remain at home. To do this is much better than anything else.

They ought indeed to have cared for the service of God and to have kept the faith. But if this is lacking, then the latter is better than the former. In that case God is not rejected, and they themselves do not learn this idleness.

There will be no profit from such widowhood. But from this marriage there may be many good things. Through it their careless and sluggish mind may be turned toward good.

But why, you ask, did the Apostle not say that, since the widows had fallen, they must use special care not to suffer what I have described? Why does he command them to marry?

Because marriage is not forbidden, and because he places them in a secure position. Therefore he adds, "and give the adversary no occasion for reproach."

Since at that time many widows, probably freed from married life as from a kind of bondage and slavery, used the life that followed very freely and willfully, they brought evil report upon themselves by such shamelessness.

Therefore Paul, to turn them away from this destructive freedom, again subjects them to the former yoke. If, he says, some widow intends to commit adultery secretly and dishonor herself, it is far better for her to marry.

Thus they will not give the adversary any occasion for reproach. In this way he commanded widows to marry, so that they would not give occasions for slander and would not lead a shameful and dissolute life.

Since he said, "that they manage the house," he added, "give no occasion for reproach." He did this so it would not seem that he gives them freedom to surrender to worldly pleasures.

Thus, he says, care for the house so that you do not harm the soul. Moreover, here the Apostle shows with complete clarity why he makes this concession to young widows.

He does it so as not to give the devil occasion to mock them. For after becoming brides of Christ, they may later fall into impure deeds through the instability proper to youth.

For this reason I bring them under the yoke of marriage. Having neither time nor leisure, they will have no opportunity to commit the many evil deeds shown above.

"For when they accept the resolve to remain widows for Christ, they enter into a covenant with Christ, that they are betrothed to Him forever. But when they incline toward marriage with a man, they break this covenant. For this they are subject to condemnation" (Oecumenius, Theophylact).

These heretics preached harmful celibacy, partly from error and partly with vile aims. They easily achieved those aims among young widows.

"The young widows themselves gave occasion for this ordinance concerning them," says Theophylact. "They did not endure widowhood. In accepting such a resolve, to remain widows for Christ, they enter into a covenant with Him. By it they are betrothed to Him forever.

But when they incline toward marriage, they break this covenant and are subject to condemnation. Being conquered by desires for pleasures and having grown cold toward widowhood, they only pretend to keep away from marriage. In reality they desire it.

As a result, with coarse arrogance and insensibility, they grow wanton and turn their eyes away from Christ as Bridegroom."

"It is clear that they chose widowhood lightly, without careful thought," says John Chrysostom.

"It would of course have been better if they had not turned away from Christ and had not broken their vow. But since some slip into this, let them rather not enter into a covenant with Christ. Let them not vow to dedicate themselves to Him, but marry again" (Oecumenius).

"For in this case God is not rejected, and they themselves do not learn to be idle. But lest you think that the Apostle gives them license to live as they please, he added: 'to give no occasion to the adversary for reproach.'

He rejects these widows because he does not want them to commit adultery. He does not want them to be idle, inquisitive without need, or to say what they ought not. He does not want the devil to find in them an occasion for condemnation.

If this were not the case, he would not have rejected them."

By this they bring condemnation upon themselves as having betrayed the trust they formerly enjoyed from the Church, "because they have rejected the first faith."

To guard the Church from unworthy deaconesses, such as already existed even in the Apostle's time among certain young widows tempted by the devil, the Apostle finally commands care for widows.

This care is to be given not only by close relatives, but by their acquaintances in general. Then, such is the Apostle's thought, young widows will have no need to seek means of livelihood in the diaconate.

“It would certainly be better if, having once entered the choir of widows, they did not turn away from Christ as from the Bridegroom, nor break this first vow of theirs.

But since some slip into this, it is better that, without entering into a covenant with Christ and without giving a vow to dedicate themselves to Him, they enter marriage again. In this there is no sin. But the other, to make a vow and break it, accords with nothing” (Oecumenius).

“Since they themselves wish it, I also wish younger widows to marry, bear children, manage the household, and remain at home. To do this is far better than some other unseemly thing.

True, they ought to care for the service of God, so as to please God. They ought to care for the service of God, so as to please God. They ought to keep the faith, the vow.

But if this is lacking, then it is better that the latter be present than the former. In that case God is not rejected, and they themselves do not learn this, namely, to be idle and the rest.

For there will be no benefit from such widowhood, but from this marriage many good things may be expected. As a result, their careless and lazy mind may turn toward good.

But why, you will say, did the Apostle not say that, since widows had fallen, they should use special diligence not to experience what I have spoken of? Why does he command them to marry?

Because second marriage was not forbidden, and because it placed them in a secure position. Therefore he adds: ‘to give no occasion to the adversary for reproach,’ no occasion at all.

Therefore he rejects these widows not because he does not want them to be young. Rather, he does not want them to commit adultery. He does not want them to be idle or needlessly inquisitive, nor to say what they should not.

He does not want the devil to find in them an occasion for condemnation. If this were not so, he would not have rejected them.

‘I desire,’ he says, ‘the younger’ to do what? To gorge themselves? Or to give themselves to luxury? Nothing of the sort, but ‘to marry, bear children, and manage the household.’

So that you may not think he gives them freedom to spend life in pleasures, he adds: ‘to give no occasion to the adversary for reproach.’ They ought to be above worldly cares and concerns.

But if they are below them, let them at least stand on the same level with them. That is, let them work out their salvation by living as they should amid worldly affairs” (Chrysostom).

“It is better for them to manage the household, oikodespotein, that is, to be mistresses in the house and strictly maintain good order there. This means caring for their own house and bearing the labors and works connected with it.

This is better than going about other people’s houses, chattering, and spending time in idleness. Yet again, even when managing a house, they must not give themselves to worldly pleasures.

They must conduct household affairs in such a way that, with all their care for them, they do not harm the soul. The Apostle showed this by the words, ‘to give no occasion to the adversary,’ that is, to the opponent, antikeimeno, the enemy, the devil.

One may also understand these words in this way. In them the Apostle shows the aim and motive for which he makes such a condescension to young widows.

He says it is in order not to give the devil an occasion to mock them, if, after becoming brides of Christ, they later fall into impure deeds through the inconstancy proper to youth.

For this reason I lead them under the yoke of marriage. Having neither time nor leisure, they will have no opportunity to commit a heap of the evil deeds shown above” (blessed Theophylact).

“Care and concern over the affairs of the house will not let them gape and languish from doing nothing. Thus surrounded on every side and without interruption by necessary tasks, they will, even unwillingly, become accustomed to living prudently” (Oecumenius).