The Household of God
9/26/25 Bible Thought (1 Timothy 5)
I have seen an increased number of people online who talk about having no church affiliation. They claim to be believers, even believing themselves to be very mature in the faith—yet, they have no interest in the church.
For, they conclude, the church is corrupt. Pastors do not teach God’s Word and have fallen prey to a life of materialism with their private jets and other indulgences. This person’s church is merely experienced at home via YouTube and their choice of teacher.
To this, the apostle Paul puts forth an interesting idea in 1 Timothy 5.
Right from the outset, he outlines relationships within the household of God:
“Do not rebuke an older man but encourage him as you would a father, younger men as brothers, 2 older women as mothers, younger women as sisters, in all purity” (1 Tim. 5:1-2).
That is, Paul concludes you should treat other members of God’s household as if they are your own family because they are and this cannot be done outside of Christian community!
If we are born again, we not only have God as our Father but fellow believers as our brothers and sisters in Christ. We are made part of the family of God—the whole family.
As such, in the understanding of the apostle John, if we love the Father, we love His children (1 Jn. 5:1). More literally, if we love the Begetter, we will love His begotten. In fact, according to God’s Word if we do not love our brother whom we have seen, we cannot love God whom we have not seen! (1 Jn. 5:20).
The body of believers is not only called “the church of the living God” and “a pillar and buttress of the truth” but also the “household of God” (1 Tim. 3:15).
With this family vision in mind, Paul gives guidelines for the care of certain individuals within the church. Specifically, widows, who are truly widows—those who have no family to help—can lean on the family of God for their provision (1 Tim. 5:3-8). Likewise, those who serve as elders in the roles of preaching and teaching should be taken care of by the church and honored (1 Tim. 5:17-18).
The family of God ought to take care of their own people. How much we truly love God is proven by how much we love His people, for love is supposed to be the distinguishing characteristic of Jesus’ disciples (see Jn. 13:35).
As we seek to love our spiritual family, Paul concludes that while some good works are naturally conspicuous, none can remain hidden (1 Tim. 5:25).
God sees everything we do. Every good work done in private is known by God. Every secret sin is known by God (1 Tim. 5:24). Nothing that we do is hidden in His sight.
So, as we seek to love and care for our brothers and sisters in Christ, I truly believe that the Father sees this, and He is pleased to know His children are getting along.
Do we treat our church family like the family they really are?
Absolutely! Josiah, you have highlighted such a crucial truth being part of the family of God is not optional for believers. Paul reminds us in 1 Timothy 5:1–2 that we are to treat fellow believers as fathers, mothers, brothers, and sisters, because that is exactly what they are. Our love for God is inseparable from our love for His children (1 John 4:20). The church is not merely a building or an online experience it is the household of God, a living body of believers (1 Timothy 3:15), and we are called to care for one another. Just as widows and elders are to be honored and supported (1 Timothy 5:3–8, 17–18), every act of love and service, whether public or private, is seen by God (1 Timothy 5:24–25). True Christianity manifests in our relationships with our brothers and sisters in Christ, reflecting Jesus’ command By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another (John 13:35). Let us pray for wisdom, compassion, and the grace to live out this love in tangible ways within our church communities and beyond. May God bless our fellowship and strengthen our ministry, including in India, that His household may flourish and His name be glorified.