What??????????

140 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 1Ti 5:9 Do not let a widow under sixty years old be taken into the number, and not unless she has been the wife of one man, 10 well reported for good works: if she has brought up children, if she has lodged strangers, if she has washed the saints' feet, if she has relieved the afflicted, if she has diligently followed every good work. 11 But refuse the younger widows; for when they have begun to grow wanton against Christ, they desire to marry, 12 having condemnation because they have cast off their first faith. 13 And besides they learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house, and not only idle but also gossips and busybodies, saying things which they ought not. 14 Therefore I desire that the younger widows marry, bear children, manage the house, give no opportunity to the adversary to speak reproachfully. 15 For some have already turned aside after Satan. 16 If any believing man or woman has widows, let them relieve them, and do not let the church be burdened, that it may relieve those who are really widows. Wow! What in the world are we to make of this? How does this portion of Scripture match up with 2Ti 3:16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness? What can we learn from this today in our culture? What are the timeless lessons here for the church? Why is this included in holy writ? I hope in the next couple of days, we'll be able to sort through some of these things and the Holy Spirit will clarify what needs to be clarified, and teach us what needs to be taught. ​ For starters, why is there an age limit placed on these widows as a requirement for being a part of the number? What is meant by “the number?” The number is “the enrollment.” This tells us that the early churches kept track of things. There was a list kept, a roster of widows that were part of something that was a regular part of the local congregation. The first requirement to be a part of this roster was the widow needed to be at least 60 years of age. It doesn't seem like much, but maybe the first thing we can learn from this is local congregations ought to keep records. Next time, we'll take a closer look at what is meant by “the number.”