How To Act toward Others
1 Don't correct an older man. Encourage him, as you would your own father. Treat younger men as you would your own brother, 2 and treat older women as you would your own mother. Show the same respect to younger women that you would to your sister.
3 Take care of any widow who is really in need. 4 But if a widow has children or grandchildren, they should learn to serve God by taking care of her, as she once took care of them. This is what God wants them to do. 5 A widow who is really in need is one who doesn't have any relatives. She has faith in God, and she keeps praying to him night and day, asking for his help.
6 A widow who thinks only about having a good time is already dead, even though she is still alive.
7 Tell all this to everyone, so they will do the right thing. 8 People who don't take care of their relatives, and especially their own families, have given up their faith. They are worse than someone who doesn't have faith in the Lord.
9 For a widow to be put on the list of widows, she must be at least 60 years old, and she must have been faithful in marriage. 10 She must also be well-known for doing all sorts of good things, such as raising children, giving food to strangers, welcoming God's people into her home, helping people in need, and always making herself useful.
11 Don't put young widows on the list. They may later have a strong desire to get married. Then they will turn away from Christ 12 and become guilty of breaking their promise to him. 13 Besides, they will become lazy and get into the habit of going from house to house. Next, they will start gossiping and become busybodies, talking about things that are none of their business.
14 I would prefer that young widows get married, have children, and look after their families. Then the enemy won't have any reason to say insulting things about us. 15 Look what's already happened to some of the young widows! They have turned away to follow Satan.
16 If a woman who is a follower has any widows in her family, she should help them. This will keep the church from having that burden, and then the church can help widows who are really in need.
Church Leaders
17 Church leaders who do their job well deserve to be paid twice as much, especially if they work hard at preaching and teaching. 18 It is just as the Scriptures say, “Don't muzzle an ox when you are using it to grind grain.” You also know the saying, “Workers are worth their pay.”
19 Don't listen to any charge against a church leader, unless at least two or three people bring the same charges. 20 But if any of the leaders should keep on sinning, they must be corrected in front of the whole group, as a warning to everyone else.
21 In the presence of God and Christ Jesus and their chosen angels, I order you to follow my instructions! Be fair with everyone, and don't have any favorites.
22 Don't be too quick to accept people into the service of the Lord by placing your hands on them.
Don't sin because others do, but stay close to God.
23 Stop drinking only water. Take a little wine to help your stomach trouble and the other illnesses you often have.
24 Some people get caught in their sins almost at once, even before the time of judgment. But other people's sins don't show up until later. 25 It is the same with good deeds. Some are easily seen, but none of them can be hidden.
Pienākumi pret citiem
1 Vecāku vīru nerāj, bet pārliecini kā tēvu, jaunākos – kā brāļus, 2 vecākas sievietes pamāci kā mātes, jaunākas kā māsas – visā šķīstībā. 3 Godā atraitnes, kas patiesi ir tādas. 4 Bet, ja kādai atraitnei ir bērni vai mazbērni, vispirms lai viņi mācās godbijīgi izturēties pret sava nama ļaudīm un ar pateicību atlīdzināt priekštečiem, jo Dievam tas ir patīkami. 5 Patiesa atraitne, kas palikusi viena, cer uz Dievu un nododas lūgšanām un aizlūgšanām dienu un nakti, 6 bet, kas dzīvo savām iegribām, tā, vēl dzīva būdama, jau ir mirusi. 7 To pavēlēdams, gādā, lai visi būtu bez vainas. 8 Bet, ja kāds par savējiem negādā, sevišķi par mājiniekiem, tas ticību ir atmetis un ir sliktāks par neticīgo. 9 Atraitņu kārtā ieskaitāma tā, kurai nav mazāk par sešdesmit gadiem, kas bijusi viena vīra sieva 10 un par kuras krietnajiem darbiem ir labas liecības – viņa ir uzaudzinājusi bērnus, ir bijusi viesmīlīga, ir mazgājusi svētajiem kājas, ir palīdzējusi cietušajiem un visādus labus darbus uzticīgi darījusi. 11 Gados jaunākās par atraitnēm neieskaiti, jo, kad viņas, juteklisko tieksmju pārņemtas, novēršas no Kristus, viņas grib precēties un 12 nāk sodībā par to, ka savu sākotnējo apņemšanos ir atmetušas. 13 Turklāt bezdarbībā tās radinās staigāt pa mājām, viņas ir ne tikai bezdarbīgas, bet arī pļāpīgas un uzbāzīgas, kas runā to, ko neklājas. 14 Tā nu es gribu, ka jaunākās precas, dzemdē bērnus, pārvalda mājas, nedodot nekādu ieganstu neslavas celšanai no pretinieka puses, 15 jo dažas jau ir novērsušās, sekodamas sātanam. 16 Ja kādai ticīgai ģimenē ir atraitnes, lai tā par tām rūpējas, bet lai netiek apgrūtināta draudze, kurai jārūpējas par patiesajām atraitnēm. 17 Presbiteri, kas ir labi vadītāji, lai ir divtik liela goda cienīgi, sevišķi tie, kas pūlas pie vārda un mācības. 18 Jo Raksti saka: neliec uzpurni vērsim pie kulšanas! – un: strādnieks ir savas algas cienīgs. 19 Pret presbiteriem necel apsūdzību, vien tad, ja ir divi vai trīs liecinieki. 20 Tos, kas ir sagrēkojušies, atmasko pārkāpumā visu priekšā, lai arī pārējie bītos. 21 Es to apstiprinu Dieva un Kristus Jēzus, un izredzēto eņģeļu priekšā, lai tu to visu ievēro bez aizspriedumiem un nedari neko, nosliecoties uz vienu vai otru pusi. 22 Nevienam nesteidzies uzlikt rokas un neesi līdzdalībnieks citu grēkos. Turi sevi šķīstu! 23 Nedzer vairs tikai ūdeni, bet lieto arī nedaudz vīna sava kuņģa un biežo slimību dēļ. 24 Dažu cilvēku grēki ir redzami skaidri, tā ka tie saņem sodu uzreiz, bet citiem sods nāk vēlāk. 25 Tāpat arī labie darbi – ir tādi, kas skaidri redzami tūlīt, bet netiks apslēpti arī tie, kas neparādās uzreiz.
