提摩太前書 5:3-8

5:3 要尊敬那真為寡婦的。
5:4 若寡婦有兒女，或有孫子孫女，便叫他們先在自己家中學著行孝，報答親恩，因為這在上帝面前是可悅納的。
5:5 那獨居無靠、真為寡婦的，是仰賴上帝，晝夜不住地祈求禱告。
5:6 但那好宴樂的寡婦正活著的時候也是死的。
5:7 這些事你要囑咐她們，叫她們無可指責。
5:8 人若不看顧親屬，就是背了真道，比不信的人還不好，不看顧自己家裡的人，更是如此。

³ Give proper recognition to those widows who are really in need. ⁴ But if a widow has children or grandchildren, these should learn first of all to put their religion into practice by caring for their own family and so repaying their parents and grandparents, for this is pleasing to God. ⁵ The widow who is really in need and left all alone puts her hope in God and continues night and day to pray and to ask God for help. ⁶ But the widow who lives for pleasure is dead even while she lives. ⁷ Give the people these instructions, so that no one may be open to blame. ⁸ Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

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    真正的寡婦事指那些真正無依無靠的寡婦，她們無所靠，只能仰賴上帝，晝夜不住的禱告！因為，在保羅的時代不比今日，寡婦是找不到工作，教會是她們在那個時代為一的避難所，得供應之處。所以，保羅在這裡提到寡婦的照顧事工。

    說到初期教會對寡婦的照顧，就讓我們想到今日的基督教會也要進行慈惠的事工，不可在此缺席！傳統的長老教會，在聖餐禮拜時有另外的慈惠奉獻，來幫助社會弱勢的族群，這是很好的見證，今日應該繼續維持這樣優良傳統！

    幫助與關懷弱勢，是敬畏上帝重要的表現，我們不可以讓這樣優良的傳統從基督教會失去，我們不在乎禮拜堂多麼美輪美奐，而是我們有沒有關懷到需要關懷的弱勢族群！