The Plight of Widows

Beyond the Gospels, we see widows mentioned throughout the Epistles, in admonitions to churches to take care of them, especially those among them who are childless (see in particular Acts 6:1–6; 9:39; 1 Tim 5:3–16). These repeated reminders would not have been necessary had the communities involved been doing this already. Indeed, Acts 6:1–6 involves a repudiation of serving widows on the part of some leaders in the church and a recommendation instead to delegate this task, so lacking in prestige, to others specially appointed for the purpose. We see even the church struggling to ensure that this important ministry of mercy was completed, despite the resistance of some.