12. Then they will be guilty of not doing what they first promised to do.
13. Also, these younger widows begin to waste their time going from house to house. They also begin to gossip and try to run other people’s lives. They say things they should not say.
14. So I want the younger widows to marry, have children, and take care of their homes. If they do this, our enemy will not have any reason to criticize them.
15. But some of the younger widows have already turned away to follow Satan.
16. If any woman who is a believer has widows in her family, she should take care of them herself. Then the church will not have that burden and will be able to care for the widows who have no one else to help them.
17. The elders who lead the church in a good way should receive double honor—in particular, those who do the work of counseling and teaching.
18. As the Scriptures say, “When a work animal is being used to separate grain, don’t keep it from eating the grain.” And the Scriptures also say, “A worker should be given his pay.”
19. Don’t listen to someone who accuses an elder. You should listen to them only if there are two or three others who can say what the elder did wrong.
20. Tell those who sin that they are wrong. Do this in front of the whole church so that the others will have a warning.
21. Before God and Jesus Christ and the chosen angels, I tell you to make these judgments without any prejudice. Treat every person the same.
22. Think carefully before you lay your hands on anyone to make him an elder. Don’t share in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure.