But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. —1 Timothy 5:8
This is a strong statement. The fact that Paul considers not providing for your family as worse than being a nonbeliever is profound. First of all, even near-eastern Gentiles provided for the needs of their immediate family and aging parents. Secondly, the explicit implication here is that by not providing for members of your household, you are in essence denying your faith.
This article was originally published on October 31, 2016 by CDFAcapital.org. Article re-posted with permission. Click here to read the original article.