Kay

“Therefore i see the ‘pledge’ as abandoning their committment to being on the ‘roll’ of widows needing help.”

Mark,

Since when does a needy person have to make a “commitment” to receive help from the Church?? That concept is not found in Scripture.

The Greek word here translated “pledge” means “a solemn promise to be faithful and loyal, assurance, oath, troth” (BDAG lexicon)

You say,”Therefore i see the ‘pledge’ as abandoning their committment to being on the ‘roll’ of widows needing help.”

That defies logic. You are saying that they had made a “commitment” to continuously live in a state of needing help.

You also say, “Also a ‘true’ widow was one who devoted themselves to supplications and prayers (verse 5)”
But you believe it had nothing to do with their “pledge”?

So, you don’t think that devoting one’s self to supplication and prayers is ever a type of ministry at all?