1 Timothy 5:15 Meaning: What Does It Mean to Turn Aside After Satan?
For already some have turned away after Satan.
For some are already turned aside after Satan.
for already some are turned aside after Satan.
for already certain did turn aside after the Adversary.
For already some have turned aside after Satan.
Meaning in one sentence
1 Timothy 5:15 warns that some have already turned aside after Satan. This devotional explores what that turning away meant then and now.
Context
Paul is writing to Timothy, a young pastor in Ephesus, with practical guidance for running the church. A pressing matter is how to care for widows. Widows in need were to be supported by the church, but Paul warns against enrolling younger widows. They may break their first pledge to Christ, grow idle, and become gossips. Then comes this verse: some have already turned aside after Satan. The warning is sharp and urgent.
Key Words
The Greek word behind turned aside (exetrapēsan) is vivid. It comes from a root meaning to twist or wrench out of place, used in ancient medicine for dislocated limbs. A shoulder joint slips. A hip comes out of socket. The motion is sudden, but the damage is not always immediate; it is a displacement that can happen over time. Paul pairs it with the adverb already (ēdē), which carries a note of sadness: this is not a distant possibility but something he has seen. And the destination is after Satan, literally, facing backward, following the adversary instead of Christ.
How Christians Read This Verse
Most commentators agree that the some in this verse are younger widows. John Wesley called it a turning aside from Christ to Satan. Matthew Henry read it as a fall into sensual pleasure or wandering from the faith. Gill and the Jamieson-Fausset-Brown commentary see a link to the idleness and gossip described in the previous verses. What unites these readings is the conviction that small compromises, left unchecked, can become a path away from Christ entirely. The warning is pastoral, not merely doctrinal: the church was losing members, one distracted life at a time.
A common misunderstanding
People sometimes read this verse as referring to dramatic, visible apostasy, an open denial of Christ. In fact, Paul is describing a more gradual drift. The women in view had not likely renounced Jesus publicly. They had grown idle, gossipy, and self-indulgent. They had turned aside without slamming the door. The lesson is that you can turn away from Christ without intending to, simply by letting smaller things pull your attention elsewhere.
Living This Out
Ask yourself this week: where am I being pulled backward without noticing? Paul names idleness, busybody talk, and an unwillingness to hold commitments. It might not be those exact sins, but the pattern is the same: small, unexamined choices that point you away from Christ. You do not have to make a big announcement when you start drifting. You just stop looking at Him. That is the turning this verse describes. The remedy is not panic, but honesty. Where has your attention wandered? Come back today.
Main takeaway: Small, unguarded choices can slowly turn your heart away from Christ before you realize you have moved at all.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
Sometimes we start doing a little thing wrong, like not listening or being unkind, and before we know it we have gone far from God. The Bible says to stay close to Jesus every day.
For ages 9, 12
Paul saw that some women in the church had started with small problems like being lazy or talking too much about other people, and those little choices led them away from following Jesus. It is not always a big, dramatic fall. It is more like taking one step backward, then another, until you are facing the wrong direction. That is why it matters to check your heart regularly and ask God to keep you close to Him.
Questions People Ask
Who are the 'some' in 1 Timothy 5:15?
The 'some' refers to younger widows mentioned in the surrounding verses. Paul is explaining why he advises against enrolling them in the church's support list: some have already turned aside after Satan by becoming idle, gossipy, and breaking their pledge to Christ.
What does 'turned aside after Satan' mean?
It means allowing small, unexamined choices, like idleness, gossip, or pursuing marriage for the wrong reasons, to pull you away from loyalty to Christ. The phrase pictures a gradual drift, not always a dramatic renunciation.
Does this verse mean the widows were demon-possessed?
No. The language is about following Satan as the adversary and tempter, not about demon possession. Paul is describing moral and spiritual deviation, not a supernatural takeover.
Is this warning relevant to men as well?
Yes. The specific context addresses widows, but the principle applies to anyone: idle hands and wandering hearts can lead us away from Christ. The warning is for the whole church.
What is the 'first faith' or 'first pledge' mentioned in verse 12?
In verse 12, Paul says these younger widows have rejected their first pledge. This likely refers to a commitment they made to Christ, possibly a promise to remain devoted to Him in their widowhood. Marrying again after that pledge was seen as a breach of faith.
For pastors & researchers
Greek interlinear, 8 commentaries & word study