Albert Barnes Commentary 1 Timothy 5:12

"having condemnation, because they have rejected their first pledge." — 1 Timothy 5:12 (ASV)

Having damnation. Or rather, having condemnation, or incurring guilt. This does not necessarily mean that they would lose their souls. See the explanation of this phrase in the comments on 1 Corinthians 11:29.

The meaning is that they would contract guilt if they had been admitted into this class of persons and then married again. The apostle does not say that this would be wrong in itself (see the comments on 1 Timothy 5:14) or that they would be absolutely prohibited from it.

However, injury would result if they were admitted among those who were "widows indeed"—supported by the church and entrusted with a certain degree of care over the younger women—and then left that situation. Such an action might cause scandal, disrupt the church's arrangements, and indicate a weakening of the faith and deadness to the world they were presumed to possess. Therefore, it was better for them to marry (1 Timothy 5:14) without having been admitted to this group.

Because they have cast off their first faith. This does not mean that they would lose all their religion or completely fall away. Rather, it would show that they no longer possessed the strong faith, the deadness to the world, the simple dependence on God (1 Timothy 5:5), and the desire to be weaned from worldly cares and influences that they once had.

When they became widows, all their earthly hopes seemed to be shattered. They were then dead to the world and felt their sole dependence on God. However, if, under the influence of these strong emotions, they were admitted to the "class of widows" in the church, there was no certainty that they would remain in this state of mind.

Time would do much to lessen their grief. A love for the world would revive, and under its influence, they would be inclined to marry. This would demonstrate that they no longer had the strong and simple faith they possessed when the blow that made them widows fell heavily upon them.