1
All who are under the yoke of slavery should consider their masters worthy of full respect, so that God's name and our teaching may not be slandered. 2Those who have believing masters are not to show less respect for them because they are brothers. Instead, they are to serve them even better, because those who benefit from their service are believers, and dear to them. These are the things you are to teach and urge on them.
Love of Money
3If anyone teaches false doctrines and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, 4he is conceited and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions 5and constant friction between men of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain.
6But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. 8But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. 9People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. 10For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.
Paul's Charge to Timothy
11But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. 12Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 13In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you 14to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15which God will bring about in his own time--God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, 16who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen.
17Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. 18Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. 19In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.
20Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to your care. Turn away from godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge, 21which some have professed and in so doing have wandered from the faith.
Grace be with you.
The sixth and final chapter of 1 Timothy is 21 verses in length. The first two verses tie to chapter five, continuing Paul’s dissertation on the treatment of widows, elders, and slaves. And then, before wrapping up with personal instructions, a doxology, and a benediction, as well as an aside to the rich, Paul gives a final teaching on the false teachers, namely in regard to their motives for money. Let’s take a look:
1) V1-2 – 1All who are under the yoke of slavery should consider their masters worthy of full respect, so that God’s name and our teaching may not be slandered. 2Those who have believing masters are not to show less respect for them because they are brothers. Instead, they are to serve them even better, because those who benefit from their service are believers, and dear to them. These are the things you are to teach and urge on them.
Paul concludes his teaching from chapter five with a quick lesson for slaves on honoring their masters, whether believer or not (v1), and rebuke and correction for those slaves who think they can show less respect (literally “look down on”) since their masters are believers (v2). Unbelievers often accuse the Biblical authors, and Paul especially, of being misogynists and condoning slavery. On the contrary, as one commentator noted, “It was the truth, justice, and love of God in the gospel that eventually brought slavery to an end. Paul chose to deal with human attitudes in their cultural situation instead of a violent overthrow of that cultural situation (much like he did the societal role of women).” Paul concludes this section with a sentence that can reflect on what has been said or introduce what’s next.
2) V3-10 – 3If anyone teaches false doctrines and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, 4he is conceited and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions 5and constant friction between men of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain. 6But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. 8But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. 9People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. 10For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.
V3-10 serve as a final rebuke of false teachers. They were promoting “false doctrines,” akin to “another gospel” of Galatians 1:8. This was the same pre-Gnostic teaching that the Colossians faced. The false teachers disagree with Scripture and with the sound doctrine of Paul himself; that is, they disagree with Christ and His apostles, whose teaching always had godliness as the goal; whereas the false teachers often tried to separate doctrine and lifestyle. Paul says those who do so are conceited and understand nothing (v4). Literally they are blinded by pride. Paul mentions “an unhealthy interest in controversies.” The false teachers quarrel about words; their prominent characteristic is called contentiousness (1 Timothy 1:4; 2 Timothy 2:14,23; Titus 3:9). This contention results in “envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions, and constant friction.”
The false teachers have corrupt minds, and they “have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain.” The tense implies that they have reached a settled state of heart and mind, thinking themselves to have come to the epitome of godliness and therefore profitability; consequently, they cannot and will not repent. And, while they preached godliness as a means of financial gain – probably charging their audience to hear their message – they certainly didn’t live godly lives. For Paul, next in v6, explains how genuine godliness, with contentment, is truly the most profitable way to live. In the words of Calvin, “In an elegant manner, and with an ironical correction, he instantly throws back those very words in an opposite meaning, as if he had said – ‘They do wrong and wickedly, who make merchandise of the doctrine of Christ, as if ‘godliness were gain;’ though, undoubtedly, if we form a correct estimate of it, godliness is a great and abundant gain.’”
So in acknowledging their thinking “that godliness is a means to financial gain,” Paul effectively accuses the false teachers, as mentioned earlier, of seeking eldership for profit. When he considers their divisiveness and greed, he reflects on material possessions in general and concludes in v6, “Godliness with contentment is great gain,” and in v10, “The love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.”
Paul’s memorable statement in v6 is his reflection on what it means to truly “gain,” and it’s qualified in v7, probably a reflection on Old Testament teaching (Job 1:21; Psalm 49:17; Ecclesiastes 5:15). Calvin says, “Our covetousness is an insatiable gulf, if it be not restrained; and the best bridle is, when we desire nothing more than the necessity of this life demands.” V8 serves as a reminder to “be content with” whatever God provides for the day (Proverbs 30:8; Matthew 6:11). Greed is a great adversary here, and the false teachers had been snared by it. The danger was for believers too, as greed – Paul says it best in v9 – tempts and traps people “into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction.” Instead of loving God and using the world, we tend to use God in our love of the world. So we must guard against appreciating the blessings more than we appreciate the giver of the blessings!
In wrapping up his criticism of the false teachers, Paul relates another memorable line, that “the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.” Of course, this verse has been twisted to say, “Money is the root of all evil,” but that’s clearly not what Paul says. Loving money (greed, or covetousness) is one of several causes of all different kinds of evil, speaking of varying degrees of attitude (motives) and behavior (actions) problems. Even believers wander off the Kings Highway – stray from godly living for a time – coveting and find only grief piercing them. We must strive to seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and He will in turn provide all the things we need (Matthew 6:33).
3) V11-16 –11But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. 12Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 13In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you 14to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15which God will bring about in His own time – God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, 16who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To Him be honor and might forever. Amen.
V11-16 include five additional exhortations for Timothy, regarding his sanctification, and a glorious doxology. Paul calls Timothy a “man of God,” and urges him to (1) flee false teaching and (2) fight complacency by aggressively (3) pursuing “righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness,” as well as (4) taking hold “of the eternal life to which” he was called. The Christian life, one measured by progress, is truly a lifelong battle, even for those who have made great strides. Paul also reminds Timothy in this passage of the doctrine of election, that eternal life was chosen for us, not by us; yet we must take hold of it (Philippians 2:12-13). Timothy took hold of it when he “made the good confession,” likely when he proclaimed Jesus as Lord at his baptism; but he has to (5) “keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ.” In other words, just as Jesus “before Pontius Pilate made the good confession” (v13) with His voluntary sacrificial death, so Timothy can continually proclaim “his good confession” by giving up his life in the service of his congregation. And he will persevere as God, who “gives life to everything” (and, by implication, preserves it) and who “will bring about [the return of Jesus] in His own time,” leads.
In v15, Paul praises God as sovereign, “the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords” (Revelation 17:14; 19:16). He alone has knowledge of and controls the first and second coming of His Son Jesus Christ (2 Thessalonians 2:8; 2 Timothy 1:10; 4:1,8; Titus 2:11,13). This praise leads Paul into a glorious doxology (v16-17). Paul praises God as the only God; there is only one God. Paul praises God, who alone is immortal, referring to eternal existence and incapability of ceasing to be. Paul praises God, “who lives in unapproachable light,” which refers to the Shekinah glory, a permanent state of being and dwelling. Paul praises God, “whom no one has seen or can see,” due to His holiness; yet believers have seen Him revealed in Jesus. We live in Him, and He in us by His Holy Spirit. And Paul issues “honor and might” to Him forever, concluding with an affirmative “Amen.”
4) V17-21 – 17Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. 18Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. 19In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life. 20Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to your care. Turn away from godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge, 21which some have professed and in so doing have wandered from the faith. Grace be with you.
In wrapping up, Paul seems to go back and make sure that Timothy, as well as his congregation, understands that being wealthy is not a bad thing. Some commentators suggest that he is writing from here on out with his own pen, instead of through his amanuensis, which he commonly did in his epistles. He just finished noting that materialism and greed, or the love of money, are troublesome for the professing Christian; but a Christian can, as Paul explains in v17-19, be wealthy without arrogance or trusting in wealth. In mentioning that God “richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment” (v17), Paul gives a special command to the wealthy to “do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share” (v18). Concluding this thought, Paul says that this threefold behavior is how to “lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age” (v19; Matthew 6:19-20; Luke 12:15). The wealthy, in other words, must not be vain confident, trusting in their wealth, but in Christ who gives them wealth in order to serve Him, thereby storing up true riches in heaven. Likewise, we – far wealthier than any of Paul’s audience – must strive for stewardship in all God gives us to manage.
Finally, Paul gives Timothy a few final instructions. The first, shepherd the flock – “guard what has been entrusted to your care” (Matthew 25:15) – calls to mind the importance of his own stewardship responsibilities; Timothy wasn’t wealthy (v17-19), but he had the very people of God entrusted to his care! All believers have a deposit in the Holy Spirit and the gospel, which is to be used wisely. The second instruction – cling to sound doctrine – for “what is falsely called knowledge,” speaking of the pre-Gnostic false teachings, leads the flock astray – is the method of proper stewardship. Calvin translates “knowledge” here as “science;” I like what he says: “According to Paul, no science is truly and justly so called but that which instruct us in the confidence and fear of God; that is, in godliness.” Timothy must guard God’s people by preaching and teaching and living sound doctrine. Paul concludes with a benediction of grace to a plural “you,” to the entire congregation. We all need grace, and God gives it generously and in abundance.
Bible text from Gospelcom.net. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society.