1 Timóteo 6

1 Timóteo 6:15

Ryle writes - "This is perhaps one of the most wonderful promises made to believers in the New Testament. It must probably be interpreted figuratively. It means that there is no limit to the honor and glory which the Lord Jesus will bestow on those who are ready to meet him at his second coming." Luke 21:34 "Be on guard (prosecho in the present imperative - command to always keep our guard up spiritually speaking), that your hearts may not be weighted down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of life, and that day (To what day is Jesus referring?) come on you suddenly like a trap; 35 for it will come upon all those who dwell on the face of all the earth. 36 "But keep on the alert (agrupneo in the present imperative) at all times, praying in order that you may have strength to escape all these things that are about to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man." Romans 13:11-note And this do, knowing the time, that it is already the hour for you to awaken from sleep; for now salvation is nearer to us than when we believed. 12-note The night is almost gone, and the day is at hand. Let us therefore lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. 13-note Let us behave properly as in the day, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual promiscuity and sensuality, not in strife and jealousy. 14-note But put on (aorist imperative) the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision (present imperative) for the flesh in regard to its lusts. 1Th 5:1-note Now as to the times (chronos) and the epochs (kairos), brethren, you have no need of anything to be written to you. 2 For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night. 3 While they are saying, "Peace and safety!" then (expression of time) destruction will come upon them suddenly like birth pangs upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. 4 But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day should overtake you like a thief; 5 for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness; 6 so then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober. 1Pe 4:7 The end of all things is at hand; therefore, be of sound judgment (aorist imperative) and sober spirit (aorist imperative) for the purpose of prayer. Rev 16:15 Behold, I am coming like a thief. Blessed is the one who stays awake and keeps his garments, lest he walk about naked and men see his shame. Proper time (season) (2540)(kairos) means a point of time or period of time frequently with the implication of being especially fit for something but without emphasis on precise chronology (about when it will take place or how long it will last, etc). Kairos describes a moment as especially appropriate, presenting the favorable time or season for something to occur, specifically the return of Christ. Hiebert writes that the truth that God will bring about the return of His Son "draws out of Paul a doxology of praise to the Father. It contains a sevenfold description of God. 1) “The blessed and only Potentate” points to the character and the universal authority of Him who will bring back Christ in open glory. “The first epithet describes the perfection of bliss enjoyed by the First Person of the Trinity; the second, the uniqueness and absoluteness of His power” (Pope). 2 and 3) “The King of kings, and Lord of lords” is descriptive of His sovereign authority and rule. He is King over all those acting as kings, and Lord over all those acting as lords over others. 4) “Who only hath immortality,” that is, immortality as an essential, underived attribute. The word here rendered “immortality” is literally “deathlessness” and speaks of His absolute deathless existence. The adjective in 1Ti 1:17 translated “immortal” comes from a different word which means “not liable to corruption or decay.” His deathless, unchanging existence precludes any decay, corruption, or degeneration in His being. 5) “Dwelling in light unapproachable” speaks of the inaccessibility of God to human senses. He dwells in an atmosphere too glorious for mortal creatures to approach. 6 and 7) The relative clauses, “whom no man hath seen, nor can see” emphasize the essential nature of God as invisible. Finite man never has seen God in His eternal essence, nor can he do so (cf. John 1:18). “The vision of God, however, is in some sense promised to the saints (cf. Matt. 5:8; 1 Cor. 13:12; 1 John 3:2; Rev. 22:4); but such vision can never be complete sight, since in the nature of things the finite can never perfectly comprehend the Infinite” (Harvey). (Borrow First Timothy- Everyman's Bible Commentary - excellent resource) HE WHO IS THE BLESSED AND ONLY SOVEREIGN, THE KING OF KINGS AND THE LORD OF LORDS: o makarios kai monos dunastes o basileus ton basileuonton (PAPMPG) kai kurios ton kurieuonton, (PAPMPG): King: Ezra 7:12 Pr 8:15 Rev 17:14 19:16) ANOTHER DIVINE DOXOLOGY Now Paul describes attributes of God which "enable" God to accomplish everything He promises, in this context, the "re-appearing" of our Lord Jesus Christ. But beloved, remember that He is (as Paul says in Titus 1:2-note) the "Non-lying" God! (cp Nu 23:29, 1Sa 15:28, Heb 6:17-note, Heb 6:18-note) It therefore behooves as His dear children to lay hold by grace through faith of all of His "precious and magnificent promises (e.g. see Ezekiel 36:26, 27), in order that by them you might become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust." (2Peter 1:4-note) Stated another way, in view of the fact that "God… cannot lie (and) promised long ages ago", we need to study His Word diligently (2Ti 2:15KJV-note), as would a prospector looking for perishable gold (1Pe 1:18-note contrasted with our "gold" which is eternal! Read Ps 12:6-note, Pr 30:5, Isaiah 40:8, 55:11, 1Pe 1:25-note, Ps 119:89-note, Mt 24:35), so that we might know our "possessions" (all the promises of God which in Christ are yea and amen! - 2Cor 1:20KJV) and thereby be able and zealous to possess our possessions now, in this life (cp God's promise to Joshua - Josh 1:3 - note that God had already given ["I have given" = past tense] the land to him! But to NT believers, it is not a land He has given, but a life He has promised [2Ti 1:1-note] a life here and now that Jesus desires that we possess abundantly in Him - Jn 10:10b, cp Col 3:4-note, 2Cor 4:10, 11, Jn 20:31, 1Jn 5:11, 12, 13). May God grant us His Spirit's inner strengthening and His transforming, sufficient grace that we might by faith lay hold of our promised possessions, doing so for His renown, acclaim and glory through Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen. Earlier in the context of describing the First Coming Paul had broken into a doxology (doxa = glory, praise + lego = to speak) declaring… Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only (monos - same adjective here in 1Ti 6:15) God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen. (1Ti 1:17) Now in the context of the Second Coming, he again breaks into a doxology. Paul uses monos (only) in another doxology declaring "to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, be the glory forever. Amen." (Ro 16:27-note). (Compare similar idea regarding the exclusivity of our great God = Rev 15:4-note "Thou alone art holy"). God Himself testified that He was the "only" God asking… Is there any God besides Me, Or is there any other Rock? I know of none. Gordon Fee comments that "Ephesus (Ed: Timothy was thought by most scholars to be the pastor of the church at Ephesus at this time) was not only the haven of Artemis, but an early center of emperor worship as well. This doxology, therefore, is Paul’s parting shot that the God with Whom the church has to do in the Gospel of Christ is none other than the supreme Ruler of the universe, the Lord over all other lords. (New International Biblical Commentary: 1 and 2 Timothy, Titus. Hendrickson Publishers. 1988)