1 Timóteo 6
John Trapp · Citado em PreceptAustin
1 Timóteo 6:9
Trapp wrote that "Covetous men, though they have enough to sink them yet have they never enough to satisfy them." Albert
1 Timóteo 6:10
Trapp - “So do these strangle, drown, poison their precious souls with profits, pleasures, and preferments, and many times meet with perdition and destruction, that is, with a double destruction, temporal and eternal, as some expound it.” (1 Timothy 6 Commentary) Many (4183)(polus) refers to a large but indefinite number, in this case a large number of griefs! Notice this is one of those "promises" that we would rather not receive! However it is like a train for once the "locomotive" of desire for money begins to spring up and bear bad fruit, it is a "bumper" crop so to speak. Christians, let us all take heed, for none of us are immune to the sin of greed and covetousness! And it is interesting that the Bible equates covetousness with idolatry, of putting another "god" (a "worshipper of Mammon") before the one and only majestic God (Col 3:5) Paul issues a strong warning against greed in the life of believers writing… But do not let immorality (porneia - one of the deadliest and most inveterate temptations to which Gentile Christians were exposed then and now especially with internet access!) or any impurity or greed even be named (present imperative with a negative = stop something already occurring or don't let it begin) among you, as is proper among saints; and there must be no filthiness and silly talk, or coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. For (term of explanation) this you know with certainty (absolute knowledge, a truth which is not debatable), that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. (Eph 5:3-4-note, Eph 5:5-note) Griefs (3601)(odune) literally describes physical pain, but is used only figuratively in the two NT occurrences to describe a state of severe emotional distress and/or intense anxiety. Odune implies severe anguish of one's heart as the result of deep sorrow. Sorrow, torment, grief, pain, distress of body or mind - All uses of odune - Ro 9:2; 1Ti 6:10; Septuagint = Ge 35:18; Job 7:3; Je 8:18 Odune is used only one other time in the NT (Ro 9:2-note) and that also by Paul as he laments the general unbelief of his Jewish brethren writing I am telling the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit, that I have great sorrow and unceasing grief in my heart. (Ro 9:1-2-note) In light of the warning of the rotten fruit of the bitter root of avarice we do well to heed the writer of Hebrews exhortation… Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake (Heb 13:5+) 'To what cost do you drive mortal hearts—you accursed lust for gold!' - Thomas Watson Illustration- This past week they had a lottery drawing in which the payoff was 195 million dollars. It is interesting to follow up on those who have won the lottery in the past, most of the people tell how the sudden riches have upset their lives. Some of the couples have gotten divorces after winning. We fantasize of how great it would be to have these sudden riches, but would it? Solomon the richest man who ever lived had a few things to say about riches. (Chuck Smith - Sermon Notes) GOING GAGA OVER A GIGA . . . the love of money is the root of all evil. 1 Timothy 6:10 Some saintly men mentioned in the Bible had great riches. So we know it's not wrong for a Christian to accumulate wealth if it is obtained honestly and used for God's glory. The LOVE of money, generated by greed and covetousness, is what the Bible condemns. The National Bureau of Standards has announced that because of the problems that arise in working with large figures in government and business, the excessive use of zeros should be avoided. They suggest that the prefix "giga" be substituted for the 9 zeros that follow the Arabic numeral 1 to denote a billion. By the way, do you know how much a billion dollars is? Well, if a man gave his wife a million dollars and told her to go out and spend a thousand a day, she'd return 3 years later with the money gone. But if he gave her a billion dollars to do the same thing, she wouldn't come back for 3,000 years! Becoming a millionaire used to be the ultimate goal. But now some people desire power and prestige so much that they strive for even greater wealth. Losing all sense of values, they go gaga over obtaining a giga! You may say, "This devotional is not for me. I'm not looking for that kind of money." But wait a minute! It's the "love of money" that God is concerned about. A man can drown in a pond as well as an ocean! You can be just as wicked by setting your affection on a thousand dollars as on a billion. The riches of this world are vain, They vanish in a day; But sweet the treasures of God's love-- They never pass away. --Bosch Never let GOLD become your GOD! Caught By The Current Some have strayed from the faith. —1 Timothy 6:10 Today's Scripture: 1 Timothy 1:1-20 In the early part of this century, a ship was wrecked off the Scilly Isles near the coast of England. The sea had been calm and the weather clear, but the vessel was caught in a treacherous current that slowly lured it off its course. Before the captain and the crew realized what had happened, the ship had crashed onto the rocks. In life too, powerful currents of compromise can catch the soul and carry it to shipwreck. Spiritual drifting is usually a slow and imperceptible process. We know it has occurred when we have lost the strong resistance to evil and the passionate desire for truth that we once knew. The apostle Paul wanted to make sure this wouldn’t happen to those to whom Timothy ministered. He encouraged him to be faithful in telling others what they needed to know, so they wouldn’t stray from their devotion to Christ and cause their faith to be shipwrecked. In our day, for every professing believer who succumbs to a sudden and savage assault of evil, a hundred more slowly drift away from God’s truth, regular worship, and a life of faith. Lord, help us from Your blessed Word All error to discern, And by Your Spirit's truth and light From Satan's snares to turn. —Bosch The compass of God's Word will keep you from spiritual shipwreck. ONE WAY OR THE OTHER A minister received a call from the Internal Revenue Service asking about a member of his church. "He stated on his income tax return," said the official, "that he gave three thousand dollars last year to your church. Is that correct?" "I don't have the records here, and I would have to check on it. But I'll say this--If he didn't, he will." John