1 Timóteo 6
Kenneth Wuest · Citado em PreceptAustin
1 Timóteo 6
Wuest adds that “vain babblings” are not merely empty words, but because empty, evil words, for as nature will not endure a vacuum, so empty words become filled with evil, and thus become words of evil content and purpose. Thayer defines kenophōnia as “empty discussion, discussion of vain and useless matters.” (Wuest's Word Studies from the Greek New Testament) Only used in 1Ti 6:20 and 2Ti 2:16. Opposing arguments (477) (antithesis from anti = facing opposite, instead of + tithemi = to place) this is the only use (hapax legomenon) refers to opposition, an action (illogical) objection, contradiction, argument. Opposite opinions. It is a a statement that involves contradiction or inconsistency,. Contrary positions or doctrines. Thayer says "the inventions of false knowledge, either mutually oppugnant, or opposed to true Christian doctrine." This Greek word obviously gives us our English word antithesis meaning a person or thing that is the direct opposite of someone or something else and as a figure of speech in which an opposition or contrast of ideas is expressed by parallelism of words that are the opposites of, or strongly contrasted with, each other, such as “hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all sins”. Falsely called (5581)(pseudonumos from pseudes = false, lying + onoma = a name) is used only here (hapax legomenon) is literally falsely called or falsely named (or designated). Under a false name. Knowledge (1108) gnosis from ginosko = to know especially experientially) in simple terms is the possession of information of what is known. Gnosis describes the comprehension or intellectual grasp of something. Gnosis refers to knowledge gained by experience in contrast to intuitive knowledge. Stated another way gnosis is experientially known, functional ("working") knowledge gleaned from first-hand/personal experience which in turn connects theory to application. E.g., the Gnostics boasted of their "applied knowledge" gained by their personal spiritual experiences – which was (is) disastrous! Thus Gnosis was not simply an intellectual (head) knowledge of Christ, but referred to a more intimate, experiential, personal knowledge. The NT uses of gnosis most often referring to spiritual/divine knowledge. ONE THING I DO In the book The Vance Havner Devotional Treasury, the author wrote, "I shall never forget Dr. R. A. Torrey saying to me as a young preacher, 'Young man, make up your mind on one thing and stick to it.'" Havner comments, "The Christian life should be like a sword with one point, not like a broom ending in many straws. Such a single purpose forgets the past, reaches toward the future, and presses on. There is no time or place for side issues, diversions to the right or to the left. There is no place for hands on the plow with eyes looking back. Paul was a one-track man, but you can go a long way on one track!" ACCENTUATE THE POSITIVE! An unknown author has given us in verse form and in a rather humorous vein the following advice: As you travel down life's pathway, Whatever be your goal, Keep your eye upon the doughnut, And not upon the hole. A number of applications can be made from this little poem. First: Center your thoughts and desires upon that which has worth. Don't be sidetracked by nonessentials. Concentrate upon that which has true value. Second: In your relationships with others, avoid the pitfall of becoming so annoyed by their significant peculiarities and idiosyncrasies that you completely overlook their virtues, abilities, and the traits which deserve your commendation and praise. Third: As followers of Christ, may we never become so occupied with the things of this world that we lose sight of our real purpose and mission here on earth. True, we must provide for our families. It's our obligation to feed, clothe, and educate them properly. There are also many pleasures in this life which God wants us to enjoy. But as "pilgrims" traveling to Glory, our first duty is to set our desires, hopes, and aspirations upon that which has eternal significance. 1 Timothy 6:21 which some have professed and thus gone astray from the faith. Grace be with you. BGT 1 Timothy 6:21 ἥν τινες ἐπαγγελλόμενοι περὶ τὴν πίστιν ἠστόχησαν. Ἡ χάρις μεθ᾽ ὑμῶν. Lock - These teachers, though they assert their proficiency in knowledge, have wholly missed the central truths. May God's grace be with you all. KJV 1 Timothy 6:21 Which some professing have erred concerning the faith. Grace be with thee. Amen. <The first to Timothy was written from Laodicea, which is the chiefest city of Phrygia Pacatiana.> NET 1 Timothy 6:21 By professing it, some have strayed from the faith. Grace be with you all. CSB 1 Timothy 6:21 By professing it, some people have deviated from the faith. Grace be with all of you. ESV 1 Timothy 6:21 for by professing it some have swerved from the faith. Grace be with you. NIV 1 Timothy 6:21 which some have professed and in so doing have wandered from the faith. Grace be with you. NLT 1 Timothy 6:21 Some people have wandered from the faith by following such foolishness.May God's grace be with you all. NRS 1 Timothy 6:21 by professing it some have missed the mark as regards the faith. Grace be with you. RSV 1 Timothy 6:21 for by professing it some have missed the mark as regards the faith. Grace be with you. YLT 1 Timothy 6:21 which certain professing -- concerning the faith did swerve; the grace is with you. Amen. NKJ 1 Timothy 6:21 by professing it some have strayed concerning the faith. Grace be with you. Amen. NJB 1 Timothy 6:21 by adopting this, some have missed the goal of faith. Grace be with you. NAB 1 Timothy 6:21 By professing it, some people have deviated from the faith. Grace be with all of you. ASV 1 Timothy 6:21 which some professing have erred concerning the faith. Grace be with you. MIT 1 Timothy 6:21 in affirming such, some have deviated from the faith. Grace be with you. DBY 1 Timothy 6:21 of which some having made profession, have missed the faith. Grace be with thee. GWN 1 Timothy 6:21 Although some claim to have knowledge, they have abandoned the faith. God's good will be with all of you. BBE 1 Timothy 6:21 Through which some, who gave their minds to it, have been turned away from the faith. Grace be with you. have: 1Ti 6:10 1:6,19 2Ti 2:18 Heb 10:1-12:29 Grace: Ro 1:7 16:20,24 2Ti 4:22 Tit 3:15 Heb 13:25 Amen: only in KJV - Mt 6:13 1 Timothy 6 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries THE DANGER OF PROFESSING PERVERTED DOCTRINES Which some have professed (epaggello - announce, proclaim) and thus gone astray (astocheo - missed the mark) from the faith (pistis = here the truth believed - see below) - These men were "professors" but not "possessors" of the truth and thus were not true believers. Demas might be an example of such men (cf 2Ti 4:10+). Professed is in the present tense indicating their continual profession of this so called knowledge. (cf professors in Titus 1:16+) In short, they were purveyors of false teaching. Gone astray is in the aorist tense (definite movement at a point in time away from truth of the faith) and active voice signifying they had made a personal choice to go astray. They were not just drawn astray like innocent lambs, but were like ravenous wolves who choose to go astray. The false teachers and their followers had clearly demonstrated by their deviation from Apostolic truth that they had left the straight path of sound doctrine. They had deviated from "The Way" an early title for the church. They had deviated from "the Way, the Truth and the Life" (John 14:6) and the result was upheaval of faith for faith comes by hearing (truth) and hearing (truth) equates with the pure milk of the Word of God. So Paul is saying here are some men who have embraced TRUTH for a while and then gone astray from that TRUTH. Paul used this same verb (astocheo) in a similar context in chapter 1 writing "For some men, straying from these things, have turned aside to fruitless (profitless for their talk produced no godliness. Shakespeare described such babble as “full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.” God said it was ''straw...(not) fire'' in Jer 23:28) discussion. (It wasn't that they were missing what they had aimed at, for this verb indicates that their problem was they had not set the proper aim, i.e., instruction which yields spiritual fruit)," (1Ti 1:6+) Guthrie says: This parting shot at the false teachers significantly uses the same word astocheo (having erred) to describe their defection as was used at the beginning of the Epistle. (Borrow The pastoral epistles : an introduction and commentary) The faith (pistis) is a specific phrase (definite article "the" plus "faith") found some 38x in the NASB, some instances referring to saving faith in Christ exercised by an individual and necessary for salvation. Approximately one-half of the 38 occurrences of the specific phrase the faith refer not to the ACT of believing but rather to WHAT is believed, the latter being the usage that the present context would seem to favor (cp retain the standard of sound words, 2Ti 1:13, guard...the treasure 2Ti 1:14, handling accurately the Word of truth 2Ti 2:15). It follows that the specific meaning of this phrase is dependent on the context (the text that goes with the text in question). William
1 Timóteo 6
Wuest: But godly piety associated with an inward self-sufficiency which is its natural accompaniment is great gain; Young's Literal: but it is great gain -- the piety with contentment; godliness: 1Ti 4:7-8 Ps 37:16 84:11 Pr 3:13-18 8:18-21 15:16 16:8 Mt 6:32,33 Lk 12:31,32 Ro 5:3-5 8:28 2Co 4:17,18 5:1 Php 1:21 Heb 13:5 contentment: 1Ti 6:8 Ex 2:21 Lk 3:14 Php 4:11-13 1 Timothy 6 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Resource: Christian Contentment Discovery House Booklet - Cultivating a Heart of Contentment CLICK FOR MORE IN DEPTH DISCUSSION ON THIS VERSE A LIFE CHANGING CONTRAST - ADVANTAGE OF A CONTENTED MIND! But (de) is a contrast which is found some 4000x in the Bible and always marks a "change of direction." This great "hinge" word should always prompt the inquisitive reader to pause and ponder the text (cf meditate) asking questions, the one that can always be asked -- "What is being contrasted?" But you can add others (depending on the context) such as "Why is it being contrasted, etc. As you hone this this skill of intelligently interrogate the text, you will begin to experience the joy of self (Spirit illuminated) discovery of truths that heretofore you had not seen, and all uncovered by focusing on this little word "but." The great teacher on how to study God's Word, Dr Howard Hendricks, once said "BUT is one of the most important words you’ll ever come across in your study of Scripture. Whenever you see it, always stop and ask, what is the contrast being made?" You will be amazed at how much your enhanced observations will help you to "comment on the commentaries!" (See related resource: inductive Bible study) In the present context the contrast is the false conclusion of the false teachers that godliness was associated with financial gain instead of spiritual gain as Paul explains in this passage. Jamieson explains the contrast with the previous verse noting that "Though they (the false teachers alluded to in the preceding pasages) err in this, there is a sense in which “piety is” not merely gain, but “great means of gain”: not the gaining which they pursue, and which makes men to be discontented with their present possessions, and to use religion as “a cloak of covetousness” (1Th 2:5) and means of earthly gain, but the present and eternal gain which piety, whose accompaniment is contentment, secures to the soul." John
1 Timóteo 6
Wuest adds that eusébeia is "a holy reverence or respect for God, piety towards God. The word does not refer to a person’s character as such, but to his attitude towards God." (Wuest's Word Studies from the Greek New Testament) Godliness is not "letting go and letting God." There is no such thing as drifting into godliness. In fact the "stream of tendency" is against us! It is vital to remember that growth in godliness calls for strenuous involvement on our part. Beloved, how are you doing in your growth in godliness? Are you making every effort, every day, to exercise self-discipline? At this point, beware of the trap of falling into "self-effort" or legalism, whether subtle or overt. Our old flesh nature inherited from Adam is "anti-God" and as believers our only hope for growing in godliness is by continual dependence on the Holy Spirit, who enables us (Php 2:13-note), to work out our salvation in fear and trembling (Php 2:12+). For more discussion of what I refer to as a "sacred synergism" CLICK "Sacred Synergism". Godliness is a practical awareness of God in every aspect of life. Godliness is not talking godly but living godly. Godliness reflects an attitude centered on living out one's life in God's presence with a desire motivated by love for Him and empowered by His Spirit of grace (Heb 10:29) to be pleasing to Him in all things. Godliness refers to having the proper attitude and conduct before God in everything. Godliness is that inner attitude of reverence which seeks to please God in every thought, word or deed. Godliness desires to be rightly related to both God and men, and brings the sanctifying presence of God into every relationship of one's life. Godliness is living one's life with a "Coram Deo" mindset, ever as before the face of God. Godliness is a practical awareness of God in every area of life—a God-consciousness. The godly man or woman lives above the petty things of life, the passions and pressures that control the lives of others (see below for relationship with contentment). The godly individual seeks to do the will of God making the kind of decisions that are right and noble, not taking the "easy" path simply to avoid either pain or trial. That's Biblical godliness! Why is truth that manifests itself in godliness so important? The renowned nineteenth-century Scottish preacher Alexander Maclaren answers this question writing that The world takes its notions of God, most of all, from the people who say that they belong to God’s family. They read us a great deal more than they read the Bible. They see us; they only hear about Jesus Christ The apostle Paul explains that whatever it takes it's worth it "for bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness (eusébeia) is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come." (1Ti 4:8-note) Every saint should meditate on the "trustworthy statement" (cf 1Ti 4:9-note) that a "daily investment" in godliness (whatever the cost in self-discipline and self-denial enabled by grace and the Holy Spirit) will yield profits not only in the present but all eternity! The Greenest Grass I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content. — Philippians 4:11 Today's Scripture: 1 Timothy 6:1-11 A friend in Pennsylvania sent us this illustration: “One of my father’s old cows gives good milk, but she sure can be dumb! She has a whole field in which to feed, yet no grass seems quite as tasty as those patches outside her own pasture. I often see her stretching her head through the fence, while right behind her is everything she needs— excellent grazing land, beautiful shade trees, a cool, refreshing stream of water, and even a big chunk of salt. What more could she want?” Many people are like that old cow. They think that the “grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.” They are constantly grasping, coveting, and seeking to obtain what doesn’t belong to them. How absolutely miserable they are! What folly there is in discontentment! I would be quiet, Lord, and rest content, I know my needs will all be met; With You to guide and care, my joy is this: Not one small need will You forget! —HGB Most people aren't content with their lot—even when they get a lot more. The Yard-Sale Christmas Godliness with contentment is great gain. 1 Timothy 6:6 Today's Scripture & Insight: 1 Timothy 6:6–10, 17–19 A mom felt she’d been overspending on family Christmas gifts, so one year she decided to try something different. For a few months before the holiday, she scrounged through yard sales for inexpensive, used items. She bought more than usual but for far less money. On Christmas Eve, her children excitedly opened gift after gift after gift. The next day there were more! Mom had felt guilty about not getting new gifts so she had additional gifts for Christmas morning. The kids began opening them but quickly complained, “We’re too tired to open any more! You’ve given us so much!” That’s not a typical response from children on a Christmas morning! God has blessed us with so much, but it seems we’re always looking for more: a bigger house, a better car, a larger bank account, or [fill in the blank]. Paul encouraged Timothy to remind people in his congregation that “we brought nothing into this world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that” (1 Timothy 6:7–8). What are you thankful to God for today? How might you learn contentment? Father, You’ve blessed me with so much. Teach me each day to give thanks. The Rich And The Poor Blessed be the Lord, who daily loads us with benefits, the God of our salvation. — Psalm 68:19 Today's Scripture: 1 Timothy 6:3-19 My wife and I think of ourselves as neither rich nor poor. When we consider people living in poverty, struggling just to get by, we can feel guilty because of our comfortable lifestyle. But when we see others who live in luxurious houses, drive expensive cars, and take exotic vacations, our lifestyle seems unpretentious and humdrum. Actually, how much we possess is not as important as our attitude toward our possessions. Paul wrote that “godliness with contentment is great gain” (1 Tim. 6:6). Regardless of our status, we should be content, neither coveting more nor resenting those who have more than we do. Although we as Christians may enjoy God’s blessings without feeling guilty, we must also heed Paul’s admonition not to be haughty but to trust in God (v.17). We must humbly acknowledge Him as the source of all we have, and share willingly and generously with others (vv.17-18). Such generosity has eternal value (v.19). Since God measures our giving by the degree of our sacrifice (Mk. 12:42-44), many who have little to give in this life will be immensely rewarded in the life to come. If we've been blessed with riches, We must be rich in deeds; God wants us to be generous In meeting others' needs. —Sper Our value is determined not by what we have but by what we do with what we have. The Rat Race Godliness with contentment is great gain. — 1 Timothy 6:6 Today's Scripture: Ecclesiastes 4:1-8 A sign by the roadside carried this message: “I’m getting sick of the rat race. The rats keep getting bigger and faster.” Many men and women, no doubt, feel that way. In spite of amazing advances in technology, people’s frustration level seems as high or higher than ever. The core problem is that sinful human nature hasn’t changed. Almost 3,000 years ago, Solomon made three insightful observations about the rat race of life in his day. First, he said that a desire to outdo one’s peers was the motive behind much human industriousness, and this was a no-win situation (Eccl. 4:4). Second, those who dropped out of the rat race became lazy and unproductive. This kind of idleness is foolish and self-destructive (Eccl 4:5). Third, Solomon said that people became so obsessed with making money that they didn’t form healthy relationships. This made them go through life without purpose or meaning, never satisfied with all they had worked for (v.8). The secret of contentment is To let the Lord supply; Just do your part and put God first And on His Word rely. —DJD He is rich who is satisfied with what God has given. A Good Surrender Godliness with contentment is great gain. — 1 Timothy 6:6 Today's Scripture: Philippians 4:10-19 Surrender is not a very popular word. We use it in reference to the humiliation that accompanies defeat. When a nation loses a war, it may be forced to surrender unconditionally, and has no say in the terms of defeat. Yet there is a type of surrender that is dignified and appropriate. Paul understood it in two aspects. First, it means surrendering our desires and will to the heavenly Father. Jesus is our example, for He did the Father’s will in everything (Jn. 6:38). The second aspect is our acceptance of God’s supreme sovereignty. This is marked by our realization that things do not always go our way as God works out His will on earth. Our business goes through good times and bad. Our health may suffer. Loved ones will hurt us, or leave us, or even die. Our fondest dreams may never be realized. In the spiritual sense, to surrender means that we trust God to do what is best. It is, as Paul said, choosing to be content “in whatever state I am” (Phil. 4:11-12), and knowing by faith that God will take care of our needs (v.19). That kind of faith isn’t easy. But it’s the only way to overcome dissatisfaction and anger about uncontrollable circumstances. Take my love—my God, I pour At Thy feet its treasure store; Take myself—and I will be Ever, only, all for Thee. —Havergal Surrender is victory when we yield to God. The Greenest Grass I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content. — Philippians 4:11 Today's Scripture: 1 Timothy 6:1-11 A friend in Pennsylvania sent us this illustration: “One of my father’s old cows gives good milk, but she sure can be dumb! She has a whole field in which to feed, yet no grass seems quite as tasty as those patches outside her own pasture. I often see her stretching her head through the fence, while right behind her is everything she needs— excellent grazing land, beautiful shade trees, a cool, refreshing stream of water, and even a big chunk of salt. What more could she want?” Many people are like that old cow. They think that the “grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.” They are constantly grasping, coveting, and seeking to obtain what doesn’t belong to them. How absolutely miserable they are! What folly there is in discontentment! I would be quiet, Lord, and rest content, I know my needs will all be met; With You to guide and care, my joy is this: Not one small need will You forget! —HGB Most people aren't content with their lot—even when they get a lot more. Almost Content? Be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” —Hebrews 13:5 Today's Scripture: 1 Timothy 6:6-12 As I stepped into the restaurant parking lot after lunch, I saw a pickup truck speeding through the parked vehicles. While observing the driver’s reckless behavior, I noticed the words on the truck’s front license plate. It read, “Almost Content.” After thinking about that message and the sentiment it tried to communicate, I concluded that the concept “almost content” doesn’t exist. Either we are content or we are not. Admittedly, contentment is a tough needle to thread. We live in a world that feeds our desire for more and more—until we find it almost impossible to be content with anything. But this is nothing new. The book of Hebrews addressed this issue, saying, “Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you’” (13:5). The only remedy for hearts that “want it all” is the contentment found in the presence of the living God. He is sufficient for our needs and longings, and He alone can bring us the peace and contentment we’ll never find in the pursuits of this life. I find contentment in His wondrous grace, No cloud or shadow can obscure His face; When great temptations I must bear, I find the secret place of prayer. —Dunlop Contentment is not getting what we want but being satisfied with what we have. Contented Be content with such things as you have. — Hebrews 13:5 Today's Scripture: 1 Timothy 6:1-12 Early one dreary, rainy morning I sat in my study and looked out the window. I watched a fat robin pull three worms from the grass, swallow them, and then fly up to the telephone wire. There, just 10 feet from me, he began to sing. For a half-hour I sat and enjoyed the robin’s rendition of “Praise the Lord!” The robin did not complain about the color or size of the worms, but he was satisfied with what he found. He was content. He was delighted with what the heavenly Father had provided. A young girl whose father was a chronic grumbler said to her mother, “I know what everybody in this family likes. Johnny likes hamburgers, Janie likes ice cream, Willie likes bananas, and Mommy likes chicken.” The father, irked because he had not been included in the list, asked, “What about me? What do I like?” The innocent little one replied, “You like everything we haven’t got.” I would be quiet, Lord, and rest content, By grace I would not pine, nor would I fret; With You to guide and care, my joy be this: Not one small need of mine will You forget! —HGB Thankfulness is the soil in which joy thrives. Advantage In Adversity Godliness with contentment is great gain. — 1 Timothy 6:6 Today's Scripture: 1 Timothy 6:6-19 Adversity tests us. It’s one thing to study the game sketched out on the blackboard in the locker room; it’s quite another to take the field where adversity tackles us and bloodies our noses. Adversity tests whether we will turn tail and run or stand up to life’s challenges as people of faith. We may think that the opposite of adversity is prosperity. Not so. Prosperity is a character test in disguise. Thomas Carlyle, the Scottish essayist, understood this when he wrote, “Adversity is sometimes hard upon a man, but for one man who can stand prosperity, there are a hundred that will stand adversity. Precious few are those who can keep their moral, spiritual, and financial equilibrium . . . while balancing on the elevated tightrope of success.” Most of us can handle a demotion better than a promotion. Why? Because when adversity strikes, life becomes rather simple. We have no choice but to stand up to it or quit. Prosperity, on the other hand, doesn’t seem like a test, yet it often creates in us a sense of discontent. We crave more and more of what we have enough of already. Thinking It Over Where do I turn when adversity strikes? Do I remember the Lord as much in my successes as I do in my failures? Prosperity may be a greater test of character than poverty. Commandment 10—Be Content You shall not covet your neighbor’s house . . . nor anything that is your neighbor’s. — Exodus 20:17 Today's Scripture: 1 Timothy 6:3-10 A store owner in Maine stubbornly refused to carry a new product. “You must remember, young feller,” said the storekeeper to the salesman, “that in this part of the country every want ain’t a need.” Confusing our wants with our needs goes to the heart of coveting and explains why we are so often driven by the desire for more and more. We fail to see that life’s greatest fulfillment is not found in accumulating things but in knowing God. The tenth commandment may seem like an add-on compared to such big-ticket items as murder, stealing, lying, and adultery, but it is foundational to all the other commandments and ensures peace and contentment. It is the only command that zeroes in on a forbidden attitude rather than an action. Yet it is a safeguard against the temptation to break the other nine commandments. David’s covetous desire for another man’s wife led to adultery, stealing, and murder (2Sa 11:1-5). And a desire for more and more pleasure, power, or possessions can destroy family relationships and cause us to lie to others. And because covetousness is idolatry (Col. 3:5), it also keeps us from having and maintaining a right relationship to God. When we would covet more and more Of this world’s gold, of earthly store, Help us, O God, to look above And draw upon Your matchless love. —DJD Contentment is wanting what you have, not having everything you want. Money Talk Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God. — 1 Timothy 6:17 Today's Scripture: 1 Timothy 6:6-12 Marilyn and Steven had been married just a few years, and money was tight. But as she looked at their threadbare bedspread, she wanted to replace it. So she decided she would buy a new one with a credit card—hoping to somehow find the money to pay it off. Her devotional reading for the day surprised her when it pointed her to Proverbs 22:27, “If you lack the means to pay, your very bed will be snatched from under you” (niv). Marilyn decided not to go into debt for a new bedspread that day. Decisions about the way we spend our money are a personal matter between us and the Lord and can be difficult to make. But God hasn’t left us without help. He tells us: “Honor the Lord with your possessions” (Prov. 3:9), and “You cannot serve both God and Money” (Matt. 6:24 niv). With such truths in mind, we look further in His Word for help to use money wisely. We find this: “Beware of covetousness” (Luke 12:15). Another says, “The borrower is servant to the lender” (Prov. 22:7). And in 1 Timothy we read, be “ready to give, willing to share” (6:18). Lord, sometimes money and finances are overwhelming. It’s hard to know what decisions to make, so please lead me and give the wisdom to use my finances in a way that pleases You. Never let gold become your god. Forever Joyful Though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you . . . might become rich. — 2 Corinthians 8:9+ Today's Scripture: 1 Timothy 6:6-16 Wall Street Journal columnist Jonathan Clements offered his readers “Nine Tips for Investing in Happiness.” Interestingly, one of his suggestions was precisely the same as that given in the favorite old hymn by Johnson C. Oatman, “Count Your Many Blessings.” Clements urges us not to brood over the riches of our neighbors but to focus on the many blessings we actually do possess. That’s wise counsel, provided that we realize our spiritual wealth in Jesus is immeasurably more valuable than any material possessions. God didn’t give us the Bible as a guidebook for happiness. Yet it tells us how we can be eternally joyful and how we can experience joy on our way to that eternal happiness. So it’s enlightening to compare biblical truth with common-sense advice. “Godliness with contentment is great gain,” Paul wrote to Timothy (1 Tim. 6:6). The apostle wanted his protégé to understand that being grateful for the basics of life would help keep him from the trap of covetousness. When you look at others with their lands and gold, Think that Christ has promised you His wealth untold; Count your many blessings—money cannot buy Your reward in heaven nor your home on high. —Oatman Count your many blessings and you’ll soon lose count. Contented Be content with such things as you have. — Hebrews 13:5 Today's Scripture: 1 Timothy 6:1-12 Early one dreary, rainy morning I sat in my study and looked out the window. I watched a fat robin pull three worms from the grass, swallow them, and then fly up to the telephone wire. There, just 10 feet from me, he began to sing. For a half-hour I sat and enjoyed the robin’s rendition of “Praise the Lord!” The robin did not complain about the color or size of the worms, but he was satisfied with what he found. He was content. He was delighted with what the heavenly Father had provided. A young girl whose father was a chronic grumbler said to her mother, “I know what everybody in this family likes. Johnny likes hamburgers, Janie likes ice cream, Willie likes bananas, and Mommy likes chicken.” The father, irked because he had not been included in the list, asked, “What about me? What do I like?” The innocent little one replied, “You like everything we haven’t got.” I would be quiet, Lord, and rest content, By grace I would not pine, nor would I fret; With You to guide and care, my joy be this: Not one small need of mine will You forget! —HGB Thankfulness is the soil in which joy thrives. Rich Toward God Godliness with contentment is great gain. 1 Timothy 6:6 Today's Scripture & Insight: 1 Timothy 6:6–11 Growing up during the Great Depression, my parents knew deep hardship as children. As a result, they were hard-working and grateful money stewards. But they were never greedy. They gave time, talent, and treasury to their church, charity groups, and the needy. Indeed, they handled their money wisely and gave cheerfully. As believers in Jesus, my parents took to heart the apostle Paul’s warning: “Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction” (1 Timothy 6:9). Paul gave this advice to Timothy, the young pastor of the city of Ephesus, a wealthy city where riches tempted all. “The love of money is a root of all kinds of evil,” Paul warned. “Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs” (1Ti 6:10). What, then, is the antidote to greed? Being “rich toward God,” said Jesus (see Luke 12:13–21). By pursuing, appreciating, and loving our heavenly Father above all, He remains our chief delight. As the psalmist wrote, “Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days” (Psalm 90:14). Rejoicing in Him daily relieves us of coveting, leaving us contented. May Jesus redeem our heart’s desires, making us rich toward God! By: Patricia Raybon Satisfy us in the morning, God, with Your unfailing love— replacing our greed with holy hunger for You. God Focus Godliness with contentment is great gain. 1 Timothy 6:6 Today's Scripture & Insight: 1 Timothy 6:6–11 When I was shopping for engagement rings, I spent many hours looking for exactly the right diamond. I was plagued by the thought, What if I miss the best one? According to economic psychologist Barry Schwartz, my chronic indecision indicates that I am what he calls a “maximizer,” in contrast to a “satisficer.” A satisficer makes choices based on whether something is adequate for their needs. Maximizers? We have a need to always make the best choice (guilty!). The potential outcome of our indecision in the face of many choices? Anxiety, depression, and discontent. In fact, sociologists have coined another phrase for this phenomenon: fear of missing out. We won’t find the words maximizer or satisficer in Scripture, of course. But we do find a similar idea. In 1 Timothy, Paul challenged Timothy to find value in God rather than the things of this world. The world’s promises of fulfillment can never fully deliver. Paul wanted Timothy to instead root his identity in God: “Godliness with contentment is great gain” (6:6). Paul sounds like a satisficer when he adds, “But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that” (v. 8). Would you say you tend to be a content person? Why or why not? How do you think your relationship with God affects your overall contentment in life? Father, help me to remember that only You can fill my soul. Great Gain Godliness with contentment is great gain. —1 Timothy 6:6 Today's Scripture: 1 Timothy 6:1-11 Over the past 15 years, a New Jersey businessman has anonymously given away more than $600 million to universities, medical centers, and other beneficiaries. When a legal complication forced him to reveal his identity, he explained his generosity by saying, “Nobody can wear two pairs of shoes at one time. I simply decided I had enough money.” A friend of the donor described him as a man who doesn’t own a house or a car, flies economy class, wears a $15 watch, and “didn’t want his money to crush him.” Few people seem able to treat their resources as a servant instead of a master. It seems so natural and sensible to grasp rather than to give. Even as followers of Christ, we may mistakenly believe that “godliness is a means of gain” (1 Tim. 6:5). To counter that dangerous mindset, the apostle Paul wrote, “Godliness with contentment is great gain. . . . And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content” (vv.6,8). Contentment, according to one observer, “is not an economic quality but a spiritual attainment. It is not a state of accounts but a state of heart.” Fret not for want of earthly things, They'll never satisfy; The secret of contentment is To let the Lord supply. —DJD Money is what you make it—a master or a servant. 1 Timothy 6:7 For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either. Greek: ouden gar eisenegkamen (1PAAI) eis ton kosmon, hoti oude exenegkein (AAN) ti dunametha; (1PPPI) Amplified: For we brought nothing into the world, and obviously we cannot take anything out of the world;. (Amplified Bible - Lockman) ESV: for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. KJV: For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. Moffatt: for we bring nothing into the world, and we Can take nothing out of it. NET: For we have brought nothing into this world and so we cannot take a single thing out either. NLT: After all, we brought nothing with us when we came into the world, and we can’t take anything with us when we leave it. (NLT - Tyndale House)
1 Timóteo 6
Wuest: for not even one thing did we bring into this world, because not even one thing are we able to take out. Young's Literal: for nothing did we bring into the world -- it is manifest that we are able to carry nothing out; brought: Job 1:21 Pr 27:24 Ec 5:15,16 So we cannot take: Ps 49:17 Lk 12:20-21 Lk 16:22-23 1 Timothy 6 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Resource: Christian Contentment CLICK FOR MORE IN DEPTH DISCUSSION ON THIS VERSE Related Passages: Psalm 49:17 For when he dies he will carry nothing away; His glory will not descend after him. Luke 12:20-21+ “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you have prepared?’ 21 “So is the man who stores up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.” Luke 16:22-23+ “Now the poor man died and was carried away by the angels to Abraham’s bosom; and the rich man also died and was buried. 23“In Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and *saw Abraham far away and Lazarus in his bosom. For (gar) is "a marker of cause or reason between events, though in some context this association may be remote or tenuous" (Louw-Nida). Stated another way "for" is a term of explanation which always provides an opportunity to pause and ponder the passage. You will be amazed how much truth a humble, prayerful, Spirit dependent attitude will enable you to discern as you simply observe the text! In the present context, "for" explains or amplifies why godliness is associated with true contentment. In other words when a man or woman of God possesses godliness joined with contentment they are able to dispense of those things that we cannot take with us into eternity future. We have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either - We did not even bring ourselves into this world. God gave us to our mothers to birth us into this world. This is quite humbling. The great man of God, Job had a good commentary on this passage when "He said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I shall return there. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away. Blessed be the name of the LORD.” Indeed, anything and everything good we have is from Him for as James says "Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow." (James 1:17+) As the old saying goes, "I've never seen a U-Haul trailer following a hearse!" So while we can take nothing out of this world, we can send it ahead to the next world, for our Lord Jesus Christ even commanded disciples to "store up (thesaurizo in the present imperative see our need to depend on the Holy Spirit to obey) for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; 21 for (Term of explanation - what is Jesus explaining?) where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." (Mt 6:20-21+) In other words, the faithful disciple is to be continually storing up treasure in heaven, sending it on ahead, because he (or she) cannot take anything with him (her) when he (she) departs this earth, either in death (falling asleep in Jesus) or the Rapture. Related Resources: The treasure principle by Alcorn, Randy (Borrow this book) Money, possessions, and eternity by Alcorn, Randy (Borrow this book) The law of rewards by Alcorn, Randy (Borrow this book) 1 Timothy 6:8 If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content. Greek: dunametha; (1PPPI) 8 echontes (PAPMPN) de diatrophas kai skepasmata, toutois arkesthesometha. (1PFPI) Amplified: But if we have food and clothing, with these we shall be content (satisfied). (Amplified Bible - Lockman) ESV: But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. KJV: And having food and raiment let us be therewith content. Moffatt: If we have food and clothes, we must be content with that. NET: But if we have food and shelter, we will be satisfied with that. NLT: So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content. (NLT - Tyndale House)
1 Timóteo 6
Wuest: And having food and clothing, by these we shall be fortified sufficiently; Young's Literal: but having food and raiment -- with these we shall suffice ourselves; Ge 28:20 48:15 De 2:7 8:3,4 Pr 27:23-27 30:8,9 Ec 2:24-26 Ec 3:12,13 Mt 6:11,25-33 Heb 13:5,6 1 Timothy 6 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Resource: Christian Contentment Discovery House Booklet - Cultivating a Heart of Contentment CLICK FOR MORE IN DEPTH DISCUSSION ON 1 Timothy 6:8 If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content - Is this your testimony? Or do you need the latest version of Iphone to be content? What We Don’t Need Having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. —1 Timothy 6:8 Today's Scripture: 1 Timothy 6:6-11 In the fifth century, a man named Arsenius determined to live a holy life. So he abandoned the comforts of Egyptian society to follow an austere lifestyle in the desert. Yet whenever he visited the great city of Alexandria, he spent time wandering through its bazaars. Asked why, he explained that his heart rejoiced at the sight of all the things he didn’t need. Those of us who live in a society flooded with goods and gadgets need to ponder the example of that desert dweller. A typical supermarket in the United States in 1976 stocked 9,000 articles; today it carries 30,000. How many of them are absolutely essential? How many superfluous? It’s hard for us to say sincerely with the apostle Paul, “Having food and clothing, with these we shall be content” (1 Tim. 6:8). In our constant battle against the seductive materialism of our culture, let’s follow the example of Arsenius. As we walk through the markets and shopping malls, we too can rejoice at the sight of all the things we don’t need. Lord, make me truly wise, I pray, Contented with my lot; Help me to shun all earthly things That soon will be forgot. —HGB Contentment isn’t getting what we want but being satisfied with what we have. Simply Content Having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. —1 Timothy 6:8 Today's Scripture: 1 Timothy 6:3-16 A few years ago, an automaker used the tune of the old Shaker song “Simple Gifts” to promote a luxury car. To those who knew the lyrics, it seemed contradictory to use a song about finding contentment in a simple way of life to sell an expensive car. It says, “‘Tis the gift to be simple, ’tis the gift to be free, ’tis the gift to come down where we ought to be.” We often struggle to accept the Bible’s teaching that contentment has nothing to do with our wardrobe, our bank account, or whether we have steak or fish sticks for supper. It is not material prosperity but “godliness with contentment” that the apostle Paul called “great gain” (1 Timothy 6:6). Timothy may have been as stunned as we are to read the words, “having food and clothing, with these we shall be content” (v.8). How many of us will pause today to thank the Lord because we have something to wear and something to eat? But how might our lives be revolutionized if we did? As we keep on collecting more and more stuff, We sometimes complain that we don't have enough; But let us be thankful for what God has sent— With food and with clothing may we be content. —Fitzhugh Contentment comes not from great wealth but from few wants. 1 Timothy 6:9 But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction. Those: Ge 13:10-13 Nu 22:17-19 Jos 7:11 2Ki 5:20-27 Pr 15:27 20:21 Pr 21:6 22:16 28:20-22 Isa 5:8 Ho 12:7,8 Am 8:4-6 Zec 11:5 Mt 13:22 19:22 26:15 Jas 5:1-4 2Pe 2:15,16 Jude 1:11 Snare: 1Ti 3:7 De 7:25 Ps 11:6 Pr 1:17-19 Lu 21:35 2Ti 2:26 1 Timothy 6 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries CLICK FOR MORE IN DEPTH DISCUSSION ON 1 Timothy 6:9 But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction. Happy Without Those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts. — 1 Timothy 6:9 Today's Scripture: 1 Timothy 6:6-11 The ancient Greek philosopher Socrates (469-399 BC) believed that if you are truly wise you will not be obsessed with possessions. Practicing to an extreme what he preached, he even refused to wear shoes. Socrates loved to visit the marketplace, though, and gaze with admiration at the great abundance of wares on display. When a friend asked why he was so allured, he replied, “I love to go there and discover how many things I am perfectly happy without.” That type of attitude runs counter to the commercial messages that continually bombard our eyes and ears. Advertisers spend millions to tell us about all the latest products that we can’t be happy without. The apostle Paul advised his spiritual son Timothy, “Godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content” (1 Timothy 6:6-8). If we become enamored with things, Paul warned, we may wander from the faith and be pierced with the pangs of frustrated desire (1Ti 6:9-10). Lord, help me not to set my heart On things that pass away; Make me content with what I have, And give You thanks each day. —Sper Contentment comes not from great wealth but from few wants. 1 Timothy 6:10 For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. Love: Ge 34:23,24 38:16 Ex 23:7,8 De 16:19 23:4,5,18 Jud 17:10,11 Jud 18:19,20,29-31 2Sa 4:10,11 Pr 1:19 Isa 1:23 56:11 Jer 5:27 Jer 5:28 Eze 13:19 16:33 22:12 Mic 3:11 7:3,4 Mal 1:10 Mt 23:14 Ac 1:16-19 Tit 1:11 Rev 18:13) 1 Timothy 6 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries CLICK FOR MORE IN DEPTH DISCUSSION ON 1 Timothy 6:10 For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. Losing Our Way The love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness. —1 Timothy 6:10 Today's Scripture & Insight: 1 Timothy 6:6-10 An online survey conducted by a New York law firm reveals that 52 percent of Wall Street traders, brokers, investment bankers, and other financial service professionals have either engaged in illegal activity or believe they may need to do so in order to be successful. The survey concludes that these financial leaders “have lost their moral compass” and “accept corporate wrongdoing as a necessary evil.” In mentoring young Timothy, the apostle Paul warned that the love of money and the desire to get rich had caused some to lose their way. They had yielded to temptations and embraced many “foolish and harmful” desires (1 Tim. 6:9). Paul saw “the love of money” (not money itself) as a source of “all kinds of evil” (v.10), especially the evil of trusting in money rather than depending on Christ. As we learn to see that Christ is the source of all we have, we will find contentment in Him rather than in material possessions. When we seek godliness rather than riches, we will gain a desire to be faithful with what we have been given. Let’s deliberately cultivate an attitude of contentment in God, and faithfully submit to Him, for our Provider will care for us. By: Marvin Williams To love money is to lose sight of the Source of life. Money Talks The love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness. —1 Timothy 6:10 Today's Scripture: Luke 12:13-21 As I was driving home from the office, I saw a minivan proudly displaying a bumper sticker that read: “Money Talks: Mine Says Goodbye.” I think a lot of people can relate to that sentiment. Much of our living is spent acquiring and using money, which doesn’t last. The stock market crashes. Prices go up. Thieves steal others’ goods. Things wear out and break down, requiring the acquisition and expenditure of more money to replace what has been lost. The temporary nature of material wealth makes it a poor bargain in the search for security in an insecure world. Money is much better at saying goodbye than it is at sticking around. Nowhere does the Bible say it’s wrong to have money or the things that money can buy. Where we lose our way is when money becomes the driving purpose of our lives. Like the rich man and his barns (Luke 12:13-21), we end up pursuing the accumulation of things that eventually will be forfeited—if not in life, then certainly at death. How tragic to live our entire lives, only to end them with nothing of eternal worth to show for our labors. Let me hold lightly things of this earth; Transient treasures, what are they worth? Moths can corrupt them, rust can decay; All their bright beauty fades in a day. —Nicholson Treasures in heaven are laid up as treasures on earth are laid down. 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. Your Life’s Passion The love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. . . . Flee from all this, and pursue righteousness. 1 Timothy 6:10–11 Today's Scripture & Insight: 1 Timothy 6:6–12 One evening years ago, my wife and I were making our way down a mountain trail, accompanied by two friends. The trail was narrow and wound around a slope with a steep drop on one side and an unclimbable bank on the other. As we came around a bend, I saw a large bear moseying along, swinging his head from side to side, and quietly huffing. We were downwind, and he hadn’t detected our presence, but he would soon. Our friend began to rummage around in her jacket for a camera. “Oh, I must take a picture!” she said. I, being less comfortable with our odds, said, “No, we must get out of here.” So we backed up quietly until we were out of sight—and ran. That’s how we should feel about the dangerous passion to get rich. There’s nothing wrong with money; it’s just a medium of exchange. But those who desire to get rich “fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction,” Paul wrote (1 Timothy 6:9). Wealth is only a goad to get more. What’s your passion in life? How might you pursue traits that will make you more like Jesus? God, I want to grow to become more Christlike. Help me cooperate with what You’re trying to teach me. 1 Timothy 6:11 But flee from these things, you man of God, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness. Amplified: But as for you, O man of God, flee from all these things; aim at and pursue righteousness (right standing with God and true goodness), godliness (which is the loving fear of God and being Christlike), faith, love, steadfastness (patience), and gentleness of heart. (Amplified Bible - Lockman) ESV: But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. KJV: But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness. Moffatt: Shun that, O man of God, aim at integrity, piety, faith, love, stedfastness, and suavity; NET: But you, as a person dedicated to God, keep away from all that. Instead pursue righteousness, godliness, faithfulness, love, endurance, and gentleness. NLT: But you, Timothy, are a man of God; so run from all these evil things. Pursue righteousness and a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness. (NLT - Tyndale House)
1 Timóteo 6
Wuest: But, as for you, O man of God, these things be constantly fleeing. But be as constantly eagerly seeking to acquire righteousness, godly piety, faith, divine and self-sacrificial love, steadfastness, gentleness. Young's Literal: and thou, O man of God, these things flee, and pursue righteousness, piety, faith, love, endurance, meekness Flee: 1Co 6:18 10:14 2Ti 2:22 Man of God: 1Ti 6:20 Dt 33:1 1Sa 2:27 9:6 1Ki 13:1,26 17:18,24 20:28 2Ki 1:9,13 2Ki 5:20 23:17 1Ch 23:14 2Ch 8:14 Ne 12:24,36 Jer 35:4 2Ti 3:17 1 Timothy 6 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries CLICK FOR MORE IN DEPTH DISCUSSION ON 1 Timothy 6:11 But flee from these things, you man of God, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness. Flee! Submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. — James 4:7 Today's Scripture: James 4:1-10 I didn’t see the movie The Exorcist, but I do recall its impact on my community. It left a lasting impression on many people about Satan’s power. Even many Christians began to live in fear, swayed by the vivid images of evil. It seemed as if the devil was almost as powerful as God. Is this perspective biblically sound? Of course not. God is the Creator, and all others, including demons, are just created beings. Only God is almighty. It’s easy to blame the devil when things go wrong. Although he does propagate wickedness and sin, we must be careful not to conclude that we are powerless against him. We are told in the Bible that the Holy Spirit within us “is greater than he who is in the world” (1 John 4:4). The Bible also says we have a role to play in overcoming evil and doing what is good. We are to “flee sexual immorality” (1 Corinthians 6:18-20), “flee from idolatry” (10:14), “flee” from the love of money (1 Timothy 6:10-11), and “flee also youthful lusts” (2 Timothy 2:22). When Satan launches his attack, We must take heart and pray; If we submit ourselves to God, He'll be our strength each day. —Sper To defeat Satan, surrender to Christ. Disappearing Act Flee these things and pursue righteousness. — 1 Timothy 6:11 Today's Scripture: Ephesians 5:1-13 What if suddenly one day all followers of Christ disappeared? What if we all just vanished? I’m not talking about Christians being removed from planet Earth. I’m talking about something that we can control. What if suddenly all the Christians vanished from places of entertainment where we, as children of the heavenly Father, didn’t belong? For instance, what if Christians refused to watch TV programs in which immorality masquerades as entertainment? What if we all vanished from the Nielsen ratings? And what if we no longer watched movies that are ungodly or whose characters use God’s name in vain and take God’s standards so lightly? Would our absence make a difference? Would the people in Hollywood notice that we were gone? I think so, but that’s not really the point. Our duty in life is to live each moment in fellowship with God. That means we don’t let anything in our lives interrupt that fellowship. Our close relationship with God is at stake. More purity give me, more strength to o'ercome, More freedom from earth-stains, more longings for home; More fit for the kingdom, more used would I be, More blessed and holy, more, Savior, like Thee. —Bliss If you walk with God, you won't run with the world. Don’t Rust Out But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness. —1 Timothy 6:11 Today's Scripture: 1 Timothy 6:11-16 On June 15, 1957, a brand-new car was buried in a concrete vault under the courthouse lawn in Tulsa. In June 2007, the car was unearthed as the city celebrated Oklahoma’s 100th year of statehood. Writing in the Tulsa World, Randy Krehbiel said: “Now we know what 50 years in a hole does to a Plymouth Belvedere.” Water seeping into the vault had turned the once shiny car into a rusted monument to the past. A hot-rod expert hired to start the engine pronounced it “hopeless.” Spiritual inactivity corrodes the soul like moisture acting on metal. Paul urged Timothy, his young protégé, to “pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness” (1 Tim. 6:11). This command had no expiration date attached to it. The spiritual disciplines require continued attention throughout our lives. If rest becomes our goal, then rust is right behind. Oswald Chambers said: “The intellect works with the greatest intensity when it works continuously; the more you do, the more you can do. We must work hard to keep in trim for God. Clean off the rust and keep bright by use.” For Further Study - For practical advice on how to keep spiritually active as we age, you may wish to read Finishing Well Spiritual inactivity corrodes the soul. 1 Timothy 6:12 Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. Amplified:Fight the good fight of the faith; lay hold of the eternal life to which you were summoned and [for which] you confessed the good confession [of faith] before many witnesses. (Amplified Bible - Lockman) ESV:Fight the good fight of the faith.Take hold of the eternal lifeto which you were called and about which you madethe good confession in the presence of many witnesses KJV: Fight the good fight for the true faith. Hold tightly to the eternal life to which God has called you, which you have confessed so well before many witnesses. Moffatt: Fight in the good fight of the faith, secure that life eternal to which you were called when you voiced the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. Montgomery: Keep contending in the noble contest of the faith; seize hold on eternal life, to which you were called when you confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. NLT: Fight the good fight for the true faith. Hold tightly to the eternal life to which God has called you, which you have confessed so well before many witnesses. (NLT - Tyndale House)
1 Timóteo 6
Wuest: Be constantly engaging in the contest of the Faith, which contest is marked by its beauty of technique. Take possession of the eternal life into a participation of which you were called and concerning which you gave testimony to your agreement with the good profession [you made] in the presence of many witnesses. Young's Literal: Be striving the good strife of the faith, be laying hold on the life age-during, to which also thou wast called, and didst profess the right profession before many witnesses. Fight. 1Ti 1:18. Zech 10:5. 1Co 9:25, 26. 2Co 6:7, 2Cor 10:3-5. Eph 6:10-18. 1Th 5:8, 9. 2Ti 2:3, 2Ti 4:7. Jude 3 Fight of faith. Php 1:30 1 Timothy 6 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries CLICK FOR MORE IN DEPTH DISCUSSION ON 1 Timothy 6:12 Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. What Are We Holding On To? Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life. — 1 Timothy 6:12 Today's Scripture: 1 Timothy 6:11-16 Tolkien’s classic The Lord of the Rings trilogy came to life in recent years on film. In the second epic story, the hero, Frodo, reached a point of despair and wearily confided to his friend, “I can’t do this, Sam.” As a good friend, Sam gave a rousing speech: “It’s like in the great stories . . . . Full of darkness and danger they were. . . . Folk in those stories had lots of chances of turning back, only they didn’t. They kept going. Because they were holding on to something.” Which prompted Frodo to ask: “What are we holding on to, Sam?” It’s a significant question, one that we all need to ask ourselves. Living in a fallen, broken world, it’s no wonder that sometimes we feel overwhelmed by the powers of darkness. When we are at the point of despair, ready to throw in the towel, we do well to follow Paul’s advice to Timothy: “Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life” (1 Tim. 6:12). Though weak and helpless in life’s fray, God’s mighty power shall be my stay; Without, within, He gives to me The strength to gain the victory. —D. De Haan The trials of earth are small compared with the triumphs of heaven. The Battle Still Rages Fight the good fight of faith. — 1 Timothy 6:12 Today's Scripture: Ephesians 6:10-18 The world has changed drastically since my dad stood his ground against the enemy in World War II. Back then, he and his brave comrades fought against nations that were threatening to destroy any country that dared stand in their way. Dad took a bullet in the leg and suffered the painful effects of that injury for the rest of his life. We owe a debt of gratitude to the men and women who fought in that war. Their bravery issued from a cause they believed in—a mission they were willing to die for. They understood that if they did not go overseas, many people would lose their freedom, or even their lives, under the rule of ruthless dictators. Thankfully, the battles of those years are behind us. A different kind of battle still rages today—a battle that we as Christ’s followers must fight every day (Ephesians 6:12). Our enemy, the devil, continues to try to bring down our faith, take over our hearts, and stop the spread of the gospel. He is called “the wicked one” (6:16), and he will always be our enemy. Onward, Christian soldiers, marching as to war, With the cross of Jesus going on before! Christ, the royal Master, leads against the foe; Forward into battle see His banner go! —Baring-Gould Christ's soldiers fight best on their knees. Do The Hard Work! Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life. — 1 Timothy 6:12 Today's Scripture: 1 Timothy 6:6-19 After living more than 80 years, I know that any claim that offers an effortless way to develop a lean, well-conditioned body is a hoax. So is any sermon title that promises an easy way to become like Christ. Author Brennan Manning tells of an alcoholic who asked his minister to pray over him to be delivered from his drinking problem. He thought this would be a quick and easy way to overcome his addiction. Recognizing his motive in asking for prayer, the minister replied, “I’ve got a better idea. Go to Alcoholics Anonymous.” He counseled the man to follow the program diligently and read his Bible daily. “In other words,” the minister concluded, “do the hard work.” Do the hard work—that’s what Paul was saying to Timothy when he told him how he should order his life so he could teach believers how they should live. Notice the action verbs: “Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life” (1 Timothy 6:11-12). O to be like Thee, blessed Redeemer, This is my constant longing and prayer; Gladly I'll forfeit all of earth's treasures, Jesus, Thy perfect likeness to wear —Chisholm Conversion is the miracle of a moment; becoming like Christ is the work of a lifetime. 1 Timothy 6:13 I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who testified the good confession before Pontius Pilate, Greek: paraggello (1SPAI) [soi] enopion tou theou tou zoogonountos (PAPMSG) ta panta kai Christou Iesou tou marturesantos (AAPMSG) epi Pontiou Pilatou ten kalen homologian, Amplified: In the presence of God, Who preserves alive all living things, and of Christ Jesus, Who in His testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I [solemnly] charge you (Amplified Bible - Lockman) ESV: I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, KJV: I give thee charge in the sight of God, who quickeneth all things, and before Christ Jesus, who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession; Moffatt: In the presence of God who is the Life of all, and of Christ Jesus who testified to the good confession before Pontius Pilate, NET: I charge you before God who gives life to all things and Christ Jesus who made his good confession before Pontius Pilate, NLT: And I charge you before God, who gives life to all, and before Christ Jesus, who gave a good testimony before Pontius Pilate (NLT - Tyndale House)
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Wuest: I am giving you a charge in the presence of God who is constantly preserving in life all things, and Christ Jesus, the One who in His testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good profession, Young's Literal: I charge thee, before God, who is making all things alive, and of Christ Jesus, who did testify before Pontius Pilate the right profession, Charge: 1Ti 5:21 Gives life: Dt 32:39 1Sa 2:6 Jn 5:21,26 14:25,26 14:6 Acts 17:25 Rev 21:6 Rev 22:1 Who testified: Mt 27:11 Jn 18:36,37 19:11 Rev 1:5 3:14 1 Timothy 6 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries CLICK FOR MORE IN DEPTH DISCUSSION ON 1 Timothy 6:13 I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who testified the good confession before Pontius Pilate, 1 Timothy 6:14 that you keep the commandment without stain or reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, Greek: teresai (AAN) se ten entolen aspilon anepilempton mechri tes epiphaneias tou kuriou hemon Iesou Christou, Amplified: To keep all His precepts unsullied and flawless, irreproachable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Anointed One) (Amplified Bible - Lockman) ESV: to keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, KJV: That thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukeable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ: Moffatt: I charge you to keep your commission free from stain, free from reproach, till the appearance of our Lord Jesus Christ— NET: to obey this command without fault or failure until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ NLT: hat you obey this command without wavering. Then no one can find fault with you from now until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again. (NLT - Tyndale House)
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Wuest: preserve this commandment intact, unsullied, irreproachable, until the glorious manifestation of our Lord Jesus Christ, Young's Literal: that thou keep the command unspotted, unblameable, till the manifestation of our Lord Jesus Christ keep: 1Ti 6:20 4:11-16 1Ch 28:9,10, 1Ch 28:20 Col 4:17 without: Song 4:7 Eph 5:27 Heb 9:14 1Pe 1:19 2Pe 3:14 Without reproach: Php 2:15 Col 1:22 Jude 1:24 until: 1Co 1:8 Php 1:6,10 1Th 3:13 5:23 2Th 2:1 2Ti 4:1 Tit 2:13 Heb 9:28 1Pe 1:7 1Jn 3:2 Rev 1:7 1 Timothy 6 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries CLICK FOR MORE IN DEPTH DISCUSSION ON 1 Timothy 6:14 that you keep the commandment without stain or reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 1 Timothy 6:15 which He will bring about at the proper time--He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, Greek: en kairois idiois deixei (3SFAI) o makarios kai monos dunastes o basileus ton basileuonton (PAPMPG) kai kurios ton kurieuonton, (PAPMPG) Amplified: Which [appearing] will be shown forth in His own proper time by the blessed, only Sovereign (Ruler), the King of kings and the Lord of lords, (Amplified Bible - Lockman) ESV: which he will display at the proper time—he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, KJV: Which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords; Moffatt: which will be brought about in due time by that blessed and only Sovereign, King of kings and Lord of lords, NET: — whose appearing the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, will reveal at the right time. NLT: For at just the right time Christ will be revealed from heaven by the blessed and only almighty God, the King of all kings and Lord of all lords. (NLT - Tyndale House)
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Wuest: which He will expose to the eyes in strategic seasons having a unique character all their own, the One who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of those who are reigning as kings, and Lord of those who are ruling as lords Young's Literal: which in His own times He shall shew -- the blessed and only potentate, the King of the kings and Lord of the lords Which: 1Ti 1:11,17 Ps 47:2 83:18 Jer 10:10 46:18 Da 2:44-47 4:34 Mt 6:13 King: Ezra 7:12 Pr 8:15 Rev 17:14 19:16 1 Timothy 6 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries CLICK FOR MORE IN DEPTH DISCUSSION ON 1 Timothy 6:15 which He will bring about at the proper time--He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords Our Eternal God [Jesus said,] “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish.” —John 10:28 Today's Scripture: 1 Timothy 6:13-16 Late one afternoon I stood at the stern of a ferry boat churning its way from New York City across the Hudson River to New Jersey. As the towering structures of Manhattan receded from sight, my mind suddenly recalled these words from a poem: “These all shall perish stone on stone, but not Thy kingdom nor Thy throne.” A few years later the devastating terrorist attack on the World Trade Center left an ugly gap in that soaring skyline. Everything in the world around us is subject to decline. Beautiful flowers wither and die. Even California’s towering sequoias, hardy survivors for long centuries, are gradually being eaten away by the gnawing tooth of time. As for our bodies, we grow older daily and lose the vitality of our younger years. God alone possesses immortality in Himself, which means that He abides forever (1 Timothy 6:16). The simple truth must be faced that nothing is permanent-only God is everlasting. Immortal, invisible, God only wise, In light inaccessible hid from our eyes, Most blessed, most glorious, the Ancient of Days, Almighty, victorious-Thy great name we praise. -Smith To give your life to Christ now is to keep it forever. Single Focus He is the head of the body, the church, . . . that in all things He may have the preeminence. — Colossians 1:18 Today's Scripture: 1 Timothy 6:3-16 Pam Sneddon was taking a class in photography. For one assignment, she chose her 6-year-old daughter as her subject and asked her to sit on a serene hillside. Close by was an apple tree in full bloom. Pam just couldn’t resist. She gave the tree a prominent place in the picture. Pam was surprised when her instructor pointed out a problem with the photo. The apple tree distracted from her primary focus, the little girl. “See how it catches the eye,” the instructor said. “It competes with your subject. You need to choose one subject and leave the other out.” This observation applies to more than good photography skills. As disciples of Jesus Christ, we must center our attention only on Him. Like amateur photographers, we are often attracted to the “apple trees in full bloom.” We pay more attention to our hobbies, friends, family, or work. Christ commands our attention because He is “the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality” (1 Tim. 6:15-16). That may mean relegating something we deem to be important to the background—or cropping it out of the picture altogether. In Christ alone the earth shall find its answer, A refuge from its doubts, its fears, its strife; This God-revealed-in-flesh, this precious Savior, Forever is the Way, the Truth, the Life! —Calenberg If Christ is the center of your life, you'll always be focused on Him. 1 Timothy 6:16 who alone possesses immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see. To Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen. Greek: o monos echon (PAPMSN) athanasian, phos oikon (PAPMSN) aprositon, on eiden (3SAAI) oudeis anthropon oude idein (AAN) dunatai; (3SPPI) o time kai kratos aionion; amen. Amplified: Who alone has immortality [in the sense of exemption from every kind of death] and lives in unapproachable light, Whom no man has ever seen or can see. Unto Him be honor and everlasting power and dominion. Amen (so be it). (Amplified Bible - Lockman) ESV: who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen. KJV: Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen. Moffatt: who alone has immortality, who dwells in light that none can approach, whom no man has ever seen or can see. To him be honour and eternal dominion: Amen. NET: He alone possesses immortality and lives in unapproachable light, whom no human has ever seen or is able to see. To him be honor and eternal power! Amen. NLT: He alone can never die, and he lives in light so brilliant that no human can approach him. No human eye has ever seen him, nor ever will. All honor and power to him forever! Amen. (NLT - Tyndale House)
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Wuest: who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom not even one in the human race has seen nor even is able to see, to whom be honor and power forever. Amen. Young's Literal: who only is having immortality, dwelling in light unapproachable, whom no one of men did see, nor is able to see, to whom is honour and might age-during! Amen. Who alone: 1Ti 1:17 Ex 3:14 Dt 32:40 Ps 90:2 Isa 57:15 Jn 8:58 Heb 13:8 Rev 1:8,17,18 dwells: Ps 104:2 Hab 3:4 1Jn 1:5 Rev 1:16,17 21:3 22:5 Whom: Ex 33:20 Jn 1:18 6:46 14:9 Col 1:15 To Him: 1Ti 1:17 Ro 16:25-27 Eph 3:21 Php 4:20 Jude 1:25 Rev 1:6 4:11 7:12 1 Timothy 6 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries CLICK FOR MORE IN DEPTH DISCUSSION ON 1 Timothy 6:16 who alone possesses immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see. To Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen. 1 Timothy 6:17 Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy. BGT 1 Timothy 6:17 Τοῖς πλουσίοις ἐν τῷ νῦν αἰῶνι παράγγελλε μὴ ὑψηλοφρονεῖν μηδὲ ἠλπικέναι ἐπὶ πλούτου ἀδηλότητι ἀλλ᾽ ἐπὶ θεῷ τῷ παρέχοντι ἡμῖν πάντα πλουσίως εἰς ἀπόλαυσιν, KJV 1 Timothy 6:17 Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; NET 1 Timothy 6:17 Command those who are rich in this world's goods not to be haughty or to set their hope on riches, which are uncertain, but on God who richly provides us with all things for our enjoyment. CSB 1 Timothy 6:17 Instruct those who are rich in the present age not to be arrogant or to set their hope on the uncertainty of wealth, but on God, who richly provides us with all things to enjoy. ESV 1 Timothy 6:17 As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. NIV 1 Timothy 6:17 Command 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. NLT 1 Timothy 6:17 Teach those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which is so unreliable. Their trust should be in God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment. NRS 1 Timothy 6:17 As for those who in the present age are rich, command them not to be haughty, or to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but rather on God who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. RSV 1 Timothy 6:17 As for the rich in this world, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on uncertain riches but on God who richly furnishes us with everything to enjoy. YLT 1 Timothy 6:17 Those rich in the present age charge thou not to be high-minded, nor to hope in the uncertainty of riches, but in the living God, who is giving to us all things richly for enjoyment; -- NKJ 1 Timothy 6:17 Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy. NJB 1 Timothy 6:17 Instruct those who are rich in this world's goods that they should not be proud and should set their hopes not on money, which is untrustworthy, but on God who gives us richly all that we need for our happiness. NAB 1 Timothy 6:17 Tell the rich in the present age not to be proud and not to rely on so uncertain a thing as wealth but rather on God, who richly provides us with all things for our enjoyment. ASV 1 Timothy 6:17 Charge them that are rich in this present world, that they be not highminded, nor have their hope set on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; MIT 1 Timothy 6:17 Command the wealthy in this present age not to be supercilious, nor to set their hopes upon insecure wealth, but upon God who richly makes available all things for us for enjoyment of doing good works. DBY 1 Timothy 6:17 Enjoin on those rich in the present age not to be high-minded, nor to trust on the uncertainty of riches; but in the God who affords us all things richly for our enjoyment; GWN 1 Timothy 6:17 Tell those who have the riches of this world not to be arrogant and not to place their confidence in anything as uncertain as riches. Instead, they should place their confidence in God who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. Instruct: 1Ti 6:13 1:3 5:21 rich: Ge 13:2 Job 1:1-3 Mt 19:23 27:57 Lu 19:2,9,10 not to be conceited: De 6:10-12 8:17 33:15 2Ch 26:16 32:25,26 Ps 10:3,4 73:5-9 Pr 30:9 Jer 2:31 Eze 16:49,50,56 Da 4:30 5:19-23 Ho 13:6 Hab 1:15,16 Ro 11:20 Jas 1:9,10 Rev 18:6,7 to fix their hope: Job 31:24,25 Ps 52:7 62:10 Pr 11:28 Jer 9:23,24 Mk 10:24 Lu 12:15-21 Eph 5:5 the uncertainty of riche, Pr 23:5 27:24 Ec 5:13,14 but: Ps 62:8 84:11,12 118:8,9 Jer a17:7,8 the living: only in KJV 1Ti 3:15 4:10 1Th 1:9 Who: Ps 104:28 Mt 6:32 Ac 14:27 17:25 richly: Ec 5:18,19 Col 3:16 Titus 3:6 1 Timothy 6 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passages: 2 Timothy 4:10+ for Demas, having loved this present world (age), has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica; Crescens has gone to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia. Titus 2:12+ instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, 1 Corinthians 4:7-8+ For who regards you as superior? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it? 8 You are already filled, you have already become rich, you have become kings without us; and indeed, I wish that you had become kings so that we also might reign with you. 1 Samuel 2:7 “The LORD makes poor and rich; He brings low, He also exalts. Luke 12:19-21+ (RICH IN THIS NOW WORLD BUT POOR TOWARD GOD AND AT RISK FOR GREAT LOSS IN THE COMING AGE) And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years to come; take your ease, eat, drink and be merry.”’ 20 “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you have prepared?’ 21 “So is the man who stores up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.” Romans 15:13+ (THE RIGHT KIND OF HOPE) Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. 1 John 2:17+ The world is passing away, and also its lusts; BUT the one who does the will of God (A BELIEVER) lives forever. Philippians 4:19 And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. Matthew 6:32; 33 “For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Ephesians 3:20 Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, TWO WARNINGS TO THE RICH IN THIS NOW WORLD As we approach these last 5 verses in the Epistle of 1 Timothy, we need to remind ourselves that we are in a section where Paul is giving his final exhortations to his young understudy and pastor of the Ephesian church. Paul has given 2 exhortations in 1Ti 6:11-21 - (1) Flee, follow, fight and lay hold of (1Ti 6:11-12), (2) Keep the commandment stainless (1Ti 6:13-16). In 1Ti 6:17-21 with have the last two exhortations - (3) dangers and duties of riches (1Ti 6:17-19) and (4) the need to guard the deposit (1Ti 6:20-21). Demarest says: Have you ever added a postscript to a letter? And even a post-postscript? Yes? Then you can readily identify with these added sentences to the letter. (BORROW The communicator's commentary. 1, 2 Thessalonians, 1, 2 Timothy, Titus) Lange points out that "The Apostle might have fitly closed the Epistle with this doxology. But he once more turns back to the topic, which had been interrupted by his digression (verses 11-16). He had named the dangers of those who would be rich; he now addresses those who are rich in worldly goods. But he at once shows the merely relative worth of their wealth in calling it of "this world." (1 Timothy 6 Commentary) And so in 1Ti 6:3-10 Paul addressed riches as they related to false teachers, and now discusses riches in those in the church. Instruct (paraggello - keep on charging) those who are rich (plousios) in this present (literally "now") world (aion - age - "the now generation") - Ephesus was a wealthy commercial and trading center and so likely had numerous wealthy members in the local church. Instruct is a command in the present imperative calling for Timothy to depend on the Holy Spirit to obey. Timothy was not to just do a "one and done" instruction (or sermon) to the rich, but was to keep on charging them. Riches warp one's thinking and blinds them to what is of true, eternal value, so Timothy would need to be persistent and repetitive in his instructions. The target audience of course is those who are rich now. Paul's addition of this present world is significant because one can be very rich in this world and tragically, eternally poor in the world to come! In fact Jesus warned that it is "easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." (Lk 18:25+)! Rich in this present world would also indicate the transitory nature of riches, because riches like this present age would soon be a thing of the past. That said, Paul says nothing in this initial section to denounce wealth, but he will quickly shift thought in the next clause to warn the rich of two great perils, lofty minds and dependence on their money, and then follow up with 5 more instructions for the rich in 1Ti 6:18-19. As an aside surely Demas must have heard this teaching from Paul, but clearly the message did not "stick!" (see 2Ti 4:10+). THOUGHT - Beloved, if you are in a western culture and not in the top income bracket, you are still considered "rich" by most of the world's standards, so don't bypass Paul's exhortations thinking they are not applicable to you, because they are! William
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Wuest adds that arkeo means "to be possessed of unfailing strength, to be strong, to suffice, to be enough,” finally, “to be satisfied, contented.” The underlying thought is that one should be satisfied with that which meets our need, and not desire a superfluity." Richards adds that in the present passage arkeo means not only "to be enough" but shifts the emphasis to our attitude, so that we have "an attitude that lets us be satisfied with whatever is available." Each day God sends His loving aid To strengthen you and me; We need to use today's supply And let tomorrow be. —Anonymous The derivative adjective autarkes describes the man who needs nothing externally to be satisfied in life for all he needs is within. the believer who has Christ dwelling within.
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Wuest: But godly piety associated with an inward self-sufficiency which is its natural accompaniment is great gain; Young's Literal: but it is great gain -- the piety with contentment; godliness: 1Ti 4:8 Ps 37:16 84:11 Pr 3:13-18 8:18-21 15:16 16:8 Mt 6:32,33 Lk 12:31,32 Ro 5:3-5 8:28 2Co 4:17,18 5:1 Php 1:21 Heb 13:5 contentment: 1Ti 6:8 Ex 2:21 Lk 3:14 Php 4:11-13 1 Timothy 6 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Resource: Christian Contentment See also 1 Timothy 6 Commentary RELATION OF GODLINESS AND CONTENTMENT But (de) is a contrast which should as always prompt the inquisitive reader to pause and ponder the text asking what is being contrasted, why is it being contrasted, etc. As you develop the skill of intelligently interrogate the text, you will begin to experience the joy of self (Spirit illuminated) discovery of truths that heretofore you had not seen. And you will be amazed at how much your observations will help you to "comment on the commentaries!" (See related resource: inductive Bible study) In the present context the contrast is the false conclusion of the false teachers that godliness was associated with financial gain instead of spiritual gain as Paul explains in this passage. The rich are not always godly but the godly are always rich! Hiebert says the false teachers "are capable of erroneously "supposing that godliness is a way of gain." They conceived of their show of godliness as a profitable commercial investment, a lucrative business, advancing one's worldly interests. The error of the false teachers leads Paul into a discussion of the relation between godliness and wealth. Paul repudiates the perverted concept that godliness is a means of advancing one's material interests, but he knows that there is a sense in which it is a great gain, even in this life. "But" introduces the contrast between the erroneous view of the false teachers and the Christian view. (Borrow First Timothy- Everyman's Bible Commentary - excellent resource) Jamieson explains the contrast with the previous verse noting that...Though they (the false teachers alluded to in the preceding pasages) err in this, there is a sense in which “piety is” not merely gain, but “great means of gain”: not the gaining which they pursue, and which makes men to be discontented with their present possessions, and to use religion as “a cloak of covetousness” (1Th 2:5) and means of earthly gain, but the present and eternal gain which piety, whose accompaniment is contentment, secures to the soul. (1 Timothy 6 Commentary) John
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Wuest adds that eusébeia is "a holy reverence or respect for God, piety towards God. The word does not refer to a person’s character as such, but to his attitude towards God." (Wuest's Word Studies from the Greek New Testament) Gain (4200) (porismos from porízo = to get, gain, acquire) is a noun which signifies a means of livelihood a means of earning a living, a providing, a procuring, an acquisition. It describes a means of making money, of gaining a profit or of acquiring wealth (the sense intended by the false teachers Paul describes in 1Ti 6:5). Probably in a wordplay, Paul immediately uses porismos again in 1Ti 6:6 (only other NT use) in a figurative sense, describing one's advantage or profit, not from a material but from a spiritual standpoint. Thayer writes that porismos is derived from the verb "porizo - to cause a thing to get on well, to carry forward, to convey, to acquire; middle to bring about or procure for oneself, to gain; from poros (cf. poreuo)." There are 2 literal uses in the apocryphal (none in the non-apocryphal) Septuagint - Wisdom of Solomon 13:19 ("profit in business"), and Wisdom of Solomon 14:2 ("the urge for profits") Contentment (841)(autarkeia from autos = himself + arkeo = to suffice) is defined by BDAG from an external (objective) and internal (subjective) aspect - "external, state of having what is adequate, sufficiency, a competence...it is ‘sufficient supply’; of God’s allocation" and "internal, state of being content w. one’s circumstances, contentment, self-sufficiency, a favorite virtue of the Cynics and Stoics." In the "external" sense autarkeia is the " ability to supply the necessities of life without help from others." (Friberg). In the "internal" sense autarkeia is "a state of mind satisfied with its lot contentment, satisfaction." (Friberg) Thayer says autarkeia is "a perfect condition of life, in which no aid or support is needed...a sufficiency of the necessaries of life: (2Co 9:8); subjectively, a mind contented with its lot, contentment:"
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Wuest: for not even one thing did we bring into this world, because not even one thing are we able to take out. Young's Literal: for nothing did we bring into the world -- it is manifest that we are able to carry nothing out; brought: Job 1:21 Pr 27:24 Ec 5:15,16 So we cannot take: Ps 49:17 Lk 12:20,21 16:22,23 1 Timothy 6 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Resource: Christian Contentment Related Passages: First Timothy 6:7 parallels the sentiment expressed by Job and also by Solomon, both men who had much of what the world has to offer in terms of material things and possessions (cp Job 1:1-3, Eccl 2:1-10 and especially Eccl 2:11). Job 1:21 (Job in the context of losing most of his material things and possessions) said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, And naked I shall return there. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.” Eccl 5:14-16 (Solomon) When those riches were lost through a bad investment and he had fathered a son, then there was nothing to support him. 15 As he had come naked from his mother’s womb, so will he return as he came. He will take nothing from the fruit of his labor that he can carry in his hand. 16 This also is a grievous evil—exactly as a man is born, thus will he die. So what is the advantage to him who toils for the wind? ( Pr 27:24 (Solomon also wrote) For riches are not forever, Nor does a crown endure to all generations. Ps 49:16-17 (sons of Korah echo the truth concerning the emptiness of material possessions) Do not be afraid when a man becomes rich, When the glory of his house is increased; 17 For when he dies he will carry nothing away; His glory will not descend after him. For (term of explanation = What does it explain? see Ps 49:16) when he dies he will carry nothing away. His glory will not descend after him. (Ps 49:17)
1 Timóteo 6:6-8
Wuest: And having food and clothing, by these we shall be fortified sufficiently; Young's Literal: but having food and raiment -- with these we shall suffice ourselves; Ge 28:20 48:15 De 2:7 8:3,4 Pr 27:23-27 30:8,9 Ec 2:24-26 Ec 3:12,13 Mt 6:11,25-33 Heb 13:5,6 1 Timothy 6 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Resource: Christian Contentment Related Passages: Hebrews 13:5-6+ 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 YOU,” 6so that we confidently say, “THE LORD IS MY HELPER, I WILL NOT BE AFRAID. WHAT WILL MAN DO TO ME?” THE BARE BASICS ARE ENOUGH But if we have food and clothing, with these we shall be content (arkeo - satisfied) - Note that Paul does not even say a roof over our head but in fairness clothing or covering is general enough that it could refer to both clothing and shelter.! Jesus had no place to lay His head and he survived! Paul sets the standard. He was content in Christ (Php 4:13), but where was he? He was n the Mamertine prison, a veritable hole in the floor with the city sewer system flowing by. He was in a damp, dark, stinking dungeon. If you are not content with your food and clothing consider praying... Lord, make me truly wise, I pray, Contented with my lot; Help me to shun all earthly things That soon will be forgot! - Henry G. Bosch William
1 Timóteo 6:9
Wuest: but they that after giving the matter mature consideration desire to be wealthy, fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and hurtful cravings which are of such a nature as to drown men in destruction and perdition Young's Literal: and those wishing to be rich, do fall into temptation and a snare, and many desires, foolish and hurtful, that sink men into ruin and destruction, Those: Ge 13:10-13 Nu 22:17-19 Jos 7:11 2Ki 5:20-27 Pr 15:27 20:21 Pr 21:6 22:16 28:20-22 Isa 5:8 Ho 12:7,8 Am 8:4-6 Zec 11:5 Mt 13:22 19:22 26:15 Jas 5:1-4 2Pe 2:15,16 Jude 1:11 Snare: 1Ti 3:7 De 7:25 Ps 11:6 Pr 1:17-19 Lu 21:35 2Ti 2:26 1 Timothy 6 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries WILLFUL WEALTH SEEKERS A faithful man will abound with blessings, But he who makes haste to be rich will not go unpunished. -- Proverbs 28:20 But (de) introduces a contrast - always use this adversative conjunction as opportunity to pause and ponder, asking what is the author contrasting (Also - why? when? who is involved?, etc). Hiebert says: With a contrasting "but" Paul shows what happens to people who do not have this attitude of Christian contentment but are determined to gain wealth. They have made the acquisition of wealth the considered aim and purpose of their lives. Their eagerness to amass wealth causes them repeatedly to "fall into temptation," the temptation to neglect the highest interests of the soul and to stoop to improper means to obtain wealth. Their striving becomes a "snare" or trap into which they fall, finding themselves held by "many foolish and hurtful lusts." They find themselves chained by lusts which prove to be "foolish," because they do not yield the promised satisfaction, and are positively "hurtful," because they destroy that which is noblest and best in them, making them envious, avaricious, and hardhearted in their unscrupulous dealings. (Borrow First Timothy- Everyman's Bible Commentary - excellent resource) Bible Knowledge Commentary says: Paul contrasted the proper attitude of contentment with its opposites: the craving to get rich and the love of money--2 sides of the same coin.....Their spiritual fruitfulness has been choked off (Luke 8:14) by their concerns for riches. They are falling into the pit, into the thorns, into someone's hands. It is temptation and enticement. And so here we see Paul contrasts being content (arkeo in 1Ti 6:8) with a wish to get rich. As Patrick Fairbairn puts it Paul now presents us "the opposite class of characters to the preceding, having their hearts set upon the superfluities of life, large possessions." The implication is very clear that getting riches does not equate with being content! Indeed, enough is never enough! A Wall Street Journal said that money is "an article which may be used as a universal passport to everywhere except heaven, and as a universal provider of everything except happiness (Ed: I would change "happiness" to "contentment")." Measure wealth not by the things you have, but by the things you have for which you would not take money (cp Lk 12:15+) Billy Graham once said that "There are two ways of being rich—have a lot, or want very little. The latter way is the easier for most." Focus on what you have, not on what you don't have. Those who want to get rich - Literally this reads "they that will to be rich" (“men who keep planning to get rich” = Williams). “They that are minded to be rich fall into a temptation and a snare.” This person continually (present tense) makes a deliberate choice (middle voice = reflexive) to accumulate more and more material things in order to be happy and feel successful. This seeking of "more ____" (fill in blank) is the aim and purpose of their lives! Please do not misunderstand for it is not wrong to possess money and material riches, but it is wrong to trust in these things and to let them possess you! Someone has said that much trouble is caused by our yearnings getting ahead of our earnings. The Wuest paraphrase indicates that this desire is not a mere whim or chance choice but that in fact "they that after giving the matter mature consideration desire to be wealthy." This is the purposeful life choice - pursue gold, not God! Albert
1 Timóteo 6:10
Wuest: for a root of all the evils is the fondness for money, which certain ones, bending their every effort to grasp, have been led astray from the Faith and have pierced themselves through with many consuming griefs. (Eerdmans) Young's Literal: for a root of all the evils is the love of money, which certain longing for did go astray from the faith, and themselves did pierce through with many sorrows Love: Ge 34:23,24 38:16 Ex 23:7,8 De 16:19 23:4,5,18 Jud 17:10,11 Jud 18:19,20,29-31 2Sa 4:10,11 Pr 1:19 Isa 1:23 56:11 Jer 5:27 Jer 5:28 Eze 13:19 16:33 22:12 Mic 3:11 7:3,4 Mal 1:10 Mt 23:14 Ac 1:16-19 Tit 1:11 Rev 18:13 THE DANGER - NOT MONEY BUT LOVE OF MONEY For (1063 ) (gar) is "a marker of cause or reason between events, though in some context this association may be remote or tenuous" (Louw-Nida). Stated another way "for" is a term of explanation which should always cause one to pause and ponder the passage. You will be amazed at how much you can discern simply by observing the text! In the present context, the "for" explains the statement in the preceding passage (1Ti 6:9) which refers to the desire to be rich. It explains the reason for the danger of disaster Paul had just described. Paul is giving us the reason why "those who are desiring to be rich are falling" into all of these various things. The love of money (philarguria) is a root (rhiza) of all sorts of evil (kakos), and some by longing (orego) for it have wandered away from (apoplanao) the faith and pierced (peripeiro) themselves with many griefs - The first word in Greek is root, placed their for emphasis. Love of money is not the only root of evil of course, but it is clearly one of the most common sources that cause men to commit evil. Money is neutral and is not the problem. The problem is when we covet money. That is the root problem so to speak and the plant produced is bad and brings forth bad fruit! Lilley remarks that “There is no kind of evil that the craving for wealth may not originate, once its roots become fairly planted in the soil of the heart” Hiebert - The connotation in “the love of money” (philarguria) is not the acquisition of wealth in order that it may be used in prodigal expenditure but rather the miserly accumulation and hoarding of money for the very love of it. That which should be a means to support life is made the end of life itself. (Borrow First Timothy- Everyman's Bible Commentary - excellent resource) John MacArthur rightly remarks that "The phrase the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, is the theme of this section. Everything else is an exposition of the significance of that statement. (1 Timothy Commentary) Vine writes that…There are other passions which are productive of evil; yet there is no sort of evil which the craving for wealth may not induce. It has originated every sort of crime in the history of humanity. The love of money is one form of covetousness. As Trench points out, covetousness (pleonexia) is the genus of which philarguria is the species. (See Trench's extended comparison of these two words below). Roy Zuck - Money, like any other God-given resource, is to be used wisely and generously. Having money is a risk, for it can give a false sense of security and lessen one's dependence on God. Money can create an excessive attachment to the world and greed, both of which Jesus condemned (Luke 9:57-62; 12:13-21). (A Biblical Theology of the New Testament - borrow) (Bolding added)
1 Timóteo 6:11
Wuest: But, as for you, O man of God, these things be constantly fleeing. But be as constantly eagerly seeking to acquire righteousness, godly piety, faith, divine and self-sacrificial love, steadfastness, gentleness. Young's Literal: and thou, O man of God, these things flee, and pursue righteousness, piety, faith, love, endurance, meekness Personal Paraphrase: But in contrast to the man who loves money, you O man of God continually make choices (enabled by the Spirit) to run and flee things mentioned (especially the love of money), continually pursuing hard (enabled by the Spirit of Grace), after right (righteous first before God and then before men) thoughts, words and deeds, the things that God loves and that please Him, genuine faith that readily obeys, sacrificial love that dies daily to self and a meek spirit like a gentle but powerful horse. BUT FLEE FROM THESE THINGS, YOU MAN OF GOD: Su de, o anthrope theou, tauta pheuge; (2SPAM): Flee: 1Co 6:18 10:14 2Ti 2:22 Man of God: 1Ti 6:20 Dt 33:1 1Sa 2:27 9:6 1Ki 13:1,26 17:18,24 20:28 2Ki 1:9,13 2Ki 5:20 23:17 1Ch 23:14 2Ch 8:14 Ne 12:24,36 Jer 35:4 2Ti 3:17 Related Passages: Genesis 39:11; 12 (JOSEPH) Now it happened one day that he went into the house to do his work, and none of the men of the household was there inside. 12 She caught him by his garment, saying, “Lie with me!” And he left his garment in her hand and fled, and went outside. A COMMAND CALLING FOR A DRAMATIC CHANGE OF DIRECTION! But (de) - Whenever you see this conjunction of contrast (see discussion), stop and ask what is being contrasted (See inductive Bible study)? How is the author "changing direction" and why? In this case we need to look at the previous two passages to answer… But (This should force us to read the prior passages!) those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith, and pierced themselves with many a pang. (1Ti 6:9, 10) Comment: What is the main subject in these passages? Clearly the trap Paul wants Timothy to avoid is the desire to get rich and the love of money. Who are those who want to get rich in 1Ti 6:9? In the context of this letter, this is a description of the false teachers, those who are "money's men" (MacArthur). As noted above "but" (and other contrast words) mark a change of direction and that is literally true in this passage! These false teachers were running toward Gold, BUT Timothy is charged to continually run toward God! How the televangelists of our day need to read and heed Paul's warning! How often do we attempt to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with someone and they raise the argument "What about those guys on TV? They're a bunch of fakes!" It's difficult to refute this argument. As Expositor's Greek Testament says "love of money in ministers of religion does more to discredit religion in the eyes of ordinary people than would indulgence in many grosser vices." Sad but too true! Hiebert says: "But thou" sets Timothy in contrast to those who fall into destructive perils through their desire to get wealth.
1 Timóteo 6:12
Wuest writes that in regard to taking hold of the eternal life "There must be an eager, active, intense determination to live a life pleasing to God. We must not only yield to the Holy Spirit's fullness, trusting Him to produce in us that love that God is, but we must definitely will to be loving and try to be loving. THOUGHT Beloved, this truth calls for all of us to consider an honest heart examination, asking whether this picture describes our life as followers of Christ? If not, why not? What needs to change? What needs to be laid aside, that I might put on the full armor of Christ [Eph 6:11-note, Eph 6:13-note], the armor of light [Ro 13:12-note], yea even the mysterious raiment of Christ Himself [Ro 13:14-note]?) Bob Utley on take hold - This is metaphorical of the winning athlete receiving the trophy or crown. This shows mankind's need to initially respond (cf. v. 12b) and continue to respond in faith. The next phrase shows God's keeping power (cf. v. 12c). These are both true and valid covenantal aspects of salvation; they are paradoxical, but true! Take hold (1949)(epilambano from epi = upon + lambano = take hold of) means to lay hold of, get a good grip on, take possession of. All NT uses are in the middle voice. Paul uses the aorist imperative which is a command calling for immediate attention. The idea is "just do it." Lay “hold” on eternal life, by "practically appropriating all the benefits, privileges and responsibilities involved in the possession of it." (Vine) Note that by saying take hold of the eternal life Paul is in no way implying that eternal life can be lost, as if it might slip out of Timothy's grip (cp Jn 10:27, 28, 29, 1Jn 5:11, 12). Paul uses the reflexive voice (middle voice) which signifies that Timothy is to initiate the action of taking hold and that he will partake of the results and benefits thereof. Stated another way the reflexive sense of the middle voice depicts the subject as acting in some way upon himself or concerning himself. Wuest adds this note on Paul's use of the aorist imperative in this passage - The verb is in the aorist imperative, referring to a single act rather than a process. It refers to the habitual act of fighting the good fight, but takes no note of the process, rather emphasizing the result. Grammarians call it the culminative aorist, viewing the action from its existing results. Now, when Paul exhorts Timothy to lay hold of eternal life, he does not imply that he does not possess it. Timothy was saved, and possessed eternal life as a gift of God. What Paul was desirous of was that Timothy experience more of what this eternal life is in his life. (Wuest Word Studies - Eerdman Publishing Company Volume 1, Volume 2, Volume 3 - used by permission) Epilambano was used as a metaphor by those who participated in the Olympic games, and did what they could first to lay hold of the prize. Paul uses epilambano again in the next section calling on Timothy to… Instruct them (1Ti 6:17 "those who are rich in this present [contrast future] world") to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is life indeed. (1 Ti 6:18-19). Comment: In this context epilambano refers to one's initial taking hold of eternal life by believing in the Messiah as one's Redeemer and Lord. Their performance of good works, etc, does not merit their receipt of eternal life but is evidence that they have taken hold of eternal life by believing the Gospel. (cp the intimate coupling of faith and works in Eph 2:8, 9-note and Eph 2:10-note). Meanings of Epilambano: (1) Literally, to lay hold of, take a firm hold, grasp or to seize upon anything with the hands (most of the NT uses have this meaning). Laying hold or grasping someone could be for help (Mt 14:31, Mk 8:23, Lk 14:4). Take hold, seize, lay hold of someone with hostile intent (Acts 16:19; 18:17; 21:30), in the sense of capture (Acts 21:33) Seize or snatch up someone (Luke 23:26); Epilambano is used of taking hold in the figurative sense in Heb 8:9. (2) Figuratively to take any one in one's speech, i.e. to lay hold of something said by Jesus which can be used against him, Lk. 20:20, 26 = “catch someone in a word” (3) Figuratively, laying hold of another to rescue him from peril, to help, to succor (but see Vine's interpretative thoughts below in verse list). (4) Figuratively, To seize upon, lay hold of eternal life, (1Ti 6:12, 19) - as seeking to experience eternal life (already possessed - but Paul is calling for Timothy to fully experience what is his possession and privilege by virtue of having given the good confession of faith in Christ.) Epilambano - 19x in 18v - catch(2), give help(1), gives help(1), seized(2), take hold(2), taking(1), taking hold(1), took(4), took hold(5). Matthew 14:31 Immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and took hold of him, and said to him, "You of little faith, why did you doubt?" Mark 8:23 Taking the blind man by the hand, He brought him out of the village; and after spitting on his eyes and laying His hands on him, He asked him, "Do you see anything?" Luke 9:47 But Jesus, knowing what they were thinking in their heart, took a child and stood him by His side, Luke 14:4 But they kept silent. And He took hold of him and healed him, and sent him away. Luke 20:20 So they watched Him, and sent spies who pretended to be righteous, in order that they might catch Him in some statement, so that they could deliver Him to the rule and the authority of the governor.
1 Timóteo 6:12
Wuest: Be constantly engaging in the contest of the Faith, which contest is marked by its beauty of technique. Take possession of the eternal life into a participation of which you were called and concerning which you gave testimony to your agreement with the good profession [you made] in the presence of many witnesses. Young's Literal: Be striving the good strife of the faith, be laying hold on the life age-during, to which also thou wast called, and didst profess the right profession before many witnesses. FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT OF FAITH: agonizou (2SPMM) ton kalon agona tes pisteos: Fight. 1Ti 1:18. Zech 10:5. 1Co 9:25, 26. 2Co 6:7, 2Cor 10:3-5. Eph 6:10-18. 1Th 5:8, 9. 2Ti 2:3, 2Ti 4:7. Jude 3 Fight of faith. Php 1:30 1 Timothy 6 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Keep the context in mind as you study this passage. In Chapter 6 Paul continues to advise his young disciple Timothy regarding his ministry to various kinds of believers in the church (e.g., slaves and masters = 1Ti 6:1-2, those advocating a different doctrine = 1Ti 6:3-5, those who are rich or want to be rich = 1Ti 6:6-10). In light of the truths about the danger of pursuit of riches Paul commands Timothy… But flee from these things, you man of God; and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness. (1Ti 6:11). In light of Paul's use of several several commands, the atmosphere of this section takes on a "military flavor." Also as discussed more below, Paul used words that were used in secular Greek in a military setting -- "Fight the good fight of faith" (1Ti 6:12). "I charge you" (1 Ti 6:13 = same military term in 1Ti 1:3). "Charge them that are rich" (1Ti 6:17KJV). "O Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you" (1Ti 6:20). It is as if Paul was the "general", giving Timothy orders from the Lord Jesus Christ, our Commander in Chief! Indeed, these are "marching orders" for all those who are soldiers of Christ Jesus (2Ti 2:3, 4-note). PAUL'S CHARGE TO ALL DISCIPLES OF CHRIST Fight the good fight of faith - As explained in more detail below, one could paraphrase Paul's charge to "compete in the good competition of the faith." "Compete well for the faith. Lay hold of eternal life, to which you were called when you made the noble confession in the presence of many witnesses. (NAB) "Strive earnestly [in] the good conflict of faith ('combat of the faith')." (Darby) "Be striving the good strife of the faith." (Young's Literal) The International Children's Bible is more interpretative… Keeping your faith is like running a race. Try as hard as you can to win. Be sure you receive the life that continues forever. You were called to have that life. And you confessed the great truth about Christ in a way that many people heard. (See comment below regarding the interpretation suggested by this paraphrase.) It is notable that Paul does not command Timothy to do something he has not done, for at the end of his life he writes… I have fought (agonizomai) the good fight (agon), I have finished the course (race), I have kept the faith; in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing. (2Ti 4:7-note, 2Ti 4:8-note) THOUGHT: Father, emblazon those words "in the future there is laid up for [us] the crown of righteousness" on our heart and mind and soul and spirit, so that we are emboldened and empowered (by Your Spirit) to fight on no matter how difficult the battle is in this short time on earth. In Christ. Amen.
1 Timóteo 6:12
Wuest adds that the) life that God is, is not to be defined as merely animation, but as definitely ethical in its content. God is not the mere reason for the universe, as the Greeks thought, but a Person with the characteristics and qualities of a divine Person. The ethical and spiritual qualities of this life which God is, are communicated to the sinner when the latter places his faith in the Lord Jesus as Saviour, and this becomes the new, animating, energizing, motivating principle which transforms the experience of that individual, and the saint thus lives a Christian life. The message of (the epistle of) John is that since the believer is a partaker of this life, it is an absolute necessity that he show the ethical and spiritual qualities that are part of the essential nature of God, in his own life. If these are entirely absent, John says, that person is devoid of the life of God, and is unsaved. The ethical and spiritual qualities of this life were exhibited to the human race in the earthly life of the Lord Jesus. His life thus becomes the pattern of what our lives should be in holiness, self-sacrifice, humility and love. (Word Studies) Were called (2564)(kaleo from root kal-, whence English “call”) literally means to speak to another in order to attract their attention or to them bring nearer, either physically or in a personal relationship. Kaleo is a major verb in the NT and its specific meaning depends on the the context in which it is used. In this verse kaleo clearly refers to a call in the sense of to choose so that one might receive some special benefit or experience. In this passage, kaleo is Paul's technical term for God's summoning men to salvation and describes God "calling" people into a relationship with Himself, initiating their conversion experience (Is this grand truth mysterious? Absolutely! But it is absolutely true!). And so in this passage, called refers to God's effectual, sovereign call of Timothy to participation in salvation. In his second letter Paul declared that God… has saved us, and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity (before the world began!), (2Ti 1:9-note). Comment: In light of Timothy's call by God to salvation and eternal glory even before the world began, Timothy was to "preach in the light of the reality that what is eternal is all that matters." (MacArthur) Divine calling, like divine election and predestination, is not a popular teaching, but one which appears to be clearly taught in Scripture. As this term is used by Paul (and Jude and John) "the called" are those who have heard the good news and responded to it by exercising saving faith. In this understanding "the called" are virtually synonymous with "the elect". If you "wrestle" with this doctrine (and that is not a sin in my opinion, for this is a difficult doctrine for finite man to comprehend), instead of reading what others have to say about "calling" (including the notes that follow which expand somewhat on this topic), you might want to read what God has to say about the subject. Here are a few representative passages to study. Ask the Spirit to lead you into all truth for His Name's sake. - Ro 8:28-note, Ro 8:29-note, Ro 9:11, 1Cor 1:9, Gal 1:6, 15, 1Th 2:12, 2Ti 1:9-note, Hebrews 9:15, 1Peter 1:15-note, 1Peter 2:9-note, 2Pe 1:3.)
1 Timóteo 6:13-14
Wuest: I am giving you a charge in the presence of God who is constantly preserving in life all things, and Christ Jesus, the One who in His testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good profession, Young's Literal: I charge thee, before God, who is making all things alive, and of Christ Jesus, who did testify before Pontius Pilate the right profession, I CHARGE YOU IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD, WHO GIVES LIFE TO ALL THINGS: paraggello (1SPAI) [soi] enopion tou theou tou zoogonountos (PAPMSG) ta panta: Charge: 1Ti 5:21 Gives life: Dt 32:39 1Sa 2:6 Jn 5:21,26 14:25,26 14:6 Acts 17:25 Rev 21:6 Rev 22:1 1 Timothy 6 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passages: 1 Timothy 5:21 I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of His chosen angels, to maintain these principles without bias, doing nothing in a spirit of partiality. A CHARGE TO LIVE CORAM DEO I charge you in the presence of God - Paul issues a solemn charge regarding Timothy's responsibility, a charge given in the presence of "two Witnesses", of Whom there are no greater (God the Father and God the Son). One wonders if Timothy felt any "pressure" as we often say today? Paul acting much like a military general, exhorts his young protégée with the reminder that the Commander in Chief, while not visibly present, is still able to watch his conduct. This charge was clearly calculated to motivate Timothy to strive for perfect obedience to all the instructions and commands which the apostle Paul had issued in this epistle. This truth reminds me of Peter's sobering words to all of us who name the Name of Christ as the Captain of our salvation… And if you address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each man's work, conduct yourselves in fear (sense of reverential awe, a fear of doing anything that might displease God's holiness - see 1Pe 1:14, 15, 16) during the time of your stay upon earth; (1 Peter 1:17) THOUGHT - What impact would it have on our thoughts, words and deeds, if we truly conducted ourselves "in fear during the time of (our) stay upon earth"? How might this truth serve to impede our willful, rebellious sins, if prior to committing them we soberly recalled the impartial judgment of our Father regarding what we were making provision to carry out (cp Ro 13:14)? How much more quickly would we be motivated to confess and repent our sins and transgressions against our Father? The Latin phrase is Coram Deo, before the face of God! May God work a work of mercy and grace in our rebellious hearts, which causes us to live daily, moment by moment with a "Coram Deo" mindset, knowing that one day we will stand before the One Who alone is Holy, Holy, Holy. Amen. Newport J D White says that "Paul far away… feels impelled to remind his lieutenant that there are Witnesses of his conduct whose real though unseen presence is an encouragement as well as a check. (1 Timothy 6 Commentary) Don Anderson - Paul is saying, “I’m getting ready to charge you young Timothy and I want to charge you in the presence of God the Father” Who does what? “Who causes all things to live.” He’s the source of life. He’s the reason you have physical life. And He’s also the sustainer of life, Timothy. I’m challenging you in the presence of God that you do these things. You have a good witness. This charge echoes the earlier charge to Timothy and repeated in the second pastoral epistle… I solemnly charge (diamarturomai in the (present tense) you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of His chosen angels, to maintain these principles (Ed: regarding sinning elders) without bias, doing nothing in a spirit of partiality (Ed: No one receives preferential treatment! Make no effort to protect those who are specially gifted, popular, etc). (1Ti 5:21) Remind (present imperative) them of these things, and solemnly charge (present tense) them in the presence of God not to wrangle about words, which is useless, and leads to the ruin of the hearers. (2Ti 2:14-note) I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: (2Ti 4:1-note) I charge (3853) (paraggello from para = side + anagello = announce, tell, declare) literally means to "announce besides". To transmit a message. The idea is to make an announcement from one to another or to transmit a message or order from one to another. Paraggello often was used in the context of a military command and demanded that the subordinate obey the order from the superior (2Ti 4:1-note) and required unhesitating and unqualified obedience. (cp Lk 5:14, 8:29, Lk 9:21KJV, Acts 1:4, 4:18; 5:28KJV; Acts 15:5KJV; 1Th 4:11). It is like a mandate (an authoritative command) or a call to obedience from one in authority. In other contexts the main idea was that the announcement was in the form of an instruction (cp Lk 8:56, 1Cor 7:10, 11:17). Instruction can simply represent the impartation of knowledge as to how something should be done, but when this English word translates paraggello, it indicates directions calling for compliance. For example in this same letter Paul writes to Timothy… As I urged you upon my departure for Macedonia, remain on at Ephesus, in order that you may instruct certain men not to teach strange doctrines (1Timothy 1:3, cp use in 1Ti 6:17) Every use of paraggello includes the inherent idea of binding the hearer or recipient in a way that they make the proper response to the charge or instruction.
1 Timóteo 6:13-14
Wuest: preserve this commandment intact, unsullied, irreproachable, until the glorious manifestation of our Lord Jesus Christ, Young's Literal: that thou keep the command unspotted, unblameable, till the manifestation of our Lord Jesus Christ THAT YOU KEEP THE COMMANDMENT WITHOUT STAIN OR REPROACH UNTIL THE APPEARING OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST: teresai (AAN) se ten entolen aspilon anepilempton mechri tes epiphaneias tou kuriou hemon Iesou Christou: keep: 1Ti 6:20 4:11-16 1Ch 28:9,10, 1Ch 28:20 Col 4:17 without: Song 4:7 Eph 5:27 Heb 9:14 1Pe 1:19 2Pe 3:14 Without reproach: Php 2:15 Col 1:22 Jude 1:24 until: 1Co 1:8 Php 1:6,10 1Th 3:13 5:23 2Th 2:1 2Ti 4:1 Tit 2:13 Heb 9:28 1Pe 1:7 1Jn 3:2 Rev 1:7 1 Timothy 6 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries OBEDIENCE IN THE PRESENT IS MOTIVATED BY HOPE IN THE FUTURE In this passage Paul emphasizes the blessed hope of every believer, the future return of our Lord Jesus Christ. Paul links Timothy's behavior in the present with his belief in the truth about the future, a pattern we see repeatedly in the Scriptures. Indeed, belief in God should always birth godly behavior. If our conduct does not match our creed, we best examine either the truthfulness of our creed or the genuineness of our belief (cp 2Cor 13:5-note). Paul is basing his exhortation on the sure return of Jesus, a pattern that is common in Scripture and which I call Vertical Vision Empowers Horizontal Living. Below are three passages that link our present living with our future looking... Peter writes "Therefore, gird your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. (1Pe 1:13+) Comment: Observe how present actions are tethered to our future hope. John writes "Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we shall be. We know that, when He appears, we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him just as He is. And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure. (1Jn 3:2+, 1Jn 3:+). Remember that in Scripture "hope" (noun and verb) signifies (with only rare exception) the absolute assurance of future good (that God will do good to me in the future). Observe how our future hope, the absolute certainty that we shall one day be like Christ, serves to motivate one to purity in this present life. In other words, the certainty of Christlikeness in the future age is a strong motive for Christlikeness in the present life. Future hope motivates present obedience. See related study on the Sanctifying Effect of our Blessed Hope Finally, in one of my favorite passages, Paul writes "For the grace of God has appeared (A description of the incarnation of Christ), bringing salvation to all men, instructing (Who instructs us? Examine the preceding context. It is the grace of God who is our "instructor" and in the context of other NT passages, this is the Spirit of Christ [Ro 8:9], the Spirit of grace [Heb 10:29] Who is our Teacher [cp Spirit as Helper/Guide/Teacher Jn 7:37, 38, 39,14:16, 26; 15:26; 16:7; 1Jn 2:20, 27]) us to deny ungodliness (Observe that if grace were not our "instructor", we could easily fall into the deadly trap of legalistic denial!) and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, looking for (prosdechomai in the present tense = looking with an attitude of expectancy and acceptance) the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus (Titus 2:11+, Titus 2:12+, Titus 2:13+) Observe again how Paul artfully links "looking for" (Vertical Visio.) the return of Christ in the future with the call to live like Christ in the present. (Empowering Horizontal Living) What one believes will (or should) impact how one behaves. And so here near the end of his first epistle to Timothy, Paul exhorts his young disciple to God honoring conduct in light of the sure appearing of the Lord Jesus Christ. That you keep (pay attention to) the commandment without stain or reproach - As discussed in more detail below, there are two ways this phrase is interpreted: (1) Timothy, guard the commandment in such a way that it is kept intact, unsullied, irreproachable. (2) Timothy, keep the commandment by living your life without spot and in such a way that your life is above criticism. There is a way to resolve these two interpretations for Timothy could hardly keep the commandment unsullied if he were to live in disobedience to the commandment, so that one interpretation does not exclude the other. In other words, Timothy could keep the commandment without reproach by keeping (obeying) the commandment (and thereby be living above reproach). In short, Timothy was to live in such a way that no one would be able to criticize his lifestyle and thereby discredit (or bring reproach on) the Gospel which he preached. Hiebert - This is the heart of the duty which Paul so solemnly lays upon Timothy. He is to "keep," that is, to preserve intact, "the commandment." The entire truth of the Gospel which he has confessed and which he has been commissioned to preach and to defend is here unified under the singular noun "commandment." It is his duty constantly to be preserving it as a priceless treasure, "without spot, without reproach." "He is to keep the commandment which is in itself spotless, and to keep it so as to expose it to no blame." (Borrow First Timothy- Everyman's Bible Commentary - excellent resource) Lange says: Paul exhorts Timothy so to keep the law, that it may not be stained and open to reproach, as with the false teachers. J. Vernon McGee gives definition when he says: "Keep this commandment without spot, unrebukeable" means to keep the commandments Paul had given him without stain and reproach. My friend, if you are following Christ, you will act like a child of God. You keep (5083)(tereo from teros = a guard) means to keep an eye on, keep something in view, to attend carefully, or to watch over it. Tereo speaks of guarding something which is in one’s possession (in context think of your character or integrity as your "possession"). Tereo means to watch over something as one would watch over that which is very precious! Why would Paul choose this verb in this context? What does it imply? Surely it implies that keeping the commandment without stain or reproach will take some effort and continual alertness to fend off those things that might cause stain or bring reproach. If you consider something to be precious, you will make every effort to guard it and defend it from intruders, thieves and robbers. In context Paul is speaking of the saint's integrity and character and unsullied state of their soul which in turn will keep the commandment above criticism. Guard over it carefully dear soldier, for there are many adversaries that are actively, aggressively waging war against your soul (cp 1 Peter 2:11+). Solomon's words of wisdom are a fitting parallel… Watch over (Qal imperative - a command not a suggestion!) your heart (the "control center" of our being) with all (not some) diligence, for (Why? See discussion of value of always interrogating this term of explanation) from it flow the springs of life (Take a moment and meditate on that phrase "springs of life"! E.g., "From where do those springs originate? What might impede their flow or contaminate those springs? What benefit do those springs bring?, etc). (Proverbs 4:23+) Comment: The Greek Septuagint translation of the Hebrew phrase "watch over" uses the same verb (tereo) which Paul uses here in 1Ti 6:13 to alert his young soldier Timothy. In the Septuagint tereo is in the present imperative which is a command calling for one to be on "high alert" at all times, lest he or she be caught off guard by the subtle wiles of the world, the flesh (Gal 5:17-note where "sets its desires" is present tense = continuous warfare taking place. Where? Within our bodies!!!) or the devil (cp 1Pe 5:8-note). In short, Fight (present imperative) the good fight of faith (1Ti 6:12-note) Tereo is used one other time in this letter where Paul commands Timothy to "keep (present imperative = do this as your habitual practice, your "lifestyle") yourself free from sin." (1Ti 5:22) Paul gives a very similar charge to Archippus at the end of his epistle to the Colossians… And say to Archippus, "Take heed (aorist imperative = command like a general to his troops, because Archippus [and to us dear soldier and minister of Christ - you do know you are a "priest" [1Pe 2:9+] and possess a gift allowing you also to minister [1Pe 4:10+ where "serving" = "ministering"] don't you? You are not squandering your gift are you, dear child of God?] to give earnest contemplation and appropriate concern) to the ministry which you have received in the Lord (You don't seek it! God gives you your specific ministry - it is a gift! Is your ministry His ministry or your ministry?), that you may fulfill it (Pleroo means to fill it up to the brim! Does that describe His ministry to and through you? Observe the little word "may" [subjunctive mood] which implies that you might live your life and fail to fulfill your ministry! (Col 4:17+) THOUGHT - May God grant each of us His grace, thereby enabling us not to waste our life, but instead to redeem the time [Eph 5:16+] and fulfill His ministry in and through us in Christ and for His great glory. Amen)." The commandment - The natural question is "What commandment?" First, note that the definite article precedes "commandment" which indicates Paul is referring not just to any commandment to a specific commandment. There are several possible explanations of the identity of "the commandment", and it is difficult to be dogmatic. Wuest draws on the context of this epistle to help answer the question "what commandment?" writing that "The commandment here is probably to be explained by reference to the commandment spoken of in 1Ti 1:5KJV+ (Ed: KJV has "commandment" but the Greek is not entole but paraggelia which was used to mean commandments especially in a military setting). There it referred to the responsibility Paul laid upon Timothy to charge certain ones not to teach any other doctrine, etc. John MacArthur feels that commandment refers to "The entire revealed Word of God, which Paul charged Timothy to preach (2Ti 4:2). Paul also repeatedly encouraged Timothy to guard it (1Ti 6:20; 1:18,19; 4:6,16; 2Ti 1:13,14; 2:15-18). John Stott comments that "There is a difference of opinion whether this command refers to the threefold appeal which Paul has just made in verses 11 and 12, or to the ethical instruction of the whole letter, or—more widely still—to ‘the whole law of Christ, the rule of faith and life enjoined by the gospel’. (Borrow Guard the truth : the message of 1 Timothy & Titus) Based on context and the overall thrust of the letter, Steven Cole feels that commandment "means that Timothy maintain his personal integrity and that he discharge his ministry above reproach (so Calvin, Matthew Henry; see 1Ti 4:16, “pay close attention to yourself and your teaching”; 1Ti 6:20, “guard what has been entrusted to you”). He is charging Timothy before God that he live in such a manner that neither his personal life nor his ministry would bring any blot on the name of Christ. (Integrity Under Fire) The USB Handbook suggests other ways commandment could be interpreted noting that "What the commandment refers to is not specified in the letter nor is it clear from the context. Some possibilities mentioned are: (1) the gospel message itself; (2) the whole Christian faith understood as a new law; (3) a baptismal or ordination charge to Timothy; (4) a reference to 1Ti 6:11–12; (5) a command to Timothy to remain faithful in the faith and in his ministry (see, for example, 1Ti 4:16); (6) all the instructions contained in the letter (The United Bible Societies' New Testament Handbook Series) George Knight gives one of the best summaries of the various considerations of the commandment writing that it refers to… (1) “the commandment” given at Timothy’s baptism (Bernard, Dornier, Parry, G. B. Wilson); (2) one given at his ordination (Barrett, Brox, Ridderbos); (3) the injunction given in 1Ti 6:11–12 (Bürki, Easton, Guthrie, van Oosterzee, Weiss); (4) the commandment to persevere in his faith and ministry, as in 4:16 (Fee); (5) the whole charge delivered in this letter (Gealy, H. von Soden); (6) all that Timothy has been enjoined to do with respect to the ministry of the gospel and the government of the church (Calvin, Hendriksen); (7) everything entrusted to Timothy, by analogy with the “deposit” in 1Ti 6:20 (Dibelius-Conzelmann, Hanson); or (8) the Gospel viewed as a rule of life (Alford, Ellicott, Freundorfer, Huther, Kelly, Liddon, Lock, Spicq, N. J. D. White, Wohlenberg) Some commentators’ views are broader than these simple categories might imply, and some of the categories bring together commentators whose views are not quite in agreement). (The Pastoral Epistles: A Commentary on the Greek Text.) Comment: After extensive discussion of the pros and cons of several of the above possible interpretations, Knight feels that view #8 is the most likely. Commandment (1785) (entole) refers to that which is given as an order or injunction usually by someone in authority.
1 Timóteo 6:15
Wuest: which He will expose to the eyes in strategic seasons having a unique character all their own, the One who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of those who are reigning as kings, and Lord of those who are ruling as lords Young's Literal: which in His own times He shall shew -- the blessed and only potentate, the King of the kings and Lord of the lords WHICH HE WILL BRING ABOUT AT THE PROPER TIME: en kairois idiois deixei (3SFAI): Which: 1Ti 1:11,17 Ps 47:2 83:18 Jer 10:10 46:18 Da 2:44-47 4:34 Mt 6:13 THE SECOND COMING IS SURE: THE SOVEREIGN GOD DETERMINES THE MOMENT He - This pronoun refers to God the Father Who is sovereign and in control over the First and Second Comings of the Messiah. Beloved of the Father (1Th 1:4-note), as those who are now privileged to live between the two comings of Christ (the so called "church age"), are we not comforted that He controls the beginning and the end! And if He is sovereign over history, can we not trust Him to reign and rule over our life and all our multicolored (poikilos) trials (1Pe 1:6-note), for which He sovereignly provides His multicolored (poikilos) grace (1Pe 4:10-note)! May our Father grant us His grace to reject self reliance and a heart that strives to rely solely and wholly on His sovereignty (and sovereign grace) in Christ Jesus, the One Who has come and Who will soon come to take us home. Amen Which - Although it may seem overly simplistic, it is always good to practice interrogating the text with the 5W/H'S. In this case we can ask simple questions like "What is which?" "To what does this refer?" which forces us to check the context for the answer, which as in this case is usually relatively straightforward, but at times can be problematic. When you encounter passages that are difficult, don't worry. Just move on. As you read and re-read a given section, your Teacher, the Holy Spirit, will usually uncover the answers that are not as obvious on the initial reading. In fact, one of the keys of inductive Bible study is reading the text over and over (See observation), but not in a mechanical or pedantic manner, but each time with a specific purpose. For example, you might read through First Timothy one time to specifically observe what the text teaches about God or Jesus, another time through might be to discern what Paul says about himself, another time looking for what he says about Timothy, another time observing for instructions or commands, another time observing for words or phrases that are repeated or seem to have special emphasis (See key words) in the context of this letter (See Keep Context King). As you read through each time seeking to observe with a purpose, maximize your efforts by recording a list of what the text teaches about each topic. Use the actual words of Scripture in your list. Don't paraphrase. To facilitate this exercise, you might print out a copy of First Timothy, leaving wide margins on both sides where you can mark the text (See mark key words) and record your observations. Be sure to use a more literal Bible translation for this more serious type of study (Bible Versions compared for how literal) The NET Bible note comments that which indicates that this entire passage is "a relative clause which refers back to appearing in 1Ti 6:14." Wuest agrees adding that "The word which is a relative pronoun in the Greek text referring back to the word appearing. The connection is as follows: "Which appearing in His own times He will expose to the eyes, He who is the blessed and only Potentate, etc." The truths about God in this passage and the following one serve to amplify the promise of Christ's return, which in turn would serve to strengthen and encourage young, "timid" (2Ti 1:7-note) Timothy to continue to "flee… follow… fight the good fight of faith." The truth is that the Father controls and determines the moment when the Son will return as Victorious Warrior Who will put an end to the struggle against the powers of evil. Will bring about - Wuest paraphrases it "He will expose to the eyes". "God will make that happen at the right time." (International Children's Bible) "In His own time will be publicly displayed." (Christian Counselor's NT), "He will make clear" (BBE).
1 Timóteo 6:15
Wuest adds that "The Roman emperors were called "saviour of the world." The Blessed - "Who is perfectly happy" (Mace Version). Note that "blessed" (makarios) and "only" (monos) are both adjectives modifying "Sovereign". Blessed is used as a Name for God in the high priest's question of Jesus at his mock trial "But He kept silent, and made no answer. Again the high priest was questioning Him, and saying to Him, "Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?" And Jesus said, "I am; and you shall see THE SON OF MAN SITTING AT THE RIGHT HAND OF POWER, and COMING WITH THE CLOUDS OF HEAVEN." (Mk 14:61-62+) Earlier Paul had referred to "the glorious gospel of the blessed God, with which I have been entrusted." (1Ti 1:11+) Writing to Titus, Paul described the Second Coming as "… the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus." (Titus 2:13-note) Blessed (3107)(makarios from root makar, but others say from mak = large or lengthy) means to be happy, but not in the usual sense of happiness based on positive circumstances (i.e., on what "happens"). From the Biblical perspective Makarios describes one free from daily cares and worries because his every breath and circumstance is in the hands of His Maker Who gives him such an assurance (such a "blessing"). By using makarios, Paul is saying the transcendent, self-existent God is “happy,” “content,” or “fulfilled”. The Blessed One is in turn the source of all spiritual blessings (cp Ps 1:1-note; which in the Septuagint [Lxx] uses makarios, as do the following OT passages - Job 5:17KJV, Ps 32:1, 2, Ps 33:12, Ps 34:8, Ps 40:4; Ps 41:1; Ps 65:4; Ps 84:4, 5, 12; Ps 89:15; Ps 94:12; Ps 106:3; Ps 112:1; Ps 119:1, 2; Ps 127:5; Ps 128:1, 2; Ps 137:8, 9; Ps 144:15; 146:5; Pr 3:13; 8:32; 20:7; 28:14; Isa 30:18; 56:2; Da 12:12 - this would make an interesting study - Observe these OT uses of makarios for the conditions associated with the blessing. My guess is you would be blessed, pun intended!). The Beatitudes that introduce the Sermon on the Mount each begin with this same word "makarios." In other words, as John
1 Timóteo 6:15
Wuest comments that dunastes is related to the noun "dunamis meaning "strength, power, ability." It is the word used in Romans 1:16-note, where the Gospel is the power (dunamis) of God resulting in salvation. Here our word (dunastes) refers to one who has power such as a prince, a high officer, a royal minister. God is called a potentate from the viewpoint of His power. He is a ruler by virtue of the fact that He has the power and ability to rule. (Wuest, K. S. Wuest's Word Studies from the Greek New Testament: Eerdmans) JEHOVAH IS LORD OF ALL Lord of lords - Paul had just said God was Sovereign (Ruler, Potentate) with the description as Lord of lords His sovereign rule is explicitly seen. This phrase actually combines the related noun (kurios) the verb from (kurieuo) and more literally reads "Lord of those who rule as lords". Darby translates it "Lord of those that exercise lordship." Play — LORD OF ALL CREATION Deuteronomy 10:17 " For the LORD your God is the God of gods and the Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God Who does not show partiality, nor take a bribe. Ps 136:3 Give thanks to the Lord of lords, For His lovingkindness is everlasting. Spurgeon Comments: There are lords many, but Jehovah is the Lord of them. All lordship is vested in the Eternal. He makes and administers law, he rules and governs mind and matter, he possesses in himself all sovereignty and power. All lords in the plural are summed up in this Lord in the singular; he is more lordly than all emperors and kings condensed into one. For this we may well be thankful, for we know the superior Sovereign will rectify the abuses of the underlings who now lord it over mankind. He will call these lords to his bar, and reckon with them for every oppression and injustice. He is as truly the Lord of lords as he is Lord over the meanest of the land, and he rules with a strict impartiality, for which every just man should give heartiest thanks. William De Burgh comments on the Lord of lords. The meaning of the title "Lord", as distinct from "Jehovah" and "God", is "Governor." And in this view also he is eminently entitled to praise and thanksgiving, in that his rule and government of the world are also eminently marked by "mercy" and "goodness": not the display of power only, but of power declared chiefly in showing mercy and pity: as again all subject to that rule are witnesses. Such is God in himself. Nor is it without intention that the doxology is threefold, indicating, doubtless, like the threefold invocation of the Name of the Lord in the blessing of the people (Numbers 6:24-26) God in Trinity, "Father, Son, and Holy Ghost", as now fully revealed. --. Rev 17:14-note "These will wage war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, because He is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those who are with Him are the called and chosen and faithful." Rev 19:16-note And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, "KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS." Nebuchadnezzar made a similar declaration after Daniel had successfully revealed and interpreted the king's dream… Da 2:47-note The king answered Daniel and said, "Surely your God is a God of gods and a Lord of kings and a revealer of mysteries, since you have been able to reveal this mystery." Lord (2962) (kurios from kuros = might or power) has the main sense of a supreme one, one who is sovereign and possesses absolute authority, absolute ownership and uncontested power. The reader should also be aware that kurios is used over 9000 times in the Septuagint (LXX) (usually to translate the Hebrew "YHWH" or Jehovah, eg, Ge 2:8 where LORD = Jehovah = Kurios in Lxx) and over 700 times in the New Testament!
1 Timóteo 6:16
Wuest: who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom not even one in the human race has seen nor even is able to see, to whom be honor and power forever. Amen. Young's Literal: who only is having immortality, dwelling in light unapproachable, whom no one of men did see, nor is able to see, to whom is honour and might age-during! Amen. WHO ALONE POSSESSES IMMORTALITY AND DWELLS IN UNAPPROACHABLE LIGHT, WHOM NO MAN HAS SEEN OR CAN SEE: ho monos echon (PAPMSN) athanasian, phos oikon (PAPMSN) aprositon, on eiden (3SAAI) oudeis anthropon oude idein (AAN) dunatai; (3SPPI): Who alone: 1Ti 1:17 Ex 3:14 Dt 32:40 Ps 90:2 Isa 57:15 Jn 8:58 Heb 13:8 Rev 1:8,17,18 dwells: Ps 104:2 Hab 3:4 1Jn 1:5 Rev 1:16,17 21:3 22:5 Whom: Ex 33:20 Jn 1:18 6:46 14:9 Col 1:15 GOD IS WORTHY OF OUR WORSHIP AT ALL TIMES Towner sums up this last section The affirmation of God's sovereign control over eschatological (future) events develops into a multi-tiered portrait of God rounded off by a doxology. (NICNT) Let's summarize the divine attributes in Paul's elegant portrayal of God in 1Ti 6:15-16… (1) Blessed (2) Only (3) Sovereign (4) King of kings (5) Lord of lords (6) Immortality (7) Dwells in unapproachable light (8) Invisibility Worship is derived from the Old English word "worthship", which in turn is from two words, worth or worthiness plus -ship denoting honor. Worship denotes the worthiness of the one receiving the special honor or devotion. For believers at the core of worship is an honoring or acknowledgment of the worth of our great God (See related study on Greek word for worship - proskuneo). Worship is an attitude of our heart which we should strive diligently to continually cultivate. Too often we restrict "worship" to Sunday "worship service", but God is worthy of our worship at all times! In the workplace, at school, jogging the trail, riding your bike, stuck in freeway traffic (yes, even there!), etc. And so it is fitting that Paul pauses once again to worship God even as he had done at the outset of this epistle… Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only (monos) God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen. (1Ti 1:17+) To quote Robert Morey "All doxologies manifest the same literary pattern and grammatical structure. They all close with an “Amen” because they are prayers of praise and, thus, acts of worship. The vocabulary used in doxologies ascribe eternal sovereignty, glory, blessing, wisdom, might, power, thanksgiving, majesty, authority, honor, and dominion to God. (Borrow The Trinity: Evidence and Issues) Here are the New Testament Doxologies which would make great fodder for your morning prayer time: Ro 1:25, Ro 9:5, Ro 11:36, Ro 16:27 Gal 1:4-5, Eph 3:21, Phil 4:20, 1Ti 1:17, 1Ti 6:16, 2Ti 4:18, Heb 13:21,1Pe 5:11, 2Pe 3:18, Jude 1:25, Rev 1:6, Rev 7:11-12, Rev 19:4 Rev 22:20, 21. Wallis observes that in this section (1Ti 6:15-16) God is "characterized by an accumulation of titles and ascriptions of majesty and power noteworthy even in Paul, and indeed, in the entire Scripture. The ideas are parallel to 1Ti 1:17 but are more fully expressed. Paul's thought moves from God's manifestations to men as Potentate and King through His sovereign prerogative of immortality, back to His mysterious and inscrutable being, and leads to the final ascription of honor and eternal omnipotent sway. O Worship the King (vocal version by Chris Tomlin) O worship the King, all glorious above, O gratefully sing His power and His love; Our Shield and Defender, the Ancient of Days, Pavilioned in splendor, and girded with praise. O tell of His might, O sing of His grace, Whose robe is the light, whose canopy space, His chariots of wrath the deep thunderclouds form, And dark is His path on the wings of the storm. Alone - The Greek has the definite article (Greek ho = English "the") preceding monos and thus is more accurately rendered "the only". Why is this significant you ask? Notice that in Jn 5:44 Jesus uses the phrase "the only God". Vincent makes the point that the text is "Not God only, which entirely overlooks the force of the definite article; but the only God." Paul's mention of God alone possessing immortality would be a clear countering of the cult of emperor worship which taught that the emperors (who they deified) were considered immortal (despite the fact that they all died as mere men!) Alone (3441) (monos) means only, sole or single; by themselves. To be sure both angels (good and demonic) and human beings (both saved and unsaved alike) are now immortal and will live forever in either heaven or hell. The difference of course is that the immortality of these created beings is derived from God Who alone possesses inherent immortality. THOUGHT - Have you ever considered that your unsaved friends and relatives are "immortal?" This sobering truth ought to motivate in each of our hearts a Spirit enabled desire (and reliance on His power - Acts 1:8+) to speak forth the Gospel with our lives and with our lips! Without trying to put a "guilt trip" on you dear brother or sister in Christ, let me ask you when was the last time you shared the Good News of your salvation, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, with an unbeliever? Yes, it can be intimidating (even after walking with Jesus 25 years, speaking from my experience), and yet I know of nothing that gives me more excitement and fulfillment then when God opens the door of opportunity to share my Best Friend with another individual who will live forever! Possesses (2192) (echo) means to have or possess and in the present tense describes this as God's continual possession. The idea is to possess in the sense of having as one’s own. Paul proceeds to list God's unique Personal possessions! Paul now describes three things about the Father - 1.IMMORTALITY, 2.INSCRUTABILITY (inhabiting light, unapproachable), 3. INVISIBILITY. UNBEGINNING AND UNENDING EXISTENCE Immortality (110) (athanasia from a [Alpha prefixed to a word negates its meaning] = without + thanatos = death) is a noun which literally means without death, "deathlessness", state of no death. It describes the state of not being subject to death, that which will never die, that which is incapable of dying. The 1828 Webster's Dictionary says immortality is "The quality of never ceasing to live or exist; exemption from death and annihilation; life destined to endure without end; exemption from oblivion." The only other uses in the NT are in Paul's description of the believer's glorified, resurrection body as immortal. Hallelujah! What a blessed future we have to look forward to. 1Cor 15:53-54+ For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality. But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, "DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP in victory. Vine comments: It (Athanasia) expresses more than deathlessness, it suggests the quality of the life enjoyed, as is made clear from 2Corinthians 5:4. In 1Timothy 1:17, Paul used the adjective aphthartos for immortal, which signifies that which is not subject to decay and death. In the introductory description of the Gospel (specifically describing every man's lost state and desperate need for the Gospel), Paul accused humankind of exchanging "the glory of the incorruptible (aphthartos) God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures." (Ro 1:23-note) In the context of the resurrection body which every saint will receive, Paul wrote that this eternal "acquisition" will occur "in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable (aphthartos), and we will be changed" (1Cor 15:52) and as Peter says will also "obtain an inheritance with is imperishable (aphthartos)" (1Peter 1:4-note) because we have been "born again not of seed (the Word of God, the Gospel of our salvation) which is perishable but imperishable (aphthartos), that is, through the living and enduring word of God." (1Pe 1:23-note) God is uniquely living, exhibiting life without a beginning or an ending! As such He is the source of all life. Psalm 36:9 For with You is the fountain (literally a source of flowing water, here figurative as the Source) of life; In Your light (cp "unapproachable light") we see light. (cp metaphor of fountain and/or water for spiritual life or that which gives spiritual life - Jer 2:13, Jn 4:14, Jn 7:37-39, Rev 21:6, Rev 22:17) Daniel 4:34 “But at the end of that period, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High and praised and honored Him who lives forever; For His dominion is an everlasting dominion, And His kingdom endures from generation to generation. John 5:26 “For just as the Father has life in Himself, even so He gave to the Son also to have life in Himself. Psalm 90:2 Before the mountains were born, or Thou didst give birth to the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, Thou art God. Comment: Only God has essential immortality as an attribute of His being (1 Tim. 6:16). Since man begins at conception and does not come from eternity, he does not have essential immortality. Only God is from eternity to eternity (Ps. 90:1, 2). Habakkuk 1:12+ Art Thou not from everlasting, O LORD, my God, my Holy One? We will not die. Thou, O LORD, hast appointed them to judge; And Thou, O Rock, hast established them to correct. Micah 5:2+ But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you One will go forth for Me (for God the Father) to be Ruler in Israel. His goings forth are from long ago, from the days of eternity.” Comment: Did you observe the two prophecies, one fulfilled and the other unfulfilled? If not, go back are re-read the verse before you read the remainder of this comment. Note how Micah's prophecy first speaks of Jesus, the God of eternity, Who entered time as God incarnate, Jesus Christ. He did not become the Ruler of Israel in His first coming, but He will become the Ruler of Israel in His Second Coming, when He rules and reigns from Jerusalem over His Millennial Kingdom. John
1 Timóteo 6:17-21
Wuest: To those who are wealthy in the present age, be giving a charge not to continue to be high-minded, neither to have their hope set upon the uncertainty of wealth, but upon God, the One who is constantly offering us all things in a rich manner to enjoy; (Eerdmans) Young's Literal: Those rich in the present age charge thou not to be high-minded, nor to hope in the uncertainty of riches, but in the living God, who is giving to us all things richly for enjoyment INSTRUCT THOSE WHO ARE RICH IN THIS PRESENT WORLD NOT TO BE CONCEITED OR TO FIX THEIR HOPE ON THE UNCERTAINTY OF RICHES, BUT ON GOD, WHO RICHLY SUPPLIES US WITH ALL THINGS TO ENJOY: () Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy. DEVOTIONAL - Command those who are rich . . . to trust . . . in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy. —1Timothy 6:17 This kind of situation is not unique to employer-employee relationships. That's the way it is with all of us and all of the things we call our own. When we speak of our family, our house, or our car, we are speaking of people and things God has allowed us to enjoy while here on earth, but they really belong to Him. Notice the psalmist's praise to God, "The heavens are Yours, the earth also is Yours" (Psalm 89:11). Understanding who really holds the title to all we possess should change our thinking. Just as I am aware that RBC lets me use its equipment to help me do my work more efficiently, so also should we be aware that everything we have is given to us to serve the Lord. God's grace sustains the gift of life, Its labor and reward; What we possess is not our own— It all comes from the Lord. —D. De Haan All we own is really on loan—from God. 1 Timothy 6:17 - THE WRONG GOD "Command those who are rich in this present age not...to trust in uncertain riches." - 1Timothy 6:17 A missionary had been witnessing faithfully to a certain man who was an idol worshiper. One day the man placed a small statue and a silver coin on the table in front of the missionary. Then he took two slips of paper and wrote something on each. On the note by the idol he wrote the words "heathen god." On the sheet next to the silver coin he wrote the words "Christian god." From what that man had observed in the lives of some people from so-called Christian nations, he had concluded that money was the main object of their adoration and the source of their confidence. Many people today choose to worship the god of money. They make it the object of their trust, love, and service. But how foolish! Jesus warned, "How hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God!" (Mk. 10:24). Who or what is the object of your worship? The psalmist advised, "Put your 'trust' in the Lord" (Ps. 4:5). Moses commanded, "You shall 'love' the Lord" (Dt. 6:5), and Joshua told his people, "As for me and my house, we will 'serve' the Lord" (Josh. 24:15). Never let Gold become your god! 1 Timothy 6:17 (F B Meyer. Our Daily Homily) Nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God. The contrast here is very beautiful. Men, for the most part, look to riches to supply them with all they need richly to enjoy; but the apostle says that it is beyond all comparison better to look away from dead coin to a living Person, who takes pleasure in giving liberally without upbraiding. Here is a rebuke. — Suppose you had your cellars filled with gold coin, would you not think yourself secure against all possible need and care? Almost certainly you would. But you ought to be even more at rest, since you have neither silver nor gold, and only your Heavenly Father’s hand. Here is a contrast. — Riches are uncertain at the best. A man in these difficult days finds it easier to gain money than to hold it. He who is rich today may awake to-morrow to find that some sudden turn of the market has made him poor. But God is not uncertain. He is the same yesterday, today, and for ever. His covenants are certainties. Here is an appeal. — Trust in the living God with as much restfulness as others in their lands and revenues, and be almost glad if God takes away from you what you have clung to so tenaciously, that you may drop securely into his everlasting arms. You smile at the story of the lady who was told by the captain that he had done all he could for the vessel, and they must now look to the Almighty; and who replied, “O captain, has it come to that?” But you may be nearer akin to her spirit than you suppose! Here is an assured destiny. — Those who trust in riches are pierced through with many sorrows, and are caught in the maelstrom, which drowns souls in perdition; they who trust in the Lord are as Mount Zion, which cannot be removed. 1Timothy 6:18 Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share (NASB: Lockman) Greek: agathoergein, (PAN) ploutein (PAN) en ergois kalois, eumetadotous einai, (PAN) koinonikous, Amplified: [Charge them] to do good, to be rich in good works, to be liberal and generous of heart, ready to share [with others], (Amplified Bible - Lockman) ESV: They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, KJV: That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate; Moffatt: tell them to be bountiful, rich in good works, open-handed and generous, NET: Tell them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, to be generous givers, sharing with others. NLT: Tell them to use their money to do good. They should be rich in good works and generous to those in need, always being ready to share with others. (NLT - Tyndale House)
1 Timóteo 6:17-21
Wuest: to be doing good, to be wealthy in the sphere of good works, to be liberal, sharers with others, (Eerdmans) Young's Literal: to do good, to be rich in good works, to be ready to impart, willing to communicate, INSTRUCT THEM TO DO GOOD, TO BE RICH IN GOOD WORKS, TO BE GENEROUS AND READY TO SHARE: () CHECKUP ON YOUR CHECKBOOK - SOME evening when you have a spare moment, get out your old checkbook registers and read the entries. You will be startled to learn how you spent your money. The entries will read like a family history book, chronicling every major event—births, deaths, and illnesses—and reflecting your tastes, habits, and interests. They record vacations, travels, and other moves. They also tell much about how expensively you dress or how extravagantly you eat. The total spent in each category will pinpoint the things that make the greatest demands on your income—either due to need or choice. This checkbook checkup might also gauge our spiritual temperature. Contributions given to the work of the Lord compared to expenditures for unnecessary things offer some clues. When we give nothing to church or to people in need but spend large sums on personal gratification, it's time to examine our values. 1 Timothy 6:18 Willing To Share Be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share. —1Timothy 6:18 Followers of Jesus are to be "rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share" (1Timothy 6:18). This was demonstrated in the aftermath of the tsunami disaster in Southeast Asia. Christians quickly poured in money, materials, and manpower to bring relief to the suffering. That help has continued. Believers show this generosity in their local communities as well. When a family lost their home and all their belongings in a fire, a flood of assistance-money, food, clothing, a temporary place to live-came from fellow believers all over the area to get them through the crisis. When a husband walked out on his wife and three children after depleting the family's savings account and running up huge bills, the people of her church stepped in with the spiritual, emotional, and financial support she needed. And some of the women of the church faithfully encircled her with prayer and encouragement. These believers are following the plan of God for the Christian life. There are needs all around you that you can have a vital part in meeting. Love is giving for the world's needs, Love is sharing as the Spirit leads, Love is caring when the world cries, Love is compassion with Christlike eyes. -Brandt If you really care, you'll want to share. 1 Timothy 6:18 Overcoming Greed Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share. —1Timothy 6:18 Greed — it has toppled highly paid executives, brought down giant corporations, and cost thousands of workers their jobs and retirement funds. One columnist has written that unrestrained corporate greed is a greater threat than terrorism. Greed whispers in our ear that we would be happier if we had more money, more things, and more power. It creates discontent and a growing desire to do whatever it takes to gain position and possessions. But the Bible commands us to trust in God, not in “uncertain riches”(1Timothy 6:17). Paul told Timothy that the way to overcome greed is to flee from it and to “pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness”(1Timothy 6:11). And those “who are rich in this present age,” who have more than is needed, should “be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share”(1Ti 6:17, 18). God’s riches fill up our supply, Whatever we may need, So we can then be generous And not controlled by greed. —Sper The best remedy for greed is generosity. 1 Timothy 6:18 People God Can Use Be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share. —1 Timothy 6:18 Evangelist Franklin Graham wrote, "If we want to become the type of people that God can use anytime, anywhere, anyplace, we must offer ourselves, our homes, our kitchens, and our living rooms as outposts for the kingdom of God." People who practice these words are fulfilling Paul's challenge to "be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share" (1Timothy 6:18). Years ago, our family sensed that the Lord was placing this same challenge before us. Believing that He desired greater access to our lives, our possessions, and our time, we prayerfully said yes to Him. Soon we encountered a desperate drug addict and opened our home to him. Several families joined us in helping others who needed to come to Christ and come off drugs. Eventually we established a Christian rehabilitation center—a ministry that continues today. To equip us for this ministry, God used our own painful experiences. Our own troubles helped us identify with others, and enabled us to guide them to depend on Jesus for salvation and every daily need. Give me a heart sympathetic and tender, Jesus, like Thine, Jesus, like Thine, Touched by the needs that are surging around me, And filled with compassion divine. —Anon. Compassion is needed to heal the hurts of others. 1 Timothy 6:19 storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is life indeed. (NASB: Lockman) Greek: apothesaurizontas (PAPMPA) heautois themelion kalon eis to mellon, (PAPNSA) hina epilabontai (3SAMS) tes ontos zoes. Amplified: In this way laying up for themselves [the riches that endure forever as] a good foundation for the future, so that they may grasp that which is life indeed. (Amplified Bible - Lockman) ESV: thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life. KJV: Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life. Moffatt: amassing right good treasure for themselves in the world to come, in order to secure the life which is life indeed. NET: In this way they will save up a treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the future and so lay hold of what is truly life. NLT: By doing this they will be storing up their treasure as a good foundation for the future so that they may experience true life. (NLT - Tyndale House)
1 Timóteo 6:17-21
Wuest: laying away for themselves a good foundation with a view to the future, in order that they may lay hold of that which is truly life. (Eerdmans) Young's Literal: treasuring up to themselves a right foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on the life age-during. STORING UP FOR THEMSELVES THE TREASURE OF A GOOD FOUNDATION FOR THE FUTURE, SO THAT THEY MAY TAKE HOLD OF THAT WHICH IS LIFE INDEED: () 1 Timothy 6:20 O Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you, avoiding worldly and empty chatter and the opposing arguments of what is falsely called "knowledge"— (NASB: Lockman) Greek: O Timothee, ten paratheken phulaxon (2SAAM), ektrepomenos (PMPMSN) tas 4 bebelous kenophonias kai antitheseis tes pseudonumou gnoseos, Amplified: O Timothy, guard and keep the deposit entrusted [to you]! Turn away from the irreverent babble and godless chatter, with the vain and empty and worldly phrases, and the subtleties and the contradictions in what is falsely called knowledge and spiritual illumination. (Amplified Bible - Lockman) ESV: O Timothy, guard the deposit entrusted to you. Avoid the irreverent babble and contradictions of what is falsely called “knowledge,” KJV: O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called: Moffatt: O Timotheus, keep the securities of the faith intact: avoid the profane jargon and contradictions of what is falsely called 'Knowledge." NET: O Timothy, protect what has been entrusted to you. Avoid the profane chatter and absurdities of so-called “knowledge.” NLT: Timothy, guard what God has entrusted to you. Avoid godless, foolish discussions with those who oppose you with their so-called knowledge. (NLT - Tyndale House)
1 Timóteo 6:17-21
Wuest: O, Timothy, that which was committed to you, guard, turning away from unhallowed and empty mouthings and oppositions of the falsely named knowledge, (Eerdmans) Young's Literal: O Timotheus, the thing entrusted guard thou, avoiding the profane vain-words and opposition of the falsely-named knowledge O TIMOTHY, GUARD WHAT HAS BEEN ENTRUSTED TO YOU, AVOIDING WORLDLY AND EMPTY CHATTER AND THE OPPOSING ARGUMENTS OF WHAT IS FALSELY CALLED "KNOWLEDGE": () Fight the good fight with all thy might! Christ is thy strength and Christ thy right; Lay hold on life and it shall be Thy joy and crown eternally. (William Boyd, 1864) 1 Timothy 6:21 which some have professed and thus gone astray from the faith. Grace be with you. (NASB: Lockman) Greek: en tines epaggellomenoi (PMPMPN) peri ten pistin estochesan. (3PAAI) e charis meth' humon. Amplified: [For] by making such profession some have erred (missed the mark) as regards the faith. Grace (divine favor and blessing) be with you all! Amen (so be it). (Amplified Bible - Lockman) ESV: for by professing it some have swerved from the faith. Grace be with you. KJV: Which some professing have erred concerning the faith. Grace be with thee. Amen. Moffatt: Certain individuals have failed in the faith by professing that. Grace be with you. [Amen.] NET: By professing it, some have strayed from the faith. Grace be with you all. NLT: Some people have wandered from the faith by following such foolishness. May God’s grace be with you all. (NLT - Tyndale House)
1 Timóteo 6:17-21
Wuest: which certain ones announcing, missed the mark concerning the Faith. The grace be with all of you. (Eerdmans) Young's Literal: which certain professing--concerning the faith did swerve; the grace is with you. Amen. WHICH SOME HAVE PROFESSED AND THUS GONE ASTRAY FROM THE FAITH. GRACE BE WITH YOU : () 1 Timothy 6:21 "SHIPWRECK" Some have strayed concerning the faith. - 1Timothy 6:21 In the early part of this century, an American 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 into 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 is lost to the Christian cause by a savage assault of evil, a hundred more slowly drift away from God's truth, regular worship, and a life of faith. We must give careful attention to what we know about Christ so that we don't get caught in a drift. - HWR 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. - Henry G. Bosch