1 Timóteo 6
Steven Cole · Citado em PreceptAustin
1 Timóteo 6:6-8
Cole - Greed is always shortsighted, focused on this life only. Put a man on his deathbed, and offer him a billion dollars. Apart from leaving it to his heirs, the money would be worthless to him. Death isn’t a pretty good chance-it’s a certainty! And you leave it al behind. Two people were discussing the recent death of a wealthy man. One asked, “How much did he leave?” The other answered, “All of it!” You never see a hearse pulling a U-Haul! You can’t take it with you, but you can send it ahead to the Bank of Heaven. Both Jesus and Paul talked about laying up treasures in heaven (Mt 6:19-note; 1Ti 6:17, 18, 19). Jesus told the parable about the unrighteous steward (Luke 16:1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8), who knew that he was going to get fired. So he quickly used what he had to make friends for himself for the future. Jesus applied it (Luke 16:9), “And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by means of the wealth of unrighteousness, so that when it fails, they will receive you into the eternal dwellings.” He did not say, “if it fails,” but, “when it fails.” Money will fail us at death. Jesus is telling us to use unrighteous money now to make friends for eternity. Use your money that undoubtedly will fail, to invest in something that certainly will succeed, namely, bringing people to heaven. (Cultivating Contentment) Take out (1627) (ekphero from ek = out + phéro = bring, bear, carry) means literally to bear or carry out (Acts 5:6, 9, 10, 5:15). Bring out, lead (Mk 8:23). Bring forth, in the sense of growth, as the ground or earth "bears out" plants (Heb 6:8, Ge 1:12). Ekphero - 6x in 6v in NT... 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?" Acts 5:6 The young men got up and covered him (Ananias) up, and after carrying him out, they buried him. Acts 5:9 Then Peter said to her (Sapphira), "Why is it that you have agreed together to put the Spirit of the Lord to the test? Behold, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out as well." 10 And immediately she fell at his feet and breathed her last, and the young men came in and found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. Acts 5:15 (Acts 5:14) to such an extent that they even carried the sick out into the streets and laid them on cots and pallets, so that when Peter came by at least his shadow might fall on any one of them. 1 Ti 6:7 For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either. Hebrews 6:8 but if it ("ground" in Hebrews 6:7) yields (brings forth - as used in Lxx of Ge 1:12) thorns and thistles, it is worthless and close to being cursed, and it ends up being burned. Ekphero - 81v in the non-apocryphal Septuagint - Gen 1:12; 14:18; 24:53; Ex 4:6f; 12:39, 46; Lev 4:12, 21; 6:11; 14:45; 16:27; 26:10; Num 13:32; 14:36; 17:8f; 20:8; Deut 14:28; 22:15, 19; 24:11; 28:38; Josh 7:23; 18:6, 8; Jdg 6:18f, 30; 19:22; Ruth 2:18; 2 Sam 12:30; 1Kgs 17:13; 20:42; 2Kgs 10:22, 26; 15:20; 23:6; 24:13; 1Chr 9:28; 20:2; 2Chr 34:14; Ezra 1:7f; 5:14; 6:5; 8:17; 10:19; Neh 5:11; 6:19; 9:15; Ps 37:6; 69:31; Pr 10:18; 29:11; Eccl 5:2; Song 2:13; Isa 40:26; 42:1, 3; 54:16; Jer 8:1; 17:22; 50:25; 51:10, 44; Ezek 12:4, 7; 17:23; 24:6; 46:20; Dan 5:2f; Amos 4:3; 6:10; Hag 1:11; Zech 4:7; 5:4 Johnny Sanders - Little commentary is need here. Job said it so well: “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” (Job 1:21). I had so many funerals in one fifteen year pastorate that the local funeral directors joked about helping me recruit some members because they were burying all of mine. I have had funerals under all sorts of circumstances; rain, sleet, and snow, and intense heat. I have been in large and small processions. But so far I have never seen an armored car in a funeral procession. Perhaps you read about the man who died before three friends could repay ten thousand dollar loans. The three friends agreed that they owed the money and since their friend had no family, they thought the best thing they could do was to go by the open casket as they left the service and slip the money into the casket. They met later and the first man said, “Well, I feel better now. I slipped ten thousand dollars cash into the casket with Joe.” The second friend said, “I didn’t know how you would handle it, but I did the same thing.” The third friend said, “The banker told me you had each cashed a ten thousand dollar check, so I knew what you were going to do. But instead of getting him to cash my check, I just made out a thirty thousand dollar check to Joe and slipped it into the casket - and picked up your twenty thousand dollars change.” Be sure you give your kids wisdom before you give them wealth John Owen - Let us be in an expectation of such changes of providence, that they may not be great surprises unto us. When we are in peace, let us look for trouble; when we are at liberty, let us look for restraint; and when our children are about us, let us look for the removal of them; and be content to see all our comforts in their winding-sheet every day. It is impossible but our hearts will be too much upon them, unless we keep them in this frame. (from a sermon entitled The Everlasting Covenant, The Believer’s Support Under Distress,) Related Resource: The law of rewards by Alcorn, Randy (Borrow this book) SPECIAL TOPIC: WEALTH TREASURES IN HEAVEN Do not lay up . . . treasures on earth, . . . but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven. Matt 6:19, 20+ Many Christians are short sighted, placing greater value on the enjoyments of this present life than on the glories of the future in heaven. Because their perspective is wrong, their time is misspent, their talents are misused, and their money is misinvested. They amass a fortune on earth but give little thought to laying up treasures in heaven. They forget that the more we "send on ahead," the brighter will be the anticipation of going there. A woman met a friend of her father's who had not seen him for many years. The woman's father was a devout Christian, so she found great joy in telling his old acquaintance about her dad's trust in the Lord, and the way he faced suffering, trials, and even the prospect of death. The friend, however, had lived a different kind of life. Having given himself over completely to earning money and hoarding every cent he could, he had become very wealthy. But he didn't have the same glad anticipation of the future as his friend did. He explained it to the daughter in this way: "Your father can be more optimistic about heaven than I for a very simple reason. He is going to his treasure. I'll be leaving mine!" Shall the great Judge say, when my task is through, That my soul had gathered some riches too? Or shall at the last it be mine to find That all I had worked for was left behind? --Anon. You can't take your money to heaven, but you can make an investment for eternity. THE SECRET OF CONTENTMENT And having food and raiment let us be therewith content. 1 Timothy 6:8 I am told that in a cemetery in England stands a grave marker with this inscription: SHE DIED FOR WANT OF THINGS. Alongside that stone is another which reads: HE DIED TRYING TO GIVE THEM TO HER. In a laughable and yet tragic manner these epitaphs suggest the folly of living and working only for this world's goods. Whenever someone is so enamored by earthly possessions that acquiring them becomes his primary goal, he encounters frustration and disappointment. This is true because man is a spiritual being and can never be content with material fortunes. The old Cracker Jack slogan, "The more you eat the more you want," reminds us of an important truth. People can easily develop an insatiable appetite for things while neglecting to fulfill the real cravings of their hearts with the "bread of heaven." I've yet to meet an unbeliever who has amassed great wealth and doesn't want more. Riches simply do not satisfy, and the more a man gets the more he wants! The person who knows the Lord and whose affection is centered upon "things above" (Col 3:2+) can find perfect contentment even with the bare necessities of life. That's why the great apostle Paul could write to Timothy, "having food and raiment let us be therewith content" (1 Tim. 6:8). Jesus said, "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you" (Mt. 6:33+). Fret not for want of earthly things; They'll never satisfy. The secret of contentment is To let the Lord supply. --D.J.D. Most of us seem determined not to be content with our lot until it's a lot more! Homily Godliness the Highest Gain — I. Because it ensures the supply of absolute necessities.—" Having food and raiment let us be therewith content " (1Ti 6:8). Our real wants are few. What do we need more than food and covering ? They who fear the Lord have the promise of sustenance (Isa. 33:16 ; Ps 37:3). The godly are under the special care of the Divine Universal Provider. II. Because it promotes a spirit of contentment.—" Godliness with contentment is great gain " (1Ti 6:6). Godliness is a great means of gain — not of that gain which breeds discontent in its covetous pursuit, but the present and eternal gain which piety brings to the soul. Godliness is gain when it is accompanied with the contentment it inspires. It not only feels no need of what it has not, but also has that which exalts it above what it has not. Godliness is its own sufficiency, and satisfies every want of the complex nature of man. Godliness, even with affliction, is great gain. A minister recovering from a dangerous illness confessed, "This six weeks' illness has taught me more divinity than all my past studies and all my ten years' ministry put together." III. Because the contentment accompanying true godliness is independent of worldly possessions (1Ti 6:7).— Godliness reminds us of the condition in which we entered the world, and in which we shall leave it. We brought nothing with us ; we shall take nothing away. If we have little, we are taught to be content with that little ; if we have much, we are taught how fragile is our hold upon our possessions — not to set our hearts upon them, but use them as stewards who must give an account to the Giver of all good. Richard Boyle, the great Earl of Cork, outlived most of those who had known the meanness of his beginning. He never forgot it himself, but took pains to preserve the memory of it to posterity in the motto he always used, and which he caused to be placed on his tomb : " God's providence is my inheritance." (The Preacher's complete homiletical commentary) LESSONS — 1. Our spiritual gains are our truest wealth. 2. Contentment is a special endowment of godliness. 3. The godly man makes the best of both worlds. 1 Timothy 6:6-8. The Cultivation of Christian Contentment I. Godliness is itself a gain. — 1. Because it is a satisfying reality. 2. Because it gives us the highest pleasures of which we are capable. II. Godliness with contentment is great gain. — 1. Contentment is the outcome of godliness. 2. Reasons for cultivating Christian contentment, (1) We have nothing (1Ti 6:7). (2) We have need of nothing (1Ti 6:8). (3) We are in danger of being entangled by striving after earthly things (1Ti 6:9, 10). 3. The advantages of cultivating Christian contentment. (1) It will protect us from the temptation to become rich anyhow (by any means!). (2) It will shield us from avarice. (3) It will teach us to acquire spiritual riches (cp 1Ti 4:7-8-note) (4) It will gladden the brief space of our earthly probation ---Lay Preacher (Ref) 1 Timothy 6:6 CONTENTMENT I The Text presents us with a bride. -- "Godliness." II. A bridesmaid. — " Contentment." III. Her great dowry. — "Great gain" IV. The present payment. — " Godliness with contentment is great gain."—T. Fuller. (Ref) Ruth Bryan - September 19th.—I have had sharp exercises this week, concerning what many would think a trifle. On Monday, a tenant gave me half-a-sovereign, which was lost I know not how. It appeared most mysterious, for I much needed it. My soul sank within me, because I feared my Father must be angry, or He would not so constantly smite me in providential matters. It seemed as if my Lord would speak there would be a calm; and I know He will, although I cannot see how He can be glorified in this thing. I felt much encouraged by reading "Burroughs on Contentment (The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment)." It is to encourage dependence on the Lord when ways and means seem most shut up. He quotes 2Kings 3:17: "You shall not see wind, neither shall you see rain; yet that valley shall be filled with water." I never saw the passage in this light before. My God, You are able. My soul was afresh encouraged to supplicate, notwithstanding long delays and straitenings. (Gleanings from the Inner Life of Ruth Bryan) 1 Timothy 6:8 IF WE HAVE FOOD AND COVERING, WITH THESE WE SHALL BE CONTENT: echontes (PAPMPN) de diatrophas kai skepasmata, toutois arkesthesometha. (1PFPI): 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 6:11
Cole adds that "The title, “man of God” is used in the Old Testament of men like Moses, Samuel, Elijah, David, and a few prophets. It means a man who belongs wholly to God, who follows God’s Word in every aspect of life. A man of God has a certain dignity and aura about him so that when you’re with him, you sense the presence of God, because his life is so entwined with God. There’s no greater title that any Christian can covet for himself or herself than to be called a man or woman of God. But it doesn’t happen automatically! “Some (1Ti 6:10)… but you (1Ti 6:11)”! To be a man or woman of God, you must resolve to stand against the tide. You must flee worldliness, pursue godliness, fight for the faith, and take hold of eternal life. (1 Timothy 6:11-12 Going the Distance) Newport J D White writes that "He was a man of God, i.e., a man belonging to the spiritual order of things with which that which is merely temporal, transitory and perishing can have no permanent relationship. (1 Timothy 6 Commentary)
1 Timóteo 6:11
Cole quipped "you won’t accidentally attain these qualities by hanging around church buildings long enough. You’ve got to go after them deliberately over the long haul." These virtues will elude us if we do not make the necessary (Spirit and grace enabled) effort to chase after them! How would you describe this past year of your Christian life -- a life of vigorous pursuit of God's best or a year of pursuing passing pleasures or just a year of spiritual indifference? A SACRED SYNERGISM: OUR RESPONSIBILITY GOD'S SOVEREIGN PROVISION How can believers heed the charge to continually flee and pursue? While I am not an advocate of the saying "let go and let God," the latter phrase is vital to comprehend because if believers had to rely on their natural strength, they could never fulfill the divine commands . Every believer retains an indwelling anti-God tendency known as the flesh. The Spirit of God Who indwells the believer is the only power Who can overcome the ungodly or anti-God inertia of the flesh (see notes on Galatians 5:16). As we learn to surrender and yield and be filled and be controlled by the Holy Spirit (cp Eph 5:18-note), He gives us not only the desire to obey the commands, but also the power to obey that we might be pleasing to God (Study Php 2:13-note). And yet it is not all "let go and let God", for we have a responsibility to work out our salvation in fear and trembling (Study Php 2:12-note). Is this a bit mysterious? Does it sound like "spiritual double-talk?" As believers we are to work out our salvation and that is 100% our responsibility and yet it is 100% God's enabling ability! This is a picture of "synergism" which is defined as the interaction of discrete agents (in this case believers indwelt by the Holy Spirit) such that the total effect is greater than the sum of the individual effects. Jerry Bridges terms this mysterious partnership the Holy Spirit's "synergistic work"… which refers to occasions that combine our effort with His enabling power. But this isn’t a pure synergism, as if we and the Spirit each contributed equal power to the task. Rather, we work as He enables us to work, so we use the expression qualified synergism. We’re 100 percent dependent on His power in order to participate in the work, as the psalmist illustrated: Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain (Psalm 127:1-Spurgeon's note). Two activities are mentioned: building a house and watching over a city. The Lord’s involvement isn’t one of helping but of building the house and watching over the city. At the same time, the builder builds and the watchman watches. The verse’s message is that the Lord doesn’t merely help the builder and the watchman; He’s totally involved with them in this qualified synergism. He supplies all the enabling power, and they do all the tangible work. There are many such examples in the New Testament. We’re to “put to death the deeds of the body” (Ed: Our part) —the sin that remains in us—yet we do so “by the Spirit” (Ed: His power) (Romans 8:13-note). We’re to use the spiritual gifts we’ve received to serve God and other people, yet we do so “by the strength that God supplies” (1Peter 4:10,11-note). (Bolding and italics added for emphasis). (The Bookends of the Christian Life - Jerry Bridges, Bob Bevington - I highly recommend this book - it will give you some wonderful insights into pursuing righteousness, etc! If you don't believe me, read some of the Customer Reviews). (Related lectures by Bridges - listen to these! - The Bookends - Session 1 MP3; The Bookends - Session 2 MP3) Newport J D White observes that "The six virtues fall perhaps into three pairs, as Ell. suggests: “righteousness and godliness have the widest relations, pointing to general conformity to God’s law and practical piety… ; faith and love are the fundamental principles of Christianity; patience and gentleness, the principles on which a Christian ought to act towards his gainsayers (those who contradict or oppose in words) and opponents”. As a group, they are contrasted with the group of vices in 1Ti 6:4, 5 but we cannot arrange them in pairs of opposites. We may add that faith (pistis) results in patience (hupomone) (James 1:3; Ro 5:3; 2Th. 1:4; 2Ti 3:10; Titus 2:2; Heb. 12:1), as love (agape) does in gentleness. (1 Timothy 6 Commentary)
1 Timóteo 6:11
Cole explains that "A godly person lives with an awareness of God’s holy presence, and so he fears God and flees from sin. As we saw in 4:7-8, we must discipline ourselves for the purpose of godliness. You won’t roll out of bed some morning and find out that you magically attained it overnight. You won’t get it by going to a spiritual conference or having some emotional experience. You have to diligently discipline yourself to pursue godliness. (1 Timothy 6:11-12 Going the Distance) TDNT -- "Over against the way of life associated with false teaching, eusébeia is the godliness that accords with sound teaching (1 Tim. 6:3; Tit. 1:1). False teachers have a form of it but it does not shape their lives, and they use it for gain (2 Tim. 3:5; 1 Tim. 6:5-6), thus missing the gain of true godliness. Christian eusébeia is not moralistic, for if is rooted in the Christ event (1 Tim. 3:16). It is not just outward worship, nor a mere concept of God, nor a virtue, nor an ideal. Over against a Gnosticizing asceticism that regards creation as bad and dissolves its orders, true eusébeia, born of faith, covers everyday conduct in honoring God as Creator and Redeemer, even though it may expect persecution from the very orders of God which it respects. The term eusébeia plays a role here probably because the author hopes that a manner of life that exhibits eusébeia will elicit a favorable verdict from non-Christians who set store by it. In this sense it is profitable for this world as well as the next (1 Tim. 4:8). Respect for the orders, however, is now grounded in the will of the Creator who is also Savior (4:10). (Borrow Kittel's Theological Dictionary of the New Testament : abridged in one volume) Related Resource: Click for more discussion of godliness Eusebeia is true religion that displays itself in reverence before what is majestic and divine in worship and in a life of active obedience which befits that reverence. Eusebeia is a term used, not of God, but of men. Marvin
1 Timóteo 6:11
Cole explains that "Some commentators understand "faith" to mean “faithfulness,” that dependability which is a fruit of the Spirit and should be present in every believer (Gal. 5:22). But it also can refer to the trust in God that consciously relies on Him in every situation of life. As Hebrews 11, the great chapter on faith, shows, men and women of faith believe the promises of God and live in light of them, even in the face of not receiving what is promised, because they trust that God will fulfill His sure word in heaven if not in this life (Heb. 11:13-16). Again, you need to pursue faith. You don’t wake up some morning with vigorous faith any more than a guy with bulging muscles went to bed one night as a 98-pound weakling and woke up looking like Mr. America! How do you pursue faith? By trusting God in the frustrations, irritations, and trials that He sends your way. You deliberately humble yourself under God’s sovereign hand and cast all your anxieties on Him through prayer, knowing that in spite of how it may seem, He does care for you (1Pe 5:6-7). Instead of learning to trust God with the little trials, many Christians grumble and chafe under them. They flatter themselves into thinking that if a major trial ever hits, they’ll trust God then. But it’s the small irritations that God uses to build our faith as we submit to Him and seek Him each day. We need to pursue faith in our daily circumstances. (1 Timothy 6:11-12 Going the Distance) AGAPE A LIFELONG PURSUIT NOT AN ARRIVAL! Love (26)(agape) describes unconditional, sacrificial love and Biblically refers to a love that God is (1Jn 4:8,16), that God shows (Jn 3:16, 1Jn 4:9) and that God enables in His children (see note on fruit of the Spirit - Gal 5:22 Agape is not based on pleasant emotions or good feelings that might result from a physical attraction or a familial bond. Agape chooses as an act of self-sacrifice to serve the recipient. From all of the descriptions of agape love, it is clear that true agape love is a sure mark of salvation. "Agapē (love) is the love of volition and choice. It is unrestricted and unrestrained, encompassing love for God, other believers, and non-Christians." (MacArthur) The fact that Paul charges Timothy to pursue love should be encouraging to all believers. Why do I say that? Well, we all know that love is the "badge" of our faith, the supreme fruit of the Gospel growing in our lives and yet we all know how difficult it is to love at times when we don't even like the definition of love in 1Corinthians 13:1-7, much less fell like practicing it! The point is that God-like love does not come naturally. It does not just effortlessly. Beloved, don't let anyone play the shame game or put you on a guilt trip that you are loving like Christ. Paul plainly says this love is a lifelong pursuit, and the implication is that in this short life, we will never attain love as perfectly or as much as we should. So keep on pursuing it and practicing it, relying not on self energy but Spirit enabling power to produce this beautiful supernatural fruit. Christ-like love is to be our lifelong a pursuit, not our "arrival" until we reach glory! A LITTLE "R & R" Just as we are called to walk by faith, and not by sight, by extension we must practice the pursuit of love by faith, which includes a renunciation ("R") of our own resources and a reliance ("R"), or dependence, on God’s infinite resources. Agape love does not depend on the world’s criteria for love, such as attractiveness, emotions, or sentimentality. Believers can easily fall into the trap of blindly following the world’s demand that a lover feel positive toward the beloved. This is not agape love, but is a love based on impulse. Impulsive love characterizes the spouse who announces to the other spouse that they are planning to divorce their mate. Why? They reason “I can’t help it. I fell in love with another person!” Christians must understand that this type of impulsive love is completely contrary to God’s decisive love, which is decisive because He is in control and has a purpose in mind. There are many reasons a proper understanding of the truth of God's word (and of the world's lie) is critical and one of the foremost is Jesus' declaration that "By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love (agape) for one another." (John 13:35). PURSUE BEARING UP UNDER DIFFICULT CIRCUMSTANCES Patience (5281) (hupomone from hupo = under + meno = stay, remain, abide) literally means abiding under. The root idea of hupomone is to remain under some discipline, subjecting one’s self to something which demands the submission of one's will to something against which one naturally would rebel. It portrays a picture of steadfastly and unflinchingly bearing up under a heavy load and describes that quality of character which does not allow one to surrender to circumstances or succumb under trial. The picture is that of steadfastness, constancy and endurance. It has in it a forward look, the ability to focus on what is beyond the current pressures (eg Jesus "Who for the joy set before Him endured [verb form hupomeno] the Cross despising the shame" see notes on Hebrews 12:2). "It does not describe a passive, fatalistic resignation, but a victorious, triumphant, unswerving loyalty to the Lord in the midst of trials (cf. James 1:2–4). It is the perseverance of the martyr, who will lay down his life if necessary for the cause of Christ." (MacArthur) Steadfastness under adversity. And so hupomone does not describe a grim resignation or a passive "grin and bear" attitude but a triumphant facing of difficult circumstances knowing that even out of evil God guarantees good. It is courageous gallantry which accepts suffering and hardship and turns them into grace and glory.
1 Timóteo 6:11
Cole adds that "The word doesn’t mean meekness in the sense of weakness. Timid Timothy wouldn’t need to pursue that quality, since he seemed to have plenty of it! Rather, it means strength under control. The root word was used of Alexander’s horse, a mighty and powerful animal, but completely broken, responsive to its master’s commands. As the very next word shows, a gentle man must fight. But he doesn’t fight for his own way, out of self-will, but for God’s way in submission to God’s will. (1 Timothy 6:11-12 Going the Distance) Guthrie says: The concluding virtue, meekness, denotes 'gentleness of feeling,' a rarer quality than patience, but a precious target for the man of God.
1 Timóteo 6:16
Cole adds that "This is the only time that God is called, “the Father of lights.” It refers to the fact that He created light and the heavenly bodies that give off light. Light stands for that which is good, in contrast to Satan’s evil domain of darkness (Acts 26:18; Col 1:12, 13+). A COMPILATION OF LIGHT VERSES God, the One Who dwells in unapproachable light chose to reveal Himself to us in "the light of the Gospel of the glory of Christ, Who is the image of God" (2Cor 4:4-note), having called us out of darkness into His marvelous light (1Pe 2:9-note) to be sons of light (Lk 16:8), children of light (Eph 5:8-note), saints who have an inheritance in light (Col 1:12-note), lights in the (spiritually) dark world (Php 2:15-note), those who come to the light (Jn 3:21), sons and daughters who are now the light of the world (Mt 5:14-note), lights that are to shine and thereby bring glory to God (Bring glory ~ give those still in spiritual darkness [unregenerate, not yet born again] a proper opinion of God by the way we live as His children of light! What "opinion" of God are others deriving from your life in their midst?) (Mt 5:16-note). In "light" (pun intended) of these great truths, enabled by the Spirit, may we continually seek to conduct ourselves as children of Light as Paul exhorts in the following passage (Note: The following passage is intended to be used as an introductory "exercise" to inductive Bible study (IBS) . As you prayerfully work through the various suggested "components" of IBS enabled by the teaching ministry of the Holy Spirit, you will experience the joy of self discovery and be enabled to more intelligently evaluate the comments of commentaries, including the notes on this website!)… Therefore (term of conclusion - always check the context - Eph 5:6-note) do not be partakers (present imperative - command to stop partaking) with them (Ask Who? check the context - Eph 5:6-note); for (term of explanation - interrogate with the 5W/H's) you were formerly darkness, but now (contrast) - Always ask and identity what is being contrasted? Why? How does, should this effect me?, etc) you are Light (term of comparison - metaphor) in the Lord; walk (present imperative) as (term of comparison - simile) children of Light (Eph 5:7-8-note). Vine summarizes the uses of light in Scripture (apart from it's uses to describe natural illumination)… (a) the glory of God’s dwelling–place, 1Ti 6:16; (b) the nature of God, 1Jn 1:5; (c) the impartiality of God, Jas 1:17; (d) the favor of God, Ps. 4:6; of the King, Pr 16:15; of an influential man, Job 29:24; (e) God, as the illuminator of His people, Isa. 60:19, 20; (f) the Lord Jesus as the Illuminator of men, Jn 1:4, 5, 9; 3:19; 8:12; 9:5; 12:35, 36, 46; Acts 13:47; (g) the illuminating power of the Scriptures, Ps 119:105; and of the judgments and commandments of God, Isa. 51:4; Pr 6:23, cp. Ps. 43:3; (h) the guidance of God, Job 29:3; Ps 112:4; Isa. 58:10; and, ironically, of the guidance of man, Ro 2:19 (i) salvation, 1Pe 2:9 (j) righteousness, Ro 13:12; 2Cor. 11:14, 15; 1Jn 2:9, 10; (k) witness for God, Mt 5:14, 16; Jn 5:35; (l) prosperity and general well–being, Esther 8:16; Job 18:18; Isa. 58:8-10.(Vine's Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words )