1 Timothy 6

The Apostle exhorts servants to be obedient to their masters. 3. Describes false and seducing Teachers, and commands men to avoid them. 6. Exhorts to piety and contestation, and shunning of covetousness, 11. and divers other Christian virtues. 13. Charges before God and Jesus Christ, so to observe this; 15. and from the consideration of Christ’s coming to judgement, and of the glory of God he breaks out into the praise of God. 17. Prescribes to the rich how they ought to carry themselves before God and men. 20. Warns him once again with great earnestness of false and deceitful doctrine, 21. and concludes the Epistle with the usual salutation.

1. Servants, as many as are under the yoke, [That is, slavery or servitude, which is called a yoke because of the heaviness and burdensomeness of it in those times,] shall account their masters worthy of all honour, that the name of God and the doctrine be not blasphemed, [namely, as if Christian religion under the pretence of Christian liberty, withdrew servants or slaves from their masters, or released them from their obedience against their Masters will.

2. And they that have believing masters, shall not despise them, because they are brethren; but shall the rather serve them because they are faithful and beloved, as being partakers of this benefit, [Namely, of the redemption purchased by Christ. Others understand this of the benefit which the servants may again expect from their masters who when they are believers they will not neglect to reward their servants faithful service with the like care and benefit and translate it who shall accept or recompense this well doing]teach and exhort these things.

3. If any man teach another doctrine [namely different from what I have taught]and agreeth not with the wholesome words of our Lord Jesus Christ [Gr cometh not to the wholesome words that is doth not keep close thereunto]and with the doctrine which is according to godliness.

4. He is puffed up and knoweth nothing [namely although he account himself wife and would saintly he accounted wife]but he rageth [Gr is sick or deceased namely in his wits or understanding as fanatic person and seducing teachers use to be who esteem the simple doctrine of godliness too mean and therefore seek to make ostentation of higher speculations or new doctrines before the church whom the apostle declare to be unsound in their understand because they reject or pass by sound doctrine]about contentious questions and strife of words from whence cometh envy ,strife ,reviling, evil suspicions.

5. Perverse braw lings [or excitations, disputing, wherewith they do as it were wear out their own and other mans understanding without any solid profit accruing unto true faith and sincere piety from such braw lings and disputing]of men who have corrupt understandings and are deprived of the truth thinking that godliness is gain [that is serves only to seek worldly honor or gain thereby as seducing teaches are wont to do amongst their disciples where one with new opinions speculations and disputes seek to draw the other disciples to himself]withdraw from such.

6. Yet godliness id great gain [that is the greatest gain lies in godliness itself seeing it hath promise of the present life and that to come as he speaks chapter 4.8]with contentment [that is with a mind that hath enough and is content with that with the Lord affords him which contentment itself also springs out for godliness that hath Christ he hath all things with him]

7. For we brought nothing into the world it is manifest that neither can we carry anything out of it

8. But if we have food and covering we ought to be contented therewith [that is we ought seeking covetously after other riches]

9. But they that will be rich [that is trouble their minds too much with it or with too great eagerness seek to be rich] fall into temptation and into the snare [namely of the devil who through this greedy desire of being rich tempts them to many unlawful practices and ties them fast to the world as with a snare see Matthew 6:24]and into many foolish and hurtful lusts which cause men to be drowned in perdition and destructions

10. For covetousness of money[Gr love of money] is the root of all evil of which some coveting have gone astray from the faith ]and have pierced through themselves with many grieves [that is procured troubles to their souls with thoughtfulness and care to gather them and when they are gathered to keep them wherefore also Christ compares them to thorns Matthew 13.22which wound man and choke the good seed]

11. But thou o man of God [so the scripture names those who are governed by the spirit of God and in special the faithful prophets and teachers see 2 Kings 1:9 c. 2Timothy3.17]flee these things and pursue righteousness , godliness, faith, love, patience and meekness.

12. Fight the good fight of faith[that is bestir thee with all diligence not only in preaching the word of faith but also in living according to the same 2 Timothy 4:7]lay hold on eternal life a similitude taken from those who run for a prize and as they are running stretch forth their hands to catch hold when they come near the goal see 1Corinthians 9.24 Philippians 3:13,14] unto which thou art also called and hast professed a good profession [namely that thou wouldest faithfully serve Christ when they wert chosen by me to be an evangelist in the presence of elders see before chapter 4.14]before many witnesses

13. I charge thee before God who quickeneth all things [that is preserveth and gives life to everything that hath life Acts 17:25 yea also raiseth to life that which is already dead which Paul adds here to confirm Timothy against all danger of death]and before Christ Jesus who under[or who before see hereof Job 18.37c] Pontius Pilate witnessed a god confession

14. That thou keep this commandment [that is that thou keep thyself and command others to keep these commandments which hitherto I have given thee] unsupported and unblameable until the appearing of the Lord Jesus Christ

15. which in due time the blessed and only mighty Lord [so God the father is called the only wise 1Timothy 1.17 and only God Matthew 19.71 and in the following verse is said only to posses immorality because he only hath them for himself and perfectly and the apostle speaks thus here not to exclude Christ from hence to whom these titles are also given Revelations 1.8 and chapter 19.16and elsewhere so to distinguish God from all creatures and to show that we have no need to fear any power in the world which is against us when we faithfully execute our calling and consequently have God on our side who shall one day judge all by Christ see also Job 17:3]the king of kings the lord of lords shall show [that is shall bring forth out of heaven to judge the quick and the dead]

16. Who only hath immortality and inhabitteth an inaccessible light[that is professeth perfection and glory inn himself which none can apprehend as the word light is also taken 1John 1.5&c]whom no man hath seen nor can see [namely with the eye of the body seeing he hath a spiritual essence as he is here fore also called invisible 1Timothy1.17 see also john1.18 and 1John 4.20] to whom he honor and eternal power Amen

17. command the rich in this present world [Gr age] that they be not high minded nor set their hope in the unsteadfastness of riches but in the living god who afford us all living things [therefore riches also themselves richly to enjoy [Gr for enjoyment namely with thankfulness and moderation see Deuteronomy 8.10c]

18. That they be bountiful be rich in good works be gladly impart and communicative [this virtue of communicativeness is opposed to the harshness and hard heartedness of some rich men who despise the mean and poor and will not so much speak with them others take it for communicativeness willingly to afford all friendship and help unto others as imparting which goes before concern good only see Galatians 6:6 Hebrews 13:16]

19. Laying up for themselves a treasure for a good foundation [namely of hope not that the liberality of the rich merits this but because it is a fruit of faith and God hath promised to reward the same of grace for Christ sake see Hebrews 13:21 and 1 Peter 2:2,5]against the future that they may obtain eternal life

20. O Timothy keep the pledge entrusted to thee [that is the sound doctrine of faith which is a pledge given thee to keep to employ the same well and also to give it to the others to keep]being averse from profane vain clamouring [Gr unholy vain crying whereby the apostle again understands the subtitle braw lings of seducing teachers which were urged by them with vehemence and clamour without edification]and from the edification ]and from the oppositions [namely as well against sound doctrines as even against one another also in matters upon which salvation doth not depend even as seducing teachers are wont fall from one vain question to another]of the falsely called science

21. Which some giving forth [that is making profession or confession thereof and giving themselves out of such]are turned away missed as one that misseth the mark which he seemed to aim at for this often befalls such men by their acuteness and vain wisdom they fall from the true wisdom see 2Timothy 2.18]from the faith [that is from the sound doctrine of faith as verse 10]grace be with thee Amen see before the conclusion of the other epistle ]