1 Timothy 6

1 Timothy 6:1-19

Slavery and Wealth: Paul Addresses the Roles of Slaves and the Rich within the Local Church - In 1 Timothy 6:1-19 Paul finally deals with the laity, particularly with two related subjects, which is the difficult issue of slavery within the local church members and with earthly riches; for it is the pursuit of earthly wealth that drives the corrupt institution of slavery. He gives responsibility to the rich and the poor members of every congregation. Paul firs discusses the duties of the slaves (1 Timothy 6:1-2), then the duties of the rich (1 Timothy 6:3-19). After giving Timothy charges concerning the slaves within the local assembly (1 Timothy 6:1-2), Paul explains the dangers of greed and charges the rich. Those who reject Paul’s counsel regarding slavery do so because of greed for earthly gain (3-10). Thus, in 1 Timothy 6:11-16 Paul charges Timothy to pursue godliness instead of earthly gain. Finally, Paul follows these warnings with charges to them that do have riches to use their riches to honor God (1 Timothy 6:17-19). Outline – Here is a proposed outline:

1. Paul Addresses Slavery — 1 Timothy 6:1-22. Warnings About Those Who Reject Godly Counsel — 1 Timothy 6:3-103. Paul Warns Timothy to Pursue Righteousness — 1 Timothy 6:11-164. Paul’s Instructions Regarding the Rich — 1 Timothy 6:17-19

1 Timothy 6:11-16

Paul Warns Timothy to Pursue Righteousness Instead of Earthly Riches – In 1 Timothy 6:11-16 Paul warns Timothy to pursue righteousness instead of earthly riches. 1 Timothy 6:11 But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness. 1 Timothy 6:11 — Comments - On two occasions Paul warns young Timothy to flee certain things, which are sexual immorality and financial greed (1 Timothy 6:11, 2 Timothy 2:22). These two issues are perhaps the greatest reasons for failure in the ministry. 2 Timothy 2:22, “Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.” 1 Timothy 6:12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses. 1 Timothy 6:12 — “Fight the good fight of faith” – Comments - Philippians 2:12-13 is similar to 1 Timothy 6:12 in that they both refer to endeavoring to live the Christian life amidst adversaries. We are to press on for Christ Jesus, realizing that God is working in us to do it. Philippians 2:12-13, “Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.” However, this fight is not only against adverse circumstances. It is against our own fleshly desires in an effort to yield to the will of God. 1 Timothy 6:12 — “lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called” – Comments - We lay hold on eternal life by laying hold of God’s Word. Figuratively speaking, Eleazar, one of David’s mighty men, clung to his sword until his had was weary (2 Samuel 23:10). 2 Samuel 23:10, “He arose, and smote the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand clave unto the sword: and the LORD wrought a great victory that day; and the people returned after him only to spoil.” The sword, for us, is the Word of God (Ephesians 6:17) and the Word of God is how we find life (John 6:63), that is, the Word of God is our life (Proverbs 4:20-22). The Word of God quickens us (Psalms 119:50). Ephesians 6:17, “And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:” John 6:63, “It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.” Proverbs 4:20-22, “My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings. Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart. For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.” Psalms 119:50, “This is my comfort in my affliction: for thy word hath quickened me.” 1 Timothy 6:13 — “and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses” – Comments - In 1 Timothy 6:13 Paul reminds him of his confession of faith before many witnesses. This certainly refers to Timothy’s initially profession of faith in Christ at the time of his salvation. It may include other times when he had to take a public stand for Christ. This statement also gives us insight into how people were saved in the early Church. They must have made some type of public declaration of their faith in Christ. 1 Timothy 6:16 — “Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see” - Comments - There are many testimonies of those who have visited heaven and have seen the throne of God. They all give a similar description of a throne that is so bright that is it not possible to gaze into it. Some have even been warned not to look steadfast into this brightness of God’s glory. In the natural world, God has created the sun in the heavens as a type and figure of the brightness of His heavenly glory. On earth it is not possible to gaze directly into the sun because of its intense brightness. So, it is with the throne of God as described in this verse.

1 Timothy 6:17-19

Paul’s Instructions Regarding the Rich – In 1 Timothy 6:17-19 Paul gives Timothy instructions regarding another difficult issue to deal with in the local congregation, and that is the role of the rich. 1 Timothy 6:17 — Comments – God gives us daily blessings, and material prosperity so that we will be happy. When I take my family on a vacation, I want them to enjoy what I am giving them. I want them to also have an attitude of gratitude. If they are fighting and complaining while we are on vacation, I feel disappointed. I feel that I have wasted my time and money because they are not enjoying what I am giving to them.

1 Timothy 6:20-21

Closing Charge – 1 Timothy 6:20-21 contains Paul’s conclusion to his letter to Timothy by giving him a closing charge to be faithful to everything that he has been entrusted with. Paul’s opening charge for Timothy was to teach sound doctrine (1 Timothy 1:3-20) that establishes the pure faith within the lives of the congregation, and failure to do this causes many to err from the true faith of the Christian life (1 Timothy 6:20-21). 1 Timothy 6:20 O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called: 1 Timothy 6:21 Which some professing have erred concerning the faith. Grace be with thee. Amen. 1 Timothy 6:21 — “Grace be with thee” - In 1 Timothy 6:21 Paul basically commends them into the hands of the Lord Jesus Christ, in much the same way that he did in the book of Acts. We find this statement at the end of all of Paul’s epistles. Acts 14:23, “And when they had ordained them elders in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they believed.” Acts 20:32, “And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified.” In a similar way that the early apostles were instructed by Jesus to let their peace come upon the home of their host (Matthew 10:13), so did Paul the apostle open every one of his thirteen New Testament epistles with a blessing of God’s peace and grace upon his readers. Matthew 10:13 shows that you can bless a house by speaking God’s peace upon it. Matthew 10:13, “And if the house be worthy, let your peace come upon it: but if it be not worthy, let your peace return to you.” This practice of speaking blessings upon God’s children may have its roots in the Priestly blessing of Num 6:22-27, where God instructed Moses to have the priests speak a blessing upon the children of Israel. Now Paul closes his first epistle Timothy by restating the blessing that he opened his epistle with in 1 Timothy 1:2. 1 Timothy 6:21 — “Amen”– Comments - In the Textus Receptus the word “Amen” is attached to the end of all thirteen of Paul’s epistles, as well as to the Gospels of Matthew and Mark, and to the General Epistles of Hebrews , 1, 2 Peter , 1, 2 John, and to the book of Revelation. However, because “Amen” is not supported in more ancient manuscripts many scholars believe that this word is a later liturgical addition. For example, these Pauline benedictions could have been used by the early churches with the added “Amen.”