1 Timothy 6
6
Special Instructions for Slaves
1All those who are slaves should show full respect to their masters. Then God’s name and our teaching will not be criticized. 2Some slaves have masters who are believers, so they are brothers. Does this mean they should show their masters any less respect? No, they should serve them even better, because they are helping believers, people they should love.
This is what you must teach and tell everyone to do.
False Teaching and True Riches
3Some people will teach what is false and will not agree with the true teaching of our Lord Jesus Christ. They will not accept the teaching that produces a life of devotion to God. 4They are proud of what they know, but they understand nothing. They are sick with a love for arguing and fighting about words. And that brings jealousy, quarrels, insults, and evil mistrust. 5They are always making trouble, because they are people whose thinking has been confused. They have lost their understanding of the truth. They think that devotion to God is a way to get rich.
6Devotion to God is, in fact, a way for people to be very rich, but only if it makes them satisfied with what they have. 7When we came into the world, we brought nothing. And when we die, we can take nothing out. 8So, if we have food and clothes, we will be satisfied with that. 9People who want to be rich bring temptations to themselves. They are caught in a trap. They begin to want many foolish things that will hurt them. These things ruin and destroy people. 10The love of money causes all kinds of evil. Some people have turned away from what we believe because they want to get more and more money. But they have caused themselves a lot of pain and sorrow.
Some Things to Remember
11But you belong to God. So you should stay away from all those things. Always try to do what is right, to be devoted to God, and to have faith, love, patience, and gentleness. 12We have to fight to keep our faith. Try as hard as you can to win that fight. Take hold of eternal life. It is the life you were chosen to have when you confessed your faith in Jesus—that wonderful truth that you spoke so openly and that so many people heard. 13Before God and Christ Jesus I give you a command. Jesus is the one who confessed that same wonderful truth when he stood before Pontius Pilate. And God is the one who gives life to everything. Now I tell you this: 14Do what you were commanded to do without fault or blame until the time when our Lord Jesus Christ comes again. 15God will make that happen at the right time. God is the blessed and only Ruler. He is the King of all kings and the Lord of all lords. 16God is the only one who never dies. He lives in light so bright that people cannot go near it. No one has ever seen him; no one is able to see him. All honor and power belong to him forever. Amen.
17Give this command to those who are rich with the things of this world. Tell them not to be proud. Tell them to hope in God, not their money. Money cannot be trusted, but God takes care of us richly. He gives us everything to enjoy. 18Tell those who are rich to do good—to be rich in good works. And tell them they should be happy to give and ready to share. 19By doing this, they will be saving up a treasure for themselves. And that treasure will be a strong foundation on which their future life will be built. They will be able to have the life that is true life.
20Timothy, God has trusted you with many things. Keep these things safe. Stay away from people who talk about useless things that are not from God and who argue against you with a “knowledge” that is not knowledge at all. 21Some people who claim to have that “knowledge” have gone completely away from what we believe.
God’s grace be with you all.
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© 1987, 2004 Bible League International
1 Timothy 6
6
1 # See 1 Pet. 2:18 Let all who are under a yoke as bondservants#6:1 For the contextual rendering of the Greek word doulos, see Preface regard their own masters as worthy of all honor, #Isa. 52:5; Rom. 2:24; Titus 2:5so that the name of God and the teaching may not be reviled. 2Those who have believing masters must not be disrespectful on the ground that they are #See Philem. 16 brothers; rather they must serve all the better since those who benefit by their good service are believers and beloved.
False Teachers and True Contentment
# ch. 4:11, 13; 5:7 Teach and urge these things. 3If anyone #ch. 1:3 teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with #See ch. 1:10 the sound#6:3 Or healthy words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching #Titus 1:1that accords with godliness, 4#ch. 3:6; 2 Tim. 3:4 he is puffed up with conceit and #1 Cor. 8:2; [ch. 1:7] understands nothing. He has an unhealthy craving for #ch. 1:4; 2 Tim. 2:23; Titus 3:9 controversy and for #2 Tim. 2:14; [Acts 18:15]quarrels about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions, 5and constant friction among people #2 Tim. 3:8; [Eph. 4:22; Titus 1:15] who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth, #Titus 1:11; 2 Pet. 2:3imagining that godliness is a means of gain. 6But #[ch. 4:8] godliness #Ps. 37:16; Prov. 15:16; 16:8; Phil. 4:11; Heb. 13:5with contentment is great gain, 7for #Job 1:21; Ps. 49:17; Eccles. 5:15we brought nothing into the world, and#6:7 Greek for; some manuscripts insert [it is] certain [that] we cannot take anything out of the world. 8But #Gen. 28:20; Prov. 30:8if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. 9But #Prov. 15:27; 23:4; 28:20; Matt. 13:22 those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, #[ch. 3:7] into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that #[ch. 1:19]plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10For the love of money is a root of #[Ex. 23:8; Deut. 16:19]all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.
Fight the Good Fight of Faith
11But as for you, #2 Tim. 3:17 O man of God, #2 Tim. 2:22 flee these things. #See Prov. 15:9Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. 12#[ch. 1:18]; See 1 Cor. 9:25 Fight the good fight of the faith. #[Phil. 3:12] Take hold of the eternal life #1 Pet. 5:10 to which you were called and about which you made #See 2 Cor. 9:13the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 13#See ch. 5:21 I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, #[Matt. 27:11; John 18:37; Rev. 1:5; 3:14] who in his testimony before#6:13 Or in the time of Pontius Pilate made #[See ver. 12 above]the good confession, 14to keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach until #See 2 Thess. 2:8the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15which he will display #See ch. 2:6 at the proper time—he who is #ch. 1:11 the blessed and only Sovereign, #See Rev. 17:14the King of kings and Lord of lords, 16#See ch. 1:17 who alone has immortality, #[Ps. 104:2] who dwells in #Job 37:23 unapproachable light, #See John 1:18whom no one has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen.
17As for the rich in #2 Tim. 4:10; Titus 2:12 this present age, charge them #Rom. 11:20; 12:3, 16 not to be haughty, nor #See Mark 10:24 to set their hopes on #Prov. 23:5; [Matt. 13:22] the uncertainty of riches, but on God, #See Acts 14:17who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. 18They are to do good, #Luke 12:21; Titus 3:8, 14 to be rich in good works, to be generous and #See Rom. 12:13ready to share, 19thus #See Matt. 6:19, 20 storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may #ver. 12 take hold of #[2 Tim. 1:1]that which is truly life.
20O Timothy, guard the deposit entrusted to you. #2 Tim. 3:5; [Col. 2:8; 2 Tim. 4:4; Titus 1:14] Avoid the #2 Tim. 2:16irreverent babble and contradictions of what is falsely called “knowledge,” 21for by professing it some have swerved from the faith.
# See Col. 4:18 Grace be with you.#6:21 The Greek for you is plural
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