1 Timothy 6
6
Rules for Slaves. 1#Compare the tables for household duties, such as that of Col 3:18–4:1. Domestic relationships derive new meaning from the Christian faith. Those who are under the yoke of slavery must regard their masters as worthy of full respect, so that the name of God and our teaching#Our teaching: this refers to the teaching of the Christian community. may not suffer abuse.#Eph 6:5; Ti 2:9–10. 2Those whose masters are believers must not take advantage of them because they are brothers but must give better service because those who will profit from their work are believers and are beloved.#Phlm 16.
V. FALSE TEACHING AND TRUE WEALTH
Teach and urge these things.#6:2b–10] Timothy is exhorted to maintain steadfastly the position outlined in this letter, not allowing himself to be pressured into any other course. He must realize that false teachers can be discerned by their pride, envy, quarrelsomeness, and greed for material gain. 1 Tm 6:6 is rather obscure and is interpreted, and therefore translated, variously. The suggestion seems to be that the important gain that religion brings is spiritual, but that there is material gain, too, up to the point of what is needed for physical sustenance (cf. 1 Tm 6:17–19). 3Whoever teaches something different and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the religious teaching#Gal 1:6–9; 2 Tm 1:13; Ti 1:1. 4is conceited, understanding nothing, and has a morbid disposition for arguments and verbal disputes. From these come envy, rivalry, insults, evil suspicions, 5and mutual friction among people with corrupted minds, who are deprived of the truth, supposing religion to be a means of gain.#2 Tm 3:8; 4:4; Ti 1:14. 6#Contentment: the word autarkeia is a technical Greek philosophical term for the virtue of independence from material goods (Aristotle, Cynics, Stoics). Indeed, religion with contentment is a great gain.#4:8; Phil 4:11–12; Heb 13:5. 7For we brought nothing into the world, just as we shall not be able to take anything out of it.#Jb 1:21; Eccl 5:14. 8If we have food and clothing, we shall be content with that.#Prv 30:8. 9Those who want to be rich are falling into temptation and into a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires, which plunge them into ruin and destruction.#Prv 23:4; 28:22. 10For the love of money is the root of all evils, and some people in their desire for it have strayed from the faith and have pierced themselves with many pains.
Exhortations to Timothy.#Timothy’s position demands total dedication to God and faultless witness to Christ (1 Tm 6:11–14) operating from an awareness, through faith, of the coming revelation in Jesus of the invisible God (1 Tm 6:15–16). 11But you, man of God,#Man of God: a title applied to Moses and the prophets (Dt 33:1; 1 Sm 2:27; 1 Kgs 12:22; 13:1; etc.). avoid all this. Instead, pursue righteousness, devotion, faith, love, patience, and gentleness.#2 Tm 2:22. 12Compete 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.#1 Cor 9:26; 2 Tm 4:7. 13I charge [you] before God, who gives life to all things, and before Christ Jesus, who gave testimony under Pontius Pilate for the noble confession,#Jn 18:36–37; 19:11. 14to keep the commandment without stain or reproach until the appearance of our Lord Jesus Christ 15that the blessed and only ruler will make manifest at the proper time, the King of kings and Lord of lords,#2 Mc 13:4; Rev 17:14. 16who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, and whom no human being has seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal power. Amen.#Ex 33:20; Ps 104:2.
Right Use of Wealth.#Timothy is directed to instruct the rich, advising them to make good use of their wealth by aiding the poor. 17Tell 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.#Ps 62:11; Lk 12:20. 18Tell them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous, ready to share, 19thus accumulating as treasure a good foundation for the future, so as to win the life that is true life.#Mt 6:20.
VI. FINAL RECOMMENDATION AND WARNING#A final solemn warning against the heretical teachers, with what seems to be a specific reference to gnosticism, the great rival and enemy of the church for two centuries and more (the Greek word for “knowledge” is gnōsis). If gnosticism is being referred to here, it is probable that the warnings against “speculations” and “myths and genealogies” (cf. especially 1 Tm 1:4; Ti 3:9) involve allusions to that same kind of heresy. Characteristic of the various gnostic systems of speculation was an elaborate mythology of innumerable superhuman intermediaries, on a descending scale (“genealogies”), between God and the world. Thus would be explained the emphasis upon Christ’s being the one mediator (as in 1 Tm 2:5). Although fully developed gnosticism belonged to the second and later centuries, there are signs that incipient forms of it belonged to Paul’s own period.
20O Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you. Avoid profane babbling and the absurdities of so-called knowledge.#2 Tm 1:14 / 1 Tm 4:7. 21By professing it, some people have deviated from the faith.
Grace be with all of you.#1:6; 2 Tm 2:18.
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Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc
1 Timothy 6
6
1Those who are slaves must consider their masters worthy of all respect, so that no one will speak evil of the name of God and of our teaching. 2Slaves belonging to Christian masters must not despise them, for they are their brothers and sisters. Instead, they are to serve them even better, because those who benefit from their work are believers whom they love.
False Teaching and True Riches
You must teach and preach these things. 3Whoever teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the true words of our Lord Jesus Christ and with the teaching of our religion 4is swollen with pride and knows nothing. He has an unhealthy desire to argue and quarrel about words, and this brings on jealousy, disputes, insults, evil suspicions, 5and constant arguments from people whose minds do not function and who no longer have the truth. They think that religion is a way to become rich.
6Well, religion does make a person very rich, if he is satisfied with what he has. 7What did we bring into the world? Nothing! What can we take out of the world? Nothing! 8So then, if we have food and clothes, that should be enough for us. 9But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and are caught in the trap of many foolish and harmful desires, which pull them down to ruin and destruction. 10For the love of money is a source of all kinds of evil. Some have been so eager to have it that they have wandered away from the faith and have broken their hearts with many sorrows.
Personal Instructions
11But you, man of God, avoid all these things. Strive for righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness. 12Run your best in the race of faith, and win eternal life for yourself; for it was to this life that God called you when you firmly professed your faith before many witnesses. 13#Jn 18.37Before God, who gives life to all things, and before Christ Jesus, who firmly professed his faith before Pontius Pilate, I command you 14to obey your orders and keep them faithfully until the Day when our Lord Jesus Christ will appear. 15His appearing will be brought about at the right time by God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and the Lord of lords. 16He alone is immortal; he lives in the light that no one can approach. No one has ever seen him; no one can ever see him. To him be honour and eternal dominion! Amen.
17Command those who are rich in the things of this life not to be proud, but to place their hope, not in such an uncertain thing as riches, but in God, who generously gives us everything for our enjoyment. 18Command them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share with others. 19In this way they will store up for themselves a treasure which will be a solid foundation for the future. And then they will be able to win the life which is true life.
20Timothy, keep safe what has been entrusted to your care. Avoid the profane talk and foolish arguments of what some people wrongly call “Knowledge”. 21For some have claimed to possess it, and as a result they have lost the way of faith.
God's grace be with you all.
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Good News Bible. Scripture taken from the Good News Bible (r) (Today's English Version Second Edition, UK/British Edition). Copyright © 1992 British & Foreign Bible Society. Used by permission.