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
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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