[Chapter
6 Synopsis: Ensuring workers hold right attitudes, rejecting
false teachers and their deceptive teaching and running after
affluence and go with the goals of a good leader.]
v.1-2
Employees
[Passage
Synopsis: Honour and respect employers.)
v.1
(employees to respect
employers for Gods name's sake) All
who are under the yoke of slavery should consider their masters
worthy of full respect, so that God's name and our teaching may
not be slandered.
v.2
(even if you know them
well, do it) Those
who have believing masters should not show them disrespect just
because they are fellow believers. Instead, they should serve
them even better because their masters are dear to them as fellow
believers and are devoted to the welfare of their slaves.
These
are the things you are to teach and insist on.
v.3-10
How to spot False Teachers and avoiding the love of money
[Passage
Synopsis: Beware teachers who do not follow sound doctrine
and who are more concerned with financial gain.]
v.3-5
(beware any teacher who
teaches anything contrary to our teaching and who seek controversies)
If anyone teaches
otherwise and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord
Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, they are conceited and understand
nothing. They have an unhealthy interest in controversies and
quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk,
evil suspicions and constant friction between people of corrupt
mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness
is a means to financial gain.
v.6
(aim for contented godliness)
But godliness
with contentment is great gain.
v.7 (you
can't take wealth with you when you die) For
we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out
of it.
v.8
(be content with the
essentials) But
if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.
v.9
(yearning to get rich
breeds trouble) Those
who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into
many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin
and destruction.
v.10
(putting seeking money
first will lead you astray) For
the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people,
eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves
with many griefs.
v.11-21
A Variety of Instructions to Timothy (which
we have underlined for emphasis)
[Passage
Synopsis: A number of goals set before Timothy.]
v.11
(leave the bad in the
past, aim for the good today) But
you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue
righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness.
v.12
(work hard for the faith
and for eternal life and a good testimony) Fight
the good
fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which
you were called when you made your good confession in the presence
of many witnesses.
v.13-16
(maintain a good testimony
before God) In
the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ
Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good
confession, I charge you to keep this command without
spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which
God will bring about in his own time – God, the blessed and
only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone is
immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has
seen or can see. To him be honour and might for ever. Amen.
v.17
(teach the well off to
trust in God) Command
those
who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put
their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their
hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.
v.18
(make sure their goal
is to do good) Command
them to
do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing
to share.
v.19
(good works are the real
treasure of the eternal kingdom) In
this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation
for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that
is truly life.
v.20,21
(Timothy, hold fast your
faith and calling) Timothy,
guard what has been entrusted to your care. Turn away
from godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely
called knowledge, which some have professed and in so doing have
departed from the faith.
Grace
be with you all.