Frameworks:
1 Timothy 6
For
preliminaries see chapter 1
[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
v.3-10
How to spot False Teachers and avoiding the love of money
v.11-21
A Variety of Instructions to Timothy
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.