1 Timothy 6 - FALSE TEACHERS & THE LOVE OF MONEY
1 Timothy 6 New International Version (NIV)
6 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. 2 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[a] of their slaves.
False Teachers and the Love of Money
These are the things you are to teach and insist on. 3 If anyone teaches otherwiseand does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, 4 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 5 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.
6 But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. 8 But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. 9 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. 10 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.
Final Charge to Timothy
11 But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness,faith, love, endurance and gentleness. 12 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. 13 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 14 to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 which God will bring about in his own time—God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords,16 who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen.
17 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. 18 Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. 19 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.
20 Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to your care. Turn away from godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge, 21 which some have professed and in so doing have departed from the faith.
Grace be with you all.
Footnotes:
- 1 Timothy 6:2 Or and benefit from the service
Observation Questions
Why should those who are in slavery consider their masters worthy of full respect? (verse 1)
How should believers act if they have a servant & master relationship? (verse 2)
False Teachers and the Love of Money
Who is conceited and understanding nothing? (verse 1-4)
What do controversies and quarrels about words result in? (verse 4-5)
What have people of corrupted minds been robbed of? (verse 4)
What do those who are robbed of the truth believe? (verse 5)
What is great gain? (verse 6)
Do we bring anything into the world? (verse 7)
Do we take anything out of the world? (verse 7)
What will we be content with? (verse 8)
What do those who want to get rich fall into? (verse 9)
What is a root of all kinds of evil? (verse 10)
How have people wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs? (verse 10)
What do controversies and quarrels about words result in? (verse 4-5)
What have people of corrupted minds been robbed of? (verse 4)
What do those who are robbed of the truth believe? (verse 5)
What is great gain? (verse 6)
Do we bring anything into the world? (verse 7)
Do we take anything out of the world? (verse 7)
What will we be content with? (verse 8)
What do those who want to get rich fall into? (verse 9)
What is a root of all kinds of evil? (verse 10)
How have people wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs? (verse 10)
Final Charge to Timothy
What is a man of God to do? (verse 11-19)
What does Paul say to take hold of? (verse 12)
Who gives life to everything? (verse 13)
How does Paul say to keep this command? (verse 14)
Who will bring about the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ? (verse 14-15)
Who is the only Ruler, King of kings and Lord of lords? (verse 15)
Who alone is immortal and lives in unapproachable light? (verse 14-15)
Has anyone seen this unapproachable light? (verse 16)
What is Timothy to command those who are rich in this present world? (verse 17)
What is uncertain? (verse 17)
Who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment? (verse 17)
How are those who are rich to lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so they may take hold of the life that is truly life? (verse 18-19)
What is Timothy told to guard? (verse 20)
What is Timothy told to turn away from? (verse 20)
How have some departed from the faith? (verse 21)
What does Paul say to take hold of? (verse 12)
Who gives life to everything? (verse 13)
How does Paul say to keep this command? (verse 14)
Who will bring about the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ? (verse 14-15)
Who is the only Ruler, King of kings and Lord of lords? (verse 15)
Who alone is immortal and lives in unapproachable light? (verse 14-15)
Has anyone seen this unapproachable light? (verse 16)
What is Timothy to command those who are rich in this present world? (verse 17)
What is uncertain? (verse 17)
Who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment? (verse 17)
How are those who are rich to lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so they may take hold of the life that is truly life? (verse 18-19)
What is Timothy told to guard? (verse 20)
What is Timothy told to turn away from? (verse 20)
How have some departed from the faith? (verse 21)
How does Paul close his letter? (verse 21)
Interpretation
How does the plunge of people into ruin and destruction start?
If Timothy is told to guard what has been entrusted to his care,
what does that imply?
What does verse 12 suggest?
If Timothy is told to guard what has been entrusted to him,
what are we to do?
What does turning away from godless chatter look like?
What does verse 21 mean?
Application
flee from all this (the love of money),
and pursue righteousness,
godliness,faith,
love,
endurance and gentleness.
Thoughts
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. - verse 4-5
Mark 4:13-19 (NIV)
Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable? The farmer sows the word. Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful.
But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. - verse 8
Could you imagine with me two people who have the kingdom in mind to the extent that they don't consider the world's possessions to gain but instead are content to seek God's kingdom?
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. - verse 9
Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? - 2 Corinthians 6:14
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. - verse 10
"God sent His Son
They called Him Jesus
For He was sent to deliver us
by the power of His love
Not with a million
a million dollars
you couldn't buy that love
I pray to be a man
God is pleased to multiply
made pure and sanctified
by the power of His love
Not with a billion
a billion dollars
you couldn't buy that love
As we're growing old
I pray not to lose His favor
stayin' in love with my savior
by the power of His love
Not with a trillion
a trillion dollars
you couldn't buy that love"
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. - verse 10
But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness,faith, love, endurance and gentleness. - verse 11
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. - verse 12
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. - verse 17
Luke 16 (NIV)
The Parable of the Shrewd Manager
Jesus told his disciples: “There was a rich man whose manager was accused of wasting his possessions. So he called him in and asked him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your management, because you cannot be manager any longer.’
“The manager said to himself, ‘What shall I do now? My master is taking away my job. I’m not strong enough to dig, and I’m ashamed to beg— I know what I’ll do so that, when I lose my job here, people will welcome me into their houses.’
“So he called in each one of his master’s debtors. He asked the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’
“‘Nine hundred gallons[a] of olive oil,’ he replied.
“The manager told him, ‘Take your bill, sit down quickly, and make it four hundred and fifty.’
“Then he asked the second, ‘And how much do you owe?’
“‘A thousand bushels[b] of wheat,’ he replied.
“He told him, ‘Take your bill and make it eight hundred.’
“The master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly. For the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light. I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.
“Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own?
“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”
The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and were sneering at Jesus. He said to them, “You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of others, but God knows your hearts. What people value highly is detestable in God’s sight.
Additional Teachings
“The Law and the Prophets were proclaimed until John. Since that time, the good news of the kingdom of God is being preached, and everyone is forcing their way into it. It is easier for heaven and earth to disappear than for the least stroke of a pen to drop out of the Law.
“Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery, and the man who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
The Rich Man and Lazarus
“There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.
“The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’
“But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’
“He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family, for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’
“Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’
“‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’
“He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’”
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. - verse 17
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. - verse 17
Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. - verse 18
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. - verse 19
What does this mean?
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