I Timothy 6

Haystack bible commentary

"Stacks and stacks of commentary...."

== i timothy 6:2-6:

These are the things you are to teach and insist on.
3 If anyone teaches otherwise and 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.

If someone is advocating a doctrine (teaching) that is different than those Jesus taught, then they are conceited and understand nothing; and they have a morbid interest in controversy and disputes.
They stir up envy, strife, abusive language, evil suspicions and cause constant friction.
They do this because their false sense of godliness is seen as a means of gain; but in reality, godliness is gain, and is accompanied by contentment (because a true follower of Jesus knows that this life is not all there is, but our eternal life is the prize we set our eye on). -Truth Faith & Reason

== i timothy 6:7-8:

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.

This secret to happiness is not a new one. Centuries ago, puritan Jeremiah Burroughs (1599–1646) wrote in The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment that “A Christian comes to contentment, not so much by way of addition, as by way of subtraction” . He meant that the Christian achieves happiness not by adding more to life to satisfy his gaping desires, but instead by subtracting from his desires, bringing them down to the situation God has placed him.
Paul practiced this when he sought to curb young Timothy’s desires for money, reasoning that we come into the world and leave it with nothing and that many have apostatized by this love. The apostle gives us a window into his own happiness, saying, “If we have food and clothing, with these we will be content” (1 Timothy 6:8). With just the basics of what we need for an adequate human existence, Paul will find what many kings with lavish palaces could not: contentment. -Greg Morse ; Desiring God

== i timothy 6:9-10:

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.

Arthur W Pink Files

These orders [love for God and love for money] are diametrically opposed. The one commands you to walk by faith; the other to walk by sight. The one to be humble; the other to be proud. The one to set your affections on things above; the other to set them on the things that are on the earth. The one to look at the things unseen and eternal; the other to look at the things seen and temporal. The one to have your conversation in heaven; the other to cleave to the dust. The one to be careful for nothing; the other to be full of anxiety. The one to be content with such things as you have; the other to enlarge your desires. The one to be ready to distribute; the other to withhold. The one to look at the things of others; the other to look at one’s own things. The one to seek happiness in the Creator; the other to seek happiness in the creature. Is it not plain? There is no serving two such masters. --Arthur Pink

July 14, 2023: Philip Wijaya wrote: In our relationship with others, bitterness is often caused by unmet expectations or unfulfilled promises, rooted in selfishness, and leads to disorder and evil practice (James 3:16).
Interestingly, the Greek word for root (rhiza) is also used in Paul’s letter to Timothy as he warns that “the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows” (1 Timothy 6:10).

== i timothy 6:5-11:

Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself. But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content. But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.

This exhortation applies mostly to our thought life. If we want to come to divine nature, then we must be faithful in our thought life. If we are dwelling on a temptation, we are not fleeing! When we dwell on a temptation, we love our lusts, and that means that we are under the law and serve in the oldness of the letter. When we put our lusts to death, we serve in the newness of the Spirit. (Romans 7:6; Romans 8:3) That is the same as hating the corruption that comes from the flesh. That leads to divine nature! We cannot live this life unless we stand before God’s face and zealously serve in the newness of the Spirit.
-Sigurd Bratlie; Active Christianity

== i timothy 6:12:

"Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses."

THis advice was important because a religion that the Romans thought might incite slave discontent would immediately be labeled subversive and subjected to outright persecution; Paul wants the slaves who are Christian, as well as free Christians, to engage in a culturally relevant and intelligent witness."
The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament

To fight the good fight of faith means to "pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness" ( 1 Timothy 6:11). It also means to stay true to God and His word in the face of opposition, oppression, and adversity. To fight the good fight of faith entails unwavering commitment to the cause of God in the face of of hostility from both believers (the church) and nonbelievers (the world). -Deep Things of God

To fight the good fight of faith, you must have discernment to recognize and reject false doctrines. Paul warns Timothy (v. 3-5) to reject teachings that contradict Jesus and the apostles. According to Paul, these false teachings were contrary to the "words of Jesus Christ" and the "teaching that accords with godliness." (v. 3) According to Paul, these beliefs thrive on a "unhealthy craving for controversy and friction among people." Paul believed that such divisive teachings "produce envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions" and foster the notion that "that godliness is a means of gain" (v. 4,5).
The lesson you should take away from Paul's admonition to Timothy is that you must actively reject errors and controversies. As a result, you must be firmly established and grounded in God's written word in order to recognize and reject error. Fighting errors and falsehood is fighting a good fight of faith. --Deep Thoughts of God

== i timothy 6:16:

Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen.

The reality, the tragedy, is that we all yawn at God at some point in time. “Our spiritual lives just become sort of routine, lackadaisical, and we go through the motions,” Dyck says. “We don’t stop ever to think: ‘The God we worship is the God of Isaiah 6, high and lifted up, the God before whom people fell as though dead.’ We need to be reminded of the dramatic majesty of God so we do not get lackadaisical before this great and holy God.
“The cruel irony of choosing God’s love over his holiness is that we end up losing both. If we are not talking about the great and majestic God “who dwells in unapproachable light,” then his love loses meaning (1 Timothy 6:16). We need to maintain his holiness in order to truly appreciate the magnitude of his love.” These knotted truths — God’s holiness and his love — find their most profound union at the cross of our Savior.
Bottom line, if we lose the magnificence of God’s holiness, we lose our worship.

== i timothy 6:17-19:

“Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy. Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is life indeed.”

Thomas Schreiner

Even though tithing isn’t required today, it does not follow that believers should hoard their possessions.
We are commanded to support those who preach the gospel (Matt. 10:10; Luke 10:7; 1 Cor. 9:6–14; 1 Tim. 5:17–18). And while we should enjoy the good things God gives us, we are also called to be generous to those in need (1 Tim. 6:17–19; 2 Cor. 8–9). Wealth can so easily become an idol, leading us to abandon the Lord.

There is no requirement for the rich to divest themselves of wealth. In fact, the wealthy are instructed to enjoy their possessions. But they are also instructed to do good with it, sharing and helping others. The opposite of hoarding. By doing so they are making an eternal investment, laying up treasure in heaven

== i timothy 6:20-21:

1 Timothy 6:20–21
20 O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called:
21 Which some professing have erred concerning the faith. Grace be with thee. Amen.

The Greek word for “guard” is phylasso. It has the idea “to protect.” That is, Timothy was to protect something that Paul said was entrusted to him. But what was entrusted to Timothy? The word “entrusted” gives us the answer. The Greek word for “entrusted” is paratheke., and A. T. Robertsons says it was a banking term. The word referred to the deposit of one’s money or treasure in a bank. That is, Timothy was to protect the treasure called the Scriptures. He was and we are to be protecting the most valuable treasure on earth, called the Scriptures, against the errors of the false teachers. -Never Thirsty

John Calvin wrote of this empty chatter that Paul speaks of the “bombastic talk that pours out of ambitious people who are more concerned to gain recognition for themselves than they are about helping people in the church to make progress” (1&2 Timothy & Titus. Crossway Books, p. 110). Paul has already referred to this kind of speech as fruitless discussion (1:6), worldly fables fit only for old women (4:7), and disputes about words (6:4). Timothy must guard the truth by dislocating himself from such meaningless drivel.

These are the final words that the apostle Paul writes to Timothy, his son in the faith, in this letter. These final words capture the heart of the letter and contain just one single command – To guard what has been entrusted. That is the command given to every pastor and every ministry. We are to guard what has been entrusted to us. There’s no need to reinvent or repackage or improve what has been entrusted to us. We are to guard it, protect it, and proclaim it. Very plainly stated, this is a call to remain faithful.

Just the phrase – remain faithful – assumes so much. The concept of faithfulness implies conscientious, consistent, and continuous action. A faithful custodian is one who cleans every toilet and mops every floor each and every shift without fail. Faithfulness is a pattern of a job well done. But what is Timothy to remain faithful in? How is he to go about this pursuit of faithfulness?

The command to guard (φύλαξον) means more than to simply keep an eye on. It captures the duty of a sentinel, an armed guard, and the soldier in the LP/OP (Listening post/Observation post). The point is not only to keep an eye on things but to sound the alarm and give warning when there is danger. The point is protection. The apostle calls Timothy to protect what has been given him. Timothy is charged to remain faithful. What follows are four steps to faithfulness, four means of protecting what was given, four procedures for the church to remain faithful. --The Pastors Brief