1 Let as many as are bondservants under the yoke count their own masters worthy of all honor, that the name of God and the doctrine not be blasphemed. 2 Those who have believing masters, let them not despise them, because they are brothers, but rather let them serve them, because those who partake of the benefit are believing and beloved. Teach and exhort these things. 3 If anyone teaches a different doctrine, and doesn't consent to sound words, the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness, 4 he is conceited, knowing nothing, but obsessed with arguments, disputes, and word battles, from which come envy, strife, insulting, evil suspicions, 5 constant friction of people of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain. Withdraw yourself from such. 6 But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into the world, and we certainly can't carry anything out. 8 But having food and clothing, we will be content with that. 9 But those who are determined to be rich fall into a temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful lusts, such as drown men in ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some have been led astray from the faith in their greed, and have pierced themselves through with many sorrows. 11 But you, man of God, flee these things, and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, and gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight of faith. Lay hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you confessed the good confession in the sight of many witnesses. 13 I command you before God, who gives life to all things, and before Christ Jesus, who before Pontius Pilate testified the good confession, 14 that you keep the commandment without spot, blameless, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ; 15 which in its own times he will show, who is the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings, and Lord of lords; 16 who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light; whom no man has seen, nor can see: to whom be honor and eternal power. Amen. 17 Charge those who are rich in this present world that they not be haughty, nor have their hope set on the uncertainty of riches, but on the living God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy; 18 that they do good, that they be rich in good works, that they be ready to distribute, willing to communicate; 19 laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold of eternal life. 20 Timothy, guard that which is committed to you, turning away from the empty chatter and oppositions of the knowledge which is falsely so called; 21 which some professing have erred concerning the faith. Grace be with you. Amen.
Analysis Of The Chapter
This chapter 1 Tim. 6 embraces the following subjects of counsel and exhortation:
(1) The kind of instruction which was to be given to servants; 1-Timothy 6:1-5. They were to treat their masters with all proper respect, 1-Timothy 6:1; if their masters were Christians, they were, on that account, to serve them with the more fidelity, 1-Timothy 6:2; and any opposite kind of teaching would tend only to stir up strife and produce dissatisfaction and contention, and could proceed only from a proud and self-confident heart.
(2) the advantage of piety and of a contented mind; 1-Timothy 6:6-8. The argument for this is, that we brought nothing into the world, and can carry nothing out; that our essential needs here are food and raiment, and that, having enough to make us comfortable, we should be content.
(3) the evils of a desire to be rich 1-Timothy 6:9-10 - evils seen in the temptations to which it leads; the passions which it fosters, and the danger to religion itself.
(4) an exhortation to Timothy, as a minister of religion, to pursue higher and nobler objects; 1-Timothy 6:11-16. He was:
(a) to avoid these worldly things; he was.
(b) to pursue nobler objects. He was to follow after righteousness, and to fight the good fight of faith. To do this, he was to be encouraged by the assurance that the Great and only Potentate would, in due time, place the crown on his head.
(5) the duty of those who were rich - for it is supposed that some Christians will be rich - either by inheritance, or by prosperous business; 1-Timothy 6:17-19. They are:
(a) not to be proud;
(b) nor to trust in their riches so as to forget their dependence on God;
(c) to do good with their property; and,
(d) to make their wealth the means of securing eternal life.
(6) a solemn charge to Timothy to observe these things, and not to be turned from them by any of the arguments and objections of pretended science; 1-Timothy 6:20-21.
Of the duty of servants, 1-Timothy 6:1, 1-Timothy 6:2. Of false teachers, who suppose gain to be godliness, 1-Timothy 6:3-5. Of true godliness, and contentment, 1-Timothy 6:6-8. Of those, and their dangerous state, who determine to be rich; and of the love of money, 1-Timothy 6:9, 1-Timothy 6:10. Timothy is exhorted to fight the good fight of faith, and to keep the charge delivered to him, 1-Timothy 6:11-14. A sublime description of the majesty of God, 1-Timothy 6:15, 1-Timothy 6:16. How the rich should behave themselves; and the use they should make of their property, 1-Timothy 6:17-19. Timothy is once more exhorted to keep what was committed to his trust; and to avoid profane babblings, through which some have erred from the faith, 1-Timothy 6:20, 1-Timothy 6:21.
INTRODUCTION TO 1 TIMOTHY 6
In this chapter the apostle gives some instructions to servants; lays down some rules, by which to judge of false teachers; advises to contentment; exposes the sin of covetousness; exhorts Timothy to avoid sin, and follow after things that are good, to be constant in his warfare, the issue of which would be eternal life; gives him a charge with respect to himself, and orders him what he should enjoin others, particularly the rich, and what he should do himself; and wishes grace unto him, to enable him to discharge his duty. The instructions to servants are of two sorts; first, to such who had unbelieving masters, whom they ought to honour and obey; that the name and doctrine of Christ be not evil spoken of: and then to such as had believing masters, that they despise them not being brethren, but should the more cheerfully serve them; because believers in Christ, beloved of God, and partakers of his grace; which duties are worthy to be insisted upon in the Gospel ministry, 1-Timothy 6:1, and such who teach not these things are to be accounted false teachers, whose characters are given in several particulars; as men unsound, proud, ignorant, quarrelsome, and covetous, and to be withdrawn from, 1-Timothy 6:3. And from hence the apostle exhorts to contentment; and argues for it, partly from the gain of it along with godliness; and partly from the consideration of what men are, when they come into the world, and what they will be, when they go out of it; and also from having food and raiment, which include all the necessaries of life, 1-Timothy 6:6. And then he exposes the folly and danger of covetousness, being the root of all evil; an enemy to true religion and godliness; and the cause of ruin and destruction, 1-Timothy 6:9. Wherefore he addresses himself to Timothy, in particular, to avoid everything of this kind; and to follow the reverse of those things that were in the false teachers; to fight the good fight of faith, and then lay hold on eternal life; to which he encourages him, from his calling, and the profession he had made, in a very public manner, 1-Timothy 6:11. And then follows a solemn charge unto him, given him before God and Christ; that he would observe what had been commanded him in the most perfect manner, until the appearance of Christ; which is certain, and may be concluded will be, from the various epithets of God; who will make him manifest in his own time, 1-Timothy 6:13. To which is added an injunction on Timothy to charge rich men not to be elated with their riches, nor trust in them, since they are uncertain things; but in God, from whom they have received such a plentiful measure of them; that they be beneficent to others, which will turn to their own advantage in the issue, 1-Timothy 6:17. And to close all, he is very urgent upon Timothy, to keep the Gospel pure and uncorrupt, he was intrusted with; and avoid everything that was opposite to it, as profane and mere babbling, and having only a show of knowledge, but not that itself; and the rather, since some profane teachers and professors of the Gospel had erred from it: and concludes with wishing him grace, to enable him to attend to the several instructions which had been given him, 1-Timothy 6:20.
(1-Timothy 6:1-5) The duty of Christians towards believing, as well as other masters.
(1-Timothy 6:6-10) The advantage of godliness with contentment.
(1-Timothy 6:11-16) A solemn charge to Timothy to be faithful.
(1-Timothy 6:17-21) The apostle repeats his warning to the rich, and closes with a blessing.
SUMMARY.--Duties of Servants. Life the Test of Doctrine. The Blessedness of Contentment. The Danger of the Love of Money. Charge to the Man of God. A Lesson for the Rich.
*More commentary available by clicking individual verses.