1 Timothy 6:1-21

How to be a Leader in the Church

1 Timothy

Ian Mackervoy

Chapter 6

Servants and masters (6:1-2)

v1 Those who are slaves must respect and honour their masters. They should do this so that no one will speak bad things about the name of God and about what we teach. v2 Some slaves would belong to masters who believe in Christ. They must not respect them less. Instead, they should serve them better. This is because those who gain from their work are Christians. And they love them. Teach these things and urge them to obey.

Verse 1 In the time of Paul there were many slaves. Many of the first Christians were slaves. Paul teaches them how they should serve the *Lord and their masters.

Some masters did not believe in God. To a master like that, the slave was something that he owned. Slaves were there to do what the master wanted. They had no rights of their own. They were just tools of the master. Not all masters were bad but many were.

The slaves had to do what their masters told them. But Christians who were slaves should respect their masters. And they should give them honour. The masters may not be good but the slaves should serve them. Their attitude as they do their work should be that of respect. They should try to do well for their masters.

The reason why the slaves must serve like this is that they belong to God. What they do shows what they believe. Their masters will not speak evil about God if the slaves have the right attitude. But if the slaves do not show their God by their actions, the masters will not turn to God. They will refuse to accept what the Christians teach. They will blame the *gospel for the poor performance of their slaves.

Verse 2 Not all Christian slaves had masters who believed in the *Lord. But those who did were not to respect them any less because of that. Rather, these slaves should respect their masters more because they serve the same *Lord. They may know them as equal persons in the family of God and in the church. But they must perform the duties of slaves and give the honour due to them as masters.

They must not make the beliefs that they hold in common an excuse for poor service. Instead, they should work harder and serve better. In this way, they would benefit those who were their brothers and sisters in Christ.

The love of God for both slaves and masters has made them as one in his family. They must then love each other. So, the slaves should love their Christian masters and do their best for them.

Timothy must teach these things to the church members. He must urge all who are slaves to give good service to their masters. They should see this as a duty given to them by the *Lord.

More about false teachers (6:3-5)

v3 Someone may teach that which does not agree with the true words of the *Lord Jesus Christ. What he or she teaches does not help people to please God. v4 People who teach such things are proud. And they do not understand the truth. They have sick minds. So, they want to argue and quarrel about the meanings of words. They cause *envy, spite, unkind words and evil doubts. v5 These people quarrel all the time. They have so damaged their minds that they cannot find the truth. They think that they will be rich if they try to please God.

Verse 3 Paul comes back to the subject of false teachers. These teachers do not agree with what Paul taught. They teach their own ideas as the truth. But what they teach is different from what the *Lord Jesus taught. They do not agree with what is correct. What they say does not lead people to obey and serve God.

Verses 4-5 The false teachers are vain. They think that they are superior. And they think that they can know the truth by using their own minds. But it is the *Lord who shows us what is true. So, by their own efforts, they are not able to understand the truth. They claim to know what is right. But they have no knowledge of the truth.

They always want to discuss things that do not help people to believe in the *Lord. They ask questions. And they cause doubts about what the *Lord and the *apostles have taught as the truth. They like to argue about the meaning of words. They waste time on things that do not really matter. They do nothing to spread the good news of the *gospel.

Paul lists five things that result from their arguments. These are *envy, spite, bad words, doubts and quarrels.

What they say and do leads people to *envy each other. They want to have what someone else has. When they cannot have it, they are jealous.

By their arguments, they destroy the unity that there should be in the church. Instead of *peace there was spite among the members.

Those who accepted what was false said wicked things. They said wicked things about those who did not agree with them.

Where there should be trust between the members there were evil doubts.

Then there were constant quarrels.

They have ruined their minds because they refused the truth. They think that they will gain by their religion. But they are wrong. They may get money or fame but there is no real gain in false religion.

Dangers of wealth (6:6-10)

v6 But those who please God are rich. They are rich even if they do not have much money. They are rich if they are content with what they have. v7 This is because we came into the world with nothing and we can take nothing out of it. v8 So then, if we have food and clothes, that should satisfy us. v9 There are those who want to get rich. But that tempts them to do all sorts of evil. It catches them in a trap of strong and foolish desires that will hurt them. These desires will pull them down into ruin and destroy them. v10 It will destroy them because the love of money is a source of all kinds of evil. Some people have been so eager to have it that they have wandered away from the *faith. This has caused them a lot of pain.

Verse 6 True religion brings much gain. This may not be in this life but certainly will be in the life to come. We should please God and be content with what we have. Then we will receive a rich reward.

Verses 7-8 When a child is born, it brings nothing with it. Neither can we take anything out of the world with us when we die. We will have to leave behind all that we possess. All the wealth that a person can get will be of no benefit, in the end. Nothing that we own can add anything to us. Death will strip all those things from us and leave us naked. Then only that which God gives will be of value. He gives it to those who believe in him

So then, we should be content with the things that are necessary for life. We should only want to have the food and the clothes that we need. That should be enough for us.

Verse 9 There are many dangers for those who want to be rich. When they want to gain wealth, their desires tempt them to do wrong things. Once they start doing those things, it is like falling into a trap. It is easier to do worse things than to break free from this trap. It is as if the devil has caught that person. And he will not let go. This trap consists of strong desires that seem to force that person to do more evil.

Those who want to be rich and make that their purpose in life will never be content. They will never have enough. And what they get will not satisfy them. Such desires are foolish and they will cause hurt and ruin in the end.

Paul speaks about ruin as if it were like the sea or a river. These desires drag people down beneath the surface and there they drown. The desire to be rich will ruin and destroy them.

Verse 10 The love of money is the strong desire to get wealth. It is greater than the desire to love and serve God. It becomes the main purpose in life. That love is like a root. It is like the root from which plants grow. From that source, there come all kinds of evil.

There are people who, because of their desire to get money, have gone away from the *faith. It is not possible to serve both God and money. One or other of them must be the more important. Those who reach out to grasp money will lose their grip on the *Lord.

These who had loved money did themselves much damage. It is as if they had pushed a sword through their own hearts and minds. As a result, they will suffer much trouble and pain. They will suffer when they realise what they have done.

Instructions to Timothy (6:11-16)

v11 But you are a man of God. So you must avoid doing all these evil things. You must make it your purpose to please God and to do all that he wants you to do. You need to be firm in what you believe. And you must love God and other people. Never give up but be patient and gentle at all times. v12 As you trust in Christ, life will be a struggle. It will be a struggle in which you must fight. Take hold on the life that has no end. God has promised that life to you. He made that promise to you when you first confessed that you believed in Christ. Many people there heard you when you said it. v13 I am giving you these commands. God, who gives life to all things, is here with us. And Jesus Christ, who confessed his trust in God before Pontius Pilate, is here with us too. It is to them that you must answer. v14 You must keep the command without fault or blame until our *Lord Jesus Christ appears. v15 God will bring this about in his own time. We praise him because he is the only true ruler, *Lord and king of all. v16 God is the only one who has in him life with no beginning and no end. He lives in such a bright light that no one can approach him. No one has ever seen him and no one can ever see him. To him be all honour and power for all time and without end. *Amen.

Verse 11 In contrast to the false teachers, Timothy is a man of God. God chose him to be his agent in that church. He is God’s man for the task to which God had appointed him. As a man of God, he must avoid all the evil things about which Paul has just been writing. He does not just warn Timothy against these *sins. Timothy must pursue what is good and right. Paul insists on that. What he says to Timothy applies to all Christians.

Paul lists six good qualities that Christians should try to have. These are:

• They must always do what is good and right.

• They should live to please God.

• They should believe in and trust the *Lord at all times.

• They ought to love God and other people.

• They must be patient and strong. And they must have a good attitude through all the problems that come to them.

• They should be gentle. When people do bad things to them, they must never do bad things in return. Some people may accuse them wrongly. And some people may insult them but they must not reply in the same way. They should try to do good things even to those who hate them.

Verse 12 To live for Christ in this world can be a struggle. And it often is. Timothy must be willing to suffer for the *gospel of Christ. Many opposed him. And they were doing all that they could to stop the spread of the *gospel. The man or woman of God must fight, not with swords or guns but by trusting in the *Lord and with prayer. This is because the real enemies are not men and women. They are the devils and the evil things that *Satan sends against us.

Paul tells Timothy to fight a good fight. The struggle is good because it is for God and the *gospel. The good news will spread in this evil world by this means. It is by trust in God that Timothy can continue in the struggle. So it is a fight of *faith.

God had appointed him to this task. He had given to him that life which has no end. Timothy must take a firm hold on that life. He must make it a present reality and not just a hope for the future. (see 1 Timothy 1:16.)

God has promised to give the life that has no end. He has promised to give it to those who believe in the *Lord Jesus. Timothy claimed that promise when he first trusted in the *Lord. Now Paul reminds him about this. There were many there when Timothy confessed that he trusted in the *Lord.

Verse 13 As an *apostle of the *Lord, Paul has told Timothy how he should live. Paul is conscious that God and the *Lord Jesus are here with us. Timothy should obey what Paul orders him to do. But God and the *Lord Jesus will be the judges of what he does. Timothy is responsible to them and he must give an account of his life to them. The same is true of all Christians.

God gives life to all things. He is the source of all life. He gives the life that has no end. He gives it to those who believe in the *Lord Jesus. All living things will have to give an account of their lives to him.

Pontius Pilate was the *Roman ruler in the city of Jerusalem. When he asked the *Lord Jesus questions, he gave a good answer. Pilate asked him if he was the king of the *Jews (Matthew 27:11; Mark 15:2; Luke 23:3; John 18:33-37). Jesus agreed that he was a king. But he said that his *kingdom was not of this world. Pilate could find nothing wrong in Jesus and wanted to set him free. He did not do it but he wrote over the cross ‘Jesus of Nazareth the king of the *Jews’ (John 19:19).

Jesus did all that God had sent him to do. And, because of that, he suffered and died on the cross. Timothy should obey God as he did. And so should all who believe in the *Lord Jesus. They may have to suffer and even die for this. But they must be true to the *faith that they confess. One day, they will have to give an account to the *Lord Jesus. God has made him to be the judge of all people.

Verse 14 Timothy has to obey a command. The command is all that the *Lord has told him to do. This has come in the instructions that Paul and the *elders gave to him. Paul has shown him in this letter what the command means. It is to keep and obey all that Jesus and the *apostles taught. It is to be and to do all that the *Lord requires. This is not just for Timothy but it should be the aim of all Christians.

The *Lord Jesus will one day come again. Then he will take up those Christians who are alive on the earth to be with him. And he will take up those Christians who have died. Until then, Timothy must do what the *Lord orders. And so must all who believe in the *Lord. We all fail. But as we ask the *Lord to forgive us he will do it. He will clear us from all wrong-doing and blame. When he comes we must all give an account to him. We must all give an account of all that we have done.

Verse 15 God has planned the moment when his son, Jesus, will return. And he will control that moment. The *Lord Jesus will come as the champion for all who believe in him. He will defeat all that is against us. All the struggles of this life will be over.

God has in himself all blessing. He blesses his people who in turn bless and praise him.

God is the real and absolute ruler of all. He is the king of all those who rule as kings. He is the *Lord of all who rule as *lords.

Verse 16 God alone has that life which is better than all other kinds of life. His life has no beginning and will have no end. It can never die. His life is the source from which all other life comes.

Where God lives is so pure, clean and holy that it is like a bright light. That light is so bright that no one can come near to it. It is not possible for anyone to see through that light. No one has ever seen God. God allowed Moses to see a part of him but he did not see God’s face (Exodus 33:18-23). No one has ever seen God. But the *Lord Jesus came to show us what God is like (John 1:18). We can know God by the *Lord Jesus but we cannot see him.

The *Lord Jesus will come. And then, he will change all those who belong to him. They will see him as he is. So he will make them to be like him (1 John 3:2). Those who believe shall see God in Christ. And they will live and not die. They will share the same quality of life as God has.

All honour, power and strength belong to God. These things are part of the character of God. They are also, what Christians declare about God as part of their praise to him. In this they respect God as their *Lord and themselves as his servants.

*Amen means 'let it be so'. What comes before it is true. We use *amen to show that we agree with it and accept it. All honour, power and strength do belong to God.

Advice to wealthy persons (6:17-19)

v17 Warn those who are rich in the things of this life not to be proud. They should not put their trust in their *riches because they will fail. Let them trust in God. God is rich. And he gives to us everything that we need to enjoy life. v18 Tell them to do good works, to be rich in goodness. They should be generous. And they should share what they have. They should share it with people who need help. v19 In this way they will store up for themselves the kind of wealth that will be of value for the future. Then they will be able to grasp the life that is the true life.

Verse 17 There is a danger for those who are rich. The danger is to think that they are better than other people. They may have more wealth and a higher rank in this world. But that does not make them better persons. Such rich persons should not be proud because of what they possess.

They must not depend on what they own. All that they have could vanish in a very short time. They cannot be certain that they will always be rich. When they die, these *riches will have no value for them. They will go to someone else. All the money in the world cannot buy life after death. It is foolish to trust in *riches for this life and for the future life.

Instead, they should trust in God. He is rich because he owns all things. And all things belong to him. God is great and he is generous to us. He gives to us all that we need for this life. The blessings of God are true *riches. He blesses us so that we can enjoy his life. That means the life that he gives.

Verse 18 Rich persons are responsible to God for how they use their wealth. The more they have the greater their duty to use it to do what is good. So, Timothy should tell those who are rich that they should use their resources. Rather than to be rich in money, they should do many good works. This is how to have real *riches.

Rich persons have more than enough for their own needs. There is no benefit to them in owning an excess of wealth. They should be generous. And they should share what they have. They should use their wealth for the benefit of those who are in need of their help.

Verse 19 They should share what they have. In that way, they will bless those whom they help. But, as they give help to other people, they will benefit as well. By doing good works the rich Christians will reduce their wealth on earth. But they will be building up *riches for the future life. These *riches will then be like a firm foundation for them. The *Lord Jesus said that we should not store up *riches on earth. But rather we should store up *riches in heaven (Matthew 6:19-20).

The purpose of this is so that they can grasp hold of the life to come. That life is the true life that will have no end.

Final appeal to Timothy (6:20-21)

v20 Timothy, you must keep safe what God has given you to look after. Do not listen to the empty talk that does not respect God. Take no notice of those who argue against the truth. They claim to have knowledge. But what they claim to be knowledge is false. v21 Some have claimed to possess this knowledge and as a result, they have lost their *faith. I pray that the *Lord will be kind to all of you.

Verse 20 Paul ends his letter with some final advice for Timothy. God has given him that life which comes through *faith in the *Lord Jesus Christ. God has called Timothy and given him the task of being a leader in the church. God has trusted him to teach the truth and to spread the *gospel. Timothy must keep and guard all that God has given to him. He must take care to live as God would want him to live. He must lead the church in the ways of truth. What he says and does must point people to the *Lord.

In order to keep the truth, Timothy should avoid empty talk. Such talk wastes time and does not advance the cause of Christ. It may even be against God.

He also should not waste time with what the false teachers say. They oppose the truth. They claim that their ideas are knowledge. But they do not know the truth. And what they teach is wrong.

Verse 21 Some had believed what the false teachers taught. They claimed to have this knowledge. This has caused them to turn from the truth of what the *Lord Jesus and the *apostles taught. As a result, they no longer believe in the true *gospel of Christ.

Paul closes the letter with a blessing for them all. He asks for the kindness of God to be with them. This is something that they do not deserve. But they can be sure that God will continue to love them.

Paul wrote this letter to Timothy but here he gives the blessing to them all. He intended the church members to read what he had written. All that he taught Timothy is also for the church there. And it is also for all who believe in the *Lord.

Lord ~ a title for God, or Jesus, to show that he is over all people and things.
gospel ~ the good news that God saves people from sin by Jesus Christ.
sin ~ to sin is to do wrong, bad or evil; not to obey God; sins are the wrong things that we do.
envy ~ to be jealous of someone else; or to want what that person has.
apostle ~ one whom God sends; especially one of the 12 that Jesus chose to be his helpers.
peace ~ when there is no fighting with God; when we have no trouble in our minds; when a person is not afraid or angry.
faith ~ trust in someone or something; belief and trust in God and in Jesus Christ his Son. The faith is the Christian religion. It is what Christians believe.
amen ~ a word from the Hebrew (Old Testament) language; it means we agree, or it is true, or let it be so.

Old Testament ~ the first part of the Bible; the holy things that the writers wrote before Christ’s birth.
sin ~ to sin is to do wrong, bad or evil; not to obey God; sins are the wrong things that we do.
Satan ~ the name of the devil.
Roman ~ Rome was the capital city of the rulers at that time. That which belonged to Rome was Roman.
Rome ~ the capital city of the rulers at that time. They were the Romans.
Jews ~ people who were born from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and their children. It is also a name for the Jewish people.
Jewish ~ people or things that are from the Jews.
kingdom ~ the place or territory where a king rules. The kingdom of God is the people over whom God rules.
elders ~ older men, respected men, or leaders in the church.
Lord ~ a title for God, or Jesus, to show that he is over all people and things.
amen ~ a word from the Hebrew (Old Testament) language; it means we agree, or it is true, or let it be so.

Old Testament ~ the first part of the Bible; the holy things that the writers wrote before Christ’s birth.
riches ~ the wealth that rich people have.