INTRODUCTION TO I 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... [ Continue Reading ]
LET AS MANY SERVANTS AS ARE UNDER THE YOKE,.... Not under the yoke of the law of God, or under the yoke of Christ; though the servants here spoken of were under both; but "under the yoke of government", as the Arabic version renders it; that is, under the yoke of men, in a state of servitude, under... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY THAT HAVE BELIEVING MASTERS,.... That believe in one God, in opposition to the Gentiles, that held many gods, and in Jesus Christ, in distinction from the Jews; who believed in him with the heart, and professed him with their mouths, and held the mystery of faith in a pure conscience. What... [ Continue Reading ]
IF ANY MAN TEACH OTHERWISE,.... Or another doctrine, as the Syriac version renders it; a doctrine different from what the apostle had now taught, concerning the duty of servants to their masters; as did the false teachers, who despised dominion or government; not only civil government, and so spoke... [ Continue Reading ]
HE IS PROUD,.... Or swelled and puffed up with a vain conceit of himself and his own notions, and treats with an haughty air the faithful ministers of the word. The doctrines of grace are of an humbling nature, especially when they are spiritually and experimentally understood and received; but noti... [ Continue Reading ]
PERVERSE DISPUTINGS OF MEN OF CORRUPT MINDS,.... Who being corrupt in their principles, and corrupters of the word of God, dispute in a very froward and perverse way, rubbing and galling one another, and so provoke, to wrath and anger, and, every evil work: AND DESTITUTE OF THE TRUTH of Christ, who... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT GODLINESS WITH CONTENTMENT IS GREAT GAIN. By "godliness" is not meant any particular grace, but all the graces of the Spirit of God; as faith, hope, love, fear, c. the whole of internal religion, as it shows itself in outward worship, and in all acts of holiness of life and conversation and whic... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR WE BROUGHT NOTHING INTO THIS WORLD,.... Which is a reason both clearly showing that godliness is great gain, since those who have it brought nothing into the world with them but sin, and yet are now in such happy circumstances as before described; and that godly persons should be content with wh... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HAVING FOOD AND RAIMENT,.... "Food" includes all things necessary to be ate and drank, of which there is a great variety, and is here expressed in the plural number; and "raiment" every necessary covering, as the word used signifies, and includes an habitation, which is a cover and shelter from... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT THEY THAT WILL BE RICH,.... Not they that are rich; for some rich men are good men; and do much good with their riches; and are as free from temptations and snares, and foolish and hurtful lusts, as other persons, as Abraham, Joseph of Arimathea, Gaius, and others were; but such that would be ri... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR THE LOVE OF MONEY IS THE ROOT OF ALL EVIL,.... Of all the evils before mentioned, and of others; not money itself, as silver and gold, which are God's creatures, and his gifts, and may be used to, and answer many good purposes; but the love of it, and not any love of it; for there may be a lawfu... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT THOU, O MAN OF GOD,.... Not only by creation, as every man is; nor merely by special grace, as everyone is, that is chosen of God, redeemed by Christ, and regenerated and sanctified by the Spirit; but by his peculiar office, as an evangelist and minister of the word, being qualified for, and dev... [ Continue Reading ]
FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT OF FAITH,.... The apostle suggests to Timothy, that he had other business to do than to mind the things of this world; his life was a state of warfare; he was a soldier, and was not to entangle himself with the things of this life; he had many enemies to engage with, as Satan, a... [ Continue Reading ]
I GIVE THEE CHARGE IN THE SIGHT OF GOD,.... Who is omniscient and omnipotent: WHO QUICKENETH ALL THINGS; all creatures, for all animate creatures have their life, motion, and bring in him; and who quickeneth all his people, at first conversion, when dead in sin, and afterwards when dull and lifeles... [ Continue Reading ]
THAT THOU KEEP THIS COMMANDMENT,.... Meaning either what he had now last of all enjoined him, to fight the good fight of faith; or the whole of the orders he had given him throughout the epistle, relating both to the doctrine and discipline of the house of God; or rather the work and office of preac... [ Continue Reading ]
WHICH IN HIS TIMES HE SHALL SHOW,.... For though the time of Christ's appearing is unknown, yet the thing itself is certain; God will bring it about, and make it manifest in his own time, in the time that is fixed and appointed by him; and which is only known unto him, and which he keeps in his own... [ Continue Reading ]
WHO ONLY HATH IMMORTALITY,.... Angels are immortal, and so are the souls of men, and so will be the bodies of men after the resurrection; but then neither of these have immortality of themselves, they have it from God; who only has it, of himself, originally, essentially, and inderivatively. DWELLI... [ Continue Reading ]
CHARGE THEM THAT ARE RICH IN THIS WORLD,.... Or in the things of this world. The Arabic version reads, "in this present world": in distinction from the world to come: some are poor in this world, and rich in another; others are rich in this world, and poor, and wretched, and miserable in the world t... [ Continue Reading ]
THAT THEY DO GOOD,.... Rich men sometimes do much ill to themselves, to the hurt of their bodies, by luxury, intemperance, and debauchery, and to their souls, to the ruin of them; and to others by fraud, oppression, and violence; for it is in the power of their hands to do much evil, and also to do... [ Continue Reading ]
LAYING UP IN STORE FOR THEMSELVES..... Laying up a treasure in heaven, which will be for themselves to enjoy to all eternity; whereas what they lay up here is for others, for their children or friends, and sometimes for strangers, and they know not who, whether for a wise man or a fool, yea, even fo... [ Continue Reading ]
KEEP THAT WHICH IS COMMITTED TO THY TRUST,.... That is, the Gospel, see 1 Timothy 1:11 which is a rich treasure put into earthen vessels, and ought to be kept pure and uncorrupt, and faithfully dispensed, and diligently preserved, that so it may be continued genuine and sincere, and not be either ad... [ Continue Reading ]
WHICH SOME PROFESSING,.... Pretending to be masters of the above science, boasting and making great show of it, and valuing themselves upon it: HAVE ERRED CONCERNING THE FAITH: have wandered from the way of truth, and gone into the path of error; have fallen from the doctrine of faith, and made shi... [ Continue Reading ]