1 Timothy 6:13–21

December 3rd, 2024| Topic: 1 Timothy, aBeLOG | 0

The people of God relentlessly pursue godliness as modeled by Christ, marked by a God-dependent, humble contentment with basic needs, manifesting a richness of generosity that results in an amply rewarded eternity.

The complicated sentence of 6:3–5 is unusually characterized by a cascade of doublets: “if anyone teaches falsely and does not agree with sound words” (6:3); “with sound words … and with the teaching that is according to godliness” (6:2–3); “understands nothing, but has a morbid craving” (6:4); “controversies and word-quarrels”(6:4); “depraved of mind and deprived of truth” (6:5). All this is a good indication that this list (like most biblical lists) is rhetorical in intent, not offered by the chef to be sliced and diced into their individual components by consumers. The sentence in 6:3–5 is intended to overwhelm readers with the character and motivation of these conceited ones who know nothing and are mercenary in intent. They think that godliness is a means to make money and “gain” (Greek: porismos; 6:5–6). Instead what they fall into is “temptation” (peirasmos; 6:9).

The problem was not the wealth of the false teachers; rather, it was their desire to become wealthy, afflicted as they were with “the love of money” (6:10). Thus, for the false teachers, religion had become a livelihood, not a life. These wretched folks were trying to make godliness a business enterprise, ministry a mercenary undertaking and, as a result, harboring “many foolish and harmful lusts that plunge people into ruin and destruction” (6:9). Indeed, some of these seekers of wealth had even “wandered away from the faith” in the process of sating their avaricious tendencies (6:10).

Countering such dangerous tendencies and to preclude such calamitous outcomes, Paul argues for “contentment” (6:6), based on the understanding that one comes into this world naked and departs from it equally bereft (6:7). Thus, in a real sense, godliness with contentment is in fact a means of great gain—spiritual gain (6:6).

While 6:3–10 flayed the false teachers and their financial ambitions and the resulting perils (in contrast to the gains of contentment), 6:11 turns to address Timothy: “But you ….” The former band of mercenaries pursue wealth, but the latter is to pursue virtue (and a list of virtues is provided, 6:11; see below), including the right kind of godliness, as opposed to the wrong kind that linked it with monetary gain (6:3, 5, 6, 11). Of course, the “man of God” in 6:11 includes every believer: this person of God is one who pursues godliness, fighting the good fight, making the good confession. And the consequence? “Eternal life” of 6:12, that which is “indeed life” (6:19), sourced in a “living God” (3:15; 4:10), who gives life to all things (6:13), must be a sharing of the life of God himself! And it is going to happen soon!

One would have thought the Epistle would conclude after 6:15–16, but Paul continues the Epistle for several verses more, likely prompted to add a coda to describe what this might mean for wealthy Christians, as they look for an eternal future. After all, much of this pericope had been dealing with issues of money.

Then the letter finally concludes. Timothy is named in 1:2, 18 at the beginning of the Epistle, and now again at its end, here in 6:20. Appropriate for a letter to his pastoral appointee, but this is, in reality, a private discourse intended to be overheard by the church and taken to heart by every believer living in every age of this dispensation.

[For more details, see my commentary on 1 & 2 Timothy, Titus.]