GAIN OR GREED? (1 TIMOTHY 6:6-10)
An angel appears at a faculty meeting and tells the dean that in return for his unselfish and exemplary behavior, the Lord will reward him with his choice of infinite wealth, wisdom, or beauty.
Without hesitating, the dean selects infinite wisdom.
“Done! ” says the angel, and disappears in a cloud of smoke and a bolt of lightning.
Now, all heads turn toward the dean, who sits surrounded by a faint halo of light. At length, one of his colleagues whispers, Say something.
The dean sighs and says, “I should have taken the money.”
False teachings abound in the early church and Timothy the learner is advised by his mentor Paul in 1 Timothy 6 to take precaution against them. The word doctrine in verses 1 and 3 of chapter 6 occurs a record-breaking eight times in the New Testament (1 Tim 1:10, 4:1, 6, 13, 16, 5:17, 6:1, 3) but, more importantly, the word false doctrines (heterodidaskaleo), from chapter 6:3, occur twice in the Bible, all from 1 Timothy (1 Tim 1:3, 6:3). Moreover, these false teachers love nothing than to talk about the relationship between godly people and their money, riches and wealth.
So what is the role of riches in a believer’s life? Is it a burden or a blessing? A cheer or a curse? A friend or a foe?
Riches are Nothing Without Godly Contentment
6 But godliness with contentment is great gain. 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. 9 People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men 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. (1 Tim 6:6-10)
An old Quaker once advertised that he would give 40 acres of rich farm land to anyone who was perfectly satisfied with that which he had. One seeker came to see the Quaker.
Are thee perfectly satisfied with what thee hast?
Yes, answered the hopeful guest.
Then why dost thee want this land? was the old Quaker’s significant reply.
1 Timothy is the book on godliness, which appears four times in the chapter (1 Tim 6:3, 5, 6, 11), more than any chapter in the Bible, and eight times altogether in the book (1 Tim 2:2, 3:16, 4:7, 8), more than any book in the Bible, which means there was a struggle and a split to understand what godliness is in the early church due to the influence of false teachers.
Men of corrupt mind (v 5) think that gain to be godliness (Greek) or gain is godliness in KJV, but Paul contrasted that false teaching with the truth that great gain is godliness with contentment, adding “great” and “contentment” to the untrue statement. In one sentence, he rejected prosperity theology, but introduced true godliness, which comes with contentment. False teachers say that gain is godliness, but Paul says greater gain is godliness plus contentment. The first one says, When you are rich, you are godly. The second counters saying, When you are content, you are richer. True godliness doesn’t eye, envy or covet worldly riches. Contentment (aut-arkeia) occurs twice in the Bible, it is also translated as sufficiency in KJV (2 Cor 9:8). Why so few times? Because the prefix autos or self is added, so contentment means self-satisfaction. The most famous case of contentment/arkeo is from 2 Corinthians 12:9 that says My grace is ‘sufficient’ for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Self- is not necessarily negative ; it is a contrast to gain or wealth, the “being” (self) versus the “having” (gain).
Paul gives us two reasons why. First, we bring nothing into this world (v 7). No one is born a golden child, with a silver spoon in the mouth or a bucket of gold in hand. Because we carry or bear nothing to this world, that nothing whatsoever we can to carry out (Greek). The first statement is that emphasis, the second statement follows with a “for/that” (hoti) to explain or expand on the first. Note that Paul doesn’t mean contentment with having nothing, but having food and clothing (v 8), the basics. Food and raiment occurs only once in the Bible, because food is strengthened by the preposition dia or thorough/through, meaning a sufficient supply, or a supply of supplies. Also, food and supply is plural. So Paul doesn’t mean that to be lean and mean or poor and hungry is a virtue.
Those who desire (will in KJV, want in NASB, minded in ASV) to be rich (v 9), not those who are rich, fall into three things: temptation, a trap/snare and many foolish and harmful (hurtful in KJV – physical part, hapax legomena) lusts that plunge/drown men into ruin and destruction (KJV- destruction and perdition). Fall (empipto occurs nine times in NT) is a minority and an intensified form of the regular fall that occurs 89 times in the Bible. Consider this fall a free fall. The regular fall is the physical stumble, this fall is the condemnation or sin. Vine’s say it means to fall on, i.e. (literally) to be entrapped by, or (figuratively) be overwhelmed with. Fall and trap/snare are usually associated in 1 Timothy (v 9, 3:6-7). Temptation is the test, snare is the trap, and lusts are the unknowing and untamed tentacles that drown (KJV) men, not just plunge men. It’s like getting into an IKEA store this week and trying to find the exit, which a netizen describes as a mile away, and in the meantime you pass through more than 7,500 items for sale, and a tantalizing food counter to end it. The same word applies only to Simon’s sinking or submerging ship upon catching a large number of fish. (Luke 5:7).
The second for (gar) concerns the love of money, which is consistent with verse 9’s desire to get rich. Love of money is love of silver in Greek, shiny objects of desire. It begins with eagerness for money (covetousness in Greek) – the process, then erred (straying), which is the path, and piercing, the pain of many sorrows, not just sorrow (singular). The piercing (peripeiro) is a verb in Greek, meaning to penetrate through or thoroughly.
Riches are Nothing Without Glowing Character
11 But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. (1 Tim 6:11-12)
In England a century and a half ago lived a man whose business was cobbling shoes. He was an earnest Christian and, though he was poor, Christ filled his life with joy. The cobbler had a beautiful, strong voice which from morning till night was raised in cheerful song. His little shop was the last one of a row in the little village, and just beyond there was a mansion surrounded by spacious lawns where lived the richest man of the community. One morning the rich master stepped into the cobbler's shop and complained about the singing. He told the cobbler that if he would cease his singing he would give him twenty pounds. This was more than the cobbler could earn at his trade in several months, and so he closed with the man, and ceased his singing.
At times during the day he would forget and start singing when the overflow of joy in his heart would be strong. But then he remembered the bag where those gold pieces rested. Strangely enough, when he went home there was gloom in his heart, and he did not feel like singing. In the morning he woke with a sense of oppression--he could not sing that day. Through the day the gloom mounted till late in the afternoon he could stand it no longer. He locked up his shop, went to the rich man's home, and handed to him the sack of gold pieces.
Here, said the cobbler, take this money. I dare not lose the benefit I get from singing about my Savior. When I sing, my joy seems to grow.
Paul issues four imperatives to the man of God (v 11), a reference to none other but Timothy or a minister in the New Testament (2 Tim 3:17). Flee away and pursue/follow up in verse 11 are imperatives and contrasts. Flee is not walking, strolling or running; it is running fast, running for your life, running as far your legs can carry you. The purpose is to make distance, leave the scene in a hurry, not turning back, thinking twice, toying around. All this (v 11) is plural neuter, referring to the same plural neuter evil (plural) in verse 12.
Pursue is the regular word for persecute or suffer in the Bible, an intense, unyielding, single-minded approach. Flee is the distance, but pursue is the determination or intensity. The six virtues to follow are righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. The first three refers to our relationship with God – conversion (righteousness), character (godliness) and commitment (faith) - and the next three is our relationship with people. There are more references to love of God in the Bible than any individual’s love, especially in 1 John (1 John 2:5, 3:16, 3:17, 4:9, 5:3), endurance or patience refers to Jesus in Revelation (Rev 1:9), gentleness is Jesus’ virtue (Matt 21:5).
The next two to contrast in verse 12 is to fight on and to finish well. Fight (agonizomai) is the English word for agonize, more like struggle. The other translations for this word are strive (Luke 13:24) and laboring fervently (Col 4:12) in KJV. Take hold (epilambanomai) in verse 12 is to seize and grip firmly. Take hold also contrasts perfectly with flee; one is to escape or leave and the other is to entrance or cleave.
Riches are Nothing Without Genuine Charity
17 Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. 18 Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. 19 In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life. (1 Tim 6:17-19)
In China, the top philanthroper is 88-year-old Shenzhen hotel and real estate entrepreneur Yu Pengnian, who donated a fortune worth 3.2 billion yuan to a charity named after him. He said, “My fortune is just a drop in the bucket compared to them but I have a point of view that is very different from others, I will not leave my fortune to my children. If my children are more capable than me, it's not necessary to leave a lot of money to them. If they are incompetent, a lot of money will only be harmful to them. I like to support the poor because I used to be poor and I understand the misery of the poor people," he said. Yu still works long hours every day and spends two-thirds of his time doing charity has even been traveling to China's western poor regions for the past few years to give money to those in need.
http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/90001/90776/90882/6960387.html
America’s vice president Joe Biden and his wife gave a miserable average sum of $369 a year, or 0.2% of their income, to charity during the past decade before his election. The low was $120 in 1999, about 0.1% of yearly income. Vice President Al Gore came under fire when his 1997 tax return showed only $353 in donations to charity.
(“Biden gave average of $369 to charity a year,” USA Today, September 12, 2008)
http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/election2008/2008-09-12-biden-financial_N.htm
Paul initially talked about money, next turned to men and finally to ministry. Verse 17 begins with a highly-charged imperative found only in this book with a word used more frequently here than in any other book – command or charge (like a bull or into battle) in KJV, the third in the book (1 Tim 4:11, 5:7). It is followed by five “to” (infinitives) in the list of commands, the first two being negative (v 17) and the last three positive (v 18). The first two or negatives concerns one’s attitude and the last three are actions. The arrogant (hupselo-phroneo) - occurring once in the Bible - are charged not to be high-minded, which is derived from the words hyper + thinking – or to overvalue, overestimate or overrate oneself. The first is the person and the second concerns the practice. The first is the attitude and the second is the action. Our trust is in God, who richly provides us all to enjoy. Rich and wealth in verse 17 share the same root. The emphasis is on all to enjoy – including family and friends, not merely finance.
Verse 18 begins three positive-worded infinitives, with the third being to do good works (agatho-ergeo), the fourth is to be rich (plouteo) in works, the fifth infinitive is to communicate or fellowship (koinonikos), from the word koinos –common things. The third has to do with good quality and the fourth in generous spirit and the fifth in genuine fellowship. The fourth is added an adjective generous(eu-metadotos), which is partially derived from where John the Baptist encourages the soldiers to share (metadidomi)his tunic and food with him who has none (Luke 3:11).
Conclusion: All resources are from God. We are vessels for God’s use. We are simply stewards of God’s given time, talents and treasures. Very soon we leave this world behind. It’s been said, It’s not what you take but what you leave behind that counts.
