Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost September 30, 2001 1Timothy 6: 6-19
Title: “Baptismal promises never lapse or expire.”
Chapter six, begins with exhortations to Christian slaves, regarding how to treat their masters verses one and two. It then treats of the Christian attitude toward money in verses three to ten, summing up in verse ten, by saying, “The love of money is the root of all evils.” There is a change of focus in verses eleven to sixteen. The author addresses Timothy directly and charges him to express the virtuous counterparts of the vices condemned in verse four and five, then the author returns to the topic of money, true wealth and its use in verses seventeen to nineteen, only to return to direct address to Timothy in verse twenty, the last verse of this letter.
In verse eleven, but you, man of God: Although the phrase “man of God” occurs only twice in the New Testament, here and at 2Timothy 3: 17, it is used rather frequently in the LXX of Moses, Samuel, David, Elijah, Elisha and lesser known leaders. The term applies to one who is a spiritual leader and an example for others to follow.
Avoid all this: This refers to the errors and sins mentioned in the previous verses, that is verse three to ten. The Greek has “flee,” a bit stronger than “avoid.” It is in counterbalance with “pursue,” its opposite. The author would be imitating Paul who was fond of “put off” and “put on” exhortations, as we find in Ephesians and Colossians.
Righteousness: In the New Testament “righteousness” is both a quality God, in, through and because of Christ, bestows upon a person and the conduct of that person, conduct that is the result of being declared righteousness, not the cause of it.
Devotion: This translates the Greek eusebeia, an important word in the Pastoral Epistles. The rest of the New Testament, except for 2 Peter does not use this word to refer to Christian faith and life. In fact, in this list of six virtues the only one not found in Paul’s lists, none of which are identical, is eusebeia. Moreover, in 2Timothy 2:22 the term is omitted where one would expect to find it sandwiched between “righteousness” and “faith, love” as it is here. Paul would speak of faith and love, but not “piety,” or, as translated here, “devotion”. This was a term used by pagans to signify the respectable life of a good citizen and “god-fearer,” a manner or way of life. Christians were exhorted to be such good citizens that they would be both acceptable to and attractive to their pagan neighbors and townsfolk. Piety is always in danger of being merely external, as the Pharisees of Jesus’ day had shown. Thus, this “virtue” must be surrounded by others if it is to be authentic.
Faith: As terms were used over time they would acquire additional meanings and nuances as a result of both reflection and practical experience. Faith for Paul would mean “trust” in God and Christ. Yet, even he would use the term “faith” for “faithfulness,” as in Romans 3:3 and perhaps in 2 Thessalonians 1:4 and Galatians 5:22. As with the term “righteousness” above it is best to understand it in its fullest sense of both trust in God and fidelity to him.
Love: The object of “love” is not specified and it is best to understand this term in its fullest sense of love of God and neighbor.
Patience: The Greek hypomene has a wide range of nuances- patience, endurance, fortitude, steadfastness, perseverance, expectation- and it is difficult to say which is intended here. The word is used regarding persevering in good works in Romans 2:7; 2Cor 12:12, enduring persecution 2Thes 1:4 and waiting patiently for Christ’s return Romans 8:25.
Verse fourteen, of our text does, indeed, refer to Christ’s return. Like all Christian virtue this term refers to the attitude one brings to suffering or persecution or waiting.
Gentleness: The Greek word praupathia occurs only here in the Bible, although the noun which helps form it is quite common in Paul. That noun means “gentleness” in the sense of humility. Along with patience this would be the recommended way for a Christian to act when confronted with the world’s hostility towards Christian faith and life.
In verse twelve, compete well for the faith: The older and more familiar translation, “Fight the good fight of the faith,” is certainly more melodious and more faithful to the original Greek. There is disagreement among scholars whether the author intends a military metaphor, conceiving Christian life as a war against evil where weapons are decisive, or an athletic metaphor, conceiving Christian life as a competition with evil wherein discipline gives one an edge. Either or both would apply. The present translation attempts to bring out the sense of the present imperative form, namely that the struggle, however conceived, is a continuous one, never-ending. Yet, it is a good one, one in which the Christian engages because of his or her faith and through his or her faith.
Lay hold of eternal life: The Greek verb, epilambanomai, “take hold of” is used here in the sense of “make one’s own” or “appropriate.” The idea is to keep one’s focus on the end result, the “prize,” if you will. That focus, that athletic concentration, the result of discipline, will give the Christian access to the power to persevere. The fixed gaze on the outcome is the key to fidelity.
When you made the noble confession: This is a term for Baptism, here Timothy’s Baptism, a public acknowledgment of Jesus as risen Lord.
In the presence of many witness: Those present at the ceremony. Some think this refers to his ordination ceremony with Baptism as the background. It is probably too early to speak of “ordination” as such a developed rite at the time of this letter’s publication. It cannot be ruled out, but it need not be ruled in to understand what the author is saying. True, 4:14 refers to the “laying on of hands” but does not elaborate.
In verse thirteen, I charge you before God: This is very formal language, even for a letter. The idea is that Paul, probably now dead, passed on to Timothy, and others and their successors, his authority to preach and teach. The author may well be quoting here from some formal ceremonial, be it for Baptism or ordination or quoting one’s baptismal responsibilities at an ordination ceremony. We must remember, however, that whatever its original use or source, this is a letter and the writer is merely quoting from a source.
In verse fourteen, to keep the commandment: “The commandment” is not spelled out. However, it does not seem that Timothy is charged with a responsibility different from that of any other baptized Christian. If this is a quote, it would, therefore, be from a Baptismal charge. He is charged to be faithful right up until the end just as Jesus was. The end for Timothy and, indeed, for all Christians is the final coming of Christ.
In verses fifteen and sixteen, this is clearly a doxology, a phrase of praise, quoted from another source. It could be the same source as the one quoted in verses thirteen and fourteen, or a different one appropriately attached to it either by the author or someone else. It is common for the epistles to quote from liturgical texts and or hymns. Since there were no such things as quotation marks in those days it is not always clear when or whether a quote is being cited. Presumably, the readers or listeners would recognize the source.
King of kings and Lord of lords: Oriental monarchs used these terms of themselves. The early Church applied them to God or Christ.
Will make manifest at the proper time: It was the teaching of Jesus that only the Father knew the timing of the end and he alone would determine it.
Immortality…unapproachable light: Terms like these are very Greek. They came into the Old Testament through Wisdom Literature. Philo, the well-known and widely-read Jewish philosopher, was influential in merging Jewish and Greek thought. It is rather likely that the author is quoting from a liturgical text used in a predominately Greek Gentile congregation.
Sermon
No matter how important Timothy had become, no matter what responsibilities he had been entrusted with, no matter how learned, how profound a teacher, how eloquent a preacher, he still had the same challenge of every Christian. He still needed to hear the charge, the call, to return to his original commitment to Christ, the one he made or which was made for him until he was old enough to “confirm” it, at Baptism. His and our baptismal promises are the same. They never lapse or expire, not until the Day of the Lord’s appearance in our personal deaths.
Each day symbolizes a new beginning for us. Each day we need to review and renew our own Baptism. We need to keep it fresh, lively, and very present in our consciousness. The Church to which 1 Timothy is addressed is very much like our own. Things were rather routine and maybe somewhat dull. There was now a “deposit of faith,” a collection of doctrines to be learned, a creed and prayers to be committed to memory, ordinations, no matter how ritually simple, liturgical books and rubrics, rules of good order and “holy orders” to enforce them. The Church was settling down now for the long haul. With the baptism of more and more Gentiles, the Church was no longer just another Jewish sect or movement. She was an international organization wherein letters could be addressed and sent out from some central office. She was not quite accepted by the pagan world, but not exactly persecuted or targeted for persecution either.
This was a big difference. At one time Paul could present the Church as a “new creation,” something new and exciting, a great relief and salvation, from the status quo. Now, the Church was becoming part of that status quo and things were getting a bit dull, rather routine and unchallenging. Even the grammar of this text reveals the situation. The author slips between the powerful and wonderful Pauline words “righteousness” and “faith” and “ love” the rather pagan word for “respectability,” usually translated as “piety” or “godliness” to try to give it some pizzazz. Yes, Christianity was starting to look like what it does today. It is even now referred to as “mainstream Christianity” or even “mainline Christianity.” God only knows what Paul would say to that!
Yet, for all that, the challenge was and is real. Like it or not we must somehow make our way in the world without acquiescing to its values and practices. In Paul’s day the institutions of slavery and second-class citizenship for women were just too big for him to tackle head on and, besides, he had more pressing matters to pursue. Nonetheless he sowed the seeds of their demise by what he preached and how he lived. That’s what Timothy is being admonished to do and that is what we are also being told through this text. We will not be able to reform the over-structures and over-institutions of the official church. The task is too big for our short lives. Vatican II proved that for the Catholic Church in Rome. But we can renew our Baptismal commitment each day, return to the source of life, be refreshed and strengthened by his Spirit and live a life of good example as men and women of God. This always was and always will be what constitutes a good leader, ordained or not, officially commissioned or not. True leaders lead by example. What made Paul and then Timothy great were not the positions they held or were appointed to, not the postures they took vis-a-vis their opponents, but the example they gave in spite of them all.
The institutional life, and even liturgical life, of the Church may be dull, over-structured and over-done, but the true piety of the quiet Christians, their way of life, their eusebeia, remains like that of the “remnant” of the Old Testament, the shining light for the world, the “unapproachable light,” if you will, which gives access to eternal life by showing others what the invisible God looks like.
True Christians are men and women “of God,” incapable of being defined or described or explained without including God.
Righteousness, a right relationship with God, is first bestowed by God and then lived out by the recipient by virtue of grace.
Virtue is not a personal achievement, but a consistent living of the gift of righteousness.
The various names for virtues are simply the same lived-grace, but differently expressed to fit various circumstances.
“Keeping the commandments,” especially the commandment of love, can only be done by keeping fixed on the goal of life, that is, eternal life.
Virtues: When we pray for a particular virtue, example, patience or strength or courage or fortitude, we are really praying for fidelity or faithfulness. We are asking for grace already available, indeed already bestowed. However, we are asking God to “enflesh” that grace in our actual living, in responding to the numerous situations and circumstances of daily life. That “grace” is simply the loving and powerful presence of God. We are asking God to help us do something we could not do without his help. We are asking for his power when we are aware of our own powerlessness. The author of this epistle summed all that up in one term, “devotion” or “piety,” Greek eusebeia. While he certainly means the external behavior of a person, behavior that cannot be explained except by reference to God, he really means that the external behavior is driven by an internal attitude, the attitude that recognizes all is done by grace, not by self. If others admire us for our behavior but do not see past it and see God behind it, then either they have missed the point or we have given the impression that we do what we do by our own power. We might, indeed, be behaving stoically in difficult circumstances, but so did Stoics. Noble as that might be or seem, it is not really Christian behavior unless and until it lights up the otherwise hidden presence of Christ. A particular situation might call for patience and another courage, but, really, patience is courage in another form and vice versa. What we are really asking for from God is the power to release his presence and get our own impulsive response out of the way. Thus, if we are a “naturally” patient person there is no particular Christian virtue in that. That patience comes easily. However, a person who is prone to lose it whenever a particular and usually it is a recurring, situation arises-like when driving or dealing with the spouse or children or co-workers- and prays not to lose it and then keeps patient, that person is practicing Christian virtue. That is because the person was “naturally” inclined to respond by using his or her lower brain and, instead, chose, by the grace of God, to use his or her higher brain. Such “delayed reactions” enable us to engage our higher brain where we are aware of our higher power, God, always there to give us what we need to be faithful to what he has made us. Christian virtue is not the same as being a nice person or even a good person. It is letting God be God in every life situation we encounter . It is not our doing but our letting be done, done not by our power, but by God’s.
Keep faith: It is not a matter of simply “having” faith or believing in a set of principles, including virtues. Everybody believes something and everybody believes in virtue. It is a matter of keeping faith, keeping faith alive. We do that by keeping our internal eyes fixed on the final outcome, death. For the non-believer, death is something to be avoided at all costs. For the believer, sin is. Death will not keep us out of heaven, but sin will. Indeed, for the Christian, death becomes the horizon, the backdrop of all life. It becomes a friend, a friendly presence, a presence that masks God, the fullness of life and love, not the empty abyss into which we fall. Constant awareness of our own mortality, sticks us to the only one who has immortality, Jesus the Lord. He trumps our mortality with his own immortality and empowers us to keep faith, keep faithful to him. It is really impossible to think of Jesus without thinking of our own mortality. It becomes a good thought, instead of a bad one. In Jesus Holy name Amen.
