The New Testament with Commentary 1 Timothy 6

Slaves honor owners

1 As many as are under the yoke of slavery should consider their own owners to be worthy of full respect, so that God's name and doctrine not be slandered. 2 Those who have owners who are believers must not disregard them because they are brothers; instead they must serve them even better, because those receiving the good service are believers and beloved.*

Conclusion to ‘Relationships’

Teach and exhort these things. 3 If anyone teaches differently and does not consent to sound words, the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine that accords with godliness, 4 he is conceited and understands nothing. Rather he is obsessed with controversies and hair-splitting word battles, from which come envy, strife, slanderings, evil suspicions, 5 constant wranglings of men with corrupted minds and destitute of the Truth,† who suppose that godliness is a means to financial gain.‡ Keep away from such people.§

Concluding considerations

Godliness with contentment

6 Now godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 We brought nothing into the world and it is certain that neither can we take anything out.* 8 So having food and clothing we will be content with that. 9 But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and into many foolish and harmful desires, that plunge people into ruin and loss; 10 because the love of money is a root† of all kinds of evil; in their greediness some have been led away from the faith and have impaled themselves on many distresses.‡

Lay hold on eternal life

11 But you, O man of God, flee these things; rather pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life into which you were called§—indeed, you confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.* 13 In the presence of the God who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus who testified the good confession before Pontius Pilate,† I charge you 14 to keep this commandment without spot, blameless until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ,‡ 15 which He will manifest at the proper time—He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and the Lord of lords; 16 who alone has immortality, residing in unapproachable light;§ whom no man has seen or can see; to whom be honor and eternal power. Amen.

To the rich

17 Command* those who are rich in this present world not to be haughty, nor to rely upon the uncertainty of riches but on the living† God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy; 18 they are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous sharers‡ 19 —storing up for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, so that they may lay hold on the eternal life.

A closing exhortation

20 O Timothy, guard the deposit!§ Turn away from the godless, empty chatter and inconsistencies of what is falsely called ‘science’ 21 —by professing it some have erred concerning the Faith.*

The Grace be with you. Amen.

*6:2 Observe that there is no indication that a slave who converts to Christ should expect to be freed from that condition, even if the owner is a Christian.

†6:5 The clear implication is that these people have not been regenerated, and are being used by the enemy. There is no lack of such people in the churches.

‡6:5 The religious mercenaries are with us still.

§6:5 Less than 3% of the Greek manuscripts, of objectively inferior quality, omit this last sentence (as in NIV, NASB, LB, TEV, etc.).

*6:7 But if you belong to Christ you can send it on ahead, by investing in God's Kingdom here.

†6:10 That is right, a root, not ‘the’ root. Love of money is only one of the causes that lead men to do evil.

‡6:10 As the Text says, “The way of the transgressor is hard” (Proverbs 13:15). Recall that the Sovereign said, “You cannot serve God and mammon” (Luke 16:13). Someone who switches from God to ‘mammon’ will probably never switch back.

§6:12 “Flee”, “pursue”, “fight”, “take hold”—these are things that are up to us; Paul is emphasizing human responsibility here.

*6:12 Might this have been when he was baptized with water?

†6:13 So just what was that “good confession”? The Lord demonstrated absolutely no fear, and told Pilate plainly that he could only do what the Father allowed.

‡6:14 Evidently Paul considered that the “appearing” could happen during Timothy's lifetime.

§6:16 But once we have been glorified I believe we will be able to approach and endure, even enjoy! Oh praise God!

*6:17 Paul commands Timothy to issue a command to the rich (see James 5:1-3).

†6:17 Some 7% of the Greek manuscripts omit “the living” (as in NIV, NASB, TEV, etc.).

‡6:18 Whenever God blesses us with material abundance, it is not for us to hoard or squander on ourselves—it is to be invested in the Kingdom (there are various ways of doing that).

§6:20 What does Paul mean by “the deposit”? I suppose it would be the sum of revealed truth surrounding the person and work of Jesus Christ—a synonym of ‘the Faith’.

*6:21 For many generations the theory of evolution has been foisted on the populace at large as ‘science’. It dominates the schools, the media, the marketplace, the government. The spiritual damage has been incalculable—multiplied millions will spend eternity in the Lake because of it.