The Weekend, September 12 –
We come to the weekend where our reading
covers both Saturday and Sunday. We also
are reading the end of the letter of Paul to Timothy, by reading 1 Timothy 6:1 –
21. After you get a chance to read the
passage, please come back, and we’ll look at it again.
Learning how to live in any group or household, or even the Church, and do it to
be a blessing and not cause harm, requires a certain amount of willingness to
learn, grow, be teachable, and relationally mature. As Paul begins this next section, he reminds us
that everyone lives in relationship to somebody. None of us live in a vacuum. As Paul finishes this first letter to his
young Pastor apprentice, he reminds him that some things are not
straightforward and need the wisdom of Solomon to handle.
He begins with the relationship of masters and
their slaves – “Let all who are under a yoke as bondservants regard their
own masters as worthy of all honor, so that the name of God and the teaching
may not be reviled. Those who have believing masters must not be
disrespectful on the ground that they are brothers; rather they must serve all
the better since those who benefit by their good service are believers and
beloved. Teach and urge these things” (6:1-2).
The subject of slaves has been touched on before, but as a reminder, Rome
permitted the owning of slaves. Slaves
were often captured from conquered lands. Some were indentured because of debt. There
are estimates that the Roman Empire had fifty million slaves, about one-third
of the total inhabitants.
Regardless, Paul knew they were often treated as property and forced through
their master’s authority and the threat of life to work under coercion – “under
a yoke as bondservants” – like an ox bound by a yoke. Paul – in his minority status in the Empire –
had no standing to call for its abolition in the Empire. Yet, in the Church, Paul’s authority sought
to change the way that masters and slaves related to one another.
First, he already said that a slave trader was
one who defied the law of God (1:8 – 10). In previous letters – Ephesians and Colossians
– he had done similarly. He reminded
both masters and slaves that before God, they were equal (Ephesians 6:9). He repeats this to Timothy that despite their
social standing, ultimately, masters and slaves were brothers in Christ –
“Those who have believing masters must not be disrespectful on the ground
that they are brothers; rather they must serve all the better since those who
benefit by their good service are believers and beloved. Teach and urge these
things” (6:2).
The fact is that the Gospel changes relationships. I’ve seen men and women who were CEOs and
Vice-Presidents, Political leaders, and the wealthy pray, sing, worship, and
open their Bibles to study alongside people who worked as janitors, cooks,
secretaries, with little than their monthly pay to survive on. Our sense of identity must not be based on
social status, but rather, as Paul speaks – “as worthy of honor” 5:1). Respecting others is so crucial to the
church acting in the faith of Christ’s Gospel.
It is “honor” that reminds us that we all come to Christ as ones who
bear the image of God, and therefore we are entrusted to treat each other the
way Christ treats us.
While Paul calls slaves and their masters to
honor one another, he also reminds Timothy that all are under the authority of
God’s word. As a leader, Timothy does
not have any authority in himself that allows him to watch over the church, but
he does have the authority of the word of God.
Paul had already told Timothy that some would reject God’s word as the authority,
and even depart from the church because of what it says (1 Tim. 4:1). Now he makes clear once again that the Apostle’s
teachings were from God and any variance from these teachings was wrong -
“… Teach and urge these things. If anyone teaches a different doctrine
and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the
teaching that accords with godliness, he is puffed up with conceit and
understands nothing. He has an unhealthy craving for controversy and for
quarrels about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions”
(6:2-4).
When you’re in a position of authority, it is tempting to become the
authority, but it is always destined to fail.
Timothy is learning from Paul that people will be people – fallen in nature,
and separated from God, but that does not mean he should not teach the truth.
The passage doesn’t divert when Paul changes
the focus to money. He contrasts a
desire of some to “rule over” to gain wealth at the expense of others, but that
Timothy must realize that God is able to meet all of his needs without trying
to dominate people. It is a significant
thing that Paul wants his young protégé to understand because Paul knows that
long after he is gone, Timothy will have to choose how he will serve the Church
as a leader -
“But godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing
into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we
have food and clothing, with these we will be content. But those who
desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and
harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the
love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that
some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs”
(6:6-10).
Paul does not say that money is irrelevant, nor that making money is ungodly
and evil. He is telling Timothy, and us,
that our lives are about much more than money, and we can learn to be content
in a restless world and often discontent, always striving to get more (“senseless
and harmful desires”). Godliness is
not being poor, but it's living with the awareness that material things will
never satisfy. It was the Tycoon John D
Rockefeller who was asked by a reporter, “How much is enough money?” and
Rockefeller replied, “Just a little bit more.” Scripture does not condemn the rich, and some
godly people in Scripture were wealthy people, but “the love of money”
instead of the love of God will always lead people towards a self-destructive
life. The only answer to the temptation
is to live gratefully and generously towards God.
Paul ends his letter to Timothy with a passionate
fatherly plea -
“But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness,
godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. Fight the good fight
of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about
which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. I
charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ
Jesus, who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession,
to keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach until the
appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which he will display at the proper
time—he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of
lords, who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light,
whom no one has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion.
Amen” (6:11-16).
No one can underestimate the power of an older mentor. The things that flow from Paul’s pen to his
son in the Lord, now “a man of God,” are not suggestions, but strong
cautionary warnings. Keep your eye on
the prize and don’t lose sight of where you are going. The words are key: “pursue righteousness,” i.e., determine to
live for God to please him; “pursue godliness,”i.e., resolve to do anything you
do for one reason – the glory of God; “pursue faith,” i.e., rest in God’s word
and trust in what his word tells you; “pursue love,” i.e., look for the greatest
gift you can give God, and then others; “pursue steadfastness,” i.e.,
persevere, don’t give in to the temptations, or pressures, don’t quit; and
lastly “pursue gentleness,” i.e., be tough, but also be tender.
For final words, he adds one more thing about
people who are wealthy – and since we in the Western world live better than 95%
of the rest of the world, this would be us too – “As for the rich in this present
age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty
of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy.
They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready
to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for
the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life” (6:17-19).
It's so important to get this since we know from Jesus – “to whom much is
given, much is required.” The accumulation
mentality of the western world is a trap.
We who have much must learn how to use our wealth for the good of the
Kingdom of God. The keywords we must
embrace are contentment, gratitude, generosity – all descriptions of Jesus Christ.
Paul’s love for Timothy is unbounded – “O
Timothy, guard the deposit entrusted to you. Avoid the irreverent babble and
contradictions of what is falsely called ‘knowledge,’ for by professing it
some have swerved from the faith. Grace be with you” (6:20-21).
It seems Paul cannot quite say goodbye without a final – “watch out, be careful,
my son.” The two keywords at the end
Timothy would prove to hold on to are “guard what is entrusted to you”
and “Grace be with you.” Grace is
how he began his letter, and grace is how he ends it – it is always and only
grace!
Peace
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