CHAPTER 6

(A.D. 65)

SERVANTS

¹Let as many servants (slaves) as are under the yoke (the yoke of slavery) count their own masters worthy of all honour (in Pauls day, slaves were common, possibly making up the majority of the population; irrespective of whether the master was good or bad, Christian slaves were to function and do their work exactly as if they were doing it for the Lord Himself, and not men), that the Name of God and His Doctrine be not blasphemed. (Everything the slave did, and everything we do, must be done with the view of Christ in mind.)

MASTERS

²And they who have believing masters, let them not despise them, because they are Brethren (because they are equals in Christ; this doesnt mean the slave is to think less of his Christian master); but rather do them service (literally means in the Greek, slave for them all the more), because they are faithful and beloved, partakers of the benefit (refers to the fact that if a Christian slave was to show obedience and grace to an unbelieving master, even as they certainly should, how much more should they show the same to a Master who is now a Believer and, therefore, greatly beloved of the Lord!). These things teach and exhort (suggests the touchiness of the issue).

MONEY

³If any man teach otherwise (proclaims the fact that some were teaching things opposed to Pauls teaching), and consent not to wholesome words, even the Words of our Lord Jesus Christ (Lk. 20:25; Mat. 5:44; 11:28-30), and to the Doctrine which is according to Godliness (refers to the teaching concerning the proper attitude of the individual towards God);

⁴He is proud (the false teacher), knowing nothing (despite his claims), but doting about questions and strifes of words (the profitless debating of which has rent asunder whole Churches, and even entire denominations), whereof comes envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings (proclaims the results of these useless questions as tendered by the false teachers),

⁵Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds (should have been translated, of men corrupted in mind), and destitute of the Truth (refers to the fact that they had once possessed the Truth, which is the Cross, but had turned away to other things), supposing that gain is Godliness (should have been translated, supposing that Godliness is a way or source of gain): from such withdraw yourself (have no dealings with these Preachers).

⁶But Godliness with contentment (content with what we have, which means we are thankful to God for what we have) is great gain (true gain).

⁷For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. (This speaks of worldly possessions. The only thing a person can keep is their Faith, that is if its true Faith, which refers to Faith in Christ and the Cross.)

⁸And having food and raiment let us be therewith content. (The Lord can never bless grasping greed.)

⁹But they who will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts (speaks of the sacrifice of principle), which drown men in destruction and perdition. (This refers to the wreck and ruin of the mind and body, but more particularly to the awful ruin of the eternal soul.)

¹⁰For the love of money is the root of all evil (there is no conceivable evil that can happen to the sons and daughters of men, which may not spring from covetousness the love of gold and wealth): which while some coveted after, they have erred from the Faith (speaking of Believers who have lost sight of the True Faith, which is the Cross, and have ventured into a false faith, trying to use it to garner much money), and pierced themselves through with many sorrows (the end result of turning in that direction; let all understand that the Word of God is true, and what it says will happen!).

FAITH

¹¹But you, O man of God, flee these things (the Holy Spirit is unequivocally clear in His Command; we can follow the Lord, or we can follow other things; we cant follow both!); and follow after Righteousness, Godliness, Faith, Love, Patience, Meekness. (In a sense, this is Fruit of the Spirit, or at least that which the Spirit Alone can bring about in our lives, which He does by the Cross ever being the Object of our Faith.)

¹²Fight the good fight of Faith (in essence, the only fight were called upon to engage; every attack by Satan against the Believer, irrespective of its form, is to destroy or seriously weaken our Faith; he wants to push our Faith from the Cross to other things), lay hold on Eternal Life (we do such by understanding that all Life comes from Christ, and the means is the Cross), whereunto you are also Called (Called to follow Christ), and have professed a good profession before many witnesses. (This does not refer to a particular occasion, but to the entirety of his life for Christ.)

¹³I give you charge in the sight of God (in essence, the mantle is soon to be passed to this young Preacher), who quickens (makes alive) all things (presents Christ here as the Preserver, rather than the Creator), and before Christ Jesus (I charge you before Christ), who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession (the confession of Christ was the model confession for all martyrs, insofar as it was a bold confession of the Truth, even with the sentence of death before His Eyes);

¹⁴That you keep this Commandment without spot, unrebukeable (the Gospel of Christ and Him Crucified must not be compromised in any fashion), until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ (the statement refers to both the Rapture and the Second Coming):

¹⁵Which in His times (an epoch-making period, foreordained of God) He shall show, Who is the Blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords (the Second Coming; refers to the fact that there will be absolutely no doubt as to the identity of the One Who will appear);

¹⁶Who only has immortality (in a sense, says God is the Source of all immortality), dwelling in the Light which no man can approach unto (the Person of God is wholly concealed by His Dwelling, which is Light; and this Dwelling is Itself unapproachable); Whom no man has seen, nor can see (refers to the fact that flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God [I Cor. 15:50]): to Whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen. (The great names and titles which the Holy Spirit, through Paul, has ascribed here to Christ, while definitely including His Deity, more than all direct attention to His great Redemption Work, which He accomplished at the Cross of Calvary.)

THE USE OF RICHES

¹⁷Charge them (Believers) who are rich in this world (limits the riches to the here and now, and shows that one can be rich in this world and not in the other world), that they be not highminded (proud), nor trust in uncertain riches (presents the fact that its very difficult to have great wealth without in some measure trusting in it), but in the Living God, Who gives us richly all things to enjoy (God is the Source, not money!);

¹⁸That they do good, that they be rich in good works (use the money to take the Gospel to the world), ready to distribute, willing to communicate (looking for the True Gospel, which can be supported, and which they will support);

¹⁹Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come (laying up treasures on the other side), that they may lay hold on Eternal Life. (This should have been translated, that they may hold to that which is truly Life.)

BENEDICTION

²⁰O Timothy, keep that which is committed to your trust (refers to the deposit of Truth delivered to him; actually, it would be the entirety of the New Covenant as it was given to Paul; what a responsibility!), avoiding profane and vain babblings (pertains to that which is devoid of Godliness, and empty of content), and oppositions of science falsely so called (should have been translated, and oppositions of knowledge falsely so-called, and speaks of the Gnostics):

²¹W hich some professing have erred concerning the Faith (have turned away from Christ and the Cross). Grace be with you. Amen. (Grace will always be with the Believer who places his Faith exclusively in Christ and His Finished Work.)