Chapter 6
2021 - I got a lot more done on 5. Next year 6.
About "bondservants", who should continue to be "good bondservants" as required by law.
2021-2, Apparently the idea that all were equal under Christ - which they are - was making slaves think they were no longer required to serve their masters, especially if that master was a Christian. There is an interesting concept. Those who were saved were not at all obligated to free their slaves because of their salvation. In that culture, slavery was ubiquitous. It wasn't the "bad people" who had slaves. There was no nationwide understanding that slavery was an evil institution. And on top of all that, the idea of bondservant is not the same as the idea of slave anyway - or it was not at that time in that place. So Paul, in telling Timothy how to guide that church, says that if you are a bondservant, you need to be a good one! And if your master is a believer, then you need to be a better bondservant still. This is how you honor God - not by causing trouble but by serving out your bondage, paying in full and then some. As for true slaves at that time, they were prisoners of war, essentially, and that too was part of that culture. It was all Rome at that time, Rome's rules were superimposed on pretty much every place that Paul or Timothy ever went.
Those who promote controversial ideas are in fact in the "religion business", according to vs. 5, which says they are "imagining that godliness is a means of gain." Doesn't that ring true! We've all seen people like that, mostly on TV. Osteen comes to mind as most prominent of late, but he is by no means the only one. Timothy, as a trainee of Paul's, is expected to discern a "different doctrine" when confronted with one. Paul is not teaching Timothy in this letter about what the doctrine really is. He assumes, because he taught Timothy, that this is given. He is telling Timothy how to deal with it when it comes up. Again, this is Paul's instruction to a young preacher in a large church where inexperience might lead to timidity rather than godly assertiveness.
6 But godliness with contentment is great gain, 7 for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. 8 But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. [1Ti 6:6-8 ESV] The point is not that we should be poor. The point is not to purposely keep ourselves poor. But we ought to realize that not only are food and clothing all that we really need, and blessings in themselves, but if we have more, that is just extra that God has given us. Learning to appreciate what we have, and to be satisfied with what we have, is the basis of a contented life. So don't set your mind on wealth, don't be greedy. Greed will make you do things for which you will be sorry.
2024 - Took a look at vs 10, the "love of money is the root of all evil" verse. I have heard that it is not the money, but the love of money that is the root, so that makes it ok to have money, so long as you are not dedicated to its pursuit. Looking at the Greek, "love of money" is the translation of the single Greek word "philargyria". Obviously a compound work, with "phila-" being love and argyros. Argyros is a very interesting word. It is from this word that we get the atomic symbol for silver - Ag. And that is what it means - silver. BUT, it is not just silver, any silver, but is about the silver from which silver idols are made or the silver with which the columns and rafters of noble buildings were covered. It can be things made of silver - images, vessels, and so on. So not silver the element, but all that is made of silver. I note that this whole word - philargyria - is used only here in the NT, that root word meaning silver is used a number of times of money, idols - always of something made of silver. So if we think of this verse as saying "the love of shiny things made of silver" - like money, coins, statues, and adornment of the houses of the very very wealthy - does that change our thinking? Perhaps...what if it means an unhealthy infatuation with wealth beyond what is needed. This is not just "I am working to gain a comfortable living for myself and my family" - not just subsistence but comfort, so I can get some desirable things - I don't believe that this way of thinking is being discouraged. What this is about is slapping silver on columns and rafters in order to show that you have so much silver you can use it like sheetrock. This is about craving 10 ct diamonds, Bugatti Veyrons, and your own island - not because they'd be nice to have but so you can make it obvious that you are quite wealthy. This is about excess for show. I don't think it is even about greed. It is about being ostentatious. And yet...silver coinage and silver-covered idols are included too. But THIS word, with "phila-" at the beginning of it, I think tells us that this is pursuit of a different kind of silver, or pursuit out of obsession perhaps?
Paul gives Timothy some final instructions, kind of a pep talk. But then again he begins to talk about the rich. He tells Timothy again how to deal with the wealthy. Were they trying to run the church? Or were they behaving in a worldly way in order to get still richer, and yet claiming to be model Christians. Perhaps claiming that their very success is proof of God's blessing of their methods. Which it is not. Here are some verses about it:
17 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. 18 They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, 19 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. [1Ti 6:17-19 ESV]
I would call these "Words to Live by for those who have plenty".
The last verse looks almost like Paul ran out of time, though he had more to say. Like he had to wrap it up before he wanted to do so. It doesn't look like the usual closing of his letters.