1 Timothy 1:1-10

Introduction

1 Timothy 6:1–10 KJV 1900

Let as many servants as are under the yoke count their own masters worthy of all honour, that the name of God and his doctrine be not blasphemed. And they that have believing masters, let them not despise them, because they are brethren; but rather do them service, because they are faithful and beloved, partakers of the benefit. These things teach and exhort. If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself. But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content. But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

The context is about what drives us - is it money of the Lord!

Paul’s Primary Focus

1 Timothy 6:1 “Let as many servants as are under the yoke count their own masters worthy of all honour, that the name of God and his doctrine be not blasphemed.”

The word for “servant” is slave!

Slavery was an integral social component of the Greco-Roman world in the first century. Slaves were the employees who did the work for their wealthy masters. It was a wide-spread scheme of employment. Slaves were seasonal field workers, permanently employed domestic slaves served as managers, cooks, artisans, and teachers. IN many respects they resembles the indentured servants of the American colonial era.

“Under the yoke” - Colloquial expression of submissive service under the authority of someone else.

His primary focus was not a social movement

Illustration: In Dessert Shield/Storm, the Arabian Muslims focused their proselytizing the Black soldier, airman, marine, and sailor. Their main argument was the Christians Bible promotes slavery. A verse they would have used in support of their claim would have been 1 Timothy 6:1.

1 Timothy 6:1 does not support slavery or condemn slavery. The focus is not the social institution of slavery; rather slaves responsibility to their master.

Paul’s calling was not to bring about political, economic or social equity within the Roman Empire that would have produced unrest and violence. Instead, his primary focus was - 1 Corinthians 2:2 “For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.”

Why was this his primary focus? Romans 1:16 “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”

What was at stake?

In seasons of political, economic or social unrest, Gospel preaching becomes more difficult:

Divisions are clearer and more defined.

Hatred for certain people groups rises to the surface.

Violence and/or crackdowns that prohibit the spread of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

The focus tends to be on a movement than Jesus Christ.

Black Lives Matter

The organizational chart has many folks that are very much anti-Christian.

Black Lives Matter not because of the social injustices but because of a Sovereign's justice that will pronounce depart from me.

Mark 8:36 “For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?”

Therefore, this is why his primary focus was on:

God’s name - Speaks to the character of God

God is not an insurrectionist

R. C. H. Lenski - If a Christian slave dishonored his master in any way by disobedience, by speaking shamefully of his master, the worst consequence would not be the beating he would receive but the curses he would cause his master to hurl at this miserable’s slave’s God, his religion and the teaching he had embraced.

"THE NAME OF GOD AND THE TEACHING" can be affected by our response to authority. -- Don Anderson

Romans 2:23–24 “Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonourest thou God? For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written.”

God brings contentment to the believer. 1 Timothy 6:6 “But godliness with contentment is great gain.”

When the author of Hebrews wanted to teach his readers about contentment, he told them an old story with a familiar refrain. He quieted their fears and quenched their greed by reminding them what God had said. “Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee” (Heb 13:5). Which prompted Charles Spurgeon to ask,

Will not the distresses of life and the pangs of death, will not the internal corruptions and the external snares, will not the trials from above and the temptations from beneath all seem but light afflictions when we can hide ourselves beneath the bulwark of “he has said”?

Discontentment suddenly doesn’t seem so unreasonable. Some of them went without food — for Christ. Some of them had only the clothes on their back — for Christ. Some of them lost their homes — for Christ. Some of them “joyfully accepted the plundering of [their] property, since [they] knew that [they themselves] had a better possession and an abiding one” (Hebrews 10:34).

If they could be content with what they had, and didn’t have, how can we not learn to be content with what we have?

2 Corinthians 12:9 “And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”

Paul’s message is not like so many contentment gospels: If the Lord gives you less, make lemonade. Rather, he says, If Christ gives you less, boast in your less, because you get to see more of him in your less. His grace is sufficient to cover any deficiency in us. If God is that big, and grace that sweet, then we are able to say what the vast majority cannot say: 1 Timothy 6:8 “And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.”

God’s doctrine - God’s teaching

Count your masters worthy of all honor

Count

Masters - despot - This does not necessarily carry the same idea as our English word does. It references someone that has absolute and unrestricted authority over someone else.

Honor - same word used in 1 Timothy 5:17 “Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine.”

In 1 Timothy 3 classes of people are worthy of honor:

Widows

Pastors

Employers

Work hard so that he receives value.

JM - The church needs to rediscover a biblical theology of work.

Paul’s secondary purpose

1 Timothy 6:2 “And they that have believing masters, let them not despise them, because they are brethren; but rather do them service, because they are faithful and beloved, partakers of the benefit. These things teach and exhort.”

Audience is the slave - the one that is being disadvantaged.

If you have a believing Master

Class Warfare is not good for a community - it is a nail in the coffin for church unity.

Do not despise them

Despise - to think against them - to think down upon them

Many of the revolutions have occurred over money - class warfare to one degree or another.

Within our relationship with Christ there is equality: Galatians 3:28 “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.” However, at our workplace there is inequality between Masters and slaves.

Instead of despising them - do them service

Do them service - work hard - make them money.

Within church community there needs to be unity

Same family - brethren

2 adjectives that describe the master

Faithful

Beloved

A verb

Partakers - Share

Benefit

Acts 4:9 “If we this day be examined of the good deed done to the impotent man, by what means he is made whole;”

Sharing their wealth

Paul’s passion

1 Timothy 6:3–5 “If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself.”

“If” introduces a first class conditional clause and assumes reality.

Those who teach opposite: 1 Timothy 6:3–4 “If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings,”

Are rejecting the wholesome words of Jesus

Illnesses have symptoms. False teachers have symptoms.

They are not consenting to the wholesome words of Jesus

Sound words

They are not consenting to the doctrine that leads to godliness

Proud

1 Timothy 6:4–5 “He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself.”

He is proud

“Proud” - To puff up like a cloud of smoke - In our vernacular - blowing smoke or full of hot air.

Knows nothing

All of their perceived intelligence and scholar view point adds up to nothing with God.

Romans 1:22 “Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,”

Their actions lead to disorder, chaos, and violence.

Questions and strife of words

Questions - Speculation

Strife of words - Word battles.

Instead of unity, there is deep seated divisiveness.

Theology is corrupt

Warning - Stay away from them.

Perspective

1 Timothy 6:7–10 “For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content. But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.”

You are fighting over something that you cannot take with you - loving money focuses on the temporal rather than the eternal.

You are fighting against contentment

Wealthy leads to more harmful vices

What do you love.