1 Timothy 6:1-10, 17-19

Open your bibles this morning to 1 Timothy 6…

Chapter 6 is the end of Pauls letter, and before he gets to his salutations, he brings about some final instructions. The final piece to Paul’s instruction on honor is the slave and the master. And the greats warning to Timothy as he closes his letter is to refrain from the love of money and hold fast to Christ.

Lets stand and read our text this morning…

1 Timothy 6:1–10 LSB

All who are under the yoke as slaves are to regard their own masters as worthy of all honor so that the name of God and our doctrine will not be slandered. But those who have believers as their masters must not be disrespectful to them because they are brothers, but must serve them all the more, because those who partake of the benefit are believers and beloved. Teach and exhort these things. If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with sound words—those of our Lord Jesus Christ—and with the doctrine conforming to godliness, he is conceited, understanding nothing but having a morbid interest in controversial questions and disputes about words, out of which arise envy, strife, slander, evil suspicions, and constant friction between men of depraved mind and deprived of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain. But godliness actually is a means of great gain, when accompanied by contentment. For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either. And if we have food and covering, with these we shall be content. But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evils, and some by aspiring to it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

1 Timothy 6:17–19 LSB

Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty or to set their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy. Command them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is life indeed.

V 1, all of those under the yoke of slavery. I have taught on this before, but slavery in the scriptures was not like how our culture remembers slavery from the antebellum era. Slavery was very common in the ancient near east, and was becoming less common in the New Testament time period. However, in the roman world there were still many slaves.

A slave was not treated like we think of a slave being treated with whips and chains. In many senses they were brought in and protected and treated as a part of the family. This is true of ancient near eastern slavery in Israel as well. A part of God’s law was to protect the slave.

The slave in the New Testament was not working for the gain of the other person only… He or she was working to pay off a debt that had been bought by someone who was wealthy. Yes the slave owner would benefit from their labor, but there was a freedom, a debt being paid at the end of the tunnel. In a modern way, we could view many of us a slaves to a bank who owns our house, or credit card debt or car debt etc. They have bought it, and are allowing you to work it off.

So, the command in verse 1 is for the Christian who is working for a man or family that owns them that is not a christian. They are to honor them. Same word as used before… A respect, a care…Why? A number of reasons of course but I will give you two… 1 ) you want them to come to Christ too! You want to shine your light before them and them to see Christ in you! Honor is a good start… And 2) Non Christians are always looking for a way to slander the christian saying, oh I thought you were a Christian and all about love and honor and good will to men but here you disrespect me, you slander me, you lie to me, you do lazy work? We unfortunately will give them many reasons to do this as it is, so the command is so that we will be mindful of this and see to it that we are careful to give God glory and maximize our light in the world.

V 2, the same thing is to be said about Christian slaves who are working for Christian owners. They must not be disrespectful because they are brothers. Meaning, there might be a disposition in them to demand a pardon or leniency leveraged on their faith. This would come from a motivation of feeling lesser, or even trying to get out of their duty… But here is the thing, the one who receives the benefit is a brother! It is true we are to work in all things heartily unto the Lord. Whether for a Christian or non Christian. But what greater Joy to be working and benefiting one who is serving the same King!

In many ways the apostles and New Testament disciples saw themselves as slaves to Christ. Because Christ has done this same thing for us! He has bought our debt. The bible says the wage for sin is death. We have a monstrous debt toward God racked up due to our great sin nature… For God to be just He requires that debt must be paid in death. You must die… The amazing thing about Christ coming into the word is that He came to die our death. A debt was owed on your account… your life under the wrath of God for eternity. But it was paid for in full by Jesus’ death. He substituted his life for ours. The life that was required was paid for by Jesus.

We are slaves because He gave his life for ours. Those who come to Him to receive this, to accept that charges and the payment are his. We are not debtors any longer, we are free men and women in Christ. No one can collect or condemn you on account of your sin because in Christ it has been paid for. To be his slave is the first step of being welcomed into his house, then to be adopted into His family, and to be a legal heir to the riches of heaven. Thus, no matter what work we are doing, if you are the boss or the lowest on the pecking order, we do all things as though we are serving the Lord. Because again, no matter what employer we may belong to, it is Jesus who is our head, our King that is above all kings… our judge, our savior, and our brother.

V3 - 5 Then Paul moves into exhorting Timothy to teach and command these things… He has said this before and he says it again! If anyone teaches a different doctrine, anything different that what he has just commanded Timothy to teach, they are against Jesus Christ. Which means, some opposed this.

Paul says, verse three, they are Jesus’ words, HIS teaching. Paul is simply the messenger. Secondly, these people do not agree with doctrine, with teaching that conforms to godliness. Instead Paul says, this person who teaches otherwise is conceited… Or Proud. The word has to with a beclouded and stupid state of mind as a result of pride. This person has come to a place of settled pride. Starting their prideful journey in the past, they have done nothing to submit themselves to God but are now conformed to the image of their own lofty ideas rather than God’s. What is more Paul says they actually know nothing…

It’s ironic but sad because they actually believe they know everything! Instead of conforming and obeying the sound teaching of Jesus in faith, instead of searching the scriptures and seeking first the kingdom of God, they wage war against sound doctrine by always being morbidly interested in arguing… Yeah well, yeah well…This shows up in a congregational level when a member is argumentative to God’s word rather than submissive, and it shows up in a scholastic level when many theological side roads are taken to spin truth and promote the idea that the bible doesn’t mean what is says but, “what they really meant was”..… Always at war with the word, never content with the plain reading of what God said.

In fact these are the people who believe their religion, their piety, is a means of gain. Again, in the basic level these people say, “God will bless me for being a good christian boy or girl and saying my prayers and reading my bible and going to church. I will live a quiet happy comfortable life and I am entitled to it… I have put in the work!” We see this at a larger level in our Culture. In America religion has become a way to get ahead. Its amazing, all of the politicians are Christians and yet know nothing of submission to God’s word… And in the scholastic level this is where false teachers come from. Prostituting the faith for their own lavished living.

Now, That takes us through verse 5.. but I want to skip down to the last command Paul gives in this letter… It is in verse 17. He tells Timothy…

V17-19 To command those who are rich, as in earthly rich, this present age, to not be haughty. Tell me, who is the rich in this room today? All of you… All of us have considerably more resources at our fingertips than much of the rest of the world… So this is a word to all of us! There are some in this room that have been given more money by God than others, and to whom much is given, much is expected of them.

Command them not to be haughty… The word is literally high minded… Command them no to think of themselves as safe and secure because of their finances… A wealthy person has the temptation ever before them to set their hope on their riches. They believe that if they ever find themselves in trouble they have a pile of cash or retirement or this or that saved up and will find their way out of it… Not only that but they believe they can sway people with their money or material wealth and get what they want… They figure all this out because they give their life to their money. They study it. They wake up worried about it. They go to great lengths to protect it. Instead Paul says, youre wasting your time, find your hope in God who gives all things!

For, what money can save your soul? What stock options and 401k and retirement benefits can save you from the wrath of God? Jesus himself said, you can’t serve both God and money… It is impossible. Instead, Paul says, command them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share their money with others! Storing up for themselves that which is true treasure, work done in the name of Jesus. Catch this, gold that will withstand the fire on the day of judgment is not found in a bank, it is found in glory given to God. Why hold on to our resources and protect them when they are not ours anyway. When it is better to give than to receive.

But I skipped over a portion that is absolutely critical to pull together the entire end of the letter. What motivates a slave to work for his unsaved master with joy and respect? What motivates the christian to work for his christian brother with respect and duty and to stay to work off his debt indeed rather than weasel and guilt his way out of it? What is to motivate the poor to refrain from using the gospel as a means for gain? What is to motivate the wealthy to give generously and not hold back?

V6-10 godliness is a means of great gain… when paired with contentment.

Ah, contentment… are you content? Or complacent?

Contentment is an inward peace, an inward satisfaction. And when mixed with godliness it becomes an inward peace that is driven not by stoicism or self will, but by God. IN Philippians 4:11-13 Paul writes from jail “Not that I speak from want, for I learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am….” He is in jail! And says he is content..Could you go to prison right now and be at peace? He continues, “I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in abundance; in any and all things I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.”

Contentment mixed with Godliness says, I have christ! If I have an abundance, great. If I have little, great. It makes no difference to me because no material wealth can satisfy me… This is the mind of an ambassador. Christians must grasp this concept… We are ambassadors for Christ. Whether we are slaves, poor, rich, some where in the middle… Does when an ambassador of the US is in India, does he belong to the country he is in? No. Is his home there? No. So the Christian, a child of God, a member of the Kingdom that is invisible for now, indwelt with the spirit says also, “ I don’t belong here. What I have is borrowed. Every breathe, every dollar… And one day I will get home where my real possessions are. One day I will fly away to my home where I have need of nothing…”

Verse 7, He calls our attention to being created. We brought nothing into the world and won’t take anything out of it. It is interesting. Back in June, Adam and I had the opportunity to visit a museum of historical vehicles. They had lined up in there all sorts of cars, motorcycles, fire trucks… And even hearses… You know something, there were no u-hauls behind any of them. Jesus told a parable, a man had great wealth and thought, hmmm I need more barns to protect all my great stuff that will cause me to never need anything ever again… And that night he died. What did his stuff benefit his soul? It didn’t go with him to his judgment! Paul says in verse 8, If we have food and covering, we shall be content. We shall have enough to have an inward peace… Because ultimately our greatest treasure, the one who truly satisfies my soul, is Christ… Can you say that? Is Christ your satisfaction? I dare say that if he is not, and you are still on the run to find comfort or joy in climbing to the next thing, or acquiring the next thing, you don’t know Christ as well as you could…

Paul points something out to Timothy that is a timeless truth, there are those want to get rich. Like with gluttons, not all gluttons are fat… Not all lovers of money are rich… But they want more stuff. They live for it. It is what motivates them. I want the american dream! A bigger house. I want the nicer car. I want the fatter bank account, the nicer clothes, the fancier this or that… And I will get it… I will get it and then I will be happy.

That is different than, I am going to live as a steward the life that God has given to me. A life that is submitted to the will of God. And if I am able to buy a nice this or that, great…But I am content, knowing that I am reconciled with, and united with the God of the universe who has created all things… If he wants me to have it, I will have it. But until then, I want more of Him. You see there is one thing that we should crave and desire more than anything, that we can run and run and chase after as hard as we want… That is God himself…

There is a difference. One puts their hope, their drive, they’re all into the dream of stuff and the security of stuff. The other puts their hope, their drive, and their all in the will of God. Money is not evil, stuff is not evil, it is the LOVE of money… It is the treating money and your bank account and your budget and your retirement as golem from the lord of the ring treats his precious… IN fact here is a promise for you…

Hebrews 13:5-6 “Make sure that your way of life is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you,” so that we confidently say, “The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid. What will man do to me?””…

Play that in reverse, if your life is consumed with the love of money God is not with you. There is no protection found in your wealth in this life or when you stand at the judgment at the end of your life face to face before the God. There is no earthly title that will make God more proud of you or appease him. But what will? It is Christ. Consume yourself with Christ. Be content with Christ and Christ alone. Whether in affliction, or blessing, or mundane…

Jeremiah burrows once said…

“It is but one side of a Christian to endeavour to do what pleases God; you must as well endeavour to be pleased with what God does.”

have you come to this place? To say, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. My life is not my own. My will is not my own. My heart is not my own. And thanks be to God.