1 Timothy 6:17-21
17: Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy.
18: Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share,
19: 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.
20: O Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you, avoiding worldly and empty chatter and the opposing arguments of what is falsely called “knowledge”—
20: O Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you, avoiding worldly and empty chatter and the opposing arguments of what is falsely called “knowledge”—
21: which some have professed and thus gone astray from the faith. Grace be with you.
Possibly to bring clarification to his statement in verses 5-10 regarding those who desire to be rich and the love of money, Paul gave instructions to the rich, so as not to give the impression that possessing wealth is wrong in and of itself. He told Timothy to instruct the rich not to think they are better than those without wealth. Nor are they to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches.
Riches are not a stable force in the earth. Wealth shifts. It comes and goes. It fluctuates. It’s not anything to be relied upon. It can be lost, stolen, or corrupted. Yet God is a stable rock in whom we can trust, and He supplies us richly with all things to enjoy. The point is to trust in Him instead of riches (Matthew 6:19-21).
Paul also told Timothy to instruct the rich to do good, to be generous, and ready to share. Wealth which doesn’t flow becomes stagnant, stale, and corrupted. By following these instructions, the wealthy would be storing up a good foundation for the future, preparing themselves for whatever might come. It’s not wealth which will keep us prepared and safe, its faith in God and abiding by His Word. Not only that, but they would be able to take hold of true life, that which would not slip away from their grasp, but remain forever.
Paul affectionately closed the letter by giving Timothy final instructions to guard what had been entrusted to him—the sound doctrine of the gospel. He told him to avoid the worldly chatter and arguments which oppose the truth. The false knowledge—even that which presents itself as factual, which seems to have a basis for argument--in reality is unsubstantiated conclusions when compared with truth. Some "believers" had already professed belief in these things, and gone astray from the faith.
It's not just unbelievers who are in danger of being deceived, its believers too. We must not think that we are incapable of being deceived. We must always stay close to the Lord and His Word, so we are always prepared for the many deceptive concepts and ideas that present themselves to us. Additionally, it’s not just worldly concepts we need to guard against, it’s supposed religious ideas and teachings. Many false teachers, whether intentionally or because they are deceived themselves, will present ideas which appear to be biblical, but are not. We judge all things by the Word and by the Spirit of God.
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Possibly to bring clarification to his statement in verses 5-10 regarding those who desire to be rich and the love of money, Paul gave instructions to the rich, so as not to give the impression that possessing wealth is wrong in and of itself. He told Timothy to instruct the rich not to think they are better than those without wealth. Nor are they to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches.
Riches are not a stable force in the earth. Wealth shifts. It comes and goes. It fluctuates. It’s not anything to be relied upon. It can be lost, stolen, or corrupted. Yet God is a stable rock in whom we can trust, and He supplies us richly with all things to enjoy. The point is to trust in Him instead of riches (Matthew 6:19-21).
Paul also told Timothy to instruct the rich to do good, to be generous, and ready to share. Wealth which doesn’t flow becomes stagnant, stale, and corrupted. By following these instructions, the wealthy would be storing up a good foundation for the future, preparing themselves for whatever might come. It’s not wealth which will keep us prepared and safe, its faith in God and abiding by His Word. Not only that, but they would be able to take hold of true life, that which would not slip away from their grasp, but remain forever.
Paul affectionately closed the letter by giving Timothy final instructions to guard what had been entrusted to him—the sound doctrine of the gospel. He told him to avoid the worldly chatter and arguments which oppose the truth. The false knowledge—even that which presents itself as factual, which seems to have a basis for argument--in reality is unsubstantiated conclusions when compared with truth. Some "believers" had already professed belief in these things, and gone astray from the faith.
It's not just unbelievers who are in danger of being deceived, its believers too. We must not think that we are incapable of being deceived. We must always stay close to the Lord and His Word, so we are always prepared for the many deceptive concepts and ideas that present themselves to us. Additionally, it’s not just worldly concepts we need to guard against, it’s supposed religious ideas and teachings. Many false teachers, whether intentionally or because they are deceived themselves, will present ideas which appear to be biblical, but are not. We judge all things by the Word and by the Spirit of God.
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