1 Timothy 6

Paul's Closing Instructions to Timothy

 1 Timothy 6

1-2 Masters and Servants

3-5 Pride and Error

6-10 Contentment and Greed

11-16 Fight the Good Fight

17-19 Commands for the Rich

20-21 Guard the Faith
 Masters and Servants
1 Let as many bondservants as are under the yoke
count their own masters worthy of all honor, so
that the name of God and His doctrine may not
be blasphemed.
2 And those who have believing masters, let them
not despise them because they are brethren, but
rather serve them because those who are
benefited are believers and beloved. Teach and
exhort these things.
The history of the early church reveals that
Christian slaves generally commanded a higher
price on the slave market than unbelievers. If a
master knew that a certain slave on the auction
block was a Christian, he would generally be
willing to pay more for that slave, since he knew
that the slave would serve him faithfully and
well. This is high tribute to the Christian faith.
-McDonald
 Philippians 2: Unity in Christ
1 Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if
any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the
Spirit, if any affection and mercy,
2 fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the
same love, being of one accord, of one mind.
3 Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or
conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem
others better than himself.
4 Let each of you look out not only for his own
interests, but also for the interests of others.
 Galatians 3: One in Christ
26 For you are all sons of God through faith in
Christ Jesus.
27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ
have put on Christ.
28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither
slave nor free, there is neither male nor female;
for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
 1 Corinthians 7: Live as You are
Called
17 But as God has distributed to each one, as the Lord has called
each one, so let him walk. And so I ordain in all the churches.
18 Was anyone called while circumcised? Let him not become
uncircumcised. Was anyone called while uncircumcised? Let
him not be circumcised.
19 Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing, but
keeping the commandments of God is what matters.
20 Let each one remain in the same calling in which he was
called.
21 Were you called while a slave? Do not be concerned about it;
but if you can be made free, rather use it.
22 For he who is called in the Lord while a slave is the Lord’s
freedman. Likewise he who is called while free is Christ’s slave.
23 You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of men.
24 Brethren, let each one remain with God in that state in which
he was called.
It has often been pointed out that the institution
of slavery is not openly condemned in the NT.
However, as the teachings of Christianity have
spread, the abuses of slavery have been
abolished.
-McDonald
 Dealing With Injustice

Husbands/Wives

Parents/Children

Masters/Servants

Citizens

Matthew 5
39 But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever
slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.
40 If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let
him have your cloak also.
41 And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him
two.
 1 Timothy 6

1-2 Masters and Servants

3-5 Pride and Error

6-10 Contentment and Greed

11-16 Fight the Good Fight

17-19 Commands for the Rich

20-21 Guard the Faith
 Pride and Error
3 If anyone teaches otherwise and does not
consent to wholesome words, even the words of
our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which
accords with godliness,
4 he is proud, knowing nothing, but is obsessed
with disputes and arguments over words, from
which come envy, strife, reviling, evil suspicions,

5 useless wranglings of men of corrupt minds

and destitute of the truth, who suppose that
godliness is a means of gain. From such
withdraw yourself.
 1 Timothy 6

1-2 Masters and Servants

3-5 Pride and Error

6-10 Contentment and
Greed

11-16 Fight the Good Fight

17-19 Commands for the Rich

20-21 Guard the Faith
 Contentment and Greed
6 Now godliness with contentment is great gain.
7 For we brought nothing into this world, and it
is certain we can carry nothing out.
8 And having food and clothing, with these we
shall be content.

Temporal: of or relating to time as opposed to eternity

1 Tim 5:8 But if anyone does not provide for his own,
and especially for those of his household, he has
denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

Col 3:23 And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the
Lord and not to men.
 Contentment and Greed
9 But those who desire to be rich fall into
temptation and a snare, and into many foolish
and harmful lusts which drown men in
destruction and perdition.


Matt 6:21 For where your treasure is, there your
heart will be also.
 Contentment and Greed
10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of
evil, for which some have strayed from the faith
in their greediness, and pierced themselves
through with many sorrows.
I want to be rich and I want lots of money...
...I...will be shameless 'cause everyone knows that’s how
you get famous...
...everything's cool as long as I’m getting thinner.

I don’t know what’s right and what’s real anymore

I don’t know how I’m meant to feel anymore
When do you think it will all become clear?
‘Cause I’m being taken over by The Fear.
 Ecclesiastes 5: The Curiously
Unsatisfying Nature of Riches
10 He who loves silver will not be satisfied with silver; Nor he
who loves abundance, with increase. This also is vanity.
11 When goods increase, They increase who eat them; So
what profit have the owners Except to see them with their
eyes?
12 The sleep of a laboring man is sweet, Whether he eats
little or much; But the abundance of the rich will not
permit him to sleep.
13 There is a severe evil which I have seen under the sun:
Riches kept for their owner to his hurt.
14 But those riches perish through misfortune...

1 Tim 6:6 Now godliness with contentment is great gain.
Don't seek riches—seek God.
 1 Timothy 6

1-2 Masters and Servants

3-5 Pride and Error

6-10 Contentment and Greed

11-16 Fight the Good Fight

17-19 Commands for the Rich

20-21 Guard the Faith
 Fight the Good Fight
11 But you, O man of God, flee these things and
pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love,
patience, gentleness.
12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on
eternal life, to which you were also called and
have confessed the good confession in the
presence of many witnesses.
 Fight the Good Fight
13 I urge you in the sight of God who gives life to all
things, and before Christ Jesus who witnessed the good
confession before Pontius Pilate,
14 that you keep this commandment without spot,
blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ’s appearing,
15 which He will manifest in His own time, He who is
the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and
Lord of lords,
16 who alone has immortality, dwelling in
unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can
see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen.
 1 Timothy 6

1-2 Masters and Servants

3-5 Pride and Error

6-10 Contentment and Greed

11-16 Fight the Good Fight

17-19 Commands for the Rich

20-21 Guard the Faith
 Commands for the Rich
17 Command those who are rich in this present
age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain
riches but in the living God, who gives us richly
all things to enjoy.

Matt 6:11 Give us this day our daily bread.

Prov 30:8 ...Give me neither poverty nor riches
—Feed me with the food allotted to me;
9 Lest I be full and deny You, And say, “Who is
the LORD?” Or lest I be poor and steal, And
profane the name of my God.
 Commands for the Rich
18 Let them do good, that they be rich in good
works, ready to give, willing to share,
19 storing up for themselves a good foundation
for the time to come, that they may lay hold on
eternal life.

"He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to

gain that which he cannot lose."
-Jim Elliot
 1 Timothy 6

1-2 Masters and Servants

3-5 Pride and Error

6-10 Contentment and Greed

11-16 Fight the Good Fight

17-19 Commands for the Rich

20-21 Guard the Faith
 Guard the Faith
20 O Timothy! Guard what was committed to your
trust, avoiding the profane and idle babblings
and contradictions of what is falsely called
knowledge-
21 by professing it some have strayed
concerning the faith. Grace be with you. Amen.
 Application

As Christians slaves were called to do, we also
must be godly in the face of injustice

Be content: seek God, not gain

Always be mindful of our constant and real
need for God