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1 TIMOTHY CHAPTER 6 KJV WEB See previous page 1Tim 6,1-5 (95i) Thy kingdom come >> Attitude >> Having an obedient attitude >> Attitude of a servant 1Tim 6-1,2 (13i) Servant >> Support the body >> Servant in the work force – Paul taught the Church to avoid giving people reason to hold Christianity in contempt, that Christians should work at their jobs harder than than those in the world, that they might be a good example to their employers and those observing them, and that if their employer were a Christian, not to take advantage of him but serve him all the more. Paul didn’t want the name of God or the doctrines of the faith to be slandered. Christianity back then was considered a sect of Judaism, and Paul wanted it to remain unstained, in order to attract people to the faith without having to say a word. He wanted people to know there was something special about them, that those asked to give an account of their faith would always be prepared to give it, and people would know that becoming a disciple of Jesus would benefit anyone who walked by His teachings. (73g) Authority >> Respect Positions Of Authority >> Respect your boss at work (131f) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Unity >> Brother depends on you >> To do the will of God 1Tim 6-1 (9a) Responsibility >> Prevent being blamed for something you did not do >> Prevent accusations (142h) Witness >> Validity of Jesus Christ >> Witnesses of Jesus >> Reputation exposed to slander >> Protect your reputation – Scripture teaches to respect authority in the world, such as our boss at work, treating him with honor because of his authority and not to undermine him or to rebel against him. We do this to protect the name of God and our doctrines. If we quarrel with our boss or disrespect him, how is the Church supposed to teach that we are to love one another and treat each other with dignity? We are to practice love both inside and outside the Church and follow a homogenous standard of conduct. We are not to behave one way in a situation and another way in a different situation, as though we were chameleons, able to change our color to suit the environment; that is hypocrisy. Paul wanted us to be a single lump of dough so that one piece is the same as the next. Every aspect of our lives should be a representative sample of Christianity, corroborating or faith. 1Tim 6-2 (230f) Kingdom of God >> God’s kingdom is a living organism >> Partaking >> Partaking of the ministry of the saints (239k) Kingdom of God >> Pursuing the kingdom >> Pursuing the knowledge of the kingdom >> Teachers >> Let not many of you become teachers >> Dividing accurately the word of truth -- This verse goes with verses 17&18 1Tim 6,3-10 (177e) Works of the devil >> The religion of witchcraft >> False doctrine >> Doctrine that tickles your ears (223f) Kingdom of God >> The elusive Kingdom of Heaven >> Miss God >> Missing the point >> Miss the meaning of the truth KJV WEB / Navigation Bar 1Tim 6,3-5 (16i) Sin >> Continuing in sin to avoid the light >> Deny the truth (19g) Sin >> Having the mental disease of the world >> Man’s twisted understanding – Paul wrote about godliness in reference to our works, so those who claimed that works are of no consequence to our eternal salvation were sorely confused. Paul spoke more about godliness than anyone, except Jesus Christ Himself, and in this particular case he was saying that anyone who would distort his words to make him say we don’t need to obey the truth—we only need to believe it—is conceited and understands nothing, but would argue about controversial questions and disputes about words to avoid the truth. Anyone who believes that maintaining the law of God is no longer relevant has a depraved mind and is deprived of the truth, as though godliness were a means to an end. Paul was a teacher of righteousness, serving God through a clear conscience, and in these verses he taught that godliness is the goal. (24j) Sin >> Poverty (Forms of fear) >> World is envious of Jesus (41k) Judgment >> Satan destroyed >> Be like Jesus >> – When we meet a bona fide Christian who loves the Lord, spiritual fellowship naturally flows through them, but those to whom Paul referred were just the opposite; after a conversation with them we feel deflated. They also have a tendency to believe in doctrines of a cult, suggesting that the truth does not attract them. Godliness is the very epitome of living the truth, though it does not speak about the law but inadvertently satisfies its requirement, for all aspects of the law are godly. It is interesting that godliness is not a fruit of the Spirit, yet combined the fruits of the Spirit establish godliness. Therefore, godliness is what pretenders avoid, replacing it with constant friction. (75f) Thy kingdom come >> Motives >> Being manipulative >> Questioning God’s authority (76a) Thy kingdom come >> Hidden motives >> Motives based on selfish ambition – There are those in church who fool people to believe they are Christians; they are actors; they behave one way in front of Christians and a totally different way in front of their friends and family. They have a lifestyle that is contrary to Christianity, yet they enjoy the environment of the Church, because in their eyes it is rich in opportunity to exploit people who have lowered their guard. Their consideration of godliness has reduced to a means of gaining advantage over the unsuspecting. The only thing they are willing to invest is their theatrical skills, but they are not vested in the faith. (78g) Thy kingdom come >> Sincerity >> Embracing your first love >> Simplicity of faith (90i) Thy kingdom come >> Keeping the law >> Righteousness of the law >> All righteousness is covered by the law – If we believe in God with a clear conscience, we will know how God wants us to live. To maintain a clear conscience, we will need to live according to His will, which the Ten Commandments outline. What good thing can we do that is not covered by the law? The statement, "love your neighbor as yourself," was taken from an obscure verse (Lev 19-18), after the law was given. Jesus pulled this statement from anonymity, polished it and set in on the mantle of faith as a trophy that summarizes the entire law and the prophets. We only need to add love for God to accomplish everything He would have us do. However, there are people in the Church with ulterior motives for appearing righteous before men. Whoever is faking Christianity and pretending to be nice thinks that godliness is a means of gain, though Paul said, “godliness is a means of great gain, when accompanied by contentment,” which is not something the ungodly prize, for their real quarry is the treasures of the world. (158c) Works of the devil >> Essential characteristics >> Divide and conquer >> Strife >> Contentions, especially about words (semantics) -- These verses go with verses 20&21. The problem with controversy in a discussion is that both parties by definition are contentious and therefore wrong. To win a dispute is meaningless, for the person getting his point across has not won an intellectual battle, but has only bolstered his pride. Paul was protecting the Church from those who have a problem with the doctrines conforming to godliness. If a person is contentious, it is an indication that his main goal in life is not pursuing the fruits of the Spirit, which are the core of Christianity, but would instead argue about them. People who live and walk by a contentious attitude generally are Christians in name only. Show me a contentious person, and I will show you a person who is not attempting to establish godliness in his life. Show me a contentious person and I will show you someone who is envious and full of strife and abusive in speech. Show me a person who does not conform to godliness, and I will show you someone who is full of evil suspicions, but forgives his own inconsistencies. Show me a person who uses a Bible dictionary without considering the context of a statement, and I will show you someone who is deprived of the truth, who “has a morbid interest in controversial questions and disputes about words.” Show me a contentious spirit and I will show you a person who is in a perpetual state of friction, who has a depraved mind, “who supposes that godliness is a means of gain.” (172ab) Works of the devil >> Manifestations of the devil >> Tares among the wheat >> Devils among the saints >> False brethren among the people of God >> Legalists among the liberated (175j) Works of the devil >> The religion of witchcraft >> Ignorance >> Ignorant of what God means >> Ignorant of the meaning of God’s word – Instead of pursuing godliness which has intrinsic value, many use it as a mask to give themselves the appearance of righteousness for the purpose of infiltrating groups and exploiting Christians. They have a depraved mind, yet they can quote Scripture; they are deprived of the truth. There is a huge difference between knowing what the Bible says and knowing the truth. “The truth is in Jesus” (Eph 4-21), who sent the Holy Spirit in His place, so those who would fake godliness do not have Him indwelling in them. They cannot hear His voice, hence they do not know the truth. Rom 8-16 says, “The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and 2Tim 2-19 says, “The Lord knows those who are His.” We too should have an idea who are the true brethren, and who are merely faking Christianity. (176i) False Doctrine (Key verse) (212e) Sovereignty >> God is infinite >> He is the creator >> Evolution (Defaming God) >> The scientific mind cannot know God (223c) Kingdom of God >> The elusive Kingdom of Heaven >> Conceit >> Imposing your opinion of self on others >> Cliques make people seek your acceptance – Paul said that the pretender is conceited, feeling superior to others. Being phony, he can play any part, and when he begins to defend his beliefs, students of the word will notice that he doesn't correlate with the Scriptures, and he contradicts himself, demonstrating very little understanding of the Bible. He will bring up meaningless points that revolve around morbid interests in controversial questions and disputes about words. That is, he becomes semantic and starts arguments to distract attention off the real issue at hand, which is his lack of relationship with Christ, cloaked in “debate”. People who love to debate are contentious, which is one of the signs of a pretender and spiritual liar. His method is to deflect the conversation into argumentation about words and definitions that can persist indefinitely, and nobody benefits, being the opposite of spiritual fellowship. KJV WEB / Navigation Bar 1Tim 6-4,5 (21m) Sin >> Greed tries to satisfy man’s need for security >> The love of money -- These verses go with verses 9&10 1Tim 6-4 (22k) Sin >> Pride glorifies self >> Being wise in your own eyes 1Tim 6,5-12 (249b) Priorities >> God’ s preeminence >> Wealth >> True perception of wealth >> Do not trust the carnal perception of wealth >> Do not pursue wealth – The flipside of contentment is the love of money, the root of all evil (KJV). The hippies of the 60’s movement were content with less, but overall they weren’t godly. They sought contentment as a means of pursuing their selfish, hedonistic lifestyles, but neither contentment nor godliness promises fulfilled desires of the flesh, so the hippy movement faded, proving their insincerity. Today’s world of yuppies is in hot pursuit of the almighty dollar, going the opposite direction, though many are the same people as the hippies. They try to use their money to prove their godliness, but the love of money and the love of God don't mix. 1Tim 6-5,6 (231b) Kingdom of God >> God’s kingdom is a living organism >> Mystery of godliness >> Solving the mystery of godliness >> The mystery is solved in contentment – Without contentment people use godliness to achieve their personal goals, and there is no proof that godliness is real, but with contentment it is substantiated. To be content with less is a gift from God, since the flesh has an inherent desire for more. When we become content with less, it indicates that the Kingdom of God is growing within us. Godliness and contentment are intrinsically tied together and have a relationship similar to faith and love; in fact, they are all mentioned in this chapter. As love is the prime motivator of faith, so contentment is the prime motivator of godliness. Many religious liars are infatuated with money, but contentment proves the motives of godly people. Godliness has only one objective, which is to do the will of God, and contentment is the means by which we serve Him. 1Tim 6-5 (81i) Thy kingdom come >> Pray without ceasing >> Sinning from a lack of prayer (163c) Works of the devil >> Being a slave to the devil (Addictions) >> Bondage >> Being slaves of men >> Being a slave to greed -- This verse goes with verse 9 (182k) Works of the devil >> The origin of lawlessness >> Deception >> Deceitfulness of riches -- This verse goes with verses 9&10 (197a) Denying Christ >> Man exercises his will against God >> Spiritual laziness >> Rebelling Against what God wants you to do >> Refusing to renew your mind – Some people put on a good show until we confront them. Godliness is a point of contention with some, because it addresses the fact that their conscience is weak toward God. People can pretend to be Christian and are good at fooling members in the church where the word of God is not preached and where the people are not committed to the Scriptures, but churches where members are students of the Bible and disciples of prayer are not where pretenders like to hide, because they are easily exposed. 1Tim 6,6-10 (94o) Thy kingdom come >> Perspective is your personal reality >> How your location influences you 1Tim 6,6-9 (120j) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Contentment >> Content with your standard of living >> Content with the means God gives you -- These verses go with verses 17-19. The attitude of godliness is contentment. When we put these two together, we discover God in our life with the Holy Spirit directing us into all the truth. Walking by faith in the Spirit with the brethren creates an atmosphere and environment that is conducive to righteousness that will remain so long as we live by its principles, but the pursuit of materialism brings pain and suffering. Along our journey we bear witness of evil in the world that depends on money. With that we have two choices: either we will pursue the things of the world that money can buy at the sacrifice of contentment, or we achieve our heart’s desire that God planted in us for free as we pursue godliness through contentment. 1Tim 6,6-8 (189d) Die to self (Process of substitution) >> Separation from the old man >> Holy sacrifice >> Costly sacrifice -- These verses go with verses 17&18. We can't take anything with us to heaven, so our best choice is to sacrifice this life in all its false promises of happiness and fulfillment, and take hold of that which is life indeed, referring to God's promise in the life to come to forever fill us with joy unspeakable and full of glory (1Pet 1-8). However, in the Millennium we will come back to this very planet before He makes all things new, and if we have set anything aside in a time capsule, we can retrieve it and own it during the Millennium. Once the thousand years is complete, we will lose all our possessions that we have accumulated during the Millennium when we return to heaven, unless God makes an exception, which He has been known to do (Mat 15,22-28). 1Tim 6-6 (108a) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Balance between truth and error >> Wisdom brings balance between truth and error (206b) Salvation >> God makes promises on His terms >> Conditions to promises >> Conditions to living in the spirit >> Conditions to participating in the spirit – The word "godliness" is more than a general description of a way of life; godliness is what God is making in us. If our good works fully described us, we are just good people, and Jesus forewarned us that there are no good people (Mk 10-18). We are better than good; we are God's people! Therefore, the gain of godliness is more than what we do, it is to whom we belong. Godliness and contentment work together to create the substance of faith. That is why God is offended when we are not content with Him. 1Tim 6,9-11 (162j) Works of the devil >> Being a slave to the devil (Addictions) >> Bondage >> Being slaves of men >> Bad company >> Do not associate with people who practice sin (164g) Works of the devil >> Manifestations of the devil >> The world system >> Satan’s system of authority >> His elementary principles of the world KJV WEB / Navigation Bar 1Tim 6-9,10 (19h) Sin >> Having the mental disease of the world >> Worldly influence on the mind – The New Testament does not correlate the love of money with the love of God, yet the Church has been trying to marry money to the gospel ever since Jesus died for our sins, but they are like oil and water; they do not mix. An emulsifier is a reagent that is introduced between two dissimilar chemicals that allow them to mesh their properties to become a homogenous solution. Milk, for example, in the dairy industry adds an emulsifier to keep the cream from separating and rising to the top. In this discussion the emulsifier between the love of money and the love of God that makes them appear compatible is self-deception regarding their so-called faith in God, but there are intrinsic problems with this. First, there is the problem with money itself, which has a way of steering people away from God. To be financially wealthy gives the false impression that the rich man has God's blessing, and they assume their eternal salvation is also secure, but this is a deception. Then, the time and effort they devote to their pursuit of money takes away from their pursuit of God. Imagine the relationship they could have with God had they spent as much time and effort seeking Him as they did pursuing the almighty dollar! (21m) Sin >> Greed tries to satisfy man’s need for security >> The love of money -- These verses go with verse 17 (78o) Thy kingdom come >> Renewing your mind >> Putting your heart on display >> Consequence of not renewing your mind (96m) Thy kingdom come >> Having a negative attitude about sin >> Having an attitude of greed – People go into debt spending money they don’t have, yet paying off their credit cards and mortgages is in the interest of neither the borrower nor the lender, which makes the world all the more bizarre. Another word for materialism is hedonism, the pursuit of pleasure. No idol has ever satisfied anybody. People buy expensive toys because they think it will make them happy, but no idol has ever satisfied anyone's wanderlust. (160k) Works of the devil >> Temptation to walk in unbelief >> Tempted to pursue your addictions (161b) Works of the devil >> Wandering from the character of God >> Wandering from the faith -- These verses go with verses 20&21. When Paul said that “The love of money is a root of all sorts of evil,” naming greed as one of the great evils, it must make room for man’s arrogant pride. That was the cause of man’s first sin after he was tempted to be like God, though he was already made in his image. Adam had a relationship with God, regularly spending time talking with him in the cool of the day; then the devil appealed to his pride. Adam may have been the most intelligent man who ever lived, yet his intellect didn’t keep him from falling into sin, hence the difference between intelligence and wisdom. Adam’s intellect was high enough that he could have managed a kingdom that far exceeded anything man has ever known, but he traded it all for the possibility of being like God in ways that He did not authorize. Here’s the part that is complicated: Satan told Adam the truth! That is, man is more like God now that he ate the fruit and has come to the knowledge of sin. That is, Satan told Adam the truth, but he had evil motives for speaking to him in the first place, so even the truth is false when the devil says it. For this reason it is impossible for Satan to tell the truth, for the opposite reason it is impossible for God to lie, because His motives are always good. God knew man would fall; he expected it and even wanted him to fall, because now God has created man in a way that is more like Him than ever. In other words, God is not done creating man in His image, and if He isn’t done by now, then He never will finish creating man in His image. In a million-billion years from now, we will be all the more like God, until at the end of eternity we will finally be like God, yet just as much realizing that we are not God. He is creating man humble enough to be trusted with the likeness of God. See also: God intended Adam to eat the forbidden fruit (He is still making man); Heb 3,1-6; 231h (182k) Works of the devil >> The origin of lawlessness >> Deception >> Deceitfulness of riches -- These verses go with verse 5 (190d) Die to self (Process of substitution) >> Separation from the old man >> Masochism (Self-made martyr) >> Self-afflictions that are against the will of God (195a) Denying Christ >> Man exercises his will against God >> Idolatry >> Serving two masters >> You can only love one at a time (199h) Denying Christ >> Man chooses his own destiny apart from God >> Rejecting Christ >> The world rejects God >> Rejecting Christ to keep the world (202b) Denying Christ >> Man chooses his own destiny apart from God >> Running from God >> Running to your sinful nature >> Run from God by running to the world (251c) Priorities >> God’s prerequisites >> Making plans >> Making evil plans – Some try to manipulate their own minds and say money is not the root of all evil; rather, the love of money is the root of all evil. Although this is true, yet really what’s the difference? The person who doesn’t pursue money though it falls in his lap wouldn’t value it, compared to the person who sought it with all his heart. Some people don’t have much use for it besides paying bills and buying his daily needs; then there are others who can’t seem to get enough of it. They hunt for it, working 70-80 hours a week, investing years in college, hopefully to find a place on Wall Street. Regardless how he chases down the almighty dollar, it is impossible to say that he doesn’t love it. If we pursue money, then we love it, and if we love it, then this passage applies to us. Paul is speaking foremostly to Christians, in that non-Christians can suffer this fate and no one really notices, since this is the way of the world, but Christians are called to a higher purpose than the love of money, making our sin all the more evil, and great harm to our person, plunging us into ruin and destruction. To the so-called Christian who is a lover of money, Jesus said, “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth” (Mat 6-24). We cannot mix the love of God with the love of money, for these two oppose each other. To gain the world’s treasures we must be committed to pursuing them, which invariably takes from our commitment to God. It is what Paul said in Gal 5-17, “The flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please.” 1Tim 6-9 (163c) Works of the devil >> Being a slave to the devil (Addictions) >> Bondage >> Being slaves of men >> Being a slave to greed -- This verse goes with verse 5 (186d) Works of the devil >> The result of lawlessness >> The reprobate >> Man’s role in becoming a reprobate >> The fool >> The fool throws Jesus away for something better >> The world betrayed the Lord 1Tim 6-10 (204c) Denying Christ >> Man chooses his own destiny apart from God >> Back-slider >> Practicing sin >> Withdrawing from a righteous standard (207d) Salvation >> God makes promises on His terms >> Eternal security? >> You can get lost again -- This verse goes with verses 20&21. People in today’s church have devised a doctrine they call eternal security; once saved always saved, they chant, finding a couple verses that seem to correspond with their beliefs and ignore the dozens of passages that conflict. In combination with their love of money and their doctrine of eternal security, they surmise that they will always be destined for heaven, so they can defraud as many people as they want and it won’t pose any threat to their eternal security, because they can’t lose their salvation. They want it all; they want the highlife now and they also want to go to heaven and walk on streets of gold, but Jesus said we had to pick one (Lk 16-13). Those who want it all, the real reason they have chosen this life over the life to come, they don’t really believe in God. Maybe they said the sinner’s prayer and really meant it, but in their minds they hold out the possibility that the Bible is not true, whereas they can see that the world is real (that too is a deception). So according to the proverb, ‘A bird in hand is worth two in the bush,’ they commit to this life at the expense of their faith in God, figuring they will go to heaven anyway because of their contrived eternal security clause. God would tell them, ‘If you want this life, then you shall have your reward in full,’ but those who commit to the hope of eternal life, their reward will never end. KJV WEB / Navigation Bar 1Tim 6-11,12 (46e) Judgment >> Spiritual warfare >> Subjecting your flesh >> Being fearless in battle – Why must we fight if we are willing to serve God? Jesus said in Mk 14-38, “The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak;” He didn’t say the flesh was willing. The flesh benefits from doing the will of God, but it has no immediate incentive to obey him, and we know the flesh is geared toward immediate rewards, so we must fight to subject our flesh to the will of the Spirit. If we let our flesh lead, we will soon find our ship stuck on a reef and being torn apart by the waves. Our fight is to take hold of the eternal life that we already possess. It is not enough to merely possess eternal life like a knife in our front pocket; he wants us to take hold of it like a sword in our spirit and wield it in the face of our enemy; this is called working the grace of God. We can’t just let God work His grace in our lives; we must work with Him and get involved in our own salvation. (106l) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Hearing from God >> Purpose of hearing from God >> To protect your faith -- These verses go with verses 20&21 1Tim 6-11 (99k) Thy kingdom come >> Perseverance (Working to keep in motion) >> Persevere in doing good – Not every Christian wants to be a disciple of Jesus; they don’t want to commit to the faith; they just want to get saved and continue with their lives; but disciples of Jesus want to lead a wholesome life, raise a family, train their children to obey Christ, honor His laws, go to church and attend Bible study. Such a lifestyle befits salvation. Timothy was a disciple of Jesus, and the apostle Paul charged him to take responsibility for the believers under his care and teach them to pursue godliness. God is always trying to get His believers involved in their faith to become disciples. We should all be students of His word and disciples of prayer and commit to love and good works. (125ba) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Faith and love in equal measure – There are two things Paul reiterated throughout First and Second Timothy and in Titus: godliness and faith & love. These are extremely important to us as the people of God. Faith is the workhorse that produces the fruits of the Spirit, and the goal of that fruit is godliness. We have faith > fruit > godliness in that order. Faith & love are similar to godliness & contentment; these pairs are sisters. (127o) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Goodness >> Overcome evil with good (128e) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Gentleness >> Be gentle in all your ways >> Put gentleness in your character (192k) Die to self (Process of substitution) >> Turn from sin to God >> Repent >> Stop practicing sin >> Run from sin (193k) Die to self (Process of substitution) >> Turn from sin to God >> Run to God >> Run to God to avoid running from Him – Paul said these things to Timothy and Titus, but he implied them for us all. We must get actively involved in our faith or it will die. There are forces in our lives that are pushing us in the opposite direction of God, and for this reason we need to push back; otherwise, we will follow them and our faith will become a distant memory as something that we once believed, and Satan will make sure that we remember it with distain, so we don’t go back to it. These forces can be convincing, though it is more like someone trying to convince us that two plus two equals something other than four. These forces want to drive us from our convictions and from things we know are true. One person says these are demonic forces and another says they are forces that reside within our flesh, and both are right. (250k) Priorities >> God’s prerequisites >> Lists >> Terms of graduating to the next level >> List of spiritual traits in descending order 1Tim 6-12,13 (150e) Witness >> Validity of Jesus Christ >> Works of the Church bear witness of Jesus >> Confessing Jesus >> Making the good confession (Son of God) 1Tim 6-12 (91g) Thy kingdom come >> The called >> Walking along the narrow way >> Responding to the call of God (232i) Kingdom of God >> Pursuing the kingdom >> Seeking the kingdom >> Embrace (Jesus during the storm) >> Take hold of the hope of His purpose -- This verse goes with verses 18&19 (244e) Kingdom of God >> The eternal kingdom >> Eternal life of the trinity >> Father is the source of eternal life KJV WEB / Navigation Bar 1Tim 6-13,14 (7b) Responsibility >> Protecting the Gospel >> Defend the word of God by obeying it – Paul charged Timothy to maintain the doctrines that he received from the apostles. Note that he didn’t charge Timothy to maintain the Scriptures but the doctrines that Paul extrapolated from the Scriptures. That is, he charged Timothy to maintain the emphasis and interpretation of Scripture as Paul presented them. He was afraid that people would not live up to the truth and would malign the gospel by inventing doctrines that corresponded with their behavior, instead of subjecting their flesh to model after the truth. In the last 2000 years those doctrines have been muddied, though the Scriptures themselves read largely the same as when they were written. People's conduct doesn't often reflect what they believe, so they have slowly changed what they believed to correspond with their behavior. It is not easy to live up to our own standards, but we shouldn’t make excuses for ourselves, and especially we shouldn't write those excuses into our doctrines, diluting them to the level of our flesh's unwillingness to serve Christ. Paul wanted Timothy to live up to the standards that Paul had taught him, so the purity of the gospel would not be lost. He was thinking about the future, about us and about the potential thousands of years that would transpire before Christ would return. (43g) Judgment >> Satan destroyed >> Perfect (mature) >> Flawless 1Tim 6-13 (148c) Witness >> Validity of Jesus Christ >> Works of the Church bear witness to Jesus >> Evangelism >> Jesus solemnly testified – Jesus made the good confession as the Son of God, not to His friends or His disciples but to His enemies. He made the disciples and His other followers decide for themselves. Under inquisition He told His enemies that He was the Son of God, and they killed Him for it, not because of anything He said and did, but because of everything He said and did. He performed the works of their Messiah and spoke the word of God, so there was no reason not to believe Him. There were people from other nationalities who believed in Him before His own people did, who were all watching and waiting for Him but the leaders of Israel, religious psychopaths, had ulterior motives to deny Him as their Messiah: they received fame and fortune from their business of religion. For this reason they stirred up the people in Jerusalem to turn against their own Messiah and have Him murdered according to the predetermined plan of God. This shows how much influence leaders have on their followers. 1Tim 6,14-16 (90d) Thy kingdom come >> Keeping the law >> Law is our tutor >> It takes Jesus’ place until He arrives – What was the commandment to which Paul was referring? Jesus said, “This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends” (Jn 15-12,13). Note that He didn’t say ‘one lay down his life for his relatives’ (mother, father, brother, sister, wife), none of these. Friends, unrelated, who would do that? Jesus did! He was not related to any of His disciples. John the Baptist was His cousin, but he was not one of the twelve disciples; none of them were directly related to Him; they were literally His friends. People go to war and regularly lay down their lives for their friends during a heated battle. Are we not at war? … and our greatest weapon is the truth! We are fighting against false teachings, religious deception and a lifestyle that conflicts with the teachings of Christ. We are at war with our own flesh, and we are called to love despite our flesh and despite revenge that we would like to impose on those who would mistreat us. Paul said that we are soldiers in God’s army (2Tim 2-3). Doesn’t the Church consist of people who are not necessarily related to each other, but the Church in heaven is the family of God. 1Tim 6-14,15 (215c) Sovereignty >> God controls time >> God’s timing >> Fulfillment of God’s time >> The moment we have all been waiting for – Jesus will come at the proper time, which to many has come and gone, who have waited for his return throughout the centuries, including the apostle Paul. What people think and what God thinks about the proper time is often two different times. However, since Paul knew there was a 2000 year period between Adam and Abraham and a 2000 year period between Abraham and Christ, he probably suspected he would not see the second coming of Christ in his lifetime. God’s timing is tantamount to His sovereignty, like a giant boulder in our way. We look at it, knowing that it weighs hundreds of tons and that we can’t move it. If He is unwilling to move the boulder, then it will stay right there, and if he chooses not to return in our lifetime, then He won’t no matter how hard we pray. The sovereignty of God is immovable. We can get mad at Him and complain about the way He thinks and feels, but nothing will change. (237a) Kingdom of God >> Pursuing the kingdom >> Transferring the kingdom >> The Church is transferred to the kingdom >> The rapture >> Appearance of Christ 1Tim 6-14 (2f) Responsibility >> Avoid offending God >> Keep your commitments in your walk with God (104k) Thy kingdom come >> Pure in heart shall see God >> Shall see Jesus >> Shall see His appearing – Paul and Timothy and the Church in the first century had reason to expect Jesus to return in their lifetime, in that He never said He wouldn't. They were to keep themselves pure and holy before God, for we don't want to shrink away from Him at His appearing. One day we will see His face, and if He doesn’t come in our lifetime and we have kept His commandments, we have done no wrong. KJV WEB / Navigation Bar 1Tim 6-15,16 (39l) Judgment >> The essence of life defeated the essence of death (66a) Authority >> Lordship of Christ >> He is Lord over all creation >> over life and death (66i) Authority >> Jesus’ authority >> Jesus is the power of God >> Demonstration of His Spirit (67a) Authority >> Lordship of Christ >> Jesus’ authority >> The glory of His authority – Paul said about Christ, “no man has seen.” Jesus walked the earth for 33 years; did anyone see Him? Yes they did; nevertheless, John said the same thing, “No one has seen God at any time” (Jn 1-18). Going back to Moses on Mount Sinai, Moses wanted to see His face and God told Him, no mortal man can see the face of God and live, so He showed Moses His back. Paul was talking about seeing Jesus in His glorified state; no one has ever seen Him that way. What about Peter, James and John on Mount Transfiguration? God revealed His partial glory to the disciples on the mountain; had He revealed His glory as He is in heaven seated beside the Father, people from a hundred-mile radius would have seen His glory. No mortal man has seen Christ in the glory of His Father. Who is the Father? We know His role in the trinity; He is the final authority of all things, and He is the one who makes all the plans, and the Son and the Holy Spirit using the creation fulfill them. We don’t know anything about the Father, except what Jesus said, “Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father” (Jn 14-9). Jesus referred to all the Father’s essential characteristics in that verse, His value system. He left us here so we can distinguish his essence from his glory. The essence of God is not in His glory or in His power, but is in the fruits of the Spirit, and it is by the Spirit that we produce this fruit, and so the Holy Spirit is the essence of God. It says that He dwells in unapproachable light; does that mean we will not be able to approach Christ in heaven? The Bible says that we too will be glorified (Rom 8-30). Our glory will not as great as His, but God will glorify us as He glorified His Son, and we can approach Him in our glorified state. (224l) Kingdom of God >> Illustrating the kingdom >> Description of heaven >> The holy of holies >> The throne room of heaven (243j) Kingdom of God >> The eternal kingdom >> The indestructible kingdom >> The head of the body is indestructible >> Jesus is indestructible (252a) Trinity >> You shall put no other gods before Me >> Worship Jesus (Because He is equal with God) >> Jesus is worthy of our worship >> Worship Jesus for His inherent worthiness (253b) Trinity >> Relationship between Father and Son >> Jesus is equal with the Father >> Jesus has all the external qualities of the Father >> Son is infinite and eternal like the Father – When is says that He will bring "it" about at the proper time, He is talking about the establishment of God’s kingdom on the earth. It has been 2000 years since Jesus lived and died and rose again, and the proper time still hasn’t come. What is God waiting for… how would He define the proper time? It is when the world is at its all-time worst. When we think of Noah, that was the case; and when God saved the Israelites from pharaoh’s hand, it was a dreadful time; and when Jesus walked the earth, it was in turmoil. The early Church lived in a very hostile world, and it needed God to heal it with the gospel of faith and love, so the people could put down their weapons and embrace times of peace. It worked for a while, though the bloodiest wars were ironically fought during the age of grace. That is because God blessed the world and gave them literacy and opened their inventive minds to create a world that man had only imagined in cartoons and comic strips. 1Tim 6-16 (112b) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Light >> Jesus’ light overcomes darkness >> The light of His power – We cannot separate God from the light that emanates from Him. People tried to separate Jesus from His truth by killing Him, but they only destroyed themselves. No man has seen Jesus Christ in his true glory. Some may have seen visions of Christ; His closest disciples saw Him at his transfiguration on top of the mountain with Moses and Elijah, but that was not the unapproachable light to which Paul was referring; it was a mere simulation of His glory. The unapproachable light that emanates from His throne is something that would instantly vaporize flesh and blood, like the light intensity of a nuclear blast. 2The 2-8 alludes to this when it says, “Then shall that wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming.” We will be able to survive the fullness of His glory in our resurrected bodies, for we will then be made of the same substance as He, and we will dwell in His light. We will be safe, for nothing can approach God without being made of the same stuff, that if defined would be “faith”. If anything comes to harm us, we only need to run to God and bask in His presence, and our enemies will be destroyed. The New Jerusalem that comes down out of heaven (Rev 21-2), the Lamb of God (Jesus) is its light source. No cursed thing can enter the city and live. KJV WEB / Navigation Bar 1Tim 6,17-19 (57a) Paradox >> Opposites >> The rich are poor – The rich man may have solved the problem of poverty in this life, but he has created a bigger problem, as Jesus put it, “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God” (Mat 19-24). In the long run the rich man would be better to live in poverty that his heart may be ready to believe in the gospel, but how can he believe in Jesus when he believes in his money? (94b) Thy kingdom come >> Perspective on wealth in this life (120j) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Contentment >> Content with your standard of living >> Content with the means God gives you -- These verses go with verses 6-9. Many things God supplies don’t involve money at all but are free. Money and wealth are relative, for some have much and consider themselves in need, while others have little and feel overstocked. In generations past, children didn’t have many toys; their parents couldn’t afford to buy them, so they would make toys from whatever they could find lying around the neighborhood, like a large appliance box, or something as simple as a mousetrap. They had more fun playing with these makeshift toys than the ones that promised happiness at the store, because there was a little pride in recognizing their value in their creative imagination. Wealthy Christians ought not to fix their hope on this life, which will ultimately fail him. To consider having reached nirvana as it were in this life through their earthly riches indicates that they have never considered what could be waiting for them in heaven. What little happiness we extract from this life through the uncertainty of riches cannot hold a candle to the joy waiting for those who hold a simple faith in Jesus Christ, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy. Paul was talking to the Church, which was mostly poor, suggesting that what little they had came from the Lord, and there is very little more they needed. Psalm 37-25 says, “I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread.” God promises to meet our needs, and for Him to ‘richly supply us with all things to enjoy’ indicates that God gives the poor above and beyond their needs. (226g) Kingdom of God >> Illustrating the kingdom >> Rewards of the Kingdom of Heaven >> Reserved in heaven >> Rewarded in heaven – Jesus taught in the Sermon on the Mount, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Mat 6,19-21). Paul instructed wealthy believers to share their wealth with others who were in need so they could amass treasures in heaven and take hold of that which is life indeed, basically converting their money into eternal rewards. This is the ultimate investment. Paul’s suggestion was to use our hard-earned money to directly care for the needs of the saints, those who were poor and in need. We should buy them a few bags of groceries and set them on their doorstep. Every penny the rich man spends helping the saints is converted to eternal treasures they will receive on the day of the First Resurrection, but unbelievers don’t want to invest their lives into a kingdom for treasures they cannot enjoy in this life; they want to receive the benefits now, but what did Jesus say about them? "Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full" (Mat 6-2). (235e) Kingdom of God >> Pursuing the kingdom >> Invest in the kingdom >> Tithing >> Offerings >> Help your weaker neighbor (alms) (248i) Priorities >> God’ s preeminence >> Values >> Valuing God >> Do not value things that devalue God – Paul is not talking about unbelievers in the world but about wealthy believers in the Church. The disciples asked Jesus, “Who can be saved?” Jesus answered, “With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible” (Mat 19-25,26). Everyone’s salvation is truly miraculous, but those who are saved among the rich are a double miracle. A rich man’s money is not their only asset; Paul also instructed them to do good works. Sharing their wealth is a good work, but Paul delineated between that and doing other good works. He wanted rich people in the Church to act just like any Christian. Those who are poor in the Church have very little to offer in the way of finances, so the only things they can offer are good works, and Paul is saying that these things are just as important as money. (249e) Priorities >> God’ s preeminence >> Wealth >> True perception of wealth >> Do not trust the carnal perception of wealth >> Do not depend on wealth – People who belong to Jesus are more rich that those who have money. The Bible says that those who love and serve God are promised all things to enjoy, though they may receive them through the godliness of contentment. Paul instructs those who are wealthy to share with those in need, simultaneously helping God fulfill His promise to the saints and converting their worldly possessions into spiritual wealth. People who are wealthy think they are living the good life, but Paul wants them to convert their worldly wealth into spiritual treasures, so they may walk and live by the Spirit and thus "take hold of that which is life indeed." Jesus taught that those who follow Him have an abundant life, not abundant wealth and riches in a worldly sense, but spiritual wealth, combined with unity, which is how our treasures exponentially grow. KJV WEB / Navigation Bar 1Tim 6-17,18 (34m) Gift of God >> Be generous like your Father >> Give to the poor (175c) Works of the devil >> The religion of witchcraft >> Form of godliness >> Wealth gives a false sense of godliness (189d) Die to self (Process of substitution) >> Separation from the old man >> Holy sacrifice >> Costly sacrifice -- These verses go with verses 6-8 (239k) Kingdom of God >> Pursuing the kingdom >> Pursuing the knowledge of the kingdom >> Teachers >> Let not many of you become teachers >> Dividing accurately the word of truth -- These verses go with verse 2 1Tim 6-17 (21m) Sin >> Greed tries to satisfy man’s need for security >> The love of money -- This verse goes with verses 4&5. Paul didn’t comment on giving money to the Church; instead, he talked about sharing among the saints. People held church in their homes. The only need for money back then was for those in need. Today Christianity is defined by the building and not by the people, and consequently there is less money to help those in need. One role of the deacon in the first century was to assist those in need; for this reason the role of deacon is rare these days, because the Church is concerned more about the building than the people. We have large facilities that cost an arm and a leg, making the whole experience of church revolve around the building. The early church met in homes, but today the need for hospitality is unnecessary, though the Bible speaks very highly about such skills. They could not have a building of worship, because it would become an opportunity for their enemies to coral the saints and throw them all in jail, so they had church in their homes, and there was no overhead involved, and it was very intimate, and it required people to be hospitable and obedient in ways more than just finances. The need for money was de-emphasized, so all donations went directly to those in need instead of to the mortgage on the Church and to the pastor’s salary. (30e) Gift of God >> Prepare to receive from God >> We must first get His attention (97d) Thy kingdom come >> Attention >> Facing in the direction of the Lord >> Focusing your attention on God (121e) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Hope >> Expectation >> Hope is the expectation to receive >> What the wicked fears (expects) will come upon him (165e) Works of the devil >> Manifestations of the devil >> Do not partake of the world >> Do not desire the treasures of the world (170g) Works of the devil >> Manifestations of the devil >> Outward appearance >> Temporary >> This life is temporary (223a) Kingdom of God >> The elusive Kingdom of Heaven >> Conceit >> Thinking you are superior to others >> Thinking you are inherently better than others KJV WEB / Navigation Bar 1Tim 6-18,19 (7l) Responsibility >> Use time wisely >> Get ready >> Use this time to gather – In a spiritual sense the physical possessions we give away to help those in need will be turned as it were into gold and studded with all precious jewels and awaiting our arrival in heaven. The more we give to help those less fortunate, the more we will have in heaven. (8e) Responsibility >> Prepare to Interact with God >> Prepare to meet Jesus by living a holy life – When it is our time to go, we will want to have lived a good life, helping others and loving God. This is the best way to prepare to meet our maker. It is a life-long process, not a sinner's prayer. (11g) Servant >> God’s standard is in proportion to our output – Paul was saying about the rich that they have a special opportunity to amass greater riches in heaven than the rest of us, using their money to do good works and bless those who are in need, but the Bible also teaches that few rich people will ever see the Kingdom of Heaven. The affluent tend to use their wealth to bless themselves in this life instead of investing it in the life to come. Those who will shine the brightest in heaven probably didn’t have much money in this life, but they did what they could with what they had and invested everything into the Kingdom of Heaven. (127j) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Goodness >> Rewards for doing good >> Doing good is the prerequisite to going to heaven (137f) Temple >> Building the temple (with hands) >> Jesus is the foundation >> Church is the foundation of manifested truth (192d) Die to self >> Result of putting off the old man >> Gain by losing >> Receiving from God by substitution >> Wheeling and dealing in God’s spiritual economy (232f) Embrace (Key verse) (232i) Kingdom of God >> Pursuing the kingdom >> Seeking the kingdom >> Embrace (Jesus during the storm) >> Take hold of the hope of His purpose -- These verses go with verse 12 (254b) Trinity >> Holy Spirit’s relationship between Father and Son >> Jesus is the life of the Spirit >> We live because He is life >> We live because we are in Jesus – The rewards of heaven refer to “life indeed.” This word “life” in the Bible is used in a way that the world doesn’t know. Virtually every translation uses the word “life” in this verse, so life is the proper term, but what does it mean? We understand the word “life” to mean the opposite of death, but the Bible’s definition of life is something that comes from God and relates to His very essence. There are a number of biblical terms that converge to have one meaning. For example, the Bible says God is love, but it also teaches that faith and love are the same; so we could also say that God is faith. Again, the Bible teaches that Jesus is the “truth”, and that He is also the light of the world; they are all talking about the same thing, speaking to the very essence of God. This is the way Jesus taught, making it sound like something that could be quantified. Paul compared people of the First Resurrection to the stars of heaven; some are brighter than others. Light speaks of God’s essence, and all the terms converge into one, conveying the essence of God, who will cause each of us to shine with variations of intensity with the life of God that raises the dead. 1Tim 6-20,21 (85a) Thy kingdom come >> Your words can lead to your own demise >> They will keep you out of heaven – Paul didn’t want Christians getting involved in worldly and empty chatter because it is inevitable that we sin, as Solomon said in Proverbs 10-19, “When there are many words, transgression is unavoidable, but he who restrains his lips is wise.” In heaven we will glorify God in all things, and if that is our purpose there, it should be our purpose here. God would much rather our conversation revolved around the Scriptures, our faith and our calling. (106l) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Hearing from God >> Purpose of hearing from God >> To protect your faith -- These verses go with verses 11&12 (158c) Works of the devil >> Essential characteristics >> Divide and conquer >> Strife >> Contentions, especially about words (semantics) -- These verses go with verses 3-5 (161b) Works of the devil >> Wandering from the character of God >> Wander from the faith -- These verses go with verses 9&10. There is worldliness and empty chatter, and then there is knowledge that is falsely called "science". This false knowledge among other things refers to a religious belief system that existed before Christ, called Gnosticism; Gnosis means knowledge. Paul is talking about the Gnostics, saying that what they believe does not lead to the truth, that some have professed these things and have thus gone astray from the faith. The Gnostics teach that their beliefs do not require faith at all but are loosely based on a handful of favorite sources and gurus, and from there they spin off in every direction, inventing their own gods within a certain framework of ideas. Whatever they devise is their personal truth, which not even to them means anything; instead their quarry is the spiritual experience they glean from this so-called knowledge. That is, their contact with spirits is more important than their beliefs that led them, meaning that communion with demons is the core of Gnosticism. Pilate said, “What is truth?” not believing that it existed. Like Pilate, if we hear people say they don’t need faith to have a relationship with God, that they can experience Him apart from the Bible, they are practicing Gnosticism. Conversely, our faith is based on the knowledge of Scripture, which has not changed over the centuries. The Bible is our constant, and we place our faith in Christ through that which is written, whereas Gnosticism has no faith at all. Wherever the current takes them is where they go, but Christians resist the currents of this world. We point our bow at the Scriptures and row toward Christ and His truth. See also: Gnosticism; Tit 1,10-16; 182e (161k) Works of the devil >> Satan determines the world's direction >> Carried Away >> Carried away by religion (166b) Works of the devil >> Manifestations of the devil >> Wisdom of the world >> Man’s wisdom excuses his sinful nature >> Man’s wisdom gives reason to reject God (182i) Works of the devil >> The origin of lawlessness >> Deception >> Being deceptive with people >> Distorted perception of others (199e) Denying Christ >> Man chooses his own destiny apart from God >> Rejecting Christ >> Throwing God away >> Renouncing your faith (202f) Denying Christ >> Man chooses his own destiny apart from God >> Running from God >> Running from the word of God >> Running from the truth (203i) Denying Christ >> Man chooses his own destiny apart from God >> Back-slider >> Withdraw from obeying God >> Withdrawing from the truth (207d) Salvation >> God makes promises on His terms >> Eternal security? >> You can get lost again -- These verses go with verse 10 (212d) Theory of Evolution (Key verse) – In the 1950s a man named Alan Turing, an embryologist, designed a computer program that could play chess. He calculated that the possible moves rivaled a number with 40 zeros in it! So, he realized he needed to write a program that could select game winning moves among a vast number of possibilities, but teaching a computer how to play chess is tricky business. He tried a variety of approaches, and settled on a strategy that after tinkering with it a few years eventually beat some of the best chess players of all time. He came to the conclusion that he needed to design a program that could write itself, supplying it with the rules of the game and then integrated a number of feedback loops into it, establishing its own algorithm from millions of possibilities, so the program could evaluate its own progress and learn from its mistakes. The more the program played, the more it tweaked its strategy and improved its game. In his book Darwin’s Dangerous Idea, Daniel Dennett used this story as an analogy that non-living matter discovered life on its own and then taught itself how to survive and flourish (Dennett, pp. 208-212). In stark contrast to Dennett’s use of the story, the chess program needed a creator (Alan Turing), but Dennett didn’t use Mr. Turing in his analogy, because Dennett is an atheist. That is, he ignored the fact that the program needed a creator, just like he ignored the fact that the universe needs a Creator for it to exist. When we include Mr. Turing, the story works very well as an analogy for creation, but without him the story makes no sense as an analogy for evolution, which is the religion of atheism. Therefore, Dennett inadvertently proved that the creation needs a Creator in every way that his chess analogy needed Alan Turing. God designed the creation to take care of itself, and did Mr. Turing with his chess program. See also: Atheism (The Religion of unbelief); Lk 9,24-26; 167i / Analogies (Cowbirds); Mat 13,24-30; 159c (212d) Sovereignty >> God is infinite >> He is the creator >> Evolution (Defaming God) >> The philosophy of evolution – Atheism has been around a long time. Science does not automatically draw us away from our faith, meaning that science and faith are not opposites as some have claimed. What seems inherent in science is the tendency of deifying humanity; they call it humanism. Science leads us to think we are as smart as God because we have figured out a few things. It erroneously leads us to believe we are on some level with Him, yet the opposite of faith in Jesus Christ is atheism, though atheism too ironically is a faith. Apart from faith in Christ, man with his science and technology is nothing short of a worm. Paul called it empty chatter, in that he too wasted his life accumulating knowledge under a man named Gamaliel (Acts 22:3), and he discovered it to be dead religion. There is no inherent value or treasure waiting for us at the end of a rainbow in worldly knowledge like there is in Jesus. (221d) Kingdom of God >> The elusive Kingdom of Heaven >> Kingdom hidden behind the veil from the world >> God hides from the mind of man >> He hides behind man’s intellect KJV WEB / Navigation Bar 1Tim 6-20 (7g) Responsibility >> Protecting the gospel >> Defending your territory (35j) Gift >> God gives Himself to us >> Gifts from the Holy Spirit >> Spiritual gifts >> Knowing the mind of God