1 Timothy 6:11–21

Original Meaning

Honoring God by Fulfilling His Calling (6:11 – 16)

THIS SECTION OPENS with a strong contrast, “But you,” by which Timothy is commanded to distance himself from the people described in verses 3–10. Paul addresses him as a “man of God,” a phrase used only here and in 2 Timothy 3:17 in the New Testament. It appears a number of times in the Old Testament, including references to Moses (Deut. 33:1; Josh. 14:6; Ezra 3:2; title to Ps. 90), Samuel (1 Sam. 9:6), David (2 Chron. 8:14; Neh. 12:24, 36), Elijah (1 Kings 17:18), and Elisha (2 Kings 4:7). At first glance it seems to refer to strong leaders. But while it may have been used in this way for King David, the two references given for him use it in connection with his instructions concerning the role of the Levites in worship. It should be noted that the expression in the New Testament uses the generic anthropos (“human being,” not “man” in the sense of male).

Several imperatives follow in short order. “Flee [pheugo] from all this” refers to the evils mentioned in verses 3–10. While in the moralistic literature of the period pheugo could have the sense of shunning or avoiding, the fact that it is immediately followed by “pursue” presents a vivid picture of a person escaping from evil and running after good. Timothy is to pursue a series of virtues that will help him to maintain the character that Paul has been mandating throughout the letter.

“Righteousness” here is not the forensic righteousness of Romans but the integrity of life described by the word “upright,” which was ascribed to Zechariah and Elizabeth in Luke 1:6.
“Godliness” is the familiar word eusebeia, prominent in 6:3–6.
“Faith” is one of the first virtues mentioned in the Pastoral Letters: God’s work is “by faith” (1:4). At times the term faith refers to doctrine (esp. with the definite article), at other times it is a virtue or a quality of one’s relationship with Jesus.
Among the virtues in the Pastorals frequently linked with faith is “love” (see 1:5, 14; 2:15; 4:12; 2 Tim. 1:13; 2:22; 3:10; Titus 2:2).
After faith and love come “endurance and gentleness” (see also Titus 2:2 for endurance in the Pastoral Letters). The word for “gentleness” is unique in the New Testament; it may seem a strange word here, given that the next imperative is “fight.”

The verb “fight,” however, refers to an athletic contest, not military combat, and we also know that Timothy was to be kind and gentle as he was instructing unbelievers (2 Tim. 2:24–25). Actually the context of 6:12 is not a conflict against other people; it is the “good fight of the faith,” which is Timothy’s own “athletic contest” for personal mastery.

In this connection Timothy is to “take hold” of eternal life. He has received this from God and is to appropriate it now. The aorist tense used in this imperative does not mean that it is a one-time event. For Timothy to “take hold” of eternal life means to appropriate what God has given him, since he has already been “called” to it. (Of the various aspects of calling in Scripture see 2 Thess. 2:13–14.) A more specific meaning of “taking hold” of life is seen in 1 Timothy 6:19, where rich people are to take hold of life in the sense of using their wealth for good, thereby laying a foundation for their future in the “coming age.”

The significance and time of Timothy’s “good confession” (v. 12) is debated.1 The problem may be more a matter of English than of Greek, because the literal rendering, “Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and you confessed the good confession,” is somewhat jarring. In Romans 10:10 Paul says (lit.) “with the mouth confession is made for [eis] salvation.” Note, however, if that passage were considered a parallel to the construction in the present passage, it would make eternal life contingent on one’s personal confession.

There are two aspects of the NIV in verse 12b that affect interpretation. (1) One is that the time of the confession is the same as the time of Timothy’s calling and laying hold of eternal life. Given that, we face a problem, for it distorts somewhat the comparison with the confession of Christ Jesus before Pontius Pilate (v. 13). That confession had nothing to do with conversion on the part of Jesus, nor was it a confession in front of a friendly crowd, such as would be the case if it is analogous to Timothy’s baptism or the laying on of hands (cf. 4:14). But that latter problem exists anyway, unless we postulate some experience of opposition that Timothy had in which he made a good confession.2 Since the calling mentioned here has to do with Timothy’s receiving of eternal life and since it took place long before the incident of 4:14, this probably refers either to his baptism (which, it must be acknowledged, is a conjecture) or to some other experience early on in his Christian life. (2) The concluding phrase, “in the presence of many witnesses,” almost certainly refers to more than just a few elders laying hands on him.

Verse 13 contains another solemn charge by Paul, introduced by the word parangello, “I charge” (see also 1:3; 4:11; 5:7; 6:17). It is made “in the sight [lit. presence] of God,” with the additional description “who gives life to everything.” This, along with the following reference to Christ as the other witness to the charge, gives this command great solemnity and force. The reference to God as life-giver is a reminder that Timothy and all beings are dependent on him for daily existence. The reference to Christ as a good confessor is a reminder of the brave and noble example Timothy has to follow.

The first question that faces us in verse 14 is that of identifying “this command.” Paul uses three different nouns for “command” in the Pastoral Letters: epitage (1 Tim. 1:1; Titus 1:3; 2:15), parangelia (1 Tim. 1:5, 18), and entole (present passage and Titus 1:14; see comments on 1 Tim. 1:1, 5). Fee conveniently summarizes the various understandings of the referent for “command”: (1) the exhortations in 1 Timothy 6:11–12, collectively understood; (2) an alleged baptismal charge to which allusion is made in verse 12; (3) an ordination charge; (4) the whole Christian faith thought of as a kind of new law; or (5) a commandment to Timothy to persevere in his own faith and ministry, as in 4:16, so as to save himself and others.

Referring to 6:20 and 2 Timothy 4:7, Fee chooses the last option as one that “really summarizes the basic thrust of the letter, that Timothy will best stem the tide of the false teachers as he himself is steadfast in his faith and calling.” While it is frustrating exegetically to be unable to identify a single specific command in either chapter 1 or here, this very ambiguity points to the fact that God is calling and directing Timothy repeatedly through various means. His call to eternal life is the beginning of a process of calling and directing in which the apostle Paul plays a significant part.3

Paul’s command has moral overtones. It was not only a charge to do something, but a mandate to be something: “without spot or blame.” Grammatically the words “without spot or blame” are adjectives modifying “command.” The implication, however, is not that the command itself could be soiled, but that Timothy’s response to it could be muddied, thereby bringing both his mission and commission into disrepute.

The word translated “without spot” (aspilos) elsewhere describes the perfection of Christ as the sacrificial lamb (1 Peter 1:19) and the character expected of Christians (James 1:27; 2 Peter 3:14). “Without…blame” (anepilemptos) only occurs in the Pastorals (see also 1 Tim. 3:2; 5:7). It picks up the theme in the Pastorals of not giving others any opportunity to lay blame on the behavior of Christians. In the first instance it is applied to elders; in the second, to the conduct of affairs for widows. Here it applies specifically to Timothy.

The “appearing” (epiphaneia) of Christ refers to his second coming (see also 2 Tim. 1:10; 4:1, 8; Titus 2:13). The related verbal (epiphaino, see Titus 2:11; 3:4) refers to the appearing of God’s grace at the first advent of Christ (see comments on Titus 2:11, 13). Timothy’s specific teaching mission at Ephesus was to be carried on until Paul came (1 Tim. 4:13), but his whole Christian ministry was to be carried on for a lifetime or until the appearing of Christ. Similarly, the missionary journey for which Paul and Barnabas were commissioned by the laying on of hands in Acts 13:2–3 was completed by the time of 14:26, but Paul continued his service for the Lord until he had “finished the race” (2 Tim. 4:6–8). This latter passage, like the present one, refers to the appearing of Christ. It perhaps carries the idea of an accompanying public approval of one’s ministry.4 The fact that Paul expects both Timothy and himself to continue in ministry until the appearing of Christ is one of the reasons to reject the idea that the Pastoral Letters were written at a time when Paul, or perhaps a later writer, had given up the hope of his being alive at the return of Christ.

The doxology in verses 15–16 employs rich, lofty vocabulary to exalt God. It is introduced by a statement that includes the previous reference to the appearing of Christ. This statement emphasizes the sovereignty of God, who will bring about that appearing “in his own time” (or “at the right time,” nrsv).5God is “blessed” (makarios; see Eph. 1:3 for another word of blessing or praise, eulogetos). He is the “only Ruler”; in the doxology of 1 Timothy 1:17 he is the “only God.” Dynastes (trans. “Ruler” here) is used elsewhere in the New Testament only in Luke 1:52 and Acts 8:27. The word was used in secular Greek for important officials and for the chief Greek god, Zeus. Since the expressions “King of kings” and “Lord of lords” were also used outside of Scripture during this period, Paul was apparently deliberately employing terminology familiar to his readers in order to express the supremacy of the true God.6

Another unique characteristic of God celebrated in this doxology is his immortality. The adjective monos here emphasizes that only God is not subject to death. Some hold that it is theologically inappropriate to refer to the “immortal soul” of anyone who has not received God’s eternal life. They believe that human beings only have immortality if God bestows this on them (1 Cor. 15:53–54).7

This is the God who lives in light that cannot be approached.8 The light of God exposes all that is evil (Eph. 5:11–14). He is surrounded by light (Dan. 2:22; cf. Ex. 3:5) and dressed in a robe of light (Ps. 104:2). Moreover, God would not let Moses look directly at his face, “for no one may see me and live” (Ex. 33:20). That fact is reinforced by Paul here. Just as human beings do not have immortality by nature but are granted this by grace, so those who have been unable to see because of sin will one day be like him when he appears, “for we shall [then] see him as he is” (1 John 3:2). These truths are exclusively true of God, and therefore he deserves “honor and might forever.”

Bridging Contexts

SOME CHRISTIANS MAKE a practice of reading over on a regular basis a book or portion of Scripture that they find especially significant. This may be the Psalms or Proverbs or perhaps the Sermon on the Mount. First Timothy 6:11–21 could be a candidate for such repeated attention.

The expression “man of God” is frequent in the Old Testament, normally referring to a prophet. The only other occurrence of the term in the New Testament is also in the Pastorals (2 Tim. 3:17), where the Scripture equips “the man of God…for every good work.” Since these New Testament passages do not seem to be directed to prophets, we may conclude that they apply to all men and women who serve the Lord. If this is true, it is easy to bring this truth into the modern age.

Concern for God’s glory. This section begins with our inner life and character (v. 11). Paul allows for the fact that every Christian faces struggles (v. 12). He reminds the reader of the eternal life that all God’s people have, though the circumstances of any special calling we may have will vary among us. Whatever those circumstances may have been in Timothy’s life, they involved making a “good confession” before others. All of us can look back to the example of Christ before Pilate, and all of us can look forward to the future appearing of Christ. Both should motivate us to fulfill God’s call and command to us.

God is on the throne and is worthy of not only our obedience but our worship as well. The concerns Paul has shown in this letter about maintaining sound doctrine and maintaining Christian character appropriate to that doctrine are ultimately concerns for the reputation, the glory, of God. The several doxologies in the Pastoral Letters are, therefore, pertinent to and apt expressions of that blend of doctrine and life.

The Christian’s battle of faith. If the command to “fight the good fight of the faith” refers to Timothy’s ministry, it must be taken in accord with the instructions in the Pastorals not to be quarrelsome and antagonistic. If, on the other hand, this is an inner battle, as seems reasonable given the context, it describes what Christians typically experience. Gaining victory as we engage in our struggles may be one aspect of “tak[ing] hold of…eternal life.” As noted above, wealthy people take hold of the true life by using their wealth for the good of others and with a view to the future. On that analogy Timothy and Christians in various life situations can prepare for the future by using what God has given them in this life.

In the Original Meaning section we discussed the possible connection between Timothy’s calling, his confession, and his laying hold of that life. We may be confident that God’s calling to eternal life has itself an eternal dimension. God’s decision did not just happen when Timothy was in the presence of the witnesses (v. 12). That confession, affirming God’s call, was made at a particular time—possibly, as we have seen, at Timothy’s baptism. The example of Christ before Pilate (v. 13), however, was not at some spiritual event such as baptism, but a moment of opposition; this suggests that we may be called on at any time to give our confession. Paul then looks ahead to the time of consummation, when Christ will appear, and concludes with a doxology to the God who is immortal and who will receive “honor and might forever.”

The realization that Christ will be appearing in glory is a great motivator for obeying him “without spot or blame.” According to 2 Corinthians 5:10, we will all appear before the judgment seat of Christ. This in itself should motivate us to good behavior, but the appearing of Christ on earth should also move believers to holy living and holy serving. So should the reminder in this passage of the holy God, who “lives in unapproachable light.”

Confession. Our common use of the word “confession” can cause a misunderstanding of verses 12–13. A search through dictionaries and examples of usage reveals that most people understand this word to mean acknowledgment of sin. It usually has to do with the admission of a fault or a crime and is often used with reference to admitting our guilt to God or to a court. There is, however, a traditional use to indicate the firm acknowledgment of a doctrinal truth (as in the great “confessions” of the church’s faith). It is also firmly in the Christian’s vocabulary as a verbal acknowledgment of our faith in Christ (Rom. 10:9–10).9 The words “confess” and “confession” can, therefore, be retained and its meaning explained. Every generation of believers will have opportunity, perhaps under duress, to confess their Lord before unbelievers.

Christians and their wealth. Paul knew that many false teachers, both professing Christian and outright pagan, had mercenary motives. In Thessalonians 2:1–9 he makes it clear that this was not true of him. But he also has advice for those whose wealth is not necessarily gained by guile or kept in greed. Wealth can cause arrogance and lead people to put their whole dependence on it (v. 17), but believers should use their wealth generously in doing good to others. We do not know what kind of “treasure” awaits such people, but we know that good use of their resources in some way lays a foundation for their future in the “coming age.” This is their way of taking hold of “the life that is truly life” (v. 19).

Contemporary Significance

SPIRITUALITY. Christians hold different views of what constitutes spirituality and how it is “attained.” Some are activist, engaging in spiritual “exercises,” procedures, and programs. For others passivity is the ideal, with an emphasis on abiding in Christ. Even when we minimize our human role, however, there are legitimate struggles. It takes decision and deliberate action to arise early enough in the morning for Bible reading and prayer; skipping a late night TV show helps. Likewise, it takes concentration to overcome distractions as we are interceding in prayer for others.

It also takes insight and objectivity to deal with our own personality. What we may think is a spiritual humility and despondency over sin on our part may actually be human personality factors that need to be dealt with. And what we interpret as spirituality or the lack of it in others may also simply be a matter of personality. In other words, we all too easily rule out the human element when we are evaluating spirituality.

For Paul, however, spirituality involves things to do. “Flee,” “pursue,” and “fight” are active verbs. “Take hold” also requires positive decision and action. The development of Christian character, so important in these letters, involves wise decisions and swift obedience. (1) The Christian needs to know what to flee. In 2 Timothy 2:22 it is “the evil desires of youth.” First Corinthians 6:18 tells us to flee sexual immorality; 10:14 warns us to flee idolatry.

(2) We also need to pursue peace (1 Peter 3:11–12, quoting Ps. 34:12) as well as “righteousness, faith, love and [again] peace” (2 Tim. 2:22). The list here in 1 Timothy 6:11 is longer, including some of the previous group: “righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness.” Without being wooden or legalistic, we would do well to select one of these goals along with a contrasting action to flee several days to check and improve our behavior.

(3) The “fight” may well begin with our decision to do this. It is possible that the larger, more encompassing spiritual battle will ensue, since Satan is always seeking ways to “devour” us (1 Peter 5:8). My personal observation, however, is that some Christians are too ready to blame personal failures on Satan instead of on their own “evil desire” (James 1:13–15).

Confessing Christ. This passage also teaches us to give a good confession. At any point a believer may be called on to confess Christ. For some it has been a circumstance of persecution, with the threat of torture for those who make that confession instead of a denial. While that circumstance does not exhaust the meaning of this passage and may not touch many who read this commentary (or its author), it is a possibility for many around the world at this very moment.

There will always be those who try to compel Christians to curse Jesus, but we must, and can, by the Spirit say “Jesus is Lord” (1 Cor. 12:3). The words of Peter are to be kept in mind, “But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have” (1 Peter 3:15). The closing words of that verse, “but do this with gentleness and respect,” are similar to the emphasis in the Pastoral Letters (e.g., 2 Tim. 2:24–26).

Doxology and worship. The doxologies in the Pastorals are uplifting, directing our hearts to the God who is worthy of all worship and honor. We can miss a great opportunity, however, if we simply read these words in the course of our study or wait until the worship leader incorporates them into a Sunday morning service. They are there for our use at any time!

It is often said that our personal times of prayer should include worship. Such worship can be expressed, of course, in our own words—words inspired by the Spirit in the depths of our minds and hearts. It can also come through the words of hymns and devotional writings. This is not only a helpful way to expand our worshipful thoughts and vocabulary, but also a means of joining in the voices of people from other Christian traditions as part of the great worshiping church worldwide. This has exciting possibilities. Personally, for example, I find it wonderfully stretching to offer an evening hymn when it is evening somewhere else in God’s world, joining in with, and praying for, the believers in that time zone.

Best of all, however, is to worship God in his own words—through the Psalms, the songs of praise in Revelation, and other passages. This doxology, celebrating, along with 1 Timothy 1:17, the immortal God, is a wonderful instrument of worship. It also can be a means of recalling the universal church and all those—believers on earth and in heaven, angels, and other beings— who for an eternity will worship God together.

Responsibilities for the wealthy. It may seem abrupt to go directly from such an exalted passage to one about material wealth, but it is not abrupt in God’s world. All we are and have is his. Those with wealth have a special opportunity to put their hope in the God, who “richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.” They also have the freedom to share their wealth.

The context of Paul’s aphorism about the love of money in verse 10 is (1) the importance of godliness with contentment, (2) the fact that we cannot take any of our possessions into the afterlife, and (3) the desire for wealth, which can bring temptation and destruction. Now, in an upbeat mood, Paul adds the privilege of sharing and the opportunity of “tak[ing] hold of…eternal life” by using the material blessings of earthly life to do good.

I often recall my friendship with a couple who had a large home, beautiful swimming pool and cabana, two expensive cars, and a plane. I knew them both well enough to realize that at the end of the summer they were exhausted from having many church groups in to use their pool, after whom they had the job of cleaning up. I knew also that the husband used his plane for the Lord’s work, in particular flying an evangelist to his meetings, and that the wife, among other “good works,” gave untold hours in charity work. Close friends of theirs were likewise involved in charities and ministries that many people were unaware of. It is not money, but love of money that is the potential hazard, and these people understood that fact and longed not for money but “for [the Lord’s] appearing” (2 Tim. 4:8).

In contrast, as I write, people are streaming over the border to an adjoining state where they can buy lottery tickets for a jackpot worth a quarter of a billion dollars. The drawing is tonight, and the news is full of pictures and sound bites (one man said if he won, he would have “women everywhere”).

Dealing with false teachers. We, like Timothy (and Titus), have a trust (v. 20). In the process of discharging that trust, we, like they, are sometimes assigned to deal with not only error but with the sins of the false teachers. It is easy to become entangled with some of the problems we seek to solve. In the process of extricating other people from error we must be careful not to engage in the kinds of dissension and argumentation they employ. If what they teach is “falsely called knowledge,” our temptation may be to argue the points beyond what is useful in order to display their error.

By contrast, we may abstain from any direct encounter and choose instead to see it all as a work of Satan to be dealt with only by prayer. It is significant that Satan is not mentioned here and, in fact, those in error are said to have “wandered” from the faith. While that may be a deliberate choice, there certainly are many who wander inadvertently. They need prayer, for Satan does blind people’s eyes, but they also need loving and careful instruction. All the while, in keeping our trust, we must be sure that we ourselves turn from the “godless chatter” and “opposing ideas.” In so doing, we need the grace Paul mentions at the close of the letter (v. 21b).

1. The NIV(“when you made your good confession”) links the confession with the calling in a temporal way. The NRSV(“for which you made the good confession”) likewise introduces a link, assuming that the prepositional phrase eis hen that introduced the verb of calling (where it is translated “to which”) also introduces the verb of confessing (where it is translated “for which”). The NLT for some reason omits the calling completely. Like the NRSV they construe the clause about the confession as a relative clause, introduced by the relative pronoun “which,” with “eternal life” as the antecedent. The idea that both verbs continue the metaphor of fighting was rejected by Ellicott (Commentary on the Epistles of St. Paul, 108) and others in the mid-nineteenth century and does not seem to have appeal to commentators in the twentieth century.

2. Almost all commentators see the situation as a “friendly” one. Lock (Pastoral Epistles, 71), Fee (1 and 2 Timothy, Titus, 150), Kelly (Pastoral Epistles, 141), Stott (Guard the Truth, 57) and Scott (Pastoral Epistles, 77) hold that this was a baptismal confession. Ellicott (Commentary on the Epistles of St. Paul, 108), Knight (Pastoral Epistles, 264–65), and Towner (1—2 Timothy & Titus, 143) think it was at commissioning or ordination ceremony. Both options are presented equally in Dibelius/Conzelmann (Pastoral Epistles). Hanson (Pastoral Epistles, 110— 11) thinks it refers to his baptism with a reminder given at his ordination. Calvin (Commentaries, 163) considers it a reference to the whole ministry of Timothy.

3. See the Bridging Contexts section for further observations on this topic.

4. In 2 Thess. 2:8 Paul refers to the judgment of the “lawless one,” who will be destroyed by the “splendor” (epiphaneia) of Christ’s coming (the familiar parousia).

5. See 2:6, where the phrase is translated “proper time”; Titus 1:3, where it is translated “appointed season.”

6. See Deut. 10:17; Ps. 136:2–3 for “God of gods” and “Lord of lords.” In the New Testament the combined phrase “King of kings and Lord of lords” does not occur until Rev. 19:16, although the reverse, “Lord of lords and King of kings,” occurs in Rev. 17:14.

7. The Greek word for immortality (athanasia) and its cognates were used in Greek literature for the gods and, in an honorific way, of some human beings (LSJ, 30–31). On the immortality of God see comments on 1 Tim. 1:17; on the immortality that God bestows on believers see comments on 2 Tim. 1:10. For a thorough evaluation (and rejection) of “conditional immortality” see Millard J. Erickson, How Shall They Be Saved? (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1996), 217–32.

8. For references to occurrences of the word “unapproachable” (aprositos) in other Greek literature (its only New Testament use is in the present passage), see LSJ, 230.

9. In Matt. 10:32–33 and its parallel, Luke 12:8–9, the NIV and some other modern versions translate the Greek “whoever acknowledges me” rather than “whoever confesses me.”

Original Meaning

Words to the Wealthy (6:17 – 19)

VERSE 17 CONTAINS one final occurrence of the verb parangello, “command” (see comments on v. 13; also 1:3.) It may seem strange that Paul returns to subject of wealth in this paragraph, having already dealt with it in verses 5–10. We know, however, that the early Christian churches did not lack members of the upper, wealthier class. In whatever way they may have gained their wealth, possibly before they became believers, they now had it and needed instructions as to how to use it. (1) Such people are to recognize that wealth is temporary, “in this present world,” and will last only until the appearing of Christ just alluded to. (2) They should not be arrogant. (3) They are not to “put their hope in wealth,” because that is “so uncertain.”

This warning is followed by a strong adversative alla (“but”) and the positive instruction that responds to the negatives point by point in a kind of chiasm: their hope is to be in God, he is the one who “richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment,” and instead of being arrogant they are to “do good” and “to be generous and willing to share” (v. 18). All of this is set within the anticipation of “the coming age” (v. 19), marked by the appearing of Christ in God’s own time (vv. 14–15). The word for “age” (NIV) is implied but not expressed in the Greek text. The “firm [lit., good or beautiful] foundation” for what is to come replaces the uncertainty of wealth (v. 17). Just as Timothy is to take hold of eternal life (v. 12), so the wealthy are to “take hold of the life that is truly life.”