Dear Friends in Christ-
The Epistle readings continue the series on the pastoral letters of 1 and 2 Timothy with 1 Timothy 6:6-19. Paul warns against those who desire wealth because they will never be satisfied. Instead, Paul praises those who find contentment. “For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil” reminds us that if we love wealth, we do not love God, for Jesus warned us we cannot serve God and wealth (Matthew 6:24; Luke 16:13). Instead, Paul urges the pursuit of righteousness (right-living with God), faith, love, gentleness, and so on. Take hold of eternal life. For those who are rich already they ought to be generous and share of their resources. They need to set their hope on God and not on their wealth and use their resources as a “good foundation” for the church in the future. 1 Timothy 6:6-19 New International Version 6 But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. 8 But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. 9 Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. Final Charge to Timothy 11 But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 13 In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you 14 to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 which God will bring about in his own time—God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, 16 who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen. 17 Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. 18 Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. 19 In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life. Note- The Greek term for “wealth” that Jesus used is mammonas; it is transliterated from the Aramaic and denotes earthly goods, yet in a derogatory sense. In the pointed saying of Jesus, the “mammon” appears as a “false god” that gets in the way of true worship of the real God. Anything that gets in the way of a relationship with God is an idol, an obstacle to grace. As we discussed last Sunday: it's all God’s anyway. This reality often stings a bit in our commercially- oriented society. "Godliness” translates the Greek word eusebeia and can also mean “religion,” “piety,” or “devotion.” It was frequently used in the context of Greco-Roman worship. Godliness has already been recommended to Timothy in 4:7-8: “Train yourself in godliness, for, while physical training is of some value, godliness is valuable in every way, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. It is further worth noting that love, endurance, and gentleness describe behavior that is the opposite of how Paul, before his conversion, acted when pursuing the followers of Jesus Christ. Then he was “a blasphemer, a persecutor, and a man of violence” (1 Timothy 1:13); now he trusts in the power of Christ for his ministry (1 Timothy 1:12). Therefore, Paul himself is a good example of proper behavior for Christians; that is, he is an example of a life that provides true and everlasting riches. A lot to take in, don't you think. What questions come to mind, as you consider the obstacles to grace in your own life? "But you... flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness." In His Service, P Jim ♥️⚓️ ♡ Special thanks to Rev. Mindi, workingpreacher.com, Hope for the Broken Hearted and/or Star Bright Angels for their contribution to this effort of Daily Prayer and Study. All scripture is taken from the Revised Common Lectionary. The intent of this effort is to inform our faith and grow closer to God, while preparing for next Sunday's Worship. ~James 4:8 <x>< Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android Comments are closed.
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September 2023
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