1 Timothy 6:19 Komentář

I. He treats of the duty of servants (Ti1 6:1, Ti1 6:2). II. Of false teachers (Ti1 6:3-5). III. Of godliness and covetousness (Ti1 6:6-10). IV. What Timothy was to flee, and what to follow (Ti1 6:11, Ti1 6:12). V. A solemn charge (Ti1 6:13-16). VI. A charge for the rich (Ti1 6:17-19). And lastly, a charge to Timothy (Ti1 6:20, Ti1 6:21).

INTRODUCTION TO 1 TIMOTHY 6 In this chapter the apostle gives some instructions to servants; lays down some rules, by which to judge of false teachers; advises to contentment; exposes the sin of covetousness; exhorts Timothy to avoid sin, and follow after things that are good, to be constant in his warfare, the issue of which would be eternal life; gives him a charge with respect to himself, and orders him what he should enjoin others, particularly the rich, and what he should do himself; and wishes grace unto him, to enable him to discharge his duty. The instructions to servants are of two sorts; first, to such who had unbelieving masters, whom they ought to honour and obey; that the name and doctrine of Christ be not evil spoken of: and then to such as had believing masters, that they despise them not being brethren, but should the more cheerfully serve them; because believers in Christ, beloved of God, and partakers of his grace; which duties are worthy to be insisted upon in the Gospel ministry, Ti1 6:1, and such who teach not these things are to be accounted false teachers, whose characters are given in several particulars; as men unsound, proud, ignorant, quarrelsome, and covetous, and to be withdrawn from, Ti1 6:3. And from hence the apostle exhorts to contentment; and argues for it, partly from the gain of it along with godliness; and partly from the consideration of what men are, when they come into the world, and what they will be, when they go out of it; and also from having food and raiment, which include all the necessaries of life, Ti1 6:6. And then he exposes the folly and danger of covetousness, being the root of all evil; an enemy to true religion and godliness; and the cause of ruin and destruction, Ti1 6:9. Wherefore he addresses himself to Timothy, in particular, to avoid everything of this kind; and to follow the reverse of those things that were in the false teachers; to fight the good fight of faith, and then lay hold on eternal life; to which he encourages him, from his calling, and the profession he had made, in a very public manner, Ti1 6:11. And then follows a solemn charge unto him, given him before God and Christ; that he would observe what had been commanded him in the most perfect manner, until the appearance of Christ; which is certain, and may be concluded will be, from the various epithets of God; who will make him manifest in his own time, Ti1 6:13. To which is added an injunction on Timothy to charge rich men not to be elated with their riches, nor trust in them, since they are uncertain things; but in God, from whom they have received such a plentiful measure of them; that they be beneficent to others, which will turn to their own advantage in the issue, Ti1 6:17. And to close all, he is very urgent upon Timothy, to keep the Gospel pure and uncorrupt, he was intrusted with; and avoid everything that was opposite to it, as profane and mere babbling, and having only a show of knowledge, but not that itself; and the rather, since some profane teachers and professors of the Gospel had erred from it: and concludes with wishing him grace, to enable him to attend to the several instructions which had been given him, Ti1 6:20.

Laying up in store for themselves..... Laying up a treasure in heaven, which will be for themselves to enjoy to all eternity; whereas what they lay up here is for others, for their children or friends, and sometimes for strangers, and they know not who, whether for a wise man or a fool, yea, even for enemies: so it is said of King Munbaz, when he dispersed his father's treasures to the poor, his brethren and friends came about him, complaining of it; to whom he said (w). "my fathers treasured up below, I treasure up above. My fathers treasured "up for others", I treasure up "for myself"; my fathers treasured up for this world, I treasure up for the world to come.'' So it follows here, a good foundation against the time to come; by which is meant, not a foundation of happiness, for that is laid already, and by God himself; and much less by doing acts of beneficence is that foundation laid; for there is no other foundation of happiness, life, and salvation, that can be laid, besides what is laid, which is Jesus Christ: nor is the apostle speaking of laying a foundation here, to build upon, but of laying up a foundation in heaven, by which he intends happiness itself; and which he calls a "foundation", because it is solid and substantial, permanent and durable, in opposition to the uncertain, precarious, transitory, and perishing enjoyments and treasures of this life; and good, because profitable, when the laying up of worldly riches is often to the hurt of its owners, and will be useful, when they will not profit; and besides, will always continue, and be a foundation that will always support them, and never give way: now to lay up this is no other than to seek those things which are above, to show a concern for them, and to set the affections on them, and live in the comfortable hope and expectation of enjoying them. The phrase is the same with that in Mat 6:19 and takes in a regard to spiritual riches, the riches of grace flow, such as sanctifying, justifying, and pardoning grace through Christ; which will be a good foundation against the time to come; and will give both a right and meetness for the enjoyment of the heavenly treasures, which will be for futurity, even to all eternity. That they may lay hold on eternal life; not by way of merit, but as the free gift of God, which the riches of grace give a title to, and a fitness for; and which shall be laid hold upon, and enjoyed by all that seek the true riches. The Alexandrian copy, the Vulgate Latin, Syriac, and Ethiopic versions, read, "true life"; for the present life is rather a show, an appearance of life, than life itself. (w) T. Bab. Bava Bathra, fol. 11. 1.

"Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come." There nothing is uncertain, for the foundation being firm, there is no instability, all is firm, fixed, immovable, fast, and enduring. "That they may lay hold," he says, "on eternal life." For the doing of good works can secure the enjoyment of eternal life.

Through love of this true life you ought to consider yourself desolate in this world, no matter what happiness you enjoy. That is the true life in comparison with which this other, which is so much loved, is not to be called life, however pleasant and prolonged it may be. Similarly, that is the true comfort which God promised by the prophet saying, “I will give them true comfort, peace upon peace.” Without this comfort there is more grief than consolation to be found in earthly comforts, whatever they may be.

to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, storing up for themselves a good foundation for the future, so that they may obtain eternal life. to do good, to be rich in good works. If you seek wealth, seek true wealth, not uncertain. What are these? Goods, Paul says, are easy to distribute; for this is the nature of money. to be generous. That is, gentle, friendly, modest, and humble. storing up for themselves. That is, laying down, Paul says, a good foundation. Where the foundation is good, all is safe and secure. so that they may obtain eternal life. Therefore, for this life, one must lay up the foundation. But how could this be? If by doing good here, we lay up for ourselves the foundation and security of this life. For the practice of good works, which Paul also called a foundation, is able to grant the enjoyment of that life.

Where there is a foundation, everything is firm and immovable. And since the blessings of virtue and of the age to come are constant, the apostle also mentioned this in regard to the foundation. For the performance of good deeds, which he called the foundation, can procure the enjoyment of that life.

In regard to the third, that they may attain to the end of laying up riches; hence he says, to lay up in store for themselves a good foundation against the things to come. The spiritual treasure is a storehouse of merits, which are the foundation of a future edifice prepared for us in heaven; because the entire preparation for future glory is through merits, which are acquired by grace, the principle of meriting: lay up to yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither the rust nor the moth consumes (Matt 6:20); so run that you may obtain (1 Cor 9:24).

Of the duty of servants, Ti1 6:1, Ti1 6:2. Of false teachers, who suppose gain to be godliness, Ti1 6:3-5. Of true godliness, and contentment, Ti1 6:6-8. Of those, and their dangerous state, who determine to be rich; and of the love of money, Ti1 6:9, Ti1 6:10. Timothy is exhorted to fight the good fight of faith, and to keep the charge delivered to him, Ti1 6:11-14. A sublime description of the majesty of God, Ti1 6:15, Ti1 6:16. How the rich should behave themselves; and the use they should make of their property, Ti1 6:17-19. Timothy is once more exhorted to keep what was committed to his trust; and to avoid profane babblings, through which some have erred from the faith, Ti1 6:20, Ti1 6:21.

Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation - St. Paul seems to have borrowed this form of speech from Tobit. See 4:8, 9: If thou hast abundance, give alms accordingly: if thou hast but a little, be not afraid to give according to that little: for thou treasurest up a good reward for thyself against the day of necessity. Θεμα ραρ αγαθον θησαυριζεις σεαυτω εις ἡμεραν αναγκης. The apostle says: Αποθησαυριζοντας ἑαυτοις θεμελιον καλον εις το μελλον, ἱνα επιλαβωνται της αιωνιου ζωης "Treasuring up a good foundation to them for the future, that they may lay hold on eternal life." The sentiment is the same in both writers; the words nearly so; and the meaning is simply this, as it is judiciously paraphrased by Mr. J. Wesley in his note on this passage: "Treasuring up for themselves a good foundation, of an abundant reward by the free mercy of God, that they may lay hold on eternal life. This cannot be done by almsdeeds; yet, they come up for a memorial before God; Act 10:4. And the lack even of this may be the cause why God will withhold grace and salvation from us." Christ has said: Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy. They who have not been merciful according to their power, shall not obtain mercy; they that have, shall obtain mercy: and yet the eternal life which they obtain they look for from the mercy of God through Jesus Christ.

EXHORTATIONS AS TO DISTINCTIONS OF CIVIL RANK; THE DUTY OF SLAVES, IN OPPOSITION TO THE FALSE TEACHINGS OF GAIN-SEEKERS; TIMOTHY'S PURSUIT IS TO BE GODLINESS, WHICH IS AN EVERLASTING POSSESSION: SOLEMN ADJURATION TO DO SO AGAINST CHRIST'S COMING; CHARGE TO BE GIVEN TO THE RICH. CONCLUDING EXHORTATION. (1Ti. 6:1-21) servants--to be taken as predicated thus, "Let as many as are under the yoke (as) slaves" (Tit 2:9). The exhortation is natural as there was a danger of Christian slaves inwardly feeling above their heathen masters. their own masters--The phrase "their own," is an argument for submissiveness; it is not strangers, but their own masters whom they are required to respect. all honour--all possible and fitting honor; not merely outward subjection, but that inward honor from which will flow spontaneously right outward conduct (see on Eph 5:22). that the name of God--by which Christians are called. blasphemed--Heathen masters would say, What kind of a God must be the God of the Christians, when such are the fruits of His worship (Rom 2:24; Tit 2:5, Tit 2:10)?

Laying up in store--"therefrom (that is, by this means [ALFORD]; but BENGEL makes the Greek "apo" mean laying apart against a future time), laying up for themselves as a treasure" [ALFORD] (Mat 6:19-20). This is a treasure which we act wisely in laying up in store, whereas the wisest thing we can do with earthly treasures is "to distribute" them and give others a share of them (Ti1 6:18). good foundation--(See on Ti1 3:13; Luk 6:48; Co1 3:11). The sure reversion of the future heavenly inheritance: earthly riches scattered in faith lay up in store a sure increase of heavenly riches. We gather by scattering (Pro 11:24; Pro 13:7; Luk 16:9). that . . . eternal life--The oldest manuscripts and versions read, "that which is really life," its joys being solid and enduring (Psa 16:11). The life that now is cannot be called so, its goods being unsubstantial, and itself a vapor (Jam 4:14). "In order that ('with their feet so to speak on this foundation' [DE WETTE]) they may lay hold on that which is life indeed."