1 Timothy 6

This is the final chapter of 1 Timothy. Following the instructions on widows and elders in 1 Timothy 5, it addresses the conduct of servants and the problem of false teachers, then concludes the letter with teaching on wealth and a final charge to Timothy.

Outline

• Verses 1–2: Servants are to honor their masters; those with believing masters are not to despise them because they are brethren but are to serve them all the better.
• Verses 3–5: Those who teach other doctrines are described as proud, fond of disputes and quarrels about words, and as treating godliness as a means of gain.
• Verses 6–10: Godliness accompanied by contentment (being satisfied with one's circumstances) is great gain; the passage warns against the desire to be rich and the love of money.
• Verses 11–16: Timothy, as a "man of God," is charged to fight the good fight of faith, and the passage leads into a doxology in praise of God.
• Verses 17–19: Timothy is to instruct the rich to set their hope not on riches but on God and to be ready to share.
• Verses 20–21: Timothy is urged to keep what has been committed to his trust and to avoid "science falsely so called," and the letter ends with a benediction.

Key Verses

• 1 Timothy 6:6 "But godliness with contentment is great gain." This stands in contrast to treating godliness as a means of profit.
• 1 Timothy 6:10 "For the love of money is the root of all evil." The problem identified is not money itself but the love of money.
• 1 Timothy 6:12 "Fight the good fight of faith." The expression parallels 2 Timothy 4:7–8.

People and Places

• Timothy: The recipient of the letter and Paul's coworker, entrusted with the church at Ephesus.
• Paul: Traditionally regarded as the author of the letter.
• Pontius Pilate: The Roman governor who tried Jesus; verse 13 mentions the testimony Christ gave before him.

Points for Reflection

• Whether verses 1–2 endorse slavery has long been debated. Many interpreters read them as counsel intended to keep the gospel from being reproached within the social order of the time. In the nineteenth century, however, the passage was also cited in defense of slavery (see abolitionist movement).
• Depending on the translation, verse 10 is rendered either "the root of all evil" or "a root of all kinds of evil."
• Verses 17–19 do not condemn wealth itself but command generosity and good works. For this reason they are frequently cited in critiques of prosperity theology and in explanations of stewardship.
• Interpretations differ regarding the "knowledge" (Greek gnosis, rendered "science" in the KJV) of verse 20. In the second century, Irenaeus used this expression in the title of his work refuting Gnosticism. Modern scholars variously regard it as referring to early Gnostic tendencies or to the Jewish speculations mentioned in 1:4.
• Christ's testimony before Pilate in verse 13 is often mentioned alongside the phrase "suffered under Pontius Pilate" in the Apostles' Creed.

In the Korean Church

Verses 6–10 and 17–19 are widely used as sermon texts on the Christian view of material possessions, offerings, and almsgiving. The phrase "the good fight of faith" in verse 12 is frequently quoted as an exhortation to faithful Christian living.