The Argument of 1 Timothy 6:11–16

Summary

In this video, the speaker delves into 1 Timothy 6:11-16, focusing on Paul's final instructions to Timothy. Paul advises Timothy to flee from harmful desires and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and gentleness. He encourages Timothy to fight the good fight of faith and to hold firmly to eternal life. Paul charges Timothy to keep God's commandments blamelessly until Jesus returns. The video concludes with an exploration of the nature of God as the sovereign King and the ultimate source of honor and eternal dominion.

Takeaways

• 📖 Paul gives final instructions to Timothy on how to conduct his ministry.
• 💼 Chapters 5 and 6 of 1 Timothy focus on handling different categories of people in the church.
• 👤 Paul addresses Timothy directly as 'man of God,' a rare term in the New Testament.
• ❌ Timothy is instructed to flee negative influences like the love of money and using godliness for financial gain.
• ✅ Instead, Timothy should pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, and gentleness.
• ⚔️ Timothy is encouraged to fight the good fight of faith, maintaining his and the church's faith.
• 🛡️ Timothy is exhorted to take hold of eternal life and guard his salvation and ministry.
• 📜 Paul issues a charge to Timothy, emphasizing the presence of God and Jesus Christ as witnesses.
• 📝 The charge is to keep all Paul's instructions unstained and above reproach until Jesus returns.
• 🙏 The section concludes with a praise to God, acknowledging His sovereignty and immortality.

Q & A

What is the primary focus of 1 Timothy 6:11-16?

The primary focus is Paul's final instructions to Timothy on how he should conduct himself and carry out his ministry.

What does Paul refer to Timothy as in this passage?

Paul refers to Timothy as 'O man of God,' which is not a common term in the New Testament.

What are the three exhortations Paul gives to Timothy?

The three exhortations are: 1) Flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, and gentleness. 2) Fight the good fight of faith. 3) Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called.

What does Paul charge Timothy to do?

Paul charges Timothy to keep the commandment, which refers to all the instructions Paul has given Timothy in the letter, in a manner that is unstained and free from reproach.

How does Paul emphasize the importance of the charge to Timothy?

Paul emphasizes the importance by reminding Timothy that he is in the presence of God and Jesus Christ, who will hold him accountable for the charge.

What does Paul mean by 'keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach'?

Paul means that Timothy should follow God's commandments and Paul's instructions in a pure and guiltless manner, completely above reproach.

What is the duration for Timothy to keep this charge?

Timothy is to keep this charge until the appearing of the Lord Jesus Christ, either until Jesus returns or until Timothy is called home.

How does Paul describe the appearing of the Lord Jesus Christ?

Paul describes the appearing as an event that will be displayed at the proper time by God, who is the blessed and only sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality and dwells in unapproachable light.

What assertion does Paul make about God in this passage?

Paul asserts that God is the only sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see.

What is the final exhortation Paul gives to Timothy in this passage?

The final exhortation is to do everything in a manner that is worthy of God, blamelessly, until Jesus comes back or calls Timothy home.

Outlines

00:00

📖 Paul's Instructions to Timothy: Handling the Church

In this segment, we delve into 1 Timothy 6:11-16, where Paul instructs Timothy on how to manage different groups within the church. Paul addresses Timothy as the 'man of God' and provides a series of exhortations and a final charge. The exhortations include fleeing from negative influences such as the love of money and instead pursuing virtues like righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, and gentleness. Timothy is urged to 'fight the good fight of faith' and 'take hold of the eternal life.' Paul emphasizes the importance of maintaining these commandments in a manner that is 'unstained and free from reproach' until the return of Jesus Christ.

05:03

✨ The Return of Christ and God's Sovereignty

Paul continues by focusing on the anticipation of Jesus Christ's return, urging Timothy to remain blameless until that time. He describes the return as occurring at the proper time, highlighting God's sovereignty. Paul exalts God as the 'blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords,' who 'alone has immortality' and 'dwells in unapproachable light.' This section concludes with a doxology, giving honor and eternal dominion to God. Paul’s final exhortations to Timothy emphasize the importance of godly conduct and perseverance in faith, preparing Timothy for his ongoing ministry and the eventual return of Christ.

Keywords

💡Timothy

Timothy is a key figure in the video, representing the recipient of Paul's letter. The video focuses on Paul's instructions to Timothy on how to conduct himself and manage his ministry, emphasizing his role as a 'man of God'.

💡Paul

Paul, the apostle, is the author of the letter to Timothy. He provides guidance and instructions to Timothy on various aspects of church leadership and personal conduct, underscoring the responsibilities and ethical standards expected of a church leader.

💡Man of God

The term 'Man of God' is used by Paul to refer to Timothy. It highlights Timothy's role and identity within the church as a dedicated servant of God. This label underscores the gravity of the exhortations and charges Paul gives him.

💡Exhortations

Exhortations are strong recommendations or urgings. In the video, Paul gives Timothy several exhortations, such as fleeing from the love of money and pursuing righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, and gentleness.

💡Charge

A charge is a formal directive or command. Paul uses this term to convey his final instructions to Timothy, urging him to keep the commandment and conduct himself in a manner that is above reproach until the return of Jesus Christ.

💡Fight the Good Fight

This phrase emphasizes the struggle and effort required to maintain faith and integrity. Paul encourages Timothy to fight the good fight of faith, highlighting the ongoing battle against false teachings and the preservation of personal and communal faith.

💡Eternal Life

Eternal life refers to the life promised to believers that extends beyond the earthly existence. Paul exhorts Timothy to take hold of the eternal life to which he was called, implying a focus on spiritual goals and the ultimate reward of faithful service.

💡Commandment

The commandment refers to all the instructions Paul has given Timothy in his letter. Paul charges Timothy to keep these commandments unstained and free from reproach, stressing the importance of adhering to these teachings faithfully.

💡Unstained and Free from Reproach

This phrase means maintaining a blameless and pure conduct. Paul instructs Timothy to keep the commandment in a manner that is above reproach, indicating the high ethical standards expected of him as a leader in the church.

💡Appearing of Our Lord Jesus Christ

This refers to the second coming of Jesus Christ. Paul instructs Timothy to maintain his conduct and keep the commandment until the appearing of Jesus Christ, emphasizing the anticipation of Christ's return as a motivator for righteous living.

💡False Teachers

False teachers are individuals spreading incorrect or misleading doctrines. In his letter, Paul initially charges Timothy to deal with these false teachers, emphasizing the importance of preserving the true faith and protecting the church from harmful influences.

💡Proper Time

The proper time refers to God's ordained moment for the return of Jesus Christ. Paul assures Timothy that the appearing of Christ will happen at the proper time, reinforcing the need for patience and faithful service in the meantime.

💡King of Kings and Lord of Lords

This title is used to describe God's supreme authority. Paul includes this in his description of God, emphasizing His power and sovereignty, and encouraging Timothy to maintain his faith and conduct in light of God's ultimate authority.

💡Unapproachable Light

This phrase describes God's divine and holy nature. Paul uses this imagery to convey the transcendence and purity of God, underscoring the reverence and awe with which Timothy should approach his duties and faith.

💡Honor and Eternal Dominion

This phrase is part of Paul's doxology, giving praise to God. It signifies the glory and everlasting rule of God, reminding Timothy and the listeners of the ultimate purpose and destination of their faith and efforts.

Highlights

Paul is giving Timothy final instructions on how to conduct himself and his ministry.

Paul addresses Timothy as 'O man of God,' a rare term in the New Testament.

First exhortation: Timothy must flee negative behaviors like the love of money and instead pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, and gentleness.

Second exhortation: Timothy is encouraged to 'fight the good fight of faith,' emphasizing the struggle for personal faith and the faith of his church.

Third exhortation: Timothy is urged to 'take hold of the eternal life' to which he was called, emphasizing the importance of guarding his salvation and ministry.

Paul gives Timothy a charge to keep all the commandments and instructions he has provided in the letter.

The charge emphasizes that Timothy must keep these commandments 'unstained and free from reproach,' in a manner that is pure and above reproach.

Timothy is to continue his godly conduct until the appearing of Jesus Christ.

Paul describes the appearing of Jesus Christ as occurring at the proper time, highlighting God's sovereignty.

Paul refers to God as 'the blessed and only sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords.'

Paul describes God as the one 'who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see.'

Paul concludes with a doxology: 'To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen.'

The exhortations and charge are focused on Timothy's personal conduct and the execution of his ministry in a manner worthy of his calling.

Paul’s instructions encompass both practical behaviors and deep theological affirmations, blending ethics with doctrine.

Paul's final section includes instructions for the rich and a brief conclusion to the letter.

Transcripts

[Music]

welcome back as we continue working our

way through the letter of first

timothy we come now to 1 timothy

6 verses 11 through 16.

let's have a look at how paul develops

the argument here

to remind you chapters 5 and 6

have paul teaching timothy how to handle

or deal with

particular categories of people in the

church that he is

in charge of and right here we

are yeah the man of god

and in this context the man of god is

timothy

himself so this is paul giving final

instructions to timothy about how he is

to

conduct himself and carry out his

i've ministry a strange label for this

really

what we have here is a series of

instructions to timothy and then the

final instruction

is unpacked at some length so we've got

a set of exhortations in the first bit

and then a charge

now charge isn't a typical label that we

would use in one of these bracketing

diagrams but

that's what paul calls it so i decided i

would break convention and simply use

the word that he uses

so we've got a set of exhortations

i missed that up set of exhortations and

then

a charge which in typical poland style

emanates in an expression of praise

let's go and see how this is unpacked

first we have a series of exhortations

three of them to be

exact so there's a

opening one which has a negative and a

positive component so he says

to as for you so yeah we switch topic

from

the false teachers to timothy as for you

and paul calls him o man of god

not a common term in the new testament

by the way

then he says to him negatively you must

flee

these things the love of money godliness

as a means of financial gain

that kind of thing so flee these things

and

in their place pursue

righteousness godliness faith love

steadfastness and

gentleness so that's our first

exaltation with this positive and

negative component to it

next he says to him fight the good fight

of faith and this picks up on a theme of

the letter that we've seen a few times

where timothy is embroiled in a fight

for

the faith both his own and for the faith

of the church that he is responsible for

and finally there's a third charge to

him to take hold of the eternal life to

which you were called

this exaltation to to continue to guard

yourself guard your salvation

guard your life guard your ministry take

hold

of the life the eternal life to which

you were called

and then paul turns to his charge to

timothy so he's wrapping up the letter

remember he opened with a charge to

timothy a charge to deal with the false

teachers

well he wraps the letter up with another

charge so he says i

charge you. and then for emphasis

reminding him that it's in the presence

of god

and of jesus christ reminding him that

his god

and his savior is watching him and will

hold him to account for the charge that

paul gives him

what is the charge well it is to keep

the commandment what is the commandment

it's probably

a reference to all of the instructions

that paul has given timothy

in this letter all the commands that

he's

enjoined him to follow the most recent

ones being these

but this would not be limited to those

so he's saying i charge you to keep the

commandment all that i've exhorted and

urged you to do i charge you to keep

this

and i think this is the focal point of

this charge

it's the manner in which timothy is to

keep them you are to keep

god's commandments my instructions which

represent god's commandments

unstained and free from reproach in a

manner that's above reproach in a manner

that is completely pure

and guiltless timothy pursue

righteousness

take hold of eternal life fight the good

fight of faith and do

all of this in a manner that is

completely

above reproach this is my charge to you

my son and keep doing it there's a

duration here

until until there's a duration word

until the appearing of our lord jesus

christ until jesus comes back or until

he calls you home

you continue to do this in a manner that

is above reproach

so this is the basic emphasis do this

until jesus comes back and then he

amplifies

this reference to the appearing of our

lord jesus christ saying it'll be at the

proper time

and giving some further details about it

which we can unpack like this

so he will display this appearing is an

entity which he will display at the

proper time

and then the description is of the he

so the he it's he who is the blessed and

only sovereign

the king of kings and lord of lords who

alone has immortality who dwells in

unapproachable light

whom no one has seen or can see

and having made this assertion about god

paul draws an inference to him

be honor and eternal dominion

amen so friends this

is paul's final exhortation to timothy

as a man of god

the exaltations to flee what is bad and

pursue what is good

to fight the good fight to engage the

struggle in a godly way

while at the same time taking hold of

eternal life

and watching over his own relationship

with god

and then paul charges him to do these

things in a manner

that is worthy of the one who called him

and to do it blamelessly

until that one calls him home or returns

to fetch him

isn't that an amazing way to end paul's

charge to timothy there's one more

section that we're going to look at paul

talks about instructions for the rich

and then a very brief conclusion to the

letter