Like an old, wrinkled dollar, 1 Timothy 6:10 has been bent, folded, and flattened in every way to purchase mental real estate in the minds of believers. It’s been forced on the wealthy to squeeze out their offering, and slipped in by others to justify their thirsty savings accounts. Was the Apostle Paul getting ready to ask for money? Was he trying to make himself feel better about his own lack of a nest egg? Was he saying money is bad and we should do everything possible never to have much of it?
Let’s hunt for some context surrounding Paul’s first letter to Timothy.
To Timothy, a true son in the faith:Grace, mercy, and peace from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. 1 Timothy 1:2
Many scholars believe Paul wrote this letter on his third missionary journey, a few years prior to his arrest. Paul had long abandoned comfort and steady income for life as a nomadic leader of the early Christian church. In fact, Paul spread God’s word without requiring payment....
Even so the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should live from the gospel. But I have used none of these things, nor have I written these things that it should be done so to me; for it would be better for me to die than that anyone should make my boasting void. 1 Corinthians 9:14-15
....and at times made tents to support himself.
After these things Paul departed from Athens and went to Corinth. And he found a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla (because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to depart from Rome); and he came to them. So, because he was of the same trade, he stayed with them and worked; for by occupation they were tentmakers. Acts 18:1-3
So, we know Paul was sharing a deeply held, lived-out belief with Timothy.
What will Paul’s words to Timothy speak to us? Paul began chapter six with a servant-and-master theme. Later, he described false teachers who think godliness is a way to secure financial gain.
useless wranglings of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain. From such withdraw yourself. 1 Timothy 6:5
One verse later, he flipped the coin by claiming godliness paired with contentment are great gain. Paul continued to make his case by reminding us what we get to take with us when we die. He called the desire to get rich a way to destruction.
But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. 1 Timothy 6:9
Then finally, he explained all this with....
For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. 1 Timothy 6:10
Paul was not denouncing wealth, he was denouncing the lack of contentment. A condition which dethrones God as master and enslaves people to the pursuit of money. Jesus also used servant-and-master imagery to discuss money. In Matthew 6:24, our Savior plainly stated, “You cannot serve both God and money.”
Let’s think about it this way. Why do we all want to win the Lotto? Somewhere in our sinful nature is a whisper that says more money will mean more security, happiness, significance, generosity, and even godliness. But where do those things actually come from? God, our true master. What Paul and Jesus were warning against is this: the evil that promises good life through any currency other than crowning God your only King. Is money bad? No. Can it be put in submission to God to accomplish great things for Him? Yes. Is that an easy pursuit? No. How should we start? Godliness with contentment. How should we finish? Godliness with contentment.
Consider: Have you replaced the peace, satisfaction, comfort, love, strength, and direction that comes from God with any other “master”?
Eugene Thompson
ET This I Believe
Taken from my morning devotionals
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