Dr. Rodney Plunket

The biblical passages contained in the “Ancient Words/Open Hearts” Bible study schedule for this week were 1 Timothy (1Tm) 6 and Hebrews 13:5-6.  The verses from Hebrews have already been read.  I want to read 1Tm 6 and spend our time in that chapter.  Please follow along.  I will be stopping to make comments between the sections that make up this chapter.  Let’s look first at 1Tm 6:1-3c

Let all who are under the yoke of slavery regard their masters as worthy of all honor, so that the name of God and the teaching may not be blasphemed.  Those who have believing masters must not be disrespectful to them on the ground that they are members of the church; rather they must serve them all the more, since those who benefit by their service are believers and beloved.

Notice the three focus points of this passage:  God, the teaching of God, and fel­low believers.

Now look with me at 1Tm 6:3d-10:

Teach and urge these duties.  Whoever teaches otherwise and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that is in accordance with godliness, is conceited, understanding nothing, and has a morbid craving for controversy and for disputes about words.  From these come envy, dissension, slander, base suspicions, and wrangling among those who are depraved in mind and bereft of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain.  Of course, there is great gain in godliness combined with contentment; for we brought nothing into the world, so that we can take nothing out of it; but if we have food and clothing, we will be content with these.  But those who want to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.  For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and in their eagerness to be rich some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pains.

Here we come to the “love of money” verses upon which our lesson this morning is focused.  Notice that in the first century, as today, there were people who tried to turn godliness into a means of gain, and the way that Paul uses the word “gain” here appears to refer to material gain.  Paul responds to that attempt by indicating that godliness is a means of a certain kind gain that is clearly not material gain.  He makes clear that, if we combine godliness with a contentment that leads away from a desire for material gain, then godliness is a means of gain.  The kind of contentment that Paul wants his readers to have is one that causes them to be happy just as long as food and clothing needs are met.

Paul then targets those who want to be rich.  He says that such persons “fall into temptation.”  He goes on to say that they “are trapped by many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.”  He then makes the oft-quoted statement that “the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and in their eagerness to be rich some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pains.”  Notice the flow of this chapter so far.  Paul begins by focusing the eyes of his readers on God, the message of God, and fellow believers.  Paul makes clear that our concerns should be focused there and not on ourselves.  Just a few verses later he moves to the desire for material gain which he counters by encouraging his readers to be contented if all that they have is food and clothing.  It seems to me that this flow is worthy of reflection.  If we made God, the message of God, and fellow believers the top priorities in our lives, we would have no room for the love of money.  To put it another way, the love of God, the love of God’s message (the gospel), and the love of our sisters and brothers are loves that run counter to the love of money.

Now, let’s look together at the first few phrases of 1Tm 6:11:  “But as for you, man of God, shun all this . . .”  What is “this”?  Paul is referring to the subject matter of the previous section, so Paul is referring to issues like the viewing of godliness as a means of gain; he is referring to the love of money.  Paul says, “shun” those things.

Now please look with me at the remainder of the chapter including the phrases just read.  1Tm 6:11-21:

But as for you, man of God, shun all this; pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, gentleness.  Fight the good fight of the faith; take hold of the eternal life, to which you were called and for which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.  In the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you to keep the commandment without spot or blame until the manifestation of our Lord Jesus Christ, which he will bring about at the right time—he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords.  It is he alone who has immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see; to him be honor and eternal dominion.  Amen.

As for those who in the present age are rich, command them not to be haughty, or to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but rather on God who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.  They are to do good, to be rich in good works, generous, and ready to share, thus storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of the life that really is life.

Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you.  Avoid the profane chatter and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge; by professing it some have missed the mark as regards the faith.

Grace be with you.

One would think that in a sermon on the love of money I would focus on verses 17-19 since those verses actually contain instructions concerning riches.  I have done that before, but those are not the verses I will focus on this morning.  I want instead to capture the overall lifestyle portrayed in these verses.  If we embrace that overall lifestyle we will be freed from the love of money.

Look at what Paul tells us to pursue:  “righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, gentleness.”  Surely we all know that a person cannot really pursue those things and still love money.

Paul goes on to say, “Fight the good fight of the faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and for which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.”  Again, if our focus is on faith, eternal life, and the good confession then the love of money will not be able to reside within us.  There is too much incompatibility.

Paul refers in verses 14-16 to

the manifestation of our Lord Jesus Christ, which he will bring about at the right time––he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords.  It is he alone who has immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see; to him be honor and eternal dominion.

Again, surely it is impossible to stay focused on the return of Christ in all His glory and keep loving money.  How paltry money we know money to be when placed alongside the glorified Christ.  If we live for the return of Jesus Christ, we cannot live a life focused on riches and money.  We have to live for one or the other.  We cannot live for both.

Now, we can deceive ourselves into thinking that we are living for the return of Christ when we are really living for the love of money.  I fear that we American Christians may be especially adept at that cancerous sort of self-deception.  So I encourage us all to spend time in prayer, in God’s word, and in our Growth Groups, Bible classes, and prayer groups allowing the Spirit to fill us with a hunger for those matters that matter most to God and emptying us of the love of money and riches.

In verse 18 Paul instructs those who are rich “to do good, to be rich in good works, generous, and ready to share.”  An abundance of that kind of fruit in our lives certainly indicates that we are free of the love of money.  An absence of that kind of fruit indicates the opposite, so maybe we can also use this verse as a spiritual thermometer capable of revealing the true love that reigns in our hearts.

I want now to share a reading from the book, God Is No Fool, by Lois A. Cheney, pp 59-60.

“If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”

I asked some young people if they would give up and sacrifice themselves, if Christ were to call them, now, today.  They were serious for awhile, fidgeted, and answered awkwardly that they were tied to their homes; their parents wouldn’t understand; and they felt this had to wait until they were older and could make their own decisions. 

I heard a young man being asked concerning his religious convictions.  He looked alternately embarrassed and irritated.  He answered with long details of how active his wife was in the church; and how his kids went every Sunday.  He was relieved when his questioner left him.  His eyes followed him with accusation. 

I heard a young woman being asked to dedicate a portion of her time to needed Christian works.  The eyebrows arched sharply and the replies came quickly in staccato rhythm.  In rapid succession she listed her civic duties; her responsibilities to her children; and she concluded with reference to her husband putting his foot down about her many, too many, activities. 

I heard an elderly person being asked to declare and dedicate his life in a special Christian manner.  He snorted and snapped that it was the younger people’s job.  He’d done his work in his day, and he’d earned a rest. 

The cross is a lonely place.  Even Christ didn’t pick it quickly and easily. 

He waits for others to do it

And he waits….

And he waits….

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