Verse-by-Verse Commentary
The Book of 1 Timothy
Chapter 6: Fight the Good Fight of Faith
First Timothy 6 closes the letter with a warning about money and a soaring charge to the man of God. False teachers suppose 'that gain is godliness,' but Paul answers, 'godliness with contentment is great gain,' for 'we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.' He warns that 'they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare,' and that 'the love of money is the root of all evil,' which has led some to err from the faith and pierce themselves through with many sorrows. Then he turns to Timothy: 'But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life.' He charges him before God 'until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ,' and breaks into praise of 'the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords; who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto.' Finally he charges the rich to trust not in riches but in the living God, and to be 'rich in good works.' This chapter shows us contentment, warfare, and the glory of our God and King.
About This Commentary
This is a verse-by-verse study of 1 Timothy chapter 6, the final chapter of the epistle. For each section you will find the KJV text, the Greek words that sharpen the meaning, plain explanation, and a Gospel Focus. Here Paul warns of the love of money, commends godliness with contentment, charges the man of God to fight the good fight, and glorifies the blessed and only Potentate. Every Scripture quotation is from the King James Version.
Setting the Stage
Godliness with Contentment
Great gain, for we carry nothing out.
The Love of Money
The root of all evil, piercing with sorrows.
Fight the Good Fight
Flee, follow, and lay hold on eternal life.
The Blessed Potentate
The King of kings, dwelling in unapproachable light.
Godliness with Contentment Is Great Gain (1 Timothy 6:1-10)
Against those who make religion a way to riches, Paul commends contentment and warns that the love of money leads many to ruin.
The Love of Money Is the Root of All Evil
"Let as many servants as are under the yoke count their own masters worthy of all honour, that the name of God and his doctrine be not blasphemed. And they that have believing masters, let them not despise them, because they are brethren; but rather do them service, because they are faithful and beloved, partakers of the benefit. These things teach and exhort. If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself. But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content. But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows."
Word Study
"the love of money," Greek philarguria (φιλαργυρία). The word joins philos, "love," with arguros, "silver"; it means literally the love of silver, greed, avarice, an inordinate craving for money. "For the love of money is the root of all evil." Paul is precise, and the precision matters. It is not money itself that is the root of all evil, for money is a tool that can do great good; it is the love of money, philarguria, the craving for it, that poisons the heart. Money is neutral; the love of it is deadly. And Paul says this love is "a root," a source from which all manner of evils grow; where the craving for wealth takes hold, it sends up shoots of dishonesty, oppression, discontent, and idolatry. He has just exposed false teachers who imagine "that gain is godliness," who use religion as a means to get rich; and he traces their corruption to this root. Then he shows its bitter fruit: "which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows." The love of money does not satisfy; it wounds. Those who chase it wander from the faith and stab themselves through with grief. Against this, Paul sets the true wealth: "godliness with contentment is great gain." So philarguria names the deadly craving, and the gospel answer is not poverty but contentment, a heart satisfied in God, which is riches no money can buy.
Explanation
Servants are to honor their masters "that the name of God and his doctrine be not blasphemed." Then Paul turns to false teachers who "suppose that gain is godliness," and corrects them: "godliness with contentment is great gain," for "we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out." Having food and raiment, "let us be therewith content." The famous warning follows: "the love of money is the root of all evil," which some, coveting, "have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows." It is not money but the love of it that ruins.
Gospel Focus
Paul first instructs Christian servants, or slaves, to "count their own masters worthy of all honour, that the name of God and his doctrine be not blasphemed." A believer's diligent, respectful work protects the reputation of the gospel; and where the master is also a believer, the servant is to serve all the better, not less, "because they are faithful and beloved." Then Paul returns to the false teachers, exposing both their character and their motive. They "consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ," and are "proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words," producing only "envy, strife, railings." Worst of all, they are "supposing that gain is godliness", they treat religion as a business, a way to get rich. "From such withdraw thyself." Against this Paul lays down a golden principle: "godliness with contentment is great gain." True profit is not money added to godliness, but godliness joined to a contented heart. He gives two reasons for contentment. First, the brevity and emptiness of earthly wealth: "we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out." We arrive with nothing and leave with nothing; possessions are only borrowed for a while. So "having food and raiment let us be therewith content", the basics of life are enough for a heart anchored in God. Second, the danger of craving wealth: "they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition." The determination to be rich is a trap that pulls the soul under. And Paul names the deadly root: "the love of money is the root of all evil," which has led some to "err from the faith" and pierce "themselves through with many sorrows." Notice again, it is not money but the love of it, the craving, that destroys; and it wounds the one who chases it. The gospel does not condemn provision or wealth itself, but it exposes the lie that money brings life, and offers instead the true riches: a godly life content in God, which is "great gain" indeed.
The Blessed and Only Potentate (1 Timothy 6:11-21)
Paul charges Timothy to flee greed, fight the good fight, and keep the commandment until the appearing of Christ, glorifying the King of kings.
The King of Kings, and Lord of Lords
"But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses. I give thee charge in the sight of God, who quickeneth all things, and before Christ Jesus, who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession; That thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukeable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ: Which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords; Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen. Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate; Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life. O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called: Which some professing have erred concerning the faith. Grace be with thee. Amen."
Word Study
"Potentate," Greek dunastes (δυνάστης). The word means a ruler, a sovereign, one who holds power; it is built on dunamis, "power," and gives us "dynasty" and "dynast." "The blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords." Paul heaps up titles of supreme sovereignty and applies them to the one God: He is the "only" dunastes, the sole absolute Ruler, over every king and every lord. Earthly potentates rise and fall, but there is only one true Sovereign of all. And Paul describes this God in words of pure deity: "who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see." God alone possesses immortality in Himself; He dwells in blinding, unapproachable glory; in His invisible essence no human eye has ever seen Him or can. Yet this is the same letter that declared "God was manifest in the flesh" (3:16), for the invisible God who dwells in unapproachable light made Himself visible and approachable in the man Christ Jesus. There is no contradiction: in His deity God is unseen and unapproachable, but in the flesh of Jesus that same God drew near and was seen. So dunastes exalts the one God as the only Sovereign, the King of kings, before whom every earthly power is nothing, and to whom belongs "honour and power everlasting."
Explanation
Against the love of money Paul commands, "But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness. Fight the good fight of faith." He charges Timothy solemnly, before the God who gives life and before Christ Jesus, to keep the commandment "until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ" — the "King of kings, and Lord of lords." The rich are to be "rich in good works," laying up "a good foundation against the time to come." And the last word is a charge to guard the deposit: "keep that which is committed to thy trust," avoiding false knowledge that has caused some to miss the faith.
Gospel Focus
Paul turns to Timothy with one of the great personal charges of Scripture, addressing him with a noble title, "O man of God." First, flee: "flee these things," the love of money and all that corrupts. The Christian life includes running away from certain things. But fleeing is only half; there must also be pursuit: "follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness." We flee evil and chase after Christlike character. And there is a battle: "fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called." The faith is a fight, a "good" fight worth every effort, and Timothy is to seize firmly the eternal life to which God called him. Then Paul lays on him the most solemn charge, "in the sight of God, who quickeneth all things, and before Christ Jesus, who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession", pointing to Jesus' own faithful witness as the pattern, "that thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukeable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ." Timothy is to be faithful all the way to Christ's return. And the mention of that appearing lifts Paul into worship. Christ's coming will be shown "in his times" by "the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords; who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see." Here the one God is exalted as the sole Sovereign of all, immortal, invisible, dwelling in unapproachable light. And it is precisely this invisible, unapproachable God who, as Paul has already said, "was manifest in the flesh" in Jesus; the God no eye can see made Himself seen in the Son. To Him alone belongs "honour and power everlasting." Finally, Paul returns to money, charging "them that are rich in this world" not to be proud or to "trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy." Riches are uncertain; God is not. The rich are to be "rich in good works, ready to distribute," and so to lay up "a good foundation against the time to come." Paul's closing word gathers up the whole letter: "O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust." Guard the deposit of truth, avoid empty controversies, and hold fast the faith. "Grace be with thee. Amen." So the man of God flees greed, pursues godliness, fights the good fight, keeps the faith to the end, and rests his whole hope in the blessed and only Potentate, our God and King, who was manifest in the flesh and is coming again.
Chapter 6 in Review
First Timothy 6 closes the letter with the danger of greed and the glory of God. Against false teachers "supposing that gain is godliness," Paul answers, "godliness with contentment is great gain," for "we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out." He warns that "they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare," and that "the love of money is the root of all evil." Then he charges Timothy: "O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life," keeping the commandment "until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ." He glorifies "the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords; who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto," and charges the rich to "trust... in the living God" and be "rich in good works."
For the Apostolic reader this final chapter joins practical warning to soaring worship. It exposes the love of money, not money itself, as a deadly root, and offers the true wealth of "godliness with contentment." It calls every "man of God" to a life of holy fleeing and holy pursuit, and to "fight the good fight of faith" all the way to the appearing of Christ. And it crowns the letter with the exaltation of the one God as "the blessed and only Potentate," immortal, invisible, dwelling in unapproachable light, the same God who, this very letter declares, "was manifest in the flesh." The invisible God made Himself seen in Jesus; the unapproachable God drew near in our Saviour. So we flee greed, pursue godliness, hold loosely to riches and richly to good works, fight the good fight of faith, guard the truth committed to us, and give honour and power everlasting to our God and King, who is coming again.
- "Godliness with contentment is great gain" (6:6).
- "We brought nothing into this world... we can carry nothing out" (6:7).
- "The love of money is the root of all evil," not money itself (6:10).
- "Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life" (6:12).
- God is "the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords" (6:15).
- The invisible God "whom no man hath seen" is the same God "manifest in the flesh" (6:16; 3:16).
Questions for Reflection
- Have you found the "great gain" of godliness joined to contentment?
- Is there any "love of money" taking root in your heart, and what fruit is it bearing?
- What are you fleeing, and what are you following after, as a "man" or woman "of God"?
- Does the glory of the one God, King of kings, dwelling in unapproachable light yet manifest in flesh, fill you with worship?
References & Sources
Scripture is quoted from the King James Version (KJV). Supporting passages are listed so every claim can be verified in its own setting. Servants, false teachers, and godliness with contentment: 1 Timothy 6:1-8; Ephesians 6:5-8; Philippians 4:11-12; Hebrews 13:5. The love of money and its ruin: 1 Timothy 6:9-10; Proverbs 15:27; Matthew 6:24; Hebrews 13:5. The charge to the man of God; the good fight: 1 Timothy 6:11-14; 2 Timothy 4:7; John 18:37. The blessed and only Potentate; God invisible yet manifest: 1 Timothy 6:15-16; 1 Timothy 3:16; John 1:18; Revelation 17:14; Exodus 33:20. Charging the rich to trust God and do good: 1 Timothy 6:17-21; Luke 12:20-21; Proverbs 11:28. If anything here does not look right, a verse, a reference, or a wording, please tell us at info@FruitBearers.net. Thank you for helping us keep Bible Learning error free.
- Godliness with contentment is great gain: 1 Timothy 6:1-8; Philippians 4:11-12; Hebrews 13:5.
- The love of money is the root of all evil: 1 Timothy 6:9-10; Matthew 6:24.
- The man of God; fight the good fight of faith: 1 Timothy 6:11-14; 2 Timothy 4:7.
- The blessed and only Potentate; God invisible yet manifest in flesh: 1 Timothy 6:15-16; 1 Timothy 3:16; John 1:18.