1 TIMOTHY LESSON 8


     In the last lesson, we had begun the discussion of the deception
of riches. It is so important to understand that, we will begin this
lesson with a repeat of the verse 10 in the last lesson.

     I Timothy 6:10 "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."

     We discussed that, it is not the fact that you have money that is
evil. It is your attitude toward the money that is bad. Love of money
causes us to covet something that does not belong to us. Christians,
who are constantly thinking of their earthly possessions, have
wandered from the faith. We should keep our mind and our heart on God.
Possibly, if we can handle some money without it ruining our
relationship with God, He might allow you to manage some of it for
Him. There is not enough money in the entire world that is worth
trading your place in heaven for. Be careful when it comes to money
matters. Great riches are many times the trap that Satan can catch you
in.

     I Timothy 6:11 "But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and
follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience,
meekness."

     Paul is stressing to Timothy here, the importance of teaching the
people to seek godly things, and not things pleasing unto the flesh.
We must remember along with this, that all of these people professed
Christianity.  "O man of God" lets us know that those who are God's
live a different life, with different goals than that of the men of
the world. The godly do not follow after riches, they follow after
righteousness. Those, who are seeking wealth, have no time for other
things. Not only are we not to seek riches, but we are to flee from
the lust of riches. These things, in verse 11 above that are
mentioned, are opposite of lust for riches. These are things that come
from an humble heart stayed upon God. To be "righteous" means we are
in right standing with God. "Godliness" means that we have patterned
our life after His life. Faith is the ingredient that pleases God. To
have faith and trust in God means that we are satisfied with the
position He has placed us in. Love causes us to give, not to take from
our fellowman. Patience comes as a gift from God. Most men in a hurry
to get rich have no patience. You can easily see why this would be
important to mention of the godly.  Meekness and the personality of
the proud are the opposites, as well.

     I Timothy 6:12 "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."

     Every minister I have ever known, has to go back and look at this
statement that Paul made to Timothy. Sometimes, the fight becomes so
difficult, that in the natural we want to stop. The advice was good
for Timothy, and it is good for us, as well. My husband has a slang
statement that fits perfectly here. He says, When the going gets
tough, the tough get going. We cannot give up the fight, because the
way is hard. When you receive your salvation, hang on to it, do not
let it slip away. Romans 8:35 "Who shall separate us from the love of
Christ? [shall] tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine,
or nakedness, or peril, or sword?" Romans 8:36 "As it is written, For
thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for
the slaughter." Romans 8:37 "Nay, in all these things we are more than
conquerors through him that loved us."  Romans 8:38 "For I am
persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor
principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,"
Romans 8:39 "Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be
able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our
Lord."   Paul reminds Timothy that it is for his own benefit to hang
on to eternal life, and it is also to the benefit of those who knew of
Timothy's love of God, as well.

     I Timothy 6:13 "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;"

     If our leader {Jesus Christ} witnessed a good confession before
the world, we can do no less. Christians must be Christ-like. Paul
encourages Timothy to not be overcome by the opposition. He reminds
him that the world was opposed to Christ Jesus. Timothy is young and
needs this word of encouragement. Paul is explaining how truthful this
statement is when he says, in the sight of God, and before Jesus
Christ.

     I Timothy 6:14 "That thou keep [this] commandment without spot,
unrebukeable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ:"

     Christianity is not something we put on and take off at our
convenience. It is a daily walk. Paul is saying, stay in that narrow
path of righteousness that leads to eternal life. This just means that
he must never turn back into the world. Jesus will appear unto those
who are looking for Him. We must live everyday as if today was the day
of His coming. Stay faithful until Jesus takes us home.

     I Timothy 6:15 "Which in his times he shall shew, [who is] the
blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords;"

     When Jesus returns to this earth, it will not be as Saviour. His
name will be King of kings, and Lord of lords. The lords and kings of
this earth will have to step aside, because The true King will be
here.
At the name of Jesus every knee will bow and every tongue confess.
Philippians 2:10 "That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of
[things] in heaven, and [things] in earth, and [things] under the
earth;" Philippians 2:11 "And [that] every tongue should confess that
Jesus Christ [is] Lord, to the glory of God the Father."  He is not
King of the few, but King of all.

     I Timothy 6:16 "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."

     Jesus is not a light, He is the Light. He is the source of all
Light. It is His Light that gives all things the power to be. The
things we call light here upon the earth, such as the sun and the
moon, are not creative Light. They are only fixtures that we see Light
in.  He is the everlasting One. He is Alpha and Omega, the Beginning
and the End. Immortality means unending existence. He Is the great I
AM. No man can see this with his natural body, or he would be totally
consumed. Hebrews 12:29 "For our God [is] a consuming fire."  Jesus,
and the Father, and the Spirit are all somehow all of this. If we
could ever get to the point that we understand all there is to know
about God, then He would no longer be God. We cannot fully understand.
We can just know some things, and that is enough. He is Power. He is
Everlasting God.  Amen - so be it.

     I Timothy 6:17 '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;"

     Considering verse 16, how could they be highminded? This world
and all of its riches shall pass away. Riches, life, and many other
things in this life are uncertain. They are here today and gone
tomorrow. II Peter 3:10 "But the day of the Lord will come as a thief
in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great
noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also
and the works that are therein shall be burned up." II Peter 3:11
"[Seeing] then [that] all these things shall be dissolved, what manner
[of persons] ought ye to be in [all] holy conversation and godliness,"
We see from all of this, how silly it would be to place your faith in
something so temporary. The only truly lasting thing, that we can put
our trust in, is God. God allows some of us to use a great deal of
material things in this earth. They are not ours, they are His. We
should act accordingly.

     I Timothy 6:18 "That they do good, that they be rich in good
works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate;"

     Seeing that these things are just here for us to manage for the
Lord, they should be used for good. Possibly, Paul placed this in this
letter to Timothy, because the Jews really thought themselves to be
better than other people. He is telling Timothy, teach them that these
earthly treasures really belong to God. Teach them to use the
treasures the way Jesus would use them, if He were here. Willing to
communicate means not thinking themselves too good to talk to someone
they think to be their underling. They must use what God has entrusted
to them in a manner pleasing unto God.

     I Timothy 6:19 "Laying up in store for themselves a good
foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal
life."

     This laying up in store for themselves, has to do with storing
our treasures in heaven. Matthew 6:19 "Lay not up for yourselves
treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where
thieves break through and steal:"  Matthew 6:20 "But lay up for
yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth
corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:"  We
remember back to the last lesson, we discovered that God and money
could not both be our God. If money is our god, we will wind up in
hell. If God is our God, we are not in love with the money, and we
will go to heaven.

     I Timothy 6:20 "O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy
trust, avoiding profane [and] vain babblings, and oppositions of
science falsely so called:"

     So many people try to prove the Bible technically with scientific
books. The Bible is the Word of God. It does not have to be proved. It
is the standard that we should judge all else by. Faith is not fact.
If you could prove something, it would take no faith to believe it.
Hebrews 11:1 "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the
evidence of things not seen."  Vain babblings are false doctrines that
are brought for consideration. Paul tells Timothy, keep the Truth that
you already have. You cannot improve the Truth.

     I Timothy 6:21 "Which some professing have erred concerning the
faith. Grace [be] with thee. Amen."

     It appears that some had listened to the vain babblings, and
believed them. This would be a terrible error on anyone's part. Paul
prays that the unmerited favour of God {grace} will be Timothy's.
























                        1 Timothy 8 Questions


1.  Why did the author feel it important to repeat verse 10 from the
    last lesson?
2.  The ______ of _______ is the root of all evil.
3.  It is not the fact that you have money that is evil, it is your
    _________ toward the money,
4.  How much money would you sell your soul for?
5.  What did Paul say, in verse 11, to follow when you fled the
    temptation of riches?
6.  What separates someone as a man of God?
7.  To be a "righteous" man means what?
8.  What does "godliness" mean?
9.  Fight the good fight of _________.
10. Lay hold on __________ ________.
11. In Romans chapter 8 verses 35 through 39, what can separate a true
    Christian from God?
12. Who quickeneth all things?
13. How does Paul express how truthful his statement is in verse 13?
14. How long is he to keep this commandment?
15. Who will Jesus appear to at the end?
16. Who is the blessed and only Potentate?
17. What will Jesus be, when He returns to the earth?
18. Quote Philippians chapter 2 verses 10 and 11.
19. Jesus is the _______.
20. He is the __________ of all Light.
21. What are the sun and moon?
22. What are some words that show His eternity?
23. Quote Hebrews chapter 12 verse 29.
24. What are the rich in this world charged to be?
25. Who are the rich, as well as the poor, to trust in?
26. Quote 2 Peter chapter 3 verses 10 AND 11.
27. Quote 1 Timothy chapter 6 verse 18.
28. What is willing to communicate telling Timothy?
29. Where are they to lay up in store for the days to come?
30. Quote Matthew chapter 6 verses 19 and 20.
31. What did Paul tell Timothy to avoid in verse 20?
32. The Bible is the __________ that everything else should be judged
    by.