1. 1 Timothy 6 By Warren W. Wiersbe

2.  Military terms:  Fight (the good fight of faith, 6:12)  Charge (6:13)  Keep (guard, 6:13, 16)  D. L. Moody  Onward Christian Soldiers  Backward, Christian Soldiers  Christian Slaves (1-2)  ½ of the Roman Empire was composed of slaves  Educated & cultured  Servants: slaves  Freedom in Christ as excuse to disobey their masters.

3.  Slave with unbelieving masters (1)  Masters treat slaves with love (Col. 4:1, Philem. 16)  Disobedient slaves against the master bring disgrace on the gospel  Slaves with believing masters (2)  Slave taking advantage of the master  Respect for the believing masters  Their masters are Christians  Faithful – believing  Their masters are beloved  Both master & slaves benefit from obedience  False Teachers (3-10)  Marks of these false teachers (3-5a)

4.  They refused to adhere to “the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching” (3 NIV)  “To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them” (Is. 8:20)  The false teacher’s own attitude  Proud & know nothing (4, 17)  Conceited attitude leads to argument about minor matter concerning “words”.  Doting (4): fulfilled with a morbid desire, sick  Result of unspiritual teaching: envy, quarreling, malicious talk, evil suspicions, and constant frictions. (4b - 5 NIV)  Tragedy: “people are robbed of the truth”(5 NIV)

5.  The motives for their teaching (5b – 10)  “Godliness is a way of financial gain  Godliness: profession of Christian faith & not true holy living in the power of the Holy Ghost  Religious business making money  Religious racketeer preying on gullible people  Dangers of covetousness  Wealth does not bring contentment (6)  Contentment: an inner sufficiency that keeps us at peace in spite of outward circumstances (Phil 4:11)  True contentment from godliness in heart  Wealthy people to psychiatrists  Wealth is not lasting (7)  In death he leaves everything

6.  Our basic needs are easily met (8)  Quaker  Henry David Thoreau: a man is wealthy in proportion to numbers of things he can afford to do without  The desire for wealth leads to sin (9 – 10)  Riches; trap, bondage, not freedom, additional lusts  Harmful desires…plunge men into ruin and destruction (9)  The Pastor Himself (11 -16, 20 – 21)  Need to care for himself while caring for others  “Take heed unto thyself: (11)  Flee (11a)  Cowardice & wisdom  Flee: not running; separating himself  Not all unity is good & not all division is bad

7.  Follow (11b)  Separation without positive growth becomes isolation  Graces  Righteousness: personal integrity  Godliness: practical piety  Character & conduct  Faith: faithfulness (dependability)  Love: sacrifices for others, give, not to get  Patience: endurance  Meekness: power under control  Gentleness  Fight (12 – 16)  Keep on fighting  English word: agonize  Between person of God & enemy, not between believers

8.  Trowel in one hand for building & a sword in another hand for fighting (Neh. 4:17)  Reason: eternal life & witness of Jesus Christ (13)  “I give thee charge” (13)  Reason. Timothy will have to report  To be ready: obey “without spot or blame” (4)  Appearing (14): a glorious manifestation (epiphany)  “In his own time (15)  Be faithful every day & abide in Him (1 John 2:28)  God (16): Father  The only ruler  Potentante (15): power  King of kings & Lord of lords (15): Father  Immortality (16): subject to death  Immortal, invisible, the only wise God (17)

9.  Life & Giver of life  When Jesus returns, we will share Him immortality (1 Cor. 15:50 – 58)  Reason on the person & glory of God:  A warning against emperor cult  Be Faithful (20-21)  God’s way of protecting the truth and spreading it around the world  Stewards of the doctrine of faith  Science (20): knowledge falsely so called gnostics (gnosis): claim to know a lot  Special spiritual knowledge  Hidden truths in Old Testament  Matter to be evil  A series of emanations; Jesus, one of them

10.  Strange mixture of Christianity, Eastern mystics, Greek philosophy & Jewish Legalism  Colossians  Profane & van babbling  The godless mixture of contradictionary notions  Avoid for they “wandered from the faith” (21)  The Rich (17-19)  Be Humble (17a)  Deut. 8:18 “But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth”  We are stewards, not owners  Rich in world & poor in next: poor in this world & rich in next (Luke 16:19-31)

11.  Trust God, not wealth (17b)  Riches: evidence of insecurity; uncertain in values and durability  Trust the Giver, not the gifts  Enjoy what God gives (17c)  Enjoy: Ecclesiastes  Employ what God gives you (18-19)  Use wealth to do good to others, share, and put money to work  Grace be with you all  You: plural  The letter is for Timothy and his church