1 Timothy 6:11

6:11-16 It ill becomes any men, but especially men of God, to set their hearts upon the things of this world; men of God should be taken up with the things of God. There must be a conflict with corruption, and temptations, and the powers of darkness. Eternal life is the crown proposed for our encouragement. We are called to lay hold thereon. To the rich must especially be pointed out their dangers and duties, as to the proper use of wealth. But who can give such a charge, that is not himself above the love of things that wealth can buy? The appearing of Christ is certain, but it is not for us to know the time. Mortal eyes cannot bear the brightness of the Divine glory. None can approach him except as he is made known unto sinners in and by Christ. The Godhead is here adored without distinction of Persons, as all these things are properly spoken, whether of the Father, the Son, or the Holy Ghost. God is revealed to us, only in and through the human nature of Christ, as the only begotten Son of the Father.

1 Timothy 6:11-12 . But thou, O man of God — Whatever all the world else do; (a man of God is either a prophet, a messenger of God, or a man devoted to God, a man of another world;) flee — As from a serpent, instead of coveting these things, and follow after righteousness — Truth, justice, mercy, with all their proper fruits; godliness — Sincere and fervent piety, implying devotedness to God, in heart and life, and a conformity to his image; faith — In all its branches, especially as having the perfections of God, and the truths and promises of his word for its object, implying an evidence of things not seen, and an earnest of things hoped for, with fidelity as to every trust committed to thee. This faith is the foundation of righteousness, the support of godliness, the root of every grace of the Spirit; love — To God and all mankind, friends or enemies, and especially to all the saints. This the apostle intermixes with every thing that is good: he, as it were, penetrates whatever he treats of with love, the glorious spring of all inward and outward holiness. Patience — Under all afflictions coming immediately from the hand of God; meekness — Under all provocations proceeding from man through God’s permission.

Fight the good fight of faith — Greek, αγωνιζου τον καλον αγωνα , agonize the good agony, or, maintain the good combat: the words, with those that follow, are plainly agonistical, and refer to the eagerness with which they who contended in the Grecian games struggled for, and laid hold on the crown; and the degree to which the presence of many spectators, or the cloud of witnesses, animated them in their contests. Some would translate the clause, Exercise the good exercise; but the word exercise does not, by any means, express the force of αγωνα , which always supposes an opponent to be resisted. Lay hold on eternal life — The prize just before thee; whereunto thou art also called — By the gospel and the grace of God; and — In pursuance thereof; hast professed, &c. — Or, rather, hast confessed; a good confession — Probably at his baptism or ordination, or perhaps at both; before many witnesses — Who were present on that solemn day, when thou wast dedicated entirely and irrevocably to the service of God, of Christ, of his church, and all mankind.

O man of God; that is, O thou minister of God, whose service is not the service of the world. It is a compellation borrowed from the Old Testament, where we find it often applied to such whose work was to reveal the Divine will, 2 Kings 1:9 4:40,42 . By giving Timothy this compellation, he mindeth him how much he was concerned to contemn the world. Flee these things; flee this eager pursuit of riches. And follow after righteousness; and follow after justice, or the business of a righteous life, in thy conversation with men. Godliness; piety toward God. Faith; the exercise and life of faith. Love; love to God and thy neighbour. Patience; a quiet bearing of injuries. Meekness; a gentleness of spirit, opposed to all rash anger.

Man of God (ἄνθρωπε θεοῦ) The phrase only in Pastorals. Comp 2 Timothy 3:17. Not an official designation. Righteousness (δικαιοσύνην) See on Romans 1:17. Not in the Pauline dogmatic sense, but as Ephesians 5:9, moral rectitude according to God's law. Meekness (πραΰπαθίαν) N.T.o. olxx. Meekness of feeling (πάθος). The usual word is πραΰ̀της, often in Paul. See on meek, Matthew 5:5. With the whole verse comp. Titus 3:12.

1 Timothy 6:11 . Ὦ ἄνθρωπε τοῦ Θεοῦ ) O man of God . So the LXX. for the Hebrew, man of God, i.e. a prophet, a mediating messenger of God to men, one removed from earthly things.— ταῦτα φεῦγε , flee these things ) He resumes, after the parenthesis, the words which he had spoken at the end of 1 Timothy 6:5 . Therefore the expression, these things , is to be referred to 1 Timothy 6:4-5 : for both enumerations form an evident antithesis [to what follows in 1 Timothy 6:11 ]: to this antithesis flee, follow , belong.— δικαιοσύνην , righteousness ) This comprehends all the other things, and is again put in the first place, 2 Timothy 2:22 .— εὐσέβειαν , godliness ) The antithesis is the abuse of godliness , 1 Timothy 6:5 . πίστιν , ἀγάπην , faith, love ) Their antitheses are envy, strife , 1 Timothy 6:4 . ὑπομονὴν , patience ) by which even calumnious railings are endured, ibid. πρᾳότητα , meekness ) by which evil surmisings are overcome, ibid.

11. But thou—in contrast to the "some" (1Ti 6:10). man of God—who hast God as thy true riches (Ge 15:1; Ps 16:5; La 3:24). Applying primarily to Timothy as a minister (compare 2Pe 1:21), just as the term was used of Moses (De 33:1), Samuel (1Sa 9:6), Elijah, and Elisha; but, as the exhortation is as to duties incumbent also on all Christians, the term applies secondarily to him (so 2Ti 3:17) as a Christian man born of God (Jas 1:18; 1Jo 5:1), no longer a man of the world raised above earthly things; therefore, God's property, not his own, bought with a price, and so having parted with all right in himself: Christ's work is to be his great work: he is to be Christ's living representative. flee these things—namely, "the love of money" with its evil results (1Ti 6:9, 10). follow after righteousness—(2Ti 2:22). godliness—"piety." Righteousness is more in relation to our fellow man; piety ("godliness") to God"; faith is the root of both (see on [2484]Tit 2:12). love—by which "faith worketh." patience—enduring perseverance amidst trials. meekness—The oldest manuscripts read, "meek-spiritedness," namely, towards the opponents of the Gospel.

Verse 11. - O man of God. The force of this address is very great. It indicates that the money-lovers just spoken of were not and could not be "men of God," whatever they might profess; and it leads with singular strength to the opposite direction in which Timothy's aspirations should point. The treasures which he must covet as "a man of God" were "righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience meekness." For the phrase, "man of God," see 2 Timothy 3:17 and 2 Peter 1:21 . In the Old Testament it always applies to a prophet ( Deuteronomy 33:1 ; Judges 13:6 ; 1 Samuel 2:27 ; 1 Kings 12:22 ; 2 Kings 1:9 ; Jeremiah 35:4 ; and a great many other passages). St. Paul uses the expression with especial reference to Timothy and his holy office, and here, perhaps, in contrast with the τοὺς ἀνθρώπους mentioned in ver. 9. Flee these things. Note the sharp contrast between "the men" of the world, who reach after, and the man of God, who avoids, φιλαργυρία . The expression, "these things," is a little loose, but seems to apply to the love of money, and the desire to be rich, with all their attendant "foolish and hurtful lusts." The man of God avoids the perdition and maul fold sorrows of the covetous, by avoiding the covetousness which is their root. Follow after ( δίωκε ); pursue, in direct contrast with φεύγε , flee from, avoid (see 2 Timothy 2:22 ). Meekness ( πρα'υπαθείαν ).

This rare word, found in Philo, but nowhere in the New Testament, is the reading of the R.T. (instead of the πρᾳο;τητα of the T.R.) and accepted by almost all critics on the authority of all the older manuscripts. It has no perceptible difference of meaning from πραότης , meekness or gentleness. 1 Timothy 6:11

11–16 . A further exhortation to Timothy. The Lord’s appearing Timothy’s own true life and bearing are solemnly dwelt upon in contrast to the false and low; see on 1 Timothy 6:3 . thou, O man of God ] Opposed not only to the ‘some’ of 1 Timothy 6:10 but to the ‘any’ of 1 Timothy 6:3 . The phrase ‘man of God’ occurs also with the same reference to the ministry, 2 Timothy 3:17 , derived probably from the O. T. ministry of the prophets; cf. 2 Peter 1:21 , where the best reading, however, slightly varies the phrase ‘men spake from God;’ and 1 Kings 17:18 ; 1 Kings 17:24 .

It marks the high tone of this final address; and is in keeping with the full dignity of title which in both these last contrasts of the false and the true ministry is given to the great Head of the Church’s ministry (and given here only in these Epistles) ‘Our Lord Jesus Christ.’ flee these things] ‘Unsound words, and ungodly doctrine,’ ‘questionings and evil surmisings,’ ‘traffic in godliness and love of money.’ These three heads of evil, in the 3rd, 4th, and 5th to 10th verses respectively, are opposed by three pairs of contrasted virtues: ‘righteousness and godliness,’ ‘faith and love,’ ‘patience and meekness.’ In the first pair ‘the sound words,’ ‘the words of our Lord Jesus Christ,’ go to the very root of the matter as fully expounded, Romans 6. ‘Baptised into Christ Jesus … dead unto sin, but alive unto God in Christ Jesus … obedient from the heart to that form of teaching … ye became servants of righteousness ,’ and 1 Corinthians 1. ‘We preach Christ crucified … Christ the power of God … of Him are ye in Christ Jesus, who was made unto us wisdom from God and righteousness ’; all this being but the working out of the very ‘words of the Lord,’ Matthew 5:6 , ‘Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness , for they shall be filled.’ In the second pair ‘faith’ is as evidently the antidote to ‘ignorance,’ ‘questionings,’ and ‘disputes of words,’ as ‘love’ is to ‘envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings.