Commentary - 1 Timothy 6:17-19

Bird's-eye view

In these concluding instructions to his young delegate Timothy, the Apostle Paul provides a pastoral charge concerning the wealthy members of the Ephesian church. This is not a condemnation of wealth itself, but rather a set of divine commands on how to steward it faithfully. The passage pivots on a central contrast: the folly of trusting in the flimsy uncertainty of riches versus the wisdom of trusting in the lavish stability of God. Paul dismantles the two great temptations that accompany wealth, pride and false security, and replaces them with their gospel counterparts: humility and confident hope in God. This hope is then shown to be no idle thing; it must work itself out in active, open-handed generosity. The wealthy are commanded to be rich in what truly matters, good works, and in doing so, they are not losing treasure but investing it in the only bank that is truly secure, the bank of heaven. This strategic use of earthly wealth is how they take hold of what Paul calls "life indeed," or true life, which is eternal life.

This is intensely practical theology. Paul is not teaching Timothy to make rich people feel guilty about their blessings. Rather, he is to teach them how to enjoy their blessings in a way that honors the Giver and secures their own eternal future. The instructions reveal a foundational principle of the Christian life: God blesses us so that we might be a blessing. God's material generosity to us is meant to be a catalyst for our generosity toward others, making us conduits of His grace, not reservoirs of His blessings. It is a call to view wealth not as a private possession for hoarding, but as a kingdom tool for joyful deployment.

Outline

Context In 1 Timothy

This passage comes at the very end of Paul's letter to Timothy, serving as a final, crucial instruction. The letter as a whole is concerned with right order and sound doctrine in the church at Ephesus. Paul has addressed false teachers, the proper conduct for men and women in worship, qualifications for elders and deacons, and various pastoral responsibilities. A recurring theme has been the danger of the love of money. Just prior to our text, in verses 6-10, Paul famously warned that the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil and has led many astray from the faith. Following that stark warning, it would be easy for Timothy, and the church, to conclude that wealth itself is the problem. This final instruction corrects that potential misunderstanding. Paul does not say "Command the rich to get rid of their money," but rather provides a positive, gospel-shaped vision for what faithful stewardship looks like. It is the necessary pastoral application of the preceding warning, showing the path of righteousness for those whom God has blessed with material resources in "this present age."

Key Issues

The Good of Affluence

One of the persistent errors that crops up in the church is a kind of sour-grapes piety that looks suspiciously at anyone with material wealth. We read the warnings about camels and needles and the love of money, and we can develop a sub-Christian theology that equates poverty with piety. Paul will have none of it. Here he gives Timothy a direct command to instruct the rich, not to rebuke them for being rich, but to teach them how to be godly in their riches.

The fundamental assumption of this text is that it is possible to be rich and godly. Abraham was rich. Job was rich. God is not opposed to wealth; He is opposed to what wealth so often does to our hearts. It tempts us to pride, as though we earned it all ourselves, and it tempts us to trust in our portfolio instead of our Provider. Paul's instruction here is the antidote. He redirects the rich man's gaze from his assets to his God, and from his own comfort to the needs of others. God gives us all things, Paul says, richly to enjoy. He is not a stingy God. Our Father is a King, and He is lavish and prodigal in His goodness. The problem is not with the gifts, but with our sinful tendency to worship the gifts instead of the Giver. The solution is to learn how to use the gifts in a way that demonstrates where our true worship lies.

Verse by Verse Commentary

17 Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty or to set their hope on the uncertainty of riches,

Paul begins with a direct imperative to Timothy: Command. This is not a gentle suggestion or a helpful hint. This is an authoritative charge, rooted in apostolic authority. The recipients are clearly identified as "those who are rich in this present age." This qualifier is important. Their wealth is temporary, belonging to the here and now, which stands in contrast to the age to come. The first part of the command is negative, addressing two temptations that are barnacles on the hull of wealth. First, not to be haughty. Wealth creates the illusion of self-sufficiency. It whispers in your ear that you are a cut above, that your own wisdom and strength secured your position. This is pride, and it is a direct affront to the God who gives the power to get wealth (Deut 8:18). Second, they are not to set their hope on the uncertainty of riches. Notice the adjective. Riches are inherently uncertain. Markets crash, thieves steal, moths destroy, and inflation devours. To place your hope, your deep sense of security and well-being, in something so flimsy is the height of foolishness. It is to build your house on the sand.

but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy.

Here is the great pivot from the negative to the positive. Don't hope in uncertain riches; hope in the living God. The contrast is stark. Riches are uncertain; God is the rock of ages. And what kind of God is He? He is the one who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy. This is a glorious affirmation of the goodness of creation and the generosity of the Creator. God is not a cosmic killjoy. He doesn't bless us begrudgingly. The word is richly. He gives lavishly, abundantly. And His purpose in giving is our enjoyment. This is a foundational doctrine for a robust Christian worldview. The world, and everything in it, is a gift. Food, wine, friendship, beauty, and yes, money, are all given by God for our pleasure. The key is to receive them as gifts from His hand, with thanksgiving, and not to turn them into idols that displace Him as the object of our ultimate hope and affection.

18 Command them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share,

A right hope in God is not static; it is active. It must work itself out in the real world. So, Timothy is to command them to put their wealth to work in a godly way. Paul lays out a four-fold description of this activity. First, generally, to do good. Their resources should be leveraged for righteous and beneficial ends. Second, he uses a fantastic turn of phrase: to be rich in good works. They are already rich in one sense (money), but Paul calls them to become rich in another, more lasting sense. Their portfolio of good deeds should be as fat as their financial portfolio. Third, they are to be generous. The word here speaks of a gracious disposition, an open-handedness that gives freely and gladly. It is the opposite of a tight-fisted, miserly spirit. Fourth, they are to be ready to share. This implies a willingness to hold their possessions loosely, recognizing that they are stewards, not ultimate owners, and to see themselves as part of a community where they are to contribute to the needs of others.

19 storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is life indeed.

Paul concludes with the ultimate motivation, which is eschatological. This generosity is not, as a worldly accountant would see it, a net loss. It is the wisest investment a person can make. By being generous with their earthly wealth, they are storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future. This echoes Jesus' teaching about laying up treasure in heaven (Matt 6:20). Every act of generosity, every good work done from a heart of faith, is a deposit in an eternal account. This heavenly treasure forms a "good foundation," ensuring their stability and reward in the age to come. The final purpose clause is breathtaking: so that they may take hold of that which is life indeed. The grasping, hoarding miser thinks he is securing his life, but he is actually choking it out. The open-handed, generous believer, by letting go of his grip on money, is able to take hold of something far greater: true life, genuine life, eternal life in all its fullness. Paradoxically, by giving away what they cannot keep, they gain what they cannot lose.

Application

The charge to Timothy is a charge to every pastor, and the command to the rich is a command to every Christian blessed with resources, which in our affluent age includes most of us in the West. We must first diagnose our own hearts. Have we allowed our relative comfort to make us haughty? Do we find our ultimate security in our 401(k) and our home equity, or in the living God? We must repent of the subtle idolatry that trusts in the uncertainty of riches.

Second, we must cultivate a theology of enjoyment. We are not to be ashamed of God's blessings, but to receive them with loud and glad thanksgiving. God gives richly for our enjoyment. This means we should be the most joyful people on the planet, because we know that every good gift comes from a loving Father. That joy, in turn, should fuel our generosity. Because God has been so lavish with us in Christ, and so generous with us in our daily provision, we are freed to be lavish and generous with others. Our giving should not be the grudging payment of a tax, but the joyful overflow of a grateful heart.

Finally, we must live with the end in mind. Every financial decision we make is an investment, either in a kingdom that is passing away or in the kingdom that will last forever. Are we using the resources God has given us to build a good foundation for the future? Are we leveraging our earthly treasure to take a firmer hold of eternal life? The world tells you to get all you can and can all you get. The gospel tells you to receive all you can with thanks, and to give all you can with joy, because in losing your life for Christ's sake, you find what is life indeed.