CHAPTER 6

Vss 1-2
1 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.
2 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.

The word "servant" is derived from the Greek doulos,
and can mean many things such as subjection.
The word "yoke" is derived from the Greek zugos, and
can mean in servitude or joined to.

The two words together could mean voluntary or involuntary
servitude.
In that case, this could apply to a slave OR a worker under a supervisor!

Since we have little involuntary slavery in the world today, I tend to
apply this to workers and supervisors.

The proper application is of the ACTION of the slave or worker!
And, it applies to CHRISTIANS in EITHER position.

The servant must consider the master/supervisor "worthy of all
honour."
Respect is shown to the master/supervisor by words and actions.
Give to him who is responsible for you an honest day's work!
And, give to the same words that relate both integrity and respect!

The admonition is the reason for such respect: "..that the name of
God and His doctrine be NOT blasphemed."

((Illustration: A Christian worker was told that production was behind,
and he was needed at work Sunday. To satisfy the need, he agreed.
The next week, the same thing happened, and again he worked.
The next week, the same thing happened, but the Christian told his
supervisor, "I cannot work this Sunday." The supervisor said, "But,
even though you are a Christian you worked the last two Sundays!
Doesn't your Bible say if the ox is in the ditch, you may get him out?"
The Christian said, "Yes Sir! But if the ox is in the ditch constantly,
one must either get rid of the ox, or fill the ditch!"))

Now, in verse 2 above, Christian supervisors must also give respect
to the Christian workers.
After all, BOTH supervisors (who believe) and workers receive the
same benefits of God's presence, protection, and provision!

Note that the Scripture says, "These things teach and exhort."
I remember my college professor in the school of business saying,
"WITHOUT mutual respect and concern, production will DECREASE!"
THAT is a principle of business!
And, note, that principle comes from the BIBLE!

3 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;
4 He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes
of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings,
5 Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth,
supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself.

If a person doesn't teach respect and integrity with his words, then
he is not yielding to the former statements in vss 1-2.
Instead he dotes, or showers words which produce "envy,
strife, railings, surmisings, Perverse disputing!"

((Illustration: A supervisor was being contrary to his worker by
belating him publicly before other workers. While he was doing so,
HIS supervisor had walked into the work area! He said loudly,
"And, now, YOU will apologize to Mr. ....., and speak kindly to him
like I taught YOU!"))

Again, may I repeat my college professor:
"WITHOUT mutual respect and concern, production will DECREASE!"

6 But godliness with contentment is great gain!

Godliness is genuine reverence toward God.
It is a Christian virtue and represents total dependence upon God
for our well-being.
For instance, we STUDY the Word of God to learn principles of
truth.
We PRAY to God, exhibiting our submission to Him and seeking
His guidance by His Holy Spirit.
We DO those things because we KNOW that God has a genuine
concern for our lives, and wants the BEST for us.

Jesus said it this way: ".... I am come that they might have life,
and that they might have it more abundantly."(John 10:10b)

Having a genuine reverence for God produces "contentment."

Consider Job, when he was undergoing tremendous stress, having
lost his children, and then overcome by an horrendous disease.
Job said, "For I KNOW that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall
stand at the latter day upon the earth: And though after my skin worms
destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God..."

Job KNEW that his END was not determined by circumstances which
he experienced, or even death.
His END would be to SEE GOD!!
THAT is God's PROMISE to those who BELIEVE in Christ Jesus!
"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord,
thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end."

The EXPECTED END of the Christian is to be WITH Christ FOREVER!
And, to be WITH Him in eternity, is to be WITHOUT sin!
PRAISE God, He is not only changing us NOW, but will change us
COMPLETELY!!

7 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry
nothing out.

Job said it this way: "And said, Naked came I out of my mother's
womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord hath
taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord." ( Job 1:21)

You, nor I, did NOTHING to be born!
Our parents did it by the procreative edict of God! (See. Gen. 1:28)

In fact, the FIRST word you spoke when you exited the womb was
the word YHWH!
It is pronounced by breathing IN then breathing OUT.
(YuH WeH)
EVERY baby born says it! YuH (breath in) Weeehhhh (crying out)!

And whatever we produce in life, or accumulate will NOT continue
with us beyond the grave!!
Not even our good works will continue with us!!!
BECAUSE: "It is GOD that worketh IN you both to will and to do of his
good pleasure." (Philippians 2:13)

Those good works belong to HIM and not to us!!
Yes! We will receive a crown! But LOOK from where it COMES!
"Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness,
which the Lord, the righteous Judge, shall give me at that day: and
not to me only, but unto all them also that love His appearing!"
(2Tim. 4:8)

We OWE ALL to JESUS!!
The "four and twenty elders," in Rev. 4:10, represent the
redeemed church of God in Christ Jesus.
And, they/we shall "cast their crowns before the throne, saying,
11 THOU art WORTHY, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and
power: for THOU hast created all things, and for THY pleasure they
are and were created!"

8 An having food and raiment let us be therewith content!

Practicing Christlikeness is practicing godliness.
And, practicing godliness produces contentment!

Christ practiced godliness by KNOWING He owed ALL to God!
And, He GAVE ALL to God!!

Though He created all (John 1:1-4, Heb. 1:1-4), and all things are
and were for HIS pleasure, He STILL practiced godliness.
And, it produced CONTENTMENT in His physical life!

Whatever we attain in our life can actually only grant us the
NECESSITIES of life!
Whether rich or poor, we must be thankful to God for His grace
SUSTAINS us in our life!

9 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.
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.

PLEASE NOTE: Vs 10 does NOT say that "money is the root
of all evil!"
It is the LOVE of money that is the root of all evil!!

The love of GOD deeply improves health and provides life with profound
meaning and emotional satisfaction.
The love of MONEY is a "temptation" and a "snare"
which leads to "foolish and hurtful lusts!"

The love of God is FRUITFUL to the person!
The love of money is AVARICE!

The relentless pursuit of money actually will cause a person to STRAY
from God and His will!
Therefore, it leads to destruction!

By the way, that word "perdition" is derived from the Greek
apo'leia and means ruin or loss.

I remember when I was a young man, and sought after what I thought
was the best way to provide for my family.
I sought to climb the ladder of success and have enough to give
my family all they desired.
In pursuit of that goal, I applied myself more to my WORK than to
my FAMILY!

But, by the grace of God, He SHOWED me the proper way.
And, when I put HIM FIRST, THEN I gained a family that loved
me, and the honor of being called into the ministry.

THANK JESUS!
HE is the SAVIOR Who can PULL us OUT of the PIT of
SELF-DESTRUCTION!

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

FLEE the "temptation" and "snare" of the LOVE
of money!
Instead, "Fight the GOOD fight of faith!"

PURSUE "righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience,
meekness."

GRASP and CLING TO "eternal life."

If you MUST pursue a goal for your future, be SURE to seek
the END GOAL of being WITH Christ, bowing before Him and
saying THANK YOU for saving me from MYSELF!

Micah 6:8 says, "He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good;
and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to
love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?"

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;
14 That thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukable, until
the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ:

"CHARGE" - paraggello (Greek), meaning I CALL
on you to JOIN in this pursuit!
I believe we need to see this as from GOD!
The Bible is written by inspiration of God! (2Tim. 3:16)
Paul, here, was only the UTENSIL by which GOD WROTE!

KEEP the commandment of vss 11-12!!
HOW LONG?
"Until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ!"

FURTHER, we see a statement about WHO Jesus IS!

15 Which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only
Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords;
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.

"Potentate" - ruler, mighty, powerful!
Is. 9:6 says this of Jesus: "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son
is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name
shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The
everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace."

He IS "the King of kings, and Lord of lords!"
He HAS "immortality"!
And, He is WILLING to give it to YOU!

1Cor. 15:51-54 says this:
"51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we
shall all be changed,
52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the
trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we
shall be changed.
53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must
put on immortality.
54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this
mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the
saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory."

WE cannot "put on" immortality and incorruption of ourselves!
But, JESUS CAN!!
And, He WILL for those who truly believe and follow Him!!

At this point, I feel the imposition to ask:
Have YOU surrendered YOUR life to Jesus as LORD of who you are?

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;
18 That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute,
willing to communicate;
19 Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time
to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.

There's that term again: CHARGE - call to commit to the following.
1) To those who are monetarily rich, let them also be rich in "good
works."
2) In so doing, they will be "laying up in store for themselves a
good FOUNDATION against the time to come!"
3) Thereby, then, they shall have a good grip on "eternal life"
((One man kept asking God if he could convert all his money to
gold and bring it with him to heaven. Time after time, God said, "NO!"
But finally, God said, "Ok...bring it." When he got to the pearly gates
Peter asked, "What's in the suitcase?" The man said, "It's 150lbs of
gold. Worth about $497 billion." Peter slapped his knees and
laughed and laughed. The man said, "Why are you laughing? God
TOLD me I could bring it!" Peter said, "God played a joke on you.
Our pavement is gold, and NEVER wears out. What you brought
is useless pavement!"))

NOTHING you accumulate on earth is useful to God.
The ONLY thing He respects is what you have allowed God
to do IN and THROUGH you!

20 O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane
and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called:
21 Which some professing have erred concerning the faith. Grace be
with thee. Amen.

Go back through this chapter and see what God has CHARGED to do!
THOSE are "that which is committed to thy trust!"

"Vain babblings" (Greek: kenophōnia) refers to empty,
useless, and unprofitable chatter.
For instance a Christian may be asked, "Where did Cain get his wife?"
EMPTY CHATTER! One thing we DO NOT know is from where
Cain got a wife! The Bible doesn't TELL us!
But ONE thing we DO KNOW - God CREATED Adam and Eve.
Surely He COULD have made Cain a wife also!

Another example: The Sadducees asked Jesus about a woman,
that according to Levirite law, was married to seven brothers.
They wanted to know WHOSE wife would she be in heaven?
Jesus said, Matt. 22:29 "Jesus answered and said unto them,
Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God.
30 For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in
marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven."

AVOID "empty chatter" and "unprofitable" questions!!

PRACTICE "godliness" and it will PRODUCE "contentment!"

The Scripture ends with "Grace be WITH thee."

No matter WHO you are - believer or not - you NEED God's
grace to call you to repentance and salvation.

No matter HOW far you grow in your relaionship with God,
you will ALWAYS need God's GRACE to see you through life's
difficulties!