In all his talk about money, Paul is not saying that to be rich is a sin. Paul spoke earlier of pursuing godliness in contentment which is to be happy to live with only your needs being met. If you live with your needs met as well as some of your wants, then perhaps you need to consider yourself rich. If you are able to satisfy many of your wants, then you are definitely rich and this passage is for you. Don’t be puffed up because of your wealth or status and don’t place your hope and security in the things you have or your ability to earn money. Your hope must be in God, the One who gave you what you have to enjoy. Use your wealth and your opportunities to do good works, be generous and share so that you might store up treasures for yourself in heaven (Mat 6:19-21) so you will experience the fullness of eternal life that is yours as a believer in Jesus Christ.

Paul ends his letter with a reminder to focus on sound doctrine, the truth of God’s word and to avoid the wisdom of the world that is presented as “knowledge” but is full of contradiction and falsehood. Those who follow the wisdom of the world are prone to being led astray and straying from the faith. Make God’s word your source of truth and measure everything else by it.

As maturing believers, we should flee from the love of money and the desire to be rich. Instead, we should pursue the things of God: righteous living, being more like Christ, loving more through a growing faith, perseverance in our Christian walk even in the face of trials and persecution, and gentleness in how we deal with others.
The Christian life is a spiritual battle and we will need to fight against our two opponents, the spiritual forces and our fleshly desires. How do we stay motivated? By holding on to eternal life and make it a reality now. All who believe have eternal life now (John 5:24) and we need to live that reality from today. Jesus is our model as He fought the fight of faith and laid hold of eternal life when He was persecuted and put on trial before Pontius Pilate. We should pursue all these things until Jesus returns so that we can be found blameless when Jesus judges and rewards us for what we have done in our lives (Col 1:21-23). When Jesus returns, He will be presented by God the Father whom Paul goes on to describe in awe and worship.

When you consider the trajectory of your life, is it one that can be described as the pursuit of riches, or the pursuit of godliness? Which one is going to pay off in this life? Which one is going to pay off for all eternity? (This is a trick question because only one is the answer to both questions.)
What do you need to do to develop and eternity mindset?

We are all equal in Christ. Paul said in Galatians 3:28 that there is no slave or free. But the reality is that there are different roles and positions and they still require that we serve those over us with adequate honour. A slave was not to disregard their master because of their freedom in Christ because that behaviour would bring disrepute to the name of God and the gospel. Instead, a servant was to serve his master better because he knew he was serving a brother in Christ who would receive the benefit of his good service. Our freedom in Christ should never be used to usurp positions of authority. Instead, we should submit more willingly and view our work as for Christ himself (Col 3:22-23) knowing that our service to others will bring them benefit and give God glory.

Paul returns to the issue of false teachers. Only the sound teachings of Jesus Christ lead to true godliness. The ideas of man void of God’s truth cannot lead to godliness. In fact the false teachers seem to be peddling godliness but as a means to personal financial gain. But true godliness coupled with contentment is great gain. We brought nothing into the world when we were born and we will take nothing out of the world when we die. No amount of accumulated wealth will be of value to us when we die. Only the treasures we store up in heaven through work in godliness will be of any value in eternity. Those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and ultimately into ruin and destruction. It is the love of money that is the root of all kinds of evil and ultimately leads many away from the faith. When we learn to be content with God supplying our needs, and not necessarily our wants, that we are best able to reach godliness. What do you need to change to have a godly view of money and to be more content?

While we should honour the elders who lead us, we should give double honour to those who work harder than others, especially those who dedicate themselves to preaching and teaching. Those elders should be paid by the congregation because they labour for us. Paul refers to two passages of scripture, one where an ox who is working to tread the grain should not be refused some of that grain to eat (Deut 25:4), workers should be treated well. The other is Jesus who said that the labourer who works (in ministry) deserves to be paid (Luke 10:7).
Elders need to be protected from false accusations but when an accusation is valid, been validated by two or more witnesses, and the elder persists in the sin, then the elder needs to be corrected before the congregation to demonstrate the gravity of persistent sin.
Timothy was to remain impartial at all times and not be too quick to judge, but also not too quick to promote and definitely not to engage in the sinful practices of others.
In the middle of this discussion, Paul adds a personal note showing his concern for Timothy’s health. He was to drink a little wine to help with his stomach and ill health. The wine was used like medicine would be today but also demonstrates that alcohol was not completely prohibited.
When it comes to appointing elders, it is critical that we are impartial. Paul points out that some people live obviously sinful lives where it is easy to see that they are sinning and are not qualified to lead. But there are others who’s sinfulness remains hidden and that sin may only come out later. It is therefore very important not to judge only on the outward, obvious issues but make a concerted effort to learn their heart. The same can be said about those who do good work. Some do good work that is outward and easy to spot. Others do good work that takes a lot of digging to recognise. When appointing elders, but also when evaluating anyone, do not be quick to decide based on the outward appearance but take time to get to know their character (1 Sam 16:7).

Are you too quick to judge others? We can really miss out on great friendships when we are too quick to write someone off because of someone’s outward appearance and miss a great godly character.

Paul goes into greater detail on the requirements for looking after widows within the church. A widow could be fully supported by the church if she was not less than sixty years old and had been a faithful wife to her husband. She should have a reputation for good works, have brought up her children well and shown hospitality and cared for others. The idea seems to be that those women who have lived godly lives and now find themselves with no one to care for them should be cared for by the church.

If a woman is still young, then the church should not be quick to support her. Being young she could find another husband or continue to support herself. If she were supported by the church then she would have much idle time and be tempted to engage in wrong relationships and become a gossip. Better that she use her time being constructive so as to avoid the temptations of Satan. Paul reminds us that families should care for their relatives who are widows so that the church is free to support those who really need support.

Work is good. For those who find themselves unable to support themselves, the church should be their refuge. For those who are still able to be productive in earning or managing a household or raising a family, they should be doing those things. The devil will lead idle hands astray. How often do you find yourself idle? What productive, godly things could you be doing that would help keep you from temptation?

Paul’s instructions to Timothy on how to lead the church now turns to interpersonal relationships. At times everyone needs correction but Timothy was not to be harsh and rebuke people but treat them as members of a family, which the church is. He was to deal with those older than him like he would his mom or dad and his peers and those younger than him like a brother or sister. Paul adds the extra warning that he was to deal with the younger women in all purity. Extra care must be taken by men in leadership when it comes to their relationship and interactions with women to ensure that purity is maintained at all times.
Can your relationships with others in the church be described as familial relationships?

The church is to take responsibility for widows who are without children. Those who have children or grandchildren should be cared for by their family. Our parents care for us when we are young and we have the responsibility to care for them as they age. If we don’t then we are worse than unbelievers who generally provide for their parents even without this command from God.
A widow who does not have children and has not remarried is to be cared for by the church provided she exhibits a life dedicated to God and not one lived in self-indulgence.

The church was designed by God to operate as a large family, looking out for one another and caring for each other. God also designed the family to be where we should learn these loving relationships. Too often our families are where our relationships first break down. Remember that elders are to show their ability to lead by first leading their families. Our godliness must begin within our family and then work outward from that. How are you doing with your family, and your church relationships?

Why should we work and strive for godliness? Because it is beneficial to us now and for eternity. We trust in Jesus who is our hope for these blessings both now and forever because He is the Saviour of all people. While not all will be saved, Jesus’ death on the cross is sufficient to save all who believe in Him for eternal life. Some teach that Jesus died only to save those who believe but this verse clearly teaches that Jesus died to be everyone’s Saviour even if some won’t accept the gift.

Paul told Timothy not to let anyone despise him because he was young but to command and teach the truth while leading by example. Physical maturity is sometimes completely unrelated to spiritual maturity. You can grow spiritually mature while still young and you’re never too old to grow spiritually. Timothy was to be a godly example in every area of his life. When people look at you, do they see a godly example? Your actions reveal the condition of your heart. Do people see in you the fruit of the Spirit or the fruit of unrighteousness?

The last instructions in this passage are of great importance to preachers and teachers but not to be ignored by those of us who are not. Each one of us is given a gift by God, even if it’s not preaching, you should not neglect the gift you have. Whatever your gift, you should work on it and develop it and use it to God’s glory and for the benefit of the whole church.

Verse 16 is another verse where “save” does not refer to eternal salvation. Timothy was to devote himself to sound doctrine and teaching that doctrine to the church in order to save them from the false doctrines and practices of those who would lead the flock, the church, astray.

It is sad but some will depart from the faith, from the truth, and devote themselves to the lies of deceitful spirits and the teachings of demons. Behind all false teaching is the work of demons bent on ruining the Christian’s walk. Those who depart will knowingly teach lies but their hypocrisy will not concern them because their conscience will be seared. Their false teaching will add burdens to the church by imposing rules as an unbiblical means of reaching godliness. Paul cites two examples, forbidding marriage and imposing bans on certain foods. Paul’s response is that everything that is made by God is good and we need not reject anything if we can receive it with thanksgiving to God. Certain acts might make us feel more godly, and others may think of us as more godly by our acts of piety, but if we are not living according to God’s word, then the result will not be true godliness.

The antidote to false teaching is to focus on the truth. Paul encourages Timothy to be grounded in the truth and to make sure that the church too is grounded in sound doctrine. Having nothing to do with these silly ideas like forbidding marriage and rules around eating. Instead, train yourself for godliness. We all know that to run a good race requires good training. We also know that dedication to studying equips us for an exam. While both of those hold value in this life, how much more value is training and dedication to godliness? What we invest in our training towards godliness has value in both this life and the next. When you look at the effort and time you spend each day, how much of it is dedicated to training in godliness? If your training in godliness is the only thing that has value for eternity, do your efforts reflect that?

The qualifications for deacons are similar to those for elders except for one main difference, deacons are not required to teach.
A deacon must be dignified and of good character. They should not be double-tongued, saying different things to different people. They should have integrity and be trustworthy. They should not drink too much wine so that it has any measure of control over them. It seems clear that some wine is therefore allowed. A deacon must not be greedy or driven to acquire wealth through dishonest means. If he is, he is likely to use his position to exploit those he serves. A deacon must be well-grounded in the faith and with a clear conscience means their lives must match their belief. No one should be appointed to the office of elder or deacon without careful consideration, testing, that their character meets these requirements.

There is some ambiguity in the phrase translated “their wives likewise…” because the word “their” is not in the greek. The word for wives is also the word used for women and so the qualification that the women be dignified, not slanderers, sober-minded and faithful in all things could be about the wives of the deacons but could also be about women called to serve as deaconesses.

The man appointed as a deacon should also be faithful in his marriage and lead and manage his home well.

Those who serve as elders and deacons will be rewarded with good standing before others in this life and have a boldness of faith in Christ Jesus when they stand before Him one day when He returns.

If these are the character qualities required for those who are to lead the church, then surely all believers should strive to have this character. If we abide in Christ and grow in our knowledge of Him through regular time in His word, then all of us have the opportunity to develop these character qualities. What are you doing to ensure you continue to grow in godliness day by day?

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Though Paul was writing to Timothy, his desire was to visit him, but while he couldn’t he wanted to make sure Timothy had the necessary instruction to ensure the local church was well led and it’s believers were well behaved. The church is the pillar and buttress of the truth. The church is the organisation charged with upholding God’s truth and protecting it in the face of any opposition that might arise.

Paul ends this section with a hymn on the mystery of godliness. This is about Jesus Christ who was incarnated in flesh, justified in all He taught by being raised by the spirit, watched by angels, ascended to heaven and is now taught and believed throughout the world.

Even if we do not have the privilege of becoming elders or deacons, we all are members of the church and are responsible for protecting and proclaiming the truth that Jesus came into the world to rescue sinners.

The office of elder is a noble task for men to perform within the church and it is something good for men to work towards. For a man to be qualified to be an elder means he has the godly qualities needed to lead God’s church. All of us should aspire and work towards developing these kinds of godly qualities in our lives.

An elder should be above reproach. This is not about being sinless because none of us can be without sin in this life. He must have a morally upright character that generally no-one would have something bad to hold against him.
He must be the husband of one wife. This means he must be faithful in his marriage. It is also likely that Paul expected elders to be married because later we see they need to prove their leadership in leading their home.
An elder must be sober-minded, not irrational or guilty of snap judgements. He should be emotionally and mentally stable.
He should be self-controlled and prudent. This is similar to the previous character quality and expects that he makes good, objective, sound judgements when decisions need to be made.
An elder should be respectable and of good behaviour, especially towards others in the church and community.
He must be hospitable, a people person, who helps others, meets with others and has them in his home and looks after them.
An elder must be able to teach God’s word soundly and accurately. Not every elder must have the gift of teaching or even need to preach, but they must be well-grounded in Biblical doctrine and be able to lead the church towards truth and away from error.
He must not drink so much that he loses the self-control required above. This is not a requirement that he not drink at all, just that alcohol never has an influence over him.
An elder must not be a man of violence, anger and quarrelling. He must be gentle in his demeanour towards others.
He must not be greedy and driven to acquire wealth. The office of elder is not a position for accumulating wealth. A man driven by money is likely to take advantage of the congregation. The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil (1 Tim 6:10).
An elder must show his leadership in managing his own household well. He must lead his wife and children in godliness. The home is the proving ground of his leadership ability and where he should already exhibit all of the above qualities. If he cannot manage his home well, how can he hope to manage God’s church?
He must not be a recent convert. He must be well-grounded in biblical truth and that cannot happen overnight. An elder must show spiritual depth and godly character that must be proved over a reasonable period of time. Recent converts raised in profile within the church too quickly are prone to issues of pride and an easy target for the devil.
Finally, an elder must have a good testimony to unbelievers. If he has a bad reputation he will also be prone to the snares of the devil.

Spiritual ambition is good. While it is God who works in us to make us more like Christ, we have an active role in submitting to His working in our lives. What character quality listed above do you need to work on in your life?