(1) Structure
(BKC) Final Charge to Timothy (6:11–21)
A. Exhortation to godliness (6:11–16)
B. Instructions for the rich (6:17–19)
C. Exhortations to remain faithful (6:20–21)
(PNTC) [lay hold of] convey just as violent an image as the word-group associated with fighting. Paul is calling for pursuit (v. 11) that is proactive, aggressive, and tenacious. The picture of Jacob wrestling with God, so to speak, comes to mind (Gen 32:22–32), or Abraham sweating it out in sacrificing Isaac (Gen 22:1–19), or any of the saints in Heb 11 who went to their grave striving and hoping but unrequited in this life. Or there is the NT heritage of Jesus’s followers who “left everything.”
Paul calls on Timothy, in a word, to live radically in the light of the age to come (“eternal life”). His own testimony in Phil 3:8–14 is an excellent commentary on the orientation and effort he expects from Timothy as he presses on “toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called [him] heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Phil 3:14).
Reflection: In light of our eternal life, our faith and our righteousness, what is our attitude? Do we make all the effort to pursue the prize of God? I did not mean that we need to win salvation or work for our salvation, but do we practice our faith in our lives with effort?
Reflection: Do we pursue vigorously what is truly life? Or when we examine our lives we see that we overabsorb into everyday life?
Audrey
A. Exhortation to godliness (6:11–16)
B. Instructions for the rich (6:17–19)
C. Exhortations to remain faithful (6:20–21)
(2) Repeated words:
dedicated to God v.11, pursue righteousness v.11, Compete well for the faith v.12, lay hold of that eternal life v.12
lay hold of-(BDAG) take hold of in order to make one’s own
(PNTC) [lay hold of] convey just as violent an image as the word-group associated with fighting. Paul is calling for pursuit (v. 11) that is proactive, aggressive, and tenacious. The picture of Jacob wrestling with God, so to speak, comes to mind (Gen 32:22–32), or Abraham sweating it out in sacrificing Isaac (Gen 22:1–19), or any of the saints in Heb 11 who went to their grave striving and hoping but unrequited in this life. Or there is the NT heritage of Jesus’s followers who “left everything.”
Paul calls on Timothy, in a word, to live radically in the light of the age to come (“eternal life”). His own testimony in Phil 3:8–14 is an excellent commentary on the orientation and effort he expects from Timothy as he presses on “toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called [him] heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Phil 3:14).
Reflection: In light of our eternal life, our faith and our righteousness, what is our attitude? Do we make all the effort to pursue the prize of God? I did not mean that we need to win salvation or work for our salvation, but do we practice our faith in our lives with effort?
(3) 6:18 Tell them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, to be generous givers, sharing with others.6:19 In this way they will save up a treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the future and so lay hold of what is truly life.
In light of the return of Jesus Christ, the rich were reminded to be rich in good deeds v.18a not rich in this world's goods v.17, and that will save up a real treasure for the future and
so lay hold of what is truly life.
(PNTC) Much of life is not “truly” life at all from the standpoint of eternity; it is overabsorption into the everyday:
Reflection: Do we pursue vigorously what is truly life? Or when we examine our lives we see that we overabsorb into everyday life?
Audrey
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