(1) Background
(BKC) In that day the stipends associated with ministry were attractive, so that even the best men had to be warned against letting personal gain creep into their motivation (cf. 1 Peter 5:2). Congregational leaders were to be chosen from those known for their “freedom from the love of money” (cf. 1 Tim. 3:3, 8; Titus 1:7). By contrast the moral corruption so often associated with false teaching (cf. Jude 4–16 for the most graphic description in the NT) produced just the opposite.
(2) Repeated words:
a. godliness v.3, 5, 6-(BDAG) awesome respect accorded to God, devoutness, piety
a way of making profit v.5, great profit v.6, long to be rich v.9, the love of money v.10-these phrases were all set as the opposite of godliness or Paul said that godliness itself is our profit and no need to long money.
v.5 who suppose that godliness is a way of making a profit.
6:6 Now godliness combined with contentment brings great profit.
6:9 Those who long to be rich, however, stumble into temptation and a trap and many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.
6:10 For the love of money is the root of all evils. Some people in reaching for it have strayed from the faith and stabbed themselves with many pains.a way of making profit v.5, great profit v.6, long to be rich v.9, the love of money v.10-these phrases were all set as the opposite of godliness or Paul said that godliness itself is our profit and no need to long money.
Reflection: Godly people long for God and devoted themselves to God. On the other hand, people who love money look for every opportunity and think about how to make money all day long. These 2 desires are both strong compassions and they compete with each other. I think Paul did not just object to people who wanted to make profit by pretending to be godly, he objects to all forms of love of money.
6:10 For the love of money is the root of all evils. Some people in reaching for it have strayed from the faith and stabbed themselves with many pains.
Are you a lover of money?
b. v.4b an unhealthy interest in controversies and verbal disputes. This gives rise to envy, dissension, slanders, evil suspicions, 6:5 and constant bickering
False teachers not only loved money they loved word fights. The word, "this," refers back to the controversies and verbal disputes. In other words the results of these word fights are envy, dissension, slanders, evil suspicions, and constant bickering in the church.
Reflection: Pay attention to people who have this kind of unhealthy interest. Look at the result of their "discussion." Do they really have an interest in the truth? Or they just want to bring up controversies and bring more quarrelling to the church and your home?
Audrey
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