WEEK 8 HOOK 1 Timothy 6:3 10 Current Event: The Mayo Clinic recently suggested ways to find contentment in which contentment equals happiness. Here is their breakdown of the science of contentment: Although you may have thought, as many people do, that happiness comes from being born rich or beautiful or living a stress-free life, the reality is that people who have wealth, beauty or less stress are not happier on average than those of who don't enjoy those blessings. People who are happy seem to intuitively know that their happiness is the sum of their life choices, and their lives are built on the following pillars: Devoting time to family and friends Appreciating what they have Maintaining an optimistic outlook Feeling a sense of purpose Living in the moment 1 Do you agree with the Mayo Clinic s pillars of contentment? Why or why not? Which pillars of contentment do you take into practice? Personal Story: Share with your class how you find contentment. Note what your pillars are, and more importantly, your foundation. Note that many Americans struggle with living daily lives rooted in contentment. Share with your class members that if they are not content, it is probably because of an inner misplaced desire, not an outward circumstance. Pray that your class receives contentment as you read God s Word today. 1 Mayo Clinic Staff, How to be happy: Tips for cultivating contentment, www.mayoclinic.com
WEEK 8 BOOK 1 Timothy 6:3 10 Background: This concluding section of the letter bears strong similarity to the opening section (1:3 20). Both sections are bracketed by discussion of false teachers (1:3 7, 18 20; 6:2b 10, 20 21). Both contain exhortations to Timothy in light of this false teaching, specifically calling him to fight the good fight of faith against it (1:18; 6:12); and both contain a doxology (1:17; 6:15 16). 1 Timothy 6:3 5 If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness, 4 he is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy craving for controversy and for quarrels about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions, 5 and constant friction among people who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain. ESV Study Bible: Sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ does not refer to specific statements of Jesus but affirms that Paul s gospel and its ethical implications flow out of the teaching and work of Jesus. teaching that accords with godliness. True (apostolic) teaching is that which fits with or leads to godliness, as opposed to the negative effects of the false teaching (1:4, 6 7; 4:6; 6:4 5; see 2 Tim. 2:14, 16 18, 23). True doctrine is often recognizable by the impact it has on everyday living. The false teachers are often referred to in the Pastorals as having faulty reasoning (v. 4; 1:7; 2 Tim. 3:8). Since the gospel is the truth, to deny it is to think in a faulty manner. imagining that godliness is a means of gain. People who wrongly preach that God will give material health and wealth if only one has enough faith fall under the condemnation of this passage. What are the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ? Where are they found? What is a characteristic of someone who denies Christ s truth for his own? What are unhealthy craving for controversy and quarrels about words? What does mindless arguing produce in those who partake in such conversations? How would someone use godliness as a means for gain?
1 Timothy 6:6 10 6 But godliness with contentment is great gain, 7 for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. 8 But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. 9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs. ESV Study Bible: What is condemned here is the desire to be rich, not material things per se when rightly used for the glory of God. The desire to be rich leads one to fall into temptation. This in turn results in the love of money, which Paul identifies as a root of all kinds of evils (v. 10). The connection between false teaching and the desire to be rich has been a problem from the church s very beginning. wandered away from the faith. The warning is not simply that love of money is harmful but that this has led some to deny the faith, showing themselves to be unbelievers (cf. 1:19). What is the great gain from having godliness with contentment? How does verse 7 refocus your mind on what is to be acquired in this world? What does it mean to desire to be rich? Why should this be avoided? What is the final outcome of someone who seeks after senseless and harmful desires? What evils begin with the love of money? How can the love of money cause a person to stray from his or her faith?
Another Perspective: Bible Knowledge Commentary: The last group Paul discussed are those with whom he began (cf. 1:3 11): false teachers. Here, like a physician diagnosing a sick patient, Paul described the characteristics of their disease. The objects of Paul s attention show three overlapping symptoms: (1) those who teach false doctrines (lit., anyone who teaches differently ; 1:3 has the same word); (2) those who do not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ; with the word sound Paul reintroduced a medical analogy (cf. also 2 Tim. 2:17); he spoke of, literally, the healthy words or sayings (hygiainousin logois) of Christ; (3) those who do not consent to godly teaching (lit., the teaching which corresponds to godliness, tē kat eusebian didaskalia). The correspondence between truth and godliness, and error and moral deficiency, is one of the recurrent themes in the Pastoral Epistles. 2 Class Discussion: Have your class discuss the worship of self in regard to our obedience to Christ. Note that self often believes false doctrine in the form of what is best for you; it dismisses Christ s instruction and it does not consent to godly teaching. Holman New Testament Commentary: Even among believers, our view of money is dictated, not by Scripture, but by our own expectations, desires, and the voice of culture. We convince ourselves through intricate reasoning that possessions and money do not have a hold on us but that they are necessary. Simply asking ourselves whether we love money will never uncover the truth. The best way to uncover our view of money is to observe our behavior. What drives our decisions? What prompts our buying? What concerns underlie our bank account or investments? What determines our work, promotions, acquisitions, home, and friends? Paul did not ask us to turn away from something without directing us toward something better. Giving up possessions or taking a lower-paying job are not, in themselves, virtuous We must ask ourselves, Am I pursuing righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness? This is not a question of casual interest or intellectual admiration. This requires an inventory of where our energies, passions, goals, and time are directed. An honest answer will keep us from temptation and many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction 3 Class Discussion: Have your class members discuss how they have overcome the temptation of riches and guarded against a love of money. Encourage class members to share specific tips on how they learn to live within their means and content lives in Christ. Be sure not to encourage a poverty mindset but one that is rooted in finding fulfillment in Christ. 2 A. Duane Litfin, "1 Timothy", in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, 1 Ti 6:3 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985). 3 Knute Larson, vol. 9, I & II Thessalonians, I & II Timothy, Titus, Philemon, Holman New Testament Commentary, 256 57 (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2000).
WEEK 8 TOOK 1 Timothy 6:3 10 In Today s World: We live in a world full of consumerism. From the newest iphone to the nicest, most technologically advanced vehicle, we are surrounded by what the others deem important and even necessary. It can be easy to lose sight of what Paul is teaching us in Timothy 6. Courtney Hutchison, writer for ABC News Medical Unit, notes: People who are materialistic tend to be narcissistic and concerned with impressing people, notes Susan Heitler, a Denver-based clinical psychologist. They have a tendency to be anxious, depressed, have relatively poor relationship skills and have low self-esteem. These qualities in turn can cause marital problems. 4 What causes believers to have a spirit of covetousness? How can we counteract that spirit based on the Scripture today? How can a heart of contentment benefit our marriages and relationships? Challenge: Encourage your class members to pray and ask God to reveal to them what things they have made most important in their lives. Remind them that if godliness with contentment is truly important, then they must make deliberate steps to obtain it. Ask, What disciplines should we pick up? What habits should we break? Challenge them to remember Paul s declaration in Philippians 1:21, For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. 4 Courtney Hutchison, Can t Buy Love: Materialism Kills Marriages, www.abcnews.go.com