Mr. D's Notes on I Timothy
Rev. Stanley L. Derickson Ph.D.
Copyright 2000

CHAPTER 28

Just prior to the winning of the 300 million plus lottery in May of 2000 I heard a radio evangelist that was really condemning people for their involvement in the lottery.

Some of his comments went along the line of the following:

I don't know why all those people spend all that money on something that they won't win. Only one or two people can possibly win, yet millions of people purchase millions of tickets.

These people are motivated only by one thing - covetousness. That is all it is, plain and simple it is covetousness - their desire for more money. Nothing but Greed. Nothing but desiring something they don't have.

They just want more money to buy more things. They just want more and more.

They desire more and more money. They covet other people's money. They want that free money, they want all those millions so they can spend it on themselves.

Covetousness is wrong, covetousness is not from God, covetousness is of the devil. We should not covet money. We should be satisfied with what God has given us!

Those people that spend money on the lottery are seeking more and more money. Money is nice - in fact I wouldn't mind having some more of it myself! HUMMMMMM!

I have mentioned prosperity gospel before in these studies. This teaching tells us that if we are not rich we are not really spiritual. This teaching seems to fall into the area of false teaching if I understand this passage correctly. I might add that this passage is one of the plainest and most concise of Paul's teachings. It is really quite plain and it is really quite obvious what he is saying.

We want to look at the GOAL OF LIFE in verse six, the REALITY OF LIFE in verse seven, and the CONTENTMENT OF LIFE in verse eight.

I. GOAL OF LIFE

Verse 6. But godliness with contentment is great gain.

Paul now STRONGLY contrasts the thought of "gain is godliness" in our previous study (false godliness in the case of those rejecting truth) which is error, with "contentment being gain." Interesting contrast - take some time to contemplate this one!

Content to many is having all you want when you want it. This is not the natural Biblical thought of contentment.

The term content is defined by Thayer as "1) a perfect condition of life in which no aid or support is needed 2) sufficiency of the necessities of life 3) a mind contented with its lot"

Content with no aid or support desired. Now that is a good definition of content. Happy as you are with nothing added.

The word Paul uses to convey great gain, is "megas" - MEGA gain if you are content!

Let us consider what are some of the benefits of being content.

1. Peace: Not many believers really have the peace of being content with where they are, with what they have, and with who they are. Many are always stretching for things that they are not and things that they do not have. Peace is being what God has made you and no more. When He leads you to seek further then you should act.

2. Due to peace you may find better health. If you have no peace you will be full of worry and stress. They are finding more and more health problems that are related to stress or the opposite of commitment.

3. You will be a better witness for your Lord. If people see that you are satisfied where you are, and who you are they will know that there is something special in your life - they know they don't have that peace and contentment.

4. You will be happier. Due to the lack of worry and stress you will find you enjoy life more. You most likely will find things to do that bring joy to your life.

II. REALITY OF LIFE

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

Job 1.21 is a similar passage. "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."

NOW, we have one of the more profound statements of the apostle Paul - no one can argue with this statement - it is near a universal principle. I doubt that anyone would be foolish enough to argue with this statement. It is kind of hard to bring anything with you when you are born for you have nothing that belongs to you!

The next statement is also a universal principle. There is nothing that can be done to change the fact that when you die you can't take anything with you. Oh yes, you can wear a nice suit and all sorts of jewelry, but that is on the old body that is going to rot as will the clothes and jewelry. You aren't there so you don't even take that with you.

Many have attempted to take it with them, but none have been able to. The Pharaohs filled their vaults with treasure and servants, yet rotted in their mummy clothes. I read once of a man that was so in love with his 1931 Chevy that he requested he be buried in it - his relatives did it.

Faith had a rich uncle that always joked that he was taking his money with him - he was going to get an asbestos coffin - not too smart now that we know asbestos can kill you.

The soul/spirit are separated from the body and they can't even take their body with them - nothing at all will accompany us to our time before the Lord. This is why our decision about Christ is so important. If we go before God without the finished work of the Lord Jesus, we will not enjoy our time before God in judgment.

On the other hand if we have accepted the work of Christ we will be clothed by Almighty God Himself and will be given all that we will need.

One must wonder about Paul's recipients. Just who did he have to explain this one to? He must have wondered about some of those he was writing to - REALLY WONDERED! There must have been some that were way over the edge into intellectualism and away from truth and reality.

When my wife and I moved from Wyoming we had a truck full of belongings and the car on a tow dolly. I told her that one of the GREAT joys of death was that you didn't have to take it with you!

Barnes put it well. "Of the truth of what is here said, there can be nothing more obvious. It is apparent to all. We bring no property with us into the world; no clothing, no jewels, no gold; and it is equally clear that we can take nothing with us when we leave the earth. Our coming into the world introduces no additional property to that which the race before possessed, and our going from the world removes none that we may have helped the race to accumulate. This is said by the apostle as an obvious reason why we should be contented if our actual wants are supplied; for this is really all that we need, and all that the world is toiling for."

Ps 49:17 also relates the same truth. "For when he [the rich man] dieth, he shall carry nothing away; his glory shall not descend after him." You can't even take your degrees and social gains with you!

One must consider just how godliness is gain to us today. If you live a godly life, you will most likely be persecuted for it - you will be made fun of, you may be the brunt of jokes, and possibly even open ridicule - so how is godliness gain?

How is Godliness gain?

I have noticed over the years that an honest upright walk before the Lord is often noticed by employers. I have mentioned that I worked for two Jewish men in Denver years ago. They had seen the work and walk of Christians and they often hired them if they were qualified. They treated us very well, and we seldom had any complaints toward them. Basically we worked in a Christian surrounding. The bosses were working their way to heaven and the rest of us enjoyed the fellowship of believers. The bosses never accepted the Lord to my knowledge, but it was their clear choice to reject Christ - they had many walking examples of the Lord's converting power and were witnessed to by several of the believers.

In our own personal lives we can and will have a much more peaceful existence not only personally, but within our families if we walk with the Lord. As we walk with Him, we naturally come into a closer relationship with Him and that certainly is gain.

We might take a moment and consider contentment and complacency. The two are very close, yet so far apart. Complacency is self-satisfaction or smugness. Contentment is satisfaction - interesting, one is satisfaction and the other is satisfaction in self - NOW that has to tell us something!

Complacency is aside from God, while contentment is with God.
Complacency is sin, while contentment is godly.
Complacency pleases self, while contentment pleases God.
Complacency is derived from the Devil, while contentment is derived from God.
Complacency has no goal, while contentment has a goal.
Complacency is indifference, while contentment is satisfaction.
Complacency is noninvolvement, while contentment is involvement.
Complacency is carnal, while contentment is spiritual.

You can't take it with you is the opposite of you don't have to take it with you, just to give you one more contrast.

III. CONTENTMENT OF LIFE

Verse 8 And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.

Paul had many counterparts in secular life that taught this same simple philosophy of life. That we should be content with that which is necessary. Seneca mentions "No man is born rich; every one that comes into the world is commanded to be content with food and raiment."

This may be why Paul indicated that this is an obvious truth! ("it is certain" vs. 7)

Matt 6:33 was in my Bible reading when I was just starting Bible college and the verse so impacted my life that I have attempted to live by it all my life since. "Seek ye first the kingdom of heaven and all these things will be added unto you." The context was one of the first things that I read - being in debt and having many bills and few things I wanted to know what all these things meant - it was food and covering and little more.

Here Paul reminds the believers of this principle of living - and I might add quite appropriately - slaves be content where you are and be content with what you have. THIS IS WHAT GOD WANTS OF US!

I might draw your attention to the fact that housing is not among those "needs" that are promised in Matthew. Only food and covering. Paul was content to live this life, as we should be.

Clarke indicates that the term translated raiment was general enough to possibly include not only clothes, but housing. He suggests that it means covering which could well indicate a roof or home. Few of the other commentators mentioned this nor did I find indication of it in the Lexicons. If true, certainly a roof is as far as it could be stretched. A roof does not mean four bedrooms and three baths and a three-car garage.

There are some that condemn ministers for working in secular jobs. Beware - this verse does not tell the minister not to work - it says be content with food and raiment. There are pastors that need to work to provide those two items for their families - this is not wrong. Paul himself worked for a living at times. (Acts 20.33,34; 18.1-3) Paul contrasts this concept with those that love the world or material things to the point of leaving the ministry (II Tim 4.10).

One more item from Paul is found in Philippians 4.11 "Not that I speak in respect of want; for I have learned, in whatever state I am, in this to be content." There are two truths to be seen in this passage.

First be content in either state - IT ISN'T WRONG TO BE CONTENT AND RICH though I can't speak to that truth personally. Rich is probably exaggeration - Paul was not rich but at times he evidently had more than he needed.

Secondly, Paul says he "learned" to be content in all states. It is a learned process, thus if you struggle in this area of being content - LEARN IT and don't feel guilty if you struggle while learning.

I have suggested to many gatherings that there are a lot of levels of giving. There is giving a buck a week, there is giving of a tenth, there is giving lots more than a tenth, and there is the giving of the widow in the Gospels - she gave everything she had and trusted the Lord to provide her needs.

I suspect that the widow is not only an example of giving, but of trust and contentment as well.

Giving is an area where many of us are way too complacent - remember - self satisfied.

There are some items I want to make clear.

1. You can be godly and not content. To be godly and content is gain. Quite a difference and the gain proves there is a difference.

2. The reward or gain is being steadfast in what we have, it isn't suffering through hard times - it is being content through hard times.

Barnes relates the thought that food and clothing is only symbolic of other things needed for life. I think he might be correct, but the following paragraph given to most believers today would require all to have three cars, a primary house and a secondary house both of which would be filled with toys beyond number.

""Food and raiment," here, seem to be used to denote supplies for our wants in general. It is not uncommon to denote the whole by a part, and as these are the principal things which we really need, and without which life could not be sustained, the apostle uses the phrase to denote all that is really necessary for us. We cannot suppose that he would forbid a desire of a comfortable habitation, or of the means of knowledge, or of conveniences for worshiping God, etc. The idea is, that having those things which meet the actual necessities of our nature, and save us from distress, we should not strive after "uncertain riches," or make wealth the object of our anxious pursuit."

In light of what I shared in the last study concerning Wesley I was interested in his comments on this passage. They were indeed short and to the point.

His comments on verse seven "Neither can we carry anything out-To what purpose, then, do we heap together so many things? O, give me one thing,-a safe and ready passage to my own country!"

His comments on verse eight "Covering-That is, raiment and an house to cover us. This is all that a Christian needs, and all that his religion allows him to desire."

I trust that you will consider seriously before the Lord just what is that which is NEEDED to sustain your life and live accordingly from this point forward.

I would like to close with a short comment that Wiersbe included in his commentary.

I am reminded of the simple-living Quaker who was watching his new neighbor move in, with all of the furnishings and expensive "toys" that "successful people" collect. The Quaker finally went over to his new neighbor and said, "Neighbor, if ever thou dost need anything, come to see me, and I will tell thee how to get along without it."" (THE BIBLE EXPOSITION COMMENTARY; Warren Wiersbe; Victor Books; Wheaton; 1989; p. 235.)