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

CHAPTER 29

When we were teaching in Wyoming, we were also interim pastor for a while at a little Bible church. The church was in another town about sixty miles from our home. Most Sundays we would drive home or to another town for lunch and enjoy some time alone.

One Sunday one of the couples that we had met but not gotten to know very well invited us to dinner the following Sunday. We accepted and looked forward to the meal and getting to know the folks.

We followed them home from the church. When we drove into the driveway, we were totally shocked by the size of the home. When we walked into the front door, we were even more shocked as the home was much larger than it appeared. We were seated in the informal dinning room just off the kitchen. The table and chair set was most beautiful. The room was decorated in the richest of trappings.

We could see the gorgeous formal dinning room from where we ate dinner. The living room was yet beyond the formal dinning room. After dinner we were given the tour of the basement bedrooms and offices, but did not make it upstairs.

The point being these folks were nothing out of the ordinary in what we had observed of them at the church. Their riches seemingly had no outward effect on them as they related to other people. They were enjoying the riches God had allowed them to acquire but had not allowed the riches to enjoy them.

We will look at the SNARE OF DESIRING RICHES in verse nine, the ERROR OF DESIRING RICHES in verse ten, and the CURE OF DESIRING RICHES in verse eleven.

I. SNARE OF DESIRING RICHES

Verse 9 But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and [into] many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.

This passage seems to need little explanation. It is negative to the end. Anyone wanting to be rich and acting on that desire, will fall into temptation, snares, lusts and these items will end in destruction and perdition. Not up for light discussion - FACT.

“Snare” is simply the snare used to capture animals or birds. The snare is something which acts totally unexpectedly. The prey is certainly startled and shocked at the snare because they did not know it was there, nor were they expecting it.

The desire for riches will turn around and bite you very hard and very unexpectedly.

The thought of destruction and perdition does not necessarily, but can mean eternal damnation. Personally I would assume that this is speaking of eternal damnation because most true believers would not fall into the downward spiral that is described here, but it certainly is an awesome warning for the believer - don't commit yourself to becoming rich.

Is it wrong to be rich? No, definitely not, but to commit yourself toward that goal is shutting the door to God - remember - you can't serve God and mammon? If you are to be rich, God is fully capable of making you so! You commit to Him and allow Him to do His work.

That really takes the pressure off - we commit our lives to God and allow Him to create what He wants and we don't have to do all the straining and laboring of making something of ourselves.

He can zap us rich if that is what He wants for us or He can lead us into activities which can result in riches - but we needn't seek riches nor strain for them.

When I read this passage I often recall a very good friend from Bible College days. He was called by God to prepare for the mission field. He arrived at the college fully planning to take the Gospel to a particular tribe in South America.

We were able to get to know one another and became good friends. At some point in time he became sidetracked with the thought of going into business to make enough money to get through school and probably help others through school as well.

He ultimately purchased a business so that he could make big bucks. As time went by he dropped out of school because he was spending more and more time at the business. Finally he was totally sidetracked from God's will for his life.

We lost track of one another, and I do not know if he ever got back on track or not. He certainly was well on the way to total destruction spiritually.

II. ERROR OF DESIRING RICHES

Verse 10 For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

How might we pierce ourselves with riches?

1. Others constantly wanting your money and causing you turmoil. Quite a number of the lottery winners of recent days have been plagued by people wanting them to give them some of their winnings.

2. Taking care of your money. We have known older people that have had to plan their weeks activities around getting to the bank to take care of investments. Others constantly worry about their investments and whether they are being profitable or whether they are loosing money.

3. Worry about their money. Will they have enough to carry them through to their death. Will the stock market fall and leave them in financial trouble.

4. Trying to spend their money. After a point there is nothing to spend money on. You buy all you think you need, and then you have to go looking for things to buy. After a point you have bought so much that you need more room to store all of it.

I am told that Jackie Onasis had large warehouses to store the clothes and shoes that she no longer used.

5. Finding you can't take it with you. What in the world will I do with all of it if I can't take it with me. Who do I like enough to GIVE them all my money.

6. Worry about running out of money. Will all these millions be gone some day. Will I spend too much so that when I get old there won't be any left for taking care of me?

7. Taking care of what you buy. Even in our little two bedroom house and small garage we have so much stuff that requires maintenance that I find I spend more and more time just taking care of what we have assembled. Of course if you have millions you could hire it done, but then calling repairmen would probably become a problem at some point in time.

8. Protecting your money and purchases. Where do I keep it? Where will it be safe? Will the bank really be a good place to keep it?

9. And last but not least how can I make all those payments to Uncle Sam, after all, we have to get that forty-five million in so they can advertize the new dollar coin!

I am sure if I were rich I would be able to find more ways in which I was piercing myself, but this will have to do from my present limited perspective.

III. CURE OF DESIRING RICHES

Verse 11 But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.

"O man of God:" Wow, this is the apostle Paul's estimation of Timothy! Can you imagine how Timothy felt at this point in reading this letter? He must have been tremendously encouraged by Paul's comment.

The importance of Paul's use of the term is emphasized in that the phrase "man of God" is used for only the prophets in the Old Testament and Timothy himself in the New Testament.

Flee - get away from - find safety from these things. Isolate yourselves from all this stuff!

The term righteousness seems to have the thought of finding a right or correct walk before God - not sinning would do.

The term godliness seems to be the mental side of righteousness. Righteousness is the walk and godliness is the attitude that allows us to walk righteously.

Faith on the other hand seems to be that belief or trust in God and His word that allows us to have the attitude of godliness which allows us to walk righteously.

Love, patience, and meekness are the kind of characteristics that make a believer what they should be before God and man.

We might observe that if a person is seeking after this list of items, there will be little time for seeking after material things.

Paul mentions Timothy as a man of God, while looking surely past Timothy to all those Timothy would minister too as well as you and me. II Tim 3.17 states "That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works." Perfect has the thought of completeness - the mature man is a man of God - you don't have to be a preacher, missionary or in any other position to be a man of God - just complete before the Lord.

Verse nine's "will be rich" and verse tens "love of money" seem to indicate the conscious desire for riches and deciding to go after them. This might be going after riches instead of godliness. Actually the first will most likely produce the latter.

Being rich is not likely if you are following after those traits of godliness!

Paul asks Timothy to follow after:

Righteousness
Godliness
Faith
Love
Patience
Meekness

Now, you might relate these items to your own life.

Do you portray all of these at work with your employees/employer/coworkers?
Do you portray all of these at the store when you are in a hurry?
Do you portray all of these at the stop light when someone comes buzzing through on a red?
Do you portray all of these at home with your family?

In 1923, a very important meeting was held at the Edgewater Beach Hotel in Chicago. Attending that meeting were nine of the world's most successful financiers. Those who were present were:

1. The president of the largest independent steel company
2. The president of the largest utility company
3. The president of the largest gas company
4. The greatest wheat speculator of the era
5. The president of the New York Stock Exchange
6. A member of the President's cabinet
7. The greatest "bear" on Wall Street
8. Head of the world's greatest monopoly
9. President of the Bank of International Settlements

Admittedly the group gathered was impressive and represented well some of the world's most successful men or at least those who had found the secret of making money. Surly they must have been very happy in their success. (25 years later)

1. The president of the largest independent steel company, Charles Schwab, died bankrupt and lived on borrowed money for five years before his death.
2. The president of the largest utility company, Samuel Insull, died a fugitive from justice in a foreign land, and penniless.
3. The president of the largest gas company, Howard Hopson went insane.
4. The greatest wheat speculator of the era, Arthur Cutton, died abroad insolvent.
5. The president of the New York Stock Exchange, Richard Whitney, had just been recently released from Sing Sing Penitentiary.
6. The member of the President's cabinet, Albert Fall, was pardoned from prison so he could die at home.
7. The greatest "bear" on Wall Street who was Jesse Livermore, died of suicide.
8. The head of the world's greatest monopoly, Ivan Krueger, died of suicide.
9. President of the Bank of International Settlements Leon Fraser, died of suicide.

The men listed above learned the art of making money and achieving great power and status but not one of them learned how to "Live." Happiness is contentment. Even some of the poorest people on earth have learned this.

Remember godliness with contentment is gain from our last study.

As I was preparing this study I was on the internet and ran across an item that stood out in stark contrast to the listing above. It was a listing of accomplishments of a man of God that had recently gone to be with the Lord. The man had been a successful pastor for thirty plus years, he was on boards of Christian organizations and he was author/editor of many books.

He was a man of God that had focused on "willing to be godly" rather than "willing to be rich" - a decision to follow God and seek godliness rather than follow money and seek wealth. He died doing what he had focused his life on, while the men in the list died doing what they attempted to avoid all their life - lack of money.

I trust you don't miss the obvious contrast. He who wills to be rich will be caught in a snare and his riches will bring him down. On the other hand he who wills to be godly will be a man of God and his godliness will bring him riches in glory.