Day 1091: A charge to keep - 1 Timothy 6 vs 13 -21

13-16 I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, to keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which he will display at the proper time – he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To him be honour and eternal dominion. Amen.

17-19 As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life. 20-21 O Timothy, guard the deposit entrusted to you. Avoid the irreverent babble and contradictions of what is falsely called “knowledge”, for by professing it some have swerved from the faith. Grace be with you. 1 Timothy 6:13-21 English Standard Version

Paul ends this letter with the way he began it. “Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by command of God our Saviour and of Christ Jesus our hope, To Timothy, my true child in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.” (1 Timothy 1:1-2) And in this section he presses upon Timothy what he had set out to do. What was that? (vs 20-21)

Timothy was to guard the truth of the gospel that had been entrusted to him. He was to ignore all irreverent speculations that had led some people to turn aside from Christ. In Chapter 1 he told us that such speculations consisted of “myths and endless genealogies”, and named two people who, by rejecting faith and a good conscience, had shipwrecked their faith. How important it is that we should cling to the truth as it is found in the gospel.

A big part of the deception was that it was the rich who were vulnerable to such false teaching. So Paul had some extra thoughts for them. He urged Timothy to tell them not to have lofty thoughts, thinking they were in charge, nor to set their hopes on riches which were so uncertain. Rather, they were to come down to earth, and be willing to share their wealth with those in need. They would then lay up treasure in heaven. This is a message which is just as true today as it was then.

See how urgent this commission to Timothy was. (vs 13) Paul uses the same word Jesus used when He first sent His disciples out. “He called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits. He charged them to take nothing for their journey except a staff - no bread, no bag, no money in their belts - but to wear sandals and not put on two tunics.”

And Paul's charge to Timothy was in the presence of God, the One who gives life to all things. Not only that, He is also the One who alone has immortality, and dwells in unapproachable light. A Scottish Free Church minister wrote the well known hymn: “Immortal, invisible, God only wise, in light inaccessible hid from our eyes . . . All laud we would render, O help us to see - ’Tis only the splendour of light hideth Thee.” Oh that we had such thoughts of God always.

But Paul's charge goes further. He charges Timothy in the presence of Christ Jesus who made the good confession before Pontius Pilate. Perhaps he had in mind the conversation where Jesus said to Pilate: “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world. Then Pilate said to him, 'So you are a king?' Jesus answered, 'You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world - to bear witness to the truth.'” (John 18:36-37)

It was to this Jesus that Paul charged Timothy to remain true to, until His appearing. And that appearing, says Paul, God would display at the proper time. In the meantime, he urges Timothy to keep the gospel unstained and free from reproach. And what Paul wrote to Timothy, the Holy Spirit has kept for all of us till the end of the age. May we, by the grace of God, be faithful to the charge.