Paul moves from his discussion of the false teachers to how Timothy should live in response. Paul calls Timothy a “Man of God,” which is a sharp contrast to the sick greed and false doctrine of the false teachers just discussed.

This week’s passage is found in 1 Timothy 6:11-12:

The first thing that Paul tells Timothy is to flee “all of this.” What is Timothy to flee from? The greed just discussed in verses 6-10, but Paul also includes the false teachings and different doctrines from verse three and earlier in the letter.

Paul refers to Timothy as a “man of God.” This is in compete contrast to the false teaching of the men infiltrating the Ephesian church, and indicates that Timothy’s doctrine comes from God himself, while that of the false teachers does not. The background for this phrase, which isn’t common usage for Paul, is based in the Old Testament. Each time it is used in the Old Testament it refers to one of God’s servants, such as Moses (Deuteronomy 33:1), David (Nehemiah 12:24), or one of the prophets.

Since Timothy is a man of God, he is to pursue something different than the false teachers. His behavior is to stand in stark contrast to theirs. Among others, Paul lists a few qualities that Timothy is to continue to develop in his life and ministry:

Over the past few verses, Paul has encouraged Timothy to watch his motives, and to address the improper motives of the false teachers in the Ephesian church. He has explained the evidence of wrong motives (verse 3), the nature of wrong motives (verses 4-5), the prevention of wrong motives (verses 6-7), and now he discusses the results of wrong motives.

Take a look at this passage in 1 Timothy 6:9-10:

Those who are obsessed with the desire to get rich and have an unhealthy longing for more material resources are staring at a trap.

Being caught up in the desire for material possessions is a downward spiral. The temptation is an enticement leading to sin. The enticement becomes a trap. The trap, once sprung, becomes foolish and harmful, leading to ruin and destruction.

Let’s take a closer look at this progression. Desiring and pursuing after riches leads to at least six disasters.

In last week’s passage, Paul addressed the false teachers’ view that godliness was a mean to financial gain. Those false teachers were partly right; godliness does lead to gain, but not in the way they expect.

See what Paul says in 1 Timothy 6:6-8:

The false teachers were partly right. Godliness does lead to gain. And Paul’s next statement stands in stark contrast to that faulty view. There is great gain, or profit, in godliness, when it is accompanied by contentment. What does contentment mean? Simply this: we are to be satisfied with what we have and not seek after material gain. Contentment pairs nicely with godliness.

The irony is in the fact that Paul was striving against a Stoic philosophy, and one of the favorite virtues of the Stoics was self-sufficiency, or the ability to rely on your own inner resources. Paul has already addressed this idea in Philippians 4:11, where he makes a strong case that true contentment isn’t self-sufficiency, but Christ-sufficiency.

Paul’s point here is to point out the fact that relying upon Christ is the only way to combat our own greed, as well as that of the false teachers that Timothy was facing.

Paul gives Timothy two reasons why contentment should accompany godliness, and why that is such an advantage, or gain.