1 Timothy 6.6-Godliness Combined With Contentment Is A Means Of Superior Gain
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Tuesday September 27, 2011
1 Timothy: 1 Timothy 6:6-Godliness Combined With Contentment Is A Means Of Superior Gain
Lesson # 128
Please turn in your Bibles to 1 Timothy 6:3.
The apostle Paul in 1 Timothy 6:6 teaches that godliness is a means of great profit if accompanied by contentment.
1 Timothy 6:3 If anyone advocates a different doctrine and does not agree with sound words, those of our Lord Jesus Christ, and with the doctrine conforming to godliness, 4 he is conceited and understands nothing; but he has a morbid interest in controversial questions and disputes about words, out of which arise envy, strife, abusive language, evil suspicions 5 and constant friction between men of depraved mind and deprived of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain. 6 But godliness actually is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment. (NASB95)
This verse is composed of the third person singular present active indicative form of the verb eimi (εἰμί) (ee-mee), “is” and then we have the post-positive conjunction de (δέ) (theh), “but” and this is followed by nominative masculine singular form of the noun porismos (πορισμός) (poe-reece-moce), “a means of gain” and modifying it is the nominative masculine singular form of the adjective megas (μέγας) (may-gahs), “great” and then we have the articular accusative feminine singular form of the noun eusebeia (εὐσέβεια) (ef-sev-ee-ah), “godliness” and this is followed by the preposition meta (μετά) (meh-tah), “when accompanied by” and its object is the genitive feminine singular form of the noun autarkeia (αὐτάρκεια) (off-tarkeeah), “contentment.”
The conjunction de is marking a contrast between the presumption of a religious form of godliness being a means of gaining financial wealth with that of the true form of godliness being a means of great gain spiritually when accompanied by contentment.
Verse 6 rebukes and refutes the idea of those teaching false doctrine in Ephesus that Christianity or the Christian way of life is about acquiring material possessions or financial wealth.
Rather, it teaches that authentic Christianity is that of exercising faith in the Word of God, i.e. the gospel, or sound doctrine which results in obedience to the commands and prohibitions in the Word of God which produces an attitude and conduct that honors God as an expression of worshipping God (cf. Romans 12:1-2).
This serves as a rebuke today to those teaching the prosperity gospel throughout America and around the world whose teaching is being propagated through Christian television and the internet.
As was the case in 1 Timothy 2:2, 3:16, 4:7, 8 and 6:3, the noun eusebeia in 1 Timothy 6:6 means “the way of godliness or godly living” and denotes an attitude and resultant conduct that honors God and is an act of worshipping Him.
In 1 Timothy 6:5, we noted that the noun porismos denotes a “means of gain” or a “means of gaining wealth” indicating that the apostate pastors in Ephesus who were teaching false doctrine presumed that godliness was a “means of gaining wealth” or a “means of gaining financial wealth.”
This word speaks of the greed of the apostate pastors in Ephesus who were teaching false doctrine as well as the greed of the Judaizers whose the former was adhering to.
In this verse, the noun porismos denotes that these false teachers were lovers of money and materialism.
However, in 1 Timothy 6:6, even though the noun porismos denotes a “means of gain,” its sense has changed due to the presence of the prepositional phrase μετὰ αὐταρκείας, “accompanied by contentment.”
This prepositional phrase makes clear that eusebeia, “godliness” in verse 6 is fundamentally different than the eusebeia, “godliness” that appears in verse 5.
It defines eusebeia, “godliness,” namely authentic godliness or Christianity as outside the temporal realm and removes it from material dimensions.
Also, the adjective megas, “great,” which modifies the noun porismos indicates that this noun is superior and also indicates that porismos in verse 6 is superior to and exceeds the porismos in verse 5.
It also indicates that eusebeia, “godliness” mentioned in verse 6 is superior to and exceeds the eusebeia, “godliness” mentioned in verse 5.
Therefore, the prepositional phrase μετὰ αὐταρκείας, “accompanied by contentment” and the adjective megas, “great” indicate that eusebeia, “godliness” and porismos, “a means of gain” in verse 6 are connected to the spiritual realm.
Thus, they are superior to the eusebeia, “godliness” and porismos, “a means of gain” that appear in verse 5.
So in 1 Timothy 6:6, the noun porismos has the same meaning as it does in 1 Timothy 6:5 but instead it is referring to the spiritual dimension.
The adjective megas describes eusebeia, “godliness” in verse 6 as superior to the eusebeia, “godliness” of those apostate pastors teaching false doctrine mentioned in verse 5.
It thus emphasizes the superiority of authentic Christianity or godly living produced by faith and obedience to the gospel in contrast to the inauthentic, counterfeit Christianity of those teaching false doctrine in Ephesus.
It is superior to the godliness produced by the false doctrine of the apostate pastors in Ephesus because it is based upon an historical person, Jesus Christ who performed extraordinary, supernatural deeds, which is confirmed by witnesses and evidence.
The false doctrine of the apostate pastors and the Judaizers is based upon lies from Satan’s cosmic system.
The godliness produced by the gospel is superior to the religious form of godliness produced by the false doctrine taught by the apostate pastors and the Judaizers since it is based upon the will of the Father, which is revealed by the Spirit.
The false doctrine of the apostate pastors and the Judaizers is based upon lies from Satan’s kingdom.
The godliness produced by the gospel is superior to the counterfeit godliness produced by the false doctrine of the apostate pastors in Ephesus and the Judaizers since it is based upon appropriating by faith one’s union and identification with Christ in His crucifixion, death, burial, resurrection and session.
The counterfeit godliness produced by false doctrine is based upon the lie that one’s wealth and position in life define oneself.
It is based upon the lie that good circumstances are essential for happiness.
The godliness produced by the gospel is superior in quality to the counterfeit godliness that is produced by false doctrine since the former is divine in quality and the latter is demonic in quality.
In 1 Timothy 6:6, the adjective megas is modifying the noun porismos, “a means of gain.”
Together, they denote an attitude and perspective that one’s union and identification with Christ in His crucifixion, death, burial, resurrection and session is a great gain to one personally in that one’s happiness is not dictated by one’s circumstances.
The great gain spiritually is resting in one’s position in Christ which is eternal rather than trusting in your possessions, which are transitory.
It is being defined by who you are in Christ rather than what you possess or your circumstances in life.
The great gain is not being affected emotionally by circumstances when they change since one is content with one’s circumstances.
The great gain is not being a slave to circumstances, which will change or possessions or wealth, which will be taken away.
In 1 Timothy 6:6, autarkeia means “contentment,” which is a state of mind or an attitude that is satisfied with one’s position in life and circumstances.
Therefore, Paul is teaching with this word that the godliness produced by faith and obedience in the gospel produces “contentment.”
The noun autarkeia denotes a “contentment” that is satisfied with what one’s possesses or does not possess and is a satisfaction with one’s circumstances whether it is adversity or prosperity.
It is a contentment that is based upon faith in and obedience to the gospel, which constitutes fellowship with God.
It is based upon appropriating by faith one’s position in Christ. In other words, it is based upon appropriating by faith one is crucified, died, buried, raised and seated with Christ.
It is thus a contentment that is divine in quality and character because it is based upon the will of the Father and the crucifixion, deaths, burial, resurrection and session of Christ and the work of the Holy Spirit (baptism and regeneration).
This contentment produced by faith and obedience to the gospel is the production of the Holy Spirit.
This contentment is not denying that one has no needs but rather it is content because one is confident that God will provide for those needs or the necessities of life as promised in the Word of God (Mt. 6:25-34).
The Stoics would deny having needs in order to attain to a state of contentment but Paul is not denying that believers have needs but rather they are to trust in God to fulfill those needs when He sees fit.
God wants all His children to come to a place where there happiness and contentment is not based upon people and circumstances but rather based upon who they are in Christ and what He has provided for them through their union and identification with Christ.