1 TIMOTHY 6
CAC It is striking in christianity how the highest things and the lowest are brought together — the conduct of the slave, and the name of God.
Ques Has the character of God to be defended in the bearing of saints in this world?
CAC It would appear so. It gives the saint a motive apart from any personal one. What the slave is thinking about is the name of God and the teaching.
Ques Might it refer to an unbelieving master?
CAC It seems to be an unbelieving master in the first verse, as it is a believing master in the second. You do not need to wait for a perfect state. Slavery is not a very happy condition, but you have not to wait for a change of circumstances. God changes us, not our circumstances. What a triumph for God — bringing out in a man everything that is a perfect contrast to all that he is naturally. The great principle with God is that He is working for His name’s sake. God’s motive comes out on the part of Israel. There is a remarkable chapter (Ezekiel 20) which reviews the history of the people in the past and the future — how God wrought for His name’s sake. God would put Himself in a true light before His creatures. Instead of being blasphemed and spoken evil of,
[p. 371] He is spoken of according to truth. It supposes that the slave had come under the name of God Himself and the teaching.
Ques Is it incumbent on saints to defend the character of the blessed God where it has been slandered?
CAC Yes, it is a world where the slander has been at work for thousands of years. God’s name has been blasphemed, but God is answering all in a practical way; He gives an answer to it in the lives of His saints. His saints are the vindication of Himself. He was fully vindicated in Christ, but that same character of things has to be maintained in the saints. It is all connected with the fact that God is here dwelling in His house. That house is composed of His saints, and there it is that God’s name is, and the teaching. God’s name is the great power, and the teaching is the moral effect of that. There is a certain moral effect from God being known. The words of our Lord Jesus Christ bring out the sound character of the man who has come under the influence of God’s name. There is a soundness connected with it. Even the servant in speaking of the prodigal son could say, “thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received him safe and sound”. He could talk about that!
Rem I suppose verse 2 is a warning to believing servants, not to think they are on equal terms because they have believing masters.
CAC I should think so. There is a further incentive to faithful service, love to your brother. You serve him because he is “faithful and beloved”, that comes out very clearly.
I was wondering whether there was not a special reference when the apostle alludes to the words of our Lord Jesus Christ (verse 3). I think what came out in the words of our Lord Jesus Christ is a wonderful setting forth of what is according to God’s pleasure in man, not only the revelation of God, but in the words of our Lord Jesus Christ we get what marks a pious man — subjection and obedience; everything that was comely in a man was expressed in our Lord Jesus Christ. It covers everything. The thing is, do we fall in with it or not? A lawless man finds it impossible. There is power in the name of God to subdue. Grace is the power to subdue. God comes out in all the blessed power of His grace, and it subdues — nothing else does. So you come out here in the dignity of a giver, in the desire to enrich man in the light of the blessed God. It is a place of great dignity.
[p. 372] Ques Was Timothy exhorted to teach the practice of those things?
CAC It would appear that the practical side of things was more prominent than it is today. People seem to be afraid of the practical side in case legality should come in; but Timothy was exhorted to teach slaves in a very practical way.
Ques How do you distinguish between exhortation and teaching?
CAC Teaching is rather showing clearly what the mind of God is, while exhortation is more stimulating, encouraging people to go that way. “This is the way, walk ye in it”. Exhortation is always necessary. There is a certain amount of inertia to be overcome, and exhortation comes in and applies a stimulant. We all need exhortation. I feel I do. All this is very much in relation to what you are grasping after. Men of the world grasp after gain. Piety is gain.
Rem You are to lay hold of eternal life. What a contrast to the things of this world!
CAC Yes, indeed. There is no exhortation to slaves to better themselves in this world.
Ques Would piety involve a grateful recognition of God’s mercies?
CAC Yes, I think that is a very important part of piety. Piety maintains all that is due to God in the circumstances in which we are found. The Lord would not take Himself out of God’s hands even when hungry. That is piety. Piety with contentment is great gain. Confidence that God is doing His very best for me and that He is set for my good will minister very much to contentment. “The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage” — that is contentment. The Lord Jesus was perfectly contented. He was the most contented Man in this world. When in need of one He said, “Shew me a penny”. I do not know that He ever had it in His hand.
Rem Paul had to learn contentment.
CAC Yes, and having nothing. It is a wonderful thing to have God, and that is how it comes true “as having nothing, and possessing all things”, 2 Corinthians 6: 10. In the second book of Psalms we get a people disinherited, who had lost all things, but they had God — God was their inheritance; and the people who have God have a great deal. But what a little [p. 373] one really thinks of God! An old woman said, ‘I have no resource but the Almighty’, as if she were very badly off! The man who has the consciousness that God is for him and with him, is really a wealthy man.
Rem There is great grace in this consideration for the rich (verse 17); they are to be warned. The poor are really the best off.
CAC I believe that is true. It has often been said that Paul had to learn both conditions, how to be full, and how to be hungry, but to learn how to be full was the more difficult. The rich man has every reason to put his trust in what he possesses. It is a danger to which there is every tendency. J.B.S. used to say that the poor man who trusts in God is much better off than the rich one. It is not to be desired to stand high in this world. J.N.D. said that the only advantage of having a position socially was that you had the privilege of giving it up for Christ. Being rich is all right, it is God’s way to convert rich as well as poor people, but to desire to be rich is another thing, it is a danger that comes from beneath. The Lord’s words to the rich young man were, “sell all that thou hast ... and come, follow me”. Paul could say, “for whom I have suffered the loss of all things”, Philippians 3: 8. Paul had to learn contentment; it did not come spontaneously; he learned it. One would suppose that the loss of all things occurred at the outset, at the start of his christian course; we are not told any more, it is all summed up in these few words. In some way or other Paul lost all things for Christ.
Contentment is such a wonderful thing; there is hardly anything more effective in testimony amongst the saints. Just content, not aspiring to leave one’s children better off, but content as to one’s position in life. It is a wonderful word “let us be ... content” — that is being on christian lines. People talk these days of living the simple life. That is a simple life if you like! I think it supposes that another order of things is in view. Saints do not grasp after things in the world, but they lay hold on eternal life.
Rem It is not money that is dangerous but the love of it. We need to be watchful. We see a terrible example in Judas.
CAC It just shows what a terrible leverage Satan has over the heart of man by the love of money. There was a brother who gave up his work in order to take another situation where he got an increase of two shillings a week, but in so doing [p. 374] he lost all the meetings. Our brother Mr. George Cutting said to him, ‘I would like you to think over the bargain that you have struck. You have sold your spiritual advantages to the devil for two shillings a week’. The currency of the realm to which we belong is “righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness” (verse 11), and those are the things we are to pursue and to enrich ourselves in. It is all right to be rich and these are the true coins of the realm!
Rem Even the rich in this world have privileges.
CAC Yes, indeed, they are to be “rich in good works”! (verse 18). The title of man of God is a most honourable one, it means a man who carries the savour of God about him. The title only occurs a few times in Scripture.
Ques Would you say there is a thought of maturity in the title? In John we read of sheep, then children of God, and later of men.
CAC It is men who are to be left, they are to stand shoulder to shoulder, that is the true military position. It is to faithful men that the testimony is to be committed. When the word ‘men’ is used, it is emphatic and suggests maturity. There is a moral order in all these things. Righteousness comes first and is connected with that which is due to God — carrying out His will. Then piety brings God into everything, then faith in God — one is built up of God, then love is in exercise. The last two qualities come in in connection with what you meet in your path; we endure, not in a bad spirit but in meekness of spirit. It is most important that the spirit should be preserved in a right attitude.
Rem Paul exercised himself to secure successors to maintain the testimony.
CAC Yes, and it has been maintained. There is no doubt that the Lord has maintained things. There have been those under the eye of God whose conduct has been on this line. It does not take a great crowd of people to maintain things for God. Things were never so blessedly maintained for God as they were in one Man. There is clearly the thought of things being maintained here for God until the appearing, that is there is to be no surrender.
Ques What is the conflict of faith?
CAC It would be found in the pursuit of the things spoken of in verse 11. Some had wandered from the faith in pursuit of [p. 375] other things, and had pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
Ques Why is the exhortation in verse 11 put in this form?
CAC I thought that was the kind of wealth the Christian is after in contrast to earthly gain. It is in contrast to the love of money. It is quite easy to see what a snare that is. We have a wealth of our own, and it is well to be rich in the true currency. It is moral wealth and cannot be obtained without conflict. It is not easy to follow after, it is so entirely contrary to the present system of things and there must be conflict in pursuit of it. People do not mind what they go through for a little gold — what a rush there always is to the gold diggings — but this is the kind of wealth to pursue. I think the deposit was what had been entrusted to Timothy in the way of gift. There had been certain things given to Timothy as a deposit; the Lord is the disposer of gift and Timothy had received from Him. He disposes as He will, it is a matter of sovereignty. He gives a special ministry to some and they have to see that those things are ministered whatever they may be. But there are things we have to acquire for ourselves. We have to pursue, to follow after, and it depends on ourselves. That is the side that is so important for us. We miss a great deal because we do not seek after these things, they are only to be got by pursuit. It is very much in the spiritual sphere as in the natural sphere. If people have an object they pursue it and obtain it if possible. In the world people know what they are after; there may be a thousand different things but a man knows what he wants; he knows what his object is, whether honour or wealth, or any kind of self-gratification. If Christians were only one-tenth part as earnest in the pursuit of things as the world is in the pursuit of their things, how we should get on! You do not come into conflict unless pursuing these things. If you do not want spiritual wealth the devil will let you alone and you will have an easy time; but the moment there is any movement Godward, every hindrance will be brought to bear against you in little things as well as big. If you desire to go to your room for a quiet time of prayer, it is astonishing the many things that will instantly crop up to prevent you; it just shows that there is a positive power working against all soul progress, and the point is are you going to surrender or fight on? People in the world talk about a fight to a finish, that is what we want.
Rem And it is not merely for self [p. 376] that we fight.
CAC That is why it is so blessed. What is gain for me is gain for all. Christianity is a commonwealth.
Rem I wonder why, after having commenced the letter as he did, the apostle comes down to what is extremely individual.
CAC It is all in relation to the former subject. Timothy is addressed as the man of God, and the man of God would be the proper kind of man for the house of God.
Rem Because evil influences had crept into the house of God, there was greater need for Timothy to stand firm.
CAC Yes, confession was to be made in spite of all the corrupting influences; there was to be no surrender until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, and, if the Spirit contemplated failure, He supplies the antidote in individuals.
Ques Who is going to stand in the breach? It is not a general thing.
CAC These moral features must mark those who stand for the truth. The point is to be that ourselves. The great thing here is confession; it is confessing publicly. Timothy had confessed in the most public way. The Lord had witnessed a good confession before Pontius Pilate.
Ques Did not Elijah stand alone?
CAC Elijah was prominent as a bold confessor, but there were seven thousand that he did not know of, and God was pleased to comfort the prophet by telling him about them, that He had others though they were out of sight. Elijah had come out as a bold confessor and it was a shame to the seven thousand not to have identified themselves with him. God let him into the secret, as it were, to comfort him, but it was to their shame not to have rallied round him, in a public way. Paul had to say, ‘all have forsaken me’, God maintained the testimony in Paul and Timothy, in individual persons. We should not be indifferent as to our part in the testimony. It pulls me up, it is exercising. Here it is eternal life that is spoken of; it is clearly the portion of all who believe and not limited on God’s part, but one questions how far one has laid hold of eternal life. If Timothy had to be exhorted to do so, what about ourselves? Confession is connected with the kingdom, and it has to do with the rights of the Lord Jesus at a time when all do not recognise His rights. He confessed the truth of it before the gentile.
Ques That is very helpful. Confession then is really concerning Christ [p. 377] as King?
CAC Pontius Pilate represented the Roman power. As to government there are powers that be; well, we confess a power that is to be, and that is the whole point. In verse 15 it speaks of “the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords”. It is a thing we are not sufficiently exercised about, to confess as King One who is not of this world, but who exists in truth and reality, but as to this world the power that is to be not that which is.
Ques What is the commandment?
CAC I think the commandment here is used in a general kind of way, it is a general term which would cover the will of God in practical application to us down here.
The confession is what you utter before many witnesses. Timothy was marked as having made a good confession, the Lord Jesus has been marked off as having made a good confession, and His servant, the man of God was characterised in the same way. All must be maintained spotless and irreproachable; if you confess and there is nothing to support it there is not much good in it.
Ques Would confession be looked at as coming early in the christian life, and keeping the commandment as a continuance of that?
CAC Yes, I suppose in a certain sense we have all confessed the rights of the Lord Jesus, that all the rights of the kingdom are vested in him. But having made a good confession it is most important that no spot or reproach should come upon it. The commandment is to be kept spotless. On that line we shall get into the region of eternal life, that is the kind of life for the kingdom.