Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Evening Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/ev/ev20120708.htm

THRU THE BIBLE EXPOSITION
1 Timothy: God's Ministry Roles For Church Leaders And The Local Church
Part XVII: A Church Leader's Biblical Way To Relate To Material Possessions
(1 Timothy 6:6-16)
  1. Introduction
    1. Material possessions can be a great stumblingblock to the godliness of local church leaders, for possessions can feed the lusts of the flesh, the eyes and the pride of life, luring church leaders away from walking with God and undermining their spiritual effectiveness in the local body, cf. 1 John 2:15-17.
    2. Nevertheless, everyone, including church leaders, needs some possessions to survive on earth and thus to do God's will, and 1 Timothy 6:6-16 offers guidance on the leader's Biblical relationship to possessions:
  2. A Church Leader's Biblical Way To Relate To Material Possessions, 1 Timothy 6:6-16.
    1. After critiquing the drive of false teachers to express external "godliness" for great financial donations from their hearers (1 Timothy 6:5b), Paul wrote that true godliness with literally "self-sufficiency" (autarkeias, Arndt & Gingrich, A Grk.-Eng. Lex. of the N. T., 1967, p. 121-122) is great gain.
    2. The NIV, KJV and ESV render autarkeias as "contentment," but the word, originally popular with Greek philosophers and meaning "a self-sufficient man in need of no one else", in its Christian context, came to refer to a contentment based on relying on God's all-sufficient provision taught in Philippians 4:11-13, Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, vol. I, p. 466-467.
    3. Such contentment in God's all-sufficient provision is only logical for the believer, for he brought nothing with him into the world, and he will certainly take nothing with him when he leaves, 1 Timothy 6:7.
    4. Consequently, regarding possessions, it is God's will that the believer, especially the local church leader to whom Paul was writing (Timothy), be satisfied (arkeo, Ibid., Arndt & Gingrich, p. 106-107) with diatrophe and with skepasma (1 Timothy 6:8), what we clarify as follows:
      1. The word diatrophe, though rendered "food" in the KJV, NIV and ESV, actually carries the broader concept of "support, sustenance, means of subsistence," Ibid., p. 139.
      2. The word skepasma, though translated "clothing, raiment" in the KJV, NIV and ESV, also carries a broader idea, that of "covering, of anything that serves as a cover and hence as a protection" like "clothing" or even a "house," Ibid., p. 761.
      3. Thus, the housing, food, clothing, and means of subsistence needed to supply these necessities so that one can live and serve the Lord on earth are the possessions with which God wants him to be content.
    5. Conversely, desiring to be "rich", namely, surpassing what we need for living and serving the Lord on the earth as described in 1 Timothy 6:8, lead one into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful lusts that plunge men into ruin and destruction, 1 Timothy 6:9 NIV.
    6. Indeed, the love of money (philarguria, Ibid., p. 866) is the root of all evils (1 Timothy 6:10a), and some who have "strived for, desired, stretched themselves out for" (orego, Ibid., p. 583) money with such lust have wandered from the Christian faith and pierced themselves with many griefs, 1 Timothy 6:10b NIV.
    7. Accordingly, Timothy as a local church leader, a "man of God," was to flee such things, opting to follow after godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness, 1 Timothy 6:11 NIV.
    8. The way to overcome the lust for possessions beyond one's livelihood provision needs is found in fighting the good fight of faith in God for his livelihood needs, and taking hold as a focus on the eternal life to which he was called in the presence of many godly witnesses, 1 Timothy 6:12 NIV.
    9. Paul strongly urged Timothy to adhere to this charge regarding a life of faith versus the love of money, urging him in the sight of God Who gives life to every living thing, and of Christ Jesus, who testified before Pontius Pilate a great profession of faith when His life was on the line, to keep this command on rightly viewing and handling material possessions without spot or blame until the rapture, 1 Tim. 6:13-14.
    10. Caught up in the greatness of God our Provider, Paul extolled the Lord of heaven Who is King of kings and Lord of lords, the only ruler Who alone is immortal and lives in great glory, 1 Timothy 6:15-16.
Lesson: Our great God directs especially local church leaders to be content to trust in Him for the means of subsistence and covering they and their families need to live and to serve Him on the earth.

Application: May we heed Paul's directives on this issue of material possessions to please the Lord.