1 Timothy 6:11 Pursue these

1 Timothy 6:11

The final chapter of 1 Timothy is full of famous verses about the love of money and fighting the good fight. It begins, however, with a brief word about what Timothy should teach slaves and is followed by a few verses on false teachers who are conceited, ignorant and have an unhealthy interested in arguing about words. The quarrels they cause lead to envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions and constant friction between those with corrupt minds, people robbed of the truth who see godliness only ... as a means to financial gain. That reference leads to a series of exhortations on the dangers of wealth. Godliness must be preferred to wealth in the light of eternity. Food and clothing should be enough and to want more is simply to fall into temptation and a trap and possibly worse again. Timothy must urge people not to hope in uncertain wealth but to be rich in good deeds. In the midst of this Paul says (verse 11) But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. Paul's charge about this matter in the light of Christ's return is made in a very solemn way. Here are six things for the faithful minister to set his sights firmly on then – not riches but the justifying righteousness found in Christ and the real righteousness that it leads to, piety or godliness (mentioned 6 times altogether in the letter), increasing faith in God and love to all and to endure. Finally, fighting the good fight paradoxically involves seeking to be gentle too. These are the things to set our sights on.