1 Timothy 6:17, commentary and pictures

To be rich in this world is to possess earthly wealth, which is not itself wrong, but those who have it are charged not to be lifted up in pride or to depend on wealth that is transient, unstable and unable to satisfy or to be carried beyond death, but to trust in the living God who generously and freely supplies all things for enjoyment even to the unthankful and disobedient. Wealth is only lent in trust as stewardship committed for God's glory, always dangerous unless grace rules the soul, so it must be held for Him, used unselfishly to bless others and returned to Him rather than used for self-glorification. Trusting in riches instead of God draws into temptation and a snare and into desires that drown men in destruction, with an almost paralyzing power by which the more a person has the more he desires while faith in God fails. Trust in God is expressed by doing good, being rich in good works and ready to give and willing to share, and by such faithful use the rich turn earthly possessions into durable heavenly treasure and lay up a sure foundation so they may lay hold on eternal life. God's gift for enjoyment does not justify waste, vanity or self-indulgence, but is truly enjoyed in proper comfort, a cheerful and well-ordered life, and use for the blessing of the suffering.

Setting and Commission

The instruction is part of Paul's dying charge to Timothy, dictated while shut up in prison and pressed with infirmities. He feared his life would be cut short by wicked Nero before Timothy could reach him, though he urged Timothy to come without delay. In that charge Timothy is to tell those rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in uncertain riches, but to trust in the living God who richly gives all things to enjoy. The rich are further to do good and be rich in good works, ready to give out and willing to share, laying up in store a good foundation against the time to come so they may lay hold on eternal life.

That charge belongs to all who profess to be Christians, calling for firm, spiritual-minded, earnest workers who arouse to duty. It calls them to fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, and keep the commandment without spot, unrebukeable, until the appearing of the Lord Jesus Christ. Such workers will not be deceived and will not turn to the right or to the left to accommodate themselves to the worldly standard. They examine themselves whether they are in the faith and hold the beginning of their confidence firm unto the end.

The admonition was spoken to those directly addressed and applies also to many who profess faith in the last days. It is a charge ministers are to give to the wealthy by both example and instruction. Ministers must plainly teach wealthy members their duties and reprove selfishness and covetousness, including withholding tithes and offerings, rather than offer only pleasing words that leave them confirmed in wrongdoing. The following instruction calls the rich to do good and give generously, to be rich in good works and share willingly and store up a lasting foundation for the future, with their hope set on eternal life.

Terms and Generous Giver

To be rich in this world is to possess earthly wealth, and wealth itself is not wrong and is not condemned. To be highminded is to be lifted up because of success in making money, to place affection on property, to abuse given powers, to exalt self, and to fail to honor God with substance. It is also to suppose that wealth makes one superior in wisdom or judgment and to treat the ability to gain riches as godliness.

Riches are uncertain because they are paltry, transient, unstable, unable to satisfy, soon swept away, unable to be carried beyond death, and vain when trusted in. God gives riches for a time to test what will be done with prosperity, and when He is not honored He can quickly scatter those possessions to show how uncertain they are. The living God richly gives all things to enjoy, supplying generously and freely for enjoyment to the evil as well as the good, even to those blinded, unthankful, and disobedient. This giving proves His long-suffering, abundant mercy, and patient bearing with transgressors.

God's gift for enjoyment does not justify waste, vanity, or self-indulgence. It is truly enjoyed in proper comfort, in a cheerful and well-ordered life, and in use for the blessing of the suffering. It is acted against when wealth is hoarded while owners deny themselves and their families life's comforts or make themselves slaves to keeping and increasing it.

Trust in God Alone

Those who are rich in this world are charged not to be lifted up in pride because of what they possess. They are not to place dependence on wealth, for riches are uncertain and cannot be relied upon. Their trust is to rest instead in the living God, who freely and generously supplies all things richly for enjoyment.

Trust in God rather than in possessions exposes the error of supposing that getting riches is godliness or that wealth confers worth before God. Wealth does not make its possessor superior, nor does it establish superior wisdom or judgment. Riches cannot be carried beyond death, and to trust in them is to risk eternal interests.

Wealth is a trust committed by the Lord as a talent to be used to His name's glory, surrounded by temptations and not to be despised. Earthly riches are only lent in trust and are not owned absolutely, but are to be held for God, used unselfishly to bless others, and returned to Him. Getting and having money is always dangerous unless grace rules the soul, so gaining must be joined with giving. The permission to enjoy what God gives does not justify waste, vanity, or selfish appropriation to selfish ends, which injures the user, but calls for proper comfort, charitable purposes, and good works that advance His cause and confer benefit in the saving of souls. Riches used for self-glorification while those in need are ignored turn the heart away from God, whereas wealth held as stewardship and used unselfishly blesses both possessor and others.

To prepare for eternal life the rich must loosen their hold on possessions and turn affection away from material things toward God. They are called away from material things toward the enduring riches found in serving and giving. The good things and blessings God gives to be enjoyed are to be used to bless others.

Perils of Trusting Riches

Rejoicing in temporal prosperity is dangerous, for those who possess worldly treasure seldom seek earnestly to secure heavenly treasure, and prosperity brings special danger of presumption and losing salvation, so the prosperous need God's help and the prayers of others. The love of money is the root of all evil, and trusting riches draws into temptation and a snare and into foolish and hurtful lusts that drown men in destruction and departing from the faith, while safety is found in fleeing the desire to be rich and following righteousness and fighting the good fight of faith. Those who seek heavenly treasure instead have a cheerful and encouraging prospect.

Riches make it hard to realize they are lent for God's glory to be used in becoming rich in good works, and as possessions increase people may become more anxious about future needs, hoard for the future, grow close and selfish, fear God will not provide, and become poor toward God. Being rich toward God is having faith and confidence in God's love and care and judiciously using even little means to bless others, counting love to neighbor and salvation of fellow men more important than gold and silver. The love of riches has almost paralyzing, infatuating power so the more a person has the more he desires, with growing fear of coming to want, and when trust is placed in accumulated riches, faith in God fails.

Trusting riches risks eternal interests, since riches are uncertain and cannot be carried beyond death, and brings care, enslavement to greed, and sorrow rather than the happiness they promise. The verse is God's protest by the Ruler of the universe against the greed of the natural heart, against carrying out self-will in getting money, trampling right principles, setting aside His wisdom, hurrying to get rich, and speculation, especially in lands and mines. Disobeying it in hastening to be rich leaves men guilty of fraud and transgression. Living by the verse keeps Christians balanced and safe as they look always to Jesus, practice His lessons, and do His work, and those who both hear and live it will in due time reap what they have sown, in contentment with what God gives rather than in fraud, ambition, and unwise spending.

When riches increase, affections bind to treasure, men calculate how long until they possess a certain sum, desire for more grows fiercer, benevolence does not keep pace with accumulation, even giving a tenth feels like a severe and unjust tax, they fail to become rich toward God, and grasping desire becomes idolatry. When income is close to expenditure there is little room for passion for riches to strengthen, and the poor in comparative poverty strengthen generous impulses by continual liberality and do most to sustain the cause of God. Wealth cannot make people independent of God or give lasting peace, healing, or security, since God is the source of life, health, intellect, and every entrusted gift. Prosperity should lead to thanksgiving, faith, and love for God and others, not trust in riches or expectation of special honor.

Those who overcome must wage hard warfare against Satan and evil angels who hold earthly things in an attractive light to cause downfall, keeping sight of the heavenly attraction, refusing to love, idolize, or set affections on possessions whose value decreases beside heavenly treasure, and getting possessions upon the altar. Love of earthly wealth must not rule the heart or displace love for God, and attachment to worldly treasure held selfishly can cost a place in God's kingdom and lead to eternal loss.

Good Works Toward Eternity

Trust in God is shown not by words alone but by doing good, becoming rich in good works, and being ready to distribute and willing to communicate in generous and willing service to others. This charge corrects the false idea that getting riches is godliness or that wealth makes a person superior in wisdom or worth before God. By such faithful and judicious use of means the rich lay up in store for themselves a good and sure foundation against the time to come, storing up lasting treasure so that they may lay hold on eternal life. Earthly possessions can in this way be turned into lasting, durable, heavenly riches through faithful giving.

This is a safe investment, a deposit in the bank of Heaven where treasures laid up are not lost in any earthly disaster. It is entering into heavenly commerce, with encouragement to the loftiest aims and security to the choicest treasure. What is bestowed upon God's cause becomes durable riches that increase and are safe and sure in heaven, while grasping this world with both hands causes loss of hold on the eternal world. Petitions to God must therefore not come from hearts filled with selfish aspirations, but must choose gifts that bring glory to God, choosing the heavenly in place of the earthly and letting property go before them to heaven, so that when the earthly is swept away they rejoice in heavenly treasure that cannot be lost.

Making eternal interest paramount to earthly interest means cheerfully returning to God what He lent and gave strength and wisdom to obtain, such as providing a house for God and supporting efforts to save souls, instead of counting it as lost from one's own. God blesses all to which the generous put their hand, while withholding from God and robbing Him brings His curse upon themselves, their families, their fields and their cattle, with scattering and scarcity instead of plenty. Selfishness and closeness and covetousness must die, or those who do not overcome them will die to the truth, because no one can serve God and Mammon. Security is found by trusting the living God instead of uncertain riches held for self, and by giving property to Him, placing it in the crucified hand of Christ, where from that moment it bears His inscription and is sealed with His unchanging permanence. The safeguard is the living God and the path of self-denial and sacrifice, for He who was rich in heaven's priceless treasure became poor and had not where to lay His head, that men might have eternal riches.

Living Out the Charge

Those growing old should make a wise disposition of their means by freely returning to the Lord what is already His for use in His work. Students entering responsible work are to heed the charge as counsel calling them away from self-indulgence, disregard for rules, and demoralizing example toward faithfulness that secures eternal life. Wealth so used helps fellow workers in other countries, supports school work and missionaries doing their utmost in foreign fields, and establishes the work in many places as a continual memorial of Bible truth, and this generous use rather than withholding means or absorbing them in selfish display and unsanctified ambitious projects is the privilege and opportunity now offered. The command is applied to relieving needy fellow believers with practical generosity, helping the poor, and enabling help to those in need, and refusing responsibility for means can prevent needed help.

Giving is a Christian duty for rich and poor alike, and faithful stewardship helps support God's work, including city missions. Men in responsible places who possess superior qualifications, means, and influence hold precious gifts to be increased and used for others' good, and too little effort has been put forth for them, so they must be sought, entreated, and persuaded to return what God lent them, that centers of influence may be established in New York and other great cities from which Bible truth shall go forth. Those rich in this world who meditate and plan with business ever in mind must be awakened and tested to become wise in eternal interest, putting forth as much energy to secure heavenly treasure and the life which measures with the life of God as they put forth for worldly gain. The charge applies to people of wealth brought into the Christian life, as shown by Cornelius, a wealthy honored person who worshiped the true God with sincere faith through prayer and care for the poor and to whom God sent the gospel seeking to unite him with His people, and love of the world must not displace love for God, while faithful use of abundance is necessary for growth in grace and hope of a rich reward.

The warning applies to the choice between God and mammon in turning from worldly interests to serve God, not letting wealth or personal advantage guide, but trusting and obeying God, as urged upon the Wessels family, since money belongs to God and is entrusted so owners are accountable, and willing giving to save souls returns His gifts, invests in His cause, and lays up treasure for eternal life. Riches are a talent surrounded by temptations, not to be despised nor misapplied by selfishly appropriating them to selfish ends which injures the user, but to be wisely employed to confer benefits in the saving of souls, using means to win souls for Christ with eternal life as hope. Recognizing God as giver calls people to acknowledge His ownership and return the tithe with gifts and offerings to support the gospel work, consecrating abilities and property and returning tithes and offerings as wealth grows, otherwise gifts can be diverted to harmful ends and become temptation.

Riches are not to be trusted or hoarded or stored for children, and the true value of money is found only in the good it accomplishes in relieving one's own wants, meeting others' necessities, and advancing God's cause, while withholding from God to accumulate wealth that cannot be used makes men selfish, neglectful of spiritual interests, and dwarfs in religious growth, and property left to children is nine times out of ten a greater curse to heirs than to parents, causing failure in this life and the life to come, so the best legacy is training in useful labor and an example of disinterested benevolence. Getting hold of this world with both hands causes loss of hold on the eternal world, so those rich must cut loose from grasping money and make decided efforts for eternal welfare by bestowing it upon God's cause, and the spirit of sacrifice must revive or souls with means who do not sacrifice will die. A Christian must give with one hand while gaining with the other, overcoming the love of riches through hard warfare that keeps sight of the heavenly attraction and gets possessions upon the altar, becoming an example that love of riches can be overcome and love of truth predominate by freely imparting substance to aid the cause of truth and secure heavenly treasure.