1 Timothy 6:6-8
6 But godliness with contentment is great gain.
7 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is
certain we can carry nothing out.
8 And having food and raiment let us be therewith
content.
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Let us first look at the Barclay commentary on
verses six through eight:
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THE CROWN OF CONTENTMENT
1 Timothy 6:6–8
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And in truth godliness with contentment is great
gain. We brought nothing into the world, and it is
quite clear that we cannot take anything out of it
either; but if we have food and shelter, we shall be
content with them.
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THE word here used for contentment is autarkeia.
This was one of the great slogans of the Stoic
philosophers. By it, they meant a complete
self-sufficiency. They meant a frame of mind which
was completely independent of all outward things,
and which carried the secret of happiness within
itself. Contentment never comes from the possession
of external things. As the poet George Herbert
wrote:
For he that needs five thousand pounds to live
Is full as poor as he that needs but five.
Contentment comes from an inward attitude to life.
In the third part of Henry VI, Shakespeare draws a
picture of the king wandering in the country places
unrecognized. He meets two gamekeepers and tells
them that he is a king. One of them asks him: ‘But,
if thou be a king, where is thy crown?’ And the king
gives a magnificent answer:
My crown is in my heart, not on my head;
Not deck’d with diamonds and Indian stones,
Nor to be seen; my crown is call’d content –
A crown it is that seldom kings enjoy.
The great men and women have always been content
with little. One of the sayings of the Jewish Rabbis
was: ‘Who is rich? He that is contented with his
lot.’ In his commentary, Walter Lock quotes the kind
of training on which a Jewish Rabbi engaged and the
kind of life he lived: ‘This is the path of the law.
A morsel with salt shalt thou eat, thou shalt drink
also water by measure, and shalt sleep upon the
ground and live a life of trouble while thou toilest
in the law. If thou doest this, happy shalt thou be,
and it shall be well with thee; happy shalt thou be
in this world and it shall be well with thee in the
world to come.’ The Rabbi had to learn to be content
with enough. E. F. Brown quotes a passage from the
great French Dominican preacher Henri Lacordaire:
‘The rock of our present day is that no one knows
how to live upon little. The great men of antiquity
were generally poor . . . It always seems to me that
the retrenchment of useless expenditure, the laying
aside of what one may call the relatively necessary,
is the high road to Christian disentanglement of
heart, just as it was to that of ancient vigour. The
mind that has learned to appreciate the moral beauty
of life, both as regards God and men, can scarcely
be greatly moved by any outward reverse of fortune;
and what our age wants most is the sight of a man,
who might possess everything, being yet willingly
contented with little. For my own part, humanly
speaking, I wish for nothing. A great soul in a
small house is the idea which has touched me more
than any other.’
It is not that Christianity pleads for poverty.
There is no special virtue in being poor, or in
having a constant struggle to make ends meet. But it
does plead for two things.
It pleads for the realization that it is never in
the power of things to bring happiness. E. K.
Simpson says: ‘Many a millionaire, after choking his
soul with gold-dust, has died from melancholia.’
Happiness always comes from personal relationships.
All the things in the world will not make people
happy if they know neither friendship nor love.
Christians know that the secret of happiness lies
not in things but in people.
It pleads for concentration upon the things which
are permanent. We brought nothing into the world,
and we cannot take anything out of it. The wise of
every age and faith have known this. ‘You cannot’,
said Seneca, ‘take anything more out of the world
than you brought into it.’ The poet of the Greek
anthology had it: ‘Naked I set foot on the earth;
naked I shall go below the earth.’ The Spanish
proverb grimly puts it: ‘There are no pockets in a
shroud.’ Simpson comments: ‘Whatever a man amasses
by the way is in the nature of luggage, no part of
his truest personality, but something he leaves
behind at the toll-bar of death.’
We can take only two things to God. We can, and
must, take ourselves, and therefore our great task
is to build up a self that we can take without shame
to God. We can, and must, take that relationship
with God into which we have entered in the days of
our life. We have already seen that the secret of
happiness lies in personal relationships, and the
greatest of all personal relationships is the
relationship to God. And the supreme thing that we
can take with us is the utter conviction that we go
to one who is the friend and lover of our souls.
Contentment comes when we escape the slavery to
things, when we find our wealth in the love and the
fellowship of others, and when we realize that our
most precious possession is our friendship with God,
made possible through Jesus Christ.
~Barclay commentary
This scripture is in two parts:
1] And having food and raiment.
2] Let us be therewith content.
We talked about contentment in our discussion of
verses 6 and 7. We will do this again with this
lesson.
Some commentaries give commentary for only one of
these parts and others offer commentary simply on
the entire verse.
1] And having food and raiment
Having — so long as we
have food. (The Greek expresses “food sufficient in
each case for our continually recurring wants”
[Alford]). It is implied that we, as believers,
shall have this.
Raiment — Greek,
“covering”; according to some including a roof to
cover us, that is, a dwelling, as well as clothing.
~Jamieson, Fausset, Brown
Covering - That is,
raiment and an house to cover us. This is all that a
Christian needs. ~John
Wesley Explanatory notes
And having food and raiment
- Food and raiment, here, seem to be used to denote
supplies for our needs in general. It is not
uncommon to denote the whole by a part, and, as
these are the principal things which we really need,
and without which life could not be sustained, the
apostle uses the phrase to denote all that is really
necessary for us. We cannot suppose that he would
forbid a desire of a comfortable habitation, or of
the means of knowledge, or of conveniences for
worshipping God, etc. The idea is, that having those
flyings which meet the actual necessities of our
nature, and save us from distress, we should not
strive after “uncertain riches,” or make wealth the
object of our anxious pursuit; compare notes on
Philippians 4:11-12. ~Barnes
Notes
Quoted verse:
Philippians 4:11-12
11 Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have
learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be
content.
12 I know both how to be abased, and I know how to
abound: every where and in all things I am
instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to
abound and to suffer need.
And having food and raiment
- "Food" includes all things necessary to be ate and
drank, of which there is a great variety, and is
here expressed in the plural number; and "raiment"
every necessary covering, as the word used
signifies, and includes an habitation, which is a
cover
and shelter from the inclementencies of the weather.
And now having all these comforts and necessaries of
life, food to eat, and drink to extinguish thirst
and refresh, raiment to put on, and a house to dwell
in. ~ John Gill
And having food and raiment
- Food and a covering, including habitation as well
as raiment. Observe, If God give us the necessary
supports of life, we ought to be content therewith,
though we have not the ornaments and delights of it.
If nature should be content with a little, grace
should be content with less; though we have not
dainty food, though we have not costly raiment, if
we have but food and raiment convenient for us we
ought to be content. This was Agur's prayer: Give me
neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food
convenient for me, Proverbs 30:8. Here we see,
[1.] The folly of placing our happiness in these
things, when we did not bring any thing into this
world with us, and we can carry nothing out. What
will worldlings do when death shall strip them of
their happiness and portion, and they must take an
everlasting farewell of all these things, on which
they have so much doted? They may say with poor
Micah, You have taken away my gods; and what have I
more? Judges 18:24.
[2.] The necessaries of life are the hounds of a
true Christian's desire, and with these he will
endeavour to be content; his desires are not
insatiable; no, a little, a few comforts of this
life, will serve him, and these may hope to enjoy:
Having food and raiment.
~Matthew Henry Commentary
2] Let us be therewith content.
Let us be therewith content
— literally, “we shall be sufficiently provided”;
“we shall be sufficed” [Alford].
~Jamieson, Fausset, Brown
Let us be therewith content
— See 2 Corinthians 12:9
I will read from verse 7 through verse 10:
2 Corinthians 12:7-10
7 And lest I should be exalted above measure through
the abundance of the revelations, there was given to
me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to
buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.
8 For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it
might depart from me.
9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for
thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.
Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my
infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon
me.
10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in
reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in
distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak,
then am I strong.
~Vincent's Word Studies
Notice the commentary on 2 Corinthians 12:7-10
| The apostle gives an account of the method God took
to keep him humble, and to prevent his being lifted
up above measure, on account of the visions and
revelations he had. We are not told what this thorn
in the flesh was, whether some great trouble, or
some great temptation. But God often brings this
good out of evil, that the reproaches of our enemies
help to hide pride from us. If God loves us, he will
keep us from being exalted above measure; and
spiritual burdens are ordered to cure spiritual
pride. This thorn in the flesh is said to be a
messenger of Satan which he sent for evil; but God
designed it, and overruled it for good. Prayer is a
salve for every sore, a remedy for every malady; and
when we are afflicted with thorns in the flesh, we
should give ourselves to prayer. If an answer be not
given to the first prayer, nor to the second, we are
to continue praying. Troubles are sent to teach us
to pray; and are continued, to teach us to continue
instant in prayer. Though God accepts the prayer of
faith, yet he does not always give what is asked
for: as he sometimes grants in wrath, so he
sometimes denies in love. When God does not take
away our troubles and temptations, yet, if he gives
grace enough for us, we have no reason to complain.
Grace signifies the good-will of God towards us, and
that is enough to enlighten and enliven us,
sufficient to strengthen and comfort in all
afflictions and distresses. His strength is made
perfect in our weakness. Thus his grace is
manifested and magnified. When we are weak in
ourselves, then we are strong in the grace of our
Lord Jesus Christ; when we feel that we are weak in
ourselves, then we go to Christ, receive strength
from him, and enjoy most the supplies of Divine
strength and grace. ~Matthew
Henry Concise commentary |
Back now to the commentaries on tonight's verse.
Having food and raiment, let
us be therewith content - Αρκεσθησομεθα· Let
us consider this a competency. And it is evident
that the apostle considers this a competency, and by
these words explains what he said 1Timothy 6:6.
The word ακεπασματα, which we translate raiment,
signifies covering in general; and here means house
or lodging, as well as clothing. ~Adam
Clarke
Let us be therewith content
- there is very good reason why the saints should be
content; since more than these things cannot be
enjoyed; and these they have with a blessing, and as
a fruit and token of the love of God to them; these
were all that Jacob desired, Agur petitioned for,
and Christ directs his disciples daily to pray for;
and which to have, is to have enough, a proper
sufficiency and competency: the words may be
rendered, "we shall be content with them"; which the
apostle could say for himself, Timothy, and others,
who had been content, even when they wanted these
things. The Vulgate Latin and Ethiopic versions
read, "we are content"; and the Syriac version,
"food and raiment are sufficient for us"; and so the
apostle sets himself, and others, as examples of
contentment to be imitated and followed.
~John Gill
Let us go now to the Treasury of Scriptural
Knowledge
Genesis 28:12-22
...notice the vow that
Jacob vows
12 And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the
earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and
behold the angels of God ascending and descending on
it.
13 And, behold, the LORD stood above it, and said, I
am the LORD God of Abraham thy father, and the God
of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will
I give it, and to thy seed;
14 And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth,
and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the
east, and to the north, and to the south: and in
thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the
earth be blessed.
15 And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee
in all places whither thou goest, and will bring
thee again into this land; for I will not leave
thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to
thee of.
16 And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said,
Surely the LORD is in this place; and I knew it not.
17 And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this
place! this is none other but the house of God, and
this is the gate of heaven.
18 And Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took
the stone that he had put for his pillows, and set
it up for a pillar, and poured oil upon the top of
it.
19 And he called the name of that place Bethel: but
the name of that city was called Luz at the first.
20 And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be
with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and
will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on,
21 So that I come again to my father's house in
peace; then shall the LORD be my God:
22 And this stone, which I have set for a pillar,
shall be God's house: and of all that thou shalt
give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee.
Notice the commentary on verses 20-22:
Jacob made a solemn vow on this
occasion. In this observe,
1. Jacob's faith. He trusts that God will be
with him, and will keep him; he depends upon
it.
2. Jacob's moderation in his desires. He
asks not for soft clothing and dainty meat.
If God give us much, we are bound to be
thankful, and to use it for him; if he gives
us but little, we are bound to be content,
and cheerfully to enjoy him in it.
3. Jacob's piety, and his regard to God,
appear in what he desired, that God would be
with him, and keep him. We need desire no
more to make us easy and happy. Also his
resolution is, to cleave to the Lord, as his
God in covenant. When we receive more than
common mercy from God, we should abound in
gratitude to him. The tenth is a fit
proportion to be devoted to God, and
employed for him; though it may be more or
less, as God prospers us, 1 Corinthians
16:2. Let us then remember our Bethels, how
we stand engaged by solemn vows to yield
ourselves to the Lord, to take him for our
God, and to devote all we have and are to
his glory! ~Matthew
Henry Concise commentary
Quoted verse:
1 Corinthians 16:2
Upon the first day of the week let every one
of you lay by him in store, as God hath
prospered him, that there be no gatherings
when I come.
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Genesis 48:13-15
13 And Joseph took them both, Ephraim in his right
hand toward Israel's left hand, and Manasseh in his
left hand toward Israel's right hand, and brought
them near unto him.
14 And Israel stretched out his right hand, and laid
it upon Ephraim's head, who was the younger, and his
left hand upon Manasseh's head, guiding his hands
wittingly; for Manasseh was the firstborn.
15 And he blessed Joseph, and said, God, before whom
my fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk, the God which
fed me all my life long unto this day,
Deuteronomy 2:7
...Israel in the
wilderness.
For the LORD thy God hath blessed thee in all the
works of thy hand: he knoweth thy walking through
this great wilderness: these forty years the LORD
thy God hath been with thee; thou hast lacked
nothing.
Deuteronomy 8:1-4
1 All the commandments which I command thee this day
shall ye observe to do, that ye may live, and
multiply, and go in and possess the land which the
LORD sware unto your fathers.
2 And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD
thy God led thee these forty years in the
wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to
know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest
keep his commandments, or no.
3 And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger,
and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not,
neither did thy fathers know; that he might make
thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but
by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of
the LORD doth man live.
4 Thy raiment waxed not old upon thee, neither did
thy foot swell, these forty years.
Proverbs 27:23-27
23 Be thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks,
and look well to thy herds.
24 For riches are not for ever: and doth the crown
endure to every generation?
25 The hay appeareth, and the tender grass sheweth
itself, and herbs of the mountains are gathered.
26 The lambs are for thy clothing, and the goats are
the price of the field.
27 And thou shalt have goats' milk enough for thy
food, for the food of thy household, and for the
maintenance for thy maidens.
Ecclesiastes 2:24-26
24 There is nothing better for a man, than that he
should eat and drink, and that he should make his
soul enjoy good in his labour. This also I saw, that
it was from the hand of God.
25 For who can eat, or who else can hasten hereunto,
more than I?
26 For God giveth to a man that is good in his sight
wisdom, and knowledge, and joy: but to the sinner he
giveth travail, to gather and to heap up, that he
may give to him that is good before God. This also
is vanity and vexation of spirit.
Matthew 6:11
Give us this day our daily bread.
Matthew 6:25-33
25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for
your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall
drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on.
Is not the life more than meat, and the body than
raiment?
26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not,
neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet
your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much
better than they?
27 Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit
unto his stature?
28 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the
lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not,
neither do they spin:
29 And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all
his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the
field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into
the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of
little faith?
31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we
eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall
we be clothed?
32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles
seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have
need of all these things.
33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his
righteousness; and all these things shall be added
unto you.
Hebrews 13:5-6
5 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and
be content with such things as ye have: for he hath
said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
6 So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper,
and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.
And be content with such
things as ye have - or with present things;
with present riches, or with present poverty; with
present losses and crosses; with present reproaches
and afflictions; and contentment with these things
shows itself by thankfulness for every mercy, and by
submission to the will and providence of God in
every state of life: and there are many things which
may move and engage unto it; as the consideration of
the state and condition men are in, when they come
into the world, and will be when they go out of it;
the will of God, and the disposition of his
providence according to it, which is unalterable; a
sense of: their own unworthiness; a view of interest
in God and Christ; and an eye to the recompense of
reward; as well as the many promises of God to
support and supply his: and among the rest, what
follows,
for he hath said, I will never
leave thee, nor forsake thee - which is a
promise made to Joshua, and belongs to all
believers, Joshua 1:5 which may regard things
temporal, as that God will not leave his people in
the hands of their enemies, nor forsake them in
distress, nor withhold any good thing from them
needful for them, but will supply them with the
necessaries of life, with which they should be
content: and this passage is very pertinently cited
for this purpose, and could be easily understood in
this sense by the Hebrews; for the Jews explain such
places as speak of God's not forsaking men, of the
sustenance of them, as Psalm 37:25 and observe that
the word עזיבה, "forsaking", is never used but with
respect to פרנסה, "sustenance" (u); though the words
may also relate to things spiritual, as that God
will not leave them to themselves, to their own
corruptions, which would overpower them; nor to
their own strength, which is but weakness; nor to
their own wisdom, which is folly; nor to Satan, and
his temptations, who is an over match for them; nor
to the world, the frowns and flatteries of it, by
which they might be drawn aside; nor will he leave
them destitute of his presence; for though he
sometimes hides his face, and withdraws himself, yet
not wholly, nor finally; nor will he forsake the
work of his own hands, in them, but will perform it
until the day of Christ; he will not leave or
forsake them, so as that they shall perish; he will
not forsake them in life, nor at death, nor at
judgment. ~John Gill
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