1 Timothy 6:19
Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation
against the time to come, that they may lay hold on
eternal life.
This section has three verses.
1 Timothy 6:17-19
17 Charge them that are rich in this world, that
they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain
riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly
all things to enjoy;
18 That they do good, that they be rich in good
works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate;
19 Laying up in store for themselves a good
foundation against the time to come, that they may
lay hold on eternal life.
We will begin with the Barclay commentary:
ADVICE TO THE RICH
1 Timothy 6:17–19
First the paraphrase of the three verses
Charge those who are rich in this world’s goods not
to be proud, and not to set their hopes on the
uncertainty of riches, but on God who gives them all
things richly to enjoy. Charge them to do good; to
find their wealth in noble deeds; to be ready to
share all that they have; to be men who never forget
that they are members of a fellowship; to lay up for
themselves the treasure of a fine foundation for the
world to come, that they may lay hold on real life.
SOMETIMES we think of the early Church as composed
entirely of poor people and slaves. Here we see
that, even as early as this, it had its wealthy
members. They are not condemned for being wealthy,
nor told to give all their wealth away; but they are
told what not to do and what to do with it.
Their riches must not make them proud. They must not
think themselves better than other people because
they have more money. Nothing in this world gives
anyone the right to look down on another person,
least of all the possession of wealth. They must not
set their hopes on wealth. In the chances and the
changes of life, we may be wealthy today and find
ourselves in poverty tomorrow; and it is folly to
set one’s hopes on what can so easily be lost.
They are told that they must use their wealth to do
good, that they must always be ready to share, and
that they must remember that every Christian is a
member of a fellowship. And they are told that such
wise use of wealth will build for them a good
foundation in the world to come. As it has been put,
‘What I kept, I lost; what I gave, I have.’
There is a famous Jewish Rabbinic story. A man
called Monobaz had inherited great wealth, but he
was a good, a kindly and a generous man. In time of
famine, he gave away all his wealth to help the
poor. His brothers came to him and said: ‘Your
fathers laid up treasure, and added to the treasure
that they had inherited from their fathers, and are
you going to waste it all?’ He answered: ‘My fathers
laid up treasure below: I have laid it up above. My
fathers laid up treasure of Mammon: I have laid up
treasure of souls. My fathers laid up treasure for
this world: I have laid up treasure for the world to
come.’
Every time we could give and do not give lessens the
wealth laid up for us in the world to come; every
time we give increases the riches laid up for us
when this life comes to an end. The teaching of the
Christian ethic is not that wealth is a sin but that
it is a very great responsibility. If wealth
ministers to nothing but personal pride and enriches
no one but the wealthy individual, it becomes that
person’s ruination, because it impoverishes the
soul. But if wealth is used to bring help and
comfort to others, in becoming poorer, the wealthy
person really becomes richer. In time and in
eternity, ‘it is more blessed to give than to
receive’ (Acts 20:35).
~Barclay commentary
Now to the other commentaries.
Our verse again is verse 19
1 Timothy 6:19
Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation
against the time to come, that they may lay hold on
eternal life.
When I looked at this verse I put it into five
parts:
1] Laying up in store
2] For themselves
3] A good foundation
4] Against the time to come
5] That they may lay hold on eternal life.
However, the commentaries are all over the place on
this one. Some give an overall commentary while
others deal with a phrase and then give separate
commentary on a single word in that phrase. Let us
begin with the Matthew Henry Concise which covers
verses 17-21.
Being rich in this world is wholly different from
being rich towards God. Nothing is more uncertain
than worldly wealth. Those who are rich, must see
that God gives them their riches; and he only can
give to enjoy them richly; for many have riches, but
enjoy them poorly, not having a heart to use them.
What is the best estate worth, more than as it gives
opportunity of doing the more good? Showing faith in
Christ by fruits of love, let us lay hold on eternal
life, when the self-indulgent, covetous, and ungodly
around, lift up their eyes in torment. That learning
which opposes the truth of the gospel, is not true
science, or real knowledge, or it would approve the
gospel, and consent to it. Those who advance reason
above faith, are in danger of leaving faith. Grace
includes all that is good, and grace is an earnest,
a beginning of glory; wherever God gives grace, he
will give glory. ~
Matthew Henry Concise
Here is what the Barnes Notes has:
Laying up in store for
themselves. - The meaning of this verse is,
that they were to make such a use of their property
that it would contribute to their eternal welfare.
It might be the means of exalted happiness and honor
in [The Kingdom],
if they would so use it as not to interfere with
religion in the soul, and so as to do the most good
possible. See the sentiment in this verse explained
at length in the notes on Luke 16:9.
Quoted verses:
Luke 16:9
And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of
the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye fail,
they may receive you into everlasting habitations.
I like the commentary in the Adam Clarke
more than the Barnes Notes for this first
part.
The mammon of
unrighteousness - Μαμωνα της αδικιας
- literally, the mammon, or riches, of
injustice. Riches promise Much, and perform
Nothing: they excite hope and confidence,
and deceive both: in making a man depend on
them for happiness, they rob him of the
salvation of God and of eternal glory. For
these reasons, they are represented as
unjust and deceitful. See Matthew 6:24,
where this is more particularly explained.
It is evident that this must be the meaning
of the words, because the false or deceitful
riches, here, are put in opposition to the
true riches, Luke 16:11; i.e. those Divine
graces and blessings which promise all good,
and give what they promise; never deceiving
the expectation of any man. To insinuate
that, if a man have acquired riches by
unjust means, he is to sanctify them, and
provide himself a passport to the kingdom of
God, by giving them to the poor, is a most
horrid and blasphemous perversion of our
Lord’s words. Ill gotten gain must be
restored to the proper owners: if they are
dead, then to their successors.
~Adam Clarke
Quoted verses:
Matthew 6:24
No man can serve two masters: for either he
will hate the one, and love the other; or
else he will hold to the one, and despise
the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
Luke 16:11
If therefore ye have not been faithful in
the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to
your trust the true riches?
For the phrase, "When
ye fail." For this I like the Barnes
Notes:
When ye fail
- When ye “are left,” or when ye “die.” The
expression is derived from the parable as
referring to the “discharge” of the steward;
but it refers to “death,” as if God then
“discharged” his people, or took them from
their stewardship and called them to
account.
~Barnes Notes
They may receive you
- This is a form of expression denoting
merely “that you may be received.” The
plural form is used because it was used in
the corresponding place in the parable, Luke
16:4. The direction is, so to use our
worldly goods that “we may be received” into
the Kingdom when we die. “God” will receive
us there, and we are to employ our property
so that he will not cast us off for abusing
it. ~Barnes
Notes
Quoted verse:
Luke 16:4
I am resolved what to do, that, when I am
put out of the stewardship, they may receive
me into their houses.
Everlasting
habitations - Speaking of the Kingdom
of God. |
Continuing with the commentaries for verse 19.
Laying up in store for
themselves a good foundation - “Treasuring up
a good foundation to them for the future, that they
may lay hold on eternal life.” This cannot be done
by almsdeeds [money
or goods give to the poor]; yet, they [the
almsdeeds] come up for a memorial before
God; Acts 10:4. And the lack even of this [the
almsdeeds] may be the cause why God will
withhold grace and salvation from us.” Christ has
said: Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain
mercy. They who have not been merciful according to
their power, shall not obtain mercy; they that have,
shall obtain mercy: and yet the eternal life which
they obtain they look for from the mercy of God
through Jesus Christ.
Quoted verse:
Acts 10:4 but I will read from verse 1
Acts 4:1-4
1 There was a certain man in Caesarea called
Cornelius, a centurion of the band called the
Italian band,
2 A devout man, and one that feared God with all his
house, which gave much alms to the people, and
prayed to God alway.
3 He saw in a vision evidently about the ninth hour
of the day an angel of God coming in to him, and
saying unto him, Cornelius.
4 And when he looked on him, he was afraid, and
said, What is it, Lord? And he said unto him, Thy
prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial
before God.
Notice the commentary
Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a
memorial
- Being all performed in simplicity and
godly sincerity, they were acceptable to the
Most High.
Come up for a
memorial - This form of speech is
evidently borrowed from the sacrificial
system of the Jews. Pious and sincere
prayers are high in God’s estimation; and
therefore are said to ascend to him, as the
smoke and flame of the burnt-offering
appeared to ascend to heaven.
~Adam Clarke
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So almsdeeds are one thing, but God wants even more.
Notice other commentaries on this phrase for
clarity.
A good foundation against
the time to come - by which is meant, not a
foundation of happiness, for that is laid already,
and by God himself; and much less by doing acts of
beneficence [action done for the benefit of others]
is that foundation laid; for there is no other
foundation of happiness, life, and salvation, that
can be laid, besides what is laid, which is Jesus
Christ: nor is the apostle speaking of laying a
foundation here, to build upon, but of laying up a
foundation in heaven, by which he intends happiness
itself; and which he calls a "foundation", because
it is solid and substantial, permanent and durable,
in opposition to the uncertain, precarious,
transitory, and perishing enjoyments and treasures
of this life. ~John
Gill
The People's New Testament explains this by looking
back at verse 18:
Laying up store -
Treasure in heaven by giving for good purposes. See
close of 1Timothy 6:18.
~People's New Testament
Quoted verse:
1 Timothy 6:18
[See
Lesson]
That they do good, that they be rich in good works,
ready to distribute, willing to communicate.
Let us go to another in the Jamieson, Fausset, Brown
Good foundation — The
sure reversion of the future heavenly inheritance:
earthly riches scattered in faith lay up in store a
sure increase of heavenly riches. We gather by
scattering (Proverbs 11:24; Proverbs 13:7;
Luke16:9). ~Jamieson,
Fausset, Brown
Quoted verses:
Luke 16:9
is already handled above.
Proverbs 11:24
There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and
there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it
tendeth to poverty.
Proverbs 13:7
There is that maketh himself rich, yet hath nothing:
there is that maketh himself poor, yet hath great
riches.
See what we are talking about here in this, "good
foundation"? We are talking about mindset and
attitude and not just actions. Even the almsdeeds
have to be done in a right attitude and not as, say,
the hypocritical Pharisees would.
Robertson's Word Pictures says, "“laying up in
store” by giving it away." Clearly an attitude and
way of life.
The F. B. Meyer says, "“laying up in store” by
giving it away." Again, an attitude and way of life.
Laying up a good foundation has much to do with
having the same mindset as both God the Father and
Jesus Christ who are giving virtually everything for
your Salvation and for the family of God. Nothing
about them is hoarding our counting on money and
riches. There is a foundation [an example to us] of "seeking ye the other man's wealth [well-being].
We are not talking about self-denial. Remember this
is an admonition to those with riches. God is not
asking for them to give up the riches but to use
them with pious attitudes and as Christ would.
1 Peter 1:3-5
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath
begotten us again unto a lively hope by the
resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
4 To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled,
and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for
you,
5 Who are kept by the power of God through faith
unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last
time.
The better your godliness, the better your spiritual
character, the better your actions with riches will
be. The righteous attitude through or with the
riches is laying the foundation. This foundation is
Christ.
The time to come -
most commentaries do not even address this as the
phrase is self-evident: The Kingdom of God.
That they may lay hold on
eternal life - Notice a previous lesson
1 Timothy 6:12
[See
Lesson]
Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal
life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast
professed a good profession before many witnesses.
Borrowing from that lesson for, "Fight the good
fight of faith.":
Fight the good fight of
faith - “Agonize the good agony.” Thou hast a
contest to sustain in which thy honor, thy life, thy
soul, are at stake. Live
the Gospel, and defend the cause of God.
Unmask hypocrites, expel the profligate, purge and
build up the Church, live in the spirit of thy
religion, and give thyself wholly to this work.
~Adam Clarke [emphasis
mine]
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