Survey
of the Letters of Paul: 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.
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. |
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. |
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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