Survey
of the Letters of Paul: 1 Timothy 6:20
O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain
babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called:
This section has 2 verses.
1 Timothy 6:20-21
20 O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy
trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and
oppositions of science falsely so called:
21 Which some professing have erred concerning the
faith. Grace be with thee. Amen. The first to
Timothy was written from Laodicea, which is the
chiefest city of Phrygia Pacatiana.
We will begin with the Barclay commentary:
A FAITH TO HAND ON
1 Timothy 6:20–21
First the paraphrase of the two verses
O Timothy, guard the trust that has been entrusted
to you. Avoid irreligious empty talking; and the
paradoxes of that knowledge which has no right to be
called knowledge, which some have professed, and by
so doing have missed the target of the faith. Grace
be with you.
IT may well be that the name Timothy is here used in
the fullness of its meaning. It comes from two
words, timan, to honour, and theos, God, and
literally means the one who honours God. It may well
be that this concluding passage begins by reminding
Timothy of his name and urging him to be true to it.
The passage talks of the trust that has been
entrusted to him. The Greek word for trust is
parathe¯ke¯, which literally means a deposit. It is
the word for money deposited with a banker or with a
friend. When such money was in time demanded back,
it was a sacred duty to hand it back in its
entirety. Sometimes children were called a
parathe¯ke¯, a sacred trust. If the gods gave a man
a child, it was his duty to present that child
trained and equipped to the gods.
The Christian faith is like that, something which we
received from our ancestors, and which we must pass
on to our children. E. F. Brown quotes a famous
passage from the fifth-century saint Vincent of
Lérins: ‘What is meant by the deposit ( parathe¯ke¯
)? That which is committed to thee, not that which
is invented by thee; that which thou hast received,
not that which thou hast devised; a thing not of
wit, but of learning; not of private assumption, but
of public tradition; a thing brought to thee, not
brought forth of thee; wherein thou must not be an
author, but a keeper; not a leader, but a follower.
Keep the deposit. Preserve the talent of the
Catholic* faith safe and undiminished; let that which
is committed to thee remain with thee, and that
deliver. Thou hast received gold, render gold.’
We do well to remember that our duty is not only to
ourselves but also to our children and our
children’s children. If in our time the Church were
to become weak; if the Christian ethic were to be
more and more submerged in the world; if the
Christian faith were to be twisted and distorted, we
would not be the only losers. Those of generations
still to come would be robbed of something
infinitely precious. We are not only the possessors
but also the trustees of the faith. That which we
have received, we must also hand on.
Finally, the Pastorals condemn those who, as the
Authorized Version has it, have given themselves to
‘the oppositions of science falsely so-called’.
First, we must note that here the word science is
used in its original sense; it simply means
knowledge (gno¯sis). What is being condemned is a
false intellectualism and a false emphasis on human
knowledge.
But what is meant by oppositions? The Greek word is
antitheseis. Very much later than Timothy, there was
a heretic called Marcion who produced a book called
The Antitheses, in which he quoted Old Testament
texts and set beside them New Testament texts which
contradicted them. This might very well mean: ‘Don’t
waste your time seeking out contradictions in
Scripture. Use the Scriptures to live by and not to
argue about.’ But there are two meanings which are
more probable than that.
(1) The word antithesis could mean a controversy,
and this might mean: ‘Avoid controversies; don’t get
yourself mixed up in useless and bitter arguments.’
This would be a very relevant bit of advice to a
Greek congregation in Ephesus. The Greeks had a
passion for going to law. They would even go to law
with their own brothers, just for the pleasure of
it. This may well mean: ‘Don’t make the Church a
battle ground of theological arguments and debates.
Christianity is not something to argue about, but
something to live by.’
(2) The word antithesis can mean a rival thesis.
This is the most likely meaning, because it suits
Jews and Gentiles alike. The Christian scholars in
later times used to argue about questions like: ‘How
many angels can stand on the point of a needle?’ The
Jewish Rabbis would argue about hair-splitting
points of the law for hours and days and even years.
The Greeks were the same, only in a still more
serious way. There was a school of Greek
philosophers – and a very influential school it was
– called the Academics. The Academics held that, in
the case of everything in the realm of human
thought, you could by logical argument arrive at
precisely opposite conclusions. They therefore
concluded that there is no such thing as absolute
truth, that there were always two hypotheses of
equal weight. They went on to argue that, this being
so, the wise will never make up their minds about
anything but will hold themselves forever in a state
of suspended judgment. The effect was of course to
paralyze all action and to reduce people to a state
of complete uncertainty. So, Timothy is told: ‘Don’t
waste your time in subtle arguments; don’t waste
your time in trying to score points. Don’t be too
clever to be wise. Listen rather to the clear and
unquestionable voice of God than to the subtle
disputations of over-clever minds.’
So, the letter draws to a close with a warning which
our own generation needs. Clever argument can never
be a substitute for Christian action. The duty of
the Christian is not to sit in a study and weigh
arguments but to live the Christian life in the dust
and heat of the world. In the end, it is not
intellectual cleverness but conduct and character
which count.
Then comes the closing blessing – ‘Grace be with
you. 'The letter ends with the beauty of the grace of
God. ~Barclay commentary
*Catholic: the word, "catholic" in this commentary is speaking to the word and
not the modern-day religion led by the pope today. One of the meanings is,
"pertaining to the whole Christian body or church."
Now to the other commentaries.
Our verse again is:
1 Timothy 6:20
O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy
trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and
oppositions of science falsely so called:
The verse is in three parts:
1] O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy
trust.
2] Avoid profane and vain babblings.
3] And oppositions of science falsely so called.
Let us go to the three parts after reading a general
commentary.
Here is a lesson for ministers in the charge given
to Timothy: Keep that which is committed to thy
trust. Every minister is a trustee, and it is a
treasure committed to his trust, which he has to
keep. The truths of God, the ordinances of God, keep
these, avoiding profane and vain babblings; not
affecting human eloquence, which the apostle calls
vain babbling, or human learning, which often
opposes the truths of God, but keep close to the
written word, for that is committed to our trust.
Some who have been very proud of their learning,
their science, which is falsely so called, have by
that been debauched in their principles and been
drawn away from the faith of Christ, which is a good
reason why we should keep to the plain word of the
gospel, and resolve to live and die by that.
Observe,
[1.] Ministers cannot be too earnestly exhorted to
keep what is committed to their trust, because it is
a great trust lodged with them: O Timothy, keep that
which is committed to thy trust! as if he had said,
“I cannot conclude without charging thee again;
whatever thou doest, be sure to keep this trust, for
it is too great a trust to be betrayed.”
[2.] Ministers are to avoid babblings, if they would
keep what is committed to them, because they are
vain and profane.
[3.] That science that opposes the truth of the
gospel is falsely so called; it is not true science,
for if it were it would approve of the gospel and
consent to it.
[4.] Those who are so fond of such science are in
great danger of erring concerning the faith; those
who are for advancing reason above faith are in
danger of leaving faith.
~Matthew Henry
Now to the specific commentaries:
1] O Timothy, keep that which is
committed to thy trust.
O Timothy - A final
exhortation to faithfully discharge his trust.
~People's New Testament
Keep that which is committed
to thy trust - The meaning here is that
teaching which Timothy had received from Paul; the
“sound words” which he was to guard as a sacred
trust, and communicate to others.
~Vincent's Word Studies
Keep — from spiritual
thieves, and from enemies who will, while men sleep,
sow tares amidst the good seed sown by the Son of
man. ~Jamieson, Fausset,
Brown
Keep that which is committed
to thy trust - That is, the Gospel, see 1
Timothy 1:11 which is a rich treasure put into
earthen vessels, and ought to be kept pure and
uncorrupt, and faithfully dispensed, and diligently
preserved, that so it may be continued genuine and
sincere, and not be either adulterated and depraved,
or be taken away by false teachers. And it may also
include his gifts for the ministration of it, which
were to be kept in use, and stirred up, and not
neglected, but cultivated and improved to the
advantage of the church, and of the interest of
Christ: ~Barnes Notes
Quoted verse:
1 Timothy 1:11
[See
Lesson]
According to the glorious gospel of the blessed God,
which was committed to my trust.
O Timothy, keep that which is
committed to thy trust - This is another
repetition of the apostolic charge. (See 1 Timothy
1:5, 1 Timothy 1:18, 1 Timothy 1:19; 1 Timothy 4:6,
1 Timothy 4:7,1 Timothy 4:14, 1 Timothy 4:15, 1
Timothy 4:16; 1 Timothy 5:21; 1 Timothy 6:13.)
Carefully preserve that doctrine which I have
delivered to thee. Nothing can be more solemn and
affectionate than this charge.
~Adam Clarke
Quoted verses:
1 Timothy 1:5
[See
Lesson]
Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a
pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith
unfeigned:
1 Timothy 1:18
[See
Lesson]
This charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy,
according to the prophecies which went before on
thee, that thou by them mightest war a good warfare;
1 Timothy 1:19
[See
Lesson]
Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some
having put away concerning faith have made
shipwreck:
1 Timothy 4:6
[See
Lesson]
If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these
things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus
Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of
good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained.
1 Timothy 4:7
[See
Lesson]
But refuse profane and old wives' fables, and
exercise thyself rather unto godliness.
1 Timothy 4:14
[See
Lesson]
Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was
given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the
hands of the presbytery.
1 Timothy 4:15
[See
Lesson]
Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to
them; that thy profiting may appear to all.
1 Timothy 4:16
[See
Lesson]
Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine;
continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both
save thyself, and them that hear thee.
1 Timothy 5:21
[See
Lesson]
I charge thee before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ,
and the elect angels, that thou observe these things
without preferring one before another, doing nothing
by partiality.
1 Timothy 6:13
[See
Lesson]
I give thee charge in the sight of God, who
quickeneth all things, and before Christ Jesus, who
before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession.
Keep that which is committed
to thy trust - That is, the Gospel, see 1
Timothy 1:11 [shown above]
which is a rich treasure put into earthen vessels,
and ought to be kept pure and uncorrupt, and
faithfully dispensed, and diligently preserved, that
so it may be continued genuine and sincere, and not
be either adulterated and depraved, or be taken away
by false teachers. And it may also include his gifts
for the ministration of it, which were to be kept in
use, and stirred up, and not neglected, but
cultivated and improved to the advantage of the
church, and of the interest of Christ:
~John Gill
Keep that which is committed
to thy trust - [excerpts
from the JFB]:
---“It is not thine: it is another’s property with
which thou hast been entrusted: Diminish it not at
all”
---"What has been entrusted to thee, let that same
remain with thee; let that same be handed down by
thee. Gold thou hast received, gold return."
--- "Let there be so by all means, and the greatest
progress; but then let it be real progress, not a
change of the faith."
---"Let the intelligence of the whole Church and its
individual members increase exceedingly, provided it
be only in its own kind, the doctrine being still
the same."
---"Let the religion of the soul resemble the growth
of the body, which, though it develops its several
parts in the progress of years, yet remains the same
as it was essentially” ~Jamieson,
Fausset, Brown
2] Avoid profane and vain
babblings.
Avoiding profane and vain
babblings - uttering emptiness.
~Robertson's Word Pictures
Avoiding profane and vain
babblings - Greek, “Profane, empty words.”
The reference is to such controversies and doctrines
as tended only to produce strife, and were not
adapted to promote the edification of the church.
~Barnes Notes
Avoiding profane and vain
babblings - The word is literally ‘empty
voicings,’ vox et praeterea nihil, windbag;
speculations and errors which are the complete
opposite of the solid Church truth on its firm
foundation and rock, ‘Thou art the Christ.’ ~Cambridge Bible
Avoiding profane and vain
babblings - See on 1 Timothy 1:4 [See
Lesson], and 1 Timothy 4:7 [See
Lesson]. ~Adam Clarke
Quoted verses:
1 Timothy 1:4
Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies,
which minister questions, rather than godly edifying
which is in faith: so do.
1 Timothy 4:7
But refuse profane and old wives' fables, and
exercise thyself rather unto godliness.
Avoiding profane and vain
babblings - He repeats the most important of
all the former exhortations, which ought to be
deeply imprinted in the minds of all ministers of
the word, that is, that they avoid all vain
babblings of false wisdom, and continue in the
simplicity of sincere doctrine.
~Geneva Bible Translation
Notes
Avoiding profane and vain
babblings - about the law, and circumcision,
and other things, which the false teachers insisted
much on, and amused their hearers with; and which
were vain, empty, useless, and unprofitable talk.
Some copies, and so the Vulgate Latin version, read,
"profane newnesses of words"; or new words, which
ought not to be introduced, for they often bring in
new doctrines: [what should
be kept:] the form of sound words, the
wholesome words, the words of our Lord Jesus Christ,
the words which the Holy Ghost [Spirit]
teacheth, should be held fast; and especially all
new words should be avoided, which are contrary to
them, or in the least weaken them, or detract from
them. ~John Gill
3] And oppositions of science
falsely so called.
And oppositions of science
falsely so called - Most of the ancient
heretics were great pretenders to knowledge.
~John Wesley Explanatory Notes
And oppositions of science
falsely so called - “Of the falsely named
knowledge.” ~Robertson's
Word Pictures
And oppositions of science
falsely so called - Used here, in its simple
sense, of the arguments and teachings of those who
opposed the true Christian doctrine as entrusted to
Timothy. ~Vincent's Word
Studies
And oppositions of science
falsely so called - Religion has nothing to
fear from true science, and the minister of the
gospel is not exhorted to dread that. Real science,
in all its advances, contributes to the support of
religion; and just in proportion as that is promoted
will it be found to sustain the Bible, and to
confirm the claims of religion to the faith of
mankind. See this illustrated at length in Wiseman’s
Lectures on the connection between science and
religion. It is only false or pretended science that
religion has to dread, and which the friend of
Christianity is to avoid. The meaning here is, that
Timothy was to avoid everything which falsely laid
claim to being “knowledge” or “science.” There was
much of this in the world at the time the apostle
wrote; and this, more perhaps than anything else,
has tended to corrupt true religion since.
~Barnes Notes
And oppositions of science
falsely so called - ‘The knowledge falsely so
called’ is in the Greek the well-known
Gnosis, only used here in N. T. with direct
reference to the heretical teaching, though the
allusions, both with substantive and verb, imply
that assumptions of superior knowledge were among
the claims of the new theology.
~Cambridge Bible
And oppositions of science
falsely so called - the false teachers
boasted of their science and knowledge, but it was
not true, solid, spiritual, and saving; it was not
an experimental knowledge of the Gospel; it was not
the excellent knowledge of Christ, which has eternal
life connected with it; it was merely notional and
speculative; it was idle, empty, and useless, mere
Pagan philosophy, and vain deceit, upon which they
formed antitheses, or oppositions and objections to
the truths of the Gospel; and even opposed
themselves, and the word of God, as well as the
faithful ministers of it.
(Knowledge is not
determined by a "show of hands". Even though the
majority of people believe something, that does not
make it true. The majority today do not believe in
Noah's flood, 2 Peter 3:4. It was so in Noah's day
also, but the unbelievers all drowned! Many
fervently believe in evolution and try to compromise
the scriptures with it. This verse stands as a stark
warning to those who do not try everything through
God's Word. Isaiah 8:20 Editor.)
~John Gill
Quoted verses:
2 Peter 3:4
And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for
since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue
as they were from the beginning of the creation.
Isaiah 8:20
To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not
according to this word, it is because there is no
light in them.
And oppositions of science
falsely so called - The wild speculations
which were already taught by dreamers and which were
probably derived from Jewish sources. These
speculations a half century later had ripened into
what was called
Gnosticism. Some had already run off after
speculations and departed from the faith. There are
allusions in the Epistles to Ephesus and Colosse to
the germs of the same false teaching.
~People's New Testament
back to the top
back to main page
for this verse