We are all being discipled by something or someone.
A heart that loves money is self-sufficient and reliant. Your relationship with money has everything to do with your relationship with God. What the love of money reveals in our hearts is a deep discontentment with God. It is a heart that loves money is a heart that says Christ is not enough. It is a heart that is self sufficient and self reliant.
In this section of 1 Timothy, Paul’s argument is clear — your relationship with money has everything to do with your relationship with God.
(A) Godliness as a means of gain: A discontented heart, a depraved mind and deprived of the truth (1 Tim 6:3-5)
From 1 Timothy 6:3, we see that Paul is speak of those who “teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness”.
Paul is talking about the same false teachers he mentioned in 1 Timothy 1:3-7. They are the ones teaching a different doctrine, devoting themselves to myths and genealogies. They are those who promote speculation and have wandered into vain discussion.
Of their theology — their knowledge and understanding of who God is — Paul says it is:
Different from his. Where Paul lays out his theology of the gospel of Jesus coming to save sinners in 1 Timothy 1, these false teachers are not teaching the gospel. They preach a non-gospel message. But what did this look like?
Does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness. They were not consistent with “the sound words” that Jesus spoke — His teachings.
There is something called sound doctrine (and different doctrine). Paul is concerned with what is sound and false, and we need a category for that. This teaching also translates to how we call people to live.
What does teaching that does “not agree with… godliness” look like? We need to first know what Jesus’ teachings are. This excerpt from Preaching the Word: 1-2 Timothy and Titus by Kent Hughes, puts it this way: “These are teachings that make him the centre of everything. We get this Christocentric sense because Jesus is spoken of here not as “our Lord Jesus” but “our Lord Jesus Christ” (the Messiah!), identifying him as the one who fulfilled the prophetic expectations of the Old Testament. Jesus, in fact, repeatedly identified himself as having this centre and focus with phrases like “the Scriptures… bear witness about me” (John 5:39; cf. Luke 24:25-27, 44-46). The words “the teaching that accords with godliness” further centre the phrase on Christ because he has been identified in 3:16 as “the mystery of godliness.” According to that verse, his incarnation and ascension are what make godliness possible.”
So we see that the false teachers were minimising Christ and His teaching about himself as the centre of the Scriptures and godliness. The false teachers were instead focusing on their “myths,” “endless genealogies,” and disciplines.
Faithful teaching shows Jesus Christ as the fulfilment of God’s promises through His atoning death, resurrection, and ascension. Faithful teaching lifts Him up as Redeemer and Savior. Faithful teaching glories in Him as our only hope in life and death. Faithful teaching preaches the gospel!
Paul goes on to talk about how such a person behaves, and as we take a look at his description, we want to observe and make some conclusions about his inner and outer life. He is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing (1 Tim 6:4a). This is one who is proud, attention-seeking, self-glorifying, of little substance. He understands nothing! Teachers who teach a non-gospel message understand nothing. It is ignorant, spiritually kosong, has missed the point, and perhaps saddest of all, fruitless and leads astray.
This person also has an unhealthy craving for controversy (1 Tim 6:4b). What fills the gap when the gospel is not preached? A sickness — an unhealthy craving for controversy. Myths and genealogies and speculation -- how does he read the word? How does he interpret prophecy? What does he stir up for attention?
This person also craves quarrels about words (1 Tim 6:4b). We get a sense that this is one who nitpicks, is calculative, engages in vain discussion and debates, disputes and argues. This is one who seems unwilling to humbly receive the truth. Perhaps this person is happy to talk more about the word and its interpretation and leave it at that, with no application, no changed heart, no peace. This could be one who engages in spiritual one-upping, arguing for the sake of, doing these things to feel superior.
Paul writes about how this person produces envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicion constant friction among people (like themselves!) (1 Tim 6:4b-5a). We get a sense that there is breakdown relationally, a desire for drama, gossip, rumours and attention. Of course we want to read God’s word well and rightly. But are we humble? Or are we proud, puffed up with conceit? Have we missed the point just because we prefer to be seen as smart?
What does Paul ultimately trace these behaviours to? Paul describes them as “people who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain” (1 Tim 6:5b).
What does it mean to be “depraved in mind and deprived of the truth”? 2 Timothy 3:7–8 describes false teachers as those who are “always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth. Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men corrupted in mind and disqualified regarding the faith.” Romans 1:21-32 is also a long section that outlines the effect of a depraved mind. We see godlessness, a hardened heart, a life full of brokenness, choices and decisions driven by sinful desires of the heart and debased minds.
But we see Paul trace this to something else — “ Godliness is a means of gain”. Godliness, to be like God, to obey Him, to respond to His word — to do the stuff — imagining it to be a means of gain. What exactly does Paul mean here? Remember these people Paul was talking about are the same folks in 1 Timothy 1. They were seemingly pious leaders, but ultimately false teachers. The goal of these false teachers was not godliness, but rather godliness as a means of gain, meaning by being godly they could gain other stuff!
Underneath the facade of godliness was greediness and discontent. Because godliness in itself is not enough for this false teacher — I want the stuff that comes with it. I want the money, I want the glory, I want the attention, I want people to think I’m smart because of how well I argue and interpret and debate God’s word.
Friends, godliness as a means of gain and the depraved mind deprived of the truth are two sides of the same horrible godless coin — they are the two truths and motivations of the false teacher.
Before we jump to thinking this only applies to false teachers - so far removed - have we considered our own motivations? Do we see godliness as a means of gain - Money? Position of leadership? Dignity? Are we seeking godliness as a means of gaining a significant other? Or community? Identity and sense of self? Emotional highs?
Godliness as a means of gain points to a discontented heart, a depraved mind and deprived of the truth.
That’s also why Paul says in the very next verse - Godliness with contentment is great gain.
(B) Godliness itself as great gain: A contented heart, a mind set on things above and full of truth (1 Tim 6:6-8)
Having laid out his case against the false teachers, what is Paul’s simple response? Paul writes in 1 Timothy 6:6-8: “But godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content.”
His simple response is to be content with godliness in and of itself. It is great gain. He goes on to talk about how everything is temporal, and as long as we have the bare necessities, we’re good. Is Paul calling us to monkhood? What is the thinking behind these verses?
Paul talks about gain as spiritual and eternal, not physical, financial or earthly. While the false teachers were quantifying and qualifying and weighing costs and measuring outcomes and deciding the return of investments for their time and effort, Paul hones in on the great gain that is godliness itself. The outcomes of the message he preached — being saved by Christ and a changed life marked by obedience and godliness — were not just enough, but far more valuable than anything earthly.
We started our study thinking a bit about what the world tells us about money, opportunity, growth, ambition, career and so on. We often set our minds to these things. We often work hard to attain these things. We often desire and sometimes even covet these things. But what do we see Paul saying here that is so counter-cultural?
Godliness with contentment is great gain, and it is enough. Are we challenged by this? Not to monkhood, but surely in light of this contentment, to hold these achievements and desires loosely? Not if, but when, we need to choose between the things of this world and following God, what would we choose? When we are stressed by our jobs and our relationships and our expectations and the daily grind, what fills our hearts and minds? Are we content with godliness? Are we content with God?
To help us understand a bit more about godliness and contentment in Christ, We will be helped if we look at what Paul wrote in other epistles. For Paul, the gospel changes everything, and he is able to write these words in Philippians 3:7-10: "But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith—that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.”
Yes, the gospel of Jesus Christ changes everything. It is the ultimate fulfilment of God’s salvation plan, and it is what reorders our desires. Do we know this message? Do we treasure it like we should?
Godliness and contentment are linked. We will be godly if we know how to be content. Godliness is a turn away from self-sufficiency, to finding sufficiency in knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. The greatest treasure that we have is our gaining of Christ — to have a righteousness that comes through faith in Christ. He writes in Philippians 4:11-13, “Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”
As Colossians 3:1-2 teach us, we need new hearts and new minds that are focused on things of above - eternal salvation and being raised with Christ. We need an eternal perspective to see just how amazing and wonderful and sufficient the treasure we hold truly is.
Godliness itself as great gain: A contented heart, a mind set on things above and full of truth.
(C) The love of money: A root of all kinds of evils, a snare that traps and ruins, a craving that lures away, a discontentment that destroys (1 Tim 6:9-10)
Paul concludes this section by talking about the love of money. We often read this verse on its own, as if this were a teaching about the love of money and wisdom about money. But Paul pulls all the threads together here. It’s not just about that. His argument on contentment and godliness finally come together as we observe what our loves are, and money is perhaps the clearest. Paul’s argument is that underneath a heart of discontentment and the wrong motivations of false teachers and legalism is a heart that loves money more than God. Let’s look at Mark 10:17–22.
For this rich young man, whatever his righteousness and obedience looked like and truly was, it was just a cloak for the love of money. Underneath it all was still ultimately self-preservation and self-reliance. The only commandment-keeping that matters is the kind that comes from a heart that loves Jesus more than money.
1 Timothy 6:9-10 also tells us that “those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.”
A similar warning is given in Philippians 3:18-19, “For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things.”
Paul ends this section with a warning — a warning that is so applicable to us.
Paul’s call ultimately, was to be like him, to be content in everything! But how do we do that? What was the secret? What had he learned? What freed him from the money-loving heart? He tells us very plainly in Philippians 3:7–8: “Whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ.”
This was the secret: the greatness of all that God was for him in Christ — the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus. Compared to Him, everything is rubbish. The secret to contentment is to see that we have the greatest treasure given to us in Christ Jesus. May we, like Paul, know the all-satisfying greatness of God in Christ, be set free from the love of money..