1 TIMOTHY 6 — CONTENTMENT, THE LOVE OF MONEY, AND THE FINAL CHARGE

Chapter 6 brings the letter to a close with a series of final instructions and warnings. The first section deals with slaves and masters, a topic that appeared in the household codes of Ephesians and Colossians and is addressed here from the standpoint of the church's reputation. The second section returns to the false teachers and gives a sharp description of their character and motives, which include a love of controversy and a love of money. This leads into a famous passage about contentment and the dangers of wealth, which is closely related to the church's situation in Ephesus, a prosperous city. The third section is a personal charge to Timothy, in solemn language, to persevere in the faith, and the fourth section deals with the wealthy members of the church. The letter ends with a final appeal to guard the deposit of the faith. The chapter is a challenge to any generation tempted to confuse godliness with prosperity or to seek influence and security in wealth.

The reference to Jesus' testimony before Pontius Pilate is a notable historical anchor. Pilate is mentioned by the Roman historian Tacitus, who says that Christ was executed under Pilate during the reign of Tiberius, and by the Jewish historian Josephus, who describes Pilate's rule and a conflict with the Jews. In 1961 archaeologists found in Caesarea an inscription bearing the name of Pontius Pilate and his title as prefect of Judea, which confirms the Gospel accounts of his office. The inclusion of Pilate's name in a short confession of faith, which later became a standard element of the Apostles' Creed, shows that the Christian message was tied to a particular time and place from the beginning, and that it was not a myth set in an indefinite past. The phrase "falsely called knowledge" was used by Irenaeus, the second-century bishop of Lyon, in the title of his major work against the Gnostics, usually known as Against Heresies, whose full title speaks of the detection and overthrow of so-called knowledge. This demonstrates that the early church saw the fulfillment of Paul's warning in the Gnostic movements. The chapter's teaching on wealth and generosity had practical effects. The early Christians were known for sharing their possessions, and they gave sacrificially to support the poor, a fact that was noted by pagan observers. The letter as a whole is accepted as Pauline by the early church, and the details of its setting in Ephesus, its warnings about false teaching, and its instructions on church order are consistent with the earliest history of the church.