Catholic Commentary on 1 Timothy 6

"But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it." (1 Timothy 6:6-7)

Contentment and the Love of Money

Those who teach false doctrine and do not agree with the sound instruction of Jesus and godly teaching are conceited and understand nothing. They think godliness is a means of financial gain. But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. The Catechism cites the love of money as a form of idolatry, the substitution of a created good for the Creator, and names it as the source of the social sins of injustice and exploitation (CCC 2536).

The Good Fight

But Timothy, man of God, is to flee from all this and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness. He is to fight the good fight of the faith, take hold of the eternal life to which he was called, keep the commandment without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ. As for the rich in this world: command them not to be arrogant or to put their hope in wealth but in God who richly provides everything for enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, to be generous and willing to share, laying up treasure for the coming age.

The final instruction: guard what has been entrusted to your care, turning away from godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge, which some have professed and in doing so have departed from the faith.

Living the Word

Brothers and sisters, godliness with contentment is great gain. The contentment Paul commends is not passivity or indifference to injustice. It is the freedom from the restless acquisition that can never be satisfied and from the anxiety that makes every present possession feel insufficient. We brought nothing into the world and we take nothing out. Between those two facts, held together by godliness, is the space in which contentment becomes possible.

Prayer

Lord God, deliver us from the love of money and the restlessness of wanting more. Give us godliness with contentment, the great gain that the world does not understand. Make us rich in good deeds, generous and willing to share, laying up treasure for the coming age. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

6
Serving with Honor
(Ephesians 6:5–9; Colossians 3:22–25)
1 All who are under the yoke of slavery should regard their masters as fully worthy of honor, so that God’s name and our teaching will not be discredited. 2 Those who have believing masters should not show disrespect because they are brothers, but should serve them all the more, since those receiving their good service are beloved believers. Teach and encourage these principles.
Reject False Doctrines
 
3 If anyone teaches another doctrine and disagrees with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and with godly teaching, 4 he is conceited and understands nothing. Instead, he has an unhealthy interest in controversies and semantics, out of which come envy, strife, abusive talk, evil suspicions, 5 and constant friction between men of depraved mind who are devoid of the truth. These men regard godliness as a means of gain.* 6:5 BYZ and TR include Withdraw yourself from such.
Godliness with Contentment
 
6 Of course, godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into the world, so † 6:7 BYZ and TR so certainly we cannot carry anything out of it. 8 But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with these.
 
9 Those who want to be rich, however, fall into temptation and become ensnared by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. By craving it, some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.
Fight the Good Fight
 
11 But you, O man of God, flee from these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made the good confession before many witnesses.
 
13 I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who made the good confession in His testimony before Pontius Pilate: 14 Keep this commandment without stain or reproach until the appearance of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 which the blessed and only Sovereign One—the King of kings and Lord of lords—will bring about in His own time. 16 He alone is immortal and dwells in unapproachable light. No one has ever seen Him, nor can anyone see Him. To Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen.
A Charge to the Rich
(Proverbs 23:1–5; James 5:1–6)
 
17 Instruct those who are rich in the present age not to be conceited and not to put their hope in the uncertainty of wealth, but in God, who richly provides all things for us to enjoy. 18 Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, and to be generous and ready to share, 19 treasuring up for themselves a firm foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.
Guard the Faith
 
20 O Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you. Avoid irreverent, empty chatter and the opposing arguments of so-called “knowledge,” 21 which some have professed and thus swerved away from the faith.
 
Grace be with you all.‡ 6:21 BYZ and TR include Amen.

*6:5 6:5 BYZ and TR include Withdraw yourself from such.

†6:7 6:7 BYZ and TR so certainly

‡6:21 6:21 BYZ and TR include Amen.

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