1 Tim. 6:1-5, Word Battles

There is a collection of terms we want to consider in this post that are all used in today’s passage.  They address how Christians ought to treat each other.

kataphroneō (v): to contemn, despise, disdain, think little or nothing of

·       Matt 6:24; Lk. 16:13: can’t serve 2 masters, you will love one & despise other

·       Matt. 18:10: don’t despise little ones, their angels behold the Fathers face

·       Rom 2:4: do you despise the riches of His goodness that leads to repentance

·       1 Cor 11:22: in abusing Lord’s table you despise the church of God

·       1 Tim 4:12: Tim not to let anyone look down on his youth

·       1 Tim 6:2: slaves not to look down on believing masters

·       Heb 12:2: on cross Christ despised the shame

·       2 Pt. 2:10: false teachers walk in flesh, despise authorities

The love-relationships in the Body of Christ call us not to think little of others in the family of God.  Lord, help us!

logomacia (n): a word-battle, dispute about words

·       1 Tim 6:4: heretical teacher interested in disputes about words from which come envy, strife, abusive language, evil suspicions, constant friction

·       Tit 3:9: shun ... disputes about the Law; they're unprofitable, worthless

logomacheō (v): to dispute about words, to wrangle about empty & trifling matters

·       2 Tim 2:14: charge them not to wrangle about words; useless, ruins hearers

This is a tactic used by heretics, to engage people in arguments about some “word.”  It makes the heretic seem quite intelligent but look what it leads to.  Even if these “words” come from the OT law!  It’s interesting.  “logo” is Greek “logos,” a message, and a title of Christ in Jn. 1:1, “the Word.”  “Macheo” is to make war.  So two Christians, who believe the gospel, might get into a dispute about the exact means of “justification” or “foreknowledge” or “faith,” and at some point realize they are at war with each other even though they fully agree on the gospel.  What is at stake is not orthodoxy but winning an argument. 

tuphoō: to be puffed up, conceited

·       1 Ti 3:6: new convert who is an elder becomes conceited

·       1 Tim 6:4: heretical teacher is conceited

·       2 Tim 3:4: last days, men to be ... conceited

Christian relationships, like any relationships, are ruined by conceit, by the lack of humility, unwillingness to have a submissive attitude to each other.

Meditate on these things as you consider Jesus’ command to love one another (Jn. 13:34-35).  Are we being divided by things that are trivial, that do not keep us from worshiping and serving Christ together.