1 Timothy 6:11-21, Timothy: Command and Teach This

In the Gospels Jesus is described this way.  He sent out the Twelve, commanding them not to go into the way of the Gentiles of Samaritans (Mt. 10:5). He commanded the Twelve not to take anything for the journey except a staff (Mk. 6:8). In Mk. 8:6 He commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground (we noted that Matthew used a different term, indicating that the command was from Jesus, while Mark’s term indicates the command was passed along by the Twelve).  He commanded the leper who was healed to tell no one but go show himself to the priest (Lk. 5:14).  He commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man in Lk. 8:29, the parents to tell no one about the raising of their daughter (Lk. 8:56), and His disciples to tell no one that He was the Christ (Lk. 9:21).  Some of these commands seem strange, but if we understand that Jesus was passing along a command from His Father you do understand that this was the Father’s will.  It fit with the grand purpose that Christ must go to the cross.

We see this several times in Acts.  Jesus told the disciples not to depart from Jerusalem but to wait for the promise (1:4).  The Jews commanded the apostles not to speak nor teach in the name of Jesus (4:18), reminded them of this later (5:28), then commanded them the same again (5:40).  But Peter told Cornelius that God had commanded the apostles to preach and testify (10:42).  Some in the Church wanted to command believers to keep the law of Moses (15:5).  Paul commanded the spirit to come out of the young girl in Philippi (16:18).  The Philippian jailor was commanded to keep Paul and Silas securely (16:23).  Ha!  Paul told the Athenians God now commanded all men everywhere to repent (17:30).  The commander commanded Paul’s nephew not to tell anyone what he had revealed (23:22) and then commanded Paul’s accusers to make charges before Felix (23:30).

This term is used twice in 1 Cor. (7:10 and 11:17), once in saying “I command, yet not I but the Lord” concerning divorce, and then in the matter of the Lord’s supper (the NKJV calls these “instructions”).  In 1 Th. 4:11 Paul commanded them to lead a quiet life, etc.  In 2 Thessalonians 3 we see the word 4 times: concerning specifics about lifestyle (3:4), to withdraw from disorderly brothers (3:6), that those who did not work should not eat (3:10), that they work in quietness and eat their own bread (3:12).  All these have to do with “details” of the Christian life.

This brings us to 1 Timothy.  Paul told Timothy to charge some that they teach no other doctrine (1:3); to command and teach (4:11); to command instructions for the care of the widows (5:7); and to command the rich not to be proud or to trust in riches (6:17).  In everything, especially in 6:11-12), he told Timothy: I urge you in the sight of God who gives life to all things, and before Christ Jesus who witnessed the good confession before Pontius Pilate.  He commands details of the Christian life, but it is all in the context of living our lives before God our creator and Christ who faithfully passed on the message He had, even before Pontius Pilate!