As the letter begins to wind down, Paul winds up on something that causes undue confusion in our day but was certainly counter to normal instincts in his day as well. Still in the middle of a conversation intended to help Timothy guide those in the church on how to live, he instructs that those who are slaves how to treat their masters. Basically, Paul says to serve them well. Do it for a good witness if the master is not a Jesus man, serve them all the better if they are Jesus folk because they are brothers (apparently Paul is thinking of slaves who might try to take advantage of the forgiving or generous nature of their masters.)
Now, we have to read this through the lens of 1st century Roman society, not 18th-20th century America. The word here is doulos, sometimes translated as bond servant (which is a clearer translation of the circumstance.) The bondservant would work for the master for a given amount of time/value in exchange for either relief of a debt between the two or in a situation that is best described as a firmly committed job (the master really serving as more of a patron). In either case, it was voluntary, an option used to solve a problem. Paul encourages them elsewhere to buy their freedom if they can.
Paul also lists “enslavers” as lawless and disobedient in chapter 1 yet doesn’t condemn the Christian master here. The distinction here is forceful vs. voluntary. You can’t kidnap folk and make them do what you want, that’s a violation of Exodus 20 and basic decency. However, folks can put themselves under your charge (“care” is probably an overly optimistic description of the relationship) in exchange for money or shelter or whatever. The Christian on either side of that equation needs to serve the other faithfully.
Back to protecting against false doctrine. I like the simplicity of this, if someone doesn’t agree with Jesus, they are conceited and don’t understand anything. This is true, of course, if Jesus is God and knows everything and you have taken the position that you are more enlightened on one matter or another, you indeed don’t understand anything. The context to this extends into the next few verses. We’re talking about an enlightened individual who has moved beyond the wisdom of Jesus and is using his own brains to cause trouble in the church and between people who should know better. (This is why Bible study and sound doctrine are important. The church isn’t here to pass-on good and reasonable ideas, to be productive members of a relative society, we’re here to espouse and live out Jesus’ ideas and do our very best to change the world with the Good News we’ve been given. Where our teaching and end-goals of community don’t start and end with Jesus, we’re lost.)
The other angle here are those who teach “…godliness as a means of gain”. We know better than this. We can’t follow a man who calls us to be servant of all, who dies on the cross for the sake of others, and have this idea that gospel work and integrity living are designed to produce monetary gain. There wasn’t a payday waiting at the foot of the cross. We need to be extremely careful about calling monetary or status gain related to gospel work a sign of the Lord’s blessing. If we are comfortable that Jesus and the remaining 11 bros were faithful followers of Jesus, and everyone one of them was martyred (except John, who they tried to boil in oil and failed), then perhaps as disciples (students, those who learn from the teacher), our expectations should bend more that way.
Now, Paul makes the caveat for us here. You “gain” from following Jesus, but it’s not money or fame, it’s contentment. (Creflo can’t get a plane with that kind of propaganda next to the offering plates.) Paul says you can’t take anything with you and if we can get food and clothing (Maslow and Paul high five here) that’ll be fine. Once you get enough money to not worry about food and clothing, perhaps you should consider your neighbor and whether he has food and clothing. Wealth breeds risk. It’s not inherently bad but it introduces risks, options that you don’t have when you are content with the basics and giving the balance towards other stuff going on in the world.
Think now about the things you think you need (really, do it). How about the things you want? What about the things you have now that are getting old, that you’d like to replace? Starting to understand the value of contentment now? I have a long list of stuff that ain’t food and clothing that make me discontent because I don’t have it or under the thought that I might have to live without it. However, I don’t have a lot of cash so it’s less of a risk. Add cash, add risk. Sounds like some in Paul’s day have walked away from the faith because of this. It’s a powerful temptress, don’t even agree to a casual coffee with her. Hear me correctly, fellas. Get money, get lots of it. But don’t use it to invest in risks, in opportunities to refuse God’s contentment. Nah, anyone can do that. But not everyone can change the world, only the Good News that Christians bring can do that. Put your resources to that work.
What’s Timothy to do with all of this? Flee! Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness and gentleness. Fight the good fight! Your eternal life has already started, live it! A basic summary of the end is that we serve a good and powerful God, be faithful to him and to those you are called to serve. Don’t swerve from the task, don’t give an inch in your fight to live out the very best of what God is up to so that you gain the right things (contentment, assurance of eternal life) and help change the world as ambassadors of the good news of which you have been given. If you are rich, it isn’t a sign of Gods blessing, it’s a sign of your responsibility to be a blessing to others. That’s true life, it’s a real salve to the soul.
To end, a reminder to keep faithful to the Word and stay out of trying to mediate a gaggle of fools who don’t agree that Jesus is right and they are not.