I know it has taken me 17 weeks of Bible studies to get through the 6 chapters of 1 Timothy, but we finally did it yesterday. :)
If you are one of the folks listening abroad that had stopped listening due to my longwinded exegesis , please find the time to listen to this final message as it contains some important focuses for the Covenant people of God in the day and age in which we live, especially for the next generation who are being left wit the responsibility to Reform and Reconstruct yet again.

I truly enjoyed learning and teaching this book this time around, and while it was a very lengthy explanation, I have yet to plumb the depth of its eternal truth.

Bro. JS Lowther- ReNewed Covenant Ministry

ReNEWed COVENANT Ministry

SABBATH BIBLE STUDY

9-8

(2020)

SUPPORT RNCM!

Subscribe to RNCM Podcast Feed

iTunes • Other

Remember when you follow along or listen…

SOME ONE IS STILL PAYING FOR IT–

Contribute when you can!

MP3 AUDIO MESSAGE DOWN LOAD-Listen any time!

OR

Page for Streaming Message – You can follow along with study notes below!

These Study notes below are Interactive with E-Sword! – FREE DOWN LOAD HERE

THEN: Just cut and past into you E-Sword topic notes

Compiled by JS LOWTHER
renewedcovenantministry.com
servant@renewedcovenantministry.com

Section II of 1 Timothy

Last Message of This Expository Series

Part 17

Gain is godliness?.. NO Godliness is Gain! & Falsely named Science and How it helps to destroy the people of God.

1 Timothy 

Chapter 6:3-21

A Creed

of

1Timothy 4:9-10

This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation:

For this cause:

We both labour
and
Suffer reproach,

Because we trust in the living God,

Who is the Saviour of all men,
Specially of those that believe.

---

Ti_6:9 But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.
1Ti 6:10 For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
1Ti 6:11 But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.
1Ti 6:12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.
1Ti 6:13 I give thee charge in the sight of God, who quickeneth all things, and before Christ Jesus, who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession;
1Ti 6:14 That thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukeable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ:
1Ti 6:15 Which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords;
1Ti 6:16 Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen.

1Ti 6:17 Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy;
1Ti 6:18 That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate;
1Ti 6:19 Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.
1Ti 6:20 O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called:
1Ti 6:21 Which some professing have erred concerning the faith. Grace be with thee. Amen.
(The first to Timothy was written from Laodicea, which is the chiefest city of Phrygia Pac-a-ti-ana. )

In the End of this epistle, Paul warns us of the holistic mind set and world view of the men who understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm, men of whose character we should earnestly be attending to keep from being our own charicter, men of whose doctrine is a reversal of the biblical narrative that give us the Law and the Gospel as a holistic whole.

In this statement concerning these otherwise teachers Paul makes in his conclusions, Paul is bring together the affects of men who did not understand the Gospel of Jesus Christ, namely that God was manifest in the flesh Justified a truth which must be spiritually and angelically preached to those who acknowledge themselves as chief sinners in their own life, especially in light of the judgment seat of Christ that is surly to come, these men who were otherwise teachers of this truth, also could not understand or affirm the Law of God used lawfully; because these men definitive rejected the exhortation of the Gospel as part of the total economy , like a balanced budget of faith , these men did not have the ability understand or affirm the law of God, but rather they distorted the Law to more represent what we have just read in 1Timothy 6’s concluding statements, as Paul now is warning about “gain is godliness”, not the Gospel that up holds the eternal righteousness and justice of the Law of God to show the lawless and disobedient man, the ungodly and sinners, the unholy and profane man his unrighteousness and need to repent, now knowing how poor and worthless he truly is before the omnipotent LORD GOD, and how in need of a savior the Law shows him he is as a chief sinner. These men by rejecting this definitive truth of the Law and Gospel, then by this dissent from the Lawful use of the Law would have rejected or distorted the structure of the church as a whole: from marriage, to families of father and mother and children, to caring for widows and one’s own house-hold, as well as the proper and godly treatment of servants be they brother or stranger.
I have labored to share with you in looking at the Law of God for these last 17 +weeks the depth of how the: Perverse disputing of men of corrupt minds, who are destitute of the truth, who suppose that gain is godliness, 1Ti_6:5 will affect and even change the course of the Christian Family that is the bases of the church founded on Christ.
This who distortion is seen in the manifestation of a life that lives according to the principle exuding from the Law and Gospel:

“godliness with contentment is great gain”1Ti_6:6

These two statements are not accidentally economical terms, but they are theologically foundational world views, which affect every teacher, preacher, bishop, deacon, husband and wife, parent and child, servant and master, and thus Paul constitutes these two diametric world views thus:
“gain is godliness” as opposes “godliness with contentment is great gain”
Like all diverse elementary principles of theology, the same elements are present in both statements: ‘gain’ and ‘godliness’ or ‘godliness’ and ‘gain’, and it is not until we define the elements in relationship to one to another by the standard of righteousness of justice can we understand a lawful use of the elements to understand the difference between the two statements and the repercussions of these two distinct theological world views.
And the entirety of the epistle prior to these statements as well as those statements made directly after these statements such as:

1Ti_6:7  For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.
1Ti 6:8  And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.
1Ti 6:9  But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.

And so it is certain that this line of thought ‘gain is godliness’ when lived out as a theological world view is a snare / trap, leads to foolishness, hurt, it is lust, and it can drown men in destruction and perdition which is loss or ruin (the opposite of gain interestingly enough)
and so Paul concludes his lesson to timothy thus, showing this mentality or theological world view when lived out economically in terms of money:

1Ti 6:10  For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
and in opposition Paul encourages Timothy as a man of God to
1Ti 6:11  … flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.
1Ti 6:12  Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.

And so Paul’s conclusion of these two diverse world views theologically driven are this:
A man of God has resource simply as a man of God to follow after:
1. righteousness,
2.godliness,
3.faith,
4.love,
5.patience,
6.meekness.
to
7. Fight the good fight of faith,
8. lay hold on or defend his eternal life, whereunto thou art also called
9. have a good profession before many witnesses.
According to Paul, timothy has resource with in his “godliness with contentment” as a man of God to live a gainful life just simply being content with being a man of God, and what comes of being a righteous, godly, faithful, loving, patient meek warrior of faith that can and will have witnesses of this profession the “I will defend the pillar ground of the truth of Eternal life which I stand upon, knowing I was called to this ground, I did not gain it by my godliness.

“gain is godliness” On its surface seems to make sense, that is that one who has more is blessed more, and as god is the source of blessings, those who have the ability to gain and who have riches in this world then are godly because they are blessed, upon our fleshly and physical observation.
Yet, this observation Paul exposes at it is at the core to be hollow.
“gain is godliness” or a prosperity gospel as some now call it rises up against the Law of God, the house-hold law and says in affect that those who have less cannot possibly be ‘godly’ and thus those who do not seem to have gain or the ability to gain are ‘ungodly’.
This turns the faithful sayings, the creeds and the confessionals we have recited into non-sense, it take the concept of God manifest in the flesh Justified and makes it part of the fabled genealogy of questions which have no end.
How? Because this Gospel of ‘gain is godliness’ is not compatible with the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, honored and glory for ever and ever Christ Jesus having come into the world to save sinners; of which we confess “I am chief”. Why would the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God manifest in the flesh justified condescend himself lie this?
That is not gain! And if gain is godliness, in other words, what is poor should mount up or gain honor and glory, NOT start with honor and glory forever start with eternality, start with immortality, start with an invisible nature, NOT start as the only wise God and the manifest in the flesh as a poor week man, yea a baby in a manger, and animal feeding trough for a cradle.
List, the reason I wanted to revisit this subject again, and end Timothy with a proper exegete of this last section, is because I want to drill into the intellect of all of my family foremost, and everyone else secondarily this principle of Godliness purely and truly.
It you reverse your thinking on this matter, it is not a simple change in how one comprehends blessing, it is a redefinitiononal theology, that when traced out as Paul did here for Timothy in light of the use of the Law lawfully- this concept with change the nature of the Gospel; the reason Paul taught us these creeds and confessions was because the doctrine thought in those statements of faith was the faith ship wrecked by these two men whose names are memorialized for all eternity in the book of books Hymenaeus and Alexander; men delivered unto Satan.
1 Timothy is a collective whole letter, from a father like elder writing to a beloved younger brother who is being given his military orders to sail out on the raging seas of life with the essence of the Christian faith as the rudder to guide the battering ships ram decisively into the hull of the enemy’s armada. For if the rudder of faith is not coupled with your efforts in this maneuver, to slam the battering ram, the nose of the war ship into the hull of all those who oppose the rule of the king of kings an lord of Lords, and you do not keep that ship squarely aligned to strike a deadly blow by steering the rudder faithfully, your ship will glance off, and you very will be the ship wrecked one drifting in the waters and clinging to fragments of a ship that was built for war.
The doctrines of faith taught to us in Timothy the mystery of godliness are ultimately relinquished or let go when one begins to embrace the ‘gain is godliness’ doctrine, and it will affect the straightness and square-ness in which your war ship moves.

1Ti 3:16

Without Controversy:
Great- is the mystery of godliness:
God – was manifest: in the flesh – Justified:
in the Spirit- seenof angels – preached
In the Nations – believed on
in the world – received in glory!

And while so many who are ascribed to the world view  ‘gain is godliness’, will say on the surface, they agree with these professions and confessions, when you take this theological world views to task, they fail by having to define the concept that godliness as not all that that is need, that is we can not be content with simple and pure godliness, we must add to it, or gain to godliness. All works based salvation also will find a shared root here in not being content with Godliness alone, by an act of free unmerited or unprofited grace.
And this then extends to our understanding of how to use the law of God on every level as it is presented to us by the word of God, and applied to being content with what the scripture reveals as the will of God on ever situation.

As Paul said in
1Ti_4:7  refuse profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness. knowing bodily exercise profiteth only a little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.

Such submission will not seem as gain in this life, and certainly will not be the portion of the rich with riches and gain, but rather will be a life consistently in fulfillment with the word of our Lord who was manifest for us to:

…rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you.   Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.  Luk_12:31-32 

Godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.
Godliness with contentment, Godliness alone profits unto all things, but never can profit gain godliness.
Godliness that reaches past the individual sinner saved by grace, not as a repercussion of profit or earnings, godliness that reaches past united sinners saved by grace as families and churches and communities, and nations, never of a collective earning for godliness, no, but always and in everything godliness alone as that which is profits to all things, even the kingdom, not received by exercised mighty men, but by a little flock chosen to lay hold upon it by the Father’s good pleasure.

And so how well does this holistic doctrine fit into this last charge:

1Ti 6:13  I give thee charge in the sight of God, who quickeneth all things, and before Christ Jesus, who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession;
1Ti 6:14  That thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukeable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ:
1Ti 6:15  Which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords;
1Ti 6:16  Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen.

The only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords of the world standing before a human judge Pilate- and offering the confession that Pilate would have no power at all un-less it were given from above.- that was his confession. Talk about that which we can see but others cannot see? Who was rich in this scenario? Was Christ the Lord of Glory? Or was it Pilate who crucified the Lord of Glory? Who has gain, which is godly?
Therefore, let this scenario in the life of Christ suffice to charge:

1Ti 6:17  …them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy;
1Ti 6:18  That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate;
1Ti 6:19  Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.

This is a call for those who have riches, who have gain to use all to fight the good fight of faith, by utilizing worldly riches to enable them to preach the Gospel of Grace foremost and to promote house-hold law of God therewith as well.
Worldly wealth of riches spent to do good, and be more good in good works, to be ready to distribute to those in need, and using that richness to communicate the Law and the Gospel.
In this the rich who have those uncertain riches or temporary wealth, are exchanging the riches of this world for a good foundation for time to come, in this way the riches prove the words of Solomon son of David :

Pro_23:23  Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.
And
Ecc_7:11-12  Wisdom is good with an inheritance: and by it there is profit to them that see the sun.  For wisdom is a defence, and money is a defence: but the excellency of knowledge is, that wisdom giveth life to them that have it.

And what wisdom answers better to an inheritance more than the house-hold law of God for a family, church and nation? What knowledge is there greater than the oiko nomian , the house-hold law, the law used lawfully in the home to be a defense?
The Law and Gospel is the truth that is to be bought and not sold, the law of God in light of the faith of Jesus Christ is the knowledge and wisdom which is better than money or riches for those fully persuaded of their calling and hold on eternal life.

And so Paul’s message in Timothy is a Primary encouragement of Timothy as an Overseer or Bishop to help the people which are already professing Christians saved by Grace to exercise their godliness in the contentment of the knowledge of the law of God and how an individual, family, church and nation are to function.

And so let me finalize with this:
This doctrine of establishing the church in the condescending grace of Christ will be opposed by the same men who oppose the oiko-nomian, and those counter wise teachers need opposed by strong Christian leadership, armed with knowledge to defend the hold of eternal life upon which the true church stands.
Leadership comprised of honorable men, who are proven as husbands and fathers who rule well the house-hold God hath given them, these men together form the collective body of the church which we call a Presbytery, Elder men who are family men, proven to be able to Oversee and Serve the church as the greater body of the family:
According to the Law of God 1 man is taken to be the head judge or Bishop an Overseer of 10 presbyters or elders with their house-holds, 1 overseer is also taken from 50, 1 Overseer is also taken from 100, 1 Overseer is also taken from 1000.
Beside the Overseer another man able to rule his family well is ordained to the office of a Deacon, a man whose sole service is to aid the Overseer in providing for the poor, fatherless, widows and able to minister the needs of the saints spiritually and physically.
There 2 offices form the Leadership and Servant hood of a tribal ecclesia, not with the goal of having mega church buildings, loud speakers and extensive activities, but with the sole focus of supporting the families of believers as a kindred of people, and opposing those who oppose the message of the Law used Lawfully by the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Paul’s main concern after dealing with the destructive otherwise doctrines, was the fortification of the house-hold law of God used lawfully in teaching what the Law of God says concerning:

Wives who are subject in Love to Husbands
Mothers who are nurturing their own children well
Women which are godly keepers of the home,

Husbands that are responsible and loving of wives
Fathers that are responsible and loving of children
Men that are standing forth in the home well ruling

Children subject to their parents,
Children and progeny who are responsible and loving towards parents, who can provide for their grandmothers and mother who are widowed
Families who provide for their own, specially those of their own house-hold
Servants who honor masters,
Masters who honor and cherish treating justly brotherly servants and foreign servants as the Law of God commands and permits

A Church comprised of families capable and will to provide for its own and those who come into its economy of faith

The instructions Paul taught are Lessons from the Law of God in an ordering of society that reaches from Fathers and husbands as heads of house to foreign servants by the only rule of Justice which exists in the universe for Adam’s progeny.

And so let me end with our instructor and Brother he Apostle Paul:

1Ti_6:20  O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called:
1Ti 6:21  Which some professing have erred concerning the faith. Grace be with thee. Amen.

Like prophecy in the 21st century Paul places this here for our learning and correction, though it was more relevant in Paul’s day than in ours, because that is when he spoke it.
ψευδωνυμουG5581 γνωσεως G1108  / pseudo-numou gnosis / falsely named knowledge or science of irreverent babble and contradictions.
All the forces of evil are represented here in this statement as this falsehood of science that is nothing more than irreverent vain speech mixed with contradictory statements, no logic, nor true provable science based in knowledge and true knowing. No just lies that masquerade as knowledge which rises up to oppose sound reason reverently established in the fear of God, the source of all knowledge and wisdom.
I believe Paul leaves Timothy with this warning because for the last 2000 years this has been the pitfall of Christendom, those of faith. When we lose track of that confession of truth, and that trial of truth, of what truth is, when non-sense and contradiction become part of our faith, we ere in a most irreverent way.
And this is the key weapon used to destroy the oiko-nomian in the church. Not sound reasoning, but irreverent babble of contradictions. When all those members of families are no longer what truth says that they are, when me are not men, women not women, when families need not be related as always defined, when ethnicities are not ethnic and nations cannot be nationalities. When science need not be proven by experimentation, when knowledge is what you know, but not what you understand, this is the enemy of all that God has made by his Word, who is Jesus Christ, this profane babble of false knowledge easily mixes with feigned faith (remember that 1Ti 1:5?).This mixture of false science and feigned faith will wage a devilish Gnostic war against the Faith of Jesus and the Commandments of God our saviour.
Sadly, and yet contently we must see this as more than glimpse into the work need to be done now .