1 Timothy 6:1-5: a reflection

1Let as many as are bondservants under the yoke count their own masters worthy of all honor, that the name of God and the doctrine not be blasphemed. 2Those who have believing masters, let them not despise them because they are brothers, but rather let them serve them, because those who partake of the benefit are believing and beloved. Teach and exhort these things. 3If anyone teaches a different doctrine and doesn’t consent to sound words, the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness, 4he is conceited, knowing nothing, but obsessed with arguments, disputes, and word battles, from which come envy, strife, insulting, evil suspicions, 5constant friction of people of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain. Withdraw yourself from such.

As Paul warns Timothy about false teachers, he names a corruption at the heart of their motives: they suppose that godliness is a means of gain. These were people who used religion, the appearance of godliness, as a way to profit, to enrich themselves; they had turned faith into a means of personal gain. Their godliness was not genuine devotion but a tool for their own advantage, a way to make money or gain influence. Paul exposes this corruption and warns Timothy to withdraw from such; to treat godliness as a means of gain is to pervert it into a self-serving tool.

Notice the corruption Paul exposes: treating godliness as a means of gain. These false teachers had made religion serve their own profit; their godliness was a front for self-interest, a way to gain money or advantage. This is a perversion of godliness, which is meant to be genuine devotion to God, not a tool for our own advantage. To use the appearance of godliness to profit, to make faith a means of gain, is to corrupt it into something self-serving. Godliness is not to be a means to our own ends, a way to get what we want; it is devotion to God for his own sake. To treat it as a means of gain is to empty it of its true nature and turn it into self-interest dressed as devotion.

That is worth taking to heart, for we too can be tempted to treat godliness as a means of gain, using faith for our own advantage. We can be tempted to make our religion serve our own interests, to use the appearance of godliness for advantage, to treat faith as a means to what we want, as these false teachers did. But godliness is not a means of gain; it is genuine devotion to God for his own sake, not a tool for our advantage. Do not treat godliness as a means of gain, using your faith for your own advantage; let it be genuine devotion to God, not a self-serving tool. Let your godliness be genuine devotion to God rather than a means of gain used for your own advantage, guarding against the corruption Paul exposed in those who supposed godliness a means of gain; for godliness is meant to be devotion to God for his own sake, not a tool for our profit, and to treat it as a means of gain is to pervert it into self-interest dressed as devotion.

Lord, as Paul warns Timothy about false teachers, he names a corruption at the heart of their motives: they suppose that godliness is a means of gain. These were people who used religion, the appearance of godliness, as a way to profit, to enrich themselves; they had turned faith into a means of personal gain. Their godliness was not genuine devotion but a tool for their own advantage. Paul exposes this corruption and warns Timothy to withdraw from such. Show me the corruption Paul exposes: treating godliness as a means of gain. These false teachers had made religion serve their own profit; their godliness was a front for self-interest. This is a perversion of godliness, which is meant to be genuine devotion to you, not a tool for our own advantage. To use the appearance of godliness to profit is to corrupt it into something self-serving. Godliness is not to be a means to our own ends; it is devotion to you for your own sake. To treat it as a means of gain is to empty it of its true nature. Take that to my heart, for I too can be tempted to treat godliness as a means of gain, using faith for my own advantage. I can be tempted to make my religion serve my own interests, to use the appearance of godliness for advantage, to treat faith as a means to what I want, as these false teachers did. But godliness is not a means of gain; it is genuine devotion to you for your own sake. Keep me from treating godliness as a means of gain, using my faith for my own advantage; let it be genuine devotion to you, Lord, not a self-serving tool, guarding against the corruption Paul exposed in those who supposed godliness a means of gain.