1 Timothy 6:13 Commentary and Bible Study

There are a number of charges or commandments in this epistle. The obvious question is which commandment is Paul referring to here? The epistle begins with a commandment in the very first verses of the opening chapter. There is a commandment that Timothy should teach some that they teach no other doctrine. There are others also linked with that. But here it would seem that the commandment is most probably that train of thought which begins in verse 8 of this sixth chapter: ‘And having food and raiment, let us be there with content.’ It is a commandment to avoid worldliness, a command to separation of the child of God from the world, and loyalty for the faith of God. That is the commandment which runs through this chapter. It is expressed negatively in verse 9: ‘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 the power of riches to do harm is explained in verse 10. Then in verse 11 Paul gives Tmothy a solemn charge: run away from these kind of things, worldliness and love of earthly possessions and fame and fortune and advancement and run after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness. This is again underscored in verse 12, fight the good fight of faith, and then comes the great charge in verse 13, ‘I give thee charge in the sight of God.’This charge is made before the Father and the Son. The Father is described as he ‘who quickeneth all things’, and who therefore will not allow any harm to come upon Timothy as a result of being faithful. And Christ Jesus is to be Timothy’s example of constancy and faithfulness and perseverance in maintaining his testimony in a fallen world. The Gospels record how perfectly he spoke before Pilate. Although Pilate saw himself as the one who was in the position of authority and power, he was entirely discomforted by the Lord Jesus, by his self-control and dignity and mastery of the situation. Though Christ was supposedly on trial, it was evident that Pilate was in the presence of one who was high above him, and was only letting him play his part because it pleased God that it should be so. The Lord Jesus fearlessly witnessed to the truth before Pilate: ‘My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence … To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice’ (John 18:36-37).The great doxology that follows – this statement about what is going to happen when the Lord Jesus Christ appears at the end of time – is given not just as a piece of didactic teaching. It is given for a purpose. It is given to stir and stimulate and encourage Timothy. Of course, it stands as a marvellous piece of teaching in its own right, a rhapsodic, soaring piece of teaching, but it's given for a purpose, so this is an encouraging section of the Scripture. While elsewhere there are the seemingly hard, firm exhortations – ‘I charge you’, keep away from the world, keep the faith, give yourself to Christ, wholly and always until – he now says, bear this in mind, let this encourage you: ‘until his appearing’, and then he enlarges on it. Think about that, think consciously, I have got a charge, a commission that I have got to keep all the way to the end. It's something which is entrusted to me; it's something which the Lord has given me. I've got to keep it for him, for his appearing, and then when he appears, we shall see his greatness and his power and his majesty and glory.