Guard the Deposit: Paul's Final Charge to Timothy

Paul returns to the false teachers.

He can't leave the subject alone. They are the presenting problem, the infection that threatens to spread, the reason Timothy stays in Ephesus while Paul moves on. And so, as the letter nears its end, Paul circles back.

"If anyone teaches otherwise and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, they are conceited and understand nothing."

ἑτεροδιδασκαλεῖ—teaches differently. Anyone whose doctrine doesn't align with Christ's healthy words, with teaching that produces godliness—that person is τετύφωται. Puffed up. Smoke-filled. Conceited.

μηδὲν ἐπιστάμενος—understanding nothing. Despite the confidence, despite the crowds, despite the sophisticated arguments. Nothing.

"They have an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions and constant friction between people of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain."

The diagnosis unfolds. νοσῶν—sick, diseased. Their interest in controversy isn't healthy curiosity but pathology. The symptoms: ζητήσεις—controversies. λογομαχίας—word-battles. And the fruit: envy, strife, blasphemy, evil suspicions, constant friction.

διεφθαρμένων τὸν νοῦν—corrupted in mind. ἀπεστερημένων τῆς ἀληθείας—robbed of truth. The truth they once had has been stolen. And in its place: the conviction that godliness is πορισμός—a means of gain. Religion as business model.

Paul turns the phrase:

"But godliness with contentment is great gain."

εὐσέβεια μετὰ αὐταρκείας. True godliness paired with self-sufficiency, with satisfaction in what one has. This is πορισμὸς μέγας—great gain indeed. But not the gain the false teachers seek.

"For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it."

οὐδὲν εἰσηνέγκαμεν—we carried nothing in. οὐδὲ ἐξενεγκεῖν τι δυνάμεθα—nor can we carry anything out. The bookends of life: naked arrival, naked departure. Whatever accumulates between enters nothing and exits nothing.

"But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that."

διατροφὰς καὶ σκεπάσματα—nourishment and covering. The basics. ἀρκεσθησόμεθα—we will be satisfied. The verb is future: we will learn this contentment, we will practice it, it will become our posture.

"Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction."

οἱ βουλόμενοι πλουτεῖν—those wanting to be rich. Not necessarily those who are rich—the wanting itself is the problem. The desires set a trap. The trap leads to destruction. βυθίζουσιν—drowning, sinking into ruin.

"For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil."

ῥίζα πάντων τῶν κακῶν. A root—not the only root, but a taproot from which evils sprout. φιλαργυρία—silver-love. Money-affection.

"Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs."

ἀπεπλανήθησαν ἀπὸ τῆς πίστεως—wandered away from the faith. περιέπειραν ἑαυτοὺς ὀδύναις πολλαῖς—pierced themselves all around with many pains. The false teachers may have started with bad doctrine, but money-love accelerated their departure.

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And now the charge:

"But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness."

Σὺ δέ, ὦ ἄνθρωπε θεοῦ. But you—emphatic contrast. Man of God—the title given to prophets, to Moses, to Elijah. Timothy stands in that lineage.

Flee. φεῦγε. Run from the money-love, from the controversy-sickness, from all of it.

Pursue. δίωκε. Chase after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, gentleness. The negative command isn't enough; positive pursuit must replace what's fled.

"Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses."

ἀγωνίζου τὸν καλὸν ἀγῶνα τῆς πίστεως. The arena language returns. The beautiful struggle. The fight worth fighting.

And grab—ἐπιλαβοῦ—eternal life. It's already Timothy's by calling and confession. Now he must seize it, hold it, refuse to let go.

"In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you..."

The witnesses multiply. God who gives life. Christ who confessed before Pilate—καλὴν ὁμολογίαν—the good confession under pressure, under threat, unto death. In their sight, Paul delivers the charge:

"...to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which God will bring about in his own time."

Keep the command. τηρῆσαί σε τὴν ἐντολήν. Guard it without stain, without accusation, until Jesus appears. The timeline is indefinite—God's own καιροῖς—but the responsibility is immediate.

"God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen."

Doxology erupts. μακάριος καὶ μόνος δυνάστης—blessed and only Sovereign. βασιλεὺς τῶν βασιλευόντων καὶ κύριος τῶν κυριευόντων—King of those kinging, Lord of those lording. Immortal. Dwelling in light no one can approach or see.

This is who Timothy serves. This is before whom Timothy stands. The charge isn't merely Paul's preference; it flows from the throne of ultimate authority.

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One more section. Practical instruction for the wealthy:

"Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment."

The rich exist in the church. Paul doesn't command them to become poor—but to adjust their attitude. μὴ ὑψηλοφρονεῖν—don't think highly. μηδὲ ἠλπικέναι—don't fix hope on uncertain riches. Hope in God instead.

"Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share."

ἀγαθοεργεῖν—doing good works. πλουτεῖν ἐν ἔργοις καλοῖς—being rich in beautiful deeds. εὐμεταδότους—generous. κοινωνικούς—ready to share, to participate in community.

"In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life."

Treasure stored differently. θεμέλιον καλόν—a beautiful foundation. The future age receives what the present age invests. And there—ὄντως ζωῆς—life that is really life. The thing their wealth pretended to provide but couldn't.

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The final words:

"Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to your care."

τὴν παραθήκην φύλαξον. The deposit. The trust. The gospel committed to Timothy's keeping. φύλαξον—guard it, watch it, protect it.

"Turn away from godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge, which some have professed and in so doing have departed from the faith."

βεβήλους κενοφωνίας—profane empty-sounds. ἀντιθέσεις τῆς ψευδωνύμου γνώσεως—the oppositions of falsely-named knowledge. Gnosis. The Gnostic speculations that claim the title "knowledge" while peddling ignorance.

Some have professed this false knowledge. ἠστόχησαν—they missed the mark, they wandered from the faith.

Don't follow them.

"Grace be with you all."

ἡ χάρις μεθ᾽ ὑμῶν. The plural "you"—the whole church receives this letter, though it's addressed to Timothy. Grace for all.

Paul sets down the stylus.

The deposit is entrusted.

The charge is delivered.

Timothy must guard it.

Ephesus needs him to.