Charles Ellicott Commentary 1 Timothy 6:9

"But they that are minded to be rich fall into a temptation and a snare and many foolish and hurtful lusts, such as drown men in destruction and perdition." — 1 Timothy 6:9 (ASV)

But they that will be rich.—Here St. Paul guards against his words being misinterpreted, either then or at any future time, by any dreamy, unpractical school of asceticism that supposed voluntary poverty was a state of life particularly pleasing to the Most High—the strange mistake upon which the great Mendicant orders were organized in the Middle Ages. Those who exposed themselves to the alluring temptations and deadly sins he was about to speak of were not “the rich,” but those who longingly plan to be rich.

Fall into temptation.—Those longing to be rich will fall into the temptation to increase their worldly goods, even at the sacrifice of principle. Some unlawful method of gratifying their passion for gain will present itself; conscientious scruples will be thrown to the winds, and those who wish to be rich will fall into the temptation. We so often pray His prayer, Lead us not into temptation. In the same hour we long—perhaps even with the same breath we pray—that our worldly means may be increased and our position improved, little thinking that the longing for an increase of riches and position will lead us into the most dangerous of all temptations!

And a snare.—A true tangle, as it has been aptly called, of conflicting motives—each fresh gratification of the ruling passion, perhaps excused under the plausible names of industry, home claims, or praiseworthy and healthy enterprise, entangling the unhappy soul more completely.

And into many foolish and hurtful lusts.—The lusts (or desires) into which those who long to be rich fall are aptly called foolish, because in so many instances they are passionate desires for things utterly undesirable, the possession of which can afford neither pleasure nor advantage—such as, for instance, the love of hoarding wealth, so common to those who have longed for and obtained riches. And they are called hurtful because these rich individuals often find their longings, when gratified, to be damaging to the body as well as to the soul.

Which drown men in . . .—Better rendered, which plunge men into . . .

Destruction and perdition.—Destruction refers more to the wreck and ruin of the body, while perdition pertains more to that more awful ruin of the eternal soul. The gratification of desires—whether these desires are centered on the lower animal passions of the table, or in the pursuit of even baser and more selfish passions—invariably leads first to the destruction of the poor, frail human body. This premature breaking up of the earthly tabernacle is the herald and precursor of the final perdition of the immortal soul.

Power.—Rather, authority, which is power plus legitimacy. How jealously St. Paul guards the rights of the Apostolate! Not for himself, but for the brethren of the Lord and Cephas (1 Corinthians 9:5), perhaps for Silas and Timothy (1 Thessalonians 2:6, Note), and for the future. The unbounded claims of spiritual fatherhood seem copied from the Roman law of patria potestas. (Philemon 1:19).

To make.—Literally, in order that we might give. It was not without thought and design that they had adopted the plan.

An example.—The same word as in 1 Thessalonians 1:7. Literally, a model. The argument is a strong à fortiori.

Whatever reason these Thessalonians might have for giving up work, St. Paul had the same, and more. He looked for the Advent, as they did; he spent his time going about among the brethren, as they did; and over and above, he had the apostolic right to maintenance, which they did not have. Why should he not have stopped working, if they could justify themselves in doing so? If he thought it right to work, à fortiori, it must be their duty to work too.

Punished with everlasting destruction specifies the “vengeance” to be taken. But the word “destruction” does not stand absolutely and alone as a synonym for “annihilation.” This passage, in itself, gives us no reason to suppose that the lost will be “destroyed” in the ordinary sense of the word. They are to be “destroyed from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of His power”—that is, cut off from it forever.

The “presence”—or, more literally here, “the face—of the Lord,” as well as “the glory of His power,” is a metaphor from the courts of Eastern kings, where only honored courtiers are admitted to spend their time in the immediate and familiar presence of the sovereign. Familiar contact with Christ in the life to come, which will be accorded to all the saved, was God’s ideal intention for the lost as well; therefore, it is a positive “destruction” to be banished from it. But to the Jews, who looked for a Messiah who should keep regal state, the punishment was peculiarly appropriate. The word is used also in 1 Corinthians 5:5; 1 Thessalonians 5:3; 1 Timothy 6:9.

As for the word rendered “everlasting” (or eternal, for it is the same which is used, for example, Hebrews 6:2), it would certainly convey to St. Paul’s readers the notion of incessant duration in time; it is, of course, only an adaptation to human language to speak of time at all in such a case, as we cannot tell what may take the place of time in the next dispensation. However, so far as the actual words go, there is nothing in these passages (Matthew 18:8; Matthew 25:41; Matthew 25:46; Mark 3:29; Hebrews 6:2; Jude 1:7) to suggest any future alteration in the state of the lost. In this, as in some other doctrines, there seem to be two distinct sets of passages, the logical reconciliation of which in our present state seems almost impossible.

Even him, whose coming.—The phrase “even him” is not present in the Greek; and “whose” might, again, be translated as for his own, or perhaps “though his own.” The purpose of the following verses is not merely to describe Antichrist more fully, but to compare, word for word, his coming with that which will annihilate him. Again, a peculiar word consecrated to Christ is used for Antichrist: “coming” (literally presence), which is the word used in 2 Thessalonians 2:8, as well as 2 Thessalonians 2:1, and often. Despite the sham being well-devised, it will be recognized as a sham.

Is . . . with all power.—The word “is” indicates that St. Paul sees the future as present. The predicate is not “after the working,” but “in all power,” and so forth. The advent of Antichrist will be in (i.e., surrounded with, accompanied by) all kinds of miracles, “according to the working of Satan:” i.e., not only wrought by Satan, but up to the full capacity of Satan to work them. The word “lying” (literally, of falsehood) should be applied to all three terms: “all counterfeit power and signs and wonders.”

The three words are piled up to heighten the terror of the description; if you examine them closely, they mean that there will be a display of power to attest to Antichrist’s doctrine (signs), and to keep people spellbound in admiration of him (wonders). Antichrist, like Christ (1 Timothy 6:15), has one to support him—Satan instead of God; he, like Christ (Luke 21:25), will have his miracles—but miracles of trickery, not of truth.