Thomas Aquinas Commentary 1 Timothy 6:17-21

"Charge them that are rich in this present world, that they be not highminded, nor have their hope set on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; that they do good, that they be rich in good works, that they be ready to distribute, willing to communicate; laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on the life which is [life] indeed. O Timothy, guard that which is committed unto [thee], turning away from the profane babblings and oppositions of the knowledge which is falsely so called; which some professing have erred concerning the faith. Grace be with you." — 1 Timothy 6:17-21 (ASV)

Previously, he dealt with instructing people of low status; here he returns to his subject and instructs Timothy on how to deal with the rich. He does this first, and second, he deals with Timothy’s own instruction, beginning at O Timothy. As always, when he instructs Timothy about teaching others, he warns him not to neglect himself.

Regarding the instruction for the rich, he first informs Timothy about the vices usually found in them, and second, he charges him to pursue what is good, beginning at do good. Regarding the vices of the rich, he first mentions the vices themselves, and second, he rejects these vices because of the uncertainty of riches, beginning at in the uncertainty.

He says, therefore, charge the rich. Riches imply abundance, which constitutes true riches if that abundance is of spiritual things: riches of salvation, wisdom and knowledge: the fear of the Lord is his treasure (Isaiah 33:6). But sometimes the abundance is of material things, which are not true riches because they do not satisfy. Therefore, he adds the restriction, of this world: they hoard up silver and gold, in which men trust .

Charge such people. When he wrote about servants, he did not issue a command, because virtue lies in a person using their authority toward superiors, not toward inferiors. Therefore, he says not to fail to issue orders out of respect for their riches or high status.

And what is he to order them? Not to be high-minded; that is, not to think of themselves as important.

But is this sinful? I answer that it can become sinful in two ways. First, if one regards oneself highly because of things that lack true greatness; this happens if one regards oneself highly because of temporal things. Therefore, anyone who regards oneself highly on account of some external greatness does so inordinately, and this is pride. Yet worldly people care for no other greatness except that which can be purchased with riches: all things obey money (Ecclesiastes 10:19). Therefore, because the rich of this world have this kind of greatness, they are lifted up in vain.

Second, it can be sinful because there are things that possess true greatness, namely, spiritual goods: how great is he that finds wisdom and knowledge . A person can regard himself highly by reason of these goods, not because of the nature of the goods themselves, but by attributing to himself what he lacks, or by not knowing that whatever he has is from God.

Therefore, in the first case, the high regard is disordered because the goods themselves lack true greatness; in the second, it is disordered because the desire is inordinate.

The second vice prevalent among the rich is trust in worldly things. Therefore, he says, nor to trust in the uncertainty of riches: if I have thought gold my strength, or have said to fine gold: my confidence (Job 31:24); the substance of a rich man is the city of his strength (Proverbs 10:15).

Then, when he says, in the uncertainty of riches, he gives the reason for his advice. One trusts in that from which one expects help, but help is obtained from what is strong, whereas riches are fragile. Therefore, trust should not be placed in riches: lay not up for yourselves treasure on earth, where the rust and moth consume (Matthew 6:19).

Instead, trust should be placed in the living God, where true hope must be placed: blessed be the man that trusts in the Lord, and the Lord shall be his confidence (Jeremiah 17:7); God gives to all men abundantly (James 1:5).

The statement, who gives us abundantly all things to enjoy, can be explained in two ways:

1. First, so that enjoy is taken to mean joy, and this joy can be found even in temporal goods.
2. Second, in the sense that temporal goods are used to attain the enjoyment of God.

Then, when he says, do good, he instructs him to achieve what is good. Those whose love is fixed on riches strive for three things: first, to acquire them; second, to use them once they are possessed; and third, to obtain the end for which riches are sought. These are the three things the Apostle advises:

1. That they acquire spiritual riches; hence, do good and be rich in good works. As it is written, learn to do well (Isaiah 1:17).
2. Regarding the use of riches, it should be noted that there are two ways: hoarding them and giving them away. But the primary use is to give them away. Therefore, he mentions two aspects of this:
   1. To give, when he says, to give easily—that is, without a heavy heart, as Scripture says, every man as he has determined in his heart, not with sadness or of necessity: for God loves a cheerful giver (2 Corinthians 9:7); and without delay, say not to your friend: go, and come again: and tomorrow I will give to you: when you can give at present (Proverbs 3:28); if I have made the eyes of the widow wait (Job 31:16).
   2. To hold them, not for one’s own use only, but for the common use. Therefore, he says, to communicate to others—that is, to regard them as common property: communicating to the necessities of the saints (Romans 12:13).
3. That they may attain the ultimate purpose of riches. Therefore, he says, to lay up in store for themselves a good foundation against the things to come. This spiritual treasure is a storehouse of merits, which are the foundation of a future edifice prepared for us in heaven. The entire preparation for future glory is through merits, which are acquired by grace, the principle of meriting. As it is written, lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither the rust nor the moth consumes (Matthew 6:20), and, so run that you may obtain (1 Corinthians 9:24).

Then, when he says, O Timothy, he instructs Timothy:

1. To guard what is good.
2. To avoid what is evil, at avoiding the profane novelties.

He says, therefore, O Timothy, keep that which is committed to your trust. Every good that a person has is committed to their care by God, to be guarded and increased: he shall preserve the grace of a man as the apple of the eye ; By the grace of God I am what I am; and his grace in me has not been void, but I have labored more abundantly; yet not I, but the grace of God with me (1 Corinthians 15:10).

And so he tells Timothy to guard this deposit—that is, to preserve himself in God’s grace and increase it. For the one who hides his talent is punished: take away, therefore, the talent from him, and give it to him that has ten talents (Matthew 25:28); and the unprofitable servant cast you out into the outer darkness (Matthew 25:30). Church leaders especially are entrusted with this deposit, namely, the care of their neighbor and of the faithful: feed my sheep (John 21:17); for they watch, as being to render an account of your souls (Hebrews 13:17); keep the good thing committed to your trust by the Holy Spirit (2 Timothy 1:14).

He is also to avoid evil, especially those evils that are likely to defile the faith. The reason for this is that just as a worldly prince is appointed to guard the kingdom’s unity, so the spiritual leader is appointed to guard spiritual unity. Peace in a kingdom is built on justice; therefore, the prince exists for justice. But the unity of the Church is founded on faith; therefore, he especially advises him to guard the faith: I have prayed for you, that your faith fail not: and you, being once converted, confirm your brethren (Luke 22:32).

Similarly, the faith can be corrupted by fallacies, just as any field of knowledge can. As it is stated in Aristotle's Sophistical Refutations, a fallacy sometimes arises from a word and sometimes from a thing; therefore, there are fallacies within statements and fallacies outside of statements. In the same way, the faith is sometimes corrupted by certain careless words. As Jerome says, heresy springs from words inconsiderately uttered. Therefore, the Apostle says, avoiding the profane novelties of words, because to refuse to listen to anything new is to bark against established customs. But profane novelties are not to be heeded when they are directed against the faith. They are called “new” in comparison with what is ancient. Nestorius did this when he called the Blessed Virgin Christotokos to suggest that she was not the mother of God. In response, the Synod of Ephesus coined the word Theotokos: hold the form of sound words which you have heard of me in faith, and in the love which is in Christ Jesus (2 Timothy 1:13); and in 2 Timothy: shun profane and vain babblings, for they grow much into ungodliness (2 Timothy 2:16).

But sometimes faith is corrupted by actual sophistical reasoning, and this is to be shunned. Therefore, he says, and oppositions of knowledge falsely so called, because it is not true knowledge, but false. For knowledge in the true sense is concerned only with truth. It is impossible for the true to be contrary to the true, although two false statements can sometimes be contrary to one another. Consequently, it is impossible for anything contrary to divine truth—which is the supreme truth—to be true: beware lest any man cheat you by philosophy, and vain deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the elements of the world, and not according to Christ (Colossians 2:8). Promising—that is, which some claim to have. As it is written, every man is become a fool for knowledge which is not of God (Jeremiah 10:14), because he who speaks a lie, speaks from his own (John 8:44). Also, the children also of Memphis, and of Taphnes, have deflowered you, even to the crown of the head (Jeremiah 2:16); and, your wisdom and your knowledge have deceived you (Isaiah 47:10).

The grace of God be with you. Amen.