Thomas Aquinas Commentary 1 Timothy 6:9-14

"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. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil: which some reaching after have been led astray from the faith, and have pierced themselves through with many sorrows. But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness. Fight the good fight of the faith, lay hold on the life eternal, whereunto thou wast called, and didst confess the good confession in the sight of many witnesses. I charge thee in the sight of God, who giveth life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who before Pontius Pilate witnessed the good confession; that thou keep the commandment, without spot, without reproach, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ:" — 1 Timothy 6:9-14 (ASV)

1. Previously, the Apostle showed what kind of gain is suitable for Christians: namely, godliness with contentment. Here he shows that those who seek excessive gain in riches suffer great harm.

   First, he indicates the evils that result from an indiscriminate desire for wealth. Second, he assigns the reason, with the words for the desire of money.

   Two kinds of evils follow: some spring from the enemy outside, and others from one’s own sinful desire, in the phrase into many unprofitable and hurtful desires.

2. He says, therefore, let us be satisfied with food and clothing, because those who will to be rich—not for their necessities, but so that riches abound—fall into temptation and into the snare of the Devil. There is not a more wicked thing than to love money ; do not be anxious for goods unjustly gotten, for they shall not profit you in the day of calamity and revenge .

   He mentions two dangers: temptations and a snare. First, riches tempt, since they are alluring and draw one into other sins: for fear that he who tempts should have tempted you, and our labor should be made vain (1 Thessalonians 3:5); let no temptation overtake you but such as is human (1 Corinthians 10:13). Second, they catch you in a snare. For those who do not have riches, they are a temptation; but for those who do have them, they are a snare, because they do not gladly give up goods they took from others. He that gathers treasures by a lying tongue is vain and foolish (Proverbs 21:6).

3. The danger from within is threefold. First, the desire branches out into many unprofitable and hurtful desires. A person’s perfection depends on their heart being concentrated upon one thing, because the more a person is one, the more like God they are, who is truly one: one thing I have asked of the Lord, this I will seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life (Psalms 27:4). But one who seeks riches acts contrary to this, because his heart is drawn to many things: their heart is divided; now they shall perish (Hosea 10:2). The reason is that where your treasure is, there your heart will be also (Matthew 6:21).

   Furthermore, such desires are unprofitable in many ways. First, they are spiritually unprofitable, because riches do not lead one to happiness: what has pride profited us? Or what advantage has the boasting of riches brought us? ; he who loves riches shall reap no fruit from them (Ecclesiastes 5:9). Second, they are temporally unprofitable, because they do not give what they promise: there is also another evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is frequent among men: a man to whom God has given treasure and substance and honor, and his soul lacks nothing of what he desires; yet God does not give him power to eat of it, but a stranger shall eat it up. This is vanity and a great misery (Ecclesiastes 6:1–2).

   Third, they are hurtful: riches kept to the hurt of the owner (Ecclesiastes 5:12). He shows that they are hurtful because they drown men in destruction in the present life—for many have perished because of riches—and in the future life, into perdition: keep your money to yourself to perish with you (Acts 8:20). Alternatively, both refer to spiritual harm: destruction, meaning spiritual death—God endured with much patience vessels of wrath, fitted for destruction (Romans 9:22)—and perdition, meaning eternal punishment. This is called perdition because of the sufferings of the damned, who cannot return to their true home, their eternal home: because the wicked man is reserved for the day of destruction, and he shall be brought to the day of wrath (Job 21:30).

4. Then, when he says, for the desire of money is the root of all evils, he gives his reason from two sources: from the nature of covetousness, and from experience, with the words which, some coveting, have erred from the faith.

5. He says, therefore, they fall into temptation and into the snare of the Devil. Why? Because the desire of money is the root of all evils. Here it should be noted that, according to some, covetousness is understood in three ways. First, as avarice considered as a specific sin: the inordinate love of possessing riches. Second, as a category under which all sins fall, since it implies the inordinate desire for a temporal thing, which is involved in every sin, because sin is a turning toward a perishable good. Taken this way, it is not the root but the category of all evils. Third, it is taken to signify a disorder of the soul that inclines it to desire temporal goods inordinately. In this sense, it is only a habit and not an act, yet it is the root of all evils.

   It is called a root in the same way pride is called the beginning: pride is the beginning of all sin . This is because pride suggests a corrupt inclination of the soul to withdraw from God. A tree draws its nourishment from its roots; in the same way, sin, in its aspect of turning toward a perishable good, draws its nourishment from covetousness.

   But I believe he is speaking of covetousness taken as a specific sin. That is why he says, those who will to be rich fall into temptation and into the snare of the Devil. This is an inordinate love of money and, consequently, is the root of all sins, for all sins involve a seeking. As a result, the origin of sins must be sought in the origin of desirable things. The origin of desirable things springs from the end; consequently, the more desirable the end a sin has, the worse that sin is.

   There are two things that make the end of a sin desirable. The end may be desirable for its own sake, which is excellence, because a person wills that good as a means of excelling; this is pride. Consequently, pride is the beginning of all sins. Or, the end may be desirable for the sake of some other end, which makes a thing desirable because it is useful for obtaining everything. This is what riches can do, for with riches, people believe they can buy anything. It is in this sense that covetousness is the root of all evils.

6. Then, when he says, which some coveting, have erred from the faith, he proves the same thing through experience. He says coveting because the more riches are possessed, the more they are desired: a covetous man shall not be satisfied with money (Ecclesiastes 5:10).

   They fall, first, into spiritual harm; hence he says they have erred from the faith. The reason for this is that sound doctrine forbids many unlawful profits which they refuse to give up. Consequently, they invent their own doctrine, which creates for them a new hope of salvation. This is what usurers often do. Second, they have entangled themselves in many sorrows, even in the present life, because there is anxiety in acquiring riches, fear in possessing them, and pain in losing them: when he shall be filled with riches, he shall be straitened, he shall burn, and every sorrow shall fall upon him (Job 20:22).

7. Then, when he says, but you, O man of God, he warns him to follow sound doctrine and flee from evil.

   First, he describes the road he should follow. Second, he binds him to it with a command, at I charge you.

   In regard to the first, he does two things: first, he urges him to avoid the sins already mentioned. Second, he points out what he should do, at pursue justice.

8. Because a servant should imitate his master—for it is said, as the judge of the people is himself, so also are his ministers ()—he says, O man of God. It is as if to say: you are dedicated to the service of God. O Lord, I am your servant (Psalms 116:16); he who says he abides in him ought himself also to walk, even as he walked (1 John 2:6). Therefore, if you are a man of God, you ought to do as Christ did, who fled when they wished to make him king (John 6:15), and who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame (Hebrews 12:2). Therefore, you too, flee these things: lo, I have gone far off, flying away; and I abode in the wilderness (Psalms 55:7).

9. What then is he to do? Two things:

   First, clothe himself in spiritual armor. Second, do battle with it, at fight the good fight.

10. Spiritual armor is useful either for doing good or for enduring evil. The first of these involves our neighbor, to whom we are rightly ordered through justice and godliness (that is, mercy), because the first without the second is severity, and the second without the first is weakness. Regarding the first, he says, pursue justice, which is fitting for bishops: love justice, you who judge the earth . As to the second, he says, godliness, that is, mercy: mercy and truth preserve the king, and his throne is strengthened by clemency (Proverbs 20:28).

    Doing this also involves us with God, to whom we are rightly ordered, first of all, by faith, which perfects the intellect: without faith it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6). Second, by charity, which perfects our affections: he who abides in love, abides in God, and God in him (1 John 4:16).

    For enduring evils we need two virtues: patience and mildness. This is because a person can be subject to two disorderly emotions in the face of evil: excessive sadness, and the anger resulting from it. Therefore, patience is a shield against excessive sadness—in your patience you shall possess your souls (Luke 21:19)—and mildness is a shield against anger.

11. Then, when he says, fight the good fight of faith, he urges him to engage in the conflict.

    First, he shows him how to fight. Second, he gives a reason.

12. He says, therefore, fight the good fight as soldiers do, who fight for two reasons: either to defend what they own or to acquire what they lack. Holy people should do this as well.

    First, they should guard what they have, namely, faith and the virtues. Hence he says, of faith, meaning, for the defense of their faith: even unto death, fight for justice . Or, of faith, so that through faith they might avoid sin: this is the victory that overcomes the world: our faith (1 John 5:4). Or, of faith, meaning, to convert others to the faith. He calls it the good fight, that is, a lawful battle: everyone who strives for the mastery refrains himself from all things (1 Corinthians 9:25). For it is good when one abstains from all obstacles: I have fought the good fight (2 Timothy 4:7).

    Second, they fight to acquire what they lack, namely, eternal life, which is acquired with a struggle: the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force (Matthew 11:12). Hence he says, lay hold on eternal life—as if guarding something, be victorious in your struggle. Or, fight the good fight of faith. For what reward? So that you may lay hold on eternal life: but we, that we may receive an incorruptible crown (1 Corinthians 9:25).

13. Then, when he says, to which you are called, he gives the reason for saying, lay hold on eternal life. First, he answers a potential objection. It is as if to say: "You tell me that I should lay hold of it. Of course I would like to, but I cannot." But you can, because it is owed to you in justice, for you have been called to it by God, the King of the kingdom of eternal life. Therefore, you should fight to the utmost: he has called you out of darkness into his marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9).

    Second, he informs him of his obligation. It is as if to say: fight the good fight, because you have vowed to do so; consequently, you are not permitted to give up. Hence he says, and have confessed a good confession before many witnesses. That is, at your consecration as a bishop, you promised a good fight: woe is unto me if I preach not the Gospel! For if I do this willingly, I have a reward; but if against my will, a dispensation is committed to me (1 Corinthians 9:16). Or, a good confession refers to preaching the faith in order to preserve it.

14. Then, when he says, I charge you before God, he binds him to the previous points with a command.

    First, he gives the command. Second, he explains something he stated earlier, at which in his times.

15. In the command, first, he brings in witnesses; second, he commends the command; third, he shows how it is to be kept. As witnesses, he calls on God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ.

    Therefore, he says, "I advised you, but so that you do not suppose that you can act otherwise, I charge you, as you are accustomed to charge those under you, before God." He had charged him to do two things: lay hold on eternal life and confess the good confession. Therefore, he calls on the Author of life, who gives life to all things. He says God, who is the entire Trinity, the author of life. He also calls on the man, Christ Jesus, who claimed to be the Son of God, which is the good confession of our faith.

    Likewise, he commends the command, because in itself it is just, right, and irreproachable: you shall not find iniquity on my tongue (Job 6:30).

    But how long are these commands to be followed? Until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ. The word "until" specifies the goal intended by these commands; that is, by observing these words you may prepare yourself for the appearing. Or, it means until your death, because as you are at that moment, so will death find you: he who shall persevere until the end, he shall be saved (Matthew 24:13).