Tell those who are rich in this present world not to be contemptuous of others, and not to rest the weight of their confidence on the transitory power of wealth but on the living God, who generously gives us everything for our enjoyment. Tell them to do good, to be rich in kindly actions, to be ready to give to others and to sympathise with those in distress. Their security should be invested in the life to come so that they may be sure of holding a share in the life which is permanent. 1 Timothy 6:17-19 (J.B. Phillips)
“The plentiful provision of good things is not meant to be a basis for self-security but is a pointer to the goodness of God who supplies them…God thus appoints that riches are to be enjoyed, but also shared generously. They are not for self-indulgence but for thankful acceptance and helping people.”
I. Howard Marshall in The Pastoral Epistles (ICC; London; T&T Clark, 1999) 672.
Jenni and I are NOW (pardon the typo in my earlier post today which read “not” this morning) attending the Compass Europartners conference with leaders from 15 countries across Europe. The various seminars are exploring ways to help people understand a New Testament view of handling money in post-Christian Europe.
As Phillips notes in his translation of the famous command to the rich, and as Howard notes in his commentary, our tendency is toward self-indulgence and finding security in our financial resources. God has appointed them for a different purpose: “thankful acceptance and helping people.”
Such thinking is countercultural in post-Christian Europe where culture dictates the rules for enjoyment and charity. We must retrain our minds to follow instead the Bible’s teaching so that our lives reflect God’s design. Make it so Lord Jesus.