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. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. 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. 1 Timothy 6:17-19
“Generosity is a Christian duty, says Paul, something that pastors can command. He is probably echoing Deuteronomy 15, where God says to the Israelites, “Give generously to him [the poor person] and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this the Lord your God will bless you . . . There will always be poor people in the land [or on the earth]. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your brothers . . . Give to him [i.e., the poor person] as the Lord your God has blessed you. Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and the Lord you God redeemed you. That is why I give you this command today” (vv. 10-11, 14-15).”
Christopher J.H. Wright in “Paul, a New Testament Model: His Collection for the Poor in Jerusalem” in Accountability in Missions: Korean and Western Case Studies edited by Jonathan J. Bonk (Eugene: Wipf & Stock, 2011) 41.
Some people may be uncomfortable when I say “command generosity” but we see this language both in the OT and the NT. Today I have meetings with Korean-American church leaders in the Washington D.C. area who are likely more comfortable commanding their people to be generous because of cultural dynamics at play.
Why might most Americans feel uncomfortable with “command” language?
There are many possible reasons for this. One may be that our American culture tends to measure giving based on merit, which is the opposite of grace (often defined as unmerited favor). God desires that His people reflect his grace and generosity through openhanded sharing. He desires this so much that He “commands” us to do this.
The Korean culture is also far more hierarchical than the American culture (think: as a group their cultural tendency is to honor the instructions of authorities and people atop organizational structures). In such settings it may be more common to have a leader issue a command, whereas such language rarely flows from American leaders.
Regardless, rather than point any fingers at others, how about if each of us hear the command from the Apostle Paul directed to us personally. God commands you and me to live generously because of what is at stake: those who get it, take hold of life as God intends for us. So you could say, those who don’t obey are the ones who miss out.
It’s yet another profound paradox of the Christian faith. Obey the command and take hold of life. Fail to obey and miss grasping life as God intends for us. In other words, when we don’t live this way, God does not miss out, because He does not need our giving. We are the ones who miss out.
No wonder He uses command language! He does not want us to miss out on “the life that is truly life.”