1 Timothy 6:11-16 (NKJV) But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 13 I urge you in the sight of God who gives life to all things, and before Christ Jesus who witnessed the good confession before Pontius Pilate, 14 that you keep this commandment without spot, blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ’s appearing, 15 which He will manifest in His own time, He who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords, 16 who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen.
V11 “But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness.” He is to flee from all the sins and evil of the false teachers mentioned in the previous chapter. O man of God = servant of God, someone commissioned by God for a particular task. Compare Deuteronomy 33:1 (Moses), Judges 13:6 (An angel (Jesus) to Manoah’s wife–Sampson’s mother), 1 Samuel 2:27 (unnamed prophets sent to Eli, the High Priest), 1 Samuel 9:7 (King Saul is speaking of the prophet Samuel), 1 Kings 12:22 (the prophet Shemaiah speaking to King Rehoboam), 2 Chronicles 8:14 (King David), and 2 Timothy 3:17 (all Christians yet specifically to church leaders). What things was Timothy–and by application all believers–to flee? Being disrespectful, argumentative, discontentment, and the love of money (1 Timothy 6:-10). What are we to pursue? We are to pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience ((G5281) steadfastness, constancy, endurance), and gentleness. Society would be much better off, if all people lived this way. The church (believers) is that light for God’s kingdom and Gospel.
V12 “Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.” The Greek word for “fight” is (G75) ἀγωνίζομαι agōnizomai, which means to enter a fight, here, to contend with adversaries, fight, metaph. to contend, struggle, with difficulties and dangers, to endeavour with strenuous zeal, strive: to obtain something (Outline of Biblical Usage). This describes the whole Christian life in this world (fight of faith). Lay hold of eternal life = not only salvation, but God’s life for living according to His ways on earth and for eternity. Matthew Henry writes: (Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible) “Eternal life is the crown proposed for our encouragement. We are called to lay hold thereon.” God’s call = to salvation and to service; Timothy’s call was for the service of pastor/teacher. Confessed = his testimony and statement of beliefs at his commissioning by the Apostle and elders.
V13 “I urge you in the sight of God who gives life to all things, and before Christ Jesus who witnessed the good confession before Pontius Pilate…” All life comes from God. This refers to physical life and spiritual life. God the Father is the witness (in the sight of). Christ Jesus is also a witness who gave a similar confession before Pontius Pilate (John 18:36-37 and John 19:11).
V14 “…that you keep this commandment without spot, blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ’s appearing…” This commandment = the preceding verses, even the directions of the whole letter of 1 Timothy. Without spot is being blameless. See Philippians 2:15 where blameless is understood by the next words “without (God’s) rebuke.” The appearing of the Lord Jesus Christ is when He appears to the church at the Rapture, when we (believers) will then appear before the Lord Jesus at the Bema Seat judgment for rewards (Romans 14:10-12, 2 Corinthians 5:10, and 1 Corinthians 3:9-15).
V15 “…which He will manifest in His own time, He who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords…” The Lord Jesus will be seen by all believers at the Rapture. The world in general will not see Him then, but they will at the Second Coming at the end of the Tribulation. The Lord Jesus is described as being blessed (by His Father for His faithful ministry) and only Potentate (the only King of kings and Lord of lords ruling all of this universe and earth). The Greek word “Potentate” is (G1413) δυνάστης dynastēs, which means a person of great authority and here as the absolute authority. Wuest adds: “The blessedness of this Potentate is found in the fact of His prosperity, all that He is and possesses in His Person as deity. The word “only” (monos) expresses His uniqueness as God. “King of kings” is literally, “King of those who are ruling as kings.” “Lord of lords” is, “Lord of those who are ruling as lords.” This is a protest against the Cult of the Caesar in which the Roman emperor was worshipped as lord and god. Domitian (A.D. 81-96) assumed the titles of “lord” and “god.” (Wuest Word Studies).
V16 “…who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen.” Further characteristics and honors of our great God, Jesus Christ. He has immortality (as life itself and the giver of life and has no beginning or ending), living in unapproachable light (the glory of His person, which is so great, so bright that no one can see His face). It also refers to the purity of His holiness (1 John 1:5, Ezekiel 8:2, Ezekiel 43:2, Habakkuk 3:4, and Matthew 28:3)), honor (the highest honors as in John 1:14, Hebrews 1:3, and Revelation 21:11), and everlasting power (1 Chronicles 29:11, Matthew 19:26, Romans 1:20, and Revelation 1:17). The Greek word for “power” is not the usual word in the NT. It is (G2904) κράτος krátos, which means “Strength or might, more especially manifested power, dominion. More closely related to ischús (G2479), strength, than dúnamis (G1411), power. Denotes the presence and significance of force or strength rather than its exercise.” (Word Study Dictionary).