30 Godliness, Self-Sufficiency, Greed, and the Enjoyment of Wealth: 1 Timothy 6:3–19 – Part 2

Chapter Summary

Commentators point to the similarity of 6:17-19 to Luke 12:16-21 and 16:1-4 and claim that the author knew the advice he gave from the Christian moral tradition. The mandate to Timothy consists of theological statements about God as the source of Christian wealth; warnings against pride and trust in the uncertainty of riches; enjoyment as the purpose of riches; the doing of good works; and the responsibility to share wealth in the present. As it was for Stoics and Cynics, the self-sufficient life was also the ideal for Epicureans, their intention being to live naturally. But they differed in the way they viewed αὐτάρκεια and wealth. The attitude toward money and its use in 1 Tim 6 has much in common with contemporary ideas of philosophers, but also found in dicta or attitudes contained in proverbs, clichés, inscriptions, and drama.

Keywords: christian wealth; Epicureans; God; self-sufficiency; Timothy