Functional Anarchy
that you keep the commandment without stain or reproach, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Timothy 6:14 NASB
Commandment – In the Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, G. Schrenk makes the following observation: “In Pauline writings entole [commandment] always denotes an OT commandment except in 1 Tim. 6:14 . . .”[1] But we are forced to ask why he makes this claim. If Paul always uses entole for commandments in the Tanakh, why does Schrenk say that this is an exception to the rule (one of only two exceptions in his opinion)? The answer is purely theological. Linguistic usage argues that Paul uses entole here in the same way he uses it everywhere else. The commandment is a reference to the Tanakh, not to some novel expression. In fact, Schrenk himself argues that entole in the gospels and in the mouth of Yeshua refers to mitzvot, specifically all of the Torah, from the smallest to the largest of the commandments. Schrenk notes that Yeshua never rejected any of the mitzvot, that He endorsed even the smallest and that He expected His followers to perform them. “By concentrating on the main thrust, Jesus gives added force to the divine entole. He does this especially when he finds the essence of the commandments in love of God and love of neighbor. This accords with what is actually written in the law itself, . . .”[2]
Therefore, if we are to read this word in its usage in the gospel context, we must recognize that it means Torah, perhaps summarized as Paul suggests in Romans 1:17 citing Habakkuk 2:4. What is the commandment? “The righteous man shall live by faith.” Does this replace Torah? Not according to Yeshua or Paul. It merely summarizes Torah in the same way that Yeshua and the rabbis sought to summarize Torah. Doesn’t Yeshua say, “On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets” (Matthew 22:40)? This does not remove the rest. It simply gives us insight into their foundation.
Schrenk denies Paul’s normal usage of entole because Schrenk wants Paul to distinguish the commandment Timothy must follow from the commandments of the Tanakh. But this conclusion is unwarranted. Paul instructed Timothy in the ways already known and observed by his mother and grandmother. Paul never left Torah behind, by his own testimony. Yeshua clearly affirmed the place of Torah in the life of His followers. What then motivates Schrenk and others to attempt to dislodge Torah from Paul’s orders to Timothy? The answer can only be theological. The answer is that Schrenk seeks to justify the Christian doctrine that the Torah no longer applies to believers. But all the linguistic evidence speaks to the contrary. Torah is for all of us – unless you think Paul is a liar. If Paul did not mean the only “law” and commandments that he knew, then we are left with an abstract principle without application details. That is functional anarchy. I rather doubt this is what Paul had in mind.
Topical Index: entole, commandment, Torah, 1 Timothy 6:14
[1] G. Schrenk, “entellomai” in TDNT, Vol. II, p. 544-556 as cited in TDNT Abridged, p. 236.
[2] Ibid., p. 235.
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Skip
This is excellent. Thank You.
The Whole Story
1 Timothy 6
What Command?
All who are under the yoke of slavery should consider their masters worthy of full respect, so that God’s Name and our teaching may not be slandered. Those who have believing masters should not show them disrespect just because they are fellow believers. Instead, they should serve them even better because their masters are dear to them as fellow believers and are devoted to the welfare of their slaves.
These are the things you are to teach and insist on. If anyone teaches otherwise and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, they are conceited and understand nothing. They have an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions 5 and constant friction between people of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain.
But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.
But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which God will bring about in his own time—God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen.
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.
Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to your care. Turn away from godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge, which some have professed and in so doing have departed from the faith.
Grace be with you all.
“The answer is that Schrenk seeks to justify the Christian doctrine that the Torah no longer applies to believers. But all the linguistic evidence speaks to the contrary.”
Not to mention all the historical evidence.
“On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets” (Matthew 22:40)? This does not remove the rest. It simply gives us insight into their foundation.”
On these two commandments HANG, as with curtains, the rest of the other Law and Prophets. They do not do away the rest of the Law/Torah, nor prophets.
Without Torah and Prophets, there will be no “new Testament”. All quotations in the “NT” are from Torah and Prophets.
“that you keep the commandment”
Hmmm
My Bible’s translation seems to refer to all the commandments
“I put to you the duty of doing all that you have been told, with no faults or failures until
the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ”
And Paul also seems to make it very clear that Jesus is not God
But rather Jesus will be “revealed by God, the blessed and only Ruler of all”
…. “who alone is immortal and whose home is in inaccessible light”
“who no man has seen and no man is able to see”
Speaking of Light, I attended a dinner and Diwali festival of Light at an Indian temple the other day
In a sort of group meditation, we focused on love (ananda) in order to find the light (deepak)
It had a very calming effect on me
I also found it somewhat coincidental that I worked with Product Manager named Ananda at Cisco
And later with a Product Manager named Deepak at Foundry Networks
During that period I also encountered and became familiar with Skip Moen and The Hebrew Word