Pay Attention
I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who testified the good confession before Pontius Pilate; 1 Timothy 6:13 NASB
Good confession – Paul gives orders to Timothy. Those orders still govern us because we are volunteers committed to the same way of life Paul expressed. Paul’s directions to Timothy are Paul’s directions to all Gentiles who come into the Way. Of course, we choose to follow them. We are not compelled. But once we accept this Way, the orders apply. Agreed?
The orders Paul gives are in the next verse, but without the context of this verse, they might easily be misunderstood. So let’s start here with the context. Notice that even if Paul didn’t believe he was writing sacred script, he clearly understood that what he was telling Timothy came with the authority of YHWH. We accept these orders on the basis of their divine origin, not simply because Paul gives them. Notice also that Paul clearly describes this origin in terms of life, not death. YHWH is the God who gives life to all things. Are you alive? Then you live because of God’s gift. You don’t live on your own merit or because of your own efforts. Life is God’s gift to you. And since it is His gift, you are obligated to Him. We often think of a gift as something that comes without any strings attached, but this is not quite the case here. While the gift of life was not given in order that you must serve Him, as all the other ancient Near-Eastern religions believed, this gift does come with a condition. That condition is to be found worthy of the gift. It is not a gift given so that you become God’s slave, but it does carry responsibility. You are expected to warrant the offer.
As if this were not enough, Paul employs a second source of authority, namely, the good confession of Yeshua before Pilate. Now we need to pay very close attention. We have the tendency to think that this good confession is the same as our confessions of trust in “Jesus” for salvation. But this is not what Yeshua revealed before Pilate. And, by the way, if the good confession were nothing more than the theology of salvation, why would it be the basis for orders? Why would Pilate care anything for orders associated with a claim to forgive sin? Go back to the dialogue between Yeshua and Pilate and you will see why this good confession is the basis of authority. Yeshua does not reveal His divinity or His role in atonement. He reveals Himself as King! That’s why these orders carry weight. They come from the King of the Universe!
What is the “good confession”? The Greek is kalen homologian – literally “saying the same good thing.” But this begs the question, “The same as what?” Here we realize that Paul must have heard this “good confession” from someone else. He wasn’t there when it happened. In fact, no one except Yeshua and Pilate knew of this confession. So the content of the confession came by way of revelation, either from Yeshua Himself or from another divine source. And the content of the confession must align with the rest of Yeshua’s teaching if it is to qualify as “good.” I can think of only one theme that is echoed in the conversation with Pilate. It is this: “The kingdom of heaven is at hand.” The reason we must follow Paul’s orders is because God is life and Yeshua is King. The reason that this is homologian is because these two statements reiterate the overall purpose of God. Life and King are the reasons we must obey. We owe Him our lives and we owe Him our obedience. The “good confession” is that Yeshua is Lord of life. It’s not about forgiveness of sins. It’s about the one who rules.
Topical Index: confession, homologian, good, kalos, king, kingdom, 1 Timothy 6:13
Dear Skip, can you explain your statement a little further; you said: “While the gift of life was not given in order that you must serve Him, as all the other ancient Near-Eastern religions believed, this gift does come with a condition.”
How do I reconcile this with verses like this:
Luke 2:29 τὸν δοῦλον σου, δέσποτα, “Sovereign Lord, permit your servant” [NET]
The word for servant is δοῦλος [doulos] slave, and the word for Lord is δεσποτεσ. [despotes] [absolute ruler – despot]. The Concordant Literal Version translates this as Owner.
In Acts 4 the word is used to describe the Creator of the Universe
In Titus 2:9 “Slaves are to be subject to their own masters in everything,” [NET]
Here the word despot is clearly a person that owns the slave. The same goes for 1 Pet 2:18.
The question came to me because I remembered 2 Tim 2:21 using this word despotes: “So if someone cleanses himself of such behavior, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart, useful for the Master [despote], prepared for every good work.”
If God doesn’t own us in order that we must serve Him, why would Paul make this statement to Timothy?
Hi Rein,
I may not fully understand your question and I’m certainly not attempting to answer for Skip, but here are some thoughts as I read your question:
I think the beginning of Skip’s TW opened the door to answering your question, that is, “Paul’s directions to Timothy are Paul’s directions to all Gentiles who come into the Way. Of course, we choose to follow them. We are not compelled. But once we accept this Way, the orders apply. Agreed?”
We CHOOSE to follow them. We are not COMPELLED. But . . ., there’s another IF – THEN situation.
Here is life offered. Accept or not. If not, then you walk in death. If you accept, THEN you choose to walk in life. Go and do it. You may, if you choose, jump off a thousand foot cliff. IF you CHOOSE to do that, you MUST walk in death and accept the finality of the conclusion of the jump-death by squashing.
IF, on the other hand, you CHOOSE NOT to jump in to death, but CHOOSE life, my gift, then you MUST walk in life, you must continually CHOOSE not to jump off the cliff, as there are many places to jump, resulting in death. Choose life and once chosen CONTINUE to walk in life, continue CHOOSING life over death at every opportunity.
The doulos comes in to play, as I understand it, after one willingly accepts the gift. If you don’t want the role of doulos, then don’t accept the gift. But, once you reach out to make the gift your own, what you also partake of is the contents that resides innately within the gift, that is, obedience to the master that offered the gift. The gift is defined by the master, the one giving it. We cannot rewrite what the gift is and we cannot alter it. Well, I suppose you could rewrite and alter it as evidenced by the Christian religion . . . ! However, Yeshua’s offer hasn’t changed. It’s always been a choice and call to demonstrated that choice, if indeed it was truly chosen.
This is a willing submission to that which the gifts obligates. If the gift is life, then you are obligated to live within that life. One cannot put on life and then walk shrouded in death, thus, you must step in to a bondservant relationship with the one bearing and offering the gift. You are given life, then walk worthy of what life is and looks like. Otherwise, there is no evidence you truly accepted the gift in the first place.
Once I jump off the cliff, I will have a very difficult time knowing confidently that I have life to look forward to and experience. You are already dead the moment you stepped off the cliff, the culmination simply depends on the depth of the cliff.
We are, whether we acknowledge it or not, a slave to whatever or whoever we actually serve or walk in tune with.
I think it’s a valid statement that God doesn’t offer us this gift in order that we must serve Him, rather, accepting his gift of life simply demands what must follow, that is, life-like actions. THAT’S the purpose of the gift, life, and all that life entails like WALKING as you are in life. The only life-like actions are those that fully mimic the Master’s. That simply equates to obedience.
Anyway, that’s my initial take on this point.
Just trying to think and reason things out here, that’s all.
Thank you for your reply Michael. Thank you for trying to think we me 🙂
I think I understand the phrase “gift of life” different than you do. I am not sure what Skip means by “gift of life.” Is he speaking of the beginning of life when you are born or the gift of Life when we are reborn. I think you see it as the gift given at rebirth. If that would be the case, I wholeheartedly agree with you. He save us by His grace [Chen] but then expects mercy [Chesed]
From the context it seems to me though that it is about life in general.
My question is whether we are obliged to serve Him solely because He is our Creator. I would say yes.
From the moment we are alive, we are His. Didn’t God say in Ez 16:21: “you slaughtered my children and sacrificed them to the idols.” We are His and obliged to serve Him.
Rein – “we are His and there is an obligation to serve Him.” But obligation, in and of itself, does not guarantee compliance.
Perhaps this will help: I am obligated to pay US federal taxes (so-called “voluntary contributions”) but if I choose not to, I will suffer the consequences of that choice. If in my rebellion I refuse to pay with dollars, I will certainly have to pay in other ways. The tax-man cometh…
We are obliged to serve God from the moment of creation. The question becomes “when will we choose to fulfill that obligation?” Once we turn (repent) and accept His offer of Life, then our continued walk IS fulfilling that obligation. If we walk away from Him, we are again refusing to fulfill the obligation and are in a worse state than we were before — but I think maybe that’s another topic.
On either count, we owe!
>> On either count, we owe! <<
I owe, I owe, – so, -off to work I go!
"abad" – work-worship-love-serve
We are His by right or authority of creation (it is He who has made us and not we ourselves!)
And we are His (again) by right or authority of the tslav. Redeemed, "bought with a price.."
What was the price He paid for us?
hint: "not with the blood of bulls and calves.." (Hebrews 9.12-14)
But drops of tears can ne'er repay
the debt of love I owe.
Here, LORD, I give myself away;
tis all that I can do.
He gave His life for us- we give our lives to Him.- Adam(s), abad and adore ADONAI, amein!
Well said, Michael.
Well said. And to think that you didn’t understand what I was saying about -if -then. So very true. If the gift is life, then you are obligated to live within that life. We live according to the instructions given to please and serve our Master. Fear yes, love for His truth, yes.
If – then?
I have no idea what you are trying to communicate here. Want to fill it in for us?
Michael was talking about when we choose to follow the life laid out for us according to the word we walk in an If, Then type of walk, related to the if you choose the things of life you then receive the things or blessings of life. If we choose to live a life of rebellion then we reap a life of death. Yaweh lays it all out for our lives. IF,THEN. Choose. What do you want? The blessings of His guidance or our own ways. Make sense?
The Silence of the Lamb
I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who testified the good confession before Pontius Pilate; 1 Timothy 6:13 NASB
“Then, I am still and wait here in the silence, until You come and sit awhile with me…”
What is this “good confession” our LORD confessed before P.P.?
“Are you the Christ?” “Are you who you say you are?”
~ and He answered him not a word.. ~
~ Speak not in the ears of a fool for he will despise the wisdom of your words.. ~
~ and He answered him not a word.. ~
~ Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you ~ (Matthew 7.6)
~ and He answered him not a word.. ~
He that reproveth a scorner getteth to himself shame: and he that rebuketh a wicked man getteth himself a blot (Proverbs 9.7)
~ and He answered him not a word.. ~
~ a time to keep silence, and a time to speak ~ (Ecclesiastes 3.8)
~ and He answered him not a word.. ~
Why did our Savior not “rise” to His own defense?
Why did He “hold His peace” or keep His tongue or refrain from speaking?
Isn’t this another fulfillment (“only” three hundred fifty plus!) of Messianic prophecy?
~ He was oppressed and afflicted, yet He did not open His mouth; He was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so He did not open His mouth ~ (Isaiah 53.7)
A little background information is always in order.. What does history reveal concerning Pontius Pilate, the “judge” judging The Judge?”
http://christianity.about.com/od/newtestamentpeople/a/Pontius-Pilate.htm
Pilate was caught between a rock and a hard place. He was no doubt feelin‘ the squeeze between Rome and the ruling Sanhedrin or reigning “religious counsel” of Jerusalem. He had the good sense(?) to realize he was about to have a riot on his hands, and that this “prophet-priest-king(?)” before Him was stirring up the people. Christ was (and is) a pebble thrown into the pond and Pontius Pilate wanted “no ripples in the (his) pond.”
We are (for some odd reason) always so quick to “assign blame.” Who may we “blame” for the crucifixion of the (have we learned “too late?”) innocent Christ?
Was this man guilty of any crime? Was this One guilty of any transgression of Torah? Was He (is He) fully Torah obedient- right on down to “every jot and every tittle?” Yes. The ONLY One who ever lived to be fully-wholly- and completely Torah obedient.
Mr., or m’am, – what about YOU?
I am going to “post” the very same question The Messiah, our LORD Jesus proposed to the people:
~ Which of you convinces Me of sin? ~
Please,please remember- “I” am not the One asking this! This is His question and His question only! This is “What He says..”
I (myself) would have multiple “witnesses” (for the prosectution) who could testify, “this man is a sinner!” I (myself) would testify (and will testify)- “I too have sinned, and am no longer worthy to be called Your son.” I “confess” (are you listening?) – I (Carl) am a sinner. I have transgressed the holy Torah of YHWH. I have not (fully) obeyed the Torah (instructions) of Elohim.
He has said, “You shall not.. and He has said, “You shall..” I am guilty of the sins of commission, (what I have done) and I am guilty of the sins of omission, (what I have not done).
The verdict is in: “Guilty!”
Sin is transgression of the Law. The Torah of YHWH. I (myself) am numbered with the transgressors. Just the facts. – I have sinned. This man (me) has sinned. I have sinned in what I have done and I have sinned in what I have not done. The living, written Word of God also declares to us all:
~ (even) the (very) thought of foolishness is sin! ~
~ The thought of foolishness is sin: and the scorner is an abomination to men. If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small ~ (Proverbs 24.9)
Wouldn’t you like to be an “abomination to men?” Then (choose to) be a scorner.
Is there a Cure?
~ Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart ~
May I? Thank You for the cross, LORD! Thank You for the price You paid! I am weak but Thou art strong!- El Elyon, – Mighty to save! I confess my weakness, but I also confess Your strength! LORD, save me!
Is He able? Is He able to save? Is He able to forgive? Is He able to deliver? Is He The Christ? Or shall we look for another?
O Thou that hearest prayer, unto Thee shall all flesh come. (Psalm 65.2)
~ Father, forgive us- for we know not what we do. All we like sheep have gone astray.. we have turned every one to his own way.. And You have laid upon Him the twistedness,the transgressions, the iniquity of us all. For You have made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him ~ Amen.
Listen. Listen to Him. (Living, Resurrected, Reigning) Word of God, speak..
~ Speak shalom unto Your people and to Your saints, but do not let us turn again unto folly..~ Amen.