Protecting the Treasure

“O Timothy, guard the deposit entrusted to you. Avoid the irreverent babble and contradictions of what is falsely called ‘knowledge’” (1Tim 6:20).

Imagine guarding America’s gold at Fort Knox. How about the assignment to protect the crown jewels in Tower of London? Hey, no pressure. You’re only in charge of protecting some of the world’s most precious assets. It’s not yours. But it is your responsibility. 

You might find this hard to believe but 2,000 years ago, a young pastor named Timothy was given a treasure even more valuable to defend. His mentor Paul has written Tim some critical instructions about getting the church of Ephesus back on track. Near the end of that letter, the apostle reminds him of the central purpose of his mission. “O Timothy, guard the deposit entrusted to you. Avoid the irreverent babble and contradictions of what is falsely called ‘knowledge’” (v20). Don’t fall for distractions. Protect the treasure.

While on divine assignment in Macedonia (1Tim 1:3), the man from Tarsus gets personal with his protege. “O Timothy” (v20). In essence, Paul grabs Tim by the shoulders and wants his full and undivided attention. He gets raw. He gets real. Look me in the eyes, young man. It’s no surprise, really. The apostle considers the young buck from Lystra his spiritual son (1Tim 1:2). 

Not long after they met (Acts 16:1), Tim moved inside Paul’s circle of trust. Starting in Acts 16, Dr. Luke repeated mentions Tim as a key player in the spread of the Gospel around the Mediterranean rim (Acts 17:14-15; 18:5; 19:22; 20:4). The apostle drops his name throughout his letters (Rom 16:21; 1Cor 4:17; 16:10-11; 2Cor 1:1; Phil 1:1; Col 1:1; 1Th 1:1; 3:2; 2Th 1:1; Phm 1). Paul goes so far as to tell his Philippian friends, “I have no one like him” (Phil 2:19-23). I don’t know about you, but I certainly wouldn’t mind having that on my resume!

Now that the apostle has Tim’s full attention, he instructs him to “guard the deposit entrusted to you” (v20). Paul uses a Greek verb here (Gr. phulasso) that paints a picture of keeping watch over someone or something, protecting them, keeping from harm, or even defending them. When Paul tells the story about the dark day before Jesus saved him when he ran the coat check table at Stephen’s stoning, he says he was “watching over (Gr. phulasso) the garments of those who killed him” (Acts 22:20). (Gr. phulasso) in Herod’s praetorium” (Acts 23:35). The apostle tells the Thessalonians how we can be sure Jesus will “guard (Gr. phulasso) you against the evil one” (2Th 3:3).

Tim is to focus his energy on protecting the “deposit entrusted to you” (v20). Just what is this deposit he’s supposed to guard? What could it be? Gold? Jewels? Cash? Paul’s collection of Bible trading cards that includes his Methuselah rookie card? Nope. Not even close. Something much more precious. Something much more valuable. Truth. Specifically, THE truth. God’s Truth. The capital “T” Truth of Jesus’ substitutionary sacrifice for you and me. Trust me, there’s no greater treasure to protect. 

That’s because guarding the Gospel hasn’t exactly been a top priority at the Ephesian church. A team of spiritual hucksters duped folks from following Jesus with all sorts of goofy stuff. A quick check of this letter tells us they taught everything from crazy myths to complicated family trees to outright lies to demonic doctrine (1Tim 1:3-4; 4:1-2). Anything and everything BUT salvation by grace through faith. Get back to Gospel. Jesus lived the perfect life we failed to live. He died the death for our sin we should have died. He rose to the new life we don’t deserve. Preach that truth. Protect that treasure.

Once we get back to the true message of God’s grace, we need to steer WAY clear of the cotton candy that’s too often make a regular part of our spiritual diet. “Avoid the irreverent babble and contradictions of what is falsely called ‘knowledge’” (v20). Pretty much gives you Paul’s take on the gobbledegook the false teachers have been spreading. One very important way of protecting the treasure is putting distance between you and anything that leads me away from a deeper relationship with Jesus. 

I actually think the original language here is actually tougher than most of the modern translations. Paul takes the gloves off and starts punching bare knuckle. According to the apostle, the false teachers have gone WAY too far. “Irreverent” is the Greek word bebelos, which literally a “step over the threshold.” We see the very same term when Paul gives Tim very similar instructions. “Have nothing to do with irreverent (Gr. bebelos) silly myths” (1Tim 4:7). We all know someone who’s constantly right up to the line and going over like an athlete who doesn’t realize he’s gone out of bounds.

If that’s not bad enough, their counterfeit message is a complete waste of oxygen. The ESV translators use “babble” which is actually kenophonia. It’s a compound word the apostle uses to paint an incredibly descriptive picture of empty talk. Remember Charlie Brown’s teacher? “Wah-wah-wah-wah.” Their lips are moving but nothing’s really coming out. Their babble is just unbiblical blah-blah-blah. In his followup letter to Tim, Paul uses both of these words together again. “Avoid irreverent (Gr. bebelos) babble (Gr. kenophonia), for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness, and their talk will spread like gangrene” (2Tim 2:16-17). Well there’s a lovely image.

It gets worse. Their teaching simply doesn’t make sense because it’s loaded with “contradictions” (v20) It should come as a surprise to no one that the Greek word here is antithesis. They actually disagree with themselves. The only thing consistent about them is their inconsistency. A person who takes one position today and then does a 180 tomorrow. You know people like that, don’t you? Of course you do. They’re called politicians. When a church leader constantly changes their position on an issue based on the shifting political and cultural winds, run away. Run away fast. Run, Forrest, Run!!

And just because someone tells you something is the real deal, don’t take it at face value. Folks in Ephesus have been falling for “what is falsely called ‘knowledge’” (v20). They’ve been selling lies under an assumed name. That’s exactly what the original language tells us. “Falsely called” is the word pseudonumos. Look familiar? Well, it should. It describes someone using a fake name or an alias. They’ve slapped a label over their snake oil and sold it as the truth. 

Take a page out of the Bereans playbook. Remember them? Back when Paul first told Jews in Berea that Jesus was the Messiah God had long promised, they didn’t just take it at face value. “They received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so” (Acts 17:11). Be a Berean. Do your research. Just because somebody says their teaching so-called “knowledge” (by the way, use “air quotes” if it helps), don’t just accept what they say without seeing if the Bible backs it up. Otherwise, I’ve got bad news about that email you just received from the Nigerian prince.

How does this 2,000-year-old letter apply to you and me? So very glad you asked. We need to carefully “guard the deposit” given to us. We must protect treasure that is the truth of the Gospel. Every follower of Jesus has that responsibility. While this is especially important for those in ministry, it applies to all of us. Paul tells the believers in Corinth that we’re all “servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God” (1Cor 4:1). The apostle reminds the Thessalonian church how his team guarded the message of Jesus and “entrusted with the Gospel” (1Th 2:4). Protect the treasure. Guard it with your life.

One very specific way to do that is avoiding useless discussions about things that seem religious on the surface but are really a spiritual black hole. You know what I’m talking about don’t you? Stuff like Bible codes, dinosaurs on the ark, who were the Nephilim, and Jesus’ alleged marriage to Mary Magdalene. Don’t go there. Don’t even go anywhere near there. It’s a total waste of time. Concentrate on what matters. Let’s keep our eyes on Jesus, the Founder and Finisher of our faith (Heb 12:2). Let’s keep the main thing the main thing. 

Forget Fort Knox. Don’t worry about the crown jewels. If we’re going to guard anything, guard the Good News of grace. Let’s protect the treasure.

Hoarding for Jesus

“thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life” (1Tim 6:19).

I’m lost when it comes to investing. My eyes glaze over when the talk turns to stocks, bonds, mutual funds, T-Bills, Roth IRAs, and 401ks. Just typing those terms confuses me. But we all need to have a financial plan for our future. Before you think that’s not trusting in our good God, you might want to re-read Proverbs. 

Did you realize here in Paul’s first letter to Timothy, the apostle actually gives investment advice to the wealthy? He says when rich folks demonstrate radical generosity, they’re actually “storing up treasure for themselves a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life” (v19). Radically sharing God’s blessings allows us to not just hoard for the future but enjoy life right now. In God’s economy, you CAN have your cake and eat it too but…here’s the catch…you’ve got to give your cake away first. Paul runs the numbers and tell us that generosity is a crazy combo of delayed gratification AND immediate satisfaction.  

The context for this epistle is important. Paul and Tim are working their pastoral tails off trying to get the Ephesian church out of the ditch and back on the road. A posse of spiritual hucksters distracted folks from following Jesus by serving up a heretical cocktail of religious sounding mumbo jumbo, endless family histories, urban legends, con games, and downright demonic doctrine (1Tim 1:3-7; 4:1-2). These false teachers saw the church as an easy mark and a get-rich-quick scheme (1Tim 6:5-10). 

Their greed no doubt negatively influenced the wealthier members of the congregation. So here near the end of his note to Pastor Tim, Paul has special instructions for those rich folks who love Jesus (1Tim 6:17-20). God commands the rich to be rich. NOT get rich. BE rich. In good deeds. They do that through scandalous giving. God blesses them to be a blessing. He’s been generous to them so they can be generous to others.

Before you and I think we’re off the hook because we’re anything but rich, think again. If you’re reading this and make over $48,000 annually, you’re in the top ONE PERCENT of people in the world. Yeah, you read that right. In. The. World. So since you probably ARE rich, God has investment advice on how to BE rich. Now really, is there a better financial counselor than the Wonderful Counselor? You might want grab a pen. What God has to say about money is going to be better than any stock tip you get from your buddy who’s into day trading and up to his eyeballs in debt. 

When we’re openhanded with God’s good gifts, we’re actually “storing up treasure” (v19). Paul uses a Greek word here (Gr. apothesaurizo) that describes the acquisition of something incredibly valuable. It’s a compound term that literally means “to separate from (apo-) in order to accumulate valuables (-thesaurizo).” Ever known anyone who collected something aggressively and guarded it carefully? Think of a hoarder. A generous giver is actually a hoarder for Jesus. I’m not sure I can truly wrap my brain around that.

Living a life that’s a giving life is actually an investment that pays off down the road. Or in Paul’s words, it’s a “foundation for the future” (v19). Think of it this way. Generosity now actually begins the construction of the spiritual dream house you live in later. God uses my unselfishness today to build me into what He wants to be tomorrow. That makes sense when we remember the core character of our Great Giving God. Our Heavenly Dad is an amazing Giver (James 1:17). He gave His Son who gave His life for us (Jn 3:16). And He’s ultimately conforming us into the image of His Son (Rom 8:29). A big part of the me to be is as a giver like my God. Hoarding for Jesus means generosity now and the footings for a future of giving. 

I have to get it through my rather thick noggin that for me to receive God’s future blessings I need to loosen my death grip on what He’s already given me. Too often, I latch onto His good gifts with both hands like a running back trying not to fumble in the fourth quarter. Nobody’s taking them from me. But once I let go and share those with others, something funny happens. Not “funny ha ha” but “funny interesting.” Not only is God able to bless the socks off someone else but it frees my fingers up to receive something more. Usually something better. You see, Jesus has been paying it forward a few thousand years before Hollywood decided to make a movie about it.

Now here’s where it gets really whacky. What we give today not only forwards to the future but also allows us to drink deeply from the cup of life right here right now. Or as Paul says, “So that they may take hold of that which is truly life” (v19). Present to the future and back to the present. Apparently godly generosity engages some sort of Flux Capacitor or Hot Tub Time Machine. Sacrificial giving is both delayed gratification AND immediate satisfaction. Talk about the gift that keeps on giving! Give to the future and receive in the present. That’s hoarding for Jesus.

Did you catch that being generous allows us to get our hands on “that which is truly life” (v19)? Paul seems to hint that there’s a phony, smoke-and-mirrors life that fools us. Reminds of the silliness of reality TV. A vast majority of what happens on these shows is completely manufactured and totally manipulated. You can call stuff like “The Bachelor” and “The Real Housewives” a lot of things. Reality is not one of them. But I digress. 

What we fall for so often is no more real that reality TV. We get sucked into a counterfeit existence that falls far short that what God has for us. How good is the real deal? Well, Jesus said Himself it was the whole reason He came. “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly” (Jn 10:10). Nothing stingy about the life Christ supplies. He’s talking about a fill-it-to-the-brim-and-running-down-the-sides kind of life. A fabulous reminder how eternal life starts NOW! It’s not something we receive on the other side of eternity. 

God’s Word is chockfull of wisdom regarding wealth. Earlier in this same letter, Paul tells Tim how an unhealthy desire to pile up cash is a trap and how greed is actually human root rot (1Tim 6:9-10). In His most famous sermon, Jesus says we’re to stop falling for the fool’s gold of earthly good but make eternal investments. Wherever I make my investment, I can be sure my heart will be there too (Mt 6:19-21). 

In a heartbreaking conversation, Jesus encourages a wealthy young entrepreneur to sell off his portfolio and donate all the proceeds to help others, “and you would have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me” (Mt 19:21; Lk 18:22). Sadly he refuses to divest. Elsewhere, Jesus tells a famous story about a rich but foolish farmer who is worried about the future. After a record-breaking harvest, he invests in massive grain silos only to have God tip him off that he won’t live through the night. “So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God” (Mt 21:21).

In each of these instances, people had the opportunity of being givers. Present tense generosity that builds a future foundation and boomerangs back with abundant life. Delayed gratification AND immediate satisfaction. The ultimate both/and deal! Check out how the Message drops this knowledge. “If they do that, they’ll build a treasury that will last, gaining life that is truly life” (v19 The Message). Hoarding for Jesus is a win for others, a win for you, a win later, and a win now.