1Ti 6:11-16 What does it mean “to flee”?  From what things is Timothy to flee?  See 1Ti 6:3-5, 10.  What things does a man of God pursue?  See 1Ti 6:11.  Why is perseverance important?  See Mat 10:22, 24:13.  Note: “pursue” is the same word translated elsewhere as “persecute”—i.e., to pursue intensely; does Paul’s use of such vivid verbs as “flee”, “pursue”, “fight” and “take hold of” indicate that the Christian walk is a noncommittal spectators sport?  Do his words indicate that because one is called or makes a good confession that eternal life is guaranteed?  See also Mat 22:14.  How does one who is called and makes a good confession “take hold” of eternal life?  Hint: why was the man in Mat 22:11-14 who was called not chosen?  What are the “wedding clothes” that we must put on in order to take hold of the eternal life to which we are called in Christ Jesus?  See Job 29:14, Is 61:10, Zech 3:4, Rom 13:14, 1 Jn 3:2-10.  Who is the ultimate source of the eternal life we are to take hold of?  See 1Ti 6:13a.  What example do we as Christians have of one who made the good confession, suffered for it, but laid hold of eternal life as a result?  In light of Christ’s example, what charge does Paul lay upon Timothy?  See 1Ti 6:14.  What “commandment” does he refer to?  See the imperatives of 1Ti 6:11-12 and cf. 1:3, 18, and Paul’s instructions to Timothy throughout the letter, all of which are related to the main reason he left Timothy in Ephesus.  In what manner and for how long was Timothy and others who would be like him to keep the commandment?  See 1Ti 6:14.  When will Christ’s appearing (epiphany) take place, and what event will accompany it?  See 2 Thess 2:8 and Acts 2:20 where NASB “glorious” and KJV “notable” translates the adjectival form of “appearing”, and which is used in the LXX as “terrible”, “awesome”, “feared”; see also Heb 9:27-28.  What do 1Ti 6:15-16 teach us about the nature and glory of God?  Cf. 1 Jn 1:5, James 1:17, Is 60:1-3,19, Jn 8:12, Rev 22:5 and consider that all that we see is because of the illumination from the unapproachable light of the far distant sun.

1Ti 6:17-19 What is the difference between those Paul addresses in these verses and those he addressed in 1Ti 6:9?  Is being wealthy inherently bad?  See Gen 24:34-35, 26:12-13, Deut 7:12-13, etc… What is the inherent danger to those who are wealthy that Paul alludes to in 1Ti 6:17?  See also Deut 8:10-14.  Instead of looking to their abundance as a security wrought by their own hands, with what attitude and for what purposes should those who are wealthy view their riches?  See 1Ti 6:17c-18.  What is the result for those who view their riches in this manner?  See 1Ti 6:19, and notice that it is in this manner that those who are wealthy “take hold” of the eternal life to which they are called (1Ti 6:12).  What is the result for those who view riches as their security and not God?  See Lk 12:16-21.  What do those who are not rich toward God consider to be “life”, and what do those who are rich toward God know to be “life indeed”?  See Lk 12:15, 23, 31-34, Jn 10:10.

1Ti 6:20-21 To what does Paul refer in 1Ti 6:20 that had been entrusted to Timothy?  See 2 Tim 1:14.  Note: The Greek word used refers literally to a “deposit”, such as a treasure deposited in a bank, and refers to the fixed deposit of the Christian faith; see “the faith” in 1Ti 3:9, 4:1,6, 5:8, 6:10, 21.  Why was it so important that Timothy guard the fixed deposit of truth of which the Christian faith is composed?  See 1Ti 6:21, 4:1.  By what means was he to do so?  See 1Ti 6:20b.  How would engaging oneself in the “profane and vain babblings” (KJV) of what is falsely called knowledge tend to put the gospel treasure at risk?  What examples of worldly and empty chatter do we have today that are put forth as truth but in fact are the very antithesis of the truth?  Is it significant that Paul charges Timothy to avoid rather than refute such empty chatter?  See also 1Ti 4:7, 2 Tim 2:14, 16, 23-24, Tit 1:14, 3:9-11.