They have an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words …that result in envy…
Summary: Words are important, and in this passage, Paul begins to explain why.
When Paul talks about words that result in envy, my mind immediately goes to the Tenth Commandment:
“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.” (Exodus 22:17)
“Covet” and “envy” are similar to “jealousy,” but all three are different.
To “covet” means you hunger for more of something. It is sometimes used in a sentence like “I covet my time with you” or “I covet owning fast cars.”
Jealousy can mean envy, but it is also a burning desire to protect what is yours. If someone envies your wife or husband, you might feel the same jealousy God feels when his Word says, “For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God” (Deuteronomy 4:24).
Envy is a desire to have what belongs to someone else. When it comes to churches, one thing people often envy is the authority and respect accorded to church leaders.
For example, in the early days of the church, shortly after Pentecost, the Holy Spirit worked many healing miracles, signs, and wonders through the Apostles. Crowds were drawn to these men, and people marveled at what they were doing.
This is exactly the kind of attention, authority, and respect that the Jewish leaders coveted. When the high priest and his associates, members of the Sadducees, saw this, they were filled with envy (Acts 5:17, WEB). They had to take what the Apostles had, so they threw them in prison, hoping the people would return to them. Of course, it didn’t work. They were opposing God, not men.
So how do words cause envy?
When people resort to arguments over words, what often prevails is wit, not wisdom. The one who is more skilled with wordplay might appear to “win,” even if their argument lacks substance. When this happens, envy is the result. Not for the Word of God, but for the cleverness and skill that made the Word of God seem secondary to the flourish of the gilded argument.
If you ever find yourself in such an argument, be careful; envy is afoot!
Application: Stay focused on what God means in his Word, not what others argue about.
Food for Thought: What is the opposite of envy?
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Continue reading “1 Timothy 6:4c – The Gilded Argument”
