Three Minute Bible

July 22, 2026July 19, 2026

1 Timothy 6:5b – On Guard

Picture of a soldier on guard at a doorway (Grok)

… people of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth…

Summary: No one likes the idea of being robbed, but what if what the robbers took was worth more than all the money in the world?

“Help! I’ve been robbed!!”

“Oh — wait. I let it happen…”

Paul’s statement that some people have been “robbed of the truth” is thought-provoking. How do you “rob” someone of the truth?

Does someone sneak into your mind at night and find where you have hidden the truth and then take it?

The human mind is a funny thing. It is a bit like a leaky bucket. People are always putting things into our minds, wagging their finger at us, and sternly warning, “Now remember what I told you!”

Sometimes, instead of waiting for whatever they put in our minds to leak out, we just toss it as soon as they are out of sight. We know what we like, and we know what we don’t like.

Unfortunately, hanging on to the truth is hard.

One reason is our tendency to forget. Those are the “leaks” we were talking about. Another is that when people come along and start pouring words in our ears, it messes with our thinking. Certain words are especially effective at stirring our mental pot and making it hard to hang on to the truth.

The Good News for believers is that we have the Holy Spirit. Jesus promises that the Holy Spirit will help us stay grounded in the truth:

”But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” (John 14:26)

For those who are unwilling or unable to listen to the Holy Spirit, the truth is sometimes pushed out by other “truths” that people claim are real.

I’m not suggesting that people who are easily confused are rejected by God. We are, after all, his sheep (John 10:14). But confusion about the truth can render us ineffective in our work for the Body of Christ. That is why it is important for believers to read the Bible every day; we need to stay grounded in the truth.

Application: Read your Bible every day.

Food for Thought: How do you know what the truth is, and how do you guard against losing it?

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July 21, 2026July 19, 2026

1 Timothy 6:5a – Constant Friction

Picture of a hand holding a sanding block while sanding wood. (Grok)

They have an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in … constant friction between people of corrupt mind…

Summary: Some words are annoying, while others are a source of constant friction. How do we know if they come from a corrupt mind?

What do you think of when you hear the word “friction”?

Do you remember your hands getting warm when you rub them together? Do you think of the brake pads on your car? Or does your mind form a picture of people who don’t get along?

Friction wears things down. Sandpaper rubbed against wood wears the wood down, smoothing over the rough spots. The oil in your car’s engine reduces friction and helps keep the car running without causing wear.

Constant friction changes the shape of things.

People who want to wear down those who oppose them use the same tool that a carpenter does: friction. They wear people down with words.

Let’s go back to the beginning. Paul provided Timothy with a list of administrative guidelines for the church (See 1 Timothy 5). Then he tells Timothy to “teach and insist on” these things (1 Timothy 6:2).

Throughout this letter, Paul has been exhorting Timothy to “command” others regarding the teaching of the Gospel. Not that Timothy has any rank to pull over other people, but nevertheless, he is to stand firm and protect the truth.

In a sense, Paul is saying, “Don’t let them wear you down!”

This is especially true when dealing with people of a “corrupt mind.” As Paul has been pointing out, such people are “conceited and understand nothing (1 Timothy 6:4). They seem to like “controversies and quarrels about words.”

You probably know the type.

If you use social media, you’ve seen posts by people who are angry at the world. Perhaps you have a relative who is intolerant of opinions that differ from theirs. Even the Christian church is scarred by fractures and divisions over words.

Does that mean Christians who argue over theology have a “corrupt mind”?

The only answer I can see for this question is the Great Commandments (Matthew 22:37-40). Jesus tells us to love God above all else, and then to love our neighbor as ourselves.

The question we have to ask ourselves when we are tempted to engage in “controversies and quarrels” is, “What would God think?”

Clearly, some things are worth standing up for. Paul makes it clear to Timothy that he is to “Command and teach these things” (1 Timothy 4:11). Anything else, however, risks causing friction instead of love (1 Timothy 1:5).

Application: Choose your battles wisely.

Food for Thought: How can we check to make certain our arguments are based in love (agapē)?

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July 20, 2026July 19, 2026

1 Timothy 6:4f – Evil Suspicions

Prescription bottle labeled "TRUTH."
(Grok)

They have an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in … evil suspicions…

Summary: It turns out that we have to be careful to avoid evil suspicions about what Paul’s phrase means.

Okay, I have to admit that when I first read this verse, the phrase “evil suspicions” caught my attention. I immediately wondered what an “evil suspicion” could be, and then my imagination fired up, and all sorts of “evil” thoughts came to mind.

As we often do in these meditations, after my first flurry of guesses at what “evil suspicion” might mean, I turned to the original Greek to see what Paul had actually said.

As it turns out, the meaning is a bit more nuanced than I had anticipated.

The first word, “evil,” is a translation of the Greek “poneros,” which means a ‘hurtful effect’ (Strong’s G4190). The word “evil” in English generally conveys a sense that something is immoral as well as harmful.

I mention this because it seems like “evil” is often associated with the word “bad,” but in fact it is a little more specific — it is “bad,” but in a way that is immoral, harmful, and involves causing pain.

The second word, “suspicion,” is also interesting when we look at the Greek.

Once again, the English word “suspicion” carries with it the connotation that something nefarious is afoot. The Greek version, not so much.

In Greek, the word “hyponoia” is defined as both suspicion and surmising. To surmise is to jump to a conclusion and assume your conclusion is true.

So let’s put the two words together again and see what we get. It sounds like “evil suspicions” are assumptions about others that cause pain and harm.

Now, the next question is, “How?” How do evil suspicions cause pain and harm?

The answer to that is subtle. We live in a world where things that can be measured objectively are considered “real,” and everything that can’t be measured is discounted as “in your mind.”

But things that are “in your mind” are real — to you.

This, I believe, is one of Satan’s principal tricks; he tries to subtly convince us that what he whispers in our ear isn’t “real.” But think of the damage he can do in our minds if we let him.

One “evil suspicion” can ruin a friendship forever. An “evil suspicion” can become gossip, and gossip can ruin a reputation. If evil suspicions can destroy friendships and reputations, they can destroy a church.

Do you see why Paul is insisting on strict adherence to his teachings?

Application: When evil suspicions hide in the mind, truth is the antidote.

Food for Thought: What is the difference between an ‘evil suspicion’ and a regular suspicion?

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July 18, 2026July 17, 2026

1 Timothy 6:4e – Blasphemy

Cartoon of two people: one is talking away not paying attention, the other is getting mad (Grok)

They have an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in … malicious talk…

Summary: In this passage, Paul puts his finger on something that hurts families and churches alike.

The translation for our passage above is the New International Version. Their choice of words is interesting! What does “malicious talk” mean to you?

The Greek word Paul used is ”blasphēmia.” “Blasphēmia,” of course, is where we get our English word, blasphemy, from.

Normally, the word “blasphemy” is used to describe insults aimed at God, but we can also blaspheme each other. For example, look at how some other versions of the Bible translate blasphēmia:

“Verbal abuse” (AMP)

“Slander” (ESV)

“Railings” (KJV)

“Insulting” (WEB)

If you hear that someone was in a meeting at church and they “verbally abused” someone else at the meeting, what do you think happened?

What if I told you that Person A insulted Person B? Is that better or worse than verbally abusing someone?

You probably get the point: “malicious talk” actually means using words to make a personal attack on someone.

Is that a Christian thing to do?

Maybe not, but it is a human thing to do. That doesn’t mean we can excuse it, but it helps us understand it. Frustration and anger are very personal emotions. When people don’t agree with us, we can feel like we are being attacked.

Did you catch what just happened?

Person A disagrees with Person B. That is not an attack; it is expressing a point of view. Person B feels frustration. The frustration has nothing to do with Person A either. The frustration is the result of expecting others to agree because Person B feels like they are right. They have to be right because their point of view is the only one they have. Right?

Except that Person A has a different point of view.

When Person A expresses their opinion, Person B feels frustration.

What happens next is a result of putting self above others: Frustration leads to anger, and anger, of course, is the trigger for malicious talk. That is when things start to get heated and get personal.

How does the Great Commandment help us with this situation?

When we love God above all else, we don’t want to do anything to hurt God. If our neighbor hurts us (Even Person A!), then we “turn the other cheek” (Matthew 5:39) and take a deep breath. Eventually, we might even begin to see the other person’s point of view.

Application: Love God above all else.

Food for Thought: What are some good strategies for dealing with our own emotional responses to frustration?

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July 17, 2026July 16, 2026

1 Timothy 6:4d – Judge Not

Picture of a courtroom with a red "NO" symbol over the judge's bench (Grok)

They have an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in … strife…

Summary: Controversies and quarrels about words are weapons that Satan uses to cause division.

If we were talking about the best poisons to murder a Christian church with, strife would be among the top choices.

The Greek word Paul used is “eris,” which means quarreling. By implication, it means contention, debate, strife, variance;* in a word — disagreement.

(If you are interested, when Paul writes, “They have an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words …” the word he used for “quarrels about words” is “logomachia,” which Strong’s Lexicon defines as “strife of words.”†)

Words have meanings — oftentimes more than one. Words are used in a context that influences how we understand their meaning. We also provide context when we hear the words used.

What does this mean?

In short, it means that ten people can listen to the same sentence and come away with ten different understandings of what was said.

What?

Yes. Let me repeat that: Ten people can hear the exact same sentence, and each one can come away with a different understanding of what was said. They could, in fact, all be “right” from their own perspective.

Of course, context changes how we understand the meaning of words. For ten people with different understandings of a sentence to agree on the meaning, they need to engage with the context and the other listeners.

For example, the Bible says, “Judge not, that ye be not judged” (Matthew 7:1, KJV).

The word Paul used for “judge,” “krinō,” is a word with many meanings. According to some, it can be used in almost a dozen distinctly different ways.** Add to that how we hear the word, and the differences multiply.

A lawyer will hear the word differently than a plumber, and a politician will hear it differently than a pastor. You and I each have different backgrounds that affect how we feel about what we hear at a given time. The more they engage with each other about what they have read, the better they will understand the text.

The point of all this is that hearing words differently is normal. Arguing about how we hear words is not productive. Practically speaking, controlling what others think is impossible. The person might say they agree, just to avoid conflict, but what is the context of their words? What do they really mean?

God commands us to love (agapē) one another (Matthew 22:39). Forcing others to submit to our way of seeing things is not love.

Application: Strive for mutual understanding instead of control.

Food for Thought: What would happen to the churches of the world if we gave up striving about words?

*”G2054 – eris – Strong’s Greek Lexicon (NIV).” Blue Letter Bible. Web. 15 Jul, 2026. <https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g2054/niv/mgnt/0-1/>.

†”G3055 – logomachia – Strong’s Greek Lexicon (NIV).” Blue Letter Bible. Web. 15 Jul, 2026. <https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g3055/niv/mgnt/0-1/>.

**”G2919 – krinō – Strong’s Greek Lexicon (NIV).” Blue Letter Bible. Web. 15 Jul, 2026. <https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g2919/niv/mgnt/0-1/>.

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July 16, 2026July 17, 2026

1 Timothy 6:4c – The Gilded Argument

Picture of a gold plated barrister making an argument in court (Grok)

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)

July 15, 2026July 16, 2026

1 Timothy 6:4b – Words as Weapons

Two medieval knights sword fight - the swords are marked with the words "LIFE" and "DEATH." (Grok)

They have an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words…

Summary: Paul’s comment about words provides us with a powerful insight into the importance of meaning.

What is the opposite of a “quarrel about words…”?

Words are the building blocks of language. Language is the bridge that connects one mind with another. The words we choose and how we use them are the key to unlocking understanding and unity.

July 14, 2026July 16, 2026

1 Timothy 6:3-4a – Slip Slidin’ Away

Kids on a slip-N-slide in the backyard (Grok)

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.

Summary: The Bible often provides illustrations for the things that it teaches. In this case, we can turn to King David for a vivid illustration of Paul’s point.

This passage reminds me of a story in the Old Testament about one of King David’s sons, Absalom. The background for the story is David’s own sin when he slept with Bathsheba and had her husband, Uriah the Hittite, killed in battle.

July 13, 2026July 16, 2026

1 Timothy 6:2b – Godly Goals

Picture of a really tall goalpost (Grok)

These are the things you are to teach and insist on.

Summary: Paul’s words send us back to his letter to review what he has been saying.

In chapter five of Paul’s letter,* Paul addresses what might be called the ‘administrative’ side of the church. How are older men and younger women supposed to be treated? Paul insists that they be treated gently and with purity. (1 Timothy 5:1-2)

July 11, 2026July 13, 2026

1 Timothy 6:2 – Top Dog

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.

Summary: Expectations are a cruel master if we set them too high. Being realistic about who we are and what we do makes life much better and pleases our God.

What if my boss is a believer? Does that mean I can expect special treatment?

Good question!

“Hey boss, I’m sorry I’m late (again). I’ll try harder next time. You’ll forgive me, won’t you?”

It would be nice if it worked that way.