Three Minute Bible

August 22, 2026August 21, 2026

1 Timothy 6:20a – Two Questions

Image: A young man contemplates guarding the truth (Grok)

Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to your care.

Summary: Paul’s instruction to Timothy in this passage leaves us with a bit of a puzzle.

When I read Paul’s closing words to Timothy, my mind has two simple questions:

1. What has been entrusted to Timothy’s care?

2. What is Timothy to guard against?

While it is tempting to generalize a response to these questions, they are worth taking a few moments to think about before we answer.

What has been entrusted to Timothy’s care? Is Paul referring to the instructions he has given Timothy in this letter? Is he referring to the people Timothy serves in Ephesus? Is he talking about something else?

One other possibility has to do with the “good confession” both Timothy and Jesus made. Paul does not tell us what words Timothy spoke when he made his good confession, but we do have a clue in Jesus’ case: Jesus made his good confession before Pilate.

What did Jesus say?

“You say that I am a king. In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.” (John 18:37)

Ah, yes. Before Pilate, the Roman Governor of Judea, Jesus did not deny being a king. Instead, he simply stated that he came to testify to the truth.

What truth was that?

“Whoever believes in him [God’s Son, Jesus] is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.” (John 3:18)

That is a hard truth to hear for a lot of people. It certainly was for the Pharisees who plotted to kill Jesus. As far as Pilate was concerned, “What is truth?” (John 18:38)

Which brings us to the second question: What is Timothy to guard against?

Perhaps the answer is as simple as one little word: Lies. Especially lies about the Gospel.

Application: Always trust Jesus.

Food for Thought: Who decides what the truth is?

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August 21, 2026August 20, 2026

1 Timothy 6:19b – True Life

A father embraces his son on the road home (Grok)

…so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.

Summary: The difference between life and life that is “truly life” is stark, but we can only see it if we look at life the way Jesus sees it.

One of the things about the Bible that I find fascinating is the depth of meaning behind the words. When Paul writes “the life that is truly life,” he is referring to something that is either blindingly obvious or stunningly opaque. Whether you see it or not depends entirely on your relationship with God.

Adam and Eve faced the same conundrum. They had the “life” that was “truly life,” but didn’t appreciate it (the same was true for ancient Israel). Jesus explains what Paul means in the parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32).

In the parable, a man has two sons. One demands his inheritance early, before his father even dies, and takes off for the Big City. He squanders his money and becomes destitute. The father, meanwhile, is mourning the loss of his son. From his perspective, the son is “dead” (vs 24, 32).

Do you see the conundrum? The son is still “alive,” but he is separated from the father. To the father, the son is “dead.”

When the son realizes that he is facing death, he decides to return home, not as a son but as a servant. He apparently realizes that he has given up any claim to sonship. He starts for home, but before he even arrives, his father sees him and meets him on the road (v 20). At this point, the father announces that the son who was dead is now alive (v 24).

The son who was “dead” was never really “dead” in the story. Yet, until he returned to a relationship with his father, he was considered dead.

We are no different from the prodigal son in the story.

If we do not acknowledge our Father in heaven, we are “dead” to him. If we do, we become “alive” with the life that is “truly life.”

God knows that we cannot make it back to him on our own, so he sent his Son, Jesus Christ, to meet us on the road. If you haven’t already, get to know Jesus. He will change your life from one that is “dead” to one that is ‘truly alive.’

Application: True life is found in Jesus.

Food for Thought: How do we know if we have taken hold of “true life” or not?

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August 20, 2026August 19, 2026

1 Timothy 6:19a – A Firm Foundation

Picture of an old house on a stone foundation. (Pixabay)

In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age…

Summary: Paul’s comment about treasure in heaven invites us to think about what heaven will be like.

In his discussion about the faith of Abraham, the writer of Hebrews notes that he was obedient to God and faithful because “…he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God” (Hebrews 11:10).

A city built by God. That sounds amazing!

The concept of a “foundation” can apply to more than buildings. Ideas have “foundations,” too.

The “idea” Paul is referring to has to do with our life when we are with Jesus in heaven. What will that be like? Does what we do in this life affect our life in heaven?

First, before we begin to ponder this, it helps to remember Paul’s words to the Corinthians:

”For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.” (1 Corinthians 13:12, KJV)

When we talk about heaven, we are talking about things we can’t know until we get there.

Bummer!

However, there are things we can know. For example, we can “lay up treasure” for ourselves. Jesus himself tells us to “store up for yourselves treasures in heaven” (Matthew 6:19-21).

I guess that makes sense. Maybe it is like saving for retirement?

When we save for our retirement, we set aside “treasure” for later use. How much treasure and the kind of treasure determine what we can do in retirement, not whether or not we retire. The money we save is a “foundation” for retirement, not the retirement itself.

Just like planning for our earthly retirement, what we do in this life appears to matter for our spiritual life, too. Jesus says:

“Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done.” (Revelation 22:12)

Notice that Jesus does not say, “I will give to each person according to how much money they have saved up.” He specifically points to “what they have done.”

Is Jesus saying that we are “saved” by what we have done?

No. Absolutely not. “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith…” (Ephesians 2:8). Yet, faith and deeds are connected (James 2:14-18). We cannot separate them, nor should we try.

“Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.” (Galatians 6:7)

Application: Jesus sees us in everything we do.

Food for Thought: What happens to our faith when people try to separate what we believe from what we do?

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August 19, 2026August 18, 2026

1 Timothy 6:18 – Good Deeds

Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.

Summary: What is a person who has money to do when they give their hearts to Jesus?

There is one thing we should clear up before we get too far down our meditational road: Is Paul really commanding Timothy to “command” as much as it sounds like he is?

In the prior verse, Paul tells Timothy to “command those who are rich…” not to be arrogant, etc.

In the original Greek, Paul uses the word “parangellō” for “command.” The NIV adds the second “command” in verse eighteen as an interpretive clarification. This captures the meaning of the Greek grammar, but the word itself has more meanings.

The word “parangellō“ can be translated as meaning “command,” or it can mean “charge,” “urge,” “direct,” “teach,” or “instruct” people in how they should behave. Much depends on how we understand these words when we read them.

In verse seventeen, Paul describes what the rich are not to be. In this verse, he describes what they are to do.

They are to “do good.” Not by human standards of doing good, but by God’s standard of doing good. They are to be “rich in good deeds,” and “generous and willing to share.”

What does that look like?

This is one of those topics where it would be nice to have a checklist of things we could do that qualify as “good” in God’s eyes. Instead, God leaves us to consider what we know of his Word, and what the Holy Spirit might be leading us to do, but he does offer some suggestions.

Speaking through the prophet Isaiah, God speaks about the kind of fasting (sacrifice) he has chosen:

“Is it not to share your food with the hungry
    and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—
when you see the naked, to clothe them,
    and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?” (Isaiah 58:7)

In short, God wants us to “love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:29).

Rich and poor both have much to offer when it comes to helping our neighbors. Sometimes what is needed is only a smile and a listening ear. At other times, money might be the answer — something the “rich” can provide. Both are valuable in God’s eyes. Both have a place in the Kingdom of God.

Application: Live large, give generously.

Food for Thought: How would you encourage people who have money to live generously?

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August 18, 2026August 17, 2026

1 Timothy 6:17b – Enjoyment

…but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.

Summary: In this passage, Paul points us to those things that are both the sweetest things in life and also the most often taken for granted.

Let’s review. The entire passage reads as follows:

“Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.”

Those who are “rich” in this world can buy things with their money that others cannot. They can also use their money to help others in their time of need. Money has many uses, but, as Paul points out, it is deceptive. It can also lead to arrogance and putting our trust in material things instead of God.

Instead, all of us, rich or poor, should put our hope in God.

Why?

Because God provides us with “everything for our enjoyment.”

What does Paul mean?

What does God provide for us that is “for our enjoyment”?

This is one of those verses where it is helpful to stop for a moment and think about what it is we enjoy.

We can “enjoy” having things that others don’t have, but that kind of enjoyment comes at the expense of those who do not have. When we “enjoy” being envied by others because we have something they don’t have, that is not a “joy” that God approves of. (See Micah 6:11-13)

Instead, think of the things God provides us without asking.

First and foremost, is life itself. Without life, we would not even exist to enjoy God’s creation. If this sounds like a trivial point, remember that when God created Adam and Eve, they rejected him as God and chose to be “like God” himself (Genesis 3:5). The result was a disaster for humanity (Romans 1:32).

We don’t deserve being allowed to live. On top of that, God has provided redemption and atonement through his Son, Jesus Christ (Romans 3:23-25). Because of him, we live!

Beyond that, what does God provide?

There are many things, but the sweetest and most desirable is also the one thing money can’t buy— a relationship with our Creator (John 1:12-13). If we have that, then everything else is enjoyable, too.

Application: Thank God!

Food for Thought: How would you describe the kind of “enjoyment” Paul is talking about?

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August 17, 2026August 17, 2026

1 Timothy 6:17a – The Temporary Trap

Cartoon of stock market crash chart and unhappy investor (PIxabay)

Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain…

Summary: True security isn’t found in what we accumulate, but in the One who holds tomorrow.

After pausing for a magnificent eruption of praise, Paul shifts his focus right back to the practical realities of life in Ephesus. And he doesn’t beat around the bush. He gives Timothy a direct directive: “Command those who are rich in this present world…”

Notice how Paul frames this: “rich in this present world.”

Paul isn’t condemning money itself, nor is he saying it’s a sin to have resources. What he is doing is drawing a sharp line between two different realms—the temporary horizon of right now, and the permanent reality of eternity.

Having wealth in this life comes with two specific, subtle traps that Paul warns us against:

1. The Trap of Arrogance

When people accumulate wealth, it is dangerously easy to start believing your own press. You begin to think that your financial balance sheet is a reflection of your personal worth, superior wisdom, or inherent goodness. Arrogance creeps in when we forget that everything we have is borrowed time and borrowed assets.

2. The Trap of False Hope

The second warning is even more insidious: putting our hope in wealth. Why is that such a bad strategy? Because, as Paul bluntly puts it, wealth is “so uncertain.”

Markets crash. Currencies inflate. Economies shift. Hardware fails and business models become obsolete overnight. Building the foundation of your life, your identity, or your security on worldly wealth is like building a skyscraper on shifting sand. It feels solid right up until the moment it isn’t.

God doesn’t tell us to avoid relying on wealth to rob us of joy, but to protect us from heartbreak. He knows that horizontal assets can never bear the weight of a human soul’s need for true security.

Application: Check your foundation. Are you placing your hope in what you have, or in the God who gave it to you?

Food for Thought: In what ways do we let our possessions or financial stability dictate our sense of confidence?

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August 15, 2026August 16, 2026

1 Timothy 6:16b – The Final Word

A Giant gold "AMEN!" looms above us. (Grok)

To him be honor and might forever. Amen.

Summary: Praise isn’t just how we close a prayer—it’s the anchor that keeps our soul steady when everything else shakes.

When you reach the end of a long, intense letter, the final words carry extra weight.

Paul has spent 1 Timothy calling out false teachers, untangling church conflicts, warning against the traps of money, and charging Timothy to fight the good fight of faith. It’s a heavy, practical, demanding list of instructions.

And then, right after describing God as the immortal King who lives in unapproachable light, Paul stops counting tasks and simply erupts in worship:

“To him be honor and might forever. Amen.”

It feels almost like Paul couldn’t help himself. When your mind truly catches a glimpse of who God is—His absolute authority, His uncreated life, His unapproachable purity—you don’t end with a checklist. You end with a doxology.

Paul uses his doxology to remind us that honor belongs to God. This is not an opinion; it is a fact. The ultimate authority in the universe, the Creator of all things, deserves honor. Any human honor is a distant second to the honor owed to God.

He also reminds us of God’s might—his power and dominion. The King of kings and Lord of lords does not need to ask anyone’s permission. His authority is backed up by ultimate power. His dominion is everything that exists.

The “Amen” at the end is the exclamation mark of agreement—“So be it!”

When Paul writes “Amen” here, he isn’t just wrapping up a sentence. He is planting a flag. He is telling Timothy: No matter how tough Ephesus gets, no matter how tired you feel in the ministry, this is the unshakeable reality beneath your feet.

When we recognize that all real might belongs to God forever, human threats and cultural pressures lose their terror. We rest in His permanence. Everything around us changes, fades, or breaks down. God’s honor and might aren’t seasonal—they are forever.

Application: Join with Paul in worshipping God. Amen!

Food for Thought: How does consciously declaring God’s “honor and might” change the way we approach a difficult decision or stressful situation?

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August 14, 2026August 13, 2026

1 Timothy 6:15b-16a – Being God

A bright light shines over the horizon. (Grok)

God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see.

Summary: Paul’s words provide a description of God that is both awe-inspiring and humbling.

One of the things about the Bible that is a bit hard for us to comprehend is how things work in the spiritual realm. For example, Jesus says that he and the Father “are one” (John 10:30). What does that mean? How are we to understand this?

Here, in Paul’s letter, he writes that God is the “King of kings and Lord of lords.” That makes sense to me because Paul is pointing to God’s supreme authority. He is God, and we are not. But there is something else here. Paul is not the only one to use this description of God.

In John’s description of Jesus setting out for the final battle against Evil we see him described with a name on his thigh:

“On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: King of kings and Lord of lords.” (Revelation 19:16)

Both God and Jesus share the same title. Both of them share the same authority. As Jesus said, “I and the Father are one.”

Both are immortal.

I thought the use of the word “immortal” was interesting, because when we live with God in heaven, all of us who serve King Jesus will technically be “immortal.” But there is a big difference between our life in Christ and God’s immortality.

God pre-existed everything (Genesis 1:1). He exists outside of time (Psalm 90:4). He is to human immortality what a 100-year-old man is to a newborn baby.

The immortality of God is without beginning or end.

Then we have the quality of Light. Paul says the Lord lives in “unapproachable light.”

I am reminded of the story of Paul’s direct encounter with the Lord:

“As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him.” (Acts 9:3)

When Paul says that God lives in “unapproachable light,” he knows what he is talking about!

Authority, immortality, and unapproachable light. There is a reason the Bible says that we should “fear the Lord” (Deuteronomy 6:13).

Application: God is Awesome!

Food for Thought: What would you add to Paul’s description of God’s power and position?

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August 13, 2026August 12, 2026

1 Timothy 6:14b-15a – Game Changer

Picture of a chessboard with a football dropping into the middle of the game. (Grok)

… until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which God will bring about in his own time…

Summary: Understanding that Jesus is coming again is a game changer for many of us.

When you read the words in this passage, what do you think of?

For some of you, this is a ‘loaded’ question. Church leaders have argued about what these words mean for centuries. In fact, this topic is one of those that divides many churches, so we are going to approach this carefully and in love (agapē). I want to respect your opinions while at the same time gently challenging your thinking a bit.

Let’s explore some passages about Jesus’ coming:

“Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.” (Matthew 16:28)

This is a very interesting statement because it is a direct statement of fact. Jesus is not speaking metaphorically or in parables. Taken at face value, his words mean that the coming of Jesus in his kingdom will be witnessed by people who were alive in Jesus’ day.

Obviously, the first question that inquiring minds want to know is this: Are Jesus and Paul talking about the same thing? In other words, is “coming in his kingdom” the same thing as “appearing”?

In the case of Jesus’ statement about the ‘Son of Man coming in his kingdom,’ a few verses later Jesus takes Peter, James and John to the top of a mountain where they see Jesus’ glory revealed (Matthew 17:1-13).

In Daniel’s vision (Daniel 7), he sees “one like a son of man” coming before God and being given “authority, glory and sovereign power” (Daniel 7:14). The vision says that “his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.”

Do you remember the vision of Stephen as he spoke before the Sanhedrin? He says:

“‘Look,’ he said, ‘I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.’” (Acts 7:56)

Does this qualify as an “appearance of our Lord Jesus”?

Finally, since this is supposed to be a brief meditation, what about the thief on the cross? Recognizing his guilt, he turns to the man on the cross next to him and sees, not another man, but a king. He simply asks to be remembered when Jesus comes into his kingdom. And Jesus’ response?

“Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.” (Luke 23:43)

There is much more in the Bible on this topic, but one thing we can be sure of— Jesus Christ is King.

Application: When it comes to the Bible, keep your eyes on God.

Food for Thought: How does this passage help Timothy—and us—keep our focus on our good confession?

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August 12, 2026August 12, 2026

1 Timothy 6:13c-14a – All or Nothing

Cartoon showing an archer with a target that is only the bullseye (Grok+)

… I charge you to keep this command without spot or blame…

Summary: This passage is packed full of everything that Paul holds dear.

As we work our way through Paul’s letter to Timothy, we methodically pick through every sentence for spiritual and informational gemstones God has planted in the text. This is not an approach we take lightly! However, a drawback of moving slowly is that we can lose track of the larger picture. For example, which “command” is Paul referring to?

If we go back to the beginning of the paragraph, Paul says, “But you, man of God…,” and then he launches into a series of instructions:

1. Flee from the temptations that come with a desire for money (verses 6-10).

2. Pursue “righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness” (v 11).

3. “Fight the good fight of the faith” (v 12).

4. Take hold of … eternal life (v 12).

5. Hold fast to your “good confession” of faith in Jesus Christ (v 12).*

Could this be the “command” Paul is referring to?

Then there is the qualifier that Paul adds:

“I charge you to keep this command without spot or blame…”

Whoa!

That sounds a lot like Paul is demanding perfection.

Is he?

The answer, in short, is “Yes.” Paul is asking a lot of Timothy. Yet, before we rush to judgment, let’s step back and take a deep breath.

First of all, Paul considers Timothy to be his “true son in the faith” (1 Timothy 1:2). This is different than a father’s expectation of his biological son. Paul’s sentiment toward Timothy is not based on emotional affection but instead on a shared love and commitment for the Gospel.

In his quest to serve God, Paul holds himself to an impossibly high standard.

Before he understood that Jesus was, in fact, the Son of God, Paul persecuted Christians to the ends of the earth because he believed they were an affront to God. After he encountered the living God on the road to Damascus, Paul changed course and devoted his life to the very thing he had been committed to destroying.

In his service to God, Paul doesn’t allow himself to serve in half measures. It is all or nothing, and he expects the same of his true son in the faith.

Application: Be ‘all in’ for Jesus.

Food for Thought: Some might accuse Paul of demanding we submit to ‘works righteousness.’ What do you think? What is Paul asking of Timothy and us?

*Yes, I am putting words in Paul’s mouth here. See “1 Timothy 6:13b – Good News!.”

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