Tag: agapē

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1 Timothy 6:11 (Part 4) – Love

A crystal heart with a Cross in the center (Grok)

But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. 

Summary: Love, the poet says, is a ‘many splendored thing.’ Yet when it comes to describing what those ‘splendors’ are, we sometimes get stuck.   

One thing we can be fairly confident of when we focus on Paul’s advice to Timothy is that he wasn’t suggesting Timothy pursue romantic love. 

Sometimes, of course, it is the other way around. Romantic love pursues the man! Many a young pastor has discovered that they are more popular with the fair sex than they could have imagined. Sometimes even older ones fall victim to this trap. (Satan isn’t proud when it comes to subverting God’s church. There is nothing he will not stoop to.)

The kind of “love” Paul recommends pursuing is quite different. 

When we talk about the love Paul is referring to, it is easy to ‘zone out’ and let our minds wander to some other topic. Godly love can sound ‘churchy’ and maybe even a bit stuffy. After all, we are talking about a God who has been around a long, long time and who in ancient times was responsible for plagues, people dying in battle, and sending Jesus to the cross. 

Maybe if we substitute “nice” for the word “love,” God will let us get by with that. 

The word Paul actually used is, of course, the Greek word “agapē.” Agapē is often referred to as “godly love” to set it apart from other forms of love. It includes affection but runs very deep in terms of being willing to make sacrifices for the one you love. 

One way to think of agapē is as a kind of ‘selfless love.’ 

This makes sense when we consider the two Great Commandments as Jesus summarized them.* The first is to love God above all else, including yourself. This means that we put God’s will above our own. Interestingly, putting God first guarantees our thoughts and actions will reflect his love because “God is love” (1 John 4:8). 

The second Great Commandment does something similar. It simply says we are to love our neighbor as ourselves. Here again we sacrifice putting ourselves first so that we can treat our neighbors as God would have them treated. 

Application: Love well.  

Food for Thought: What does loving our neighbor look like?

* Matthew 22:37-40

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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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1 Timothy 5:1b – Little Brother

Jesus hands the man with the spilled apple cart a better apple glowing with life. (Grok)

Treat younger men as brothers…

Summary: Paul’s instruction to Timothy about younger men is part of our Lord’s plan for setting things right in the world.   

Life is hard without Jesus. 

I remember, when I was very young, hearing someone say, “Too bad life doesn’t come with an instruction manual!” It was a comment that seemed to capture all the confusion of life’s many decisions and turning points. 

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1 Timothy 4:8 – The Life to Come

A man works out with two angels watching. (Grok)

For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. 

Summary: Does godliness have a value? It turns out that it does.   

Perhaps you have heard it said that this is a “dog eat dog” world? 

As gruesome as that saying is, the reality of a world without Christ is much worse. When it comes to “getting your way” in the world, the shortest distance between you and what you want is probably at the end of a good, stout club. 

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1 Timothy 2:15 – Living by Faith

Portrait of a family (Pixabay - courtesy of Alisa Dyson Family)

But women will be saved through childbearing—if they continue in faith, love and holiness with propriety.

Summary: Paul’s words can feel challenging, yet if we look at them in the fullness of his meaning, we discover a message that is both egalitarian and demanding. 

Paul’s view of men and women is interesting.

Earlier in verse eight, Paul says he wants men to pray, lift up holy hands, and do this without anger or disputing. Prayer requires a man to rely on God instead of themselves. Lifting up “holy hands” means our hands are clean — we haven’t been doing something we shouldn’t. Doing anything without anger and disputing can be challenging. But Paul is not finished yet. He goes on by telling women how he wants them to address their challenges, and then he says this:

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1 Timothy 1:10b – Sound Doctrine

Picture of the cross connected to seeds and fruit by colorful threads. (Grok)

… and for whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine…

Summary: Paul and Timothy both know what “sound doctrine” is. You can see it in the letter that Paul writes to Timothy. 

Since this is part of one of Paul’s famous “paragraph long” sentences, let’s look back and see how we got here. He begins with an introduction: “We know that the law is good if one uses it properly.”  Then he starts his sentence with, “We also know that the law is made… for lawbreakers and rebels…” Eventually, he gets around to “…and for whatever else is contrary to … sound doctrine…”

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1 Timothy 1:5d – The Headwaters of Love

Picture of three separate water streams forming one stream (Grok)

[The goal of this command is love, which comes from]… a sincere faith. 

Summary: Wrapping up our discussion of Paul’s three reasons for his “command,” we come to the question of faith. What is it and why is it important?  

Writing to Timothy about the need to “command” misguided believers in Jesus not to do certain things,* he says the goal is love (agapē). He then explains that there are three sources, three artesian springs if you will, where the headwaters of love spring from. The three sources are: 

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1 Timothy 1:5c – Conscious of Conscience

Picture of a heart with a compass mounted in it (Grok)

… and a good conscience…

Summary: Paul’s words are intended to guide us to a better understanding of godly love (agapē). The second key to success that he provides deals with having a good conscience.   

Where are we again? (It is easy to get lost in these word studies…)

Paul’s whole sentence reads, “The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience …”

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