Rich – Three Minute Bible

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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July 28, 2026July 27, 2026

1 Timothy 6:9 – The Trap

Cartoon showing Rube Goldberg type "Trap" using money for bait. (Grok)

Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.

Summary: Wanting wealth is not bad in itself, but there is great danger in putting our hope in material things.

The problem with the word “rich” is that it doesn’t mean the same to everyone. For some people it means having some jingle in your pocket after all the bills are paid. For others it means having more money than they will ever be able to spend… ever! If you look the word “rich” up in the dictionary,* all it says is “a large amount of money.” How much is that supposed to be?

So how does a person know when they finally arrive?

I suspect that is the “trap” that Paul is talking about. Since no one can agree on what it means to be rich, the goalposts keep moving.

It is not the only trap, however.

Jesus tells the story of a man who thought he had it made (Luke 12:15-21). Like most people of his day, he was a land owner who depended on his fields for food. One year, he had an “abundant harvest,” resulting in more food than he had room for. In his mind, he was rich beyond measure.

Looking at all the grain he had taken in, he thought, “Now I have it made! I can kick back and relax. I have nothing to worry about.” (My paraphrase.)

The God said, “You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?”

That is the sound of ruin and destruction.

The problem wasn’t that the man had acquired wealth. Many people acquire wealth.† The problem was his reaction to having wealth. Instead of realizing that he was a steward of God’s gifts, he assumed that great wealth means great security.

And that is the trap that “plunge(s) people into ruin and destruction.” Don’t let it happen to you!

Application: Keep your eyes on Jesus, the source of true riches.

Food for Thought: What is the difference between someone who is rich and someone who wants to be rich?

*Online dictionary, July 23, 2026.

†See Matthew 25:14-30

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July 27, 2026July 26, 2026

1 Timothy 6:8 – Packing for Heaven

Two old leather suitcases are packed for a trip. (Grok)

But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.

Summary: Contentment is one of those ‘beautiful intangibles’ that make life wonderful if we have it.

Paul was actually a much richer man than he makes out. Timothy, too. When he says, “if we have food and clothing, we will be content,” he is talking about what the world sees and values.

But what about the things that God values?

James writes:

“Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him?” (James 2:5)

It is hard for us to wrap our heads around the riches James is talking about — the kind that Paul is already rich in.

What does it mean to be “rich” anyway? Why do we care?

The reason we like the idea of being rich is that the world sees material wealth as a kind of security blanket. Money maybe can’t buy happiness, but it can buy a lot of things, and for some people that is how they measure feeling good about themselves.

Another reason people like money is that it can buy security. Financial security is not having to worry about paying the bills or being able to afford the nice things in life. Ironically, the opposite of faith is worry. People who don’t have faith want money because it helps fend off worry.

Peter understands this, too. He writes that we have “an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade” in heaven (1 Peter 1:4). Wealth beyond measure! Not material wealth that can be eaten by moths or rats, or stolen by a thief (Matthew 6:20), but wealth that makes you feel like a million bucks.

Which brings us to an important question: “Where is your heart?”

Jesus makes an interesting point when he says, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21).

It would be horrible if you made it all the way to heaven and discovered you had left your heart behind!

Application: Do a heart check – make certain you know where it is.

Food for Thought: How can we protect ourselves from falling victim to the love of ‘things’?

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July 20, 2020August 18, 2020

Meet Pastor Rich

Thank you for stopping by and sharing a few minutes with us. I thought you might enjoy getting to know Pastor Rich if you haven’t already met him. He recently started offering weekly video meditations online. They are short and well worth watching so I have provided links below. (Just click on ”Continue Reading” below.)

December 24, 2019December 25, 2019

Santa’s List – James 1: 10-11

But the rich should take pride in their humiliation—since they will pass away like a wild flower. For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich will fade away even while they go about their business.

James’ letter is a lot like Santa’s List. Most of us have heard about Santa Clause, and how, like God, he knows if we have been “naughty” or “nice.” The modern legend of Santa goes back to a real-life believer in God, a man whom we know as Saint Nicholas.

Like St. Nick, James is concerned about how people behave toward each other and whether or not having material possessions is clouding their judgment. Why would this be a problem for the early church?