1 Timothy 6:9
9 But [de] they that will [boulomai] be rich [plouteo] fall [empipto] into [eis] temptation [peirasmos] and [kai] a snare, [pagis] and [kai] into many [polus] foolish [anoetos] and [kai] hurtful [blaberos] lusts, [epithumia] which [hostis] drown [buthizo] men [anthropos] in [eis] destruction [olethros] and [kai] perdition. [apoleia] KJV-Interlinear
9 But those who want to get rich
fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which
plunge men into ruin and destruction. NASB
The word for want, boulomai, refers to the intent or desires as to the focus of
your life.
Rich, plouteo, refers to increases. Whether it be with
money, property, goods, trinkets or whatever, rich means to increase in
whatever it is that you want more of.
Fall, empipto, means to be tricked, to stumble, a continual
stumbling through the repetition of making the same decisions over and over
again.
Temptation, peirasmos, means to endeavor, scrutinize, examine, putting to proof.And
this indicates a willingness to be trapped by the enticements of the visual or
the sensual.
Snare, pagis, refers to a trap, tricked, fastened
by a noose.
This verse is not
limited to the love of money or wealth, but is a general warning against loving
the things of this world, at the expense of Bible doctrine.
Things of the world can
include lounging around gossiping, fixations on hobbies, spending way too much
time on the internet or watching television or socializing, or doing things
that are not really productive, or do not contribute to the betterment of your
life, but instead tend to get you into trouble.
Whether you are a kid
walking the streets or live your life in overdrive pursuing the making of
money, both keep you from doctrine, and as such, both are traps from this
world, that prevent you from advancing in your spiritual life, which is the
real source of real and permanent wealth.
Anything that distracts
you from your spiritual life, is a foolish and harmful
desire.Anything that is sinful or
criminal is obviously a foolish activity.
However, anything that even if it is a legitimate activity in life
(work, hobby, social, etc.), but your focus on it keeps or prevents you from
any sort of Bible study, is also a foolish desire.
In either case, your
decision to pursue the worldly thing, rather than the spiritual, is the
problem.Your decisions in life decide
your entire future.
And since your life
consists of both a life in this world, and a life in eternity, then which life will
be the longer lasting life?And eternity
is obviously a lot longer than even a hundred year life in this world.
Before you were born
into this world, you had no say as to the nature of your life. Even after you were born, your choices as far
as a successful life are limited to your mental abilities, physical abilities,
circumstances in your environment, circumstances in the world, and even luck,
if you have any of that.
So, there are severe
limitations as to who and what you can be and do in
this world.
However, for eternity,
you have right now, the time to define and design your next life, in its
entirety.Your spiritual life is the
single most valuable possession that you can possibly have, because within your
spiritual life you can invest in your entire eternal future. Your life now, can
reap great reward for eternity.
But, you have to pursue
your spiritual life now, rather than ignoring it.
To ignore it means ruin
and destruction.
Destruction, olethros, means ruin, loss, destruction
of possessions.
Perdition, apoleia, means perish, loss, pernicious, waste.
And as far as your temporal
life in this world goes, you will lose it all when you die and leave this
world.Your worldly possessions will
vanish from your possession. You will take with you, your soul and spirit, only,
to heaven, and nothing else.
Someone once said that
the hearse does not tow behind it a trailer of possessions to the grave. The Pharaohs took great wealth into their
tombs, only to have them stolen by grave robbers.
The value of your
spiritual life is something that cannot be measured. It far surpasses the collective wealth on
this planet from all of history.To ignore
that kind of wealth, is a fools choice.
Therefore, be
responsible in your day to day life, but balance out your life with a daily
study of Bible doctrine, so as to maximize your eternal wealth, while making a
decent living in this life.
You could ask yourself
each and every day, What have I done today, or what will I
do today, that will contribute to my overall completeness as a person and ready
me for heaven and eternity?
Try beginning you
answer with a daily study of doctrine, and learning what God really wants from
you, and for you.And then pursue your
spiritual life with the greatest genuine passion that you can muster up from
within yourself.
Feel Free to make a comment about
this study:Comment Page
If you
are a Facebook member, then please join the Bible Study Group that best suits
you:
Two subscription options to receive these daily studies everyday via e-mail, are available here.
Previous Page
|
Table of Contents
|
Next Page |
