A wonderful mini-lesson on 1 Timothy 6

What an awesome passage! What an awesome message....

1 Timothy 6:3. But if there be anyone, who teaches a different doctrine and does not agree to the foundational Words of our Master Y’shua the Mashiyach and to the doctrine of the Fear of Elohim,[1] 4. he is one that exalts himself while he knows nothing; and he languishes in the search and inquiry about words from which come envy and contention and railing and evil suspicions 5. and the constant arguing of men whose minds are corrupt and devoid of the truth, and who suppose that gain is without Elohim. But from these stand away.

6. But great is our gain which is the Fear of Elohim, with the use of our competence. 7. For we brought nothing into the world; and we know that we can carry nothing out of it. 8. Therefore, food and clothing satisfy us. 9. But they who desire to become rich fall into temptations and into snares and into many lusts which are foolish and hurtful and which drown men in destruction and destruction: 10. for the love of money is the root of all these evils. And there are some who, coveting it, have erred from the faith and brought themselves into many sorrows.

11. But you, O man of Elohim, flee from these things and follow after righteousness and rectitude, and faith and love, and patience and humility. 12. And contend in the good contest of faith; and lay hold of life eternal to which you are called and (of which) you have confessed a good confession before many witnesses. (AENT)

A footnote in the AENT explains the deeper meaning:

Isaiah 11:2-3 “And the Spirit of YHWH shall rest upon him, the Spirit of Wisdom and Understanding, the Spirit of Counsel and Might, the Spirit of Knowledge and of the Yirah (Fear) of YHWH; And shall make him of quick understanding in the Yirah (Fear) of YHWH:” A picture of the Menorah is seen here with its seven branches.

The center is the Spirit of YHWH while the six other attributes are joined into the center pillar. These seven Spirits also signify perfection or completeness. The Fear of YHWH Elohim is a “Spirit” of YHWH; it is a vital spiritual quality for Life in Mashiyach. The Fear of YHWH is a personal guide; Hebrew yirah means fear, as in fear/awesome/terrifying contrary to Christian teaching that the Fear of YHWH is not really “fear” but love and respect.

Isaiah 29:13 reveals how “the Fear of YHWH is taught by the commandment of men”; in other words, man’s religious theology and tradition has made void the Fear of YHWH. Many Christians prefer the term “reverence” over “fear”; Christians also use a title of “Reverend” for their clergymen and ministers; therefore, the term “Fear of YHWH” was first negated and then given a theological/semantic twist to apply to their own leadership, as in the case of “reverend.”

The Fear of YHWH is noted throughout Scripture; B’resheet/Genesis 20:11; 42:18; Shemot/Exodus 9:30; 18:21; Vayikra/Leviticus 25:17; D’varim/Deuteronomy 10:12 and in more than a hundred places. Without the Spirit of the Fear of YHWH, people will fear man, materialism, relativism and all form of idols, including their religious leaders.