1 Timothy 6:13-15

Having Exhorted Timothy, Paul Now Charges Him In The Sight Of God To Obey His Orders Blamelessly Until The Coming Of Our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Timothy 6:13-15 ).

Once again Paul comes to the conclusion of a section with a picture of the magnificence and glory of God and of Jesus Christ. In 1 Timothy 1:17 he revealed the glory and uniqueness of God, although as we saw it might equally refer to the Lord, Jesus Christ, in 1 Timothy 3:16 he revealed the glory of Jesus’ activity in salvation as God carried out His might purposes, here now he again combines both God and Messiah Jesus and reveals their glory, and that as a means of giving a solemn background to his ‘charge’. We may see in these summaries that he has, or had previously, begun to build up small summaries of doctrine to help the faithful. Thus a, b, c, c, b, a could easily be built up into such a summary.

Analysis.

a I charge you in the sight of God (1 Timothy 6:13 a).

b Who gives life to all things (1 Timothy 6:13 b)

c And of Christ Jesus, who before Pontius Pilate witnessed the good confession (1 Timothy 6:13 c).

d That you keep the commandment, without spot, without reproach (1 Timothy 6:14 a)

e Until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Timothy 6:14 b).

d Which in its own times He will show (1 Timothy 6:15 a).

c Who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords (1 Timothy 6:15 b).

b Who only has immortality, dwelling in light unapproachable (1 Timothy 6:15 c).

a Whom no man has seen, nor can see, to whom be honour and power eternal. Amen (15d).

Note that in ‘a’ he is charged in the sight of God, while in contrast in the parallel man has not seen God, and cannot. In ‘b’ God gives life to all things, and in the parallel alone has immortality. In ‘c’ the Messiah Jesus has witnessed a good confession and in the parallel we have reference to the only Potentate Who is King of kings and Lord of lords. In ‘d’ he is to keep he commandment without reproach because in the parallel Jesus will be revealed in his own time, and centrally in ‘e’ we have the appearance of our Lord Jesus Christ.