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a word to the “masters”

1 Timothy 6:17-19 (JDV)

1 Timothy 6:17 Direct those who are rich in the present age not to be arrogant or to set their hope on the uncertainty of wealth, but on God, who richly provides us with all things to enjoy.

1 Timothy 6:18 They are to do good, to be rich in good achievements,¹ to be generous and willing to share,

1 Timothy 6:19 storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of what is truly life.

a word to the “masters”

Paul’s shift from addressing slaves to addressing “those who are rich in this present age” is deliberate and pastoral. He has just instructed Timothy on how to guide believers at the lowest end of the social structure—slaves who were to honor their masters, especially believing masters, as brothers in Christ. Now he turns to the other end of the spectrum: the wealthy masters themselves. The gospel speaks to both groups, but it speaks differently because their temptations differ.

Those who were rich in Ephesus lived with a constant temptation toward arrogance. Wealth in the ancient world, as in the modern one, often created a sense of superiority, security, and self‑sufficiency. Paul warns Timothy that the rich will be tempted to “set their hope on the uncertainty of riches.” Wealth feels solid, but it is fragile. It can vanish through disaster, theft, political upheaval, or simple economic change. It is uncertain by nature.

Instead of trusting in their wealth, the rich were to trust in God, who “richly provides us with everything to enjoy.” And instead of using their wealth to elevate themselves, they were to use it to bless others. Their generosity would become a form of spiritual investment—“storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future.” Paul is not inventing a new idea here. He is echoing the teaching of Jesus.

Jesus had already taught his disciples not to waste their lives accumulating earthly treasure:

“Do not waste your time setting aside valuables for yourselves here on the land, where moth and rust destroy them, and where thieves break in and steal them.”
“But invest your valuables in the coming kingdom from the sky, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.”

The wealthy in Ephesus understood investment. They knew how to plan for the future, how to allocate resources, how to secure long‑term gain. Paul simply redirects that instinct. The future that matters is not the next decade but the next age. The investment that matters is not in property or goods but in people. The return that matters is not earthly profit but eternal reward.

And where were the needy people the rich were called to invest in? Many of them were right in their own households. Some were the very slaves Paul had just addressed—men and women who served them daily, who lived under their authority, and who were now their brothers and sisters in Christ. The gospel did not erase the social structure overnight, but it transformed the relationships within it. Masters were to see their servants not as tools but as people to love, serve, and support. Their wealth was not a private possession but a trust from God to be used for the good of others.

This teaching remains deeply relevant. Wealth always carries the temptation to self‑reliance and self‑investment. It whispers that security lies in accumulation, that significance lies in possession, that the future can be controlled by careful planning. But the gospel calls believers to a different kind of wealth management—one that measures value not by what is kept but by what is given.

The needy are still all around. Some are in our homes, workplaces, neighborhoods, and congregations. Some are those who serve us quietly. Some are those whose needs are invisible unless we choose to see them. The call is the same: invest in people, not possessions. Use what God has entrusted to build up others. Store up treasure in the only place where treasure lasts.

The prayer that rises from this reflection is simple and searching:

LORD, teach us to store up treasures for ourselves by investing in the needy all around us. Make us generous, attentive, and willing to use what you have given for the good of others. Let our wealth—whatever its size—become a tool for love, a testimony to your grace, and an investment in the kingdom that cannot fade.

1ἀγαθοποιέω