They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share,
Paul has just told Timothy to charge rich Christians not to be proud, and not to set their hope on money but on God. Verse 18 turns that trust into action. It gives four short commands that decide what a Christian's money does.
Four commands, not one
The first two terms sound alike. One commentator draws a line between them: kindness aimed at people, and works that are good in themselves before God:
William KellyBut God also looks for active good from rich people who are godly, since He Himself never tires of doing good (Acts 14:17). So the call follows: "to do good, to be rich in good works." There is an important shade of difference between the two acts. The first means doing works of kindness or goodness to others. Being "rich in good works" means overflowing with fair, upright works that are beautiful in themselves. The first are good in relation to others; the second are good in themselves. It matters greatly that the two are joined so closely, here and elsewhere. Most people praise the kind that affects man, and forget or belittle what counts for more: what is good in itself before God. Both flow from faith and love, and how acceptable both are!
The last two terms are "generous and ready to share" in the ESV, and "ready to distribute, willing to communicate" in older translations. The same writer says they reach past emergency relief:
William KellyEven this does not express all the generous outgoing of heart the apostle wants the rich to seek. He adds, as if he could not think of the poor enough, "to be liberal in distributing, ready to communicate." I take it that this goes beyond cases of urgent need. Some calls suit people of large means in particular, as in the many different needs of the Lord's work and witness. There are so many chances to promote His glory — and many of them are not the kind one would want to lay as a burden on the whole church!
The word "share"
One writer follows the word "communicate" through its other uses. Those uses point to a group with a real claim on the giver:
The Christian's FriendThe meaning of this scripture lies on the surface, once you understand the term "communicate." Two examples of its use will be enough. In Romans 12:13 it appears in the exhortation, "distributing to the necessity of saints," and in 1 Timothy 6:18 it appears as "willing to communicate." These two examples make Galatians 6:6 easy to read. What the apostle commands there is that the one who is taught in the word should share his "good things" with the teacher. In other words, the taught should enjoy the privilege of supplying the material needs of the teacher.
Another writer rules out softening the word into friendliness. Older Bibles offered "sociable" in the margin, and he says there is "no foundation whatever" for it.
Why a rich person can give
Where a person's trust rests decides whether his hand opens:
Hamilton SmithTrusting in the living God, who is the Giver of all good, will enable the rich man also to become a giver. But God loves a cheerful giver, so the apostle urges the rich man to be "ready to distribute" and "willing to communicate". Acting this way, he will lay up a good store for future blessing, instead of piling up riches for this present age.
Dorcas as the living example
Dorcas was a Christian woman in the book of Acts. One writer sees this verse lived out in her, and traces her giving back to its source:
Edward DennettDorcas was in the spirit of this exhortation. She was rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to share what she had; for she had learned "the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich" (2 Cor. 8:9); and by that same grace she had become His representative in the world. She was a giver, because God, who had brought her to Himself, was a Giver. She knew she was not her own. She knew that all she had she held only as a steward for Him, to whom she belonged. So she placed both herself and her goods at His disposal.
Spending as investing
Money given this way is not lost. It is moved:
An Outline of Sound WordsGod has given to the rich this means of laying up treasure in heaven in view of Christ's kingdom. It is wonderful that natural riches can, in this way, provide spiritual riches. The poor can also lay up treasure in heaven, for God has chosen the poor to be rich in faith. What is laid up for the time to come will surely be found with Christ in the day of His glory.
Summary
- Trust first. Giving starts with where your hope rests. Trusting the living God, the Giver of all good, "will enable the rich man also to become a giver."
- Gift becomes deed. Two kinds of doing belong together: kindness that helps people, and works "good in itself before God." Most people praise the first and forget the second.
- Deed becomes reach. Sharing goes past emergencies to the Lord's work, and includes supporting those who teach you the word.
- Reach has a face. Dorcas gave "because God, who had brought her to Himself, was a Giver" — a steward, not an owner.
- Result is stored. Money spent this way is not lost. It is moved: "what is laid up for the time to come will surely be found with Christ in the day of His glory."