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1 Timothy 6:18
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18 That they do good, [agathoergeo] that they be rich [plouteo] in [en] good [kalos] works, [ergon] ready to distribute [einai], [eumetadotos] willing to communicate; [koinonikos] KJV-Interlinear
18 Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, NASB
To whom God gives much, much is expected.
God has given each one of us a vast treasure of in salvation. It prevents you from spending your entire eternity in the Lake of Fire. That is a gift with vast repercussions for your life.
God has given each one of us a vast treasure of doctrine. It prepares us for spiritual growth, advances us to spiritual maturity, and completes us for eternity. With it comes a vast wealth in blessings.
And to these vast gifts, God expects your obedience in committing yourself to a daily study. Which, when you think about it, is not really asking too much of us. Yet most folks refuse to even crack open their Bibles, or even read a daily study, preferring worldly viewpoints to those of God.
And now Paul gives us a general principle with respect to worldly riches. To some, God gives wealth, while to others God gives not so much wealth.
As far as doctrine goes, both (rich and poor) are expected to pursue their spiritual lives, but while we are living in this world, certain responsibilities attach to our individual lives. And those responsibilities follow our circumstances, which by the way, were also given to us by God.
The rich are in view for this study. And to them, God gives four commands regarding their situation and use of wealth.
First, to do good. Second, to be rich in good works. Third, to be ready to distribute. Fourth, to be willing to communicate.
At first glance you might think that this refers to a lot of do-gooder activities. But such is not the case.
‘To do good,’ ‘agathoergeo,’ occurs here only, and nowhere else it the Bible. It means to ‘work’ good, to pursue for the benefit of good, to pursue intrinsic good, to toil, to work, to focus or concentrate. And because of their wealth, their pursuits in life need to be focused on those things that are recognized by the Bible as good, and not on the things or philosophies or politics of the world, which taints ‘good’ due to selfish or evil agendas.
‘To be rich in good works,’ is a play on words. Just as God has given abundantly, so too their lives need to respond similarly in spiritual works. What are spiritual works? Faith in Christ, daily study of doctrine, confession regularly in order to maintain a fellowship status, application of doctrinal principles to ones daily life, obedience to Gods mandates, fundamental good – honesty, integrity, unselfishness, charity, responsibility, etc.
‘To be ready to distribute,’ and this looks to the generous and unselfish heart. Ready to give help and aid instantly and without strings attached, without questioning, without second guessing the intent of the recipient. This does not mean welfare, or foolish giving. Remember that the rich are to be good stewards of their wealth, and not throw it away indiscriminately. If someone is trying to scam them, then they ignore the plot accordingly, but if someone is in true need, then they are to recognize it and not embarrass the recipient or make them plead or beg. To be ready means to be proactive in their efforts of charity. To go looking for needs and doing what they can with what excesses they have to work with. They are not to sit back in some corner, hoping that no one will ask them for help, or waiting for requests to come to them.
And last, to be ‘willing to communicate.’ What in the world does that mean?
The word for communicate, ‘koinonikos,’ means liberal or generously. This means to not do the minimums, but to go beyond the minimums when doing all of the above.
Some folks will only do the least they can, in order to get by at work or play. They will do only that, which is necessary to get attention or recognition or credit, and no more. But God gives us all this command to pursue with a vigor those things which are of intrinsic good.
Namely to pursue your spiritual life with passion. To pursue your spiritual growth with a passion. To pursue your temporal responsibilities with a passion. To regard your daily responsibilities with a passion. To not be lazy in your life, in your responsibilities, in things expected of you. To be generous and to seek out ways and means of generosity. To help people in the things they need, in spiritual things and in temporal things.
Thus to communicate means to interact proactively, generously, and to take the initiative, while remaining responsible to that and to those who you are responsible for, whether through employment, contractual, or charity.
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