1 Timothy 6: Guard the treasure

Paul wants Timothy to conduct the church in Ephesus, but he advises Timothy:

11-12 But you, Timothy, man of God: Run for your life from all this. Pursue a righteous life—a life of wonder, faith, love, steadiness, courtesy. Run hard and fast in the faith. Seize the eternal life, the life you were called to, the life you so fervently embraced in the presence of so many witnesses.

What is to "seize the eternal life"? I, as a modern man, think that I am saved / have eternal life; so let us move on to the next chalange. Certainly Paul didn't think that the eternal life was some kind of "solved problem" when he said "take hold of the eternal life". The eternal life is very different from our normal life; it is a life of fight against our "normal" way of thinking. In the eternal life, Jesus is the king not me. 


Paul ends the letter:

20-21 And oh, my dear Timothy, guard the treasure you were given! Guard it with your life. Avoid the talk-show religion and the practiced confusion of the so-called experts. People caught up in a lot of talk can miss the whole point of faith.


What is to guard the treasure? It is to protect the message, the gospel as it was being corrupted by some influencers in the church of Ephesus. Even today, it is very common that a person who doesn't belong to Jesus wants to appear as smart talking about religion. The gospel is not about me , it is about our Lord Jesus.