1 Timothy 6:11

But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.

Barakman has an interesting homily based upon the following outline of the next two verses, thus:

The fact that a man has been called of God and is equipped for service by the gift of the Holy Spirit does not eliminate the necessity for strenuous effort. He must:

"Flee ..." (1 Timothy 6:11). One of the best influences is a pair of heels.

"Follow ..." To flee is not enough, being only negative; the positive counterpart of flight is following the Lord.

"Fight ..." (1 Timothy 6:12). Whatever metaphor Paul had in mind, whether athletic or military, one phase of Christian living is certainly that of ... active resistance to evil.

"Lay hold ..." (1 Timothy 6:12). Salvation is freely offered, but it must be grasped. This is a term which means "take hold once for all."

"Keep ..." Excavations at Pompeii found the body of a soldier buried alive because no one came to relieve him at his post of duty. A similar faithful endurance to death is indicated by this.[20]

White observed that the six virtues enumerated in this verse contrast with the six vices in 1 Timothy 6:4,5, but that "we cannot arrange them in pairs of opposites."[21]

O man of God ... The force of this is very great. The word "man" is not that distinguishing the male from the female, but the word which encompasses all. It means the person worshipping and serving God, as contrasted with the money-lovers just denounced.

Flee ... That is, flee from the pursuit of money; turn away from it; put it out of sight. As White well said, "the love of money in ministers of religion does more to discredit it in the eyes of ordinary people than would indulgence in many grosser sins."[22]

[20] Paul F. Barakman, op. cit., p. 79.

[21] Newport J. D. White, op. cit., p. 145.

[22] Ibid.