1 Timothy 6:17
“Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy;”
King James Version (KJV)
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As Paul closes the letter, he gives Timothy a charge specifically for the wealthy among the believers, redirecting their trust from riches to God.
What Does 1 Timothy 6:17 Mean?
Paul gives instruction for the wealthy: do not become proud or anchor your hope in unreliable money, but trust the living God who generously provides everything for our enjoyment.
Notice that Paul does not tell the rich to abandon their wealth but to correct their attitude toward it. Two dangers come with riches. The first is to be "highminded" -- to let money breed pride and a sense of superiority. The second is to "trust in uncertain riches," leaning on wealth for security when wealth is by nature unstable; the word translated "uncertain" pictures something unreliable that can vanish. Against both, Paul sets the "living God," who is steady and trustworthy where money is not. Then comes a beautiful balance: this God "giveth us richly all things to enjoy." The point is not that material things are bad but that they are gifts to be received with gratitude and enjoyed rather than worshiped. God Himself is the generous giver, and He gives "richly" -- abundantly. The verse reorders the rich person's relationship with possessions: enjoy what God provides, but place your confidence in the Giver, not the gift, since only one of them is secure.
In the Original Language
"Highminded" is hypsēlophroneō, to be proud or haughty, and "uncertain" reflects adēlotēs, meaning instability or unreliability.
Cross References
Application
Enjoy what God provides with gratitude, but place your security in the steady Giver rather than in wealth that can vanish.