Accomplish Real Good | A Christian’s Guide to Joyful Wealth Management

1 Timothy 6:18 talks about generosity and sharing, but a deeper dive reveals much more. Notice that it never says to just “give money.” Instead, it lists specific goals. Accomplishing these goals is enjoyable. They are methods of wealth enjoyment. Just giving away money might not be.

The first means of accomplishing enjoyment is “to do good.” This phrase comes from a compound word in Greek. It combines 1) agathos: good and 2) ergon: work. Ergon is

“(from ergō, ‘to work, accomplish’) – a work or worker who accomplishes something … a deed (action) that carries out (completes) an inner desire (intention, purpose).”⁸⁶

Is giving away money enjoyable? Maybe, maybe not. But what about accomplishing something truly good – something that carries out our inner desires? Is that enjoyable? Absolutely!

And this is not just the fleeting enjoyment from stuffing in more consumption. This is a lasting enjoyment. Even years later, we can think back on it with pleasure. Accomplishing personally meaningful good works remains deeply satisfying.

1 Timothy 6:17-19 calls us to enjoyment through doing good.⁸⁷ Accomplishing real good is enjoyable. It’s also godly. This Greek word for “to do good” is special. It had never appeared anywhere before in all of Greek literature.⁸⁸ Except once. In Acts 14:17, it describes God’s generosity:

“yet He did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good [agathos + ergon] and gave you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness.”

Notice the parallel. In Acts, this new word describes God’s generous provision to us.⁸⁹ In 1 Timothy, it describes our generous response to Him. We respond to God’s material blessings by blessing others. We respond by imitating God.⁹⁰ By imitating God, we can accomplish real good. We can also experience lasting enjoyment.

For more on this topic, see Chapter 10 in

Joyful Wealth Management: A Bible Study Discussion Guide 91

Wealth Enjoyment Strategy 2:

Notes and references

Hill, G., & Archer, G. (2021). HELPS Lexicon [Software]. HELPS Ministries Inc. www.thediscoverybible.com
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In 1882, Henry Spence explained, “The rich should set their affections and place their trust, not in these uncertain riches, but in God, the bestower of them, who wills, too, that His creatures should find pleasure in these His gifts – given to us to enjoy. This is another of the many sayings of the old man St. Paul, in which he urges on the people of God, that their kind Master in heaven not only allows men reasonable pleasures and gratifications, but even Himself abundantly provides such for them.” Spence, H. D. M. (1882). Timothy. In C. J. Ellicott (Ed.), The epistles to the Colossians, Thessalonians, and Timothy. The commentary for schools. Cassell, Petter, Galpin & Co. p. 270.
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“This is the first time agathoergein occurs in Greek literature.” Malherbe, A. J. (2011). Godliness, self-sufficiency, greed, and the enjoyment of wealth 1 Timothy 6:3-19 Part II. Novum Testamentum, 53(1), 73-96. p. 92.
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“‘Do good’ is a single word in the Greek, a word used in only one other place in the New Testament, where it speaks of God showering his good gifts on his hearers (Acts 14:17).” Hughes, R. K. & Chapell, B. (2000). 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus. Crossway Books. p. 162.
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Similarly, Paul points to Jesus’ gift in his fundraising appeal in 2 Corinthians 8:9. This imitation of God is also known as, “the mimetic gift – one gives in order to follow the example of Jesus.” Chastenet, P. (2022). Giving under God’s gaze: Figures of the gift in the Bible and in the work of Jacques Ellul (C. Roy, Trans.). In J. M. Rollison (Ed.), Jacques Ellul and the Bible: Towards a hermeneutic of freedom (pp. 168-188). The Lutterworth Press. p. 171.
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Available for free at EncourageGenerosity.com. See also, The Biblical fundraiser in ancient words: The historical ministry of major gift fundraising, Chapter 9; and The Biblical fundraiser in modern practice: Helping Christians enjoy their wealth, Chapter 9.
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