Wealth Enjoyment: Build Your Personal Collection of Beautiful Works! | Joyful Wealth Management: A Bible Study Discussion Guide

1 Timothy 6:17-18

“Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be high-minded or to set their hope on the uncertainty of riches but on God, who richly supplies us with all things for enjoyment: to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share,”

We can enjoy wealth by using it “to do good” and “to be rich in good works.” In English, this repeats the word “good.” But in Greek, these are two different words. The first “good” is from agathos. This is,

“intrinsically good, good in nature, good whether it be seen to be so or not.”³⁶

The second good is from kalos. This is,

“beautiful, as an outward sign of the inward good, noble, honorable character; good, worthy, honorable, noble, and seen to be so.”³⁷

How are these two types of good works different?
What kind of good works would fit more with the second definition?

1 Timothy 6:18 directs us “to be rich in good [from kalos] works”. Kalos good is “beautiful to look at, shapely, magnificent.”³⁸ It is “visibly or noticeably good.”³⁹ Jesus says,

“Your light must shine before people in such a way that they may see your good [from kalos] works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16).

Paul uses kalos “good” to describe the public reputation of church leaders (1 Timothy 3:7),⁴⁰ deacons (1 Timothy 3:13),⁴¹ and widows supported by the church (1 Timothy 5:10).⁴² In each case, it’s not enough that they do good. These works must be known as their good works.

Why is it necessary for good [kalos] works to be seen?
How might this influence others to act in the same way?
Why does it matter if a Christian has a public reputation for good [kalos] works?

The poetic structure of this passage creates a contrast. Relying on “the uncertainty of riches” contrasts with being “rich in good works.”⁴³ One kind of riches is uncertain and disappearing. The other kind is lasting.

Suppose a person’s giving created many beautiful, visible good works. If their wealth suddenly disappeared, would they still be “rich in good works”? Why?
A person’s wealth holding stops at the end of life. Does their reputation of being rich in beautiful, visible good works also stop? Why not?

The Greek word for the uncertainty of riches has an additional meaning. It also references the hiddenness of riches.⁴⁴ Thus, we do not put our trust in hidden riches. Instead, we become rich in beautiful, visible good works.

How would a desire to keep riches hidden conflict with using them to be rich in publicly visible good works?
What does the Bible say about a steward who just hides their money away in a napkin or buries it in the ground? (Matthew 25:14-30; Luke 19:11-27)
Some people use and enjoy their wealth. Others just hide and protect it only to die with it. Which set of life experiences would you rather have? Why?

It’s often said that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. The most “beautiful-good” works for you may be different from someone else. The Greek word kalos means “beautiful, as an outward sign of the inward good, noble, honorable character.” This means that our “beautiful-good” works must be personal. They must connect with positive aspects of our own character. They must connect to our personal values and life story.

What causes or ministries have been important in your life story? Which ones closely align with your values?
What good works could a gift create that you would consider to be beautiful?

Notes and references

Souter, A. (1917). A pocket lexicon to the Greek New Testament. Oxford University Press. p. 2. (parentheses removed)
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Souter, A. (1917). A pocket lexicon to the Greek New Testament. Oxford University Press. p. 123. See, e.g., Luke 21:5a, “And while some were talking about the temple, that it was decorated with beautiful [kalois] stones and vowed gifts”.
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Thayer, J. H. (1889). A Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament. American Book Company. p. 322.
The notion of physical beauty is demonstrated in the Septuagint’s uses of kalos in Genesis 6:2, “the sons of God saw that the daughters of mankind were beautiful [kalai]; and they took wives for themselves, whomever they chose.”; Deuteronomy 21:11, “and you see among the captives a beautiful [kalēn] woman, and are strongly attracted to her and would take her as a wife for yourself,”; 1 Samuel 25:3, “(now the man’s name was Nabal, and his wife’s name was Abigail. And the woman was intelligent and beautiful [kalē] in appearance”; and in Joshua 7:21, “when I saw among the spoils a beautiful [kalēn] robe from Shinar”.
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Post, T. L. (2019). Doing “the good” in the Apostle Paul’s ethical vision [Doctoral dissertation]. Asbury Theological Seminary. p. 48. See also the same title by Lexington Books / Fortress Academic (2023).
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“And he must have a good [kalen] reputation with those outside the church, so that he will not fall into disgrace and the snare of the devil.” (1 Timothy 3:7). This kalos “good” describes a visible, public reputation. Other translations here use “well-respected” (Contemporary English Version), “respected by” (Good News Translation), or “well thought of” (English Standard Version).
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“For those who have served well as deacons obtain for themselves a high [kalon] standing” (1 Timothy 3:13b). Other translations here use “rewarded with respect from others” (New Living Translation); “earn a good reputation” (Contemporary English Version); “gain an excellent reputation” (GOD’S WORD® Translation); “gain an excellent reputation for themselves” (International Standard Version). David Verner notes, “the author appears to speak for his church in regarding office in the church as socially prestigious in the same way that citizens of Greek cities and members of associations regarded office holding (1 Timothy 3:1, 13) … Thus, although the leaders of the church may not have been on the same social level as the members of their municipal aristocracy, they shared the same aristocratic social aspirations within a smaller sphere.” [Verner, D. C. (1983). The household of God: The social world of the Pastoral Epistles. Scholars Press. pp. 159-160.] A sense of aristocratic virtue may also apply to the appeal for wealth sharing in 1 Timothy 6:18.
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A widow supported by the church must be “having a reputation for good works [ergois kalois]; … has devoted herself to every good work [ergō agathō].” (1 Timothy 5:10a, c). The supported widow must have a public reputation for good [kalos] works. Doing these hidden away in some corner wouldn’t qualify. Her good [kalos] works must have been seen. (Indeed, that’s part of what kalos means.) They must have been seen as her good works. Otherwise, she would have no such reputation. And she would receive no support.
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See previous endnote on chiasmus.
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See, e.g., adēlos “is equivalent to ‘not manifest, hidden,’ is properly ‘hiddenness,’ then ‘uncertainty.’” Huther, J. E. (1885). Critical and exegetical hand-book to the epistles to Timothy and Titus (Vol. 9). (D. Hunter, Trans.). Funk & Wagnalls. p. 195.
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