How Do You Reconcile These Two?

I may do a series of these, not with an intention of 'gotcha!', but to get us to think a bit.

How do you reconcile these two?...

1 Timothy 6:17 (KJV) 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;

1 John 2:15 (KJV) Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

Simple. they are both saying the same thing.........don't love the things of this world.......chose words may cause some to pause, but they are saying the same thing..........

I do not find them in conflict.
If anything one could support the other

The parts that are in bold DO seem to contradict each other.

But they don't have to.

John is speaking to the worldly things mentioned in James 3:14, Paul is speaking of material comforts which are not in themselves evil but the love of such comforts is.

If God provides wealth and we use it in a Godly fashion it is holy. If God doesn't provide wealth and we selfishly aim to acquire it for our own keeping it is evil.

Paul's letters to Timothy in context reveal the fullness of it as he contrasts both a Godly use of worldly wealth and an ungodly use of such wealth.

These two passage address different things:

THE PROPER ATTITUDE TOWARDS WEALTH
1 Timothy 6:17 (KJV) 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;

THE PROPER ATTITUDE TOWARDS THE WAYS OF THE WORLD
1 John 2:15 (KJV) Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.[/QUOTE]

As John goes on to say, the unregenerate world is focused on THREE primary lusts, which must not control the saint:
1. The lust of the flesh (the bodily pleasures of sin)
2. The lust of the eyes (the desire for material possessions)
3. The pride of life (the desire for pomp and power)

One can be rich and not love the world and or trust in riches.....they are not saying the same thing....two different coins all together....and even a poor man can love the things of the world!

Keeping our eyes on Christ is how we reconcile these two verses. Just one has been blessed with the things of the world and enjoys the things of this world doesn't means they are highminded or trust in the things of this world because keeping our eyes on Christ keeps us humble and in our place no matter what the blessing of this world God has brought us or hasn't brought us.

Right, could you explain how so?

I'd tend to agree but add, with the increase of riches comes the temptation to place our trust in them rather than God. Solomon found this out the hard way.

This is true. Wealth can corrupt and cause vanity, but a poor person also may be tempted to obsess about money, or to be greedy, or steal (Proverbs 30:9).

Lydia of Thyatira was a rich businesswoman and hosting the apostles in her house, she was the seller of expensive purple pigment, that was then the only purple pigment and only used for clothes worn by royalty. (Pretty sure that she was not poor.) And she was godly. She's a stark contrast from the rich man from Matthew 19. The reason why Jesus told the young man "if you want to be perfect, sell everything you have and follow Me" because as it says next, the young man was attached to his money and unwilling to put Jesus above money, so that was the obstacle between him and Jesus. Not giving his heart. In opposition, Lydia was not asked to part from her wealth, she obeyed apostolic teachings and if she needed to for the sake of her soul, God would've said something about it. She gladly stewarded her house for God's business, she would urge the apostles to stay in her house. In fact, her house was a meeting place of believers (Acts 16:15, Acts 16:40).

There is also a thing of individual calling. The young man that went very sad from Jesus and would not give up his wealth was called into discipleship by Jesus Himself maybe even apostleship (although God knew the result it would still be only 12). Lydia was chosen as benefactor of the church. Some people are called to serve in wealth and some in poverty. Either way they cannot be attached to money.

John was writing to the Jewish audience who were anticipating that the day of the lord, the tribulation, is coming very soon.

Since the mark of the beast would disqualify one from salvation, the more you love the things of the world, the more likely you will accept the mark. That was why the early church in acts took Jesus advice seriously to give up all their possessions to a common pool (acts 4:32)

It seems easy at the first look, I admit. You got me.
"Oh. This must be about not being attached".
But that's just first response, a bit knee jerk thought, and then I sit on it for a bit, and realize why you asked this. And then I facepalm. I really hope you will continue this series. Get us be more in touch, that we can stop and think, please.

I sat some on this. This would be what I've come up with.

Life in body, like life in Spirit, is also part of God intended experience of life. So it is good both to build a house and to sell riches, all in its season. This actually threw me in for a loop a few years ago, I had quite an existential depression season and was in a bad shape. I was wondering what is even the meaning of living, because eventually you lose everything. You can't take nothing with you, so why am I even forced to invest myself by living on this planet. Why build a house? Why prepare for retirement? Or you rent your whole life and all you earn goes to others? Either way it's a mockery. Or if one builds a house and prepares funds for retirement, they might not even live long enough to live in a house, or retire. These things can get so vain and devastating to look at. I try not to read Ecclesiastes often, because it affects me very negatively. But I still think that it isn't God's will to turn ourselves away from life on Earth because spiritual dimension overlaps with all of this, so if you walk in Spirit you should still live real life even in a body. I can't say that I have a complete answer to this. I more feel it in my spirit, as if can see it, but it's like looking far through a mist, and I can't grasp.

I know of a believer of Jesus-Yeshua who, in his first years of faisth, gave away all he had, only to have it come back time and time again................all things are possible with our blessed mMaker.

That is certainly true.

But my advice for such people would be to first make sure they follow Paul’s advice to the body of Christ to make sure he has enough to provide for himself and his household first in the book of Timothy, otherwise he will be worse than the unbelievers.

I think the problem with many churches is that they assumed that God’s promises to Israel necessarily apply to the body of Christ too. If you read the ot properly, Israel covenant with God was largely physical blessings, wealth and healing etc.

That was why many of their ot heroes were all very rich. But if you read romans to Philemon, Paul was careful to emphasize that our blessings pertain more to the heavens.

Well, the 1 Timothy one says, essentially, don't trust in money, but trust in God. God is our provider, not money.

The 1 john one is saying don't love the things in the world (that money can buy, or even the things that are provided), but love the Provider.

An example I am thinking of is say your dad gives you a car when you are 17. You have been given, richly, this car to enjoy. But your love belongs to your father. Not to the things that your father provides to you. You can still take care of them and enjoy them. But you love your Father for how much He loves and cares for you not because of the things He gives you.

My question to you, is how do you reconcile these two?...

1 John 2:15 (KJV) love not the "World", neither the things that are in the "world". If any man love the "world", the love of the Father is not in him.

John 3:16 (KJV) God so loved the "world"

My explanation is; These two scriptures are referencing two different "worlds". In 1 John 2:15, Jesus has reference to those of mankind that love the things of the "world". In John 3:16, Jesus has reference to the "world" of believers.

i never try to reconcile friends.

hiya, cn. i was sorry to hear of your dad's passing. hope you're doing well.

God only blesses us with our needs, and not our wants, for He loves people and for them to be fed and clothed.

Paul said charity, love in action is greater than faith, and faith works by love.

Paul said he could have all faith so that he could remove mountains, but if he did not have charity then he is nothing.

And said if anybody preaches that God blesses people with their wants to withdraw yourself from them, having food and clothing be content.

For the love of money is the root of all evil for it neglects the poor and needy, and love is the fulfilling of the law, which if they go by their wants they have erred from the faith.

The Bible says the saints appear as having nothing, but possess all things to be given them in due time.

Act 2:44 And all that believed were together, and had all things common;
Act 2:45 And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need.

Act 4:32 And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common.
Act 4:34 Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold,
Act 4:35 And laid them down at the apostles' feet: and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need.

1Ti 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;
1Ti 6:18 That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate.

The rich have to distribute their money to those that have need, and only go by their needs.

The rich man asked Jesus what he had to do to inherit eternal life, and Jesus told him to keep the commandments that have to do with loving people.

The rich man said he did that from his youth, and Jesus told him he lacks one thing to sell all his things that are not a necessity and give to the poor.

We are only to go by our needs, and not our wants, so it does not matter if we make 5 million dollars a year, or 50 thousand dollars a year, our lifestyle is the same, for our money is only to supply for our needs, and the needs of other people.