Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come. — This is a concise expression, which might have been more fully worded thus — Laying up in store for themselves a wealth of good works as a foundation, &c. (Comp. our Lord’s words in Luke 16:9, where the same truth is taught, and a similar promise made.)
Here a simple command, in complete accordance with the teaching: of Christ, is given, and a definite consequence is attached to the obeying the command. If the “rich” — the word “rich,” we must remember, is a broad term, and in St. Paul’s mind would comprehend many a one who would hesitate to apply the term in its strict sense to himself — if the “rich,” or the comparatively rich, are really generous and kind with their wealth — and of this God alone can be judge — then with these perishable, fleeting riches they are laying the foundation of an everlasting habitation on the other side the veil. Bengel quaintly expresses the truth, slightly changing the metaphor — “Mercator, naufragio salvus, thesauros domum præmissos invenit.”
That they may lay hold on eternal life. — The older authorities here, instead of “eternal,” read truly. The sentence will then read thus, that they may lay hold on that which is truly life — that is, may lay hold on that which in truth deserves the name “life,” because the fear of death will no longer cast its gloomy shadow over it. This “laying hold on eternal life” is the end the wise rich Christian proposes to himself, when he orders his earthly life and administers his earthly goods, and St. Paul has just showed Timothy how this “end” is to be reached by such a man.
Such plain statements in the Book of Life as the foregoing by no means weaken the divine truth so often repeated, that men are saved only by the blood of Christ, with which they must sprinkle their sin scarred souls. Poor men and rich men alike may try; they will find, with all their brave struggles, that of themselves they will never win salvation, they cannot redeem their souls.
But such plain statements as we have here, and in Luke 16:9, tell us, if we really are “of Christ’s,” sprinkled with His precious blood, then we must try with heart and soul, with hand and brain, to follow out such charges as we have just been discussing.