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1 Timothy 6

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Let as many servants as are under the yoke count their own masters worthy of all honour, that the name of God and his doctrine be not blasphemed.

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And they that have believing masters, let them not despise them, because they are brethren; but rather do them service, because they are faithful and beloved, partakers of the benefit. These things teach and exhort.

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If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness;

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He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings,

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Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself.

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But godliness with contentment is great gain.

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For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.

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And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.

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But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.

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For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

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But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.

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Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.

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I give thee charge in the sight of God, who quickeneth all things, and before Christ Jesus, who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession;

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That thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukeable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ:

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Which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords;

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Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen.

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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;

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That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate;

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Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.

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O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called:

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Which some professing have erred concerning the faith. Grace be with thee. Amen. The first to Timothy was written from Laodicea, which is the chiefest city of Phrygia Pacatiana.

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1 Timothy 6

Paul's concluding chapter pivots from institutional order to spiritual principles, opening with the command that slaves regard their masters as worthy of all honor so that God's name and teaching are not reviled—a countercultural affirmation of slave dignity within the household structure. The warning against false teachers who imagine that godliness is a means of gain, contrasting with the teaching that godliness with contentment (autarkeia) is great gain, reframes Christian virtue away from material accumulation toward spiritual sufficiency. The root of all evils is not money itself but the love of money (philarguria), attacking the desire rather than possession, making cupidity the sin while acknowledging material resources as acceptable when held lightly. The instruction to command the rich not to be haughty or to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches but on God who richly provides everything for our enjoyment redirects wealth toward stewardship and generosity, making money a means for doing good and laying up treasure in the eschaton. The final charge to guard the deposit (parathēkē)—the gospel entrusted to Timothy—resonates throughout the Pastoral Epistles, making fidelity to apostolic teaching the cornerstone of Timothy's ministry. The closing doxology—to the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever—grounds all ethical instruction in the transcendent reality of God's eternal glory, making Christian conduct a response to the majesty of God.

1 Timothy 6:20

O Timothy, guard the deposit that has been entrusted to you. Avoid the irreverent babble and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge — the parathēkē (deposit/trust) demands phylassō (guarding). Timothy must refuse bebēlos lalia (irreverent speech) and antitheseis (contradictions) of pseudōnymos gnōsis (falsely-named knowledge).

1 Timothy 6:21

for by professing it some have swerved from the faith. Grace be with you. — The final warning and benediction: those pursuing false knowledge have apotoreuō (swerved) from faith itself. The letter concludes with charis (grace) extended toward Timothy—the theological foundation undergirding all pastoral instruction and struggle.

1 Timothy 6:3

Teach and urge these things. If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness — Paul establishes orthodoxy's two-fold criterion: (1) consonance with the words (logoi) of Christ, and (2) alignment with didaskalia that produces eusebia (godliness). False doctrine fails both tests.

1 Timothy 6:4

he is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy craving for controversy and for disputes about words, that produce envy, dissension, strife, and railing — the false teacher embodies tuphōsis (inflation/pride) and lacks gnōsis (true knowledge). His sickness (nosos) consists of logomachias (word-fighting) producing hostile affects (phthonos, diostaseis, aichorrhegia). Vain argumentation breeds vice.

1 Timothy 6:5

and constant friction among people who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth. Such people think that godliness is a means of gain — the portrait darkens: the false teachers' minds are diephtharmene (corrupted) and bereft of alētheia (truth). Most damningly, they view eusebia (godliness) as podne (a means of financial gain), reducing faith to commerce.

1 Timothy 6:6

But godliness with contentment is great gain — Paul's counter-assertion: eusebia paired with autarkeia (self-sufficiency/contentment) constitutes genuine kerdos (gain). Spiritual wholeness, not acquisitiveness, measures true prosperity.

1 Timothy 6:7

For we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world — the stoic-inflected wisdom: human existence begins and ends in material nakedness (gymnos). Nothing is portable beyond this life; therefore acquisitiveness is absurd.

1 Timothy 6:8

But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with these — the minimalist sufficiency: trophe (sustenance) and skepasma (covering) represent adequacy. Contentment (arkeo) with basics liberates from pathological acquisition.

1 Timothy 6:9

But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare and into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction — the cascade of consequence: the epithumia (desire) for ploutos (wealth) leads through peirasmos (temptation) and pagis (snare) into bathus (deep) perdition. Financial ambition proves spiritually lethal.

1 Timothy 6:10

For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils, and by craving it some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs — the root-metaphor (rhiza) establishes philarguria (love of money) as generative of manifold transgressions. Some (tines) have explicitly apostasized (apeplanēthesan), turning from faith into self-inflicted suffering (peri ... heautous).

1 Timothy 6:1

Let all who are under the yoke as slaves regard their own masters as worthy of all honor, so that the name of God and the teaching may not be defamed — the slave-master relationship (douloō) requires respect (timē) to prevent the gospel's reputation (onoma theou) from suffering damage through Christian insubordination. Ecclesial conduct bears public witness.

1 Timothy 6:12

Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and for which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses — the martial metaphor (agōnizomai) frames Timothy's ministry as spiritual combat. His call (klēsis) to eternal zōē (life) finds expression in the homologia (confession) publicly witnessed. Perseverance honors his initial commitment.

1 Timothy 6:13

I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession — Paul's charge (paraggellō) invokes dual divine witness: God (zōopoieō, life-giver) and Christ (witnessing truthfully before Pilate). Christ's fidelity under interrogation becomes Timothy's paradigm.

1 Timothy 6:14

to keep the commandment unstained and irreproachable until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ — Timothy's obligation to maintain the entolē (commandment) without spot (aspilo) until the epiphaneia (appearing) of Christ establishes eschatological accountability. Time-bound faithfulness points toward cosmic judgment.

1 Timothy 6:15

which he will display at the proper time — the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords — the temporal reference (kairos) to Christ's manifestation returns focus to God's sovereignity: monos dynastēs (sole sovereign), basileus basileōn (king of kings), kyrios kyriōn (lord of lords). Ultimate authority rests with God alone.

1 Timothy 6:16

who alone has immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen. — God's unique attributes (athanasia/immortality, phōs aprositon/unapproachable light) and invisibility establish divine transcendence. The doxology (timē, kratos) and amen close the epistle with cosmic affirmation.

1 Timothy 6:17

As for those who are rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything for enjoyment — Paul's charge (paraggellō) to the wealthy forbids two vices: hautainō (pride) and elpis (hope) anchored in the adēlotes (uncertainty) of wealth. Instead, theopropia (God's generosity) provides all things (panta) for enjoyment (apolausia).

1 Timothy 6:18

They are to do good, to be rich in good deeds, generous and ready to share — the wealthy's obligation pivots from possession to practice: agathopoieō (do good), plouseō (be rich) in good works (erga), megalopsychia (magnanimity), eumetadotoi (ready to share). Wealth's moral test is redistribution.

1 Timothy 6:19

Thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life — the paradox: generosity constitutes thesaurizō (treasure-storing) that yields themelia (foundation) for the future. The verb perihaptō (take hold) recalls Christ's call (6:12); true zōē (life) results from liberality.

1 Timothy 6:11

But you, man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness — the direct address (su ... anthrōpe theou) recalls Moses and prophets; Timothy must pheugo (flee) from financial temptation while actively pursuing (diōkō) five virtues: dikaiosynē (justice), eusebia (godliness), pistis (faith), agapē (love), hupomenē (perseverance), praupatheia (gentleness).

1 Timothy 6:2

Those who have believing masters must not be disrespectful on the grounds that they are members of the church; rather they must serve them even better, since those who benefit by their service are believers and beloved — the subtlety: shared faith between Christian slave and master intensifies rather than diminishes the servant's obligation (hyperete). Agapē (love) within the faith community demands magnified deference.