1 Timothy 6
Introduction
First Timothy 6 brings Paul's letter to his young delegate to a close with a series of practical instructions and a doxology. The chapter opens with guidance for Christian slaves, then turns to false teachers who use religion as a means of financial gain. This leads Paul into a reflection on the dangers of wealth, the sufficiency of contentment, and the destructive power of the love of money. The declaration that "the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil" (v. 10) is among the Bible's most frequently quoted -- and misquoted -- lines.
The second half of the chapter moves from warning to exhortation. Paul charges Timothy, as "a man of God," to flee greed and pursue righteousness, to fight the good fight of faith, and to guard the deposit of sound teaching entrusted to him. At the center of this charge stands a doxology (vv. 15-16) celebrating God as the blessed and only Sovereign, dwelling in unapproachable light -- language that echoes Old Testament descriptions of God's majesty. The chapter closes with a final word to the wealthy and a parting appeal to Timothy to guard the faith against what is falsely called "knowledge," likely an early form of the speculative teaching that would later develop into Gnosticism.
Slaves and Masters (vv. 1-2)
1 All who are under the yoke of slavery should regard their masters as fully worthy of honor, so that God's name and our teaching will not be discredited. 2 Those who have believing masters should not show disrespect because they are brothers, but should serve them all the more, since those receiving their good service are beloved believers. Teach and encourage these principles.
1 Let all who are under the yoke as slaves regard their own masters as worthy of full honor, so that the name of God and the teaching may not be slandered. 2 And those who have believing masters must not look down on them because they are brothers; rather, they should serve them all the more, since those who benefit from their good service are believers and beloved. Teach and urge these things.
Notes
ζυγόν ("yoke") -- The word literally refers to a wooden crossbar placed on draft animals. Applied to slavery, it conveys the weight and constraint of the institution. Paul is not endorsing slavery as morally good but addressing the practical reality of the first-century church, where a significant number of believers were enslaved persons. His concern is the reputation of the gospel: if Christian slaves became insubordinate, it would discredit the faith in Roman society.
δεσπότας ("masters") -- This is a stronger word than κύριος ("lord/master"). A despotēs has absolute authority over his household -- the English word "despot" comes from it. Paul uses it here specifically for slave-owners, distinguishing the social relationship from the spiritual one.
βλασφημῆται ("be slandered/blasphemed") -- The passive subjunctive of blasphēmeō. The concern is that poor conduct by Christian slaves would cause outsiders to speak evil of God's name and the Christian teaching. This missionary concern -- behaving so that the gospel is not discredited -- runs throughout the Pastoral Epistles (see Titus 2:5, Titus 2:10).
The situation in verse 2 is particularly delicate: what happens when both the slave and the master are Christians? Some slaves apparently reasoned that shared faith in Christ erased the social hierarchy, leading them to show disrespect toward their believing masters. Paul corrects this -- shared faith should actually increase the quality of service, not diminish it, because the one benefiting from the slave's work is a "beloved believer." The Greek εὐεργεσίας ("good service/benefaction") is a term from the patron-client language of the ancient world, here applied to the mutual benefit within a Christian household.
False Teachers and the Love of Money (vv. 3-10)
3 If anyone teaches another doctrine and disagrees with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and with godly teaching, 4 he is conceited and understands nothing. Instead, he has an unhealthy interest in controversies and disputes about words, out of which come envy, strife, abusive talk, evil suspicions, 5 and constant friction between men of depraved mind who are devoid of the truth. These men regard godliness as a means of gain.
6 Of course, godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into the world, so we cannot carry anything out of it. 8 But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with these. 9 Those who want to be rich, however, fall into temptation and become ensnared by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. By craving it, some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.
3 If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the healthy words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness, 4 he is puffed up with conceit, understanding nothing, but having a sick craving for controversies and word-battles, from which come envy, strife, slander, evil suspicions, 5 and constant friction among people whose minds are corrupted and who have been robbed of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of profit.
6 But godliness with contentment is indeed great profit. 7 For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. 8 So if we have food and covering, with these we will be satisfied. 9 But those who want to be rich fall into temptation and a trap, and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and by reaching for it, some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
Notes
ἑτεροδιδασκαλεῖ ("teaches a different doctrine") -- A rare compound verb found only in the Pastoral Epistles (1 Timothy 1:3 and here). It combines heteros ("other, different") with didaskaleō ("to teach"). The word itself declares that there is a standard of apostolic teaching, and anything that deviates from it is "other-teaching."
ὑγιαίνουσιν λόγοις ("healthy/sound words") -- The medical metaphor runs throughout the Pastoral Epistles. True teaching is "healthy"; false teaching makes people sick. This is reinforced in verse 4 where the false teacher is described as νοσῶν ("being sick") -- having a morbid craving for controversies. The irony is clear: the person who rejects healthy words is himself diseased.
τετύφωται ("he is puffed up/conceited") -- A perfect passive of typhoō, literally "to wrap in smoke, to be clouded." The metaphor suggests that the false teacher is blinded by his own self-importance -- shrouded in arrogance that prevents clear sight. Despite understanding nothing, he believes himself an expert.
λογομαχίας ("word-battles/disputes about words") -- From logos ("word") and machē ("fight, battle"). These are fights over terminology and semantics rather than substance. The false teachers are not engaging in genuine theological inquiry but in pointless verbal sparring that produces only relational damage: envy, strife, slander, suspicion, and friction.
πορισμόν ("gain/profit") -- Paul uses this word twice, first negatively (v. 5: false teachers treating godliness as a source of financial profit) and then positively (v. 6: godliness with contentment is the real profit). The word itself is neutral -- it simply means "means of gain" -- but its application shifts. The false teachers have turned religion into a business; Paul redefines what true spiritual profit looks like.
αὐτάρκεια ("contentment/self-sufficiency") -- A key term in Stoic philosophy, meaning the state of having enough within oneself, of being independent of external circumstances. Paul adopts the word but fills it with Christian content: the believer's sufficiency comes not from inner self-mastery alone but from trust in a providing God. Paul uses the same word family in Philippians 4:11-12, where he says he has "learned to be content" in all circumstances -- a contentment rooted in Christ who strengthens him.
Verse 7 echoes Job 1:21 ("Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart") and Ecclesiastes 5:15 ("As he came from his mother's womb, naked he will go"). The observation is universal: material possessions are temporary. They do not accompany us into or out of existence.
σκεπάσματα ("coverings") -- This word can mean either "clothing" or "shelter." It appears only here in the New Testament. Whether Paul means clothing alone or clothing plus shelter, the point is the same: the basic necessities of life are sufficient grounds for contentment.
βυθίζουσιν ("plunge/sink") -- From bythos ("the deep, the sea floor"). The image is of drowning: desires that drag people down into ruin and destruction. The two nouns ὄλεθρον καὶ ἀπώλειαν ("ruin and destruction") are nearly synonymous, joined for rhetorical force. The desire for wealth does not merely disappoint -- it destroys.
Verse 10 is frequently misquoted. Paul does not say "money is the root of all evil." He says ῥίζα πάντων τῶν κακῶν ἐστιν ἡ φιλαργυρία -- "the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil." The Greek philargyria is a compound of philos ("loving") and argyros ("silver") -- literally "silver-love." It is the craving, not the currency, that is the problem. And it is "a root" (rhiza, without the article in the best manuscripts), not necessarily "the root" -- there are other sources of evil, but the love of money feeds them all. The phrase pantōn tōn kakōn means "of all the evils" or "of every kind of evil" -- not that every evil act in history traces to greed, but that greed produces every category of evil.
περιέπειραν ("pierced themselves through") -- A vivid compound verb: peri- ("around, through") and peirō ("to pierce"). The image is of someone impaling himself on a stake. The sorrows (odynai -- sharp pains, anguish) are self-inflicted. Those who chase wealth do not merely fail to find happiness; they wound themselves.
Fight the Good Fight (vv. 11-16)
11 But you, O man of God, flee from these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made the good confession before many witnesses. 13 I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who made the good confession in His testimony before Pontius Pilate: 14 Keep this commandment without stain or reproach until the appearance of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 which the blessed and only Sovereign One -- the King of kings and Lord of lords -- will bring about in His own time. 16 He alone is immortal and dwells in unapproachable light. No one has ever seen Him, nor can anyone see Him. To Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen.
11 But you, O man of God, flee from these things. Pursue instead righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness of spirit. 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 before many witnesses. 13 I charge you before God, who gives life to all things, and before Christ Jesus, who testified the good confession before Pontius Pilate: 14 keep the commandment spotless and beyond reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 which the blessed and only Sovereign will reveal at the proper time -- the King of those who reign and Lord of those who rule -- 16 who alone possesses immortality, who dwells in light that no one can approach, whom no human being has seen or is able to see. To Him be honor and eternal power. Amen.
Notes
ἄνθρωπε Θεοῦ ("man of God") -- This title has deep Old Testament roots. It was used of Moses (Deuteronomy 33:1), Samuel (1 Samuel 9:6), Elijah (1 Kings 17:18), and Elisha (2 Kings 4:9). By addressing Timothy this way, Paul places him in the line of God's chosen spokesmen -- men who stood apart from the corruption around them and spoke God's word faithfully. The contrast with the false teachers is sharp: they are "men of depraved mind" (v. 5); Timothy is a "man of God."
φεῦγε ... δίωκε ("flee ... pursue") -- Two imperatives that mirror each other. The Christian life requires both negative and positive movement: running away from the love of money and its corruptions, and running toward a set of virtues. The six virtues listed -- righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, gentleness -- form a comprehensive picture of Christian character, balancing moral integrity, relational love, and perseverance under suffering.
πραϋπαθίαν ("gentleness of spirit") -- This rare word (found only here in the New Testament) combines praus ("gentle, meek") and pathos ("feeling, experience"). It describes a gentle disposition -- someone who responds to provocation and suffering with calm, not with aggression. The translation "gentleness of spirit" captures both elements of the compound.
ἀγωνίζου τὸν καλὸν ἀγῶνα ("fight the good fight") -- The noun agōn and verb agōnizomai come from the world of athletic competition and combat. An agōn was a contest -- a wrestling match, a race, a struggle. Paul uses the cognate accusative (agōnizou ... agōna) for rhetorical intensity: "contest the good contest." The metaphor frames the Christian life as a struggle requiring discipline, effort, and endurance rather than passive ease.
ὡμολόγησας τὴν καλὴν ὁμολογίαν ("you confessed the good confession") -- This likely refers to Timothy's public confession of faith, probably at his baptism or ordination. The word ὁμολογία ("confession") means literally "saying the same thing" -- publicly declaring what one believes. Paul then parallels Timothy's confession with Christ's confession before Pontius Pilate (v. 13), drawing a powerful connection: the disciple's public witness mirrors the master's.
ζωογονοῦντος τὰ πάντα ("who gives life to all things") -- The verb zōogoneō means "to bring to life, to preserve alive." Some manuscripts read zōopoiountos ("who makes alive"), which has the same basic meaning. The description of God as the one who gives life to everything sets up the charge: Timothy serves under the authority of the God who holds all life in His hands.
ἐπιφανείας ("appearing/manifestation") -- From epi- ("upon") and phainō ("to shine, to appear"). The noun gives us the English word "epiphany." In the Pastoral Epistles, it refers to both Christ's first appearing (2 Timothy 1:10) and His future return. Here it refers to the Second Coming -- the future visible manifestation of Christ that Timothy is to live in expectation of.
ὁ μακάριος καὶ μόνος Δυνάστης ("the blessed and only Sovereign") -- The doxology of verses 15-16 is one of the New Testament's clearest descriptions of God's majesty. The word dynastēs (source of English "dynasty") means "a powerful ruler, a sovereign." Combined with "blessed" (makarios -- full in joy) and "only" (monos), it declares God's uniqueness and supremacy.
ὁ Βασιλεὺς τῶν βασιλευόντων καὶ Κύριος τῶν κυριευόντων ("King of those who reign and Lord of those who rule") -- This title appears also in Revelation 19:16 applied to Christ. The genitive participles (basileuontōn, kyrieuontōn) mean "of those who are reigning/ruling" -- God is King over all other kings, Lord over all other lords. In the Roman world, where the emperor claimed supreme authority, this was a politically subversive declaration.
φῶς οἰκῶν ἀπρόσιτον ("dwelling in unapproachable light") -- The adjective aprositon ("unapproachable") appears only here in the New Testament. God's holiness and transcendence are pictured as light so intense that no creature can draw near. This echoes Exodus 33:20 ("You cannot see My face, for no one can see Me and live") and Psalm 104:2 ("He wraps Himself in light as with a garment"). The language emphasizes divine transcendence: God is not merely powerful but beyond human reach or comprehension.
ἀθανασίαν ("immortality") -- From a- (privative) and thanatos ("death"): "deathlessness." Paul says God "alone possesses" (monos echōn) immortality. This does not mean that believers will not receive eternal life -- they will -- but that God alone possesses it inherently, as part of His nature. All other immortality is derived and given.
Interpretations
- Does the doxology in vv. 15-16 refer to God the Father or to Christ? The immediate antecedent is "our Lord Jesus Christ" (v. 14), which might suggest that the doxology describes Christ. However, the language -- "the only Sovereign," "He alone is immortal," "no one has ever seen Him" -- is more often applied to God the Father than to the incarnate Son who was seen by many. Most interpreters, across traditions, understand Paul as shifting from Christ (the one who will appear) to God the Father (who will bring about that appearing in His own time). The doxology then celebrates the Father who stands behind Christ's return. Some scholars, however, argue that the entire passage is christological, reflecting the high Christology of the Pastoral Epistles in which divine attributes are applied to Christ. The title "King of kings and Lord of lords" is applied directly to Christ in Revelation 19:16, which supports this reading. In either case, the passage affirms the transcendence and sovereignty of the one true God.
A Charge to the Rich (vv. 17-19)
17 Instruct those who are rich in the present age not to be conceited and not to put their hope in the uncertainty of wealth, but in God, who richly provides all things for us to enjoy. 18 Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, and to be generous and ready to share, 19 treasuring up for themselves a firm foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.
17 As for those who are rich in the present age, charge them not to be arrogant and not to set their hope on the uncertainty of wealth, but on God, who richly provides us with all things for our enjoyment. 18 Charge them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, to be generous and willing to share, 19 storing up for themselves a good foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of what is truly life.
Notes
ὑψηλοφρονεῖν ("to be arrogant/high-minded") -- A compound of hypsēlos ("high") and phroneō ("to think"). Wealth naturally produces a sense of superiority and self-sufficiency. Paul's first command to the rich is internal: correct your thinking. Do not let money elevate your self-perception above others.
ἀδηλότητι πλούτου ("the uncertainty of wealth") -- The noun adēlotēs ("uncertainty, obscurity") appears only here in the New Testament. Wealth is unreliable -- it can vanish overnight through theft, economic collapse, or political upheaval. The contrast is between the uncertainty of riches and the certainty of God. Paul does not command the rich to give away everything but to relocate their hope from an unstable foundation to a stable one.
Notice the wordplay in verses 17-18: the rich are told not to trust in riches (ploutou), but to be "rich" (ploutein) in good works. Paul redefines wealth: true riches consist not in what you accumulate but in what you give away. The command echoes Jesus' teaching in Matthew 6:19-21: "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth... but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven."
εὐμεταδότους ("generous/ready to give") -- A compound of eu ("well"), meta ("with, sharing"), and didōmi ("to give"). It describes someone who gives easily and readily, without reluctance. The companion term κοινωνικούς ("willing to share") comes from koinōnia ("fellowship, sharing") -- the same root used for the sharing of goods in the early church (Acts 2:42).
ἀποθησαυρίζοντας ("storing up/treasuring up") -- From apo- (intensive) and thēsaurizō ("to treasure, store"). The paradox is deliberate: by giving generously now, the rich are actually "treasuring up" a good foundation for the future. Generosity in the present age is an investment in the age to come.
τῆς ὄντως ζωῆς ("what is truly/really life") -- The adverb ontōs ("truly, really") distinguishes genuine life from mere existence. Those who are rich in this present age may appear to be living well, but real life -- life that endures and satisfies -- is found in the generosity and godliness that connect a person to God and to others.
Final Exhortation (vv. 20-21)
20 O Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you. Avoid irreverent, empty chatter and the opposing arguments of so-called "knowledge," 21 which some have professed and thus swerved away from the faith. Grace be with you all.
20 O Timothy, guard the deposit entrusted to you. Turn away from godless empty talk and the contradictions of what is falsely called "knowledge," 21 which some have professed and so have missed the mark regarding the faith. Grace be with you all.
Notes
παραθήκην ("deposit/what has been entrusted") -- A legal and commercial term for something placed in trust with another person for safekeeping. In the ancient world, a parathēkē was a deposit given to a trusted guardian, who was legally and morally bound to preserve it and return it intact. Paul uses this word to describe the body of apostolic teaching entrusted to Timothy. His job is not to innovate or reinvent the faith but to guard and preserve what he has received. The same imagery appears in 2 Timothy 1:14 ("Guard the good deposit entrusted to you").
βεβήλους κενοφωνίας ("godless empty talk") -- The adjective bebēlos ("profane, godless") originally described ground that was accessible to everyone -- common, unholy space as opposed to sacred space. The noun kenophōnia ("empty sound/empty talk") is a compound of kenos ("empty") and phōnē ("voice, sound"). The false teachers' speech is literally "empty noise" -- sound without substance.
ψευδωνύμου γνώσεως ("falsely called knowledge") -- The adjective pseudōnymos ("falsely named") gives us the English word "pseudonym." Paul's target is teaching that presents itself as superior gnōsis ("knowledge") but is actually counterfeit. Many scholars see this as a reference to an early form of what would later develop into second-century Gnosticism -- speculative systems that claimed to offer hidden knowledge about God, creation, and salvation. Whether or not this constitutes fully developed Gnosticism, the pattern is clear: certain teachers in Ephesus were claiming a special, higher knowledge that went beyond the apostolic gospel, and their claims were leading people away from the faith.
ἠστόχησαν ("missed the mark/swerved") -- From astocheō, a compound of a- (privative) and stochos ("a target, an aim"). The word means "to miss the mark" -- like an archer whose arrow goes wide. Some who professed this false knowledge did not merely hold a different opinion; they missed the target of the faith entirely. Paul uses the same verb in 1 Timothy 1:6 and 2 Timothy 2:18.
The closing benediction -- "Grace be with you all" -- uses the plural ὑμῶν ("you all"), suggesting that although the letter is addressed to Timothy personally, Paul intends it to be read to the entire congregation at Ephesus. The singular "you" throughout the letter shifts to plural at the very end, revealing the letter's broader audience.