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1 Timothy 6

1Let all who are slaves under a yoke consider their own masters worthy of all honor, so that God's name and the teaching may not be blasphemed. 2Those who have believing masters must not look down on them because they are brothers. Instead, they must serve all the more, because those who benefit from their service are believers and beloved. Teach and urge these things.

3If someone teaches differently and does not accept the healthy words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with devotion to God, 4he is puffed up and understands nothing, but is sick with a craving for disputes and battles over words. From these come envy, strife, slanders, evil suspicions, 5and constant friction among people whose minds are corrupted and who have been deprived of the truth, imagining that devotion to God is a means of gain. 6But devotion to God with contentment is great gain, 7for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot carry anything out. 8But if we have food and coverings, we will be content with these. 9Those who want to be rich fall into temptation, a snare, and many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10For the love of money is a root of all evils. In reaching for it, some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pains.

11But you, man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, devotion to God, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness. 12Struggle in the good contest of faith; take hold of eternal life, to which you were called. You made the good confession before many witnesses. 13I command you before God, who gives life to all things, and Christ Jesus, who gave the good confession before Pontius Pilate, 14to keep the commandment unstained and above reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15which the blessed and only Sovereign will display at the appointed times—the King of those who reign and Lord of those who rule, 16who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no human has seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal might. Amen.

17Command those who are rich in the present age not to be haughty or set their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything for enjoyment. 18They are to do good, to be rich in good deeds, generous, ready to share, 19storing up for themselves a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of the life that truly is life.

20Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you, turning away from profane, empty chatter and the opposing claims of what is falsely called knowledge. 21By professing it, some have missed the mark concerning the faith. Grace be with you all.

Translation notes 7

6:1–2 — “Slaves under a yoke.” Actual slavery is meant. The draft retains the instructions to slaves and the fact that some masters are believers. These are not terms for ordinary employment.

6:4 — “Sick with a craving”; “battles over words.” The health and conflict images are in the Greek, contrasting with “healthy words” in verse 3.

6:8 — “Coverings.” Commonly “clothing”; the word can encompass other protective coverings. “Food and clothing” is the familiar English rendering.

6:10 — “A root of all evils.” Often rendered “a root of all kinds of evil.” The Greek's broad language and root image are retained. It says the love of money, not money itself.

6:12–13 — “The good contest”; “gives life to all things.” The contest wording retains a repeated Greek noun and verb, often rendered “fight the good fight.” In verse 13 “preserves all things alive” is another possible rendering of the verb.

6:19 — “Storing up…a good foundation.” Both the treasure and building images are present in Greek. “The life that truly is life” follows the Greek base; another reading has “eternal life.”

6:21 — “You all.” The closing “you” is plural in the Greek base, extending the greeting beyond Timothy. A variant has singular “you” followed by “Amen.”