1 TimothyChapter 6

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All who are slaves under the yoke should regard their own masters as worthy of full respect, so that God's name and the teaching are not slandered.

Those who have believing masters must not think less of them because they are brothers. Rather, they should serve them all the better, since those who benefit from their service are believers and beloved. Teach and urge these things.

If anyone teaches something different and does not hold to the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and to the teaching that accords with godliness,

he is swollen with conceit and understands nothing. He has a sick craving for controversies and battles over words, which breed envy, strife, slander, evil suspicions,

and constant friction among people whose minds are corrupted and who have been robbed of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain.

But godliness with contentment is great gain.

For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.

If we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.

Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.

For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some, reaching for it, have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

But you, man of God, flee from all this. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, gentleness.

Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, for you made the good confession before many witnesses.

In the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who made the good confession before Pontius Pilate, I charge you:

keep this command without stain or reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ,

which he will bring about at the proper time—the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords,

who alone is immortal, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen.

Charge those who are rich in this present age not to be arrogant or to set their hope on the uncertainty of wealth, but on God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.

Charge them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share,

storing up for themselves a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.

Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you. Turn away from godless chatter and the contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge,

which some have professed and in so doing have missed the mark regarding the faith. Grace be with you all.

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Summary2

Chapter 6

Main Theme: Paul exhorts Timothy to godliness with contentment, warns against greed and false teaching, and charges him to guard the gospel.

Content: The chapter opens with exhortations to slaves to honor their masters. Paul warns against false teachers and emphasizes that godliness with contentment is great gain, while the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. Timothy is called to fight the good fight of faith and keep the commandment blameless until Christ's return. The rich are exhorted to be generous, and the chapter concludes with an appeal to guard what has been entrusted to him.

Key Words/Images:

Godliness with contentment (εὐσέβεια μετὰ αὐταρκείας): True wealth is not material but spiritual satisfaction in God.
The root of the love of money (ῥίζα ... ἡ φιλαργυρία): The love of money is the source of all evil and leads people away from the faith.
The good fight of faith (τὸν καλὸν ἀγῶνα): The Christian life as a struggle in which one lays hold of eternal life.
King of kings (βασιλεὺς τῶν βασιλευόντων): God's sovereign majesty over all earthly powers.

Historical context

Historical and Cultural Context for 1 Timothy 6

Events and Customs

The chapter's opening concerning slaves "under the yoke" (ὑπὸ ζυγὸν δοῦλοι) reflects the widespread institution of slavery in the Roman Empire, where an estimated 10–20 percent of the population were enslaved. The phrase "under the yoke" was a common metaphor for the burden of slavery. In Ephesus, where Timothy served, there was a significant number of slaves in households and craft businesses. Paul addresses the special situation where Christian slaves had Christian masters (πιστοὺς δεσπότας)—a new social dynamic that emerged in the early church. The tension between spiritual brotherhood and social hierarchy required guidance, as some slaves may have misused their brotherhood to show contempt for their masters.

The warning against those who "think that godliness is a means of gain" (verse 5) points to a widespread practice in antiquity where traveling philosophers and religious teachers accepted payment for instruction. Some false teachers in Ephesus appear to have combined religious teaching with financial exploitation, a practice known among Cynic and Sophist teachers of the time.

People

The reference to Pontius Pilate (verse 13) is remarkable as one of the few historical anchors in the Pastoral Epistles. Pilate served as prefect of Judea from approximately 26–36/37 AD, and his name confirms the historical framework for Jesus' suffering. The inscription from Caesarea Maritima ("the Pilate Stone"), discovered in 1961, confirms his existence and title. The phrasing "the good confession before Pontius Pilate" (τοῦ μαρτυρήσαντος ἐπὶ Ποντίου Πιλάτου τὴν καλὴν ὁμολογίαν) suggests an early confession tradition that was later incorporated into creeds.

Key Terms

The term αὐτάρκεια (autarkeia, "self-sufficiency" or "contentment") in verse 6 was a central ideal in Stoic philosophy, denoting inner independence from external circumstances. Paul adopts this term but transforms it: Christian contentment is not based on human willpower but on trust in God as Provider.

The expression ἄνθρωπε θεοῦ ("man of God") in verse 11 has deep roots in the Old Testament, where it is used for prophets such as Moses, Elijah, and Elisha. By addressing Timothy this way, Paul places him within a honored prophetic tradition and emphasizes his calling.

The term παραθήκη ("that which is entrusted to you" or "deposit") in verse 20 comes from Greco-Roman legal language concerning the deposit of valuables for safekeeping. The recipient was legally obligated to return the deposit unchanged. This underscores Timothy's responsibility to preserve the apostolic teaching unaltered.

The warning against ἀντιθέσεις τῆς ψευδωνύμου γνώσεως ("oppositions of what is falsely called knowledge") in verse 20 may refer to early Gnostic tendencies with their characteristic dualism and claims of secret knowledge. Some scholars have seen a possible precursor to the Gnostic thought later systematized by Marcion in his work Antitheses (c. 140 AD), but this connection is debated.

Chapter-Specific Findings

The doxological hymn in verses 15–16, with titles such as "King of kings and Lord of lords" and the description of God as the one who "alone has immortality" and "dwells in unapproachable light," has clear parallels to Hellenistic-Jewish liturgical tradition. Similar formulations are found in 2 Maccabees and in the writings of Philo of Alexandria. At the same time, the expression "King of kings" stands in contrast to similar titles used for Persian and Hellenistic rulers, as well as the Roman emperor. This gives the text a subtle political dimension that asserts God's sovereignty over all earthly powers.

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