A thoughtful guide for your walk of faith Read with context, practice with grace.
Pauline Letters · WORLD ENGLISH BIBLE

1 Timothy 6

Guidance for teaching, worship, leadership, care, money, and church order.

New Testament

1 Timothy 6

1Let as many as are bondservants under the yoke count their own masters worthy of all honor, that the name of God and the doctrine not be blasphemed.

2Those who have believing masters, let them not despise them because they are brothers, but rather let them serve them, because those who partake of the benefit are believing and beloved. Teach and exhort these things.

3If anyone teaches a different doctrine and doesn’t consent to sound words, the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness,

4he is conceited, knowing nothing, but obsessed with arguments, disputes, and word battles, from which come envy, strife, insulting, evil suspicions,

5constant friction of people of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain. Withdraw yourself from such.

6But godliness with contentment is great gain.

7For we brought nothing into the world, and we certainly can’t carry anything out.

8But having food and clothing, we will be content with that.

9But those who are determined to be rich fall into a temptation, a snare, and many foolish and harmful lusts, such as drown men in ruin and destruction.

10For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some have been led astray from the faith in their greed, and have pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

11But you, man of God, flee these things, and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness.

12Fight the good fight of faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you confessed the good confession in the sight of many witnesses.

13I command you before God who gives life to all things, and before Christ Jesus who before Pontius Pilate testified the good confession,

14that you keep the commandment without spot, blameless until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ,

15which at the right time he will show, who is the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords.

16He alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen nor can see, to whom be honor and eternal power. Amen.

17Charge those who are rich in this present age that they not be arrogant, nor have their hope set on the uncertainty of riches, but on the living God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy;

18that they do good, that they be rich in good works, that they be ready to distribute, willing to share;

19laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold of eternal life.

20Timothy, guard that which is committed to you, turning away from the empty chatter and oppositions of what is falsely called knowledge,

21which some profess, and thus have wandered from the faith. Grace be with you. Amen.

READ IN CONTEXT

Before applying this chapter

Guidance for teaching, worship, leadership, care, money, and church order. Read 1 Timothy 6 within the complete 1 Timothy overview, and use the contextual Bible reading guide before forming a personal application. Chapter divisions aid navigation, but the literary unit may begin earlier or continue into the next chapter.

Observe first

Mark repeated words, changes of speaker, commands, promises, contrasts, questions, and the relationship between paragraphs.

Apply responsibly

Distinguish description from command and immediate audience from later readers before forming a personal application.

TEXT-DERIVED READING NOTES

What to notice in 1 Timothy 6

1 Timothy 6 contains 21 verses and about 472 words in this translation. These observations come from the chapter itself; they are prompts for close reading, not claims about its only possible meaning.

The opening movement

Verse 1 begins: “Let as many as are bondservants under the yoke count their own masters worthy of all honor, that the name of God and the doctrine not be blasphemed.” Ask what situation, voice, image, or argument this opening establishes for everything that follows.

The closing movement

Verse 21 closes: “which some profess, and thus have wandered from the faith. Grace be with you. Amen.” Compare the ending with the opening and note what changed, resolved, intensified, or remained open.

Vocabulary worth tracing

Recurring or prominent content words include good, godliness, faith, doctrine, things, christ. Follow where each word appears and whether its meaning shifts with the speaker or setting.

COMMON QUESTIONS

About 1 Timothy 6

Which Bible translation is shown here?+

This page reproduces the World English Bible Protestant edition (WEBP), a modern-English translation dedicated to the public domain.

How should I cite a specific verse?+

Use the book, chapter, and verse—for example, 1 Timothy 6:1—and name the World English Bible if the wording matters. Each verse number above is a direct anchor link.

Does the chapter number define the complete literary unit?+

Not always. Chapter and verse numbers were added for navigation. Check the paragraphs, scenes, poetic stanzas, or argument before and after this chapter.

A SMALL NEXT STEP

You do not have to have everything figured out.

Begin with one honest question, one passage read carefully, and one faithful next step.

Start with prayer