American Standard Version
1 Timothy 6:12
12Fight the good fight of the faith, lay hold on the life eternal, whereunto thou wast called, and didst confess the good confession in the sight of many witnesses.
1 Timothy 6:12 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)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.
- New International Version (NIV)Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.
Context of 1 Timothy 6:12
10For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil: which some reaching after have been led astray from the faith, and have pierced themselves through with many sorrows. 11But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness. Fight the good fight of the faith, lay hold on the life eternal, whereunto thou wast called, and didst confess the good confession in the sight of many witnesses. 13I charge thee in the sight of God, who giveth life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who before Pontius Pilate witnessed the good confession; 14that thou keep the commandment, without spot, without reproach, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ:
Read all of 1 Timothy 61 Timothy 6:12 word by word
ἀγωνίζου τὸν καλὸν ἀγῶνα τῆς πίστεως, ἐπιλαβοῦ τῆς αἰωνίου ζωῆς εἰς ἣν ἐκλήθης καὶ ὡμολόγησας τὴν καλὴν ὁμολογίαν ἐνώπιον πολλῶν μαρτύρων.¶Read the interlinear
- Fightἀγώνagōn · fightG73
- goodκαλόςkalos · goodG2570
- faithπίστιςpistis · faithG4102
- holdἐπιλαμβάνωepilambanomai · to catchG1949
- lifeζωήzōē · lifeG2222
- eternalαἰώνιοςaiōnios · eternalG166
- calledκαλέωkaleō · to call: callG2564
- confessὁμολογέωhomologeō · to confess/professG3670
- confessionὁμολογίαhomologia · confessionG3671
- manyπολύςpolus polos · muchG4183
- witnessesμάρτυςmartus · witnessG3144
Cross-references for 1 Timothy 6:12
- 1 Timothy 1:18This charge I commit unto thee, my child Timothy, according to the prophecies which led the way to thee, that by them thou mayest war the good warfare;
- Zechariah 10:5And they shall be as mighty men, treading down their enemies in the mire of the streets in the battle; and they shall fight, because Jehovah is with them; and the riders on horses shall be confounded.
- 1 Corinthians 9:25And every man that striveth in the games exerciseth self-control in all things. Now they do it to receive a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.
- 2 Corinthians 6:7in the word of truth, in the power of God; by the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left,
- 2 Corinthians 10:3For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh
- Ephesians 6:10Finally, be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of his might.
- 1 Thessalonians 5:8But let us, since we are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for a helmet, the hope of salvation.
- 2 Timothy 4:7I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith:
- 1 Timothy 6:19laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on the life which is life indeed.
- Psalms 63:8My soul followeth hard after thee: Thy right hand upholdeth me.
- Proverbs 3:18She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her: And happy is every one that retaineth her.
- Philippians 3:12Not that I have already obtained, or am already made perfect: but I press on, if so be that I may lay hold on that for which also I was laid hold on by Christ Jesus.
- Hebrews 3:14for we are become partakers of Christ, if we hold fast the beginning of our confidence firm unto the end:
- Hebrews 6:18that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we may have a strong encouragement, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us:
- 1 John 2:25And this is the promise which he promised us, even the life eternal.
- Revelation 3:3Remember therefore how thou hast received and didst hear; and keep it, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.
Commentaries on 1 Timothy 6:12
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 12Fight the good fight of faith - "Agonize the good agony." Thou hast a contest to sustain in which thy honor, thy life, thy soul, are at stake. Live the Gospel, and defend the cause of God. Unmask hypocrites, expel the profligate, purge and build up the Church, live in the spirit of thy religion, and give thyself wholly to this work. Lay hold on eternal life - All this is in allusion to the exercises in the public Grecian games: Fight, conquer, and seize…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 12Fight the good fight of faith - The noble conflict in the cause of religion; see the notes on Ephesians 6:10-17; compare notes on 1 Corinthians 9:26-27. The allusion is to the contests at the Grecian games. Lay hold on eternal life - As the crown of victory that is held out to you. Seize this as eagerly as the competitors at the Grecian games laid hold on the prize; see the notes on 1 Corinthians 9:25. Whereunto thou art also called - That is, by the…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 11-16Verses 11-16 It ill becomes any men, but especially men of God, to set their hearts upon the things of this world; men of God should be taken up with the things of God. There must be a conflict with corruption, and temptations, and the powers of darkness. Eternal life is the crown proposed for our encouragement. We are called to lay hold thereon. To the rich must especially be pointed out their dangers and duties, as to the proper use of wealth. But who…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 12The promise of eternal life reduces the attraction of wealth (see 6:19). Paul probably refers to when Timothy confessed his faith during baptism.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1212. Fight the good fight--Birks thinks this Epistle was written from Corinth, where contests in the national games recurred at stated seasons, which will account for the allusion here as in 1Co 9:24-26. Contrast "strifes of words" (1Ti 6:4). Compare 1Ti 1:18; 2Ti 4:7. The "good profession" is connected with the good fight (Psa 60:4). lay hold on eternal life--the crown, or garland, the prize of victory, laid hold of by the winner in the "good fight" (2Ti…Read the comment
Topics related to 1 Timothy 6:12
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on 1 Timothy 6
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Illustrated New Testament
- Burkitt’s Expository Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Family Bible Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- The People’s New Testament
- Robertson’s Word Pictures
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
American Standard Version — 1901 — Public Domain
Commentaries