1 Timothy 1:8

1 Timothy 1:8 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully;
• New International Version (NIV)We know that the law is good if one uses it properly.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Now we know that the law is good, if one uses it lawfully,
• New King James Version (NKJV)But we know that the law is good if one uses it lawfully,

Context of 1 Timothy 1:8

6But certain people have failed to live in that way. They would rather talk about things that do not help anyone. 7They want to be teachers of God's laws. They speak very strongly, but they do not really understand what they are talking about. We know that God's laws are good, if people use them properly. 9We also know that God did not make those laws for people who already live in a good way. He made them for people like this, to show them what is right: people who refuse to obey any laws; people who do not want anyone to rule them; people who turn away from God; people who do bad things; people who do not respect God's holy things; people who kill their father or their mother; people who murder; 10people who have sex in a wrong way; men who have sex with other men; people who catch other people to sell them; people who tell lies; people who do not speak the truth in court; people who do any wrong things that are against God's true message.

1 Timothy 1:8 word by word

Οἴδαμεν δὲ ὅτι καλὸς ὁ νόμος ἐάν τις αὐτῷ νομίμως χρῆται,Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Butδέde · thenG1161
• we knowεἴδωeidō · to perceive: understandG1492
• thatὅτιhoti · that/since: thatG3754
• the lawὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• the lawνόμοςnomos · lawG3551
• goodκαλόςkalos · goodG2570
• ifἐάνean · ifG1437
• a manτιςtis · oneG5100
• useχράωchraomai · to useG5530
• itαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• lawfullyνομίμωςnomimōs · lawfullyG3545

Cross-references for 1 Timothy 1:8

• Deuteronomy 4:6Obey them carefully. That will show people of other nations that you are wise. They will hear about all your laws. Then they will say, ‘The people of this great nation are very wise and clever!’
• Nehemiah 9:13At Sinai mountain, you came down from heaven and you spoke to your people. You gave them your laws, rules and commands, which are good, fair and true.
• Psalms 19:7The law of the Lord is perfect. It makes us strong again. We can trust what the Lord teaches us. He helps ordinary people to be wise.
• Psalms 119:96I have learned that all things will come to an end, but your commands have no end.
• Romans 7:12So we understand that God's Law and its commands are completely good. They are holy, fair and good.
• Romans 7:18I know that there is nothing good in me. I am weak and human. I want to do what is good. But I am unable to do it.
• Romans 12:2Do not become like the people who belong to this world. But let God completely change the way that you think, so that you live differently. Then you will understand what God wants you to do. You will know what is good. You will know what pleases God. You will know what is completely right.
• Galatians 3:21So should we say that God's Law works against God's promises? No, certainly that is not true! It is not possible for the rules of any law to give us life with God. If that could happen, then God would have accepted us as right if we obeyed those rules.
• 2 Timothy 2:5It is the same with an athlete who runs a race. He cannot win the race unless he obeys the rules.

Commentaries on 1 Timothy 1:8

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 8But we know that the law is good - The law as given by God, is both good in itself and has a good tendency. This is similar to what the apostle had asserted, Romans 7:12-16; : The law is holy; and the commandment is holy, just, and good; see the note on Romans 7:12, etc. If a man use it lawfully - That is, interpret it according to its own spirit and design, and use it for the purpose for which God has given it; for the ceremonial law was a schoolmaster…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 8But we know that the law is good - We admit this; it is that which we all concede. This declaration is evidently made by the apostle to guard against the supposition that he was an enemy of the law. Doubtless this charge would be brought against him, or against anyone who maintained the sentiments which he had just expressed. By speaking thus of what those teachers regarded as so important in the law, it would be natural for them to declare that he was an…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 5-11Verses 5-11 Whatever tends to weaken love to God, or love to the brethren, tends to defeat the end of the commandment. The design of the gospel is answered, when sinners, through repentance towards God and faith in Jesus Christ, are brought to exercise Christian love. And as believers were righteous persons in God's appointed way, the law was not against them. But unless we are made righteous by faith in Christ, really repenting and forsaking sin, we are…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 6-11Paul now explains the false teachers' ideas and uses their own topics against them.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 88. But--"Now we know" (Ro 3:19; 7:14). law is good--in full agreement with God's holiness and goodness. if a man--primarily, a teacher; then, every Christian. use it lawfully--in its lawful place in the Gospel economy, namely, not as a means of a "'righteous man" attaining higher perfection than could be attained by the Gospel alone (1Ti 4:8; Tit 1:14), which was the perverted use to which the false teachers put it, but as a means of awakening the sense…Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Timothy 1:8

• Law

In the dictionaries

• Acceptation
• Blasphemer
• Charity
• Heed
• Immortal
• Save
• Law in the New Testament
• Temperance; Temperate

Commentaries on 1 Timothy 1

• 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