1 Timothy 6:12

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

10When people like to have lots of money, it causes all kinds of bad things to happen. Some people have stopped believing the message about Christ because they want to get more money. As a result, they have caused themselves to become sad with many troubles. 11But you, Timothy, are a servant of God. So keep away from all bad things like that. Instead, always try to do what is right. Serve God in a way that pleases him. Choose to trust God and to love other people. Continue to be strong when you have trouble. Be kind to people. Continue to believe God's true message. Be like someone who fights well to keep it safe. God has chosen you to live with him for ever. You stood in front of many people and said clearly that you believed in Jesus Christ. So live in a way that shows that you belong to him. 13Christ Jesus himself spoke God's true message clearly when he stood in front of Pontius Pilate. I now say this to you, in front of God who causes all things to be alive, and in front of Jesus. 14You must obey the commands that you have received. Obey them completely without any mistake until our Lord Jesus Christ returns.

1 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

Words taken from the KJV.

• Fightἀγωνίζομαιagōnizomai · to struggleG75
• the goodὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• the goodκαλόςkalos · goodG2570
• fightἀγώνagōn · fightG73
• of faithπίστιςpistis · faithG4102
• lay hold onἐπιλαμβάνωepilambanomai · to catchG1949
• eternalαἰώνιοςaiōnios · eternalG166
• lifeζωήzōē · lifeG2222
• whereuntoεἰςeis · towardG1519
• whereuntoὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
• thou artκαλέωkaleō · to call: callG2564
• alsoκαίkai · andG2532
• calledκαλέωkaleō · to call: callG2564
• hast professedὁμολογέωhomologeō · to confess/professG3670
• professionὁμολογίαhomologia · confessionG3671
• beforeἐνώπιονenōpion · beforeG1799
• manyπολύςpolus polos · muchG4183
• witnessesμάρτυςmartus · witnessG3144

Cross-references for 1 Timothy 6:12

• 1 Timothy 1:18Timothy, you are like my own child. So now I am telling you to serve God well. Remember the words from God that people spoke about you, when you became a servant of God. Those words will help you to be strong, like a soldier who fights well.
• Zechariah 10:5Together they will be like brave soldiers who march through the mud in the streets of their enemies. The Lord is with them and they will fight their enemies. They will pull down the soldiers from their horses.
• 1 Corinthians 9:25People who run in races prepare their bodies well. They make themselves work very hard. They do this so that they will win a prize that will quickly become spoiled. But we work hard to receive a prize that will never become spoiled.
• 2 Corinthians 6:7We speak a true message. God's power gives us strength. We do what is right, so we fight like soldiers on God's behalf. It is like we have God's weapons in both hands!
• 2 Corinthians 10:3It is true that we live in this world as humans. But we do not use our human ideas to fight against what is wrong.
• Ephesians 6:10At the end of my letter, I want to say this to you: Be united with the Lord, so that you are strong. Then his great power will help you.
• 1 Thessalonians 5:8But we belong to the day, not to the night. So we should think clearly. We must prepare ourselves like a soldier who puts on his armour. We must continue to trust God and to love him. That will be like a metal shirt that keeps our body safe. We must also continue to hope that God will save us. That will be like a strong hat that keeps our head safe.
• 2 Timothy 4:7I have worked to serve Christ well. I have finished everything that God wanted me to do. I am like a runner who has run to the end of the race. I have continued to believe God's true message.
• 1 Timothy 6:19In that way they will store valuable things for themselves in heaven. These things will be a strong help for them in the future. As a result, they will have true life with God.
• Psalms 63:8I keep very near to you and your strong right hand keeps me safe.
• Proverbs 3:18Wisdom is like a tree with fruits that give life to the people who pick them. The Lord blesses everyone who keeps hold of wisdom.
• Philippians 3:12I am not saying that I have already reached that place in my life. I have not yet completely become the person that God wants me to be. But I am trying very hard to reach that place. That was Christ's purpose when he first made me his own.
• Hebrews 3:14We must continue to trust Christ very well, as we did when we first believed in him. We must continue to trust him until the end of our lives. Then we will share in everything that is his.
• Hebrews 6:18Those two things can never change. God cannot tell a lie. As a result, we can be brave and strong. We have trusted God to keep us safe with him. We should also expect to receive the good things that he has promised to give us.
• 1 John 2:25That is the real life that continues for ever. And that is what God has promised to give to us.
• Revelation 3:3So remember God's message that you have heard. Obey what God has said. Turn away from the wrong things that you do. Change the way that you live. If you do not wake up, I will come to punish you. I will come secretly, like someone who robs people. So you will not know what time I will come to you.

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

• Commandments
• Decision
• Faith
• Fight of Faith
• Holiness
• Immortality
• Life
• Meekness
• Minister, Christian
• Testimony
• Timothy
• War

In the dictionaries

• Eternal life
• Agony
• Babbling
• Confession
• Consent
• Content
• Contentment
• Covet
• Foolish
• Games

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