English Standard Version
1 Timothy 6:12
12Fight 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.
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.
- 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.
- New Living Translation (NLT)Fight the good fight for the true faith. Hold tightly to the eternal life to which God has called you, which you have declared so well before many witnesses.
Context of 1 Timothy 6:12
10For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs. 11But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. 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. 13I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, 14to keep the commandment unstained and free from 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
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 1:18This charge I entrust to you, Timothy, my child, in accordance with the prophecies previously made about you, that by them you may wage the good warfare,
- Zechariah 10:5They shall be like mighty men in battle, trampling the foe in the mud of the streets; they shall fight because the Lord is with them, and they shall put to shame the riders on horses.
- 1 Corinthians 9:25Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable.
- 2 Corinthians 6:7by truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left;
- 2 Corinthians 10:3For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh.
- Ephesians 6:10Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.
- 1 Thessalonians 5:8But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put 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 race, I have kept the faith.
- 1 Timothy 6:19thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.
- Psalms 63:8My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me.
- Proverbs 3:18She is a tree of life to those who lay hold of her; those who hold her fast are called blessed.
- Philippians 3:12Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own.
- Hebrews 3:14For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end.
- Hebrews 6:18so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us.
- 1 John 2:25And this is the promise that he made to us—eternal life.
- Revelation 3:3Remember, then, what you received and heard. Keep it, and repent. If you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against 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
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
English Standard Version — © 2001 Crossway Bibles
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