God’s Word Translation
1 Timothy 4:8
8Training the body helps a little, but godly living helps in every way. Godly living has the promise of life now and in the world to come.
1 Timothy 4:8 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.
- New International Version (NIV)For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.
- English Standard Version (ESV)for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.
- New King James Version (NKJV)For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come.
Context of 1 Timothy 4:8
6You are a good servant of Christ Jesus when you point these things out to our brothers and sisters. Then you will be nourished by the words of the Christian faith and the excellent teachings which you have followed closely. 7Don’t have anything to do with godless myths that old women like to tell. Rather, train yourself to live a godly life. Training the body helps a little, but godly living helps in every way. Godly living has the promise of life now and in the world to come. 9This is a statement that can be trusted and deserves complete acceptance. 10Certainly, we work hard and struggle to live a godly life, because we place our confidence in the living God. He is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe.
Read all of 1 Timothy 41 Timothy 4:8 word by word
ἡ γὰρ σωματικὴ γυμνασία πρὸς ὀλίγον ἐστὶν ὠφέλιμος, ἡ δὲ εὐσέβεια πρὸς πάντα ὠφέλιμός ἐστιν ἐπαγγελίαν ἔχουσα ζωῆς τῆς νῦν καὶ τῆς μελλούσης.Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Forγάρgar · forG1063
- bodilyὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- bodilyσωματικόςsōmatikos · bodilyG4984
- exerciseγυμνασίαgumnasia · trainingG1129
- ·πρόςpros · to/withG4314
- ·εἰμίeimi · to beG1510
- profitethὠφέλιμοςōphelimos · valuableG5624
- littleὀλίγοςoligos · little/fewG3641
- butδέde · thenG1161
- godlinessεὐσέβειαeusebeia · pietyG2150
- all thingsπᾶςpas · allG3956
- havingἔχωechō · to have/beG2192
- promiseἐπαγγελίαepaggelia · promiseG1860
- of the lifeζωήzōē · lifeG2222
- that now isνῦνnun · nowG3568
- andκαίkai · andG2532
- of that which is to comeμέλλωmellō · to ensueG3195
Cross-references for 1 Timothy 4:8
- 1 Samuel 15:22Then Samuel said, “Is the Lord as delighted with burnt offerings and sacrifices as he would be with your obedience? To follow instructions is better than to sacrifice. To obey is better than sacrificing the fat of rams.
- Psalms 50:7“Listen, my people, and I will speak. Listen, Israel, and I will testify against you: I am God, your God!
- Isaiah 1:11The Lord asks, “What do your many animal sacrifices mean to me? I’ve had enough of your burnt offerings of rams and enough fat from your fattened calves. I’m not pleased with the blood of bulls, lambs, or male goats.
- Isaiah 58:3Why have we fasted if you are not aware of it? Why have we inflicted pain on ourselves if you don’t pay attention? Don’t you see that on the days you fast, you do what you want to do? You mistreat all your workers.
- Jeremiah 6:20Incense that comes from Sheba is no good to me. Sugar cane that comes from a distant land is no good to me. I won’t accept your burnt offerings. I’m not pleased with your sacrifices.
- Amos 5:21I hate your festivals; I despise them. I’m not pleased with your religious assemblies.
- 1 Corinthians 8:8Food will not affect our relationship with God. We are no worse off if we eat ⌞that food⌟ and no better off if we don’t.
- Colossians 2:21People will tell you, “Don’t handle this! Don’t taste or touch that!”
- Hebrews 13:9Don’t get carried away by all kinds of unfamiliar teachings. Gaining inner strength from God’s kindness is good for us. This strength does not come from following rules about food, rules that don’t help those who follow them.
- Hebrews 9:9The first part of the tent is an example for the present time. The gifts and sacrifices that were brought there could not give the worshiper a clear conscience.
- 1 Timothy 6:6A godly life brings huge profits to people who are content with what they have.
- Job 22:2“Can a human be of any use to God when even a wise person is only useful to himself?
- Deuteronomy 28:1Carefully obey the Lord your God, and faithfully follow all his commands that I’m giving you today. If you do, the Lord your God will place you high above all the other nations in the world.
- Job 5:19He will keep you safe from six troubles, and when the seventh one comes, no harm will touch you:
- Psalms 37:3Trust the Lord, and do good things. Live in the land, and practice being faithful.
- Psalms 84:11The Lord God is a sun and shield. The Lord grants favor and honor. He does not hold back any blessing from those who live innocently.
Commentaries on 1 Timothy 4:8
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 8For bodily exercise profiteth little - . Those gymnastic exercises, so highly esteemed among the Greeks, are but little worth; they are but of short duration; they refer only to this life, and to the applause of men: but godliness has the promise of this life, and the life to come; it is profitable for all things; and for both time and eternity. But godliness is profitable unto all things - By godliness we are to understand every thing that the Christian…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 8For bodily exercise profiteth little - Margin, “for a little time.” The Greek will admit of either interpretation, and what is here affirmed is true in either sense. The bodily exercise to which the apostle refers is of little advantage compared with that piety which he recommended Timothy to cultivate, and whatever advantage could be derived from it, would be but of short duration. “Bodily exercise” here refers, doubtless, to the mortifications of the…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 6-10Verses 6-10 Outward acts of self-denial profit little. What will it avail us to mortify the body, if we do not mortify sin? No diligence in mere outward things could be of much use. The gain of godliness lies much in the promise; and the promises to godly people relate partly to the life that now is, but especially to the life which is to come: though we lose for Christ, we shall not lose by him. If Christ be thus the Saviour of all men, then much more…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 8-9physical exercise … godliness: Compare with 1 Corinthians 9:24–27 and Colossians 2:23. holding promise for the present life and for the one to come: Compare with 1 Timothy 4:16, 6:6–8, Mark 10:29–30, and Ephesians 6:2–3. trustworthy saying: See study note on 1 Timothy 1:15.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 88. profiteth little--Greek, "profiteth to (but) a small extent." Paul does not deny that fasting and abstinence from conjugal intercourse for a time, with a view to reaching the inward man through the outward, do profit somewhat, Ac 13:3; 1Co 7:5, 7; 9:26, 27 (though in its degenerate form, asceticism, dwelling solely on what is outward, 1Ti 4:3, is not only not profitable but injurious). Timothy seems to have had a leaning to such outward self-discipline…Read the comment
Topics related to 1 Timothy 4:8
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on 1 Timothy 4
- 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
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
Commentaries