God’s Word Translation
1 Timothy 6:12
12Fight the good fight for the Christian faith. Take hold of everlasting life to which you were called and about which you made a good testimony in front 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
10Certainly, the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. Some people who have set their hearts on getting rich have wandered away from the Christian faith and have caused themselves a lot of grief. 11But you, man of God, must avoid these things. Pursue what God approves of: a godly life, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness. Fight the good fight for the Christian faith. Take hold of everlasting life to which you were called and about which you made a good testimony in front of many witnesses. 13In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and in the sight of Christ Jesus, who gave a good testimony in front of Pontius Pilate, 14I insist that, until our Lord Jesus Christ appears, you obey this command completely. Then you cannot be blamed for doing anything wrong.
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 1:18Timothy, my child, I’m giving you this order about the prophecies that are still coming to you: Use these prophecies in faith and with a clear conscience to fight this noble war.
- Zechariah 10:5Together they will be like warriors who trample the enemy in the mud on the streets. They will fight because the Lord is with them. They will put to shame those who ride on horses.
- 1 Corinthians 9:25Everyone who enters an athletic contest goes into strict training. They do it to win a temporary crown, but we do it to win one that will be permanent.
- 2 Corinthians 6:7truthfulness, and the presence of God’s power. We demonstrate that we are God’s servants
- 2 Corinthians 10:3Of course we are human, but we don’t fight like humans.
- Ephesians 6:10Finally, receive your power from the Lord and from his mighty strength.
- 1 Thessalonians 5:8Since we belong to the day, we must be sober. We must put on faith and love as a breastplate and the hope of salvation as a helmet.
- 2 Timothy 4:7I have fought the good fight. I have completed the race. I have kept the faith.
- 1 Timothy 6:19By doing this they store up a treasure for themselves which is a good foundation for the future. In this way they take hold of what life really is.
- Psalms 63:8My soul clings to you. Your right hand supports me.
- Proverbs 3:18⌞Wisdom⌟ is a tree of life for those who take firm hold of it. Those who cling to it are blessed.
- Philippians 3:12It’s not that I’ve already reached the goal or have already completed the course. But I run to win that which Jesus Christ has already won for me.
- Hebrews 3:14After all, we will remain Christ’s partners only if we continue to hold on to our original confidence until the end.
- Hebrews 6:18God did this so that we would be encouraged. God cannot lie when he takes an oath or makes a promise. These two things can never be changed. Those of us who have taken refuge in him hold on to the confidence we have been given.
- 1 John 2:25Christ has given us the promise of eternal life.
- Revelation 3:3So remember what you received and heard. Obey, and change the way you think and act. If you’re not alert, I’ll come like a thief. You don’t know when I will come.
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
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