New English Translation
1 Timothy 6:12
12Compete well for the faith and lay hold of that eternal life you were called for and made your good confession for 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.
- 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
10For the love of money is the root of all evils. Some people in reaching for it have strayed from the faith and stabbed themselves with many pains. 11But you, as a person dedicated to God, keep away from all that. Instead pursue righteousness, godliness, faithfulness, love, endurance, and gentleness. Compete well for the faith and lay hold of that eternal life you were called for and made your good confession for in the presence of many witnesses. 13I charge you before God who gives life to all things and Christ Jesus who made his good confession before Pontius Pilate, 14to obey this command without fault or failure 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 1:18I put this charge before you, Timothy my child, in keeping with the prophecies once spoken about you, in order that with such encouragement you may fight the good fight.
- Zechariah 10:5And they will be like warriors trampling the mud of the streets in battle. They will fight, for the Lord will be with them, and will defeat the enemy cavalry.
- 1 Corinthians 9:25Each competitor must exercise self-control in everything. They do it to receive a perishable crown, but we an imperishable one.
- 2 Corinthians 6:7by truthful teaching, by the power of God, with weapons of righteousness both for the right hand and for the left,
- 2 Corinthians 10:3For though we live as human beings, we do not wage war according to human standards,
- Ephesians 6:10Finally, be strengthened in the Lord and in the strength of his power.
- 1 Thessalonians 5:8But since we are of the day, we must stay sober by putting on the breastplate of faith and love and as a helmet our hope for salvation.
- 2 Timothy 4:7I have competed well; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith!
- 1 Timothy 6:19In this way they will save up a treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the future and so lay hold of what is truly life.
- Psalms 63:8My soul pursues you; your right hand upholds me.
- Proverbs 3:18She is like a tree of life to those who obtain her, and everyone who grasps hold of her will be blessed.
- Philippians 3:12Not that I have already attained this – that is, I have not already been perfected – but I strive to lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus also laid hold of me.
- Hebrews 3:14For we have become partners with Christ, if in fact we hold our initial confidence firm until the end.
- Hebrews 6:18so that we who have found refuge in him may find strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us through two unchangeable things, since it is impossible for God to lie.
- 1 John 2:25Now this is the promise that he himself made to us: eternal life.
- Revelation 3:3Therefore, remember what you received and heard, and obey it, and repent. If you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will never 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
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