New King James Version
1 Timothy 6:12
12Fight 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.
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 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 evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. 11But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness. 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. 13I urge you in the sight of God who gives life to all things, and before Christ Jesus who witnessed the good confession before Pontius Pilate, 14that you keep this commandment without spot, blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ’s appearing,
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 commit to you, son Timothy, according to the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you may wage the good warfare,
- Zechariah 10:5They shall be like mighty men, Who tread down their enemies In the mire of the streets in the battle. They shall fight because the Lord is with them, And the riders on horses shall be put to shame.
- 1 Corinthians 9:25And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown.
- 2 Corinthians 6:7by the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left,
- 2 Corinthians 10:3For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh.
- Ephesians 6:10Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.
- 1 Thessalonians 5:8But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as 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 6:19storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.
- Psalms 63:8My soul follows close behind You; Your right hand upholds me.
- Proverbs 3:18She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her, And happy are all who retain her.
- Philippians 3:12Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me.
- Hebrews 3:14For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end,
- Hebrews 6:18that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us.
- 1 John 2:25And this is the promise that He has promised us—eternal life.
- Revelation 3:3Remember therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast and repent. Therefore if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon 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
New King James Version — © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc
Commentaries