New Living Translation
1 Timothy 4:8
8“Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life 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
6If you explain these things to the brothers and sisters, Timothy, you will be a worthy servant of Christ Jesus, one who is nourished by the message of faith and the good teaching you have followed. 7Do not waste time arguing over godless ideas and old wives’ tales. Instead, train yourself to be godly. “Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come.” 9This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it. 10This is why we work hard and continue to struggle, for our hope is in the living God, who is the Savior of all people and particularly of all believers.
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 15:22But Samuel replied, “What is more pleasing to the Lord: your burnt offerings and sacrifices or your obedience to his voice? Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice, and submission is better than offering the fat of rams.
- Psalms 50:7“O my people, listen as I speak. Here are my charges against you, O Israel: I am God, your God!
- Isaiah 1:11“What makes you think I want all your sacrifices?” says the Lord. “I am sick of your burnt offerings of rams and the fat of fattened cattle. I get no pleasure from the blood of bulls and lambs and goats.
- Isaiah 58:3‘We have fasted before you!’ they say. ‘Why aren’t you impressed? We have been very hard on ourselves, and you don’t even notice it!’ “I will tell you why!” I respond. “It’s because you are fasting to please yourselves. Even while you fast, you keep oppressing your workers.
- Jeremiah 6:20There’s no use offering me sweet frankincense from Sheba. Keep your fragrant calamus imported from distant lands! I will not accept your burnt offerings. Your sacrifices have no pleasing aroma for me.”
- Amos 5:21“I hate all your show and pretense— the hypocrisy of your religious festivals and solemn assemblies.
- 1 Corinthians 8:8It’s true that we can’t win God’s approval by what we eat. We don’t lose anything if we don’t eat it, and we don’t gain anything if we do.
- Colossians 2:21“Don’t handle! Don’t taste! Don’t touch!”?
- Hebrews 13:9So do not be attracted by strange, new ideas. Your strength comes from God’s grace, not from rules about food, which don’t help those who follow them.
- Hebrews 9:9This is an illustration pointing to the present time. For the gifts and sacrifices that the priests offer are not able to cleanse the consciences of the people who bring them.
- 1 Timothy 6:6Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth.
- Job 22:2“Can a person do anything to help God? Can even a wise person be helpful to him?
- Deuteronomy 28:1“If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully keep all his commands that I am giving you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the world.
- Job 5:19From six disasters he will rescue you; even in the seventh, he will keep you from evil.
- Psalms 37:3Trust in the Lord and do good. Then you will live safely in the land and prosper.
- Psalms 84:11For the Lord God is our sun and our shield. He gives us grace and glory. The Lord will withhold no good thing from those who do what is right.
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
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