1 Timothy 6:13-19

6:13 I charge you ¹  before God who gives life to all things and Christ Jesus who made his good confession ²  before Pontius Pilate, 6:14 to obey ³  this command ⁴  without fault or failure until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ 6:15 – whose appearing ⁵  the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, will reveal at the right time. 6:16 He alone possesses immortality and lives in unapproachable light, whom no human has ever seen or is able to see. To him be honor and eternal power! Amen.

6:17 Command those who are rich in this world’s goods ⁶  not to be haughty or to set their hope on riches, which are uncertain, ⁷  but on God who richly provides us with all things for our enjoyment. 6:18 Tell them to do good, ⁸  to be rich in good deeds, to be generous givers, sharing with others. ⁹  6:19 In this way they will save up ¹⁰  a treasure for themselves as a firm foundation ¹¹  for the future and so lay hold of ¹²  what is truly life.

[6:13]  ¹ tc ‡ Most witnesses, some of them important (א² A D H 1881 Ï lat sy bo), have σοι (soi, “you”) after παραγγέλλω (parangellw, “I charge [you]”), a predictable variant because the personal pronoun is demanded by the sense of the passage (and was added in the translation because of English requirements). Hence, the omission is the harder reading, and the addition of σοι is one of clarification. Further, the shorter reading is found in several important witnesses, such as א* F G Ψ 6 33 1739 pc. Thus, both internally and externally the shorter reading is preferred. NA ²⁷ places σοι in brackets, indicating some doubts as to its authenticity.

[6:13]  ² tn Grk “testified the good confession.”

[6:14]  ³ tn The Greek word τηρέω (threw, traditionally translated “keep”) in this context connotes preservation of and devotion to an object as well as obedience.

[6:14]  ⁴ tn Grk “the command.”

[6:15]  ⁵ tn Grk “which.” All of 1 Tim 6:15 is a relative clause which refers back to “appearing” in v.14. The phrase “whose appearing” was supplied to clarify this connection.

[6:17]  ⁶ tn Grk “in the present age.”

[6:17]  ⁷ tn Grk “in uncertainty.”

[6:18]  ⁸ tn Grk “to do good” (the continuation of 6:17). Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started at the beginning of v. 18.

[6:18]  ⁹ tn Grk “to be generous,” “sharing.”

[6:19]  ¹⁰ tn Grk “saving up” (the continuation of 6:18). Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started at the beginning of v. 19.

[6:19]  ¹¹ tn Grk “treasuring up a good foundation.”

[6:19]  ¹² tn Grk “that they may lay hold of.”