Verse Lens · Concise explanation
1 Timothy 4:6 Explained in Context
Use this verse as a doorway into the larger passage—not as an isolated saying.
Verse 6. 6If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained.
King James Version — public domain in the United States · Bible text and permissions
Quick Meaning
This verse calls Timothy a good servant when he places these teachings before the community and remains nourished by them.
Train in godliness without despising the body you live in
This verse is one part of that explanation in 1 Timothy 4:6–10. The complete section carries the connected meaning and how it should shape life.
Read It With
- 1 Timothy 4:6–10
Read 1 Timothy 4:6 with 4:6–10. This verse calls Timothy a good servant when he places these teachings before the community and remains nourished by them. The complete unit establishes this movement: Timothy becomes a good servant by nourishing others and himself in faithful teaching, rejecting profane myths, training in godliness, and laboring in hope in the living God, Savior of all and especially believers.
Why This Verse Appears Here
The response to unhealthy prohibition is sustained formation and hope, not an opposite neglect of embodied life. Within that movement, this verse calls Timothy a good servant when he places these teachings before the community and remains nourished by them.
Read 1 Timothy 4:6–10 together
Why these verses belong together: Nourishment, myth refusal, bodily and godly training, faithful saying, labor, and hope in the living God belong together.
Verse 6. 6 If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained.
Verse 7. 7 But refuse profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness.
Verse 8. 8 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.
Verse 9. 9 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation.
Verse 10. 10 For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe.
Phrase-by-Phrase Explanation
“nourished up in the words of faith”
In plain language: The teacher remains a learner receiving the same formation offered to others.
calls Timothy a good servant when he places these teachings before the community and remains nourished by them. Teachers must stay nourished and correctable within the truth they teach.
Why it matters: The wording helps identify this verse's distinct contribution to the complete unit.
How certain? strongWhat Remains True
Teachers must stay nourished and correctable within the truth they teach.
How It Can Shape Life
- Keep a documented study and supervision practice.
Continue in Context
Read the complete section for the connected explanation and how it should shape life. This verse is a doorway into that passage, not a saying that stands alone.
Read 1 Timothy 4:6–10 — Train in Godliness with Hope in the Living GodSources used for this Verse Lens
How certain is this explanation? strong
These are the sources used directly for this lens. Language, grammar, disagreements, and the complete source shelf remain attached to the full thought-unit research record.
Biblical text
King James (Authorized) Version — eng-kjv2006
eBible.org and CrossWire Bible Society
USFM archive eng-kjv2006_usfm.zip; source files dated 2026-08-19; downloaded 2026-08-24; archive SHA-256 aec1b3b26c622fd3d963d2bbac963016b9513246ffbfa20da00bb100372ea007; normalized corpus SHA-256 09aef51d90488aa7b9722b3fd9a93f4b25f6bf2064c5fd798fb39673c300ddf2.
Supports: Exact reader-facing KJV wording, paragraph markers, supplied-word markup, and complete verse coverage.
Exact location: 1 Timothy 4:6–10, pinned eng-kjv2006 USFM corpus
Open source ↗Greek textual evidence
The Greek New Testament: SBL Edition
Michael W. Holmes, editor; Society of Biblical Literature and Logos
Society of Biblical Literature and Logos Bible Software, 2010
Supports: Greek wording, clause relationships, morphology targets, and base text for original-language discussion.
Exact location: Faithlife SBLGNT repository, data/sblgnt/text/1Tim.txt, 4:6–10
Open the 1 Timothy Greek text file ↗Translation and textual notes
NET Bible — 1 Timothy with translators' and textual notes
Biblical Studies Press
Biblical Studies Press, 2005–2026 online edition
Supports: Verse-level syntax, KJV-era wording, textual alternatives, and interpretive notes.
Exact location: NET Bible official 1 Timothy PDF, 4:6–10 translation and attached translator, study, and textual notes
Open the official NET 1 Timothy PDF ↗