1 Timothy 4:9
What does 1 Timothy 4:9 mean?
A plain-English look at 1 Timothy 4:9 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.
What 1 Timothy 4:9 means
Paul signals that what he has just said deserves full acceptance. He marks it as a reliable, well-tested truth the churches should embrace without reservation. Such formulas often summarize central convictions worth repeating and remembering. Here, the trustworthy statement likely points to the immense profit of godliness for both present and future life. By highlighting its certainty, Paul encourages Timothy to preach it boldly and the congregation to receive it humbly. The church’s life and endurance depend on fastening to truths that do not shift with culture or fad. This brief seal of approval invites meditation and response, not casual agreement or neglect.
Parallel translations
WEB
World English Bible · 2000Faithful is the saying, and worthy of all acceptation.
KJV
King James Version · 1611This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation.
ASV
American Standard Version · 1901Faithful is the saying, and worthy of all acceptation.
BBE
Bible in Basic English · 1949This is a true saying, in which all may put their faith.
YLT
Young's Literal Translation · 1862stedfast <FI>is<Fi> the word, and of all acceptation worthy;
DRA
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752A faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation.
DBY
Darby Bible · 1890The word [is] faithful and worthy of all acceptation;
Context
This affirmation functions as a hinge. After declaring the superior value of godliness, Paul brands the claim as a dependable saying. It intensifies the weight of the exhortation and prepares for the personal testimony that follows in the next verse. There Paul will describe his own strenuous labor and confident hope in the living God as the reason he presses forward—providing a lived example of the truth he wants Timothy to teach and embody.
v.8for bodily exercise is profitable for a little; but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life which now is, and of that which is to come.
v.9This passage
v.10For to this end we labor and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of them that believe.
Cross references
Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.
- 1 Timothy 1:15
Faithful is the saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief:
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