I Timothy 4:9-10 · Bible study
1 Timothy 4:9-10 Commentary: The Faithful Saying
Greek · 11 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
A study of Paul's trustworthy saying about godliness, labor, and trust in the living God, who saves all, especially believers.
Research Summary
- Meaning: The trustworthy saying about godliness's promises motivates labor, supported by hope in the living God who saves all.
- Key words: πιστός (faithful), ἀγωνίζομαι (strive), ἐλπίζω (hope in), σωτήρ (Savior)
- Main debate: Whether the faithful saying refers back to verse 8 or forward to verse 10.
- Theological theme: God's universal saving will and its particular realization in believers.
- Best use: Encouragement for perseverance in godliness, especially under hardship.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
9This is a trustworthy saying, worthy of full acceptance.
10To this end we labor and strive, because we have set our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of everyone, and especially of those who believe.
WEB World English Bible 2000
9This saying is faithful and worthy of all acceptance.
10For to this end we both labor and suffer reproach, because we have set our trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe.
KJV King James Version 1769
9This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation.
10For 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.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
9Faithful is the saying, and worthy of all acceptation.
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.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
9stedfast is the word, and of all acceptation worthy;
10for for this we both labour and are reproached, because we hope on the living God, who is Saviour of all men--especially of those believing.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
9The word [is] faithful and worthy of all acceptation;
10for, for this we labour and suffer reproach, because we hope in a living God, who is preserver of all men, specially of those that believe.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
9A faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation.
10For therefore we labour and are reviled, because we hope in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, especially of the faithful.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Koine Greek)
New Testament · Koine Greek · I Timothy 4:9
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators broadly agree that verse 9 affirms a central Christian truth using language Paul employs elsewhere (1 Tim 1:15; 2 Tim 2:11). The saying is faithful (πιστός) and worthy of full acceptance (ἀποδοχή). The main question is whether this saying refers back to the promise of godliness in verse 8 or introduces the labor and trust described in verse 10.
Clarke and Barnes see verse 10 as explaining the saying: Paul labors and suffers because he trusts in the living God. The Cambridge Bible notes that the connective gar ('for') links verse 10 tightly to verse 9, suggesting the saying includes the labor and hope. Jamieson-Fausset-Brown argues that verse 9 confirms the previous promise of godliness (verse 8) and that verse 10 provides the reason for Paul's endurance. Most commentators also note the textual variant where 'both' is omitted and 'strive' (ἀγωνιζόμεθα) replaces 'suffer reproach' in some manuscripts, but the meaning remains close: Paul and his co-workers engage in strenuous effort because their hope is set on God.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Refers back to the promise of godliness in v. 8: Verse 9 immediately follows v. 8, and 'this saying' likely points to the promise just stated.
- Refers forward to the labor and trust in v. 10: Verse 10 begins with 'for' (γάρ), which often introduces support for a preceding statement, and the content matches the pattern of other 'faithful sayings'.
What is clear: The core truth that godliness has promise for this life and the next, and that those who trust in the living God can endure hardship in light of His saving work.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Reference of the faithful saying | The saying is trustworthy and worthy of full acceptance; it expresses a key truth about godliness. | Some interpret it as referring back to the promise of godliness in v. 8, while others see it as introducing the labor and trust in v. 10. |
| Meaning of 'Savior of all men' | God is the source of salvation and preservation for all people. | Arminians like Clarke see it as God's provision for all, which becomes effective through faith. Calvinists emphasize the distinction 'especially of believers,' arguing that only believers receive eternal salvation. |
| The role of human effort in salvation | Paul's labor and striving are responses to God's saving work, not a means of earning it. | Some stress that godliness requires active discipline and suffering; others caution that this could be misread as works-righteousness. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Paul writes to Timothy, his delegate in Ephesus, to counter false teachers who promote ascetic practices, forbidding marriage and certain foods (1 Tim 4:1, 5). These teachers placed holiness in external observances, what Paul dismisses as 'bodily exercise.' In contrast, Paul affirms that 'godliness' (εὐσέβεια) has promise for both this life and the life to come (1 Tim 4:8). Verse 9 uses a formula Paul reserves for core truths: 'faithful is the saying' (πιστὸς ὁ λόγος) appears also at 1 Timothy 1:15, 3:1, 2 Timothy 2:11, and Titus 3:8. Here it anchors the promise that godliness yields real, lasting benefits.
The term agōnizometha ('we strive') comes from the athletic contest (agōn), evoking the gymnasium culture familiar to Paul's readers. In verse 8 he had contrasted godliness with 'bodily exercise' (γυμνασία). Now he uses the same image: true spiritual training involves struggle and suffering, a stark contrast to the easy externalism of the false teachers. The word oneidizometha ('we suffer reproach') appears in some manuscripts, highlighting the social cost of the gospel in a pagan city. Both labor and reproach arise because Paul and Timothy have set their hope on the living God. As Vincent notes, the perfect tense ēlpikamen ('we have set our hope') emphasizes a settled, ongoing trust. This trust is not abstract; it is directed toward God as 'Savior of all men,' a claim that would have sounded shocking to a Greco-Roman world where salvation came from many gods or from philosophy. God's saving reach extends universally, yet it becomes effective 'especially' in those who believe, a distinction that has generated much discussion across traditions.
Textual Notes
The supplied sources note that the oldest manuscripts omit the word 'both' (καί) before 'labor' and read 'strive' (ἀγωνιζόμεθα) instead of 'suffer reproach' (ὀνειδιζόμεθα). Some manuscripts also vary the punctuation between verses 9 and 10, affecting whether the faithful saying ends at verse 9 or includes verse 10. The consulted commentators consider these variants minor, as they do not change the overall meaning of the passage.
Reception History
Throughout church history, this passage has shaped discussions about the extent of the atonement. Augustine cited 'Savior of all men, especially of those who believe' to argue that God wills all to be saved but not all are saved. During the Reformation, the distinction supported both Reformed predestinarian views and Arminian universal provision. The formula 'faithful saying' (πιστὸς ὁ λόγος) became a confessional hallmark, used in catechetical statements and creeds. Adam Clarke, a Methodist commentator, used this verse to emphasize God's universal love. The passage has also comforted those who suffer for the gospel, reminding them that their labor is not in vain.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The trustworthiness of the saying: Godliness has promise for the present life and the future (v. 8). Paul calls this a faithful, fully acceptable truth.
- The response of labor and striving: Because of this promise, Paul and Timothy endure hard work and suffering. They are not passive; they agonize for the gospel.
- The ground of hope: Their trust is in the living God, who is the Savior of all people, but especially of believers. This hope makes the effort worthwhile.
Five-point outline
- The faithful saying: a true and accepted truth (v. 9).
- The purpose: to this end we labor and strive (v. 10a).
- The support: we have set our hope on God (v. 10b).
- The character of God: living and Savior of all (v. 10c).
- The special relationship: especially for those who believe (v. 10d).
Illustration hooks
- An athlete who trains in obscurity, knowing the prize is worth the pain, similar to how Paul's striving for godliness is motivated by the promise of true life.
- A parent working extra shifts to provide for children, trusting the sacrifice will pay off even when it's exhausting or unappreciated.
- A missionary who faces ridicule because they believe God's offer of salvation extends to every person, not just their own community.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Does 'Savior of all men' mean everyone will be saved? How does 'especially of those who believe' qualify that statement?
- Why does God let His servants suffer so much if He is their Savior?
- How can I stay motivated in godliness when I don't see immediate results or face opposition?
Leading a Discussion
This passage challenges us to connect our daily effort in godliness to the hope we have in God. Paul's example shows that trust in God doesn't eliminate hardship, it fuels endurance. The 'faithful saying' anchors this in a truth worth accepting fully.
Discussion questions
- What does Paul call a 'faithful saying' in this passage? Why does he repeat this phrase in other letters?
- How does the phrase 'to this end' (εἰς τοῦτο) connect verse 10 to the saying in verse 9?
- What kind of labor and striving is Paul describing? How does the word agōnizometha (from athletic contest) shape your understanding?
- Why does Paul emphasize that God is 'the living God'? What difference does that make for trusting Him?
- In what sense is God 'Savior of all men'? How is that different from being 'especially of those who believe'?
- How does this passage encourage you to continue in godliness even when it's hard? Share a specific area where you need this encouragement.
- How does Paul's example of laboring and suffering reproach challenge your own assumptions about what it means to follow Christ?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| I Timothy 1:15 | The saying is faithful and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. |
| Psalms 36:6 | Your righteousness is like the mountains of God. Your judgments are like a great deep. Yahweh, you preserve man and animal. |
| Psalms 37:40 | Yahweh helps them and rescues them. He rescues them from the wicked and saves them, because they have taken refuge in him. |
| Psalms 52:8 | But as for me, I am like a green olive tree in God’s house. I trust in God’s loving kindness forever and ever. |
| Psalms 84:12 | Yahweh of Armies, blessed is the man who trusts in you. |
| Psalms 107:2 | Let the redeemed by Yahweh say so, whom he has redeemed from the hand of the adversary, |
| Psalms 107:6 | Then they cried to Yahweh in their trouble, and he delivered them out of their distresses. |
| Psalms 107:43 | Whoever is wise will pay attention to these things. They will consider the loving kindnesses of Yahweh. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
11 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke insists that godliness does not promise worldly ease; it brings labor and reproach, but also the peace of God amid suffering. He then draws a sharp distinction: God has provided salvation for everyone, but actually gives it only to those who believe in Christ.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes draws a clear distinction: God is called the Saviour of all people as their Preserver and because He has provided salvation for everyone, but actual salvation is applied only to those who believe. Trust in the living God sustains believers in their labour and reproach, not as the cause of suffering but as their support.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin sees the Spirit's warning as pointing directly to false teachers who replace true spiritual worship with outward ceremonies and external holiness. He grounds this in humanity's natural bent toward hypocrisy, which Satan easily exploits to convince people that rituals and discipline are what God really wants.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
This commentator argues the "faithful saying" includes verse 10: the work and struggle are worth it because God is the living Saviour of all people, providing earthly care and conscience-light for everyone. For believers, He is Saviour in a higher sense, giving full enjoyment of life and faith’s response to love.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva annotator grounds the apostle's hardships in the reliability of the saying he is about to quote. Labour and reproach are worth enduring because they flow from trust in the living God, who offers salvation to all people but grants it especially to those who believe.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill emphasizes that the "labor" and "reproach" in this passage refer specifically to enduring hardships like stripes, imprisonment, and hunger, not merely internal struggles. He draws a sharp distinction between God as the providential Savior of all people and His special care for believers, which he calls the particular focus of providence. This distinction, he argues, gives strong reason to trust God for the promises attached to godliness.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB distinguishes God's saving work in two senses: He is the Preserver and willing Savior of all people potentially, but He saves believers alone effectually. This explains why Paul calls God "specially" the Savior of believers while still recognizing His care for unbelievers in this life.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange reads the bodily exercise in this passage as Paul's reference to Greek gymnastic training, not the heretics' ascetic discipline. The athletic imagery contrasts a manly Christian struggle toward godliness with mere physical training, which has limited value. Godliness, by contrast, carries God's promise for both this life and the next.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry emphasizes that a good minister of Jesus Christ is not someone who pursues new or novel teachings. Instead, their central work is to faithfully remind believers of the truths they have already received and heard. This pattern of diligent remembrance, not innovation, marks true ministerial service.
Vincent's Word Studies Evangelical 1887
Vincent highlights two Pauline words for effort, showing they mean strenuous, painful labor, not casual work. He notes the Greek "and" has an ascensive force, intensifying the action: "we labor, yea struggle." The hope is not a passive wish but something firmly set, as the Greek verb means "have set our hope on."
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley highlights the distinction between God's general care for everyone and his saving work for believers. God preserves all people in this life and desires their eternal salvation, but believers receive that salvation in a far greater, everlasting way. That promise is why Christians endure hardship and disgrace without regard for comfort or reputation.