1 Timothy 6:6

Contextual Overview

⁶But godliness with contentment is great gain.⁶ But godliness with contentment is great gain. ⁶ But godliness actually is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment.⁶But godliness actually is a means of great gain, when accompanied by contentment. ⁶But those who ride with a pure heart and contentment are the real ones who will prosper. ⁶ But true faith, with peace of mind, is of great profit: ⁶ But piety with contentment *is* great gain. ⁶ But godliness with contentment is a great gain. ⁶ But godliness with contentment is great gain. ⁶ But godliness with content is great gain.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

godliness: 1 Timothy 4:8, Psalms 37:16, Psalms 84:11, Proverbs 3:13-18, Proverbs 8:18-21, Proverbs 15:16, Proverbs 16:8, Matthew 6:32, Matthew 6:33, Luke 12:31, Luke 12:32, Romans 5:3-5, Romans 8:28, 2 Corinthians 4:17, 2 Corinthians 4:18, 2 Corinthians 5:1, Philippians 1:21, Hebrews 13:5

contentment: 1 Timothy 6:8, Exodus 2:21, Luke 3:14, Philippians 4:11-13

Reciprocal: Genesis 34:23 - General Genesis 43:2 - General Genesis 48:15 - fed me Exodus 20:17 - thy neighbour's house Deuteronomy 32:47 - General 2 Kings 4:13 - I dwell 2 Kings 6:2 - and take thence Job 1:9 - Doth Job Psalms 49:10 - leave Psalms 112:3 - Wealth Proverbs 19:23 - shall abide Proverbs 28:25 - he that putteth Proverbs 30:8 - feed Ecclesiastes 2:11 - behold Ecclesiastes 6:7 - the labour Isaiah 33:6 - fear Jeremiah 35:9 - General Jeremiah 45:5 - seekest Mark 10:30 - an hundredfold Luke 12:15 - for Luke 18:30 - manifold more Romans 12:16 - condescend to men of low estate 1 Timothy 6:5 - supposing 2 Peter 1:6 - godliness 2 Peter 3:11 - godliness

Cross-References

Genesis 6:8
But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD .

Genesis 6:8
But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord .

Genesis 6:8
But Noah found favor in the eyes of Yahweh.

Genesis 6:8
But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD.

Genesis 6:8
But Noah founde grace in the eyes of the Lorde.

Genesis 6:8
But Noah pleased the Lord .

Genesis 6:8
But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD.

Genesis 6:8
Forsothe Noe foond grace bifore the Lord.

Genesis 6:8
But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.

Genesis 6:8
But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord .

Gill's Notes on the Bible

But godliness with contentment is great gain. By "godliness" is not meant any particular grace, but all the graces of the Spirit of God; as faith, hope, love, fear, c. the whole of internal religion, as it shows itself in outward worship, and in all acts of holiness of life and conversation and which the doctrine that is according to godliness teaches and engages to; and this is gain, very great gain indeed. A man possessed of true godliness is a gaining, thriving, man: such as are godly, or truly gracious, they are come into good and happy circumstances, and are possessor of the true, solid, satisfying, durable, and unsearchable riches of grace; all their debts are paid, they are richly clothed, and deliciously fed, and are in a good family, even the household of God, who before were in debt, arrayed in rags, were in a starving condition, and strangers and foreigners; yea, they are heirs of God, joint heirs with Christ, and have both a right and a meetness for the heavenly inheritance; they are now made kings and priests to God, and, in the present state of things, have God to be their portion, and exceeding great reward; they have an interest in Christ, and in all spiritual blessings in him, and have the Spirit as the earnest of their future inheritance; they are rich in faith, and in good works; their souls, which were lost, are gained, and shall be saved with an everlasting salvation; and ere long they will be possessed of all the riches of glory, signified by a house not made with hands, a city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God, an incorruptible inheritance, and a kingdom and glory: how great is the gain of godliness! And what adds to this gain, and now goes along with it, is "contentment"; for this is not to be considered as the condition of godliness being great gain, as if it was not so without it; but as the effect of godliness, what that produces, and as a part of its gain. The word here used signifies "sufficiency"; and so it is rendered in the Vulgate Latin version: it designs a competency of the good things of this life; and what that is, is expressed in

1Ti 6:8 and such God gives to them that fear him, his godly ones, who shall lack no good thing convenient for them; for godliness has the promise of this life, as well as of that which is to come; and God does give to such all things pertaining to life and godliness, even all things richly to enjoy. The word indeed properly signifies "self-sufficiency", which in its strict sense, only belongs to God, who is "El-Shaddai", God all-sufficient and self-sufficient; but here it intends such a sufficiency as a man himself judges to be so; for this phrase does not so much design the thing itself, which is a sufficiency, as the opinion, the sense which the godly man has of it, who himself judges it, as Jacob did, to be enough; and such a man is content with what he has, and thankful for it, submits quietly to the will of God, and patiently bears every adverse providence: and this is now the fruit and effect of godliness, or true grace, and is a considerable part of that gain which godliness brings with it; and such a man is a happy man indeed, let his circumstances be what they will. The Jews have a saying n, that

"he is a rich man whose spirit rests in, or is contented with his riches;''

that is, as the gloss explains it.

"who rejoices in his portion, be it little or much: thus, though godliness is not gain, nor gain godliness, in the sense of the false teachers, yet is it true gain in a spiritual sense.''

n T. Bab. Sabbat, fol. 25. 2.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

But godliness - Piety; religion. The meaning is, that real religion should be regarded as the greatest and most valuable acquisition. “With contentment.” This word, as now used, refers to a state of mind; a calm and satisfied feeling; a freedom from murmuring and complaining. The idea is, that “piety, connected with a contented mind - or a mind acquiescing in the allotments of life - is to be regarded as the real gain.” Tyndale gives substantially the same interpretation: “Godliness is great riches, if a man be content with that he hath” Coverdale: “Howbeit, it is of great advantage, who is so godly, and holdeth him content with that he hath.” The word which is used here - αὐτάρκεια autarkeia - means, properly, “self-sufficency,” and is used here, in a good sense, to denote a mind satisfied with its lot. If there be true religion, united with its proper accompaniment, peace of mind, it is to be regarded as the true riches. The object of the apostle seems to be, to rebuke those who supposed that property constituted everything that was worth living for. He tells them, therefore, that the true gain, the real riches which we ought to seek, is religion, with a contented mind. This does more to promote happiness than wealth can ever do, and this is what should be regarded as the great object of life.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 1 Timothy 6:6. But godliness with contentment is great gain. — The word godliness, ευσεβεια, here, and in several other places of this epistle, signifies the true religion, Christianity; and the word contentment, αυταρκεια, signifies a competency, a sufficiency; that measure or portion of secular things which is necessary for the support of life, while the great work of regeneration is carrying on in the soul. Not what this or the other person may deem a competency, but what is necessary for the mere purposes of life in reference to another world; food, raiment, and lodging. See 1 Timothy 6:7. So, if a man have the life of God in his soul, and just a sufficiency of food and raiment to preserve and not burden life, he has what God calls great gain, an abundant portion.

It requires but little of this world's goods to satisfy a man who feels himself to be a citizen of another country, and knows that this is not his rest.