1 timothy 6:12-13 1 timothy 6:12-paul commands … · 1 timothy 6:12-13 1 timothy 6:12-paul...
TRANSCRIPT
2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries
1
1 Timothy 6:12-13
1 Timothy 6:12-Paul Commands Timothy To Win The Race Which Is Noble And To Experience The Life Which Is Eternal
Review of 1 Timothy 6:11
After issuing a final indictment against the false teachers in 1 Timothy 6:3-10
and informing Timothy that the love of money was their motivation for teaching
false doctrine, Paul then urges Timothy in 1 Timothy 6:11-16 to live a godly,
exemplary life (6:11-16).
In this pericope, Paul presents four reasons why Timothy is to persevere and
fight the good fight of faith. The first is that he has been called by God to
appropriate by faith the eternal life that was given to him as a gift at the moment of
his conversion. The second he made a commitment to faithfully carry out Paul’s
command to order certain unidentified pastors in Ephesus to stop teaching false
doctrine and being occupied with Jewish myths and useless genealogies and get
back to administrating the household of God by being faithful to their duties. This
commitment was made in the presence of many witnesses. The third reason is that
by being faithful he would imitate the Lord Jesus Christ. Lastly, the fourth reason
is that the rapture of the church is imminent.
1 Timothy 6:11-16 echoes Paul’s exhortation to Timothy in 1 Timothy 1:18-19.
First of all, both passages mention Timothy persevering in spiritual combat by
means of faith in the Word of God, i.e. the gospel. In both passages, Paul reminds
Timothy of the occasion in which prophecies made in the presence of many
witnesses concerning his efforts in dealing with the false teachers in Ephesus and
ordering them to stop teaching false doctrine. Both contrast Timothy’s character
with that of the false teachers.
In 1 Timothy 6:11, the apostle Paul commands Timothy to continue making it
his habit of fleeing the vices of the apostate pastor-teachers but rather in direct
contrast to this he is to continue making it his habit of pursuing righteousness,
godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness.
1 Timothy 6:11 However, you O man belonging to God the Father, continue making it your habit of avoiding these things. Instead continue making it your habit and making every effort to practice so as to exemplify righteousness, godliness, Christian doctrine, divine-love, perseverance,
gentleness. (My translation) This verse introduces a command addressed to Timothy which requires him to
continue making it his habit of fleeing from the ungodly vices of the apostate
pastor-teachers in Ephesus, which stands in contrast to becoming involved with
2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries
2
these sins. The contrast is between the ungodly attitude and conduct of the apostate
teachers in Ephesus with that of Timothy’s continuing to exemplify godly conduct
which is to be demonstrated by manifesting righteousness, godliness, faith, love,
perseverance and gentleness.
1 Timothy 6:11 contains two commands. The first requires Timothy to avoid
the ungodly vices of the apostate teachers in Ephesus whereas the second requires
that he practice righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness
so as to exemplify these things.
“You O man belonging to God the Father” is expressing Paul’s deep
emotional concern as a result of contemplating the severe discipline that these
apostate pastor-teachers in Ephesus were experiencing because of their apostasy.
“These things” is the immediate demonstrative pronoun houtos, which refers to
the vices of the apostate teachers mentioned by Paul in 1 Timothy 6:3-10. This is
indicated by the fact that each time Paul uses this word in the accusative plural
form in 1 Timothy (1:18; 3:14; 4:6, 11, 15; 5:7; 6:2, 8), it refers to the immediate
preceding paragraph or statement. Therefore, houtos refers to Paul’s teaching
regarding the apostate pastor-teachers in Ephesus.
“Continue making it your habit of avoiding” is the verb pheugo, which refers
to Timothy avoiding the vices of the apostate teachers in Ephesus mentioned in 1
Timothy 6:3-10 in order to avoid being disciplined by God like them. This would
involve Timothy continuing to make it his habit of avoiding listening to and
teaching false doctrine (6:3). He is to avoid the sick obsession of the apostate
teachers of getting involved with pointless debates about the meaning of words
(6:4). This causes envy, dissension, slanders, evil suspicions among believers,
which Timothy was to avoid as well. Timothy was also to avoid the practice of the
apostate teachers who incessantly argued and to avoid the false doctrine that
godliness is a means of gaining wealth for oneself (6:5). He was to be content and
reject the attitude of desiring to be rich and thus the many foolish and harmful lusts
that result from this desire (6:9). Lastly, he was to reject the attitude of loving
money, which is the root cause, which produce all types of evil actions (6:10). He
was to avoid being disciplined by God by not loving money as the apostate pastor-
teachers in Ephesus. Thus, pheugo teaches Timothy that he is to avoid the ungodly
attitude and conduct of the apostate pastors and resultant discipline from God that
they are receiving.
“Instead continue making it your habit and objective to exemplify
righteousness, godliness, Christian doctrine, divine-love, perseverance, gentleness” stands in contrast with the previous command for Timothy to continue
making it his habit of avoiding the ungodly attitude and conduct of the apostate
pastors in Ephesus and resultant discipline from God that they are experiencing.
2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries
3
“Continue making it your habit and making every effort to practice so as to exemplify” is the verb dioko, which means “to do something with an intense effort
to a goal.” It means “to do something with intense effort and with a definite
purpose or goal in mind.” Doing something with intense effort in our context
would be practicing righteousness, godliness, Christian doctrine, love,
perseverance and gentleness. The goal in view is that of exemplifying
righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness, which is
accomplished by obedience to Paul’s apostolic teaching, i.e. the gospel.
Specifically, exemplifying these things is accomplished by Timothy appropriating
by faith his union and identification with Christ in His crucifixion, death, burial,
resurrection and session. This in turn results in obedience to the various
prohibitions and commands that appear in the Word of God, i.e. the gospel. This
obedience constitutes loving God with one’s entire being and strength and one’s
neighbor as oneself. To exemplify these things is to pursue the objective of
becoming like Jesus Christ or spiritual maturity.
So that which Timothy is to make every effort to do is to exemplify these
things. Therefore, the verb dioko means “to pursue” but in the sense of Timothy
making every effort to practice righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance
and gentleness so as to exemplify these things. This stands in contrast to the
apostate pastors in Ephesus who exemplified ungodliness.
Making it one’s objective in life to exemplify these things involves disciplining
one’s thinking in the sense of rejecting ungodly thoughts and embracing godly
thoughts, which is accomplished by learning the Word of God and accepting it by
faith and in particular appropriating one’s union and identification with Christ.
This results in godly priorities. Making it one’s objective in life to practice
righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness so as to
exemplify these things of course involves obedience to the gospel, which is the
direct result of appropriating by faith one’s union and identification with Christ.
Therefore, dioko involves one’s attitude and conduct and means “to exemplify by
practicing” or in other words “to practice so as to exemplify.”
“Righteousness” is the noun dikaiosune, which refers to Timothy practicing
God’s righteousness so as to exemplify, which involves him fulfilling his
obligation to God to love Him with his entire being and strength and fulfilling his
obligation to his fellow human being to love them as himself. It refers to Timothy
experiencing the righteousness of God by appropriating by faith his union and
identification with Christ in His crucifixion, death, burial, resurrection and session,
which results in obedience to the various prohibitions and commands that appear in
the gospel, which constitutes loving God with one’s entire being and strength and
one’s neighbor as oneself.
2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries
4
Therefore, the word refers to Timothy practicing God’s integrity and virtue so
as to exemplify this godly virtue. It refers to Timothy exemplifying Christ-life
character which is perfectly sound by practicing God’s righteousness in his life. It
speaks of Timothy perfectly adhering to God’s perfect standards, which appear in
the gospel. It denotes Timothy doing all that God commands of him and all that He
demands of him as His child and all that He approves, and all that He provides
through Christ.
“Godliness” is the noun eusebeia, which refers to an attitude and resultant
conduct that honors God and is an act of worshipping Him. It refers to proper
Christian attitude and conduct that is produced by the Holy Spirit as a result of
exercising faith in the Word of God resulting in obedience to the Word of God. It
means “godliness” in the sense that by the power of the Holy Spirit the Christian is
conforming their thinking and conduct according to the Father’s will, which is
revealed by the Holy Spirit in the Word of God. It means that the Christian is
conforming their attitude and conduct to the will of the Father as a result of faith in
the Spirit’s teaching in the Word of God resulting in obedience to the Father’s will.
The Christian’s faith in the Word of God appropriates the power of the Holy Spirit
resulting in conformity of their attitude and conduct to the will of the Father, which
is revealed by the Spirit in the Word of God. This constitutes worshipping God.
Eusebeia is the result of appropriating by faith the Spirit’s teaching in the Word
of God that the Christian is in union with Christ identified with Him in His
crucifixion, death, burial, resurrection and session. This results in obedience to the
commands and prohibitions in the Word of God that is inspired by the Spirit. It
also results in godly conduct that honors the Father and reflects His perfect norms
and standards. Also, it manifests the character of Christ in the life of the believer as
well as the omnipotence of God in that exercising faith in the Spirit’s teaching that
one is in union with Christ and identified with Him appropriates the omnipotence
of God. Therefore, Paul is commanding Timothy to continue making it his habit of
practicing godliness so as to exemplify it.
“Christian doctrine” is the noun pistis, which is used in an objective sense for
the Christian faith. It refers to the content of what Paul taught the Gentile churches.
It refers to the gospel from the perspective of a body of doctrine or that which is
believed by the church. Thus, pistis is synonymous for the gospel and speaks of it
from a different perspective, namely that which the church believes. Therefore,
when used in relation to the verb dioko, it refers to Timothy practicing Christian
doctrine so as to exemplify it. It speaks of Timothy practicing Christian doctrine so
as to exemplify it.
“Divine-love” is the noun agape, which refers to the love of God reproduced in
the life of Timothy by the Holy Spirit when he exercises faith in the Word of God
and specifically faith in his union and identification with Christ. It refers to
2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries
5
Timothy obeying the Lord Jesus’ command to love one another as He loves, which
is the direct result of exercising faith in the Word of God (John 13:34). The word
refers to God’s love practiced by Timothy toward the Lord, his fellow Christian
and fellow human being since this is the direct result of them exercising faith in the
Word of God and in particular the command in John 13:34. The emphasis with this
word is upon God’s love being reflected in the life of Timothy as it functions
towards the Lord and his fellow human beings since Paul is contrasting the
negative ungodly results of the apostate pastors in Ephesus who taught false
doctrine because of their love of money. Their love for money prevented them
from loving God with their entire being and strength and their neighbor. So in 1
Timothy 6:11, Paul is commanding Timothy to continue making it his habit and
making every effort to practice divine-love so as to exemplify it.
“Perseverance” is the noun hupomone, which denotes that Paul wants Timothy
to continue to make every effort to practice this godly virtue so as to exemplify it.
It denotes that Paul wants Timothy to continue to making it his habit and making
every effort to practice godly perseverance which produced by the Holy Spirit so
as to exemplify this godly virtue. It speaks of Timothy remaining faithful to the
Lord by being obedient to the Word of God despite the obstacles in life such as the
old sin nature, self, the cosmic system of Satan. It denotes Timothy bearing up
under intense pressure and not quitting on God. It depicts him as enduring
undeserved suffering on behalf of the communication of the gospel.
The noun hupomone depicts Timothy as staying disciplined and subjecting
himself to the will of God, which demands the acquiescence of his will to the
Father’s will. The word conveys the idea of Timothy not permitting his adverse
circumstances to get him to surrender or quit on the plan of God. The word
describes Timothy’s triumphant confident expectation of reward and blessing in
the midst of adversity. It also involves Timothy doing what is right and never
giving in to the temptation or trial and is a conquering perseverance and the ability
to deal triumphantly with anything that life can do to Timothy. It accepts the blows
of life but in accepting them transforms them into stepping stones to new
achievement and spiritual growth. Hupomone is the attitude of Timothy as soldier
of Christ who in the thick of battle, is not discouraged and quits but rather fights on
courageously whatever the difficulties.
“Gentleness” is the noun praupathia, which is a necessary virtue when
confronting these apostate pastors in Ephesus (cf. Galatians 6:1). Therefore, Paul is
commanding Timothy to continue making it his habit and making every effort to
practice gentleness so as to exemplify this godly virtue. By exemplifying
gentleness, Timothy’s conduct would stand in stark contrast the Judaizers and the
apostate pastors who adhered to their legalistic teaching since they were involved
2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries
6
with pointless arguments about words which caused envy, dissension, slanders, and
evil suspicions. These individuals were incessantly arguing (cf. 1 Timothy 6:3-4).
Timothy is to Fight the Good Fight of Faith
The apostle Paul in 1 Timothy 6:12 issues Timothy two more commands.
1 Timothy 6:12 Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. (NASB95)
“Fight the good fight of faith” is composed of the second person singular
present middle imperative form of the verb agonizomai (ἀγωνίζοµαι) (ahgoe-nee-
zoe-meh), “fight” and this is followed by the articular accusative masculine
singular form of the adjective kalos (καλός) (kah-loce), “good” and then we have
the accusative masculine singular form of the noun (ἀγών) (ahg-known), “fight”
and this is followed by the articular genitive feminine singular form of the noun
pistis (πίστις) (pee-steece), “faith.”
Asyndeton
Paul is once again employing the figure of “asyndeton,” which means that he is
not using a connective word between the second command at the end of 1 Timothy
6:11 and his command in 1 Timothy 6:12. He uses this figure in order to
emphasize this command in verse 12 in the sense that he wants Timothy to dwell
upon it and obey it. This figure emphasizes the importance of this command for
Timothy in the sense that it will benefit him personally by advancing him to further
growth spiritually and will benefit him in that it will aid him in administrating the
household of God in Ephesus.
Agonizomai
In classical Greek, the verb agonizomai refers to “carry on a conflict, context,
debate or legal suit.” It is used mainly with the idea of an athletic contest in mind.
In Hellenistic Judaism, the idea of a contest might be used metaphorically to refer
to the struggle which a godly person has to go through in this world (e.g. Sirach
4:28). In the inscriptions and papyri, the verb appears often and not only referring
to athletic contests and other games but also it is used of warfare (Moulton-
Milligan, page 8).
Agonizomai appears only 6 times in the Septuagint, all of which are non-
canonical referring to military conflict. The struggle for virtue and truth are also
found in the Septuagint.
2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries
7
The term occurs only 8 times in the New Testament (Luke 13:24; John 18:36; 1
Corinthians 9:25; Colossians 1:29; 4:12; 1 Timothy 4:10; 6:12; 2 Timothy 4:7).
The verb refers the spiritual struggle or conflict to follow the Lord Jesus Christ’s
teaching in Luke 13:24. It is used in John 18:36 of the Lord Jesus Christ’s servant
fighting for his kingdom against the kingdom of Satan.
Paul uses the word in athletic metaphor of engaging in an athletic contest in 1
Corinthians 9:25. In this verse, it is used figuratively of the Christian self-restraint
or self-control in order to obtain a reward at the Bema Seat. He uses the word again
in Colossians 1:29 of the conflict he actively engages in order to communicate the
gospel of Jesus Christ. It is used by Paul in Colossians 4:12 to describe Epaphras’
intense struggle in prayer on behalf of the Colossians. Paul uses the word in 2
Timothy 4:7 to describe his struggle or conflict to execute the Father’s will for his
life.
In 1 Timothy 4:10, the verb agonizomai is used in a figurative sense and means
“to make every effort to win” in the sense of engaging in an intense struggle to
accomplish a victory against strong opposition. The idea of victory is implied in
the meaning of the word since the word continues the athletic metaphor that
appears in 1 Timothy 4:7-8. Thus, it contains the idea of a runner struggling
intensely to win a race in the Graeco-Roman games in the face of stiff opposition
from other runners competing against him. Here the term refers to Paul and
Timothy making every effort to experience eternal life which will accomplish the
Father’s will for their lives despite strong opposition from sin and Satan’s
kingdom. Therefore, in 1 Timothy 4:10, the verb agonizomai indicates that
accomplishing the Father’s will is analogous to the square stone pillar that marked
the end of the race for a runner in the Graeco-Roman games. This is indicated by
the fact that the square stone pillar in the ancient Graeco-Roman games marked the
finish line in these games and executing the Father’s will.
In 1 Timothy 6:12, the verb agonizomai used once again in a figurative sense
and means “to make every effort to win” in the sense of engaging in an intense
struggle to accomplish a victory against strong opposition. The idea of victory is
implied in the meaning of the word since the word is used with agon, “fight”
which signifies an athletic metaphor. Thus, it contains the idea of a runner
struggling intensely to win a race in the Graeco-Roman games in the face of stiff
opposition from other runners competing against him.
Here the term refers to Timothy making every effort to win the noble contest of
faith by experiencing eternal life which will accomplish the Father’s will for his
life despite strong opposition from sin and Satan’s kingdom. This is indicated by
the fact that the command that follows it ἐπιλαβοῦ τῆς αἰωνίου ζωῆς εἰς ἣν
ἐκλήθης, “take hold of the eternal life to which you were called.”
2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries
8
Therefore, the verb agonizomai indicates that accomplishing the Father’s will is
analogous to the square stone pillar that marked the end of the race for a runner in
the Graeco-Roman games. This is indicated by the fact that the square stone pillar
in the ancient Graeco-Roman games marked the finish line in these games and
accomplishing the Father’s will of growing up to become like Jesus Christ
completes the plan of the Father for the believer’s life.
The runner in the Graeco-Roman games would struggle intensely against other
runners in order to win a race, which would earn him a crown and rewards at the
Bema Seat. In a similar fashion, Paul is commanding Timothy to struggle intensely
to live the Christian way of life against opposition from the sin nature and Satan’s
kingdom in order to execute the Father’s will to become like Christ, which would
earn him crowns and rewards at the Bema Seat Evaluation of the church.
The will of the Father is that the Christian become like Jesus Christ (Ephesians
4:11-16) and this can only be accomplished by the Christian experiencing eternal
life in time prior to the rapture or their death whichever comes first. Experiencing
eternal life and thus living a godly life is accomplished by obedience to the Word
of God, i.e. the gospel.
Specifically, it is accomplished by accepting by faith the Spirit’s teaching in the
Word of God that the Christian is crucified, died, buried, raised and seated with
Christ, which results in obedience to the commands and prohibitions found in the
Word of God. In other words, it is experienced by obeying the command to love
God with one’s entire being and one’s neighbor as oneself, which summarizes the
prohibitions and commands found in the Word of God. Experiencing eternal life is
accomplished by loving others as Christ loved by the power of the Spirit.
Godliness is experiencing eternal life and is the Christian way of life. By living
the Christian way of life, i.e. by experiencing eternal life or in other words by
living a godly life the Christian grows up to become like Jesus Christ and thus
executes the Father’s will, which will earn them an imperishable crown and
rewards at the Bema Seat Evaluation of the church.
Now, some argue that the first command in 1 Timothy 6:12 contains a military
metaphor. However, the verb agonizomai was used in 1 Timothy 4:10 in an
obvious athletic metaphor as we noted in detail. Furthermore, the noun agon,
“fight” appears in 2 Timothy 4:7 in an athletic metaphor.
2 Timothy 4:7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; 8 in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that
day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing. (NASB95)
2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries
9
Notice, that after telling Timothy that he fought the good fight, Paul tells him
that he finished the course, i.e. a race, which indicates that agon, “fight” in 2
Timothy 4:7 is used as part of an athletic metaphor of a runner finishing a race.
The fact that agon, “fight” is used this way in 2 Timothy 4:7 and agonizomai in
1 Timothy 4:10 is used in an athletic metaphor of a runner sprinting to win a race
strongly suggests that these two words in 1 Timothy 6:12 are also used in an
athletic metaphor of a runner struggling to cross the finish line to win a foot race.
Also suggesting this is that the noun agon appears in Hebrews 12:1 where it means
“race” referring to a foot race.
The second person singular form of the verb agonizomai refers of course to
Timothy. The present imperative form of the verb is a “customary present
imperative” whose force is for Timothy to simply continue making it his habit of
making every effort win the noble contest or race of faith, which refers to
accomplishing the Father’s will by habitually taking hold of eternal life, i.e.
appropriating by faith the Word of God so as to experience eternal life. The present
imperative is a command for action to be continued, action that may or may not
have already been going on. It is often a character building command to the effect
of “make this your habit,” “train yourself in this, discipline yourself.” This is the
use of the present imperative in general precepts. The present imperative of
agonizomai means, “to continue making it your habit of” making every effort win
the noble contest or race of faith. Paul’s statements in 1 Timothy 1:3 and 4:6
indicate that Timothy was carrying out everything he wrote in this epistle,
including this command here in 1 Timothy 6:12. Thus this command is simply a
reminder to Timothy to continue doing what they talked about before Paul left for
Macedonia. Furthermore, Paul would not have delegated Timothy such a difficult
task as the one in Ephesus unless he felt confident that his young delegate could
carry out everything he required of him. Therefore, the present imperative is
simply a reminder to Timothy to continue doing what Paul told him to do before he
left for Macedonia.
The middle voice is an intensive middle focusing attention upon Timothy as the
subject. This emphasizes the intense effort that he is to exert mentally, physically
and spiritual to execute the Father’s will by growing up to spiritual maturity. We
will translate agonizomai, “you yourself continue making it your habit of making every effort to win.”
Agon
The noun agon is derived from ago, “drive, lead” (both Homer on; same root as
Latin ago). Agon originally means a “place of assembly,” then a “place of contest,”
2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries
10
or “stadium,” then the “contest,” itself (including litigation and debate), and finally
any kind of “conflict.”
The word is often used metaphorically. It means a gathering place of the gods
on Olympus or of ships in harbor and then the fight itself, even the sporting contest
for the prize (brebeion). Agon signified a place of assembly, especially the place
where the Greeks assembled for the Olympic and Pythian games. It also means
fight in war, politics or law.
Generally speaking, then, agon could denote a “struggle.” This included the
idea of combat action in war or legal action in a court of law. The verb agonizomai
attested from Herodotus onwards has the same shades of meaning even when
compounded with ant-, ep-, kat-, sun-, as the noun. Similarly agonia which
occurs from Pindar onwards occurs only in higher style ranges in meaning from
effort to anxiety.
Agon only appears in the Apocrypha and never stands for a Hebrew word. The
same is true of the verb agonizomai and the compounds are altogether absent. The
noun agon is found 6 times in the New Testament (Philippians 1:30; Colossians
2:1; 1 Thessalonians 2:2; 1 Timothy 6:12; 2 Timothy 4:7; Hebrews 12:1).
Louw and Nida list two usage for the word: (1) to engage in intense struggle,
involving physical or nonphysical force against strong opposition-‘to struggle, to
fight.’” (39.29) (2) a race involving competition and struggle-‘race.’ (50.4). BDAG
lists two usages as well: (1) the sense ‘athletic competition’ transfers to the moral
and spiritual realm a competition, contest, race (2) general, a struggle against
opposition, struggle, fight (page 17)
Analytical Lexicon of the Greek New Testament: (1) literally (athletic) contest;
metaphorically race (i.e. course) of life (HE 12.1); (2) of exertion and self-denial in
the face of opposition conflict, struggle, fight; figuratively, of intense nonphysical
struggle, conflict (1TH 2.2).
Agon refers to an intense struggle, involving physical or nonphysical force
against strong opposition. The word refers to any struggle with dangers,
annoyances, obstacles, standing in the way of the believer’s advancement
spiritually or spiritual growth. It refers to any conflict which the believer has in life
that attempts to hinder their advancement in the spiritual life or the spiritual growth
which will result in rewards at the Bema Seat Evaluation.
In 1 Timothy 6:12, the noun agon means “race” or “contest” since it is used in
an athletic metaphor. Thus, Paul is commanding Timothy to continue making it his
habit of making every effort to win the noble “race” or “contest” of faith. Again,
indicating the athletic metaphor is in view here is that the verb agonizomai, which
appears with agon in 1 Timothy 6:12 was used in 1 Timothy 4:10 in an obvious
athletic metaphor. Furthermore, the noun agon, “fight” appears in 2 Timothy 4:7 in
an athletic metaphor, which is indicated by the fact that after telling Timothy that
2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries
11
he fought the good fight, Paul tells him that he finished the course, i.e. a race.
Therefore, the fact that agon, “fight” is used this way in 2 Timothy 4:7 and
agonizomai in 1 Timothy 4:10 is used in an athletic metaphor of a runner sprinting
to win a race strongly suggests that these two words in 1 Timothy 6:12 are also
used in an athletic metaphor. Also suggesting this is that the noun agon appears in
Hebrews 12:1 where it means “race” referring to a foot race.
Therefore, agon in 1 Timothy 6:12 means “race” and is used in a figurative
sense as a part of an athletic metaphor. It is used here of Timothy and denotes the
accomplishment of the Father’s will for his life, which is to become like Jesus
Christ. Agon is analogous to the square stone pillar that marked the end of the race
for a runner in the Graeco-Roman games. This is indicated by the fact that the
square stone pillar in the ancient Graeco-Roman games marked the finish line in
these games and accomplishing the Father’s will of growing up to become like
Jesus Christ completes the plan of the Father for the believer’s life.
The runner in the Graeco-Roman games would struggle intensely against other
runners in order to win a race, which would earn him a crown and rewards at the
Bema Seat. In a similar fashion, Paul is commanding Timothy to struggle intensely
to live the Christian way of life against opposition from the sin nature and Satan’s
kingdom in order to execute the Father’s will to become like Christ, which would
earn him crowns and rewards at the Bema Seat Evaluation of the church.
The articular construction of the noun agon in 1 Timothy 6:12 is a function
marker to denote that the adjective kalos is in the first attributive position
indicating that this adjective is receiving greater emphasis than the noun agon. We
will translate agon, “the race.”
Kalos
The adjective kalos describes that which is inherently excellent or intrinsically
good. In classical Greek, kalos originally denoted that which was “useful” or
“suitable, functional.” Homer used the term to describe a “suitable” harbor and
Plato referred to a “healthy body.” Xenophon spoke of an “undefiled” offering.
The word later received an aesthetic sense of “beautiful.” Eventually, it developed
moral and ethical nuances in addition to its earlier definitions according to Liddell
and Scott (page 870). At times in Greek philosophy, the adjective kalos is
synonymous with agathos, “good.”
The adjective kalos appears 221 times in the Septuagint where it was not
influenced by Plato’s concept but rather, it functions primarily in an aesthetic or
ethical sense. Sometimes the word translates the Hebrew yapheh, “beautiful”
(Genesis 12:14; 29:17).
The adjective appears 101 times in the Greek New Testament.
2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries
12
Richard Chenevix Trench commenting on the word, writes, “Initially, kalos
referred to beauty, especially from the Greek viewpoint of that which is
harmonious and complete, of something in which all the parts are balanced and
proportionate.” (Synonyms of the New Testament, page 413)
The New Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon lists the following: (1) beautiful,
applied by the Greeks to everything so distinguished in form, excellence,
goodness, usefulness, as to be pleasing; hence, beautiful, handsome, excellent,
eminent, choice, surpassing, precious, useful, suitable, commendable, admirable
(a) beautiful to look at, shapely, magnificent (b) good, excellent in its nature and
characteristics and therefore well-adapted to its ends; especially of things so
constituted as to answer the purpose for which that class of things was created;
good in its substance and nature and fitted to beget good (c) beautiful by reason of
purity of heart and life and hence praiseworthy; morally good, noble (d) honorable,
conferring honor (e) effecting the mind agreeably, comforting and confirming.
(page 322)
Joachim Wanke commenting on the adjective’s usage in the New Testament
gives the following meanings: (1) Beautiful in the sense of an aesthetic judgment
(2) It predominately designates what is ethically good, noble, worth striving for.
(3) It is used most often to designate the ethical quality of conduct. (4) Kalos is
used of persons only in reference to specific vocations or offices (5) Kalos can
connote the (physical) perfection, suitability or usefulness of an object, usually in
metaphorical speech and can be translated useful, profitable, precious, flawless”
(Exegetical Dictionary of the New Testament volume 2, pages 244-45).
The Analytical Greek Lexicon Revised lists the following meanings for kalos,
“beautiful, good, of good quality or disposition; fertile, rich; useful, profitable;
excellent, choice, select, goodly; pleasant, delightful; just, full; honorable,
distinguished; good; possessing, moral excellence, worthy, upright, virtuous; what
is good and right, a good deed, rectitude, virtue; right, duty; propriety; benefit,
favor” page 211).
Vine commenting on the word, writes, “Kalos denotes that which is intrinsically
‘good,’ and so, ‘goodly, fair, beautiful,’ as (a) of that which is well adapted to its
circumstances or ends, e. g., fruit, Matt 3:10; a tree, 12:33; ground, 13:8,23; fish,
13:48; the Law, Rom 7:16; 1 Tim 1:8; every creature of God, 1 Tim 4:4; a faithful
minister of Christ and the doctrine he teaches, 4:6; (b) of that which is ethically
good, right, noble, honorable e. g., Gal 4:18; 1 Tim 5:10,25; 6:18; Titus 2:7,14;
3:8,14. The word does not occur in the Apocalypse, nor indeed after 1 Peter.
Christians are to ‘take thought for things honorable’ (kalos), 2 Cor 8:21, RV; to do
that which is honorable, 13:7; not to be weary in well doing, Gal 6:9; to hold fast
‘that which is good,’ 1 Thess 5:21; to be zealous of good works, Titus 2:14; to
maintain them, 3:8; to provoke to them, Heb 10:24; to bear testimony by them, 1
2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries
13
Peter 2:12. Kalos and agathos occur together in Luke 8:15, an ‘honest’ (kalos)
heart, i. e., the attitude of which is right towards God; a ‘good’ (agathos) heart, i.
e., one that, instead of working ill to a neighbor, acts beneficially towards him. In
Rom 7:18, ‘in me... dwelleth no good thing’ (agathos) signifies that in him is
nothing capable of doing ‘good,’ and hence he lacks the power ‘to do that which is
good’ (kalos). In 1 Thess 5:15, ‘follow after that which is good’ (agathos), the
‘good’ is that which is beneficial; in v. 21, ‘hold fast that which is good (kalos),’
the ‘good’ describes the intrinsic value of the teaching. (Vine’s Expository
Dictionary of Biblical Words, Copyright (c) 1985, Thomas Nelson Publishers)
A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian
Literature-Third Edition list the following New Testament usages: (1) pertaining to
being attractive in outward appearance, beautiful, handsome, fine in outward
appearance (2) pertaining to being in accordance at a high level with the purpose of
something or someone, good, useful (a) of thing (b) moral quality (c) in any
respect unobjectionable, blameless, excellent (d) in the general sense it is good
qualifies items that fit under one of the preceding classifications (Pages 504-505).
Analytical Lexicon of the Greek New Testament writes, “Good, beautiful, with
a basic meaning healthy, sound, fit, opposite kakos (bad, evil) and asichros (ugly,
deformed) (1) of outward appearance handsome, beautiful, lovely (2) as a quality
of freedom from defects good, useful, fine (3) of a sound moral disposition good,
noble, praiseworthy, synonymous with agathos; of things excellent (4) socially, of
a mode of life and behavior (5) impersonally kalon (estin) it is good, expedient, or
advantageous (6) comparative kallion, kallion better, more beautiful (7)
superlative, very beautiful (Page 214).
Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament Based on Semantic Domains list
the following: (1) pertaining to a positive moral quality, with the implication of
being favorably valued – ‘good, fine, praiseworthy’ (88.4). (2) pertaining to having
acceptable characteristics or functioning in an agreeable manner, often with the
focus on outward form or appearance – ‘good, fine’ (65.22). (3) pertaining to
providing some special or superior benefit – ‘advantageous, better’ (65.43). (4)
pertaining to being fitting and at the same time probably good – fitting, good’
(66.2). (5) pertaining to being beautiful or attractive in terms of outward form or
shape, often implying a corresponding fine value – ‘beautiful, fine’ (79.9). (6)
pertaining to having high status, with the possible implication of its attractiveness –
‘high, important, fine’ (87.25).
In 1 Timothy 6:12, the adjective kalos is modifying the noun agon, “race” and
means “noble” in the sense of possessing outstanding qualities and great
importance. It describes something whose importance is superior to all others. Here
it describes the spiritual race to accomplish the will of the Father that Timothy was
engaged in as superior to foot races in the natural realm since it possesses a
2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries
14
superior goal, the will of the Father. It describes this spiritual race as of the utmost
importance in life possessing outstanding qualities because winning this race
results in praise and rewards from a superior sovereign king, Jesus Christ and is
against superior opponents, Satan and the sin nature. The word speaks of
Timothy’s commission as of the utmost importance or the most important thing
that he could do in life. It denotes that accomplishing the Father’s will for his life is
the most important thing in his life to do.
The word is in the first attributive position modifying the noun agon as
indicated by the articular construction and is thus receiving greater emphasis. The
article tightens up the quality expressed by this adjective. Therefore, we will
translate this word “which is noble.”
Pistis in 1 Timothy 6:12
In 1 Timothy 6:12, the noun pistis refers to Timothy’s post-conversion faith in
the Word of God. Specifically, it speaks of his faith in Paul’s gospel or apostolic
teaching. This is indicated by the fact that in the very next command, Paul orders
Timothy to take hold of eternal life, which refers to experiencing eternal life,
which is accomplished by faith in Paul’s gospel. Furthermore, Paul is using an
athletic metaphor of a runner attempting to win a race against other runners. This
race is analogous to the Christian way of life and the finish for this race is the
execution of the Father’s will for the Christian to become like Christ. This race is
won by faith in the Word of God, i.e. appropriating by faith Paul’s gospel.
Therefore, in 1 Timothy 6:12, the noun pistis is used in the active sense
meaning “to trust, to have total and absolute confidence in” the Word of God after
conversion. It does not refer to the objective body of truth, the content of the
Christian faith meaning Christian doctrine, although that is the object of the
believer’s faith after salvation. Rather, it refers to Timothy’s faith in Paul’s
apostolic teaching, i.e. the gospel. The race to execute the Father’s will is not
accomplished by means of the gospel, or the Christian faith but rather it is
accomplished by means of the believer’s faith in the Word of God.
The noun pistis in 1 Timothy 6:12 is a genitive of means which denotes that the
word is the means by which the verbal action implicit in the head noun (agon) is
accomplished. This indicates that Paul is commanding Timothy to continue making
it his habit of making every effort to win the race which is noble “by means of” his
faith in the Word of God.
The articular construction of the word functions as a possessive pronoun and
means “your” indicating that Paul is commanding Timothy to continue making it
his habit of making every effort to win the race, which is noble by means of “your”
faith in the Word of God. The article is also monadic meaning that this faith is one
2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries
15
of a kind in the sense that it is Timothy’s faith. We will translate the expression τῆς πίστεως, “by means of your faith.”
Timothy is to Take Hold of Eternal Life
1 Timothy 6:12 Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to
which you were called, and you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. (NASB95)
“Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called” is composed of the
second person aorist middle imperative form of the verb epilambanomai
(ἐπιλαµβάνοµαι) (ehpee-lahm-banoe-meh), “take hold of” and then we have the
articular genitive feminine singular form of the adjective aionios (αἰώνιος) (ay-
owe-knee-os), “eternal” and this is followed by the genitive feminine singular
form of the noun zoe (ζωή) (zoe-ee), “life” and then we have the preposition eis
(εἰς) (eece), “into” and its object is the accusative feminine singular form of the
relative pronoun hos (ὅς) (oce), “which” and this is followed by the second person
singular aorist passive indicative form of the verb kaleo (καλέω) (kah-leh-owe),
“you were called.”
Asyndeton
At this point in 1 Timothy 6:12, Paul is once again employing the figure of
“asyndeton,” which means that he is not using a connective word between the
previous command here in 1 Timothy 6:12 and the command that follows it. He
uses this figure in order to emphasize this second command in verse 12 in the sense
that he wants Timothy to dwell upon it and obey it. This figure emphasizes the
importance of this second command for Timothy in the sense that it will benefit
him personally by advancing him to further growth spiritually and will benefit him
in that it will aid him in administrating the household of God in Ephesus.
Epilambanomai
This verb is used in a figurative sense and means “to experience” eternal life.
This is accomplished by means of exercising faith in Paul’s apostolic teaching, i.e.
the gospel.
The aorist imperative form of the verb epilambanomai is a “constative aorist
imperative” meaning that this is a solemn or categorical command. The stress is
not “begin an action,” nor “continue to act.” Rather, the stress is on the solemnity
and urgency of the action; thus “I solemnly charge you to act—and do it now!”
This is the use of the aorist in general precepts. The aorist is often used to
2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries
16
command an action that has been going on. Thus, in this case, both the solemn
nature of the command and its urgency are emphasized. Therefore, the constative
aorist imperative form of the verb epilambanomai indicates that Paul is
commanding Timothy “to make it his top priority” to experience eternal life “and
do it now!” Paul was “solemnly charging” him to do this.
Therefore, the constative aorist imperative does not imply that Timothy was
failing to do this, which is supported by Paul’s statements in 1 Timothy 1:3 and
4:6, which indicate that Timothy was carrying out every command and prohibition
in this epistle including this second command in 1 Timothy 6:12. Paul does not use
the customary present imperative form of the verb, which would emphasize
Timothy “continuing making it his habit of” experiencing eternal life since he does
not want to emphasize the continuation of this action. Rather, he uses the
constative aorist imperative form of the verb to emphasize with Timothy the
“urgency” of this second command in 1 Timothy 6:12 and that it is a top priority.
Paul’s statements in 1 Timothy 1:3 and 4:6 indicate that Timothy was doing this
very thing in making it a top priority to experience eternal life by means of faith in
the gospel. However, the constative aorist imperative form of the verb
epilambanomai does not indicate that he was doing this but is used only to
emphasize with Timothy the “urgency” of this second command and that it is a top
priority.
The middle voice the verb epilambanomai is an indirect middle meaning that
the subject acts for himself or herself or in his or her own interest. This indicates
that obeying this command to experience eternal life will be a “benefit” to
Timothy.
We will translate this verb “I solemnly charge you for your own benefit to make it your top priority to experience.”
Classical Usage of Aionios
The meaning of the adjective aionios is “eternal, perpetual.” Among classical
writers this especially refers to “endless time,” a period of time lasting “for an
age.” Together with aion the adjective aionios acquired philosophical overtones,
especially beginning in the writings of Plato who developed the term along lines of
“super-time, an idea of time itself.” Later, individuals and groups adopted this
concept and this opened the door for even further speculations about time.
Despite the rather singular meaning of aionios in both Biblical and nonbiblical
sources, a fundamental difference exists between the classical/philosophical Greek
concept of “eternity” and the Biblical attitude. Whereas the Biblical concept of
eternity is an eternity filled with time, “endless time,” the philosophical, Greek
notion knows only a “timeless eternity.”
2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries
17
In eternity there is no such thing as time and no such thing as past, present or
future, only an eternal now. According to Plato everything in the created order
belonged to the realm of time, while eternity was the exclusive territory of deity.
Liddell and Scott list the following meanings for the adjective aionios (Greek-
English Lexicon, New Edition, page 45): (1) Perpetual, eternal (2) Holding an
office or title for life, perpetual (3) Adverb, eternally, perpetually.
Septuagint Usage Aionios
The adjective aionios appears 152 times in the Septuagint (LXX). Like its
cognate noun aion, it is used primarily to translate the Hebrew `olam, “everlasting,
all future.” The adjective in the LXX means, “eternal.” The word is often used to
describe a “lasting” or “perpetual ordinance” given for all generations (Ex. 30:21;
Lev. 7:36 [LXX 7:26]; 10:9; cf. 16:29, 31, 34).
Aionios describes the “eternal, everlasting” unconditional covenants that God
has made with various individuals in the OT: (1) Adamic (Gn. 3:22). (2) Noahic
(Gn. 9:16). (3) Abrahamic (Gn. 17:7-8, 13, 19). (4) Palestinian (Gn. 13:15). (5)
Davidic (2 S. 23:5 [LXX 2 K. 23:5]; 1 Ch. 16:17). (6) New (Jer. 31:40).
The Adamic and Noahic covenants are related to the theocentric dispensation of
the Gentiles, which preceded the creation of the nation of Israel and its
dispensation, which is subsequent to that to of the Gentiles. These are all
unconditional covenants whose fulfillment is contingent upon the faithfulness of
God.
The Abrahamic, Palestinian, Davidic and New covenants are all unconditional
covenants directly related to the nation of Israel and its future.
The adjective aionios is used also in relation to the 6 of 7 feasts of Israel: (1)
Passover (Ex. 12:14). (2) Feast of Unleavened Bread (Ex. 12:17). (3) First-Fruits
(Lev. 23:14). (4) Pentecost (Lev. 23:15). (5) Day of Atonement (Lev. 23:31). (6)
Tabernacles (Lev. 23:41).
The word is not used in relation to the Feast of Trumpets. It is used of the
eternal salvation of Israel (Is. 45:17). The adjective is used to describe God (Gen.
21:33).
Daniel describes the Lord’s dominion and rule under the inspiration of the Holy
Spirit to be aionios, “eternal” (Dn. 7:14, 27).
The LXX translators appeared to shy away from using the adjective aionios in
the philosophical sense, even in the more Hellenistic writings. The noun aion
appears over 450 times in the LXX. In the LXX aion is the primary equivalent of
the Hebrew `olam.
The concepts behind this word greatly influence the definition of aion in the
Greek New Testament. In reference time the word points to an existence beyond
2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries
18
that which is material, an unlimited, undefined, and unknown period of time, either
past or future.
The term also contains the concept of being uninterrupted. Depending on the
context it can be translated “formerly, always, eternal, all eternity.” It is `olam and
its cognates which the Old Testament most frequently relies upon to describe
“eternal” concepts and “eternity.”
The Old Testament often understands the expressions “eternal” and “eternity”
as relative in meaning. The nature of the matter in question and the pertinent
circumstances determine the interpretation (Job 20:4; Josh. 24:2; Jer. 28:8). The
word `olam retains its relative nature in expressions of future time such as in
connection with the divine institutions in Israel (Ex. 12:14; 31:16; Dt. 15:17; 1 Ch.
16:11; 2 Ch. 7:16; Ps. 105:10).
The word is used in relation to the Noahic covenant (Gen. 9:16). The terms
“eternal” and “eternity” are also employed in the absolute sense. They are used in
relation to the existence of God (Dt. 32:40). It is used in relation to the attributes of
God and His superiority over His creatures (Ge. 21:33; Dt. 33:27; Is. 40:28).
God is in the absolute sense eternal in His relationship with humanity. The
eternal nature of God is used in relation to the following concepts in the OT: (1)
Light for His people (Is. 60:19). (2) Eternal king (Ex. 15:18). (3) Eternal might
(Dan. 4:34). (4) Love (Jer. 31:3). (5) Mercy (Ps. 106:1). (6) Faithfulness (Ps.
146:6). (7) Salvation (Is. 45:17). (8) Anger toward sin (Mal. 1:4). (9)
Righteousness (Dan. 9:24). (10) New Covenant (Is. 55:3; 61:8). (11) Messiah (Is.
9:6). (12) Word of God (Is. 40:8). (13) Man has eternity in his heart (Ecc. 3:11).
A figurative use of the eternity concept appears in the expression “from eternity
to eternity” (Ps. 90:2 [LXX 89:2]; 103:17 [102:17] ). This denotes through a means
of polarity, the extent of something immeasurable.
Nowhere in the OT does “eternity” carry a philosophical meaning. Therefore,
`olam can denote a prolonged period of time which extends beyond sight which is
hidden and secret and which cannot be comprehended. Nevertheless as with the
Greek aion, `olam can refer to near and temporal things.
New Testament Usage of Aionios
The adjective aionios appears 71 times in the Greek New Testament.
Throughout the Greek New Testament, aionios can be translated “eternal.” The
noun aion is employed more than 100 times in the Greek New Testament. It
primarily means “eternal,” but in other instances it carries the same definitions and
nuances, which are found in classical Greek and in the LXX.
The word is related to the following concepts in the Greek New Testament: (1)
Totality of visible creation (Heb. 1:2). (2) Cosmic system of Satan (Eph. 2:2). (3)
2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries
19
End of the Cosmic System of Satan (Mt. 28:20). (4) Future Millennial Reign of
Christ (Mk. 10:30). (5) Eternal State (Eph. 2:7). (6) Eternity (John 9:32). (7)
Eternal Life (Jn. 10:28). (10) Old Testament Dispensations (Col. 1:26). (11)
Eternal Condemnation in the Lake of Fire (Rev. 19:3). (12) Eternal Nature of
Christ (1 Ti. 1:17). (13) The Will of the Father in Eternity Past (Eph. 3:11). (14)
Eternal Nature of the Word of God (1 Pet. 1:25). (15) Eternal Nature of Christ’s
High Priesthood (Heb. 7:17). (16) Worship of Christ (Rev. 4:10).
Theological Dictionary of the New Testament lists the following usages for the
adjective: (1) It is used of God. As a predicate of God aionios contains not merely
the concept of unlimited time without beginning or end, but also of the eternity,
which transcends time. (2) It is also used of divine possessions and gifts. (3) A
term for the object of eschatological expectation (volume 1, pages 208-209).
Vine's Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words, “Aionios ‘describes duration,
either undefined but not endless, as in Rom 16:25; 2 Tim 1:9; Titus 1:2; or
undefined because endless as in Rom 16:26, and the other sixty-six places in the
NT.’ The predominant meaning of aionios, that in which it is used everywhere in
the NT, save the places noted above, may be seen in 2 Cor 4:18, where it is set in
contrast with proskairos, lit., 'for a season,' and in Philem 15, where only in the NT
it is used without a noun. Moreover it is used of persons and things which are in
their nature endless, as, e. g., of God, Rom 16:26; of His power, 1 Tim 6:16, and of
His glory, 1 Peter 5:10; of the Holy Spirit, Heb 9:14; of the redemption effected by
Christ, Heb 9:12, and of the consequent salvation of men, 5:9, as well as of His
future rule, 2 Peter 1:11, which is elsewhere declared to be without end, Luke 1:33;
of the life received by those who believe in Christ, John 3:16, concerning whom
He said, 'they shall never perish,' 10:28, and of the resurrection body, 2 Cor 5:1,
elsewhere said to be 'immortal,' 1 Cor 15:53, in which that life will be finally
realized, Matt 25:46; Titus 1:2. Aionios is also used of the sin that 'hath never
forgiveness,' Mark 3:29, and of the judgment of God, from which there is no
appeal, Heb 6:2, and of the fire, which is one of its instruments, Matt 18:8; 25:41;
Jude 7, and which is elsewhere said to be 'unquenchable,' Mark 9:43. The use of
aionios here shows that the punishment referred to in 2 Thess 1:9, is no temporary,
but final, and, accordingly, the phraseology shows that its purpose is not remedial
but retributive.”
A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian
Literature-Third Edition: (1) pertaining to a long period of time, long ago (2)
pertaining to a period of time without beginning or end, eternal (3) pertaining to a
period of unending duration, without end.
The New Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon (pages 20): (1) Without beginning or
end, that which always has been and always will be (2) Without beginning (3)
Without end, never to cease, everlasting.
2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries
20
Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament Based on Semantic Domains,
“Pertaining to an unlimited duration of time – ‘eternal’ (volume 2, page 642).
Exegetical Dictionary of the New Testament lists the following NT usages of
the adjective (volume 1, page 47): (1) The eternity of God and the divine realm. (2)
The blessings of eschatological salvation. (3) Everlasting conditions which have no
beginning or end.
The adjective aionios is used with the preposition eis to express the concept of
eternity. It appears regularly in the doxologies and offerings of praise. The noun
appears in the formula eis ton aiona tou aionos to emphasize the concept of
eternity (Phlp. 4:20; Eph. 3:21). This repetition of the word is the figure of
Polyptoton appearing in context of praise to both the Father and the Son. It is
actually a Hebrew idiom.
The adjective aionios is used to the Lake of Fire (Mt. 18:8; Jude 7). John uses
the word for the life of God (Jn. 4:36; 6:54). The adjective is used quite a bit in
conjunction with zoe, which refers to the life of God (Jn. 3:15-16; 4:36; 5:24; 5:39;
6:27; 6:40, 47; Rm. 5:21; 6:23). It is of course used quite often to describe
salvation (Mt. 19:16; Lk. 10:25; 18:18; John 3:15-16; 4:14; 5:24; 6:47; Rm. 5:21;
6:23; He. 5:19).
The doctrines of Christ are described as aionios in John 6:68. The adjective is
used to describe rewards for the eternal state (2 Co. 4:17; Gal. 6:8; 1 Ti. 6:19; 2 Ti.
2:10; Heb. 9:15). It is used to describe the resurrection body of the believer in 2
Corinthians 5:1. Paul uses aionios in a doxology in Philippians 4:20. It is used to
describe the condemnation of the unbeliever who rejects Christ as Savior (2 Th.
1:9). Paul uses it in 2 Thessalonians 2:17 to describe the comfort that God gives
the believer. The adjective aionios is used to describe the redemption of the
believer (Heb. 9:12). It is used to describe the Holy Spirit in Hebrews 9:14. The
word is used to describe the covenant of salvation in Hebrews 13:20. It is used to
describe the millennial kingdom and reign of Christ (2 Pet. 1:11).
Aionios is used to describe the incarnation and hypostatic union of the Lord
Jesus Christ in 1 John 1:2, thus in this passage it describes the eternality of the
Lord Jesus Christ, the God-Man. The word is used to describe the life of God that
is in the Person of Christ (1 Jn. 5:11). In Revelation 14:6, the word is used to
describe the Gospel. The adjective aionios is used to describe God in Romans
16:26. It is used of eternity past in Romans 16:25.
Aionios in 1 Timothy 6:12
In 1 Timothy 6:12, the adjective aionios means, “eternal” and is modifying the
noun zoe, “life” and describes the nature of the life (zoe) of God in the sense that it
has no beginning and no end and is thus an ever present now. Eternal life is an
2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries
21
attribute of God. The eternal life of God does not simply emphasize that it is a life
that never ends but it is also a particular quality of life. It is a life in which the
believer has knowledge of the Trinity in an experiential sense of personally
encountering them through faith alone in Christ alone and through the process of
fellowship after conversion.
In 1 Timothy 6:12, this adjective describes the life of God as “eternal” in
nature. This adjective aionios is used of the life of God, which is Timothy received
at conversion through faith alone in Christ alone and is a gift of salvation. Paul is
commanding Timothy to experience this life after his conversion. This life of God
that Timothy and all believers receive at conversion and can experience after
conversion is described as aionios because it transcends time, matter and space. It
has no beginning and end.
The believer who experiences the eternal life of God after salvation will be able
to transcend his experiences whether adversity or prosperity (cf. Phlp. 4:10-18).
Remaining in fellowship with God and applying the Word of eternal life, which in
turn permits the Spirit of eternal life to reproduce the eternal life of Christ in the
believer, produces this post-salvation experience. The Lord Jesus Christ uses this
word aionios in John 17:2-3 where He states to His disciples that knowing the
Father and the Son experientially is eternal life.
The adjective aionios is in the first attributive position modifying the noun zoe,
“life” as indicated by the articular construction and is thus receiving greater
emphasis. The article tightens up the quality expressed by this adjective. Therefore,
we will translate this word “which is eternal.”
Classical Usage of Zoe
The verb zao is contracted to zo, and its corresponding noun zoe, are both found
from Homer onwards. There are three primary uses in classical Greek for zoe: (1)
“One’s means of existence, i.e., livelihood.” (2) “Life or existence itself.” (3)
“Lifestyle.”
Rudolph Bultmann commenting on the word’s classical usage, writes, “zoe
denotes in Greek the physical vitality of organic beings, animals, men and also
plants. Life is understood, not as a thing, but as vitality, as the nature or manner,
which characterizes all living creatures as such. Since zoe is the self-evident being
of man in which he always finds himself, and not something which establishes or
encounters him or alternates, zoe is never hypostatised or deified. cf. phusis,
thanatos, hugieia. In Greek there is no figurative representation of zoe”
(Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, volume 2, pages 832-833).
Zoe is most commonly defined as movement in the broadest sense and not
merely spatial movement. It is self-movement as distinct from mechanical
2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries
22
movement and thus belongs to physics, and, in so far as this seeks causes, the
cause of zoe is found in the psuche, “soul.” Thus in Plato the immortality of the
soul is maintained in view of the fact that psuche and zoe belong essentially
together (Phaedr. 105c; cf. Phaedr. 245c ff.; Soph. 248e ff.).
Bultmann makes the following comment regarding the classical usage of zoe,
he writes, “Zoe can also be posited of the godhead to the extent that the gods,
which are regarded as athanatoi both in philosophy and in popular superstition, are
still classified as zoa having soma and psuche, the only point being that this
sustasis is never dissolved. Thus Plato distinguishes between athanata and theta
zoa (Phaedr. 246d ff.; Tim. 38c ff.). Of course, the gods which are accepted as
athanatoi (the constellations) are not Supreme Being or supreme deity. Their
immortality is simply unending duration in time, whereas non-temporal eternity is
ascribed to supreme deity, so that zoe cannot properly be assigned to it. In Phaed.
106d Plato links together as immortal God and the eidos of zoe (ho de ge
theos...kai auto to tes zoes eidos kai ei ti allo athanaton estin). For him the cosmos
is a zoon emphuchon, but it is the son of God and not supreme deity itself (Tim.
30b; 34b, 37c, 92b). On the other hand, in Soph. 248e kinesis, zoe, psuche and
pronesis are ascribed to the pantelos on as well. For Aristotle the deity is
incorporeal and unmoved as proton kinoun, but it is still a zoon, its zoe being
eternal. Inasmuch as the deity is pantheistically understood as the total kosmos, the
zoon emphuchon, we naturally find the scientific concept of zoe as the vitality of
the whole taking individual shape in the specific phenomena of organic life as they
rise and change and fall. Yet in Aristotle the deity stands outside the kosmos as
pure nous. The energeia of nous is zoe, but the energeia of the divine nous is zoe
ariste kai aidios (Metaph. XI, 7, p. 1072b, 26 ff.) (Theological Dictionary of the
New Testament, volume II, pages 833-834).
H.G. Link commenting on the word writes the following, “For the Greeks life
belongs to the category of natural science being characterized by the power of self-
movement as distinct from mechanical movement (Plato, Leg. 10, 895c ff; Phaedr.
245c ff.; Aristotle An. 2, 2 pg. 412b, 16f. pg 413a, 22 ff.). The cause of life is
considered to be the psuche, “soul,” Diogenes of Apollonia imagined as an etherial
substance (aer), while Xenophanes thought of it as a fluttering breath (pneuma).
Just as psuche and zoe belong very closely together in Greek thought, so do psuche
and soma, “body” (Plato, Phaedr. 105c ff.; Aristotle, An. 2, 1 pg 412b, 7 ff.);
natural life is made up of the components soul and body. Not only each single
individual but also the entire universe is thought of as a living organism (zoon
empsuchon, Plato, Tim. 30b) or as a world with a soul (kosmos empsuchos). Even
the gods are imagined largely as living creatures (zoa) having bipartite natures
analogous to the human body and soul (Aristotle, Metaph. 11, 7 pg 1072b, 28 ff.).
Thus Plato distinguishes between living creatures, which are thneta (mortal men),
2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries
23
and athanata (immortal, i.e., gods) (Tim. 38c ff.). The Greeks considered a third
component to be specific to human life, namely, the reason, mind, or
understanding (nous). While the soma and to some extent the psuche go to make
up natural life, the nous is a divine element which enters human life from outside,
enhancing it beyond the natural life of animals and producing a type of existence
capable of various alternatives (bios). Among the Stoics the slogan kata phusin
zen, to live according to nature, assumed great importance. This phrase does not
imply instinctive existence, but rather life which is virtuous or lived according to
reason (kata logon), and which enables the man who is otherwise “dead” to fulfill
the purpose of his existence (Epictectus, Dissertationes, 1, 9, 19; 2, 9, 7 f.; 25f. 4,
11, 3). The Greeks of the classical period saw their ideal as active involvement in
the public affairs of the polis, in the Hellenistic period the Stoics idealized
complete withdrawal from the outward bustle of the world, and the cultivation of
one’s own inner life. The neo-Platonist differentiated between life in this world and
life beyond this world. Gnosticism saw life as a descent. Zoe was associated with
phos, “light,” by the Gnostic. Light was essentially divine, a tangible fluid in the
divine world, definitely a physical entity, but at the same time something
indestructible and possessed of lifegiving power; in word immortality (athanasia).
In the human world this pure divine life is intermingled with matter, being
imprisoned in the body. It is not present in its fullness but only in the form of tiny,
scattered sparks of life. Hence, one must break free from the prison house of the
body in order to enjoy, as least temporarily, the ecstatic vision (gnosis,
“knowledge”), to attain to the unity, which exists between the inner, sparks of life
and the supernatural life in the divine world. This true life is attained on earth only
in fleeting moments of ecstasy. Its full enjoyment must be reserved for the future,
when all particles of life and light presently scattered within matter reunite in the
divine world. There were 2 trends in Greek philosophy within this area of thought:
True life is progressively divorced from concrete, everyday events and transferred
to a supernatural, divine world. Life is increasingly seen as something tangible,
“scientific”, so that true human life manifests itself not so much in the continuum
of historical events as in discontinuous moments of ecstatic vision, totally divorced
from history” (New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology, volume
2, pages 476-477).
The Complete Biblical Library states the following in its discussion of zoe, “For
the ancient Greek natural life was shared by humanity, plants and animals. The
entire universe was regarded as a living entity. And yet human life was not viewed
simply as the kind of natural existence enjoyed by animals. The primary distinction
of life in Greek thought was between the rational life of mankind and the irrational
life of animals. Thus for the Greeks the distinctive nature of human existence was
the presence of “reason, the mind” (nous, the presence of the divine within man).
2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries
24
The precise goal of life was disputed among ancient philosophers. Classical
thinkers regarded involvement in the affairs of the polis, “city,” as ideal. However,
the Stoics of later Hellenism contended that withdrawal from the external (i.e., the
polis) and retreat to the internal was essential for life. The ancient Greeks reasoned
that true life was not in the material existence (somata) or the events of history.
True existence (zoe) was to be understood as escape from the world of history to
the supernatural world of nous-the distinctive nature of human existence which
Gnosticism and neo-Platonism advocated. (Greek-English Dictionary Zeta-Kappa
2176-2947).
For the Stoics zoe is physical life expressed in all organic creatures. The Neo-
Platonist views zoe as belonging essentially to the psuche, “soul.”
In Gnosticism, however, zoe without attribute denotes the divine life.
Bultmann writes the following article regarding the word’s classical usage, he
writes, “It thus appears that the term zoe implies a concept of true life hereafter
which must have the character of individuality and which already has this to the
degree that zoe includes a definite self-understanding and experience. But since
man is severed from his historical particularity when the true man is loosed from
the soma through which he first receives the concrete possibilities of historical life,
freedom from death really means freedom from the specific possibilities of human
existence (Theological Dictionary of the New Testament volume 2, page 842).
Zoe and bios view life from different perspectives. Therefore the two are not
synonymous terms to the Greek mind. Inevitably and regrettably, by using one
word in the English language to translate both Greek words, we have concealed the
important differences between these 2 words.
Zoe is closely related to ao, aemi, “to breathe, the breath of life,” which is a
necessary condition of living and to pneuma, “spirit,” and psuche, “soul.” Zoe
refers to intensive life whereas bios refers to extensive life, the period or duration
of life.
Bios also refers to the means by which that life is sustained. In a tertiary sense,
it refers to the manner in which that life is spent, that is, one’s profession or career.
Bios has an ethical sense when it refers to a manner of life.
According to Trench, “When bios is used to refer to a manner of life, it often
has an ethical sense not found in the classical usage of zoe. Aristotle said that the
slave is a ‘partner of zoes’ (he lives with the family) but not ‘a partner of biou’ (he
does not share in the career of his master). According to Ammonius, Aristotle
defined bios as ‘a rational life,’ and Ammonius argued that bios was never, except
incorrectly applied to the existence of plants or animals but only to the lives of
men. Although that distinction is made too absolutely, it is a real one that is
reflected in our words zoology and biography but not in biology, which as now
used is a manifest misnomer. On the one hand, we speak of ‘zoology,’ for animals
2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries
25
(zoa) live equally with men and may be classified according to the differences of
their natural lives. On the other hand, we speak of ‘biography’ for human beings,
not merely because they live but because they lead lives and make moral choices.
They not only have ‘years of existence (zoes),’ they also have ‘ways of living
(biou)’ (Prov. 4:10)” (Synonyms of the New Testament, page 108).
Trench goes on to say later in the same article, “Although bios, not zoe, is used
in an ethical sense in classical Greek, in Scripture the opposite seems to be the
case. In the New Testament zoe is the more noble word and expresses the highest
and best that the saints possess in God” (Synonyms of the New Testament, page
109).
Septuagint Usage of Zoe
The Greeks fragmented view of life was totally foreign to the Old Testament
viewpoint. Life for the Hebrew was not natural or scientific phenomena but rather
primarily was a duration meaning that the days of man’s life are granted by God,
the Lord of life and therefore, life itself is designed for His purpose.
Ordinarily zoe translates chayyim in the LXX. There are 9 other Hebrews terms,
which are served by zoe on an occasion. The relevant Hebrew vocabulary is as
follows: (1) Chayyim, “life.” (2) Chayah, “to live”; Piel: “to keep alive (Judg.
21:14; “to give life, revive” (Neh. 9:6; Psa. 71:20 [70:20]); Hiphil: “to make alive”
(2 King. 5:7). (3) Chay, “recover, live” (2 King. 8:10, 14; Ezek. 3:21; 18:9, 13).
In the OT, the Lord Jesus Christ (Jehovah Elohim) is the author of life. Human
life originates with God (Gen. 2:7), and is a gift (Job 10:12; Psa. 21:4 [LXX 20:4]).
The Lord gives human life and is the source of it (Psa. 36:9 [LXX 35:9]; Psa.
104:30 [103:30]). The Lord is the master of life meaning that He gives and takes it
away as His sovereign will desires (Deut. 32:39; 1 Sam. 2:6 [LXX 1 Kings 2:6f.]).
It is the Lord Jesus Christ Who sustains life (Job 10:12; 14:5), and has given
mankind days and not years to live (Gen. 25:7; 47:9; Deut. 4:9; 6:2; 32:39). Life
itself is highly esteemed, and a long life is the reward of God (Deut. 5:16; 30:15,
19).
The Lord Jesus Christ as the Creator, created the physical body of Adam and
then breathed into his nostrils the “breath of lives” (Gen. 2:7).
Genesis 2:7 Next, the Lord God constructed Adam from the dust of the ground and then He breathed into his nostrils the breath of life. Consequently, Adam became a living soul. (My translation) “Constructed” is the verb yatsar, “to construct something out of existing
material,” which is used in reference to the physical body of Adam and indicates
that the Lord designed the appearance and function of the human body.
2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries
26
Psalm 139:14 I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. (NASB95) “From the ground” indicates that the Lord constructed from the elements of
the ground, Adam’s physical body.
Psalm 103:14 For He Himself knows our frame; He is mindful that we are but dust. (NASB95) The physical body of Adam was “not” created in the image of God but rather
his soul since Genesis 1:26-27 states that Adam was created in the image of God
and this is not said of his physical body.
Genesis 1:26 Next, God decreed let Us model man in Our image, according
to Our likeness. Consequently, they will rule over the fish in the various bodies of water and over the birds in the earth’s atmosphere and over the animal kingdom and over the entire earth and over each and every creeper-crawler, those which crawl upon the earth. 27 Consequently, God created out of nothing the essence of man in His own image. In the image of God, He created him out of nothing. Male and female, He created them out of nothing. (My translation) Furthermore, the Lord Jesus Christ taught in John 4:24 that God is spirit and
thus invisible therefore, the human body could not be formed in the image of God
but rather the soul of man, which is invisible.
Genesis 2:7 Next, the Lord God constructed Adam from the dust of the ground and then He breathed into his nostrils the breath of life. Consequently, Adam became a living soul. (My translation) “Breathed into” is the verb naphach, which has as its subject, the Lord, thus
teaching that He is responsible for human life and not man.
Job 33:4 The Spirit of God has made (`asah) me, and the breath of the
Almighty gives me life. (NASB95) “Breath of life” means that God produces the human soul life.
The human soul contains: (1) Volition: Enables us to make decisions (2) Self-
consciousness: We are aware of who we are (3) Conscience: Where our norms and
standards reside (4) Mentality: Where we do our thinking (5) Emotion: Where we
respond to what is in the mentality of the soul.
Genesis 2:7 teaches that Adam did “not” become a living soul until God
imputed soul life to his biological life, thus, indicating that life does “not” begin
until God imputes soul life to the physical body. The Lord is the Creator of every
human soul-past, present and future but Adam is the only human being to have his
physical body personally formed by the Lord since the physical bodies of every
human being since Adam have been produced by the sexual union between men
and women.
2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries
27
The Lord Jesus Christ is the only human being to be born with a human spirit,
thus demonstrating further His uniqueness and everyone else in the human race
receives a human spirit with eternal life imputed to it the moment they accept the
Lord Jesus as their Savior.
In Genesis 1:26, God “modeled” man after His image in the sense that He made
man to reflect His invisible essence, thus man as to his essence is the shadow
image of God who is invisible, thus the essence of man is invisible, i.e. the soul.
When I say, “model” I mean that the soul of mankind is a “copy” of God and is
“patterned” after God’s invisible essence.
Like God, mankind would have personality and would be a moral rational
being. Mankind would have a soul that would be composed of volition, self-
consciousness, a mentality, emotion and a conscience. Therefore, like God, man
could make choices and decisions because he would have a volition.
Like God, mankind would have a mentality and would be able to form thoughts
and concepts. Like God, mankind would be conscious of self and would have
emotion in the sense that he would be able to respond to what is in the mentality of
his soul.
Like God, mankind would have a conscience where the norms and standards
reside from which to co-exist with both God and other moral rational creatures.
The essence of mankind is his soul, which would be invisible just as God who is
spirit is invisible. Thus, the soul of man was created according to the invisible
essence of God.
Also, mankind is created and modeled in the image of God in the sense that
God delegated authority to Adam, thus like God, Adam would rule over the earth
and would be sovereign over the earth.
The soul of man was created according to the image of God and not his physical
body! The verb bara in Genesis 1:27 teaches us that the soul of Adam was “created
out of nothing” whereas the verb `asah in Genesis 1:26 indicates that the soul of
Adam was “modeled” according the likeness and image of God Himself.
The verb yatsa, “to produce out of existing material” in Genesis 2:7 refers to the
physical body of Adam.
Therefore, we have the “dichotomy” of Adam and the woman meaning that
they were composed of body (soma) and soul (psuche).
Regenerate human beings meaning human beings who are saved are
“trichotomous” meaning they are composed of body (soma), soul (psuche) and
spirit (pneuma).
1 Thessalonians 5:23 Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. (NASB95)
2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries
28
We must remember that Adam and the woman were unique. When Adam and
the woman were created, they were created perfect. Prior to the Fall, Adam and the
woman had fellowship with God based upon the perfection of their soul life and
not by utilizing eternal life since eternal life is received through regeneration,
which is the Holy Spirit’s ministry on behalf of sinners who have exercised faith
alone in Christ alone.
Adam and the woman received eternal life “after” they had fallen and had
exercised faith alone in Christ alone. Since the Fall of Adam, every person that is
born into the world receives the imputation of Adam’s sin in the garden, which
makes them physically alive but spiritually dead. Thus, every person born into the
world is “dichotomous” meaning that they have a: (1) Body (soma) (2) Soul
(psuche). They don’t have a human spirit because they are spiritually dead and
need to be regenerated.
Adam and the woman were not spiritually dead because prior to the Fall
because they did not have a human spirit since their perfection of soul life was the
basis for their fellowship with God. At the moment of salvation, God the Holy
Spirit created a human spirit for Adam and the woman so that the Father could
impute eternal life to it. Thus, after the fall, Adam and the Woman’s relationship
with God was restored by the Holy Spirit and the imputation of eternal life. This is
process that they experienced is called in theology “regeneration.”
Regeneration makes a person “trichotomous.” Regeneration takes place at the
moment of salvation when the omnipotence of God the Holy Spirit creates a
human spirit in the believer in order that they may receive the imputation of eternal
life thus giving the believer a new divine nature that is created in the image of the
Lord Jesus Christ. Regeneration is our spiritual birth and is a theological word for
being born-again.
Therefore, the original man and woman, Adam and Ishah were “dichotomous”
(Gen. 2:7) and not “trichotomous” since eternal life is not imputed to a human
spirit until the spiritual birth or regeneration.
Prior to the Fall, Adam and the woman had fellowship with God based upon the
perfection of their soul life and not by utilizing eternal life.
In 1 Corinthians 15:45, Paul’s statement that the first Adam, “became a living soul” clearly indicates that God did not create Adam with a human spirit since if
He did create him with a human spirit, the Scriptures would not have called him a
“living soul.” But rather, the Scriptures call our Lord a “spirit” as the Scriptures
state of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Last Adam.
1 Corinthians 15:45 So also it is written, “The first MAN, Adam, BECAME A LIVING SOUL.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. 46 However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural; then the spiritual. 47 The first man is from the earth, earthy; the second man is from heaven. (NASB95)
2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries
29
Also further indicating that Adam was created dichotomous is the plural form
of the abstract noun chayyim in Genesis 2:7.
Genesis 2:7 Next, the Lord God constructed Adam from the dust of the ground and then He breathed into his nostrils the breath of life. Consequently,
Adam became a living soul. (My translation) The word “life” is the masculine “plural” form of the noun chayyim. Therefore,
this phrase literally means, “breath of lives.”
Some suggest that the plural of this word refers to the human spirit and soul life
but this is emphatically not the case. The Hebrew plural is used with many
different significations whereas English largely restricts its use of the plural to
enumerate countables. The Hebrew plural has a variety of uses, chiefly with
countable and collective nouns and a special set of senses with abstract nouns.
In Genesis 2:7 the plural noun chayyim is an “abstract” noun. An “abstract”
noun is frequently expressed by a plural, which may have originally signified the
diverse concrete manifestations of a quality or state. The “abstract” plural noun
chayyim refers to the state of Adam meaning God breathed into his nostrils “soul
life.” So although the word is plural in Genesis 2:7, it should be translated into the
English in the singular form since the plural form of the word is referring to the
state of Adam possessing soul life. Therefore, Adam was “dichotomous” meaning
he was composed of physical or biological life, and soul life and not
“trichotomous” meaning, body, soul and spirit.
Adam and the woman’s relationship and fellowship with God was based upon
their perfection since they were created perfect. As long as they maintained their
perfection, they could maintain their relationship with God. The moment they
failed though they lost their fellowship with God. Thus, the means of Adam and
the woman’s spirituality was based upon their perfection of the soul life and not
upon eternal life, which is not given until regeneration.
Perfection meaning they always obeyed the Lord. Their spiritual relationship
with the Lord ended with Him the moment they disobeyed the command not to eat
from the knowledge of good and evil. Spiritual death is loss of fellowship with
God and separation from Him as a result of the imputation of Adam’s original sin
in the garden to our genetically formed old sin nature (Rom. 5:12).
Adam and the Woman entered into “real” spiritual death the moment they
disobeyed. Therefore, spiritual death for Adam and the Woman was the loss of
perfection meaning they disobeyed the Lord’s command.
At the time of the Fall (Gen. 3:6) both Adam and the woman suffered
immediate spiritual death (Rm. 5:12). Adam died physically or somatically 930
years after his spiritual or pneumatic death (Gen. 5:5).
When Adam sinned, the entire human race sinned (Rom. 5:12). God imputed
Adam’s sin to every person born into the world in order that He might show grace
2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries
30
and mercy to everyone (Rom. 11:32). At the moment of physical birth, every
member of the human race becomes a sinner because he has received the
imputation of Adam’s sin in the garden.
Imputation is the function of the justice of God in crediting something to
someone for cursing or for blessing. The imputation of Adam’s sin at physical
birth results in every person having the nature of Adam, which resides in the
genetic structure of the physical body and can never please God but is selfish and
self-centered and always disobedient to God. This imputation means that every
person born into the world is born physically alive but spiritually dead, but
qualified for the imputation of divine righteousness through faith alone in Christ
alone.
Physical or biological life was all the life Adam had and all he could bequeath
to his posterity but the “last” Adam, Christ gave eternal life, the very life of God.
1 Corinthians 15:22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. (NASB95) So when a person believes on the Lord Jesus Christ when they hear the Gospel
communicated to them, God creates a human spirit and imputes eternal life to the
human spirit in order that they may become spiritually alive.
When we are born-again we receive the imputation of eternal life. Eternal life
enables the believer to live with God forever and has no beginning and no end and
is the life of God. So when we become born-again, we have the life of God, which
enables us to live with Him forever and ever.
The human spirit functions according to eternal life and is in fact, the receptacle
for eternal life. When a person becomes born-again or regenerated, they have
passed from spiritual death to spiritual life.
The human spirit enables the believer to understand the things of God (1 Cor.
2:10-14). Unbelievers can’t understand the things of God because they don’t have
this human spirit and therefore, do not have eternal life. Only the believer in
fellowship with God can understand the things of God.
1 Corinthians 2:14 But a natural (psuchikos, “soulish”) man does not accept
the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised. 15 But he who is spiritual (pneumatikos) appraises all things, yet he himself is appraised by no
one. (NASB95) The Old Testament teaches that obedience to God means life (Ps. 16:11 [LXX
15:11]; 21:4 [20:4]; Prov. 3:2; 4:10; 8:35 passim), but disobedience brings death
(Ps. 26:9 [LXX 25:9]; Prov. 8:36; passim).
Life and light are closely associated in the OT (Ps. 36:9 [LXX 35:9]). Faith in a
life after physical death also has its origin in the relationship with the regenerate
with God. Those who participate in the covenant relationships with Him through
2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries
31
faith in the Lord will possess eternal life and will be redeemed from the power of
the grave through resurrection (Ps. 49:15 [LXX 48:15]). It is within the context of
the Messianic promises and eschatological messages that God clearly pronounces
the assurance of resurrection from death to eternal life in the kingdom of God (Is.
26:19).
New Testament Usage of Zoe
The noun zoe appears 135 times in the Greek New Testament.
The Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon lists the following meanings for the word:
(1) Life, i.e. the state of one who is possessed of vitality or is animate (2) Used
emphatically, of the absolute fulness of life, both essential and ethical, which
belongs to God, and through Him both to the hypostatic logos and to Christ in
whom the logos put on human nature; life real and genuine(pages 273-274)
A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian
Literature-Third Edition: (1) life in the physical sense, life (2) transcendent life,
life (Page 430)
Greek-English Lexicon Based on Semantic Domains, “To be alive, to live, life”
(23.88).
The noun zoe is found in the following expressions in the New Testament: (1)
“Eternal life” (zoen aionion) (Mt. 19:16, 29; 25:45; Mk. 10:17, 30; Lk. 10:25;
18:18, 30; Jn. 3:15-16, 36; 4:14, 36; 5:24, 39; 6:27, 40, 47; 10:28; 12:25; 17:2;
Acts 13:46; Rm. 2:7; 5:21; Rm. 6:22; Gal. 6:8; 1 Tm. 1:16; 1 Jn. 3:15; 1 Jn. 5:11,
13; Jude 21); (zoe aionios) (Jn. 12:50; Rm. 6:23; 1 Jn. 5:20); (aionios zoe) (Jn.
17:3); (tes aioniou zoes) (Acts 13:46; 1 Tm. 6:12); (zoes aioniou) (Titus 1:2; 3:7).
(ten zoes ten aionion) (1 Jn. 1:2; 2:25). (2) “Resurrection of life” (anastasin zoes)
(Jn. 5:29). (3) “Bread of life” (ho artos tes zoes) (Jn. 6:35, 48, 54). (4) “Words of eternal life” (rhemata zoes aioniou) (Jn. 6:67). (5) “The light of this life” (to phos
tes zoes) (Jn. 8:12). (6) “The Originator of life” (Archegon tes zoes) (Acts 3:15).
(7) “Justification of life” (dikaiosin zoes) (Rm. 5:18). (8) “Newness of life”
(kainoteti zoes) (Rm. 6:4). (9) “Of this spiritual life” (tou pneumatos tes zoes)
(Rm. 8:2). (10) “The spiritual life” (to pneuma zoe) (Rm. 8:10). (11) “The life of God” (tes zoes tou theou) (Eph. 4:18). (12) “The word of life” (logon zoes) (Phil.
2:16). (13) “The book of life” (biblo zoes) (Phil. 4:3); (tes biblou tes zoes) (Rev.
3:5); (to biblio tes zoes) (Rev. 13:8; Rev. 21:27); (ton biblion tes zoes) (Rev.
17:8); (te biblio tes zoes) (Rev. 20:15). (14) “The promise of life” (epangelian
zoes) (1 Tm. 4:8; 2 Tm. 1:1). (15) “Indestructible life’ (zoes akatalutou) (Hb.
7:16). (16) “The crown of life” (ton stephanon tes zoes) (Jm. 1:12; Rev. 2:10).
(17) “The gift of life” (charitos zoes) (1 Pt. 3:7). (18) “The Word of life” (tou
logou tes zoes) (1 Jn. 1:1). (19) “The tree of life” (tou xulou tes zoes) (Rev. 2:7);
2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries
32
(xulon zoes) (Rev. 22:2); (to xulon tes zoes) (Rev. 22:14); (tou xulou tes zoes)
(Rev. 22:19). (20) “The fountains of life-giving waters” (zoes pegas hudaton)
(Rev. 7:17); “the fountain of life-giving water” (tes peges tou hudatos tes zoes)
(Rev. 21:6). (21) “The Spirit of life” (pneuma zoes) (Rev. 11:11). (22) “A river of
life-giving water” (potamon hudatos zoes) (Rev. 22:1). (23) “The water of life”
(to hudor zoes) (Rev. 22:17).
The noun zoe can denote the following in the New Testament: (1) Human life
(Mt. 18:8-9; Mk. 9:43, 45; Lk. 1:75; 12:15; 16:25; 8:33; Jn. 1:4; Acts 17:25; Rm.
8:38; 1 Cr. 3:22; 15:19; Phil. 1:20; Hb. 7:3; Jam. 4:14; 1 Pt. 3:10; Rev. 16:3). (2)
Attribute of God (Jn. 5:26; Eph. 4:18; 1 Jn. 5:11). (3) Eternal life as a salvation gift
(Jn. 6:33, 51; 10:10, 28; 17:2-3; 20:31; Acts 5:20; 11:18; 13:46, 48; Rm. 2:7; 5:18;
6:23; 1 Tm. 1:16; 2 Tim. 1:10; 1 Pt. 3:7; 1 Jn. 5:11). (4) Promise of eternal life (1
Tm. 4:8; 2 Tm. 1:1; Titus 1:2; 1 Jn. 2:25). (5) Imputation of eternal life (Jn. 3:15-
16; 36; 5:24; 8:12; 1 Jn. 3:14-15; 5:11-13). (6) Person of Christ (Jn. 6:35, 48, 51,
54; Acts 3:15; 1 Jn. 1:1) (7) Doctrine of Christ (Jn. 6:63, 68) (8) Attribute of Christ
(Jn. 11:25; 14:6). (9) Title of Christ (Acts 3:15; 1 Jn. 1:1). (11) Spiritual life of
Christ (Rm. 5:10; 2 Cor. 4:10-11; Heb. 7:16; 1 Jn. 1:1-2). (12) Resurrection of the
believer (Jn. 5:29; 2 Cor. 5:4; Col. 3:3-4; Jude 21). (13) Spiritual life of the
believer (Rom. 6:4; 8:2, 6; 2 Cor. 2:14-16; 4:10-12; Phil. 2:16; 1 Tim. 6:12; 2 Pet.
1:3). (14) Prosperity of soul from executing of the spiritual life (Gal. 6:8; 1 Tm.
6:19; Titus 3:7). (15) Prosperity of soul in the eternal state (Rev. 7:17; 21:6; 22:1-
2, 14). (16) Reward for the winner believer at the Bema Seat Evaluation (Jam.
1:12; Rev. 2:7, 10). (17) Registry of believers in eternity (Phil. 4:3; Rev. 3:5; 13:8;
17:8; 20:12, 15; 21:27; 22:19)
Zoe in 1 Timothy 6:12
In 1 Timothy 6:12, the noun zoe refers to the life of God, which is described by
the adjective aionios as “eternal.” This life is received by Timothy as a gift the
moment he trusted in Jesus Christ as his Savior.
The noun zoe is a genitive direct object meaning that it is receiving the action of
the verb epilambanomai. This type of genitive is found with verbs which mean “to
take hold of,” which is the case with the verb epilambanomai.
Paul puts zoe in the genitive rather than accusative case since he wants to
emphasize that with Timothy the personal responsibility he has to experience
eternal life.
The articular construction of the noun zoe is a function marker to denote that
the adjective aionios, “eternal” is in the first attributive position indicating that this
adjective is receiving greater emphasis than the noun zoe. We will translate τῆς ζωῆς, “the life.”
2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries
33
Eternal Life
Since, each member of the Trinity is co-equal, co-infinite and co-eternal, each
also is eternal life: (1) God the Father is eternal life (Jo. 5:26; 6:57; 1 Th. 1:9). (2)
The Word of God is eternal life (Jn. 5:26, 6:35 Phlp. 2:16; 1 Jo. 1:1) (3) The Holy
Spirit is eternal life (Jn. 6:63; Rm. 8:2).
Eternal life is the very life of God has no beginning and no end and transcends
time, matter and space. God is an “ever present now” because He is by nature,
eternal life.
Eternal life is received as a gift from God the moment you believe in Jesus
Christ as your Savior.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that He gave His uniquely born Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. (My translation) The Lord Jesus Christ is the incarnate Son of God and therefore He is also the
incarnate eternal life of God and to reject that He is God is to reject eternal life.
John 1:4 In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. (NASB95) John 5:26 “For just as the Father has life in Himself, even so He gave to the Son also to have life in Himself.” (NASB95) John 6:33 For the bread of God is that which comes down out of heaven, and gives life to the world. (NASB95) John 6:35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me
will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst.” (NASB95) John 6:48 “I am the bread of life.” (NASB95) John 6:54 “He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.” (NASB95) John 6:63 “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.” (NASB95)
John 6:68 Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life.” (NASB95) John 8:12 Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.” (NASB95) John 10:28 “and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand.” (NASB95)
John 11:25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies.” (NASB95) John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” (NASB95)
2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries
34
John 14:19 “After a little while the world will no longer see Me, but you will see Me; because I live, you will live also.” (NASB95) John 17:1 Jesus spoke these things; and lifting up His eyes to heaven, He said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify Your Son, that the Son may glorify
You, 2 even as You gave Him authority over all flesh, that to all whom You have given Him, He may give eternal life. 3 This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” (NASB95) John 20:31 but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His
name. (NASB95) Acts 3:14 “But you disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, 15 but put to death the Prince of life, the one whom God raised from the dead, a fact to which we are witnesses.” (NASB95) Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (NASB95) Colossians 3:1 Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep
seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. 3 For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory. (NASB95) 2 Timothy 1:8 Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord
or of me His prisoner, but join with me in suffering for the gospel according to the power of God, 9 who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity, 10 but now has been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. (NASB95)
Hebrews 7:14 For it is evident that our Lord was descended from Judah, a tribe with reference to which Moses spoke nothing concerning priests. 15 And this is clearer still, if another priest arises according to the likeness of Melchizedek, 16 who has become such not on the basis of a law of physical requirement, but according to the power of an indestructible life. (NASB95) The Lord Jesus Christ who is the incarnate eternal Word of life came into the
world in order that He might give eternal life to men so that they could have
fellowship with God.
1 John 1:1-3 teaches that the apostle John teaches that the Lord Jesus Christ
who is the incarnate eternal life of God came into the world in order that He might
2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries
35
give eternal life to men and He did this so that men could enjoy and experience
fellowship with God.
1 John 1:1 Who has always existed from eternity past, who we have heard, who we have witnessed with our eyes, who we observed, even our hands
touched concerning the Word who is the life (of God). 2 That is, this One who is the life (of God) was revealed (by the Holy Spirit) and we have witnessed and we testify and we are proclaiming (from God) at this particular time for the benefit of all of you this One who is the eternal life (of God), who indeed by virtue of His divine nature has always existed face to face with the Father and was revealed (by the Holy Spirit) for the benefit of all of us. 3 Who, we
have witnessed and we have heard, we also are proclaiming (from God) at this particular time for the benefit of all of you in order that all of you without exception might also continue to experience fellowship and this fellowship is with the Father and with His Son, Jesus who is the Christ. (My translation) 1 John 2:25 This is the promise which He Himself made to us: eternal life. (NASB95) 1 John 5:11 And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life,
and this life is in His Son. 12 He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life. (NASB95) 1 John 5:20 And we know that the Son of God has come, and has given us understanding so that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life. (NASB95) At the moment of conversion, through regeneration, the Holy Spirit creates a
human spirit for the imputation of eternal life by God the Father, which makes the
believer a new spiritual species meaning he now possesses the divine nature.
“Regeneration” is a ministry performed by the Holy Spirit on behalf of a person
the moment they believe in Jesus Christ as their Savior where He creates a human
spirit for the person so that they might receive the imputation of eternal life.
Titus 3:5 He (God the Holy Spirit) saved us, not on the basis of deeds (human works) which we have done in (human power) righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit. (NASB95) This human spirit with eternal life imputed to it composes the believer’s new
nature, i.e. the new self and this new nature is the nature of Christ. This act of
regeneration makes the believer a new spiritual species, which is the nature of
Christ that can never sin and that is described in Scripture by many phrases such as
the “new self, new man, newness of life, new creation.”
Galatians 3:27 For all of you who were identified with Christ have clothed yourselves with the nature of Christ. (NASB95)
2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries
36
1 Corinthians 15:45 So also it is written, “The first MAN, Adam, BECAME A LIVING SOUL.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. (NASB95) 2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new spiritual species; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. (NASB95)
2 Peter 1:4 For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust. (NASB95) 1 John 3:9 No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. (NASB95) The human spirit is the receptacle for eternal life and together they give the
believer the capacity to metabolize and apply spiritual phenomena communicated
by the Holy Spirit through the teaching of the Word of God and to pray according
to the will of God and to worship and serve God.
Philippians 4:23 May the grace which originates from the Lord Jesus Christ be communicated to your human spirit. Amen. (My translation) The fact that all believers received a human spirit and eternal life at the moment
of salvation through regeneration makes the believer “trichotomous” in the sense
that he has a body, soul and human spirit.
In His “bread of life” discourse recorded in John 6:22-69, our Lord taught that
the eternal Word of God became a human being in order to give eternal life to
those who would believe in Him.
The “bread of life” discourse in John 6:22-69 teaches the importance of
obeying the Word of God in order to enjoy and experience fellowship with God.
Since the Word of God is food for the soul and sustains and prospers the soul.
True life does not consist in an abundance of “things” but rather a relationship and
fellowship with the Triune God.
In His Great High Priestly Prayer recorded in John 17, the Lord states that
eternal life is knowing the Father experientially.
John 17:1 Jesus spoke these things (John 13-16); and lifting up His eyes to
heaven, He said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify Your Son, that the Son may glorify You 2 even as You gave Him authority over all flesh, that to all whom You have given Him, He may give eternal life. 3 This is eternal life, that they may know (ginosko, “to know experientially”) You, the only true God, and
Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” (NASB95) Eternal life is knowing the Father and the Son experientially in the sense of
personally encountering them through the process of fellowship as They are
revealed in the pages of Scripture and prayer by God the Holy Spirit. It also
involves being affected by this encounter with the Father and the Son resulting in
the gaining of practical spiritual wisdom and more of the character of Christ.
2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries
37
Eternal life gives the believer the capacity to experience fellowship with God
after being delivered from eternal condemnation. Experiencing eternal life after
salvation is described by Paul in Romans 6:4 as walking “in newness of life.”
Romans 6:4 Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism
into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. (NASB95) It is appropriated after conversion by the believer who obeys the Spirit of life
who reveals the will of the Father of life through the communication of the Word
of life.
The believer who exercises faith in the teaching of the Word of God that he has
been crucified, died, buried, raised and seated with Christ will experience eternal
life in time.
At the moment of conversion, through the baptism of the Holy Spirit, the
omnipotence of the Holy Spirit placed the believer in union with Christ, identifying
him with Christ’s crucifixion (Romans 6:6; Galatians 2:20), His death (Romans
6:2, 7-8; Colossians 2:20; 3:3), His burial (Romans 6:4; Colossians 2:12), His
resurrection (Romans 6:5; Ephesians 2:6; Philippians 3:10-11; Colossians 2:12;
3:1) and His session (Ephesians 2:6; Colossians 3:1).
The believer can not only experience victory and deliverance over sin, Satan
and his cosmic system by appropriating by faith the teaching of the Word of God
that he has been crucified, died, buried, raised and seated with Christ but he can
also experience eternal life (Romans 6:11-23; 8:1-17; Galatians 2:20; Colossians
3:5-17).
The will of the Father for the believer is to be conformed to the image of Jesus
Christ (Romans 8:28-29; Ephesians 4:11-16). This is accomplished by the believer
appropriating by faith the teaching that he has been crucified, died, buried, raised
and seated with Christ. By doing, the believer will experience eternal life in time.
Therefore, the believer experiences eternal life in time and thus experiences
fellowship with God in time by obeying the will of the Father of life, which is
revealed to the believer by the Spirit of life through the communication of the
Word of life.
The believer who is obedient to the Father’s will, which is revealed by the Holy
Spirit through the communication of the Word of God will live in eternal life and
thus experience fellowship with God.
In Romans 8:1-8, Paul teaches that those whose minds concentrate upon the
things of the Spirit, which are heard through the Word of God, will experience
eternal life and fellowship with God whereas those whose minds are set upon the
lusts of the sin nature will not experience fellowship with God.
Romans 8:1 Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free
2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries
38
from the law of sin and of death. 3 For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, 4 so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to
the flesh but according to the Spirit. 5 For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. 6 For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, 7 because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, 8 and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
(NASB95) In Galatians 6:7-8, Paul describes setting the mind on the things of the flesh as
“sowing to one’s flesh” and setting the mind of the things of the Spirit as “sowing
to the Spirit.”
Galatians 6:7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. 8 For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the
Spirit reap eternal life. (NASB95) In Romans 6:22-23, Paul taught that the believer who obeys the flesh will result
in temporal death meaning loss of fellowship whereas the one who obeys the
spiritual will experience eternal life.
Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by
faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. (NASB95)
Eis
The preposition eis is a marker of purpose indicating the purpose for which
Timothy was called. The word denotes the goal for which Timothy was effectually
called by God the Father. It indicates that Paul is solemnly charging Timothy to
make it his top priority to experience the life, which is eternal, “the purpose of”
which or “for” which “purpose” he was effectually called by God the Father. We
will translate the word “for…purpose.”
Hos
The object of the preposition eis is the relative pronoun hos, which refers to the
noun zoe, “the life” since it agrees with it in gender (feminine) and number
(singular). We will translate the word “which.”
2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries
39
Kaleo
The verb kaleo refers to an act of summoning which effectively evokes from
those addressed the response which it invites. The word refers to the “effective
evocation” of faith through the presentation of the gospel by the Holy Spirit which
unites the sinner to Christ according to the Father’s gracious purpose in election.
It is related to the adjective kletos, which means, “chosen one” and appears in
Romans 8:28 with the same idea.
Romans 8:28 In fact, we know without a doubt that for the benefit of those who are characterized as divinely loving God the Father, He (the Spirit), as an
eternal spiritual truth, always works each and every circumstance together for the good, for the benefit of those who are, as an eternal spiritual truth, the chosen ones, in accordance with His predetermined plan. (My translation) Like the adjective kletos, the verb kaleo does not refer to the “call of God,”
which is related to “common grace” meaning grace given to all sinners by God in
the form of being exposed to the gospel. In other words, it does not refer to the
“invitation” to receive the gift of salvation by trusting in Jesus Christ as Savior.
Rather, it refers to those sinners who have responded to the divine invitation or call
of God when they were presented the gospel and have exercised faith in Jesus
Christ as their Savior. Thus, it is an “effectual call” as many commentators
describe it.
Therefore, kaleo in 1 Timothy 6:12 is used in relation to Timothy’s conversion
to Christianity and refers to the Father “effectually calling” him to trust in His Son
Jesus Christ as Savior and which invitation originated from eternity past and is thus
directly related to the Christian’s election. By responding in faith Timothy
manifested in time that he had in fact been elected to privilege by God. God who is
omniscient looked down the corridors of time and saw that the Christian would
trust in His Son Jesus Christ as Savior and had prepared in advance a plan for him
and elected him to privilege.
Therefore, when Timothy placed his trust in Jesus Christ as Savior, he was
manifesting the fact that he had been elected to privilege by the Father. He did not
coerce Timothy’s volition by electing him but rather elected him to privilege when
He saw through His omniscience that Timothy would believe in His Son.
Election is never used in Scripture in relation to the unbeliever since 1 Timothy
2:4 and 2 Peter 3:9 teach that God desires all men to be saved.
Ephesians 1:3 Worthy of praise and glorification is the God and Father of
our Lord Jesus Christ, the One who has blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenlies in the Person of Christ. 4 When He elected us to privilege in Him before the foundation of the world for the purpose of being holy and blameless before Him. (My translation)
2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries
40
God elected the believer before the foundation of the world in the sense that
God, in His foreknowledge, which is based upon His omniscience, knew before
anything was ever created, that we would believe in His Son in time. He elected
the believer before the foundation of the world since He knew beforehand that the
believer would accept Jesus Christ as Savior in time and therefore elected the
believer to privilege.
Election means that God has a plan for your life, which is to be conformed to
the image of Christ. It is related to believers only and unbelievers are not elected to
condemnation since God desires all men to be saved (1 Timothy 2:4; 2 Peter 3:9).
When Paul teaches the Ephesians that they were chosen before the foundation
of the world, he is referring to the doctrine of election. God elected us before the
foundation of the world in the sense that God, in His foreknowledge, which is
based upon His omniscience, knew before anything was ever created, that we
would believe in His Son in time. Therefore, He elected us to the privilege of
entering into fellowship with Him based upon the merits of our union with Christ.
The believer’s calling is a gift and irrevocable.
Romans 11:29 for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.
(NASB95) It is God’s complete agreement with His own foreknowledge.
1 Peter 1:1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ to those who reside as aliens, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, who are chosen 2 according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His
blood: May grace and peace be yours in the fullest measure. (NASB95) This effectual calling is based upon God’s grace policy meaning that the
believer does not merit it but rather receives it based upon the merits of the Lord
Jesus Christ and His finished work on the Cross.
2 Timothy 1:8 Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord or of me His prisoner, but join with me in suffering for the gospel according to the power of God 9 who has saved us and called (kaleo) us with a holy calling,
not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity. (NASB95) This effectual calling is an expression of God’s love for the believer.
1 John 3:1 See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called (kaleo) children of God; and such we are. (NASB95) This effectual calling is related to God’s faithfulness.
1 Thessalonians 5:24 Faithful is He who calls (kaleo) you, and He also will
bring it to pass. (NASB95) The Christian has been called out of the darkness of the cosmic system of Satan.
2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries
41
1 Peter 2:9 But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God's OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called (kaleo) you out of
darkness into His marvelous light. (NASB95) The Christian’s calling was so that he would live in the eternal life, which he
received when he believed in Christ for salvation (1 Tim. 6:12; Heb. 9:15).
The Christian has been called by the Father in order that he would have
fellowship with Him (1 Cor. 1:9).
1 Corinthians 1:9 God is faithful, through whom you were called (kaleo)
into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. (NASB95) The Christian has been called in order to form the body of Christ, which will be
completed at the Rapture (Col. 3:15).
Colossians 3:15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called (kaleo) in one body; and be thankful. (NASB95) The Christians has been called to be free from the bondage of the old sin nature
in order that he might serve his fellow believer another through love.
Galatians 5:13 For you were called (kaleo) to freedom, brethren; only do
not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. (NASB95) The Father has called the Christian to peace.
1 Corinthians 7:15 Yet if the unbelieving one leaves, let him leave; the brother or the sister is not under bondage in such cases, but God has called (kaleo) us to peace. (NASB95)
The believer has a great responsibility to conduct himself in a manner worthy of
his calling.
Ephesians 4:1 Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called (kaleo), 2 with
all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, 3 being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called (kaleo) in one
hope of your calling. (NASB95) 1 Thessalonians 2:10 You are witnesses, and so is God, how devoutly and uprightly and blamelessly we behaved toward you believers; 11 just as you know how we were exhorting and encouraging and imploring each one of you as a father would his own children, 12 so that you would walk in a manner worthy of the God who calls (kaleo) you into His own kingdom and glory.
(NASB95) God has called the Christian to sanctification and not immoral degeneracy.
1 Thessalonians 4:7 For God has not called (kaleo) us for the purpose of
impurity, but in sanctification. (NASB95)
2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries
42
The Christian has been called by the Father in order that he would go through
undeserved suffering for Christ’s sake.
1 Peter 2:21 For you have been called (kaleo) for this purpose, since Christ
also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps.
(NASB95) The Christian has been called by the Father in order that he would receive
eternal glory, which means that God is not only going to bless the Christian with a
resurrection body but also with an eternal inheritance, if he perseveres and
overcomes (1 Pet. 5:10).
1 Peter 5:8 Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil,
prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world. 10 After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called (kaleo) you to His
eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you. To Him be dominion forever and ever. Amen. (NASB95) Hebrews 9:15 For this reason He is the mediator of a new covenant, so
that, since a death has taken place for the redemption of the transgressions that were committed under the first covenant, those who have been called (kaleo) may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance. (NASB95) Therefore, in 1 Timothy 6:12, the verb kaleo refers to the “effective evocation”
of faith through the presentation of the gospel by the Holy Spirit who united
Timothy to Christ according to the Father’s electing him to privilege and His
gracious eternal purpose and predetermined plan.
The verb refers to not only the Father’s invitation to salvation for Timothy
through the presentation of the gospel by the Holy Spirit but it also refers to
Timothy’s acceptance of this invitation by faith and which invitation originates
from eternity past.
Merrill F. Unger writes, “Calling, then, is that choice on the part of God of an
individual through an efficacious working in his mind and heart by the Holy Spirit
so that the will of the one who is called operates by its own determination in the
exercise of saving faith. In this way two great necessities are provided; namely,
only those are called whom God has predestined to be justified and glorified and
those who are thus called choose from their own hearts and minds to accept Christ
as Savior.” (The New Unger’s Bible Dictionary. Originally published by Moody
Press of Chicago, Illinois. Copyright (c) 1988.)
Romans 8:28 In fact, we know without a doubt that for the benefit of those who are characterized as divinely loving God the Father, He (the Spirit), as an eternal spiritual truth, always works each and every circumstance together for the good, for the benefit of those who are, as an eternal spiritual truth, the
2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries
43
chosen ones, in accordance with His predetermined plan. 29 That is, whom He knew in advance, He also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of His Son in order that He Himself would, as an eternal spiritual truth, be the firstborn among many spiritual brothers. 30 In fact, these very ones whom He
predestined, He also effectually called and these very ones whom He effectually called, He also justified. In fact, these very ones whom He justified, He also glorified. (My translation)
Therefore, the verb kaleo in 1 Timothy 6:12 means, “to effectually call” and
refers to Timothy’s conversion to Christianity. The word “effectual” is used of that
which produces the effect desired or intended or a decisive result. Thus, the
Father’s calling of Timothy produced the effect He desired, intended from Timothy
and the decisive result, namely to deliver him from sin and Satan.
The second person singular form of the verb refers of course to Timothy and
means “you.” The aorist tense is a constative aorist describing in summary fashion
Timothy being effectually called by the Father. In other words, it describes in
summary fashion his conversion to Christianity. The passive voice of the verb
means that the subject receives the action of the verb from either an expressed or
unexpressed agency. The subject is of course Timothy. The agency is unexpressed
but the testimony of the New Testament indicates that it is the Father. Thus, this is
a “divine-passive.” Therefore, the passive voice indicates that Timothy received
the action from the Father of being effectually called to experience eternal life. The
indicative mood of the verb is declarative meaning that it is presenting this
assertion as a non-contingent or unqualified statement. We will translate kaleo,
“you were effectually called.”
Timothy’s Good Confession in the Presence of Many Witnesses
1 Timothy 6:12 Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to
which you were called, and you made the good confession in the presence of
many witnesses. (NASB95) “And you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses” is
composed of the conjunction kai (καί) (keh), “and” which is followed by the
second person singular aorist active indicative form of the verb homologeo
(ὁµολογέω) (owe-moe-lowe-yeh-owe), “you made the confession” and then we
have the articular accusative feminine singular form of the adjective kalos (καλός) (kah-loce), “good” and it is modifying the accusative feminine singular form of the
noun homologia (ὁµολογία) (owe-moe-lowe-yee-ah), “confession” and then we
have the preposition enopion (ἐνώπιον) (ennopee-own), “in the presence of” and
then we have the adjective polus (πολύς) (police), “many” which is modifying the
2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries
44
genitive masculine plural form of the noun martus (µάρτυς) (marteece),
“witnesses.”
Kai
The conjunction kai is consecutive meaning that it is introducing a statement
that expresses the result of Timothy being effectually called by the Father in
eternity past to experience eternal life. Therefore, the conjunction kai denotes that
“as a result of” being effectually called to experience eternal life, he also made a
public confession of faith in Christ at his baptism. This confession of faith was
before the body of Christ in Lystra where Timothy was born and lived. Paul is not
speaking of Timothy’s ordination ceremony since the previous clause refers to
Timothy’s conversion to Christianity through faith in Christ.
Classical Usage of Homologeo
The verb homologeo appears from Sophocles onwards. It is a compound word
composed of the verb lego, “to say,” and homos, “the same thing,” thus it literally
means, “to say the same thing, to agree in statement.” Therefore, the basic meaning
of this compound verb is to agree with someone or something, or to agree to
something. However, the word does have a wide range of meanings.
The legal connotation of the word is dominant in classical literature according
to Furst (The New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology, volume
1, page 344).
A man agrees with another man’s statement, concedes or confesses something
such as guilt before a judge. He agrees to something such as another’s wish and
thus promises. This agreement expresses itself in an act of commitment, promise,
or confession in a court or legal contract.
Homologeo appears often from the fifth century B.C. and onwards where it is
used to indicate that a person “confessed” or “admitted to” a crime or “openly
acknowledged” his guilt.
Sometimes the word means, “to agree” with someone else’s testimony in a
court of law, or to the terms of a contract in business and even to “consent” to the
terms of surrender in a war.
This compound verb is used in the context of war meaning, “to capitulate” to
another army. It is used in the context of money meaning, “to accept one’s debt.”
The Stoics used the word as well in their system of philosophy where it meant,
“living according to one’s own common sense.”
2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries
45
Homologeo was used in a religious sense of a worshipper “confession” of sin to
his god but also it was used of one’s “profession” of the god. Often the worshipper
would bind himself or herself to an oath to the god in a contract.
Lydian and Phrygian inscriptions indicate that homologeo was used for
confessing one’s sins to a priest who was representing the deity in the hope that the
individual would be delivered from sicknesses and disasters.
The compound verb appears often in Hellenistic papyri in the legal sense,
especially, in regards to agreeing to the terms of a contract and the acknowledging
of a debt or receipt of property.
Josephus and Philo who were contemporaries of the apostles used this word for
the public acknowledgement of something, and the confession of God and sins.
Liddell and Scott (Greek-English Lexicon, New Edition, page 1226): (1) Agree
with, say the same thing as (2) Correspond, agree with, whether of persons or
things (3) To be coordinated (4) To be suitable for (5) Agree to a thing, grant,
concede (6) Avow (7) Acknowledge (8) Admit (9) Allow (10) Confesses that (11)
Agree or promise to do (12) Make an agreement, come to terms (13) To be agreed
upon, allowed or granted by common consent.
Septuagint Usage of Homologeo
The verb homologeo appears only 3 times in the canonical texts of the
Septuagint. It is used in Job 40:14 where it is used to translate the Hebrew hiphil
form of the verb yadhah, “to confess, admit, acknowledge.” The word is used
sarcastically in Job 40:8-14 where God challenges to perform a number of things
that are impossible for man to accomplish and God states that He would “praise”
Job if he were able.
The verb homologeo appears in Jeremiah 44:25 (LXX 51:25) where it translates
the Hebrew nadhar, “vow,” and in this passage in Jeremiah members of Judah in
captivity in Egypt had “vowed” to perform sacrificial rites to the “queen of
heaven.”
Just as they were determined to fulfill these vows so the Lord was determined
to fulfill His vow He has sworn by His name that these idolatrous individuals
would never again invoke His name in the land of Egypt (Jer. 44:25-26).
New Testament Usage of Homologeo
The compound verb homologeo appears 26 times in the Greek New Testament.
Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words, “Homologeo, lit., ‘to speak the
same thing’ (homos, ‘same,’ lego, ‘to speak’), ‘to assent, accord, agree with,’
denotes, (a) ‘to confess, declare, admit,’ John 1:20; e. g., Acts 24:14; Heb 11:13;
2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries
46
(b) ‘to confess by way of admitting oneself guilty of what one is accused of, the
result of inward conviction,’ 1 John 1:9; (c) ‘to declare openly by way of speaking
out freely, such confession being the effect of deep conviction of facts,’ Matt 7:23;
10:32 (twice) and Luke 12:8 (see next par.); John 9:22; 12:42; Acts 23:8; Rom
10:9-10 (‘confession is made’); 1 Tim 6:12 (RV); Titus 1:16; 1 John 2:23; 4:2,15;
2 John 7 (in John's epistle it is the necessary antithesis to Gnostic doceticism); Rev
3:5, in the best mss. (some have No. 2 here); (d) ‘to confess by way of celebrating
with praise,’ Heb 13:15; (e) ‘to promise,’ Matt 14:7. In Matt 10:32 and Luke 12:8
the construction of this verb with en, ‘in,’ followed by the dative case of the
personal pronoun, has a special significance, namely, to ‘confess’ in a person's
name, the nature of the ‘confession’ being determined by the context, the
suggestion being to make a public ‘confession.’ Thus the statement, ‘every one...
who shall confess Me (lit. ‘in Me,’ i. e., in My case) before men, him (lit., ‘in him,’
i. e., in his case) will I also confess before My Father...,’ conveys the thought of
‘confessing’ allegiance to Christ as one's Master and Lord, and, on the other hand,
of acknowledgment, on His part, of the faithful one as being His worshipper and
servant, His loyal follower; this is appropriate to the original idea in homologeo of
being identified in thought or language.”
The New Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon lists the following meanings for the
word in the Greek New Testament: (1) To say the same thing as another, i.e. to
agree with, assent (2) To concede; not to refuse, i.e. to promise; not to deny, i.e. to
confess; declare (3) To profess (4) To praise, celebrate. (Page 446)
A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian
Literature-Third Edition: (1) to commit oneself to do someth. for someone,
promise, assure (Hdt., Pla. et al.; IGR IV, 542, 6f [Phryg.] εὐχὴν … , ἣν
ὡµολόγησεν ἐν Ῥώµη; Jos., Ant. 6, 40 ‘consent’) ἐπαγγελίας ἧς (by attr. of the rel.
for ἥν) ὡµολόγησεν ὁ θεὸς τῷ Ἀβραάµ promise that God had made to Abraham Ac
7:17; µεθʼ ὅρκου ὁµ. w. aor. inf. foll. (B-D-F §350; Rob. 1031f) promise with an
oath Mt 14:7. Solemnly promise, vow ὁ … ὁµολογήσας µὴ γῆµαι ἄγαµος διαµενέτω Agr 18. (2) to share a common view or be of common mind about a
matter, agree (Hdt. 2, 81 of similarity in cultic rites; Pla., Sym. 202b ὁµολογεῖταί γε παρὰ πάντων µέγας θεὸς εἶναι=there is general agreement that [Love] is a great
god; prob. Cleanthes in his definition of τὸ ἀγαθόν: Coll. Alex. p. 229, no. 3, 7; 4
Macc 13:5 reach a conclusion together; pap; Sext. Emp., Adv. Eth. 218 agreement
on a subject; Iren. 1, 26, 2 [Harv. I 212, 5] οἱ … Ἐβιωναῖοι ὁµ. µὲν τον κόσµον
ὑπὸ τοῦ ὄντως θεοῦ γεγονέναι; Theoph. Ant. 2, 4 [p. 102, 10]) ὁµολογοῦσιν τὰ
ἀµφότερα they agree (with one another) on all of them Ac 23:8 (but s. 3a below).
This meaning readily shades into (3) to concede that something is factual or true,
grant, admit, confess (Just., D. 80, 1 admission of someth. in an argument; sim.
110, 1) (a) gener., to admit the truth of someth. (Pla., Prot. 317b ὁµολογῶ
2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries
47
σοφιστὴς εἶναι; Jos., Ant. 3, 322 an admission of factuality by enemies; Just., D. 2,
5 ὡµολόγησα µὴ εἰδέναι admission of ignorance) agree, admit καθάπερ καὶ αὐτὸς ὡµολόγησας Dg 2:1. ὁµολογήσαντες ὅτι ξένοι εἰσίν admitting that they were
(only) foreigners Hb 11:13. ὁµολογοῦµεν χάριν µὴ εἰληφέναι we admit that we
have not received grace IMg 8:1. For Ac 23:8 s. 2 above. (b) w. a judicial
connotation: make a confession, confess abs. MPol 6:1; 9:2. τί τινι: ὁµολογῶ δὲ
τοῦτό σοι, ὅτι Ac 24:14. Foll. by acc. and inf. ὡµολόγησεν ἑαυτὸν Χριστιανὸν
εἶναι MPol 12:1 (cp. w. inf. foll.: Just., A II, 13, 2 Χριστιανὸς εὑρεθῆναι …
ὁµολογῶ; Theoph. Ant. 2, 8 [p. 118, 7] ὁµ. αὐτὰ τὰ πλάνα πνεύµατα εἶναι δαίµονες). Cp. John the Baptist’s action in reply to questioning by the authorities
καὶ ὡµολόγησεν καὶ οὐκ ἠρνήσατο καὶ ὡµολόγησεν ὅτι (dir. disc. follows) J 1:20
(cp. Plut., Mor. 509e in interrogation; the contrast ὁµ. and ἀρνεῖσθαι as Thu. 6, 60,
3; Phalaris, Ep. 147, 3 ὁµολογοῦµεν κ. οὐκ ἀρνησόµεθα; Aelian, NA 2, 43; Jos.,
Ant. 6, 151; cp. MPol 9:2 and many of the passages given below). (c) w. focus on
admission of wrongdoing (X., An. 1, 6, 7; Ps.-Aristot., Mirabilia 152
ὁµολογοῦντες ἃ ἐπιώρκησαν; Arrian, Anab. 7, 29, 2 [s. ἴασις 2]; Jos., Ant. 6, 151)
ἐὰν ὁµολογῶµεν τὰς ἁµαρτίας ἡµῶν if we confess our sins 1J 1:9 (cp. Appian,
Liby. 79 §369 ὁµολογοῦντες ἁµαρτεῖν; Sir 4:26; ApcSed 13:3 [abs.]; ὁµ. τὸ
ἁµάρτηµα Did., Gen. 93, 6; ins fr. Sardis: ὁµολογῶ τ[ὸ| ἁµάρτηµ]α Μηνί=I confess
my sin to Men, s. FSteinleitner, Die Beicht 1913, p. 46 no. 20, 4f=ILydiaKP p. 15,
no. 25). S. ἐξοµολογέω 2a. (4) to acknowledge someth., ordinarily in public,
acknowledge, claim, profess, praise (a) of a public declaration as such (Herodian.
4, 4, 5 [fr. Steinleitner, p. 109, s. 3c] expression of thanks) ὁµολογήσω αὐτοῖς ὅτι (w. dir. disc. foll.) I will say to them plainly Mt 7:23. W. inf. foll. (X., Mem. 2, 3,
9; Jos., Ant. 9, 254) θεὸν ὁµολογοῦσιν εἰδέναι they claim to know God Tit 1:16
(opp. ἀρνεῖσθαι, s. 3b). (b) of profession of allegiance (ὁµολογῶ εἶναι χριστιανός Theoph. Ant. 1, 1 [p. 58, 11])—Esp. of confessing Christ, or the teaching of his
community/church; w. double acc. (B-D-F §157, 2; 416, 3; Rob. 480.—Jos., Ant.
5, 52; Just., A II, 5, 1 εἰ θεὸν ὡµολογοῦµεν βοηθόν, D. 35, 2 Ἰησοῦν ὁµολογεῖν καὶ κύριον καὶ χριστόν) ἐὰν ὁµολογήσῃς κύριον Ἰησοῦν if you confess Jesus as Lord
Ro 10:9 (cp. τὸν ∆ία ὁµ. θεόν Orig., C. Cels. 5, 46, 7). αὐτὸν ὁµ. Χριστόν confess
that he is the Messiah J 9:22. ὁµ. αὐτὸν σαρκοφόρον ISm 5:2. ὁµ. Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν
ἐν σαρκὶ ἐληλυθότα acknowledge that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh 1J 4:2;
cp. 2J 7. W. acc. and inf. (Isocr., Or. 4, 100, 61d; Aelian, VH 1, 27; Orig., C. Cels.
1, 41, 9) ὁµ. Ἰησοῦν Χρ. ἐν σαρκὶ ἐληλυθέναι Pol 7:1a; 1J 4:2 v.l. ὁµ. τὴν
εὐχαριστίαν σάρκα εἶναι τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡµῶν Ἰ. Χρ. ISm 7:1. W. ὅτι foll. (Isocr.,
Or. 11, 5, 222d, but w. mng. 2; Just., D. 39, 6) ὁµ. ὅτι Ἰησοῦς ἐστιν ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ
1J 4:15. ὁµ. ὅτι κύριον ἔχετε Hs 9, 28, 7 (opp. ἀρν.). W. a single acc. of the pers.
whom one confesses, or whom one declares to be someth. that is revealed by the
context (Just., D. 35, 1, 2 Ἰησοῦν … ὁµολογεῖν; Did., Gen. 176, 13 ὁ γὰρ
2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries
48
ὁµολογῶν τὸν θεὸν ἐν Χριστῷ τοῦτο ποιεῖ; Theoph. Ant. 3, 9 [p. 222, 13] θεὸν
ὁµ.): ὁµ. τὸν υἱόν 1J 2:23 (opp. ἀρν. as Mel., P. 73, 537 ἀπαρνήσω τὸν
ὁµολογήσαντά σε). µὴ ὁµ. τὸν Ἰησοῦν 4:3 (s. λύω 4, end). Cp. 2 Cl 3:2a. τινὰ ἔν
τινι someone by someth. ἐν τοῖς ἔργοις 4:3; cp. 3:4. ἐὰν ὁµολογήσωµεν διʼ οὗ
ἐσώθηµεν if we confess him through whom we were saved 3:3. The acc. (αὐτόν) is
supplied fr. the context J 12:42; cp. Hs 9, 28, 4.—W. acc. of thing ὁµ. τὸ
µαρτύριον τοῦ σταυροῦ Pol 7:1b. ὁµ. τὴν καλὴν ὁµολογίαν 1 Ti 6:12 (ὁµ.
ὁµολογίαν=‘make a promise’: Pla., Crito 52a; Jer 51:25; but = ‘bear testimony to a
conviction’: Philo, Mut. Nom. 57, Abr. 203).—Instead of acc. of pers. we may
have ἔν τινι confess someone, an Aramaism (s. Mlt-H. 463f; B-D-F §220, 2;
EbNestle, ZNW 7,1906, 279f; 8, 1907, 241; 9, 1908, 253; FBurkitt, Earliest
Sources for the Life of Jesus 1910, 19f). ὅστις ὁµολογήσει ἐν ἐµοὶ ἔµπροσθεν τῶν
ἀνθρώπων whoever confesses me before people Mt 10:32a; sim. Lk 12:8a. But p
709 2 Cl 3:2 uses the acc. when it quotes this saying (s. above.—In these last three
pass. opp. ἀρν.). Jesus’ acknowledgment of the believer on judgment day
complements this confession: ἐν αὐτῷ Mt 10:32b; Lk 12:8b. αὐτόν 2 Cl 3:2b (opp.
ἀρν. in all these pass.—GBornkamm, D. Wort Jesu vom Bekennen [Mt 10:32]:
Pastoraltheologie 34, ’39, 108–18). τὸ ὄνοµα αὐτοῦ Rv 3:5.—Abs. pass. στόµατι ὁµολογεῖται with the mouth confession is made Ro 10:10. (c) praise w. dat. ( Dio
Chrys. 10 [11], 147; B-D-F §187, 4; Rob. 541. In the LXX ἐξοµολογεῖσθαι τῷ
θεῷ. S. ἐξοµολογέω 4.) καρπὸς χειλέων ὁµολογούντων τῷ ὀνόµατι αὐτοῦ the fruit
of lips that praise his name Hb 13:15.—B. 1267. DELG s.v. ὁµό. M-M. TW. Sv.
(Page 708)
Louw and Nida list the following meanings: (1) To express openly one’s
allegiance to a proposition or person – ‘to profess, to confess, confession’ (33.274).
(2) To acknowledge a fact publicly, often in reference to previous bad behavior –
‘to admit, to confess’ (33.275). (3) To make an emphatic declaration, often public,
and at times in response to pressure or an accusation – ‘to declare, to assert’
(33.221).
The apostle John employs the word 10 times in his writings (Jn. 1:20 twice;
9:22; 12:42; 1 Jn. 1:9; 2:23; 4:2-3, 15; 2 Jn. 7). The word is used in Matthew 7:23
where the Lord states that He will “acknowledge” publicly that He never knew
those individuals who cast out demons in His name but did not execute the
Father’s will. It is used in Matthew 10:32 and Luke 12:8 where those who
“acknowledge” publicly Christ before men would be “publicly acknowledged” by
Him among the angels in heaven.
During the first century the identification with Jesus Christ and acknowledging
Him as the Messiah would often mean persecution and death, being cast of out of
the synagogue, which does not happen in the twenty-first century in America. This
usage appears in John 9:22 where the leaders of the Jews had agree to cast out of
2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries
49
the synagogue anyone who “publicly acknowledged” Jesus of Nazareth as the
Christ.
The word is attributed to John the Baptist who in response to the inquiries by
the Jewish leaders as to his identity “acknowledged” that he was not the Christ.
John 12:42 tells us that many of the Jewish leaders would not “publicly
acknowledge” Jesus as the Messiah for fear of being cast out of the synagogue and
they were afraid of this because they loved the praise of men rather than the praise
of God. Homologeo appears in Acts 23:8 where Luke states that the Pharisees in
contrast to the Sadducees “acknowledge” the existence of angels, the spirits and
the resurrection. In Acts 24:14 Paul “admits” to serving the Way, Christ before
Felix.
The verb homologeo is used in Titus 1:16 where Paul warns Titus of the
Judaizers who “profess” to know God but their works deny that they know God
intimately. It is used in Hebrews 11:13 of Old Testament saints who “claimed” the
promises of God. The word appears in Hebrews 13:15 where it is used of
“praising” the Person of God.
John employs the word for the “confession” of personal sins to the Father in 1
John 1:9. He uses it in 1 John 2:23 of “acknowledging” that Jesus is the Christ and
those who don’t “acknowledge” Jesus as the Christ, do not have fellowship with
the Father. John uses homologeo in 1 John 4:2-3 and 2 John 7 where he instructs
his readers in how to determine if a certain teaching originates from the Holy Spirit
or demons. The Spirit’s teaching “acknowledges” that Jesus Christ has a not only a
divine nature but a human nature and the teaching that does not “acknowledge”
that He has a human nature such as the Docetic Gnosticism originates from
demons.
John uses it in a similar fashion in 1 John 4:15 but this time he states that those
who “acknowledge” that Jesus is the Son of God has fellowship with God. In both
1 John 4:2-3, 2 John 7 and 1 John 4:15 he is addressing the attacks upon the Person
of Christ, the former dealt with the attacks upon the Lord’s humanity and the latter
upon His deity.
In Romans 10:9, the verb homologeo means, “to acknowledge” that Jesus of
Nazareth is Lord, which is a word here that denotes His deity. The question arises,
“to whom does the unbeliever have to acknowledge that Jesus is Lord in order to
be saved?” Is a public affirmation to men required or is this an acknowledgement
to oneself or to God?
Some interpret homologeo in Romans 10:9 as a “public affirmation” to men and
use Luke 12:8 to support this interpretation. However, Jesus is speaking to
believers in Luke 12:8-9 and in Romans 10:9 he is writing concerning unsaved
Jews. That Jesus is speaking to believers in Luke 12:8-9 is clearly indicated by the
context since Luke 12:1 reveals that He is addressing His disciples and in Luke
2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries
50
12:4, He calls those whom He addresses “My friends” and in Luke 12:4-7, He
teaches those whom He addresses regarding the Father’s care for them.
Luke 12:8 “And I say to you, everyone who confesses Me before men, the Son of Man will confess him also before the angels of God; 9 but he who
denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God.” (NASB95) Therefore, confessing or acknowledging Jesus before men is not a reference to
getting saved since Jesus is teaching those who are already His disciples and thus
already saved. But rather the person who confesses the Lord before men in Luke
12:8 is a reference to the believer living an obedient life.
When Jesus says He will acknowledge the person who acknowledges Him, it
refers to the public testimony by the Son of God to the faithful life of the obedient
Christian who executes the Father’s will. Thus, in this passage, when Jesus says He
will deny the believer before men, it doesn’t mean that they are denied salvation
since He is talking to those who are already believers. Neither does it mean you
will lose your salvation since that is obviously false doctrine, which we have
refuted in previous studies of Romans. It means that He will deny the believer of
rewards.
2 Timothy 2:12 If we deny Him, He also will deny us. (NASB95) Therefore, those who interpret homologeo in Romans 10:9 as a “public
affirmation” to men of the deity of Christ can not use Luke 12:8 as support for this
interpretation since in Luke 12:8 our Lord is addressing believers and Romans 10:9
is addressing how unsaved Israelites can get saved. Remember Paul in Romans 9-
10 is addressing the nation of Israel’s rejection of Jesus of Nazareth as Messiah.
Now, in John 12:42, John writes that many of the Jewish rulers believed in
Jesus but because of the Pharisees they were not acknowledging before the public
that they believed Jesus to be the Messiah for fear that they would be put out of the
synagogue.
The Lord Jesus Christ taught Nicodemus that if he believes in Him that he will
receive eternal life and be saved (John 3:16-18). Paul also makes this clear
throughout his writings that salvation is by faith alone in Christ alone (Romans
3:22, 26, 30; 4:3, 5; 5:1; Galatians 2:16; 3:24, 26; Ephesians 2:8). Paul also makes
it clear to the Philippian jailor in Acts 16:31.
Acts 16:30b “Sirs, what must I do to be saved? They said, ‘believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.’” (NASB95) All of these passages make clear that no public affirmation is essential for
salvation. Therefore, in Romans 10:9, the verb homologeo does not refer to a
“public affirmation” or “admitting to people” that one has faith in Jesus Christ as
Savior since the Scriptures teach that the sinner can receive eternal life and thus
eternal salvation only through faith alone in Christ alone. There is no public
acknowledgment of Christ necessary. Rather, the verb refers to the sinner
2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries
51
acknowledging to the Father that Jesus is Lord and which acknowledgement is, in
and of itself, exercising faith that the Father raised Jesus from the dead. This is
clearly indicated in the Scriptures because as we noted the Scriptures teach that it
is through faith alone in Christ alone that one is saved. It is also indicated in that to
acknowledge that Jesus is Lord is the equivalent to having faith that the Father
raised Jesus from the dead since the Father’s act of raising His Son Jesus from the
dead demonstrated that Jesus was in fact God.
Remember, the term “Lord” in Romans 10:9 is a reference to the deity of
Christ. To acknowledge that Jesus is Lord, i.e. God is to believe that the Father
raised Him from the dead since the Father’s act of raising His Son Jesus from the
dead demonstrated that Jesus was in fact God. This is clearly indicated by Paul in
Romans 1:4 and in this passage he teaches that there is a direct connection between
the resurrection of Jesus Christ and His deity in that the resurrection demonstrated
that Jesus of Nazareth was in fact the Son of God.
If the Father does not raise Jesus from the dead, then He is not God. The fact
that the Father raised Jesus from the dead makes clear that Jesus is the Son of God
and that He is also the object of faith for salvation and justification. The
resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth was the ultimate proof to the human race that He
was God and that the Father approved of Him and accepted His substitutionary
spiritual and physical deaths on the Cross as the solution to the problem of
personal sins and the sin nature.
Therefore, in Romans 10:9 when Paul teaches that if the Jew confesses with his
mouth Jesus is Lord and believes in his heart that the Father raised Jesus from the
dead he is referring back to what he taught in Romans 1:4, which teaches that the
resurrection of Christ demonstrated the deity of Christ. Thus, when Paul teaches in
Romans 10:9 that if the Jew confesses with his mouth Jesus is Lord and believes in
his heart that the Father raised Jesus from the dead he means that to believe in
one’s heart that the Father raised Jesus from the dead is in fact, an
acknowledgment to the Father that Jesus is Lord, i.e. God.
To acknowledge to the Father that Jesus is Lord is to believe that the Father
raised Him from the dead since by raising Him from the dead, the Father was
demonstrating that Jesus was His Son and thus God.
Therefore, in Romans 10:9, Paul is giving only one condition for salvation
when he teaches that the sinner must acknowledge with his mouth that Jesus is
Lord and believe in his heart that the Father raised Jesus from the dead.
That there is only one condition being presented in Romans 10:9 and that faith
alone in Christ is the only way to receive eternal salvation and be declared justified
by God is further indicated in Romans 10:11.
Romans 10:11 For the Scripture says, “WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED.” (NASB95)
2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries
52
As we noted, this is because the Scriptures teach that is only through faith alone
in Christ alone does a sinner receive eternal salvation. So when Paul teaches in
Romans 10:9 that in order to be saved the sinner must acknowledge with his mouth
that Jesus is God and believe in his heart that the Father raised Him from the dead
he is saying acknowledging in one’s heart that Jesus is Lord is to believe that the
Father raised Him from the dead. In other words, to exercise faith that the Father
raised Jesus from the dead is, in and of itself, an acknowledgment that Jesus is
Lord, i.e. God since the resurrection demonstrated that Jesus is God and one is
saved only by faith alone in Christ alone! Therefore, we can also say based upon
this principle that faith in Jesus as Savior is an acknowledgement to the Father or
agreeing with the Father on the part of the sinner that one is a sinner and that Jesus
is the Savior and God.
Also, we can conclude that the verb homologeo in Romans 10:9 is an
acknowledgement “to the Father” that Jesus is His Son rather than an
acknowledgement to men because the Father raised Jesus from the dead to
demonstrate that Jesus was His Son. Therefore, because of the connection between
the resurrection of Christ and the deity of Christ, Paul is presenting only one
condition for salvation, and not two. To acknowledge that Jesus is God is to have
faith that the Father raised Jesus from the dead since the resurrection demonstrated
the deity of Jesus.
Homologeo in 1 Timothy 6:12
In 1 Timothy 6:12, the verb homologeo means “to confess” and refers to
Timothy publicly acknowledging or confessing Jesus Christ as His Savior at his
baptism (water). Therefore, it denotes that at his baptism Timothy “confessed”
Jesus Christ as his Savior.
The Bible teaches that water baptism is emphatically not the means by which a
person gets saved. The sinner is saved through faith alone in Christ alone (John
3:16-18; Acts 16:31; Ephesians 2:8-9; Galatians 2:16).
“Baptismal regeneration” is the teaching which contends that a sinner is
regenerated by observing water baptism. It is taught by the Roman Catholic
Church, the Eastern Orthodox Church, some Pentecostal sects (notably the anti-
trinitarian United Pentecostal Church and other “Jesus Only” groups), and pseudo-
christian cult groups such as the Mormons. Baptismal regeneration is also the
doctrinal stance of many teachers and preachers within the Restoration Movement,
sometimes called Campbellism (from its founder, Alexander Campbell), whose
members are mainly found in churches called Churches of Christ or Independent
Christian Churches.
2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries
53
Proponents of baptismal regeneration argue that water baptism is an essential
part of salvation because, in their view, it is in the act or ceremony of water
baptism that we are born again.
The apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 12:13 and Ephesians 4:5 state dogmatically
that there is only one baptism that matters, Spirit baptism. Both passages teach that
there is one Spirit, God the Holy Spirit and therefore, only one baptism.
In 1 Corinthians 1:10-17, Paul addresses the problem of divisions in the
Corinthian church and he specifically mentions water baptism. Some believers
made water baptism an issue, which resulted in divisions among believers in the
church at Corinth (1 Cor. 1:10). Paul was saying in 1 Corinthians 1:10-17 that
water baptism was a non-essential and he emphasizes the fact that Christ sent him
to preach the gospel and not to baptize with water (1 Cor. 1:17). The apostle
emphasizes the importance of having the same mind, which refers to being unified
in their doctrine (1 Cor. 1:10). The Corinthians were occupied with non-essentials
such as tongues and water baptism and not with Bible doctrine, which is the mind
of Christ (1 Cor. 2:16).
The baptism in the Holy Spirit was defined by John the Baptist, the forerunner
of Jesus Christ, as being a distinctive part of the ministry of Christ. He contrasted
the baptism of water with the baptism in the Spirit.
Mathew 3:11 “I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” (NASB95) Mark 1:8, “I indeed baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with
the Holy Spirit.” (NASB95) Luke 3:16 John answered, saying to all, “I indeed baptize you with water; but One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” (NASB95) John 1:32 And John bore witness, saying, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him. 33 I did not know Him,
but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’” (NASB95) In Romans 6, it is obvious that the context is being placed into Christ and the
passage dwells on the believer’s identification with Christ, with His death, and
with His resurrection. In this passage, the believer is not baptized into water, but
into the death of Christ or more accurately identified with Christ in His death.
1 Peter 3:18 For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit; 19 in which also He went and made proclamation to the spirits now in prison, 20 who once were disobedient, when
2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries
54
the patience of God kept waiting in the days of Noah, during the construction of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through the water. 21 Corresponding to that, baptism now saves you -- not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience -- through
the resurrection of Jesus Christ. (NASB95) Notice what Peter says as he states that it is not water that is used in baptism, it
is the Spirit who is poured out and regenerates the sinner who trusts in Jesus Christ
as Savior. It is also significant that Jesus never performed water baptism on
anyone. If water baptism was essential to salvation, why wasn’t the Lord practicing
it?
John 4:1 The Pharisees heard that Jesus was gaining and baptizing more disciples than John, 2 although in fact it was not Jesus who baptized, but his disciples. 3 When the Lord learned of this, he left Judea and went back once more to Galilee.” (NIV)
Water baptism was a teaching aid to instruct believers that when they believed
in Christ, the Holy Spirit placed them in union with Christ identifying them with
Christ in His death and resurrection. When the believer was dipped underneath the
water, this portrayed the reality that the Holy Spirit identified them with Christ in
His death and when they were taken up out of the water, this portrayed that they
were identified with Christ in His resurrection.
When the believer was dipped underneath the water, this portrayed that he was
now dead to the cosmic system of Satan, the Law and the old sin nature and when
he was taken up out of the water, this portrayed the fact that he was now a new
creation and was to walk in newness of life. Baptism meant a clean break with the
past and the old creation marred by sin and ruled by Satan.
2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. (NASB95) Characteristics of the baptism of the Spirit: (1) Invisible. (2) Eternal in Nature.
(3) Not related to any form of human merit or works. (4) Obtained at the moment
the sinner is declared justified through faith in Jesus Christ. (5) Performed by God
the Holy Spirit and not by men. (6) Not water baptism. (7) Not felt. (8) Not an
experience. (9) Not an external activity. (10) Not speaking in tongues. (11) Not
emotion. (12) Can’t be improved upon.
There is a passage in Matthew 28:18, which many churches use as
documentation to support their observance of the ritual of water baptism. This is
the only passage in the Gospels where our Lord mentions water baptism and it is
not even a command. So, the question we must ask ourselves is that should we
observe this ritual of water baptism as we do the Lord’s Table. Did our Lord
command it of His disciples?
2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries
55
Matthew 28:19 “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.” (NASB95) The verb for “baptize” in Matthew 28:19 is not in the imperative mood, but
rather the verb translated “make disciples” is in the imperative mood. The verb
baptizo, “baptizing” in Matthew 28:19 is a participle that accompanies the action
of the main verb matheteuo, “make disciples.”
The early church practiced water baptism. In every recorded instance in Acts
after trusting in Jesus Christ as Savior, the believer was baptized (Acts 2:41; 8:12-
13, 38; 9:18; 10:48; 16:15, 33; 18:8; 19:5).
Water baptism was commanded of the pre-canon period of the church age as a
teaching aid in order to teach the extremely important doctrines of retroactive and
current positional truth to the early church, but since we have the completed canon
of Scripture, we no longer observe it as a church ordinance (cf. 1 Cor. 1:10-17;
John 4:1-2). Here in the post-canon period of the church age, we have the
completed canon of Scripture and all the doctrines that teach retroactive and
current positional truth.
The New Testament epistles do not have any commands for believers to
observe the ritual of water baptism. The gospels record the disciples of Jesus as
performing the ritual but not the Lord Himself (John 4:1-2).
Therefore, in 1 Timothy 6:12, the verb homologeo is used of Timothy at his
baptism and means “to confess” referring to his public confession before the
church at Lystra that Jesus Christ was his Savior.
The second person singular form of the verb refers of course to Timothy and
means “you.” The aorist tense is a constative aorist describing in summary fashion
Timothy confessing that Jesus Christ was his Savior at his baptism. The active
voice refers to Timothy performing the action of confessing Jesus as his Savior at
his baptism. The indicative mood of the verb is declarative meaning that it is
presenting this assertion as a non-contingent or unqualified statement. We will
translate homologeo, “you confessed.”
Homologia
This compound word means “agreement,” which is usually a public rather than
a private matter. It can be formalized as a “compact” between parties. It was used
of the terms of a peace treaty or surrender. It occurs only 7 times in the Septuagint
where it is used of a “vow” given as a freewill offering to the Lord (Deuteronomy
12:6, 17; Ezekiel 46:12; Amos 4:5) or to the queen of heaven (Jeremiah 44:25).
Homologia occurs only 6 times in the New Testament where it means “confession”
(2 Corinthians 9;13; 1 Timothy 6:12, 13, Hebrews 3:1; 4:14; 10:23).
2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries
56
In 1 Timothy 6:12, the noun homologia means “confession” in the sense of
expressing openly or publicly one’s allegiance to someone. Here it denotes
Timothy’s public confession at his baptism that Jesus of Nazareth was his Savior.
It is used in an objective sense of Timothy’s statement before the church at Lystra
of his allegiance to Jesus Christ expressing his binding assent and public
commitment to Him.
The word is an accusative direct object meaning that it is receiving the action of
the verb homologeo. The articular construction of the word is a function marker to
denote that the adjective kalos is in the first attributive position indicating that this
adjective is receiving greater emphasis than the noun homologia. We will translate
homologia, “the confession.”
Kalos
In 1 Timothy 6:12, the adjective kalos is modifying the noun homologia, “the confession” and once again, as it did earlier in the verse, means “noble” in the
sense of possessing outstanding qualities and great importance. It describes
something whose importance is superior to all others.
Here it describes public confession that Jesus Christ was his Savior at his
baptism was superior to other confessions of allegiance to different individuals
such as political figure or a military commander or a heathen god since Jesus
Christ is superior to any military or political figure or heathen god because He is
the Son of God. It describes this public confession of Christ as Savior by Timothy
at his baptism as of the utmost importance in life possessing outstanding qualities
because it delivered him from sin and Satan and eternal condemnation in the lake
of fire. The word speaks of Timothy’s public confession of Christ as Savior at his
baptism as of the utmost importance or the most important thing that he could do in
life.
The word is in the first attributive position modifying the noun homologia as
indicated by the articular construction and is thus receiving greater emphasis. The
article tightens up the quality expressed by this adjective. Therefore, we will
translate this word “which is of the utmost importance.”
Martus
Martus comes from a common Indo-European root smer, “to be mindful of, to
bear in mind, to remember, to be careful.” It is the Aeolic form of martur, which is
not found in the NT. The term denoted a “witness,” especially a legal witness. The
Greeks believed that hearing was less reliable testimony than seeing, even in the
religious context of the word.
2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries
57
Martus was “one who remembers, who has knowledge of something by
recollection, and who can thus tell about.” In the legal sphere where the word is
primarily used, martus denoted one who can and does speak from personal
experience about actions in which he took part and which happened to him, or
about persons and relations known to him. A martus may be a witness at a trial, or,
in legal transactions of different kinds, a solemn witness in the most varied
connections. The witness at a trial and his marturia, “testimony” is dealt with fully
by Aristotle in his work Rhetorica.
The inscriptions and especially the papyri offer an almost inexhaustible number
of examples of the solemn witness in every possible kind of written agreement and
record, including official records. The word also has a use outside of the legal
sphere where it is used of a person who is a witness to facts and also to truths or
views.
Martus along with martureo, marturia and marturion have a general use
outside the legal sphere. This group refers not merely to the establishment of
events or actual relations or facts of experience on the basis of direct personal
knowledge, but it also signifies the proclamation of views or truths of which the
speaker is convinced. It thus relates to things, which by their very nature cannot be
submitted to empirical investigation such as Paul’s intense concern and affection
for the Philippians and their spiritual growth, which only God can be a true witness
to.
The Greeks would appeal to the gods as witnesses in treaties, solemn
agreements or declarations, assurances and oaths. Even if no other witness was
present, they, the so-called “omniscient” gods, could confirm the truth of a
statement or the fact of an agreement. Those who appealed to them as witnesses
did so in the belief that they should be lying, or should they break the agreement,
they would fall victim to divine punishment.
In the LXX, martus replaced the Hebrew term `edh, “witness.” The role of the
witness was primarily legal also in the LXX. The false witness was one of the 6
things hated by the Lord (Prov. 6:19), and will not go unpunished (Prov. 19:5, 9;
21:28).
Thayer breaks the word’s usage into three categories in the New Testament: (1)
Legal (Matt. 18:16; 26:65; Mark 14:63; Acts 6:13; 7:58; 2 Cor. 13:1; 1 Tim. 5:19;
Heb. 10:28). (2) Historical (Luke 24:48; Acts 1:8, 22; 2:32; 3:15; 5:32; 10:39, 41;
13:31; 26:16; 1 Tim. 6:12; 2 Tim. 2:2; Heb. 12:1; 1 Pet. 5:1) (3) Ethical (Acts
22:20; Rev. 2:13; 17:6).
In 1 Timothy 6:12, the noun martus is in the plural and means “witnesses” and
refers to one who testifies. Here it is speaking of the church at Lystra “testifying”
or “verifying” that Timothy at his baptism publicly confessed that Jesus of
Nazareth is his Savior. So the word refers to someone bearing testimony of
2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries
58
Timothy’s public confession of Jesus Christ. It is referring to specifically to the
members of the church at Lystra who observed and heard Timothy make a public
confession that he was now a believer and follower of Jesus of Nazareth.
Polus
The adjective polus means “many” and is modifying the noun martus,
“witnesses” indicating that there was a multitude of individuals in Lystra who
could testify or verify that Timothy publicly confessed Jesus of Nazareth as his
Savior and became His disciple.
Enopion
The noun martus is the object of the preposition enopion, which means “in the
presence of” and is used with reference to the church at Lystra. It denotes that “in
the presence of” the Christian community at Lystra, Timothy publicly confessed
Jesus of Nazareth as his Savior and that consequently he would become a disciple
of the Lord. Therefore, we will translate this preposition “in the presence of.”
Translation of 1 Timothy 6:12
1 Timothy 6:12 You yourself continue making it your habit of making every effort to win the race, which is noble by means of your faith. I solemnly
charge you for your own benefit to make it your top priority to experience the life which is eternal for which purpose, you were effectually called with the result that you confessed the confession in the presence of many witnesses, which is of the utmost importance. (My translation)
Summary of 1 Timothy 6:12
This verse contains two commands. In the first, Paul commanded Timothy to
continue making it his habit of making every effort to win the race, which is noble
by means of his faith. Then, he solemnly charged Timothy for his own benefit to
make it his top priority to experience the life which is eternal. He then tells his
young delegate that experiencing eternal life was the purpose for which he was
effectually called, i.e. his conversion. This he says resulted in Timothy confessing
the confession in the presence of many witnesses which is of the utmost
importance in life.
Paul uses the figure of asyndeton twice in this verse meaning he does not use a
connective word between his first command in verse 12 and his last command in
2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries
59
verse 11 as well as not using a connective between the first command in verse 12
and the second. He uses this figure in order to emphasize the importance of these
two commands for Timothy in the sense that they will benefit him personally by
advancing him to further growth spiritually and will benefit him in that it will aid
him in administrating the household of God in Ephesus.
“You yourself continue making it your habit of making every effort to win the race” contains the idea of a runner struggling intensely to win a race in the
Graeco-Roman games in the face of stiff opposition from other runners competing
against him. Here this command refers to Timothy making every effort to win the
noble contest of faith by experiencing eternal life which will accomplish the
Father’s will for his life despite strong opposition from sin and Satan’s kingdom.
Therefore, it indicates that accomplishing the Father’s will is analogous to the
square stone pillar that marked the end of the race for a runner in the Graeco-
Roman games. This is indicated by the fact that the square stone pillar in the
ancient Graeco-Roman games marked the finish line in these games and
accomplishing the Father’s will of growing up to become like Jesus Christ
completes the plan of the Father for the believer’s life.
The runner in the Graeco-Roman games would struggle intensely against other
runners in order to win a race, which would earn him a crown and rewards at the
Bema Seat. In a similar fashion, Paul is commanding Timothy to struggle intensely
to live the Christian way of life against opposition from the sin nature and Satan’s
kingdom in order to execute the Father’s will to become like Christ, which would
earn him crowns and rewards at the Bema Seat Evaluation of the church.
The will of the Father is that the Christian become like Jesus Christ (Ephesians
4:11-16) and this can only be accomplished by the Christian experiencing eternal
life in time prior to the rapture or their death whichever comes first. Experiencing
eternal life and thus living a godly life is accomplished by obedience to the Word
of God, i.e. the gospel.
Specifically, it is accomplished by accepting by faith the Spirit’s teaching in the
Word of God that the Christian is crucified, died, buried, raised and seated with
Christ, which results in obedience to the commands and prohibitions found in the
Word of God. In other words, it is experienced by obeying the command to love
God with one’s entire being and one’s neighbor as oneself, which summarizes the
prohibitions and commands found in the Word of God. Experiencing eternal life is
accomplished by loving others as Christ loved by the power of the Spirit.
Godliness is experiencing eternal life and is the Christian way of life. By living
the Christian way of life, i.e. by experiencing eternal life or in other words by
living a godly life the Christian grows up to become like Jesus Christ and thus
executes the Father’s will, which will earn them an imperishable crown and
rewards at the Bema Seat Evaluation of the church.
2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries
60
Now, some argue that the first command in 1 Timothy 6:12 contains a military
metaphor. However, the verb agonizomai was used in 1 Timothy 4:10 in an
obvious athletic metaphor as we noted in detail. Furthermore, the noun agon,
“fight” appears in 2 Timothy 4:7 in an athletic metaphor. Notice, in 2 Timothy 4:7,
that after telling Timothy that he fought the good fight, Paul tells him that he
finished the course, i.e. a race, which indicates an athletic metaphor of a runner
finishing a race.
The fact that agon, “fight” is used this way in 2 Timothy 4:7 and agonizomai in
1 Timothy 4:10 is used in an athletic metaphor of a runner sprinting to win a race
strongly suggests that these two words in 1 Timothy 6:12 are also used in an
athletic metaphor of a runner struggling to cross the finish line to win a foot race.
Also suggesting this is that the noun agon appears in Hebrews 12:1 where it means
“race” referring to a foot race.
Paul’s statements in 1 Timothy 1:3 and 4:6 indicate that Timothy was carrying
out everything he wrote in this epistle, including this command here in 1 Timothy
6:12. Thus this command is simply a reminder to Timothy to continue doing what
they talked about before Paul left for Macedonia. Furthermore, Paul would not
have delegated Timothy such a difficult task as the one in Ephesus unless he felt
confident that his young delegate could carry out everything he required of him.
Therefore, the present imperative is simply a reminder to Timothy to continue
doing what Paul told him to do before he left for Macedonia.
“Which is noble” describes the spiritual race to accomplish the will of the
Father that Timothy was engaged in as superior to foot races in the natural realm
since it possesses a superior goal, the will of the Father. It describes this spiritual
race as of the utmost importance in life possessing outstanding qualities because
winning this race results in praise and rewards from a superior sovereign king,
Jesus Christ and is against superior opponents, Satan and the sin nature. The word
speaks of Timothy’s commission as of the utmost importance or the most
important thing that he could do in life. It denotes that accomplishing the Father’s
will for his life is the most important thing in his life to do.
“By means of your faith” refers to Timothy’s post-conversion faith in the
Word of God. Specifically, it speaks of his faith in Paul’s gospel or apostolic
teaching. This is indicated by the fact that in the very next command, Paul orders
Timothy to take hold of eternal life, which refers to experiencing eternal life,
which is accomplished by faith in Paul’s gospel. Furthermore, Paul is using an
athletic metaphor of a runner attempting to win a race against other runners. This
race is analogous to the Christian way of life and the finish for this race is the
execution of the Father’s will for the Christian to become like Christ. This race is
won by faith in the Word of God, i.e. appropriating by faith Paul’s gospel.
2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries
61
It does not refer to the objective body of truth, the content of the Christian faith
meaning Christian doctrine, although that is the object of the believer’s faith after
salvation. Rather, it refers to Timothy’s faith in Paul’s apostolic teaching, i.e. the
gospel. The race to execute the Father’s will is not accomplished by means of the
gospel, or the Christian faith but rather it is accomplished by means of the
believer’s faith in the Word of God.
“I solemnly charge you for your own benefit to make it your top priority to experience the life which is eternal” expresses a sense of urgency that Timothy
executes this second command. This command indicates that Paul wants Timothy
to know the Trinity experientially in the sense of personally encountering them
through the process of fellowship as They are revealed in the pages of Scripture
and prayer by God the Holy Spirit. It also involves Timothy being affected by this
encounter with the Trinity resulting in the gaining of practical spiritual wisdom and
more of the character of Christ. It would involve Timothy appropriating by faith
his union and identification with Christ in His crucifixion, death, burial,
resurrection and session. This would result in Timothy obeying the commands and
prohibitions that appear in the gospel.
The believer who exercises faith in the teaching of the Word of God that he has
been crucified, died, buried, raised and seated with Christ will experience eternal
life in time. At the moment of conversion, through the baptism of the Holy Spirit,
the omnipotence of the Holy Spirit placed the believer in union with Christ,
identifying him with Christ’s crucifixion (Romans 6:6; Galatians 2:20), His death
(Romans 6:2, 7-8; Colossians 2:20; 3:3), His burial (Romans 6:4; Colossians 2:12),
His resurrection (Romans 6:5; Ephesians 2:6; Philippians 3:10-11; Colossians
2:12; 3:1) and His session (Ephesians 2:6; Colossians 3:1).
The believer can not only experience victory and deliverance over sin, Satan
and his cosmic system by appropriating by faith the teaching of the Word of God
that he has been crucified, died, buried, raised and seated with Christ but he can
also experience eternal life (Romans 6:11-23; 8:1-17; Galatians 2:20; Colossians
3:5-17).
The will of the Father for the believer is to be conformed to the image of Jesus
Christ (Romans 8:28-29; Ephesians 4:11-16). This is accomplished by the believer
appropriating by faith the teaching that he has been crucified, died, buried, raised
and seated with Christ. By doing, the believer will experience eternal life in time.
Therefore, the believer experiences eternal life in time and thus experiences
fellowship with God in time by obeying the will of the Father of life, which is
revealed to the believer by the Spirit of life through the communication of the
Word of life.
2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries
62
The believer who is obedient to the Father’s will, which is revealed by the Holy
Spirit through the communication of the Word of God will live in eternal life and
thus experience fellowship with God.
“For which purpose, you were effectually called” indicates the purpose for
which Timothy was called. It denotes the goal for which Timothy was effectually
called by God the Father. It refers to Timothy’s conversion to Christianity and
refers to the Father effectually calling him to trust in His Son Jesus Christ as Savior
and which invitation originated from eternity past and is thus directly related to the
Christian’s election. By responding in faith Timothy manifested in time that he had
in fact been elected to privilege by God. God who is omniscient looked down the
corridors of time and saw that the Christian would trust in His Son Jesus Christ as
Savior and had prepared in advance a plan for him and elected him to privilege.
Therefore, when Timothy placed his trust in Jesus Christ as Savior, he was
manifesting the fact that he had been elected to privilege by the Father. He did not
coerce Timothy’s volition by electing him but rather elected him to privilege when
He saw through His omniscience that Timothy would believe in His Son.
“With the result that you confessed the confession in the presence of many
witnesses, which is of the utmost importance” expresses the result of Timothy
being effectually called by the Father in eternity past to experience eternal life.
This confession of faith was before the body of Christ in Lystra where Timothy
was born and lived. Paul is not speaking of Timothy’s ordination ceremony since
the previous clause refers to Timothy’s conversion to Christianity through faith in
Christ. It refers to Timothy publicly acknowledging or confessing Jesus Christ as
His Savior at his baptism (water). Therefore, it denotes that at his baptism Timothy
confessed Jesus Christ as his Savior.
This public confession that Jesus Christ was his Savior at his baptism was
superior to other confessions of allegiance to different individuals such as political
figure or a military commander or a heathen god since Jesus Christ is superior to
any military or political figure or heathen god because He is the Son of God. It
describes this public confession of Christ as Savior by Timothy at his baptism as of
the utmost importance in life possessing outstanding qualities because it delivered
him from sin and Satan and eternal condemnation in the lake of fire. It speaks of
Timothy’s public confession of Christ as Savior at his baptism as of the utmost
importance or the most important thing that he could do in life.
“In the presence of many witnesses” refers to the church at Lystra testifying
or verifying that Timothy at his baptism publicly confessed that Jesus of Nazareth
is his Savior. It is referring to specifically to the members of the church at Lystra
who observed and heard Timothy make a public confession that he was now a
believer and follower of Jesus of Nazareth.
2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries
63
1 Timothy 6:13-Paul Invokes The Father And Jesus Christ To Bear Witness To His Command That Timothy Faithfully Fulfill His Commission In Ephesus
Paul’s Solemn Charge To Timothy
1 Timothy 6:13 I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all
things, and of Christ Jesus, who testified the good confession before Pontius Pilate, 14 that you keep the commandment without stain or reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ. (NASB95)
“I charge you in the presence of God” is composed of the first person singular
present active indicative form of the verb parangello (παραγγέλλω) (pah-dahn-
yellow), “I charge” and this is followed by the dative second person singular form
of the personal pronoun su (σύ) (see), “you” and then we have the preposition
enopion (ἐνώπιον) (ennopee-own), “in the presence of” and its object is the
articular genitive masculine singular form of the noun theos (θεός) (thay-oce), “of God.”
Asyndeton
Paul is once again employing the figure of “asyndeton,” which means that he is
not using a connective word between the second command at the end of 1 Timothy
6:12 and the command in 1 Timothy 6:13-14. He uses this figure in order to
emphasize this command in 1 Timothy 6:13-14 for Timothy to carry out his
commission in Ephesus unstained and irreproachable until the rapture of the church
in the sense that he wants Timothy to dwell upon it and obey it. This figure
emphasizes the importance of this command for Timothy in the sense that it will
benefit him personally by advancing him to further growth spiritually and will
benefit him in that it will aid him in administrating the household of God in
Ephesus. It will also benefit spiritually the body of Christ in Ephesus.
Parangello
The verb parangello is a compound word that is composed of the preposition
para, “beside” and the verb angello, “to tell, announce.” Therefore, the compound
verb parangello means, “to proclaim or announce beside.”
The word speaks of passing along a message or instructing someone in an
authoritative manner. It is both a military and legal term describing a military
command or an official summons to court (Moulton and Milligan, page 481;
Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, volume 5, page 762).
2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries
64
Louw and Nida define the verb “to announce what must be done-‘to order, to
command.’” (Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament: Based on Semantic
Domains; Electronic ed. of the second edition; 1996; New York: United Bible
societies)
A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian
Literature-Third Edition lists the following meanings “to make an announcement
about something that must be done, give orders, command, instruct, direct of all
kinds of persons in authority.” (Page 760).
Analytical Lexicon of the Greek New Testament: 1) as issuing a directive from
an authoritative source command, give (strict) orders, direct, instruct (MT 10.5);
(2) followed by µή (not) and an infinitive forbid (LU 5.14); (3) absolutely give
instructions (1C 11.17) (Friberg, T., Friberg, B., & Miller, N. F. (2000). Vol. 4:
Analytical lexicon of the Greek New Testament; page 294; Baker's Greek New
Testament library. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Books.)
The word first appeared in 1 Timothy in 1:3, where it means “to command,
order” and is used with Timothy as its subject and the false teachers in Ephesus as
its object. Timothy is to command these false teachers to stop propagating false
doctrine. It implies clearly that Paul has delegated authority to Timothy to rebuke
and hold these false teachers accountable since this word indicates that the false
teachers in Ephesus are under Paul’s apostolic authority and are thus Christians.
Then parangello appeared in 1 Timothy 4:11. In this verse, the verb parangello again means “to command, order” and is used with Timothy as its subject but this
time it is used with reference to Paul’s commands in 1 Timothy 4:6-10. Paul is
commanding Timothy to pass along the commands that appear in 1 Timothy 4:6-
10. Two are found in 1 Timothy 4:7.
Parangello implies as it did in 1 Timothy 1:3 that Paul has delegated authority
to Timothy to teach these things. The word expresses the idea that Timothy is to
stand before the Ephesian Christian community and officially and authoritatively
communicate to them all that Paul taught in 1 Timothy 4:6-10. It used elsewhere
by the apostle with respect to authoritative commands (1 Corinthians 7:10; cf.
11:17; 1 Thessalonians 4:10; cf. 4:2; 2 Thessalonians 3:4, 6, 10, 12; 1 Timothy
1:3).
In 1 Timothy 5:7, the verb parangello again means “to command, order” and is
used with Timothy as its subject but this time it is used with reference to Paul’s
teaching in 1 Timothy 5:3-6. Specifically, it refers to Paul’s commands in verse 3
(timao) and in verse 4 (manthano). The term means that Timothy to “command”
compliance to the things Paul taught in these verses.
Therefore, Paul wants Timothy to “command” the Ephesians to comply with his
command in verse 3 to honor widows by supporting them financially who are
qualified to receive financial support. It also means that Timothy is to “command”
2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries
65
the Ephesians in verse 4 to instruct their children and grandchildren with regards to
their responsibility to support their parents and grandparents (Exodus 20:12). In
verse 5, he identifies a widow who is qualified to receive support and in verse 6, he
identifies one who is not qualified. The former is godly and the latter is not.
Therefore, these two verses are related to the first command in verse 3 since they
help them to identify what widows the Ephesians should honor. Thus, these two
verses aid the Ephesians in how they are to apply this command.
Parangello implies as it did in 1 Timothy 1:3 and 4:11 that Paul has delegated
authority to Timothy. The word expresses the idea that Timothy is to stand before
the Ephesian Christian community and officially and authoritatively communicate
to them all that Paul taught in 1 Timothy 5:3-6. It used elsewhere by the apostle
with respect to authoritative commands (1 Corinthians 7:10; cf. 11:17; 1
Thessalonians 4:10; cf. 4:2; 2 Thessalonians 3:4, 6, 10, 12; 1 Timothy 1:3).
In 1 Timothy 6:13, the verb parangello means “to command, order” and its
subject is Paul and its object is Timothy. Therefore, the word denotes that Paul is
commanding Timothy to carry out his commission in Ephesus, which he has
explained in detail in this epistle. It expresses Paul’s apostolic authority.
The present tense of the verb is an “instantaneous” present used to indicate that
the action of Paul’s command addressed to Timothy is completed at the “moment”
of writing. The active voice refers to Paul as the subject producing the action of
commanding Timothy to keep his commission unstained and free from reproach
until the rapture of the church. The indicative mood is “potential,” which is used
with verbs of obligation, wish or desire followed by an infinitive. In our passage,
we have the verb parakaleo, which expresses Paul’s desire that Timothy keep his
commission unstained and without reproach and is followed by the infinitive form
of the verb tereo, “that…keep,” which appears at the beginning of verse 14.
Therefore, we will translate parakaleo, “I command.”
Su
The personal pronoun su is of course a direct reference to Timothy. The word
functions as a dative indirect object meaning that the word is receiving the direct
object, which appears in verse 14 and is the noun entole, “the commandment,”
which refers to Timothy’s commission in Ephesus, which is explained throughout
this epistle. We will translate su “you.”
Theos
The noun theos means “God” and refers to the Father. This is indicated by the
fact that the articular construction of this noun in the New Testament commonly
2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries
66
signifies the first member of the Trinity. Also, it is not the Spirit because He is the
one who is giving this charge to Timothy through Paul. It of course cannot refer to
the Son since He is mentioned as well in this prepositional phrase. We will
translate theos, “God the Father.”
Enopion
Here in 1 Timothy 6:13, enopion means “in the presence of” and is used with
reference to God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. The word indicates that both
will be witnesses as to whether or not Timothy will faithfully carry out his
commission in Ephesus. It emphasizes with Timothy that he is living and acting in
the presence of these two. It emphasizes with Timothy that he will be held
accountable in the matter by them. It also emphasizes that he will be held
accountable to conscientiously fulfill his commission in Ephesus, which is
explained throughout this epistle. Therefore, we will translate this preposition “in the presence of.”
The Father Gives Life to All Things
1 Timothy 6:13 I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who testified the good confession before Pontius Pilate, 14 that you keep the commandment without stain or reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ. (NASB95) “Who gives life to all things” is composed of the articular genitive masculine
singular present active participle form of the verb zoogoneo (ζῳογονέω) (zoe-owe-
voe-nehowe), “who gives life to” and this is followed by the articular accusative
neuter plural form of the adjective pas (πᾶς), “all things.”
Zoogoneo
The verb zoogoneo means “to give life” or “to cause to be alive” and its subject
is God the Father and its object is the articular form of the adjective pas, which
refers to the totality of animate objects in creation which would refer to all marine
life, bird life, terrestrial life, mankind and angels. Therefore, the verb denotes that
God the Father causes all living creatures to live.
The genitive form of the word is an appositional genitive meaning it stands in
apposition to the genitive noun theos and is presenting a description of the Father.
The verb functions as a “substantive” participle as indicated by the definite article,
which functions as a substantiver meaning that it converts the participle form of
zoogoneo into a substantive. Therefore, this can be reflected by translating the
2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries
67
article with the relative pronoun, “who.” The article is thus referring to the Father
as indicated the article’s masculine singular form.
The present tense of the verb is a “gnomic present,” which is used to describe
something that is true “any” time and “does” take place. It is saying that God the
Father “does” give life to all things or causes all things to live.
The present tense is also a “gnomic present,” which is used for a general
timeless fact or spiritual axiom, or an eternal spiritual truth. This indicates that God
the Father does “as an eternal spiritual truth” give life to all things. The active
voice is causative indicating that God the Father “causes” all things to live. We
will translate τοῦ ζῳογονοῦντος, “who does, as an eternal spiritual truth, cause
to live.”
Pas
The adjective pas refers to the totality of animate objects that are contained in
the first, second and third heavens and the earth or in other words, that are
contained in creation, which would include all marine life, bird life, terrestrial life,
human beings and angels.
Acts 17:24 “The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands; 35 nor is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all people life and breath and all things.” (NASB95)
1 Corinthians 8:1 Now concerning things sacrificed to idols, we know that
we all have knowledge. Knowledge makes arrogant, but love edifies. 2 If anyone supposes that he knows anything, he has not yet known as he ought to know; 3 but if anyone loves God, he is known by Him. 4 Therefore concerning the eating of things sacrificed to idols, we know that there is no such thing as an idol in the world, and that there is no God but one. 5 For even if there are so-called gods whether in heaven or on earth, as indeed there are many gods
and many lords, 6 yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom are all things and we exist for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we exist through Him. (NASB95)
1 Corinthians 11:12 For as the woman originates from the man, so also the man has his birth through the woman; and all things originate from God. (NASB95)
Hebrews 1:1 God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in
many portions and in many ways, 2 in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world. 3 And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had
2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries
68
made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high. (NASB95)
Revelation 4:11 “Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will
they existed, and were created.” (NASB95) The article preceding the adjective pas is a substantiver meaning it is converting
the adjective into a substantive. Pas functions as an accusative direct object
meaning that it is receiving the action of the verb zoogoneo. We will translate pas,
“each and every thing.”
Christ Jesus Testified the Good Confession Before Pontius Pilate
1 Timothy 6:13 I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who testified the good confession before Pontius Pilate, 14 that you keep the commandment without stain or reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ. (NASB95)
“And of Christ Jesus, who testified the good confession before Pontius
Pilate” is composed of the conjunction kai (καί) (keh), “and” which is followed by
the genitive masculine singular form of the proper name Christos (Χριστός) (cree-
stoce), “Christ” and the genitive masculine singular form of the proper noun
Iesous (Ἰησοῦς) (yee-soose), “Jesus” and then we have the articular genitive
masculine singular aorist active participle form of the verb martureo (µαρτυρέω)
(mahtear-eh-owe), “who testified” and this is followed by the preposition epi (ἐπί) (eh-pee), “before” and its object is the genitive masculine singular form of the
noun Pontios (Πόντιος) (pone-dee-oce), “Pontius,” which is modified by the
genitive masculine singular form of the noun Pilatos (Πιλᾶτος) (pee-lah-toce),
“Pilate” and then we have the articular accusative feminine singular form of the
adjective kalos (καλός) (kah-loce), “the good” and it is modifying the accusative
feminine singular form of the noun homologia (ὁµολογία) (owe-moe-lowe-yee-ah),
“confession.”
Kai
The conjunction kai is adjunctive meaning that it is introducing an “additional”
an object of the preposition enopion. It introduces an “additional” witness who will
testify to whether or not Timothy will faithfully carry out his commission in
Ephesus or not. It indicates that “in addition to” God the Father, the Lord Jesus
Christ will testify as to whether or not Timothy will faithfully carry out his
commission in Ephesus or not. Therefore, we will translate the word “as well as.”
2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries
69
Christos
Christos signifies that Jesus of Nazareth served God the Father exclusively and
this was manifested by His execution of the Father’s salvation plan which was
accomplished by His voluntary substitutionary spiritual and physical deaths on the
Cross. It denotes that Jesus of Nazareth was perpetually guided and empowered by
God the Holy Spirit during His First Advent. Lastly, Christos signifies that Jesus of
Nazareth is the promised deliverer of the human race from the bondage of Satan,
his cosmic system and the old Adamic sin nature.
Iesous
The proper name Iesous refers to the human nature of the incarnate Son of God,
Jesus of Nazareth. It functions as a “genitive of simple apposition” meaning that it
stands in apposition to the genitive form of the noun Christos, “Christ.” It simply
clarifies who is Christ here, namely Jesus of Nazareth since there were many in the
first century who made the claim. Therefore, we will translate Iesous, “who is
Jesus.”
Classical Usage of Martureo
The verb martureo means, “to testify, give evidence, give testimony, bear
record, affirm that one has seen or heard or experienced something or provide
information about a person or an event concerning which the speaker has direct
knowledge.”
Liddell and Scott: (1) Bear witness, give evidence (2) Bear witness to or in
favor of another, confirm what he says (3) Bears witness to my opinion; bear
favorable witness to, give a good report of a person (4) Testify to a thing (5)
Testify that a thing is (6) Testify to, acknowledge the value of his alliance (7) Give
hearsay evidence (8) Testimony is borne by, testimony has been give before you
(9) Ascribed to (10) Bear a character (11) Whose character is approved by
testimony (12) Astrologically, to be in aspect with (Greek-English Lexicon, New
Edition, page 1082).
The verb martureo appears from the fifth century B.C. onwards. It is primarily
a legal term meaning “to bear witness, to give testimony, to testify, or to confirm
something to someone’s advantage by giving evidence” (Herodotus, 8, 95). The
word’s cognate noun martus comes from a common Indo-European root smer, “to
be mindful of, to bear in mind, to remember, to be careful.” It is the Aeolic form of
martur, which is not found in the Greek New Testament.
2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries
70
Martus denoted a “witness,” especially a legal witness. The function of the
witness is normally denoted by the verb martureo. This can be used in the abstract
“to come forward as a witness,” but also commonly with the dative to denote the
one for whom one testifies or the agreement to which one is a witness, then the
accusative or peri and the genitive or a hoti clause for the content of the statement
in so far as the witness is testifying to anything specific.
The Greeks believed that hearing was less reliable testimony than seeing, even
in the religious context of the word. Martus was “one who remembers, who has
knowledge of something by recollection, and who can thus tell about.”
In the legal sphere where the word is primarily used, martus denoted one who
can and does speak from personal experience about actions in which he took part
and which happened to him, or about persons and relations known to him. A
martus may be a witness at a trial, or, in legal transactions of different kinds, a
solemn witness in the most varied connections. The witness at a trial and his
marturia, “testimony” is dealt with fully by Aristotle in his work Rhetorica.
The inscriptions and especially the papyri offer an almost inexhaustible number
of examples of the solemn witness in every possible kind of written agreement and
record, including official records. The word also has a use outside of the legal
sphere where it is used of a person who is a witness to facts and also to truths or
views.
Martus along with martureo, marturia and marturion have a general use
outside the legal sphere. This group refers not merely to the establishment of
events or actual relations or facts of experience on the basis of direct personal
knowledge, but it also signifies the proclamation of views or truths of which the
speaker is convinced. It thus relates to things, which by their very nature cannot be
submitted to empirical investigation. The Greeks would appeal to the gods as
witnesses in treaties, solemn agreements or declarations, assurances and oaths.
Even if no other witness was present, they, the so-called “omniscient” gods, could
confirm the truth of a statement or the fact of an agreement. Those who appealed to
them as witnesses did so in the belief that they should be lying, or should they
break the agreement, they would fall victim to divine punishment.
Martus has an additional usage that is outside of its legal sense. It is used of
declaring a particular viewpoint, attitude or conviction. The philosophers adopted
martureo in this manner to speak of their “giving evidence” for their “truths,
doctrines and principles.”
Septuagint Usage of Martureo
Martureo appears infrequently in the Septuagint where there are only 13
instances of the word. It is used to translate the following Hebrew terms in the
2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries
71
Septuagint: (1) `edh, “witness” (Gn. 31:48; Dt. 19:18; 31:21). (2) `udh, hiphil:
“admonish” (Lam. 2:13). (3) `anah, “answer; testimony” (Nm. 35:30-Codex
Vaticanus only).
The verb martureo is used for: (1) Legal testimony (Nm. 35:30; Dt. 19:15, 18).
(2) Commemorative function of a monument (Gn. 31:46ff.). (3) Song of Moses
(Dt. 31:19, 21), which as a document of the covenant, could become an indictment
against those who break it.
It is often used in the Septuagint without rendering a Hebrew term (e.g. Gn.
31:44, 48; Dt. 19:15 and in the Apocrypha 3 times). When there is a Hebrew word
being rendered by martureo, it is in every instance except one (Nm. 35:30) a form
of `udh, “to witness, give testimony.” In the above passage the legal overtones are
clearly present.
Jacob erected an altar “to witness, testify” to the agreement between himself
and Laban (Gn. 31:47; cf. Josh. 22:27 ff.; 1 Macc. 2:37). “To witness” is not some
subjective enterprise; rather it rests upon truth, experience. It is a serious crime to
violate the integrity of a testimony according to Deuteronomy 19:15. The witness,
like Jacob’s pile of stones, may be a tangible reminder of a former agreement (of a
song, Dt. 31:19, 21).
New Testament Usage of Martureo
The verb martureo appears 76 times in the Greek New Testament. As in the
case in the Septuagint, the New Testament employs martureo as the function of the
martus. In the absolute sense, the verb means, “bear witness, swear to.” With the
accusative of the thing, it means, “attest, testify,” likewise with hoti. With the
dative of the person and hoti martureo means, “testify something to someone.”
Where the verb stands with the true dative of the person, it means, “applaud a
person” where it stands with the dative of the thing, it means, “bear witness for
something.” The passive can be used in a neutral sense, to say that something is
“witnessed, testified,” always in reference to Scripture. It can be used in an
evaluative sense, to say that someone “has received a good witness.”
The verb has a legal significance in Matthew where the scribes witness against
themselves that they are the sons of those who murdered the prophets (Mt. 23:21).
In Acts, the passive is used frequently meaning that someone “has received a good
witness” or “has a good reputation” (Acts 6:3; 10:22; 16:2; 22:12). It is used of
David meaning, “testify” in Acts 13:22.
Paul’s defense in Acts 26:5 gives the word a strong forensic sense meaning,
“bore witness.” He uses the word in an absolute sense simply for an assertion (2
Co. 8:3) or with the dative in the sense of “witness something to someone” (Rm.
10:2; Gal. 4:15). It is used of widows who are “highly regarded” in 1 Timothy
2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries
72
5:10. Hebrews speaks in various ways of a divine “attestation” or “confirmation.”
The word is used in this book of the “witness” of Scripture concerning a person
such as Enoch (Heb. 11:4).
The verb martureo means, “to bear witness” in many passages in the Gospel of
John, his epistles and Revelation. We also see John employing the word in a legal
sense meaning “to testify, testimony,” which is used of the Spirit’s testimony
concerning the Person and Work of Christ.
A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian
Literature-Third Edition: (1) to confirm or attest someth. on the basis of personal
knowledge or belief, bear witness, be a witness. (a) to offer testimony α. act. ὑµεῖς µαρτυρεῖτε you are witnesses J 15:27. ἐὰν θέλωσιν µαρτυρεῖν if they are willing to
appear as witnesses Ac 26:5.—J 12:17; 1J 5:6f. Parenthetically, emphasizing the
correctness of a statement, µαρτυρῶ I can testify (POxy 105, 13 Σαραπίων
µαρτυρῶ=‘I, S., am witness’; PLond III, 1164 [f], 35 al. p. 162.—B-D-F §465, 2;
Rob. 434) 2 Cor 8:3. περί τινος bear witness, testify concerning someone or
someth. (PGrenf II, 73, 16 ὅταν ἔλθῃ σὺν θεῷ, µαρτυρήσει σοι περὶ p 618 ὧν
αὐτὴν πεποιήκασιν; Jos., C. Ap. 1, 217, Vi. 259) J 1:7f, 15 (in the very likely case
that µαρτυρεῖ refers to the past, cp. Caecil. Calact., Fgm. 75 p. 58, 2ff, where
examples are given of the interchange of tenses: Demosth. 59, 34 τοὺς ὁρῶντας for
τ. ἑωρακότας; Eur., Androm. Fgm. 145 Nauck2 ὁρῶ ἀντὶ τοῦ εἶδον; Thu. 2, 35, 1
ἐπαινοῦσι ἀντὶ τοῦ ἐπῄνεσαν); 2:25; 5:31, 32a, 36f, 39; 7:7; 8:13f, 18ab; 10:25;
15:26; 21:24; 1J 5:9. µαρτύρησον περὶ τοῦ κακοῦ testify to the wrong J 18:23
(µ.=furnish proof X., Symp. 8, 12). Also ἐπί τινι Hb 11:4b (on ἐπί w. dat. in this
pass. s. Gen 4:4). W. dat. of thing (Jos., Ant. 12, 135; Ath. 16, 3 τῷ λόγω. Πλάτων)
µ. τῇ ἀληθείᾳ bear witness to the truth J 5:33; 18:37. µ. σου τῇ ἀληθείᾳ testify to
the truth of your (way of life) 3J 3; σου τῇ ἀγάπῃ vs. 6. W. dat. of pers. about
whom testimony is given (Appian, Bell. Civ. 3, 73 §298; Just., D. 122, 2.—It is
dat. of advantage or disadv.) Ac 10:43; 22:5; GJs 15:2; w. ptc. foll. (µ. Ἰακὼβ
λέγων Did., Gen. 221, 2) θεὸς ἐµαρτύρησεν αὐτοῖς δοὺς κτλ. God testified for
them by giving Ac 15:8 (though αὐτοῖς can also be taken w. δούς); w. ὅτι foll. bear
someone witness that J 3:28; Ro 10:2; Gal 4:15; Col 4:13. µ. ἑαυτῷ, ὅτι bear
witness to oneself that Mt 23:31. The dat. can also designate the pers. who is
informed or instructed by the testimony: bear witness to someone Hb 10:15; Rv
22:18.—µ. ὅτι testify that (Aelian, VH 9, 11; Did., Gen. 156, 28) J 1:34; 4:44;
12:17 v.l.; 1J 4:14. ὅτι introducing direct discourse J 4:39. µ. κατὰ τ. θεοῦ ὅτι bear
witness against God by declaring that 1 Cor 15:15 (PPetr II, 21 [d], 12 [III b.c.]
καθʼ οὗ µαρτυρῶ). ἐµαρτύρησεν καὶ εἶπεν w. direct discourse foll. J 13:21. µ.
λέγων w. direct disc. foll. J 1:32. Of God µοι µαρτυρεῖ λέγων (Ps 89:4 follows) he
testifies (of it) to me by saying 15:4. For 1 Ti 6:13 s. c below. β. pass., be
witnessed, have witness borne ὑπό τινος by someone (Philo, Leg. All. 3, 46 σοφία
2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries
73
µαρτυρουµένη ὑπὸ θεοῦ; Just., D. 63, 5 Χριστὸς ὑπὸ τοῦ ταῦτα ποιήσαντος µαρτυρούµενος. Of Jesus: ὑπὸ τῶν προφητῶν πολλαχοῦ µεµαρτ. Orig., C. Cels. 2,
9, 30) Ro 3:21 (the witness of the law and prophets points to God’s righteousness).
Foll. by ὅτι and a quot. in direct discourse Hb 7:17. µαρτυρούµενος ὅτι ζῇ one of
whom it is testified that he lives vs. 8. (b) to confirm bear witness to, declare,
confirm, act. (Eunap., Vi. Soph. p. 76 ὁ θεὸς ἐµαρτύρησε; Iren. 2, 22, 5 [Harv I
331, 1]) τὶ someth. (Demosth. 57, 4 ἀκοήν; Aeschin. 1, 46 τἀληθῆ). ὸ ̔ἑωράκαµεν
µαρτυροῦµεν J 3:11; cp. vs. 32. τὸν λόγον τ. θεοῦ Rv 1:2. ταῦτα 22:20. τινί τὶ someth. to or for someone (Dionys. Hal. 3, 67, 1; Jos., Ant. 6, 355) vs. 16. ὑµῖν τ. ζωήν 1J 1:2. The acc. is to be supplied fr. the context J 19:35; Ac 23:11. W. ptc.
ἀκούσαντες µαρτυρήσωσιν they must admit that they have heard PtK 3 p. 15,
23.—µαρτυρίαν µ. bear witness, confirm, attest (Ps.-Pla., Eryx. 399b; Epict. 4, 8,
32) περί τινος concerning someone J 5:32b; 1J 5:10 (POxy 3313, 25f µαρτυρήσει σοι Σαραπᾶς περὶ τῶν ῥόδων S. will confirm to you about the roses). (c) to support
one’s testimony with total selfgiving, eccl. usage w. regard to martyrdom bear
witness, testify, be a witness (unto death), be martyred, act. (TestAbr B 11 p. 115,
16 [Stone p. 787] Ἄβελ ὁ ἐν πρώτοις µαρτυρήσας; Mel., HE 4, 26, 3; τοῖς µαρτυρούσι τῷ χριστιανισµῷ µέχρι θανάτου Orig., C. Cels. 1, 8, 2): of Paul
µαρτυρήσας ἐπὶ τῶν ἡγουµένων … εἰς τὸν ἅγιον τόπον ἐπορεύθη 1 Cl 5:7; cp. vs.
4; MPol 1:1; 19:1; 21f (Iren. 3, 3, 4 [Harv. II 12, 8]); EpilMosq 4. Prob. 1 Ti 6:13
also belongs here: Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ τοῦ µαρτυρήσαντος ἐπὶ Ποντίου Πιλάτου τ. καλὴν ὁµολογίαν Christ Jesus, who made the good confession before Pontius
Pilate (s. GBaldensperger, RHPR 2, 1922, 1–25; 95–117); otherwise the passage
may be classed under a above. (2) to affirm in a supportive manner, testify
favorably, speak well (of), approve (a) act. (Dio Chrys. 23 [40], 19; SIG 374, 37
[III b.c.]; POxy 930, 16) w. dat. of the pers. (Appian, Samn. 11, §2 τοῖς ὑπάτοις, Liby. 105 §495, Bell. Civ. 4, 92 §387; Aelian, VH 1, 30; Jos., Ant. 12, 134) or of
the thing approved Lk 4:22 (OFearghus, ZNW 75, ’84, 60–72 [pap and ins];
JNolland, JBL 98, ’79, 219–29); J 3:26. Of God toward David Ac 13:22. µὴ ἑαυτῷ
µαρτυρείτω he must not testify (favorably) concerning himself 1 Cl 38:2. W. dat.
to be supplied 3J 12b. µαρτυρίᾳ, ᾗ ἐµαρτύρησεν αὐτῷ ὁ δεσπότης Hs 5, 2, 6. Of
the flesh ἵνα τὸ πνεῦµα … µαρτυρήσῃ αὐτῇ Hs 5, 7, 1.—ὁ κύριος ὁ µαρτυρῶν ἐπὶ (which a v.l. omits; µ. ἐπί τινι as Jos., Ant. 3, 189) τῷ λόγῳ τ. χάριτος αὐτοῦ the
Lord, who attested the word of his grace Ac 14:3. With συνευδοκέω Lk 11:48 v.l.
(b) pass., be well spoken of, be approved (Ep. 12 of Apollonius of Tyana:
Philostrat. I 348, 26; Just., D. 29, 1. Exx. fr. ins in Dssm., NB 93 [BS 265], LO 69,
2 [LAE 84, 5]) ἀνὴρ µαρτυρούµενος or µεµαρτυρηµένος a man of good reputation
Ac 6:3; IPhld 11:1. Of OT worthies people of attested merit 1 Cl 17:1; 19:1. Of
David 18:1. Of Abraham µεγάλως ἐµαρτυρήθη his merit was gloriously attested
17:2 (cp. Just., D. 11, 5 ἐπὶ τῇ πίστει µαρτυηθέντος ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ). Of the apostles
2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries
74
47:4. Of Paul IEph 12:2. Of church leaders 1 Cl 44:3.—Foll. by nom. and inf. Hb
11:4a; cp. vs. 5. διά τινος be praised for someth. 11:4a, 39. ἐν ἔργοις καλοῖς µαρτυρούµενος well attested in good deeds 1 Ti 5:10; cp. Hb 11:2. ὑπό τινος be
well spoken of by someone (M. Ant. 7, 62; SIG 799, 28; Jos., Ant. 3, 59; Just., D.
29, 3; 92, 4; New Docs 7, 233, no. 10, 10 of a benefactor) Ac 10:22; 16:2; 22:12;
IPhld 5:2.—Impersonally µαρτυρεῖταί τινι ὑπό τινος a good testimony is given by
someone to someone (Dionys. Hal., Thu. 8 µαρτυρεῖται τῷ ἀνδρὶ τάχα µὲν ὐπὸ
πάντων φιλοσόφων; BGU 1141, 15 [14 b.c.] ὡς καὶ µαρτυρηθήσεταί σοι ὑπὸ τῶν
φίλων) ∆ηµητρίῳ µεµαρτύρηται ὑπὸ πάντων καὶ ὑπὸ αὐτῆς τῆς ἀληθείας Demetrius has received a good testimony from everyone and from the truth itself
3J 12a.—Dg 12:6.—OMichel, Bibl. Bekennen u. Bezeugen, Ὁµολογεῖν und
µαρτυρεῖν im bibl. Sprachgebr.: Evang. Theologie 2, ’35, 231–45; EBurnier, La
notion de témoignage dans le NT ’39.—DELG s.v. µάρτυς. M-M. EDNT. TRE
XXII 196–212. TW. (Page 618)
Louw and Nida list the following meanings for the word: (1) To provide
information about a person or an event concerning which the speaker has direct
knowledge – ‘to witness’ (33.262). (2) To speak well of a person on the basis of
personal experience – ‘to speak well of, to approve of’ (33.263) Greek-English
Lexicon of the New Testament Based on Semantic Domains).
Martureo in 1 Timothy 6:13
In 1 Timothy 6:13, the verb martureo is used of the Lord Jesus Christ and
means “to testify, bear witness to” referring to Him “testifying” the good
confession before Pontius Pilate that He was the king of the Jews. It refers to Jesus
Christ testifying before Pontius Pilate that He was the king of the Jews. It refers to
Jesus Christ responding to Pilate’s question “Are you the king of the Jews?”
(Matthew 27:11; Mark 15;2; Luke 23;3; John 18:33-37). This confession served as
the basis for crucifying Him (John 19:12-16; cf. Matthew 27:37; Mark 15:26; Luke
23:38; John 19:19). This confession of Christ was posted over His cross as the
charge against Him. So the verb martureo in 1 Timothy 6:13 refers to the act of
Christ testifying to Pilate that He was the king of the Jews.
The genitive form of the word is an appositional genitive meaning it stands in
apposition to the genitive noun Christos and is presenting a description of Jesus
Christ who is testified before Pontius Pilate the good confession. The verb
functions as a “substantive” participle as indicated by the definite article, which
functions as a substantiver meaning that it converts the participle form of martureo
into a substantive. Therefore, this can be reflected by translating the article with the
relative pronoun, “who.” The article is thus referring to Jesus Christ as indicated
the article’s masculine singular form. The aorist tense of the verb is a constative
2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries
75
aorist describing in summary fashion the moment that Jesus of Nazareth testified to
Pontius Pilate that He was in fact the king of the Jews. The active voice refers to
Jesus Christ as the subject performing the action of testifying to Pontius Pilate that
He was the king of the Jews. We will translate τοῦ µαρτυρήσαντος, “who
testified.”
Homologia
The noun homologia means “confession” referring to Jesus of Nazareth
confessing to Pontius Pilate that He was the king of the Jews. The word is an
accusative direct object meaning that it is receiving the action of the verb
martureo. The articular construction of the word is a function marker to denote that
the adjective kalos is in the first attributive position indicating that this adjective is
receiving greater emphasis than the noun homologia. We will translate homologia,
“the confession.”
Kalos
The adjective kalos is modifying the noun homologia, “the confession” and
means “noble” in the sense of possessing outstanding qualities and great
importance. It describes something whose importance is superior to all others. Here
it describes Jesus of Nazareth’s confession to Pontius Pilate that He was the king
of the Jews as superior to other confessions since Jesus Christ is superior to any
military or political figure or heathen god because He is the Son of God. It
describes this confession as of the utmost importance in human and angelic history
in that it led to His crucifixion and spiritual and physical deaths which dealt with
the problems of sin and Satan.
The word is in the first attributive position modifying the noun homologia as
indicated by the articular construction and is thus receiving greater emphasis. The
article tightens up the quality expressed by this adjective. Therefore, we will
translate this word “which is of superior importance.”
Pontius Pilate
The proper noun Pilatos is the name of the Roman procurator who sentenced
Jesus of Nazareth to death. He conducted the civil trial of Jesus of Nazareth and
ordered His crucifixion. The proper noun Pontius is Pilate’s Roman first name or
clan-name. 1 Timothy 6:13 and Luke 3:1 are the only two places in the New
Testament where Pilate is designated Pontius.
2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries
76
J. Ramsey Michaels commenting on Pilate writes “Roman governor of Judea
remembered in history as a notorious anti-Semite and in Christian creeds as the
magistrate under whom Jesus Christ ‘suffered’ (1 Tim 6:13). The NT refers to him
as ‘governor,’ while other sources call him ‘procurator’ or ‘prefect’ (an inscription
found in Caesarea in 1961). Pilate came to power about a.d. 26, close to the time
when two of his contemporaries, Sejanus in Rome and Flaccus in Egypt, were
pursuing policies apparently aimed at the destruction of the Jewish people. Pilate’s
policies were much the same. His procuratorship consisted of one provocation of
Jewish sensibilities after another. He broke all precedent by bringing into
Jerusalem military insignia bearing the image of Caesar in flagrant defiance of
Jewish law. He removed them only when the Jews offered to die at the hands of his
soldiers rather than consent to such blasphemy. He brutally suppressed protest by
planting armed soldiers, disguised as civilians, among the Jewish crowds. Against
such a backdrop it is not hard to understand the reference in Luke 13:1 to ‘the
Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices’ (HCSB). Pilate was
finally removed from office as the result of a similar outrage against Samaritan
worshipers who had gathered on Mount Gerizim, their holy mountain, to view
some sacred vessels that they believed Moses had buried there. When the
Samaritans complained to Vitellius, the governor of Syria, Pilate was ordered to
Rome to account for his actions to the emperor and is not mentioned again in
reliable contemporary sources. In view of his record it is surprising that Pilate
allowed himself to be pressured by a group of Jewish religious authorities into
allowing Jesus to be executed. A possible explanation is that he already felt his
position in the empire to be in jeopardy (note the threat implicit in John 19:12).
Pilate seems to have had no personal inclination to put Jesus to death, and the NT
writers are eager to show that he did not (Luke 23:4, 14, 22; John 18:38; 19:4, 6;
cp. Matt. 27:19). The Gospel writers sought to demonstrate that Jesus was innocent
from the standpoint of Roman law and that consequently Christianity in their day
was not a threat to the Roman political and social order. The fact that Jesus was
brought to Pilate at all probably means that He had not been formally tried and
convicted by the Sanhedrin, or Jewish ruling Council (if he had, he would probably
have been stoned to death like Stephen, or like James the Just in a.d. 62). Instead a
relatively small group of Jerusalem priests, including the high priest, wanted to
forestall any kind of a messianic movement by the people because of the repression
it would provoke from the Romans (John 11:47–50, 53). They maneuvered Pilate
into doing their work for them (cp. Luke 23:2). Pilate is represented in all the
Gospels as questioning Jesus, especially on the subject of kingship, but he
2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries
77
remained unconvinced that Jesus was in any way a serious claimant to Jewish or
Roman political power.”1
D.H. Wheaton writes, “Pontius Pilatus was a Roman of the equestrian, or upper
middle-class, order: his praenomen is not known, but his nomen, Pontius, suggests
that he was of Samnite extraction and his cognomen, Pilatus, may have been
handed down by military forbears. Little is known of his career before ad 26, but in
that year (see P. L. Hedley in JTS 35, 1934, pp. 56–58) the emperor Tiberius
appointed him to be the fifth praefectus (hēgemōn, Mt. 27:2, etc.; the same title is
used of Felix in Acts 23 and Festus in Acts 26) of Judaea. Evidence of this title
was discovered in 1961 on an inscription at Caesarea, and E. J. Vardaman (JBL 88,
1962, p. 70) suggests that this title was used in Pilate’s earlier years, being replaced
by procurator (the title used by Tacitus and Josephus) later. In accordance with a
recent reversal in the policy of the Senate (in ad 21—Tacitus, Annals 3. 33–34)
Pilate took his wife with him (Mt. 27:19). As procurator he had full control in the
province, being in charge of the army of occupation (1 ala—c. 120 men—of
cavalry, and 4 or 5 cohorts—c. 2,500–5,000 men—of infantry), which was
stationed at Caesarea, with a detachment on garrison duty at Jerusalem in the
fortress of Antonia. The procurator had full powers of life and death, and could
reverse capital sentences passed by the Sanhedrin, which had to be submitted to
him for ratification. He also appointed the high priests and controlled the Temple
and its funds: the very vestments of the high priest were in his custody and were
released only for festivals, when the procurator took up residence in Jerusalem and
brought additional troops to patrol the city. Even pagan historians mention Pilate
only in connection with his authorization of the death of Jesus (Tacitus, Annals 15.
44): his only appearance on the stage of history is as procurator of Judaea.
Josephus relates (Ant. 18.55; BJ 2.169) that Pilate’s first action on taking up his
appointment was to antagonize the Jews by setting up the Roman standards,
bearing images of the emperor, at Jerusalem: previous procurators had avoided
using such standards in the holy city. Because of the determined resistance of their
leaders in spite of threats of death, he yielded to their wishes after 6 days and
removed the images back to Caesarea. Philo (De Legatione ad Gaium 299ff.) tells
how Pilate dedicated a set of golden shields in his own residence at Jerusalem.
These bore no image, only an inscription with the names of the procurator and the
emperor, but representations were made to Tiberius, who sensibly ordered them to
be set up in the temple of Roma et Augustus at Caesarea (cf. P. L. Maier, ‘The
Episode of the Golden Roman Shields at Jerusalem’, HTR 62, 1969, pp. 109ff.).
1 Brand, C., Draper, C., England, A., Bond, S., Clendenen, E. R., Butler, T. C., & Latta, B.
(2003). Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary (1297–1298). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible
Publishers.
2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries
78
Josephus (Ant. 18.60; BJ 2.175) and Eusebius (EH 2. 7) allege a further grievance
of the Jews against Pilate, in that he used money from the Temple treasury to build
an aqueduct to convey water to the city from a spring some 40 km away. Tens of
thousands of Jews demonstrated against this project when Pilate came up to
Jerusalem, presumably at the time of a festival, and he in return sent his troops in
disguise against them, so that a large number were slain. It is generally considered
that this riot was caused by the Galileans mentioned in Lk. 13:1–2 (whose blood
Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices), and C. Noldius (De Vita et Gestis
Herodum, 1660, 249) claimed that Herod’s enmity against Pilate (Lk. 23:12) arose
from the fact that Pilate had slain some of Herod’s subjects. This explains Pilate’s
subsequent care (Lk. 23:6–7) to send Jesus to be tried before Herod. It is not
known whether the tower at Siloam which collapsed (Lk. 13:4) was part of this
aqueduct. Pilate finally over-reached himself by the slaughter of a number of
Samaritans who had assembled at Mt Gerizim in response to the call of a deceiver
who had promised to show them that Moses had hidden the sacred vessels there. In
spite of the obvious falsehood of this claim (Moses had never crossed Jordan: some
consider that there is a textual error, Mōÿseōs for Ōseōs, and Josephus is referring
to the Samaritan tradition that Uzzi the high priest (1 Ch. 6:6) had hidden the ark
and other sacred vessels in Mt Gerizim), a great multitude came armed to the
mountain, and Pilate surrounded and routed them, capturing many and executing
their ringleaders. A Samaritan delegation went with a protest to Vitellius, who was
then governor of Syria, and he ordered Pilate to answer this accusation of the Jews
before the emperor, ordering Marcellus to Judaea in Pilate’s place (Jos., Ant.
18.85–89). Pilate was on his journey to Rome when Tiberius died (ad 37). (Cf. E.
M. Smallwood, ‘The Date of the Dismissal of Pontius Pilate from Judaea’, JJS 5,
1954, p. 12ff.) We know nothing of the outcome of the trial, but Eusebius (EH 2.
7) preserves a report of otherwise unknown Gk. annalists that Pilate was forced to
commit suicide during the reign of Gaius (ad 37–41). The above incidents are all
related by Josephus or Philo. E. Stauffer (Christ and the Caesars, E.T. 1955, pp.
119f.) draws attention to a further instance of provocation of the Jews by Pilate.
According to G. F. Hill (Catalogue of the Greek Coins of Palestine, 1914), the
procurators minted small copper coins to meet local needs in Palestine. Normally
these bore symbolic designs of natural features, such as trees and ears of corn, in
deference to the second commandment. In ad 29–31 Pilate issued coins bearing
imperial religious insignia, the lituus, or augur’s staff, and the patera, or pagan
libation bowl. Such issues ceased after ad 31, and the British Museum has a coin of
Pilate on which his successor Felix appears to have overstamped the staff with a
palmbranch, though Y. Meshorer (Jewish Coins of the Second Temple Period,
1967) states that Felix also produced coins with symbols of a provocative nature,
such as Roman weapons, which underlined the Roman subjugation of Judaea.
2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries
79
Philo can find no good thing to say of Pilate: in De Legatione ad Gaium 301 he
describes him as ‘by nature rigid and stubbornly harsh’ and ‘of spiteful disposition
and an exceeding wrathful man’, and speaks of ‘the bribes, the acts of pride, the
acts of violence, the outrages, the cases of spiteful treatment, the constant murders
without trial, the ceaseless and most grievous brutality’ of which the Jews might
accuse him. The verdict of the NT is that he was a weak man, ready to serve
expediency rather than principle, whose authorization of the judicial murder of the
Saviour was due less to a desire to please the Jewish authorities than to fear of
imperial displeasure if Tiberius heard of further unrest in Judaea. This is made
abundantly evident by his mockery of the Jews in the wording of the superscription
(Jn. 19:19–22). It is most unfortunate that we do not know anything of his record
apart from his government of the Jews, towards whom he would appear to have
shown little understanding and even less liking.”2
Easton’s Bible Dictionary “Pilate, Pontius—probably connected with the
Roman family of the Pontii, and called ‘Pilate’ from the Latin pileatus, i.e.,
‘wearing the pileus’, which was the ‘cap or badge of a manumitted slave,’ as
indicating that he was a ‘freedman,’ or the descendant of one. He was the sixth in
the order of the Roman procurators of Judea (26-36). His headquarters were at
Caesarea, but he frequently went up to Jerusalem. His reign extended over the
period of the ministry of John the Baptist and of Jesus Christ, in connection with
whose trial his name comes into prominent notice. Pilate was a ‘typical Roman, not
of the antique, simple stamp, but of the imperial period, a man not without some
remains of the ancient Roman justice in his soul, yet pleasure-loving, imperious,
and corrupt. He hated the Jews whom he ruled, and in times of irritation freely
shed their blood. They returned his hatred with cordiality, and accused him of
every crime, maladministration, cruelty, and robbery. He visited Jerusalem as
seldom as possible; for, indeed, to one accustomed to the pleasures of Rome, with
its theatres, baths, games, and gay society, Jerusalem, with its religiousness and
ever-smouldering revolt, was a dreary residence. When he did visit it he stayed in
the palace of Herod the Great, it being common for the officers sent by Rome into
conquered countries to occupy the palaces of the displaced sovereigns.’ After his
trial before the Sanhedrin, Jesus was brought to the Roman procurator, Pilate, who
had come up to Jerusalem as usual to preserve order during the Passover, and was
now residing, perhaps, in the castle of Antonia, or it may be in Herod’s palace.
Pilate came forth from his palace and met the deputation from the Sanhedrin, who,
in answer to his inquiry as to the nature of the accusation they had to prefer against
Jesus, accused him of being a ‘malefactor.’ Pilate was not satisfied with this, and
2 Wood, D. R. W., & Marshall, I. H. (1996). New Bible dictionary (3rd ed.) (929–930). Leicester,
England; Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press.
2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries
80
they further accused him (1) of sedition, (2) preventing the payment of the tribute
to Caesar, and (3) of assuming the title of king (Luke 23:2). Pilate now withdrew
with Jesus into the palace (John 18:33) and examined him in private (37,38); and
then going out to the deputation still standing before the gate, he declared that he
could find no fault in Jesus (Luke 23:4). This only aroused them to more furious
clamour, and they cried that he excited the populace ‘throughout all Jewry,
beginning from Galilee.’ When Pilate heard of Galilee, he sent the accused to
Herod Antipas, who had jurisdiction over that province, thus hoping to escape the
difficulty in which he found himself. But Herod, with his men of war, set Jesus at
nought, and sent him back again to Pilate, clad in a purple robe of mockery (23:11,
12). Pilate now proposed that as he and Herod had found no fault in him, they
should release Jesus; and anticipating that they would consent to this proposal, he
ascended the judgment-seat as if ready to ratify the decision (Matt. 27:19). But at
this moment his wife (Claudia Procula) sent a message to him imploring him to
have nothing to do with the ‘just person.’ Pilate’s feelings of perplexity and awe
were deepened by this incident, while the crowd vehemently cried out, ‘Not this
man, but Barabbas.’ Pilate answered, ‘What then shall I do with Jesus?’ The fierce
cry immediately followed. ‘Let him be crucified.’ Pilate, apparently vexed, and not
knowning what to do, said, ‘Why, what evil hath he done?’ but with yet fiercer
fanaticism the crowd yelled out, ‘Away with him! crucify him, crucify him!’ Pilate
yielded, and sent Jesus away to be scourged. This scourging was usually inflicted
by lictors; but as Pilate was only a procurator he had no lictor, and hence his
soldiers inflicted this terrible punishment. This done, the soldiers began to deride
the sufferer, and they threw around him a purple robe, probably some old cast-off
robe of state (Matt. 27:28; John 19:2), and putting a reed in his right hand, and a
crowd of thorns on his head, bowed the knee before him in mockery, and saluted
him, saying, ‘Hail, King of the Jews!’ They took also the reed and smote him with
it on the head and face, and spat in his face, heaping upon him every indignity.
Pilate then led forth Jesus from within the Praetorium (Matt. 27:27) before the
people, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe, saying, ‘Behold the man!’
But the sight of Jesus, now scourged and crowned and bleeding, only stirred their
hatred the more, and again they cried out, ‘Crucify him, crucify him!’ and brought
forth this additional charge against him, that he professed to be ‘the Son of God.’
Pilate heard this accusation with a superstitious awe, and taking him once more
within the Praetorium, asked him, ‘Whence art thou?’ Jesus gave him no answer.
Pilate was irritated by his continued silence, and said, ‘Knowest thou not that I
have power to crucify thee?’ Jesus, with calm dignity, answered the Roman, ‘Thou
couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above.’
After this Pilate seemed more resolved than ever to let Jesus go. The crowd
perceiving this cried out, ‘If thou let this man go, thou art not Caesar’s friend.’
2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries
81
This settled the matter. He was afraid of being accused to the emperor. Calling for
water, he washed his hands in the sight of the people, saying, ‘I am innocent of the
blood of this just person.’ The mob, again scorning his scruples, cried, ‘His blood
be on us, and on our children.’ Pilate was stung to the heart by their insults, and
putting forth Jesus before them, said, ‘Shall I crucify your King?’ The fatal
moment had now come. They madly exclaimed, ‘We have no king but Caesar;’
and now Jesus is given up to them, and led away to be crucified. By the direction
of Pilate an inscription was placed, according to the Roman custom, over the cross,
stating the crime for which he was crucified. Having ascertained from the
centurion that he was dead, he gave up the body to Joseph of Arimathea to be
buried. Pilate’s name now disappears from the Gospel history. References to him,
however, are found in the Acts of the Apostles (3:13; 4:27; 13:28), and in 1 Tim.
6:13. In 36 the governor of Syria brought serious accusations against Pilate, and he
was banished to Vienne in Gaul, where, according to tradition, he committed
suicide.” 3
In 1 Timothy 6:13, the proper noun Pilatos is a genitive of simple apposition
meaning that it stands in apposition to the proper noun Pontius clarifying which
member of the Pontii family that Jesus Christ confessed He was the Jewish
Messiah.
Epi
The preposition epi is a marker of involvement in an official proceeding and
means “before.” (BDAG, page 363). It marks Pontius Pilate’s involvement in the
civil trial of Jesus of Nazareth. It denotes that Jesus of Nazareth stood “before”
Pontius Pilate at His civil trial.
Translation of 1 Timothy 6:13
1 Timothy 6:13 I command you in the presence of God the Father, who does, as an eternal spiritual truth, cause each and every thing to live as well as Christ, who is Jesus, who testified the confession before Pontius Pilate which is of superior importance. (My translation)
Summary of 1 Timothy 6:13
In this verse, the apostle Paul invokes both the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ
to bear witness to his command to Timothy to faithfully carry out his commission
3 Easton, M. (1996). Easton's Bible dictionary. Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries
82
in Ephesus without stain and irreproachable until the coming of Christ at the
rapture of the church. It emphasizes with Timothy that both the Father and the Son
will be witnesses as to whether or not Timothy will faithfully carry out his
commission in Ephesus. It emphasizes with Timothy that he is living and acting in
the presence of these two. It emphasizes with Timothy that he will be held
accountable in the matter by them. It also emphasizes that he will be held
accountable to conscientiously fulfill his commission in Ephesus, which is
explained throughout this epistle.
In 1 Timothy 6:13, Paul describes both the Father and the Son. The expression
“who does, as an eternal spiritual truth, cause each and every thing to live”
describes the Father as giving life to the totality of animate objects that are
contained in the first, second and third heavens and the earth. In other words, He
gives life to everything that is contained in creation, which would include all
marine life, bird life, terrestrial life, human beings and angels. The expression
“who testified the confession before Pontius Pilate which is of superior importance” refers to Jesus Christ’s confession before Pontius Pilate that He was
the king of the Jews. It refers to Jesus Christ testifying before Pontius Pilate that
He was the king of the Jews. It refers to Jesus Christ responding to Pilate’s
question “Are you the king of the Jews?” (Matthew 27:11; Mark 15;2; Luke 23;3;
John 18:33-37). This confession served as the basis for crucifying Him (John
19:12-16; cf. Matthew 27:37; Mark 15:26; Luke 23:38; John 19:19). This
confession of Christ was posted over His cross as the charge against Him.
This confession is described by the adjective kalos as being “noble” in the sense
that Jesus of Nazareth’s confession to Pontius Pilate that He was the king of the
Jews was superior to other confessions since Jesus Christ is superior to any
military or political figure or heathen god because He is the Son of God. It
describes this confession as of the utmost importance in human and angelic history
in that it led to His crucifixion and spiritual and physical deaths which dealt with
the problems of sin and Satan.
The expression τὴν καλὴν ὁµολογίαν appears in both 1 Timothy 6:12 and 13
with the former used of Timothy’s public confession at his baptism that Jesus of
Nazareth was his Savior. It is used in an objective sense of Timothy’s statement
before the church at Lystra of his allegiance to Jesus Christ expressing his binding
assent and public commitment to Him.
1 Timothy 6:12 You yourself continue making it your habit of making every effort to win the race, which is noble by means of your faith. I solemnly
charge you for your own benefit to make it your top priority to experience the life which is eternal for which purpose, you were effectually called with the result that you confessed the confession in the presence of many witnesses, which is of the utmost importance. (My translation)
2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries
83
Now here in 1 Timothy 6:13, this expression is used of Jesus of Nazareth’s
confession to Pontius Pilate that He was the king of the Jews. This parallelism is
significant. It means that in the same way that Jesus of Nazareth faithfully carried
out the Father’s plan by suffering crucifixion and a substitutionary spiritual and
physical death on the cross to defeat sin and Satan so Timothy was to faithfully
carry out his commission, which Paul explains throughout this epistle. Also the
significance of this parallelism is that Timothy’s confession at baptism that he had
become a believer in Jesus Christ was made possible by Jesus of Nazareth’s
confession to Pilate that He was the king of the Jews since this confession was the
basis for His execution. Therefore, Timothy is to faithfully carry out his
commission in Ephesus because he is obligated to the Lord Jesus Christ who died
for him and gave him the forgiveness of sins and eternal life.