1 Timothy 6:2
New International Version
Those who have believing masters should not show them disrespect just because they are fellow believers. Instead, they should serve them even better because their masters are dear to them as fellow believers and are devoted to the welfare of their slaves. These are the things you are to teach and insist on.

New Living Translation
If the masters are believers, that is no excuse for being disrespectful. Those slaves should work all the harder because their efforts are helping other believers who are well loved. Teach these things, Timothy, and encourage everyone to obey them.

English Standard Version
Those who have believing masters must not be disrespectful on the ground that they are brothers; rather they must serve all the better since those who benefit by their good service are believers and beloved. Teach and urge these things.

Berean Standard Bible
Those who have believing masters should not show disrespect because they are brothers, but should serve them all the more, since those receiving their good service are beloved believers. Teach and encourage these principles.

Berean Literal Bible
Now those having believing masters, let them not despise them because they are brothers; but rather, let them serve them, because those being helped by the good service are believing and beloved. Teach and exhort these things.

King James Bible
And they that have believing masters, let them not despise them, because they are brethren; but rather do them service, because they are faithful and beloved, partakers of the benefit. These things teach and exhort.

New King James Version
And those who have believing masters, let them not despise them because they are brethren, but rather serve them because those who are benefited are believers and beloved. Teach and exhort these things.

New American Standard Bible
Those who have believers as their masters must not be disrespectful to them because they are brothers or sisters, but must serve them all the more, because those who partake of the benefit are believers and beloved. Teach and preach these principles.

NASB 1995
Those who have believers as their masters must not be disrespectful to them because they are brethren, but must serve them all the more, because those who partake of the benefit are believers and beloved. Teach and preach these principles.

NASB 1977
And let those who have believers as their masters not be disrespectful to them because they are brethren, but let them serve them all the more, because those who partake of the benefit are believers and beloved. Teach and preach these principles.

Legacy Standard Bible
But those who have believers as their masters must not be disrespectful to them because they are brothers, but must serve them all the more, because those who partake of the benefit are believers and beloved. Teach and exhort these things.

Amplified Bible
Those who have believing masters are not to be disrespectful toward them because they are brothers [in Christ], but they should serve them even better, because those who benefit from their kindly service are believers and beloved. Teach and urge these [duties and principles].

Christian Standard Bible
Let those who have believing masters not be disrespectful to them because they are brothers, but serve them even better, since those who benefit from their service are believers and dearly loved. Teach and encourage these things.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Those who have believing masters should not be disrespectful to them because they are brothers, but should serve them better, since those who benefit from their service are believers and dearly loved. Teach and encourage these things.

American Standard Version
And they that have believing masters, let them not despise them, because they are brethren; but let them serve them the rather, because they that partake of the benefit are believing and beloved. These things teach and exhort.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
Let those who have believing masters not despise them, because they are their brothers, but let them rather serve them, because they are believers and beloved, by whom they are at peace in their service. Teach these things and implore them.

Contemporary English Version
If any of you slaves have owners who are followers, you should show them respect. After all, they are also followers of Christ, and he loves them. So you should serve and help them the best you can. These are the things you must teach and tell the people to do.

Douay-Rheims Bible
But they that have believing masters, let them not despise them, because they are brethren; but serve them the rather, because they are faithful and beloved, who are partakers of the benefit. These things teach and exhort.

English Revised Version
And they that have believing masters, let them not despise them, because they are brethren; but let them serve them the rather, because they that partake of the benefit are believing and beloved. These things teach and exhort.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Slaves whose masters also believe should respect their masters even though their masters are also believers. As a result, believers who are slaves should serve their masters even better because those who receive the benefit of their work are believers whom they love. Teach and encourage people to do these things.

Good News Translation
Slaves belonging to Christian masters must not despise them, for they are believers too. Instead, they are to serve them even better, because those who benefit from their work are believers whom they love. You must teach and preach these things.

International Standard Version
Moreover, those who have believing masters should be respectful to them, because they are fellow believers. In fact, they must serve them even better, because those who benefit from their service are believers and dear to them. These are the things you must teach and exhort.

Literal Standard Version
and those having believing masters, do not let them slight [them], because they are brothers, but rather let them serve, because they are steadfast and beloved, who are partaking of the benefit. Be teaching and exhorting these things;

Majority Standard Bible
Those who have believing masters should not show disrespect because they are brothers, but should serve them all the more, since those receiving their good service are beloved believers. Teach and encourage these principles.

New American Bible
Those whose masters are believers must not take advantage of them because they are brothers but must give better service because those who will profit from their work are believers and are beloved. Teach and urge these things.

NET Bible
But those who have believing masters must not show them less respect because they are brothers. Instead they are to serve all the more, because those who benefit from their service are believers and dearly loved. Summary of Timothy's Duties Teach them and exhort them about these things.

New Revised Standard Version
Those who have believing masters must not be disrespectful to them on the ground that they are members of the church; rather they must serve them all the more, since those who benefit by their service are believers and beloved. Teach and urge these duties.

New Heart English Bible
Those who have believing masters, let them not despise them, because they are brothers, but rather let them serve them, because those who partake of the benefit are believing and beloved. Teach and exhort these things.

Webster's Bible Translation
And they that have believing masters, let them not despise them, because they are brethren; but rather do them service, because they are faithful and beloved, partakers of the benefit. These things teach and exhort.

Weymouth New Testament
And those who have believing masters should not be wanting in respect towards them because they are their brethren, but should serve them all the more willingly because those who profit by the faithful service rendered are believers and are friends.

World English Bible
Those who have believing masters, let them not despise them because they are brothers, but rather let them serve them, because those who partake of the benefit are believing and beloved. Teach and exhort these things.

Young's Literal Translation
and those having believing masters, let them not slight them, because they are brethren, but rather let them serve, because they are stedfast and beloved, who of the benefit are partaking. These things be teaching and exhorting;

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Instructions to Servants
1All who are under the yoke of slavery should regard their masters as fully worthy of honor, so that God’s name and our teaching will not be discredited. 2 Those who have believing masters should not show disrespect because they are brothers, but should serve them all the more, since those receiving their good service are beloved believers. Teach and encourage these principles. 3If anyone teaches another doctrine and disagrees with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and with godly teaching,…

Cross References
Acts 1:15
In those days Peter stood up among the brothers (a gathering of about a hundred and twenty) and said,

Galatians 3:28
There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

1 Timothy 4:11
Command and teach these things.

Philemon 1:16
no longer as a slave, but better than a slave, as a beloved brother. He is especially beloved to me, but even more so to you, both in person and in the Lord.


Treasury of Scripture

And they that have believing masters, let them not despise them, because they are brothers; but rather do them service, because they are faithful and beloved, partakers of the benefit. These things teach and exhort.

believing.

Colossians 4:1
Masters, give unto your servants that which is just and equal; knowing that ye also have a Master in heaven.

Philemon 1:10
I beseech thee for my son Onesimus, whom I have begotten in my bonds:

let.

Genesis 16:4,5
And he went in unto Hagar, and she conceived: and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes…

Numbers 16:3
And they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron, and said unto them, Ye take too much upon you, seeing all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the LORD is among them: wherefore then lift ye up yourselves above the congregation of the LORD?

Matthew 6:24
No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

because they are brethren.

1 Timothy 5:1
Rebuke not an elder, but intreat him as a father; and the younger men as brethren;

Matthew 23:8
But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren.

Matthew 25:40
And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

because they are.

Galatians 5:6
For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.

Ephesians 1:1,15
Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus: …

Colossians 1:2,4
To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ which are at Colosse: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ…

faithful.

Joel 2:28
And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:

Romans 11:17
And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert graffed in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree;

Ephesians 3:6
That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:

These.

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Believing Beloved Benefit Despise Duties Exhort Faithful Instead Masters Partake Partakers Preach Principles Profit Rather Rendered Respect Serve Service Show Teach Towards Urge Wanting Willingly
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Believing Beloved Benefit Despise Duties Exhort Faithful Instead Masters Partake Partakers Preach Principles Profit Rather Rendered Respect Serve Service Show Teach Towards Urge Wanting Willingly
1 Timothy 6
1. Of the duty of servants.
3. Not to have fellowship with newfangled teachers.
6. Godliness is great gain;
10. and love of money the root of all evil.
11. What Timothy is to flee, and what to follow.
17. and whereof to admonish the rich.
20. To keep the purity of true doctrine, and to avoid godless ideas.














(2) And they that have believing masters, let them not despise them, because they are brethren.--This being in servitude to Christian masters, of course, in the days of St. Paul would happen less frequently. Let those Christian slaves who have the good fortune to serve "believing masters" allow no such thoughts as, "Shall I remain my brother's slave?" take root in the breast and poison the life-work. Let them not presume on the common brotherhood of men in Christ, on their being fellow-heirs of heaven, and on this account deem their earthly masters their equals, and so refuse them the customary respect and attention. Let them remember that, though in heaven there would be no respect of persons, on earth the old class differences were not removed.

But rather do them service, because they are faithful and beloved, partakers of the benefit.--The Greek here is better translated thus: but the rather serve them, because believing and beloved are they who are partakers of their good service. Let these slaves of Christians rather (or, the more) serve their masters zealously and loyally, because the masters who will profit by their true faithful service are themselves believers in Jesus, the beloved of God. This thought should never be absent from the heart of a Christian slave to a Christian master. "Every good piece of work I do will be a kindness shown to one who loves my Lord."

Verse 2. - Let them serve them the rather for rather do them service, A.V.; that partake of the benefit are believing and beloved for are faithful and beloved, partakers of the benefit, A.V. They that have believing masters. The direction in the preceding verse applied to all slaves, though chiefly to what, as Alford says, was far the commonest ease, that of those who had unbelieving masters. But now he adds a caution with regard to the Christian slave of a Christian master. There was a danger lest the feeling that slaves and masters are brothers in Christ should unduly interfere with the respect which he owed him as his master. And so St. Paul addresses a word of special advice to such. Let them not despise them. Let not their spiritual equality with their masters lead them to underrate the worldly difference that separates them; or to think slightly of the authority of a master relatively to his slaves (comp. 2 Peter 2:10). But let them serve them the rather, because they that partake of the benefit are believing and beloved. There is a good deal of obscurity in this sentence, but it may be observed first that the grammatical rendering of the R.V. is clearly right, and that of the A.V. clearly wrong. "They that partake of the benefit" is beyond all doubt the subject, and not the predicate. Then the construction of the two sentences (this and the preceding one) makes it certain that the subject in this sentence (οἱ τῆς εὐεργεσίας ἀντιλαμβανόμενοι) are the same persons as the δέσποται in the preceding sentence, because it is predicated of them both that they are πιστοί, and of both that they are, in convertible terms, ἀγαπητοί and ἀδελφοί. And this leads us, with nearly certainty, to the further conclusion that the εὐεργεσία, the beneficium, or "benefit," spoken of is that especial service - that service of love and good will running ahead of necessary duty, which the Christian slave gives to the Christian master; a sense which the very remarkable passage quoted by Alford from Seneca strikingly confirms. The only remaining difficulty, then, is the meaning "partake of" ascribed to ἀντιλαμβανόμενοι But this is scarcely a difficulty. It is true that in the only two other passages in the New Testament where this verb occurs, and in its frequent use in the LXX., it has the sense of "helping" (Luke 1:54; Acts 20:35); but there is nothing strange in this. The verb in the middle voice means to "lay hold of," You may lay hold of for the purpose of helping, supporting, clinging to, laying claim to, holding in check, etc. (see Liddell and Scott). Here the masters lay hold of the benefit for the purpose of enjoying it. There is possibly an indication in the word that the masters actively and willingly accept it - they stretch out their hand to take it. There does not seem to be any sense of reciprocity, as some think, in the use of ἀντι. The sense of the whole passage seems to be clearly, "Let not those who have believing masters think slightly of their authority because they are brethren; but let them do them extra service, beyond what they are obliged to do, for the very reason that those whom they will thus benefit are believing and beloved brethren." Teach (δίδασκε). Observe the connection of this word with the ἡ διδασκαλίΑ of vers. 1, 3, and elsewhere.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
Those who
οἱ (hoi)
Article - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

have
ἔχοντες (echontes)
Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 2192: To have, hold, possess. Including an alternate form scheo skheh'-o; a primary verb; to hold.

believing
πιστοὺς (pistous)
Adjective - Accusative Masculine Plural
Strong's 4103: Trustworthy, faithful, believing. From peitho; objectively, trustworthy; subjectively, trustful.

masters
δεσπότας (despotas)
Noun - Accusative Masculine Plural
Strong's 1203: A lord, master, or prince. Perhaps from deo and posis; an absolute ruler.

should not show disrespect
καταφρονείτωσαν (kataphroneitōsan)
Verb - Present Imperative Active - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 2706: To despise, scorn, and show it by active insult, disregard. From kata and phroneo; to think against, i.e. Disesteem.

because
ὅτι (hoti)
Conjunction
Strong's 3754: Neuter of hostis as conjunction; demonstrative, that; causative, because.

they are
εἰσιν (eisin)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 1510: I am, exist. The first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb; I exist.

brothers,
ἀδελφοί (adelphoi)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 80: A brother, member of the same religious community, especially a fellow-Christian. A brother near or remote.

but
ἀλλὰ (alla)
Conjunction
Strong's 235: But, except, however. Neuter plural of allos; properly, other things, i.e. contrariwise.

should serve [them]
δουλευέτωσαν (douleuetōsan)
Verb - Present Imperative Active - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 1398: To be a slave, be subject to, obey, be devoted. From doulos; to be a slave to.

all the more,
μᾶλλον (mallon)
Adverb
Strong's 3123: More, rather. Neuter of the comparative of the same as malista; more) or rather.

since
ὅτι (hoti)
Conjunction
Strong's 3754: Neuter of hostis as conjunction; demonstrative, that; causative, because.

those
οἱ (hoi)
Article - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

receiving
ἀντιλαμβανόμενοι (antilambanomenoi)
Verb - Present Participle Middle or Passive - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 482: From anti and the middle voice of lambano; to take hold of in turn, i.e. Succor; also to participate.

[their]
τῆς (tēs)
Article - Genitive Feminine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

good service
εὐεργεσίας (euergesias)
Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular
Strong's 2108: Good action, well-doing, benefiting, kind service. From euergetes; beneficence.

are
εἰσιν (eisin)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 1510: I am, exist. The first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb; I exist.

beloved
ἀγαπητοὶ (agapētoi)
Adjective - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 27: From agapao; beloved.

believers.
πιστοί (pistoi)
Adjective - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 4103: Trustworthy, faithful, believing. From peitho; objectively, trustworthy; subjectively, trustful.

Teach
δίδασκε (didaske)
Verb - Present Imperative Active - 2nd Person Singular
Strong's 1321: To teach, direct, admonish. A prolonged form of a primary verb dao; to teach.

and
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

encourage
παρακάλει (parakalei)
Verb - Present Imperative Active - 2nd Person Singular
Strong's 3870: From para and kaleo; to call near, i.e. Invite, invoke.

these [principles].
Ταῦτα (Tauta)
Demonstrative Pronoun - Accusative Neuter Plural
Strong's 3778: This; he, she, it.


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NT Letters: 1 Timothy 6:2 Those who have believing masters let them (1 Tim. 1Ti iTi 1tim i Tm)
1 Timothy 6:1
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