The Meaning of 1 Timothy 5:12 Explained

1 Timothy 5:12

KJV: Having damnation, because they have cast off their first faith.

YLT: having judgment, because the first faith they did cast away,

Darby: being guilty, because they have cast off their first faith.

ASV: having condemnation, because they have rejected their first pledge.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Having  damnation,  because  they have cast off  their first  faith. 

What does 1 Timothy 5:12 Mean?

Context Summary

1 Timothy 5:9-16 - Home-Keeping Industry Enjoined
The sphere of the younger woman must be in the home. This is the noblest work of all, and wherever it exists, it has the prior claim; yet even during the years of early motherhood there may still be opportunities of offering hospitality to strangers, ministering to the children of God who need refreshment and comfort, and diligently assisting in good work. These offices lovingly and humbly performed, will serve as a gracious opening for further ministries of the same description in the later period of life.
The Apostle says nothing about remarriage in general, but simply refers to the fact that young women who have become widows are likely to accept the offer of a second marriage, and so abjure that first faith, in which they had pledged themselves to the service of the church. Unless there is great watchfulness, the practice of going from house to house, ostensibly on church business, may degenerate into gossip-mongering. Therefore it was wiser not to put young women on the church service roll. If they did not marry a second time, they might at least work for the maintenance of others, widows like themselves, but less able to help themselves. There must be no idling. [source]

Chapter Summary: 1 Timothy 5

1  Rules to be observed in reproving
3  Of widows
17  Of elders
23  A precept for Timothy's health
24  Some men's sins go before unto judgment, and some men's follow after

Greek Commentary for 1 Timothy 5:12

Condemnation [κριμα]
See note on 1 Timothy 3:6. [source]
They have rejected [ητετησαν]
First aorist passive of ατετεω — atheteō late verb (first in lxx and Polybius), to reject, set aside (from ατετος — athetos). See note on 1 Thessalonians 4:8; Galatians 2:21. Their first faith (την πρωτην πιστιν — tēn prōtēn pistin). “Their first pledge” (promise, contract) to Christ. It is like breaking the marriage contract. Evidently one of the pledges on joining the order of widows was not to marry. Parry suggests a kind of ordination as with deacons and bishops (technical use of κριμα — krima and πιστις — pistis). [source]
Their first faith [την πρωτην πιστιν]
“Their first pledge” (promise, contract) to Christ. It is like breaking the marriage contract. Evidently one of the pledges on joining the order of widows was not to marry. Parry suggests a kind of ordination as with deacons and bishops (technical use of κριμα — krima and πιστις — pistis). [source]
Having damnation [ἔχουσαι κρίμα]
The phrase only here. See on 1 Timothy 3:6. Damnation is an unfortunate rendering in the light of the present common understanding of the word, as it is also in 1 Corinthians 11:29. Better, judgment or condemnation, as Romans 3:8; Romans 13:2. The meaning is that they carry about with them in their new, married life a condemnation, a continuous reproach. Comp. 1 Timothy 4:2; Galatians 5:10. It should be said for the translators of 1611 that they used damnation in this sense of, judgment or condemnation, as is shown by the present participle having. In its earlier usage the word implied no allusion to a future punishment. Thus Chaucer“For wel thou woost (knowest) thyselven verrailyThat thou and I be dampned to prisoun.”Knight's T. 1175.Wiclif: “Nethir thou dredist God, that thou art in the same dampnacioun?” Luke 23:40. Laud.: “Pope Alexander III. condemned Peter Lombard of heresy, and he lay under that damnation for thirty and six years.” “A legacy by damnation” was one in which the testator imposed on his heir an obligation to give the legatee the thing bequeathed, and which afforded the legatee a personal claim against the heir. [source]
They have cast off their first faith [τὴν πρώτην πίστιν ἠθέτησαν]
Ἁθετεῖν is to set aside, do away with, reject or slight. See Mark 6:26; Luke 10:16; Hebrews 10:28. Often in lxx. Πίστιν is pledge: so frequently in Class. with give and receive. See, for instance, Plato, Phaedr. 256 D. In lxx, Galatians href="/desk/?q=ga+3:15&sr=1">Galatians 3:15, διαθήκην ἀθετεῖν torender a covenant void. In lxx with oath, 2 Chronicles 36:13. Psalm 14:4: “He that sweareth to his neighbor καὶ οὐκ ἀθετῶν. ” Psalm 88:34; 131:11; 1 Maccabees 6:62. The meaning here is, having broken their first pledge; and this may refer to a pledge to devote themselves, after they became widows, to the service of Christ and the church. The whole matter is obscure. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for 1 Timothy 5:12

2 Thessalonians 2:12 Might be damned [κριθῶσιν]
More correctly, judged. See on damnation, 1 Timothy 5:12. [source]
1 Timothy 1:10 The sound doctrine [τῇ ὑγιαινούσῃ διδασκαλίᾳ]
A phrase peculiar to the Pastorals. Ὑγιαίνειν tobe in good health, Luke 5:31; Luke 7:10; 3 John 1:2. oP. Quite frequent in lxx, and invariably in the literal sense. Often in salutations or dismissals. See 9:19; 2Samuel href="/desk/?q=2sa+14:8&sr=1">2 Samuel 14:8; Exodus 4:18. In the Pastorals, the verb, which occurs eight times, is six times associated with διδασκαλία teachingor λόγοι wordsand twice with ἐν τῇ πίστει or τῇ πίστει inthe faith. The sound teaching (comp. διδαχή teaching 2 Timothy 4:2; Titus 1:9) which is thus commended is Paul's, who teaches in Christ's name and by his authority (2 Timothy 1:13; 2 Timothy 2:2, 2 Timothy 2:8). In all the three letters it is called ἀλη.θεια or ἡ ἀλήθεια thetruth, the knowledge ( ἐπίγνωσις ) of which is bound up with salvation. See 1 Timothy 2:4; 2 Timothy 2:25; 2 Timothy 3:7; Titus 1:1. As truth it is sound or healthful. It is the object of faith. To be sound in the faith is, practically, to follow ( παρακολουθεῖν ) sound teaching or the truth. The subjective characteristic of Christians is εὐσέβεια or θεοσέβεια godlinessor piety (1 Timothy 2:2, 1 Timothy 2:10; 1 Timothy 3:16; 1 Timothy 4:7, 1 Timothy 4:8; 1 Timothy 6:6, 1 Timothy 6:11); and the teaching and knowledge of the truth are represented as κατ ' εὐσέβειαν accordingto godliness (1 Timothy 6:3; Titus 1:1). Comp. εὐσεβεῖν toshow piety, 1 Timothy 5:4. εὐσεβῶς ζῇν to live godly, 2 Timothy 3:12; Titus 2:12; and βίον διάγειν ἐν πάσῃ εὐσεβείᾳ tolead a life in all godliness, 1 Timothy 2:2. The contents of this sound teaching which is according to godliness are not theoretical or dogmatic truth, but Christian ethics, with faith and love. See 1 Timothy 1:14; 1 Timothy 2:15; 1 Timothy 4:12; 1 Timothy 6:11; 2 Timothy 1:13; 2 Timothy 3:10; Titus 2:2. Ἁλήθεια truthis used of moral things, rather than in the high religious sense of Paul. Comp., for instance, Romans 3:7; Romans 9:1; 1 Corinthians 5:8; 2 Corinthians 4:2; 2 Corinthians 11:10; Galatians 2:5; Ephesians 4:21, Ephesians 4:24; and 2 Timothy 2:25, 2 Timothy 2:26; 2 Timothy 3:7(comp. 2 Timothy 3:1-9); 2 Timothy 4:3, 2 Timothy 4:4; Titus 1:12(comp. Titus 1:11, Titus 1:15); Titus 2:4(comp. Titus 2:1, Titus 2:3); Titus 3:1. Whoever grasps the truth has faith (2 Timothy 1:13; 2 Timothy 2:18; 2 Timothy 3:8; Titus 1:3f.). That the ethical character of faith is emphasized, appears from the numerous expressions regarding the false teachers, as 1 Timothy 1:19; 1 Timothy 4:1; 1 Timothy 5:8, 1 Timothy 5:12; 1 Timothy 6:10, 1 Timothy 6:21. There is a tendency to objectify faith, regarding it as something believed rather than as the act of believing. See 1 Timothy 1:19; 1 Timothy 4:1; 1 Timothy 6:10, 1 Timothy 6:21; Titus 1:4. In comparing the ideal of righteousness (1 Timothy 1:9) with that of Paul, note that it is not denied that Christ is the source of true righteousness; but according to Paul, the man who is not under the law is the man who lives by faith in Christ. Paul emphasizes this. It is faith in Christ which sets one free from the law. Here, the man for whom the law is not made (1 Timothy 1:9) is the man who is ethically conformed to the norm of sound teaching. The two conceptions do not exclude each other: the sound teaching is according to the gospel (1 Timothy 1:11), but the point of emphasis is shifted.| [source]
Titus 2:10 Fidelity [πιστιν]
See note on Galatians 5:22; 1 Timothy 5:12 for πιστις — pistis in the sense of faithfulness. Nowhere else in the N.T. do we have αγατη — agathē with πιστις — pistis as here, but an Oxyr. papyrus (iii. 494, 9) has this very phrase Westcott and Hort put αγαπην — agapēn in the margin. See note on Titus 3:2. That they may adorn (ινα κοσμωσιν — hina kosmōsin). Final clause with ινα — hina and present active subjunctive. See note on 1 Timothy 2:9 for κοσμεω — kosmeō Paul shows slaves how they may “adorn” the teaching of God. [source]

What do the individual words in 1 Timothy 5:12 mean?

incurring judgment because the first faith they have cast off
ἔχουσαι κρίμα ὅτι τὴν πρώτην πίστιν ἠθέτησαν

ἔχουσαι  incurring 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Active, Nominative Feminine Plural
Root: ἔχω  
Sense: to have, i.e. to hold.
κρίμα  judgment 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Neuter Singular
Root: κρίμα  
Sense: a decree, judgments.
ὅτι  because 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: ὅτι  
Sense: that, because, since.
πρώτην  first 
Parse: Adjective, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: πρῶτος  
Sense: first in time or place.
πίστιν  faith 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: πίστις  
Sense: conviction of the truth of anything, belief; in the NT of a conviction or belief respecting man’s relationship to God and divine things, generally with the included idea of trust and holy fervour born of faith and joined with it.
ἠθέτησαν  they  have  cast  off 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Plural
Root: ἀθετέω  
Sense: to do away with, to set aside, disregard.

What are the major concepts related to 1 Timothy 5:12?

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