1-timothy 6:20
Translations
King James Version (KJV)
O Timothy, keep that which is committed to your trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called:
American King James Version (AKJV)
O Timothy, keep that which is committed to your trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called:
American Standard Version (ASV)
O Timothy, guard that which is committed unto thee , turning away from the profane babblings and oppositions of the knowledge which is falsely so called;
Basic English Translation (BBE)
O Timothy, take good care of that which is given to you, turning away from the wrong and foolish talk and arguments of that knowledge which is falsely so named;
Webster's Revision
O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called;
World English Bible
Timothy, guard that which is committed to you, turning away from the empty chatter and oppositions of the knowledge which is falsely so called;
English Revised Version (ERV)
O Timothy, guard that which is committed unto thee, turning away from the profane babblings and oppositions of the knowledge which is falsely so called;
Definitions for 1-timothy 6:20
Clarke's 1-timothy 6:20 Bible Commentary
O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust - This is another repetition of the apostolic charge. (See 1 Timothy 1:5, 1 Timothy 1:18, 1 Timothy 1:19; 1 Timothy 4:6, 1 Timothy 4:7,1 Timothy 4:14, 1 Timothy 4:15, 1 Timothy 4:16; 1 Timothy 5:21; 1 Timothy 6:13.) Carefully preserve that doctrine which I have delivered to thee. Nothing can be more solemn and affectionate than this charge.
Avoiding profane and vain babblings - See on 1 Timothy 1:4 (note), and 1 Timothy 4:7 (note)
And oppositions of science falsely so called - Και αντιθεσεις της ψευδωνυμου γνωσεως· And oppositions of knowledge falsely so named. Dr. Macknight's note here is worthy of much attention: "In the enumeration of the different kinds of inspiration bestowed on the first preachers of the Gospel, 1 Corinthians 12:8, we find the word of knowledge mentioned; by which is meant that kind of inspiration which gave to the apostles and superior Christian prophets the knowledge of the true meaning of the Jewish Scriptures. This inspiration the false teachers pretending to possess, dignified their misinterpretations of the ancient Scriptures with the name of knowledge, that is, inspired knowledge; for so the word signifies, 1 Corinthians 14:6. And as by these interpretations they endeavored to establish the efficacy of the Levitical atonements, the apostle very properly termed these interpretations oppositions of knowledge, because they were framed to establish doctrines opposite to, and subversive of, the Gospel. To destroy the credit of these teachers, he affirmed that the knowledge from which they proceeded was falsely called inspired knowledge; for they were not inspired with the knowledge of the meaning of the Scriptures, but only pretended to it." Others think that the apostle has the Gnostics in view. But it is not clear that these heretics, or whatever they were, had any proper existence at this time. On the whole, Dr. Macknight's interpretation seems to be the best.
Barnes's 1-timothy 6:20 Bible Commentary
Keep that which is committed to thy trust - All that is entrusted to you, and to which reference has been particularly made in this Epistle. The honor of the gospel, and the interests of religion, had been specially committed to him; and he was sacredly to guard this holy trust, and not suffer it to be wrested from him.
Avoiding profane and vain babblings - Greek, "Profane, empty words." The reference is to such controversies and doctrines as tended only to produce strife, and were not adapted to promote the edification of the church; see the notes on 1 Timothy 1:4; 1 Timothy 4:7.
And oppositions of science falsely so called - Religion has nothing to fear from true science, and the minister of the gospel is not exhorted to dread that. Real science, in all its advances, contributes to the support of religion; and just in proportion as that is promoted will it be found to sustain the Bible, and to confirm the claims of religion to the faith of mankind. See this illustrated at length in Wiseman's Lectures on the connection between science and religion. It is only false or pretended science that religion has to dread, and which the friend of Christianity is to avoid. The meaning here is, that Timothy was to avoid everything which falsely laid claim to being "knowledge" or "science." There was much of this in the world at the time the apostle wrote; and this, more perhaps than anything else, has tended to corrupt true religion since.
Wesley's 1-timothy 6:20 Bible Commentary
6:20 Keep that which is committed to thy trust - The charge I have given thee, 1:18 .Avoid profane empty babblings - How weary of controversy was this acute disputant! And knowledge falsely so called - Most of the ancient heretics were great pretenders to knowledge.