1 Timothy 6:13

1 Timothy 6:13

I give thee charge in the sight of God, who quickeneth all things, and before Christ Jesus, who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession;

a. NLT: And I charge you before God, who gives life to all, and before Christ Jesus, who gave a good testimony before Pontius Pilate,

b. NIV: In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you.

c. YLT: I charge thee, before God, who is making all things alive, and of Christ Jesus, who did testify before Pontius Pilate the right profession,

d. Amplified Bible: In the presence of God, Who preserves alive all living things, and of Christ Jesus, Who in His testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I [solemnly] charge you.

e. Worrell Translation: I charge you before God who preserves alive all things, and Christ Jesus Who before Pontius Pilate testified a good confession,

f. Wuest Translation: I am giving you a charge in the presence of God who is constantly preserving in life all things, and Christ Jesus, the One who in His testimony before Pontius Pilate made a good profession.

1. “I give thee charge in the sight of God…”

a. I give…charge [Strong: 3853 paraggello par-ang-gel'-lo from 3844 and the base of 32; to transmit a message, i.e. (by implication) to enjoin:--(give in) charge, (give) command(-ment), declare.] [Thayer: to transmit a message along from one to another, to declare, announce, to command, order, charge.]

b. thee [Strong: 4671 soi soy dative case of 4771; to thee:--thee, thine own, thou, thy.

c. in the sight [Strong: 1799 enopion en-o'-pee-on neuter of a compound of 1722 and a derivative of 3700; in the face of (literally or figuratively):--before, in the presence (sight) of, to.]

d. of God [Strong: 2316  theos theh'-os of uncertain affinity; a deity, especially (with 3588) the supreme Divinity; figuratively, a magistrate; by Hebraism, very:--X exceeding, God, god(-ly, -ward).]

1). The word “charge” is used many times in the Old Testament in connection with the commandments of God. It is never used lightly. One can do a word search of it and be struck by the heaviness associated with it.

a). 1 Kings 2:1-3 Now the days of David drew nigh that he should die; and he charged Solomon his son, saying,

2:2 I go the way of all the earth: be thou strong therefore, and shew thy self a man;

2:3 And keep the charge of the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, to keep his statutes, and his commandments, and his judgments, and his testimonies, as it is written in the law of Moses, that thou mayest prosper in all that thou doest, and whitherso ever thou turnest thyself.

b). Numbers 27:18-23 And the LORD said unto Moses, Take thee Joshua the son of Nun, an man in whom is the spirit, and lay thine hand upon him;

27:19 And set him before Eleazar the priest, and before all the congregation; and give him a charge in their sight.

27:20 And thou shalt put some of thine honour upon him, that all the congregation of the children of Israel may be obedient.

27:21 And he shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall ask counsel for him after the judgment of the Urim before the LORD: at his word shall they go out, and at his word they shall come in, both he, and all the children of Israel with him, even all the congregation.

27:22 And Moses did as the LORD commanded him: and he took Joshua, and set him before Eleazar the priest, and before all the congregation:

27:23 And he laid his hands upon him, and gave him a charge, as the LORD commanded by the hand of Moses.

2). Paul is commanding us in the sight of God, in other words, God can bear witness to Paul that he spoke this to us.

2. “…who quickeneth all things…”

a. who [Strong: 3588 ho ho, including the feminine he hay, and the neuter to to in all their inflections; the definite article; the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom):--the, this, that, one, he, she, it, etc.]

b. quickeneth [Strong: 2227  zoopoieo dzo-op-oy-eh'-o from the same as 2226 and 4160; to (re-)vitalize (literally or figuratively):--make alive, give life, quicken.] [Thayer: to produce alive, begat or bear living young, to cause to live, make alive, give life, by spiritual power to arouse and invigorate, to restore to life, to give increase of life: thus of physical life, of the spirit, quickening as respects the spirit, endued with new and greater powers of life, metaph., of seeds quickened into life, i.e. germinating, springing up, growing.]

c. all [things] [Strong: 3956 pas pas including all the forms of declension; apparently a primary word; all, any, every, the whole:--all (manner of, means), alway(-s), any (one), X daily, + ever, every (one, way), as many as, + no(-thing), X thoroughly, whatsoever, whole, whosoever.]

1). This part of the command is so very important to understanding the principle of confessing the word. The Scripture says here that God “quickeneth all things”, including our words when we are saying the same thing as His word says. God will quicken our words and when that happens our words are full of faith, full of power, because they are not our words, we are confessing His words and God has quickened them. Here is where Mark 11 comes in play.

a). Mark 11:22-24 And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.

11:23 For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.

11:24 Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.

3. “…and before Christ Jesus, who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession.”

a. and [before] [Strong: 2532 kai kahee apparently, a primary particle, having a copulative and sometimes also a cumulative force; and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words:--and, also, both, but, even, for, if, or, so, that, then, therefore, when, yet.]

b. Christ [Strong: 5547 Christos khris-tos' from 5548; anointed, i.e. the Messiah, an epithet of Jesus:--Christ.]

c. Jesus [Strong: 2424 Iesous ee-ay-sooce' of Hebrew origin (3091); Jesus (i.e. Jehoshua), the name of our Lord and two (three) other Israelites:--Jesus.]

d. who [Strong: 3588 ho ho, including the feminine he hay, and the neuter to to in all their inflections; the definite article; the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom):--the, this, that, one, he, she, it, etc.]

e. before [Strong: 1909 epi ep-ee' a primary preposition; properly, meaning superimposition (of time, place, order, etc.), as a relation of distribution (with the genitive case), i.e. over, upon, etc.; of rest (with the dative case) at, on, etc.; of direction (with the accusative case) towards, upon, etc.:--about (the times), above, after, against, among, as long as (touching), at, beside, X have charge of, (be-, (where-))fore, in (a place, as much as, the time of, -to), (because) of, (up-)on (behalf of), over, (by, for) the space of, through(-out), (un-)to(-ward), with. In compounds it retains essentially the same import, at, upon, etc. (literally or figuratively).]

f. Pontius [Strong: 4194 Pontios pon'-tee-os of Latin origin; apparently bridged; Pontius, a Roman:--Pontius.]

g. Pilate [Strong: 4091 Pilatos pil-at'-os of Latin origin; close-pressed, i.e. firm; Pilatus, a Roman:--Pilate.]

h. witnessed [Strong: 3140 martureo mar-too-reh'-o from 3144; to be a witness, i.e. testify (literally or figuratively):--charge, give (evidence), bear record, have (obtain, of) good (honest) report, be well reported of, testify, give (have) testimony, (be, bear, give, obtain) witness.]

i. a good [Strong: 2570 kalos kal-os' of uncertain affinity; properly, beautiful, but chiefly (figuratively) good (literally or morally), i.e. valuable or virtuous (for appearance or use, and thus distinguished from 18, which is properly intrinsic):--X better, fair, good(-ly), honest, meet, well, worthy.]

j. confession [Strong: 3671 homologia hom-ol-og-ee'-ah from the same as 3670; acknowledgment:--con- (pro-)fession, professed.]

1). The charge that was given by Paul to us in the sight of God is also given in the sight of Christ Jesus.