1 Timothy 6:18 (ASV)

Passage

that they do good, that they be rich in good works, that they be ready to distribute, willing to communicate;

Nearby Context

1 Timothy 6:16 who only hath immortality, dwelling in light unapproachable; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom [be] honor and power eternal. Amen.

1 Timothy 6:17 Charge them that are rich in this present world, that they be not highminded, nor have their hope set on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy;

1 Timothy 6:18 that they do good, that they be rich in good works, that they be ready to distribute, willing to communicate;

1 Timothy 6:19 laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on the life which is [life] indeed.

1 Timothy 6:20 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;

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "good works", "rich", "ready", "distribute", "willing", and "communicate". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "good works" and "rich", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 17's "Charge them that are rich in this..." into verse 19's "laying up in store for themselves a...", so "good works" and "rich" belong inside that flow. In 1 Timothy context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "good works" and "rich" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.