1 Timothy 6:5 (DBY)

Passage

constant quarrellings of men corrupted in mind and destitute of the truth, holding gain to be [the end of] piety.

Nearby Context

1 Timothy 6:3 If any one teach differently, and do not accede to sound words, those of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the teaching which [is] according to piety,

1 Timothy 6:4 he is puffed up, knowing nothing, but sick about questions and disputes of words, out of which arise envy, strife, injurious words, evil suspicions,

1 Timothy 6:5 constant quarrellings of men corrupted in mind and destitute of the truth, holding gain to be [the end of] piety.

1 Timothy 6:6 But piety with contentment *is* great gain.

1 Timothy 6:7 For we have brought nothing into the world: [it is] [manifest] that neither can we carry anything out.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "constant", "quarrellings", "corrupted", "mind", "destitute", "truth", "holding", and "gain". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "constant" and "quarrellings", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 4's "he is puffed up knowing nothing but..." into verse 6's "But piety with contentment is great gain...", so "constant" and "quarrellings" 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 "constant" and "quarrellings" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.