1 Timothy 4:8 (WEB)

Passage

For bodily exercise has some value, but godliness has value in all things, having the promise of the life which is now, and of that which is to come.

Nearby Context

1 Timothy 4:6 If you instruct the brothers of these things, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, nourished in the words of the faith, and of the good doctrine which you have followed.

1 Timothy 4:7 But refuse profane and old wives’ fables. Exercise yourself toward godliness.

1 Timothy 4:8 For bodily exercise has some value, but godliness has value in all things, having the promise of the life which is now, and of that which is to come.

1 Timothy 4:9 This saying is faithful and worthy of all acceptance.

1 Timothy 4:10 For to this end we both labor and suffer reproach, because we have set our trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "all things", "bodily", "exercise", "some", "value", "godliness", and "having". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "all things" and "bodily", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 7's "But refuse profane and old wives fables..." into verse 9's "This saying is faithful and worthy of...", so "all things" and "bodily" 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 "all things" and "bodily" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.