1 Timothy 6:4 (WEB)

Passage

he is conceited, knowing nothing, but obsessed with arguments, disputes, and word battles, from which come envy, strife, insulting, evil suspicions,

Nearby Context

1 Timothy 6:2 Those who have believing masters, let them not despise them, because they are brothers, but rather let them serve them, because those who partake of the benefit are believing and beloved. Teach and exhort these things.

1 Timothy 6:3 If anyone teaches a different doctrine, and doesn’t consent to sound words, the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness,

1 Timothy 6:4 he is conceited, knowing nothing, but obsessed with arguments, disputes, and word battles, from which come envy, strife, insulting, evil suspicions,

1 Timothy 6:5 constant friction of people of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain. Withdraw yourself from such.

1 Timothy 6:6 But godliness with contentment is great gain.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "conceited", "knowing", "nothing", "obsessed", "arguments", "disputes", "word", and "battles". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "conceited" and "knowing", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 3's "If anyone teaches a different doctrine and..." into verse 5's "constant friction of people of corrupt minds...", so "conceited" and "knowing" 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 "conceited" and "knowing" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.