First Timothy 6:11 tells a young pastor to run from the love of money and the sinful desires that come with it, and instead to pursue a set of Christian virtues: righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness. Paul is writing to Timothy, a trusted co-worker he had left to lead the church in Ephesus, and he addresses him as a “man of God,” a title that points to someone who belongs to God and speaks for him.
But you, man of God, flee these things, and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness.
1 Timothy 6:11 (WEB)
What 1 Timothy 6:11 Means
The verse begins with a contrast. The words “flee these things” refer back to the greed and craving for wealth described in the verses just before it. Paul does not suggest Timothy should debate greed or manage it. He tells him to get away from it, the way someone would leave a building on fire.
Then Paul names what Timothy should chase instead. Righteousness is living rightly before God and others. Godliness is a reverent, God-centered way of life. Faith and love are trust in God and care for people. Perseverance is the steady endurance that keeps going when following Christ is hard, and gentleness is a humble, patient spirit toward others. Together they describe a whole character, not a single good habit.
The verse does not promise that a person who pursues these qualities will never struggle or never face hardship. It is a call to direction and effort. It describes what a faithful follower of Christ should be working toward, and it trusts that God shapes that growth over time.
The Context of 1 Timothy 6:11
First Timothy is one of the letters traditionally attributed to the apostle Paul, written to his younger colleague Timothy, who was overseeing the church in Ephesus. The letter deals with false teaching, the conduct of church leaders, and how believers should live in a community that includes both the rich and the poor. Chapter 6 turns to money, warning that the desire to get rich can lead people into temptation and ruin.
Just before verse 11, Paul says that the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and that some have wandered from the faith because of greed. The word “But” that opens verse 11 is a sharp turn. Paul sets Timothy apart from those who are chasing wealth and tells him to do the opposite. Read in that setting, the verse is less a general list of nice qualities and more a deliberate alternative to the pursuit of money.
Key Phrases in 1 Timothy 6:11
Matthew 6:24
“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other; or else he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You can’t serve both God and Mammon.
(WEB)
Jesus warns that no one can serve two masters, and that a person cannot serve both God and money. This connects directly to the warning against greed in 1 Timothy 6:11, showing that Jesus taught the same danger and the same call to single-hearted devotion.
Galatians 5:22-23
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, 23 gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
(WEB)
Paul describes the fruit of the Spirit, including love, patience, kindness, and gentleness. It reads as a companion passage to the virtues listed in 1 Timothy 6:11, showing that these qualities grow as a person lives by the Spirit rather than by their own desires.
A Short Prayer From 1 Timothy 6:11
Father, you know how easily my heart is drawn toward money, comfort, and things that promise security. Help me to recognize those pulls for what they are and to run from them rather than negotiate with them. Teach me to pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness in the ordinary moments of this day. Give me patience when I am tired and gentleness when I am tempted to be harsh. Keep me faithful to you, whatever others around me are chasing. Amen.
