1 Timothy 6:19
1 Timothy 6:19
(KJV) Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.
(1611 KJV) Laying vp in store for themselues a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay holde on eternall life.
(1587 Geneva Bible) Laying vp in store for themselues a good foundation against the time to come, that they may obteine eternall life.
(1526 Tyndale) layinge vp in store for them selves a good foundacio agaynst the tyme to come yt they maye obteyne eternall lyfe
 
Counterfeit Versions
(1881 RV) 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.
(1901 ASV) 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.
(CSB) storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of what is truly life.
(NIV) In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.
(NASV) storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is life indeed.
(THE MESSAGE) to do good, to be rich in helping others, to be extravagantly generous. If they do that, they'll build a treasury that will last, gaining life that is truly life.
(AMP) In this way laying up for themselves [the riches that endure forever as] a good foundation for the future, so that they may grasp that which is life indeed.
(NLT) By doing this they will be storing up their treasure as a good foundation for the future so that they may experience true life.
(ESV) thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.
(CEV) This will lay a solid foundation for the future, so that they will know what true life is like.
(NCV) By doing that, they will be saving a treasure for themselves as a strong foundation for the future. Then they will be able to have the life that is true life.
(CEB) When they do these things, they will save a treasure for themselves that is a good foundation for the future. That way they can take hold of what is truly life.
(HCSB) storing up for themselves a good foundation for the age to come, so that they may take hold of life that is real.
(NIRV) In that way they will put riches away for themselves. It will provide a firm basis for the next life. Then they will take hold of the life that really is life.
(RSV) thus laying up for themselves a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of the life which is life indeed.
(NAB-Roman Catholic) thus accumulating as treasure a good foundation for the future, so as to win the life that is true life.
(NWT-Jehovah’s Witnesses) safely treasuring up for themselves a fine foundation for the future, in order that they may get a firm hold on the real life.
 
Textus Receptus - Traditional Text
αποθησαυριζοντας εαυτοις θεμελιον καλον εις το μελλον ινα επιλαβωνται της αιωνιου ζωης
 
Hort-Westcott - Critical Text
αποθησαυριζοντας εαυτοις θεμελιον καλον εις το μελλον ινα επιλαβωνται της οντως ζωης
 
Corrupted Manuscripts
This verse is corrupted in the following Manuscripts:
Aleph 01 - Sinaiticus - Nineteenth Century Counterfeit
A 02 - Alexandrinus - Fifth century
D 06 - Paris: Claromontanus - Sixth century
K 018 - Ninth century
L 020 - Ninth century
P 025 - Ninth century
 
Manuscripts which agree with the Textus Receptus for this verse
Byzantine Text (450-1450 A.D.)
Stephanus (1550 A.D.)
 
Published Critical Greek Texts with Corruptions
Reads “that which is truly life” instead of “eternal life.”
 
Alford, Henry - 1849 revised in 1871
Greisbach, Johann - 1805
Lachmann, Karl - 1842
Tischendorf, Constantine - 1869
Tregelles, Samuel - 1857
Wordsworth, Christopher - 1856 revised in 1870
Westcott and Hort - 1881
Nestle - 1927 as revised in seventeenth edition in 1941
Nestle-Aland - 1979 - Twenty Sixth Edition
United Bible Societies - 1983 - Fourth Edition
 
Affected Teaching
(1 Tim 6:18-19 KJV) That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate; {19} Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.
 
This continues the thread from the previous verse that those who are willing to give according to their means, are laying up a good foundation which is in Heaven. The foundation in view is the stable and enduring foundation of Heaven in contrast to the unstable foundations here on the earth. The “time to come” will be when they enter the gates of Heaven. They are using their wealth wisely in investing in the Kingdom of God because they have become saved and have obeyed the commandment to be liberal in their giving. Then Paul finishes this verse by stating that they may hold on to eternal life. This is not speaking of buying one’s salvation but it is stating that these people who give liberally for the sake of the Gospel, have laid hold or grasped the reality of eternal life, in that, this life is only transitory and the next life is permanent. It shows they grasped the understanding of the difference in the transitory life and eternal life. It seems the modern versions do not want you to know this as they seem to be focusing on a better life in this life. They speak of the future which could mean “10 years from today” but the King James Bible is very to the point that this verse is pointing to eternal life and not a life on this earth sometimes in the future. I guess if one reads Joel Osteen’s book “Your best life now” it would match up perfectly with the idea in this verse as found in the modern versions. However, I would agree with the King James Bible that our best life will be eternal in Heaven with the Lord Jesus Christ.

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