1 Timothy 2:6 meaning, Cross Ref, ai commentary KJV NIV ESV NLT

1 Timothy 2:6 kjv

Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.

1 Timothy 2:6 nkjv

who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time,

1 Timothy 2:6 niv

who gave himself as a ransom for all people. This has now been witnessed to at the proper time.

1 Timothy 2:6 esv

who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.

1 Timothy 2:6 nlt

He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone.
This is the message God gave to the world at just the right time.

1 Timothy 2 6 Cross References

Verse	Text	Reference
Mk 10:45	...the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.	Christ's self-giving as a ransom.
Tit 2:14	He gave himself for us to redeem us...	Christ's self-sacrifice for our redemption.
Is 53:10	...when You make His soul an offering for sin...	Prophecy of the Servant as a sin offering.
Is 53:12	...bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.	Christ bearing the sins of others.
Gal 1:4	...who gave himself for our sins...	Christ's sacrificial death for sin.
Heb 9:12	...entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption.	Christ's unique and perfect redemption.
Jn 3:16	For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son...	God's universal love initiating salvation.
Rom 5:8	...God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.	Demonstration of God's love through Christ's death.
Rom 5:18	Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men.	Christ's redemptive act affects all.
2 Cor 5:14-15	...one has died for all, therefore all have died... He died for all, so that those who live might no longer live for themselves...	Christ's death for universal benefit.
2 Pet 3:9	The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.	God's universal desire for salvation.
Rom 10:12-13	...the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing His riches on all who call on Him. For "everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."	Accessibility of salvation to all who believe.
Is 43:10	"You are My witnesses," declares the Lord...	Concept of a divine witness/testimony.
Jn 1:7	He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light...	John the Baptist as a witness to Christ.
Acts 1:8	But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses...	Disciples as witnesses to Christ's work.
1 Jn 5:11-12	And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. Whoever has the Son has life...	God's testimony centered on Christ.
Rom 5:6	For while we were still weak, at the proper time Christ died for the ungodly.	Divine timing of Christ's death.
Gal 4:4	But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son...	God's precise timing for the Incarnation.
Eph 1:10	...as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.	God's overarching plan unfolds in time.
Dan 9:24	Seventy weeks are decreed for your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to put an end to sin...	Prophetic timing of redemptive events.
1 Pet 1:20	He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in these last times for your sake.	Christ revealed at God's appointed time.

1 Timothy 2 verses

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15

1 Timothy 2 6 Meaning

This verse succinctly encapsulates the heart of the gospel: Christ Jesus, being the unique mediator between God and humanity (v.5), voluntarily gave Himself as a ransom (a complete, substitutionary payment) for all people. This profound act of redemption is presented as a divinely ordained truth, the essential testimony that was revealed and established at God's perfectly appointed time in history.

1 Timothy 2 6 Context

1 Timothy chapter 2 begins with an exhortation for public prayers "for all people," including rulers (vv. 1-2). This broad scope of prayer is rooted in God's universal desire "that all people might be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth" (v. 4). Verse 5 establishes the singular means by which this salvation is possible: "There is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus." Verse 6 directly builds upon this by explaining how Christ Jesus serves as that mediator: He "gave Himself as a ransom for all people." This foundational theological statement provides the very basis and motivation for the universal nature of Christian outreach and prayer that Paul advocates. It refutes any notion of salvation being exclusive to a particular group and undergirds the call for Christians to live peacefully and propagate this truth to everyone.

1 Timothy 2 6 Word analysis

who (ὅς - hos): Refers directly back to "Christ Jesus" from verse 5, underscoring His unique identity as the agent of redemption.
gave (ἔδωκεν - edōken): This verb in the aorist tense denotes a definitive, decisive, and completed action. It highlights Christ's active and voluntary offering of Himself, not a coerced or passive act.
himself (ἑαυτὸν - heauton): Emphasizes the personal nature of the sacrifice. Christ was both the offerer and the offering, indicating the completeness and uniqueness of His self-surrender.
a ransom (ἀντίλυτρον - antilytron): This unique New Testament term is a strong composite word, derived from anti (in place of, instead of) and lytron (a payment for release, a price of redemption). It powerfully conveys the concept of a substitutionary payment made to secure liberation from bondage, such as sin, death, or guilt. It is the cost paid to free one held captive.
for all people (ὑπὲρ πάντων - hyper pantōn): The preposition hyper often carries the sense of "on behalf of," "for the sake of," or "instead of," implying a substitutionary action. "All" (pantos) indicates a universal scope, consistent with God's desire for all people to be saved (v. 4). This typically signifies that the provision of salvation through Christ's ransom is made available universally, without restriction to any particular race, gender, social status, or nation, meaning it is sufficient and offered to all humanity.
This is the testimony (τὸ μαρτύριον - to martyrion): Refers to the revealed truth or witness regarding Christ's redemptive act. It underscores that Christ's ransom is the core truth of the gospel, a foundational message to be proclaimed and borne witness to.
given (lit. 'which was testified') : Though not a distinct Greek word for "given" here, "to martyrion" is the testimony which is established, affirmed or given by God.
in its proper time (καιροῖς ἰδίοις - kairois idiois): Kairois (plural of kairos) signifies specific, divinely appointed, opportune moments rather than simply chronological time (chronos). Idiois (own/proper) further emphasizes that God orchestrated this revelation and redemptive act at the perfect, predetermined time within His sovereign plan for human history, signaling the culmination of Old Testament prophecies and the dawning of the new covenant age.
who gave himself as a ransom: This phrase encapsulates the doctrine of substitutionary atonement. Christ's voluntary self-sacrifice served as the necessary payment, satisfying divine justice and releasing humanity from sin's bondage, specifically by giving His life in place of sinners.
for all people: This clause underscores the breadth of God's redemptive purpose, encompassing all humanity. While salvation requires individual acceptance, the provision and offer of the ransom are universal, removing any human-made barriers to accessing God's grace.
the testimony given in its proper time: This emphasizes the truth's divine origin, its nature as an unalterable reality, and its revelation at God's precise moment in salvation history. It highlights that the gospel message concerning Christ's ransom is a divinely ordained and historically precise truth to be proclaimed.

1 Timothy 2 6 Bonus section

The placement of this verse immediately after affirming "one God and one mediator, the man Christ Jesus" (v.5) shows that Christ's mediatorial work is precisely defined by His redemptive act as the ransom. It's not just that He connects God and humanity, but how He does so—through ultimate sacrifice.
The use of kairos (proper time) distinguishes divine moments of intervention and fulfillment from chronological time, suggesting a cosmic and predetermined plan culminating in Christ's historical advent and sacrificial work. This plan ensures that humanity can now have access to God through the means provided at precisely the right time.

1 Timothy 2 6 Commentary

1 Timothy 2:6 is a pivotal verse, forming the theological backbone for Christian mission and prayer for all humanity. It declares that Jesus Christ's offering of Himself on the cross was a full, personal, and voluntary payment—a ransom (antilytron)—made to secure humanity's liberation from the captivity of sin and death. This "ransom" implies a substitutionary act, where Christ bore the penalty in place of humanity. The universality of this act, "for all people," echoes God's overarching desire for all to be saved, dispelling any notion that God's redemptive work is limited to a select few based on their social, ethnic, or gender identity. It proclaims the sufficiency and availability of Christ's sacrifice to everyone. Finally, "This is the testimony given in its proper time" affirms that this grand truth is not accidental but integral to God's sovereign plan, unfolding perfectly within His chosen timeline. It is the unassailable truth of the gospel, meant to be shared and believed globally, calling for active witness and proclamation by believers.