1 Timothy 1:6

6 which [things] some having missed, ^[a] have turned aside to vain discourse,

1 Timothy 1:6 Meaning and Commentary

1 Timothy 1:6

From which some having swerved
The apostle, in this verse and the next, describes the persons he suspected of teaching other doctrines, and of introducing fables and endless genealogies; they were such who departed from the above things; they erred from the commandment, or law, notwithstanding their great pretensions to a regard unto it; at least they missed the mark, the end and design of it; they went astray from that, and instead of promoting charity or love, created feuds, contentions, and divisions in the churches; and were far from having a pure heart, being filthy dreamers, and sensual persons, destitute of the Spirit of God, and were such who put away a good conscience, and made shipwreck of faith: such were Hymenaeus, Philetus, Alexander, and others, of whom he also says, they

have turned aside to vain jangling;
which he elsewhere calls empty talk, and vain babblings, ( 1 Timothy 6:20 ) ( 2 Timothy 2:16 ) , from the solid doctrines of the Gospel, and a solid way of handling them, they turned to vain, idle, useless, and unprofitable subjects of discourse, and to treating upon subjects in a vain, jejune, and empty manner; entertaining their hearers with foolish and trifling questions and answers to them about the law, and with strifes about words, which were unserviceable and unedifying; they were unruly and vain talkers, ( Titus 1:10 ) .

1 Timothy 1:6 In-Context

4 nor to turn their minds to fables and interminable genealogies, which bring questionings rather than [further] God's dispensation, which [is] in faith.

5 But the end of what is enjoined is love out of a pure heart and a good conscience and unfeigned faith;

6 which [things] some having missed, have turned aside to vain discourse,

7 desiring to be law-teachers, not understanding either what they say or concerning what they [so] strenuously affirm.

8 Now we know that the law [is] good if any one uses it lawfully,

Footnotes

• [a] As ch. 6.21.