SEV Biblia, Chapter 4:8
Porque el ejercicio corporal es provechoso para un poco; mas la piedad a todo aprovecha, porque tiene promesa de esta vida presente, y de la venidera.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - 1 Timothy 4:8
Verse 8. For bodily exercise profiteth little] prov oligon estin wfelimov. Those gymnastic exercises, so highly esteemed among the Greeks, are but little worth; they are but of short duration; they refer only to this life, and to the applause of men: but godliness has the promise of this life, and the life to come; it is profitable for all things; and for both time and eternity. But godliness is profitable unto all things] By godliness we are to understand every thing that the Christian religion either promises or prescribes: the life of God in the soul of man; and the glory of God as the object and end of that life. To receive the first, a man must renounce his sins, deny himself, take up his cross, and follow his Lord through evil and through good report. To obtain the latter, a man must labour to enter into that rest which remains for the people of God.
Having promise, of the life that now is] The man that fears, loves, and serves God, has God's blessing all through life. His religion saves him from all those excesses, both in action and passion, which sap the foundations of life, and render existence itself often a burden. The peace and love of God in the heart produces a serenity and calm which cause the lamp of life to burn clear, strong, and permanent. Evil and disorderly passions obscure and stifle the vital spark. Every truly religious man extracts the uttermost good out of life itself, and through the Divine blessing gets the uttermost good that is in life; and, what is better than all, acquires a full preparation here below for an eternal life of glory above. Thus godliness has the promise of, and secures the blessings of, both worlds.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 8. For bodily exercise profiteth little , etc.] Meaning not the exercise of the body in the Olympic games, as by running, wrestling, etc. which profited but little, for the obtaining of a corruptible crown at most; though since a word is used here, and in the preceding verse, borrowed from thence, there may be an allusion to it: much less exercise of the body for health or recreation, as riding, walking, playing at any innocent diversion; which profits but for a little time, as the Syriac and Arabic versions read; and the latter renders the phrase bodily recreation: nor is the exercise of the body in the proper employment of trade and business, to which a man is called, and which profits for the support of life for a little while, intended; nor any methods made use of for the mortification of the body, and the keeping of it under, as watchings, fastings, lying on the ground, scourging, etc. but rather mere formal external worship, as opposed to godliness, or spiritual worship. There ought to be an exercise of the body, or a presenting of that in religious worship before God; there should be an outward attendance on the word and ordinances; but then, without internal godliness, this will be of little advantage: it is indeed showing an outward regard to public worship, and may be a means of keeping persons out of bad company, and from doing evil things; but if this is trusted to, and depended on, it will be of no avail to everlasting life; (see Luke 13:26,27) but godliness is profitable unto all things ; to the health of the body, and the welfare of the soul; to the things of this life, and of that which is to come; to themselves and others, though not to God, or in a way of merit: having promise of the life that now is ; of the continuance of it, of length of days, of living long in the earth, and of enjoying all necessary temporal good things, the mercies of life; for God has promised to his spiritual worshippers, to them that fear him, and walk uprightly, that their days shall be prolonged, that they shall want no good thing, nor will he withhold any from them that is for their good, that is proper and convenient for them: and of that which is to come ; even of eternal life; not that eternal life is received or procured hereby; for it is the free gift of God, and is not by any works of men, for otherwise it would not be by promise; for its being by promise shows it to be of grace: there is nothing more or less in it than this, that God promises glory to his own grace; for internal godliness, which animates and maintains spiritual worship, is of God, is of his own grace, and every part of it is a free gift of his, as faith, hope, love, fear, etc.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 6-10 - Outward acts of self-denial profit little. What will it avail us to mortify the body, if we do not mortify sin? No diligence in mer outward things could be of much use. The gain of godliness lies much in the promise; and the promises to godly people relate partly to the lif that now is, but especially to the life which is to come: though we lose for Christ, we shall not lose by him. If Christ be thus the Saviour of all men, then much more will he be the Rewarder of those wh seek and serve him; he will provide well for those whom he has made ne creatures.
Greek Textus Receptus
η 3588 γαρ 1063 σωματικη 4984 γυμνασια 1129 προς 4314 ολιγον 3641 εστιν 2076 5748 ωφελιμος 5624 η 3588 δε 1161 ευσεβεια 2150 προς 4314 παντα 3956 ωφελιμος 5624 εστιν 2076 5748 επαγγελιαν 1860 εχουσα 2192 5723 ζωης 2222 της 3588 νυν 3568 και 2532 της 3588 μελλουσης 3195 5723
Vincent's NT Word Studies
8. Bodily exercise (h swmatikh gumnasia). With gumnasia comp. gumnaze, ver. 7. N.T.o . Swmatikov bodily only here and Luke iii. 22. o LXX. The adverb swmatikwv bodily-wise, Col. ii. 9. The words are to be taken in their literal sense as referring to physical training in the palaestra - boxing, racing, etc. Comp. 1 Cor. ix. 24-27. Some, however, find in them an allusion to current ascetic practices; against which is the statement that such exercise is profitable, though only for a little.
Profiteth little (prov oligon estin wfelimov). Lit. is profitable for a little. The phrase prov ojligon only here and Jas. v. 14. In the latter passage it means for a little while. Comp. Heb. xii. 10, prov ojligav hJmerav for a few days. According to some, this is the meaning here; but against this is the antithesis prov panta unto all things. The meaning is rather, the use of the athlete's training extends to only a few things. Wfelimov useful or profitable, only in Pastorals. Comp. 2 Tim. iii. 16; Tit. iii. 8. o LXX.
Godliness (eusebeia). See on ch. ii. 2, and Introduction, VI.
Having promise (epaggelian ecousa). The exact phrase only here. Comp. 2 Cor. vii. 1; Heb. vii. 6. The participle is explanatory, since it has promise. For ejpaggelia promise see on Acts i. 4.
The life that now is (zwhv thv nun). According to the strict Greek idiom, life the now. This idiom and the following, thv melloushv N.T.o . The phrase oJ nun aijwn the present aeon, 1 Tim. vi. 17; 2 Tim. iv. 10; Tit. ii. 12. O aijwn ou=tov this aeon, a few times in the Gospels, often in Paul, nowhere else. We have oJ aijwn oJ mellwn the aeon which is to be, and oJ aijwn oJ ejrcomenov or ejpercomenov the aeon which is coming on, in the Gospels, once in Paul (Eph. ii. 7), and in Hebrews once, mellwn aijwn without the article. En tw kairw toutw in this time, of the present as contrasted with the future life, Mark x. 30; Luke xviii. 30. O nun kairov the now time, in the same relation, Rom. viii. 18. For zwh life see on John i. 4. The force of the genitive with ejpaggelia promise may be expressed by for. Godliness involves a promise for this life and for the next; but for this life as it reflects the heavenly life, is shaped and controlled by it, and bears its impress. Godliness has promise for the present life because it has promise for the life which is to come. Only the life which is in Christ Jesus (2 Tim. i. 1) is life indeed, 1 Timothy vi. 19. Comp. 1 Pet. iii. 10; 1 Cor. iii. 21-23.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
4:8 {Bodily exercise} (he swmatike gumnasia). gumnasia (from gumnazw), also a common old word, here only in N.T. So also swmatike (from swma, body) in N.T. only here and #Lu 3:22. {Profitable} (wfelimos). Another old word (from wfelew, to help, to profit), in N.T. only here, #Tit 3:8; 2Ti 3:16. {For a little} (pros oligon). "For little." Probably extent in contrast to pros panta (for all things), though in #Jas 4:14 it is time "for a little while." {Which now is} (tes nun). "The now life." {Of that which is to come} (tes mellouses). "Of the coming (future) life."
