but (which becomes women professing godliness) with good works.
Parallel translations
- KJV But (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works.
- BSB but with good deeds, as is proper for women who profess to worship God.
- NKJV but, which is proper for women professing godliness, with good works.
- NASB but rather by means of good works, as is proper for women making a claim to godliness.
- NLT For women who claim to be devoted to God should make themselves attractive by the good things they do.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
True adornment for godly women is good works. It teaches that visible godliness, not appearance, marks genuine faith.
Overview
Paul completes the thought: women professing godliness should be known for good works. Deeds of love and service are the fitting 'ornament' of faith. The verse redirects attention from external display to a life that adorns the gospel.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 12
- 1 Pet 2:12having good behavior among the nations, so in that of which they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they see, glorify God in the day of visitation.
- 1 Pet 3:3–5Let your beauty be not just the outward adorning of braiding the hair, and of wearing jewels of gold, or of putting on fine clothing;
- Rev 2:19“I know your works, your love, faith, service, patient endurance, and that your last works are more than the first.
- Acts 9:36Now there was at Joppa a certain disciple named Tabitha, which when translated, means Dorcas. This woman was full of good works and acts of mercy which she did.
- Prov 31:31Give her of the fruit of her hands! Let her works praise her in the gates!
- Titus 3:8This saying is faithful, and concerning these things I desire that you affirm confidently, so that those who have believed God may be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable to men;
- 2 Pet 3:11Therefore since all these things will be destroyed like this, what kind of people ought you to be in holy living and godliness,
- 2 Pet 1:6–8and in knowledge, self-control; and in self-control perseverance; and in perseverance godliness;
- Eph 2:10For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared before that we would walk in them.
- 1 Tim 5:6–10But she who gives herself to pleasure is dead while she lives.
- Titus 2:14who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify for himself a people for his own possession, zealous for good works.
- Acts 9:39Peter got up and went with them. When he had come, they brought him into the upper room. All the widows stood by him weeping, and showing the coats and garments which Dorcas had made while she was with them.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
There is 'one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself a ransom for all' — the mystery of godliness, God manifest in the flesh.
How 1 Timothy 2:10 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.