Notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing, if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety.
Parallel translations
- WEB but she will be saved through her childbearing, if they continue in faith, love, and sanctification with sobriety.
- BSB Women, however, will be saved through childbearing, if they continue in faith, love, and holiness, with self-control.
- NKJV Nevertheless she will be saved in childbearing if they continue in faith, love, and holiness, with self-control.
- NASB But women will be preserved through childbirth—if they continue in faith, love, and sanctity, with moderation.
- NLT But women will be saved through childbearing, assuming they continue to live in faith, love, holiness, and modesty.
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
Women will be 'saved through childbearing' if they continue in faith, love, and holiness. The exact meaning is debated among faithful interpreters.
Overview
This difficult verse has several faithful readings: that godly women are preserved through the experience of childbearing, that salvation came through 'the childbearing' of the Messiah, or that childbearing represents the sphere of a woman's godly calling. All agree it is not teaching salvation by works, since perseverance 'in faith, love, and sanctification' is in view. Believers should hold this verse humbly given its acknowledged difficulty.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 13
- Titus 2:12Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;
- 1 Pet 4:7But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.
- Gen 3:15–16And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.
- 1 Tim 1:5Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned:
- 1 Tim 2:9In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array;
- Isa 9:6For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
- Luke 2:10–11And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
- Isa 7:14Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
- Matt 1:21–25And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.
- Luke 2:7And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.
- Jer 31:22How long wilt thou go about, O thou backsliding daughter? for the LORD hath created a new thing in the earth, A woman shall compass a man.
- Gal 4:4–5But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,
- 1 Tim 1:14And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
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Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
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 2:15 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.