1 Timothy 6:15
in 1 Timothy 6which the blessed and only Sovereign One—the King of kings and Lord of lords—will bring about in His own time.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
which in its own times he shall show, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords;
KJV
Which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords;
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This verse in 1 Timothy 6
Commentary
14 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Which in his times he shall show - Which God will reveal at such times as he shall deem best. It is implied here that the time is unknown to people; see the notes on Act 1:7. Who is the blessed and only Potentate - God, who is the ruler over all. The word used here - δυνάστης dunastēs - means one who is “mighty” Luk 1:22, then a prince or ruler; compare Act 8:27. It is applied here to God as the mighty ruler over the universe.
This site's exposition
before Pontius Pilate
on 1 Timothy 6:13-16
The charge is given before God and Christ Jesus, who made the good confession before Pontius Pilate at the trial of John 18 and 19. It holds until the appearance of our Lord Jesus Christ, the timing kept in the Father's hand as at Acts 1:7.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers5 voices
which in its own times he will show, the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen nor can see; to whom be honor and eternal power. Amen. …
What is owed to the lonely Lord, which is to the Word, that is, to that spiritual, true sword of Solomon. What is the lonely? Is it the Father without the Son, or the Son without the Father? By no means. When I say only the Father, I do not separate the Son; because in the bosom and secret of the Father is the Son.
Of the other titles, some are evidently names of His Authority, others of His Government of the world, and of this viewed under a twofold aspect, the one before the other in the Incarnation. For instance the Almighty, the King of Glory, or of The Ages, or of The Powers, or of The Beloved, or of Kings. Or again the Lord of Sabaoth, that is of Hosts, or of Powers, or of Lords; these are clearly titles belonging to His Authority. But the God either of Salvation or of Vengeance, or of Peace, or of Righteousness; or of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and of all the spiritual Israel that seeth God,—these belong to His Government. For since we are governed by these three things, the fear of punishment, the hope of salvation and of glory besides, and the practice of the virtues by which these are attained, the Name of the God of Vengeance governs fear, and that of the God of Salvation our hope, and that of the God of Virtues our practice; that whoever attains to any of these may, as carrying God in himself, press on yet more unto perfection, and to that affinity which arises out of virtues.
When someone sees resplendent lords of rank, kings, leaders and all those who appear prominent in wealth, to them he speaks in fearful words. Their dynasties are advantaged by his fear. Yet "now, kings, understand; be instructed, all you who judge the earth; serve the Lord with fear and rejoice in him with trembling," because "he is the King of kings and the Lord of lords." Wherever the mighty rules, God threatens with the fear of his kingdom. Yet wherever the worthless are humbled, God offers the medicine of his clemency. For this God is a great King to those who reign and a Lord to those who exercise lordship. Again, the very same one lowers his rank and is found, according to holy Scripture, to be a Father to orphans and a Judge to widows, a King to kings, a Leader to leaders, a Lord to lords.
"Which in His times He shall show, Who is the blessed and only Potentate, King of kings, and Lord of lords, Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto." Of whom are these things said? Of the Father, or of the Son? Of the Son, undoubtedly: and it is said for the consolation of Timothy, that he may not fear nor stand in awe of the kings of the earth. "In His times," that is, the due and fitting times, that he may not be impatient, because it has not yet come. And whence is it manifest, that He will show it? Because He is the Potentate, the "only Potentate." He then will show it, Who is "blessed," nay blessedness itself; and this is said, to show that in that appearing there is nothing painful or uneasy. But he says, "only," either in contradistinction to men, or because He was unoriginated, or as we sometimes speak of a man whom we wish to extol. "Who only hath immortality." What then? hath not the Son immortality? Is He not immortality itself? How should not He, who is of the same substance with the Father, have immortality?
7 more voices on this verse
The Church Fathers1 voice
Prayer itself must come from a humble, meek, pure heart. It must confess its sins without making excuses. In the course of bitter tears it will show trust in the most sweet pity of the Lord. It must not seek earthly aims but desire heavenly …
The Medieval Church3 voices
Above, the Apostle gave certain orders to Timothy, commanding him to observe the foregoing until the coming of Christ; therefore, he now discusses Christ's coming, about which he discloses three things: first, that it will occur at a suitable time; second, that it will be …
He, the framer of all creation and maker of our race, became man for our sake, and coming from a holy Virgin's womb, on earth conversed with men. For us ungrateful servants the master endured death, even the death of the cross, that the tyranny of sin might be destroyed, that the former condemnation might be abolished, that the gates of heaven might be open to us again. In this way he has exalted our nature, and set it on the throne of glory, and granted to them that love him an everlasting kingdom and joys beyond all that tongue can tell or ear can hear. He is the mighty and the only potentate, King of kings and Lord of lords, whose might is invincible and whose lordship is beyond comparison. He alone is holy and dwells in holiness, who with the Father and the Holy Spirit is glorified. Into this faith I have been baptized.
That is, at a fitting, predetermined time. Therefore do not grieve that it has not yet come. And the apostle says this for consolation, so that Timothy would not look upon the seemingly blissful goods of this world, but would fix his gaze upon the …
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
Which in his times he shall show,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
in his times--Greek, "His own [fitting] times" (Ac 1:7). The plural implies successive stages in the manifestation of the kingdom of God, each having its own appropriate time, the regulating principle and knowledge of which rests with the Father (1Ti 2:6;
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase+unbalanced-parens
Which in his times he shall show - Jesus will appear in the most proper time; the time which the infinite God in his wisdom has appointed for the second coming of his Son. The blessed and only Potentate - Δυναστης, Potentate, is applied to secular governors; but none of these can be styled ὁ μακαριος και μονος, the happy and only One; ὁ Βασιλευς των βασιλευοντων, the King of kings, or the King over all kings; and Κυριος των κυριευοντων, the Lord over all lords or rulers. These are titles which could not be given to any mortals. This is made more specific by the verse following.
The words behind it
17 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ἣν | hen | which | G3739 → | 1405 times |
| καιροῖς | kairois | in seasons | G2540 → | 84 times |
| ἰδίοις | idiois | [their] own | G2398 → | 114 times |
| δείξει | deixei | He will display | G1166 → | |
| ὁ | ho | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| μακάριος | makarios | blessed | G3107 → | |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| μόνος | monos | alone | G3441 → | 110 times |
| δυνάστης, | dunastes | Sovereign, | G1413 → | |
| ὁ | ho | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| βασιλεὺς | basileus | King | G935 → | 114 times |
| τῶν | ton | of those | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| βασιλευόντων | basileuonton | being kings | G936 → | |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| κύριος | kurios | [the] Lord | G2962 → | 711 times |
| τῶν | ton | of those | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| κυριευόντων, | kurieuonton | being lords, | G2961 → |
ἣνwhich
henG3739 →1405 times
καιροῖςin seasons
kairoisG2540 →84 times
ἰδίοις[their] own
idioisG2398 →114 times
δείξειHe will display
deixeiG1166 →
ὁthe
hoG3588 →19766 times
μακάριοςblessed
makariosG3107 →
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
μόνοςalone
monosG3441 →110 times
δυνάστης,Sovereign,
dunastesG1413 →
ὁthe
hoG3588 →19766 times
βασιλεὺςKing
basileusG935 →114 times
τῶνof those
tonG3588 →19766 times
βασιλευόντωνbeing kings
basileuontonG936 →
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
κύριος[the] Lord
kuriosG2962 →711 times
τῶνof those
tonG3588 →19766 times
κυριευόντων,being lords,
kurieuontonG2961 →
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Revelation 19:16And He has a name written on His robe and on His thigh: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.
it leads to
- Revelation 17:14
They will make war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will triumph over them, because He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and He will be accompanied by His called and chosen…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Revelation 17:14
Through
Revelation 17:14They will make war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will triumph over them, because He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and He will be accompanied by His called and chosen…
it leads to
- Romans 8:30
And those He predestined, He also called; those He called, He also justified; those He justified, He also glorified.
- Matthew 22:14
For many are called, but few are chosen.”
- Romans 8:30
Through
1 Timothy 1:17Now to the King eternal, immortal, and invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.
it leads to
- Ephesians 3:20–21
Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us,
- Jude 1:25
to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority through Jesus Christ our Lord before all time, and now, and for all eternity. Amen.
- 1 Timothy 6:15–16
which the blessed and only Sovereign One—the King of kings and Lord of lords—will bring about in His own time.
- Revelation 19:1
After this I heard a sound like the roar of a great multitude in heaven, shouting: “Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God!
- Ephesians 3:20–21
Through
Jeremiah 10:10But the LORD is the true God; He is the living God and eternal King. The earth quakes at His wrath, and the nations cannot endure His indignation.
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 32:4
He is the Rock, His work is perfect; all His ways are just. A God of faithfulness without injustice, righteous and upright is He.
- Deuteronomy 32:4
Where this verse is studied
About 1 Timothy

This page draws on 14 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Ambrose of Milan, Interrogation of Job and David 2.4.15; Cassiodorus, EXPLANATION OF THE PSALMS 141, CONCLUSION; Gregory of Nazianzus, ORATIONS 30.19; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, ON REPENTANCE AND ALMSGIVING 7.3.9; John Chrysostom, Homily on 1 Timothy 18; John Damascene, BARLAAM AND IOASAPH 24.211; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Oecumenius, COMMENTARY ON 1 TIMOTHY; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on 1 Timothy and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on 1 Timothy.
