In the letters to Timothy and Titus the word group is a dominant feature of the theological-ethical portrait of authentic Christianity. The noun describes the life itself, the adverb the manner of that life that is lived in response to genuine faith. The theological origin of “godliness” is clear from several occurrences (1 Tim 3:16; 2 Tim 3:12; Titus 2:12), and its dependence upon a correct knowledge of God (or the gospel, the truth, etc.) emerges in Titus 1:1; 1 Tim 6:3, 5, 6, 11. It describes
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