What is the definition of piety?

The safeguard against these evils is found in “godliness”. The truth of godliness (or, according to the better translation, “piety”) has a very prominent place in this First Epistle to Timothy. The word is used sixteen times in the New Testament, nine of these occasions being found in this Epistle (1 Tim. 2:2; 1 Tim. 3:16; 1 Tim. 4:7-8; 1 Tim. 5:4; 1 Tim. 6:3, 5, 6, 11). Piety is the confidence in the known and living God that leads the believer to walk in the holy fear of God amidst all the circumstances of life. It recognises and honours God, and is therefore the very opposite of sanctimoniousness that seeks to exalt self.

Now all through one word is very prominent — GODLINESS. In one word, this is what should mark those who are of God's house, and this is what serves as an antidote to the evils which are pointed out.

Godliness, or piety, is the fruit of living and moving with God before the soul. It brings God into everything, so that everything is regulated in relation to God, and hence God-likeness is stamped upon those who are godly. To live a life of self-consciousness is to be selfish. The world-conscious man is bound to be worldly. The one who is dominated by God-consciousness, so that the thought of God and of His will enters into every question, and everything is viewed in relation to Him, is godly. The man of selfishness and of worldliness fits neatly enough into the world system. Godliness alone befits the house of God. All else is a misfit there, Godliness is greatly at a discount to-day, a discount which seems to increase with every year that passes. In our school days it was hardly possible to fling a greater insult at a boy's head than to call him "pious." Since then the false-named "science" which aims at eliminating all idea of God, accounting for everything by "nature" plus human agencies, has increased by leaps and bounds. As far as man's vain thinkings and talkings are concerned, God is politely bowed out of His own universe, the sphere of religion included. Instead of God being brought into everything, which is the way of godliness, He is excluded from everything, and hence ungodliness or impiety has increased by leaps and bounds also.

The Apostle proceeds to show that the spring of piety is confidence in God. We trust in the living God who is the preserver of all men, specially of those that believe. Piety is that individual confidence in God that takes up every circumstance of life in relation to God. The unregenerate man leaves God out of his life; the believer recognises Him in all the details of life and thankfully receives and uses every mercy that He places within his reach without abusing the mercies. Thus, piety is the antidote to all the evil influences of the latter days, whether the evil takes the form of asceticism, celibacy, abstinence from meats (1 Timothy 4:3), neglecting one's own house and living in habits of self-indulgence (1 Timothy 5:4-6), or attaching importance to worldly advantage and money (1 Timothy 6:3-10).

The word εὐσέβεια, εὐσέβέω signifies 'to exercise piety, reverence': a reverential sense of having to say to God, which should be shown by the creature to the Creator, and which should especially characterise the saints towards God their Father and to the Lord Jesus. The word is translated 'piety' in the A.V. only in 1 Tim. 5:4. It is rendered 'holiness' in Acts 3:12, and 'worship' in Acts 17:23. In all other places it is 'godliness.' 'Piety' is a better translation, and distinguishes it from θεοσέβεια, which signifies 'worship, or fear of God,' and is translated 'godliness' in 1 Tim. 2:10.

The heart gets separated in its path more and more intelligently to God, and gets to understand what God is. If I know that God likes this and likes that along my path, it is because I know what He is; and besides its being the right path and causing us thus to grow in intelligent holiness of life, there is piety in it too. The constant reference of the heart affectionately to God is real piety, and we have to look for that. We have it perfectly in our Lord: "I know," He says, "that thou hearest me always." There is the confidence of power and reference to God with confiding affection. If I know that it is His path of goodness, His will that is the source of everything to me, there is the cultivation of piety with God, communion is uninterrupted, because the Spirit is not grieved. This is the obedience of Jesus Christ, to which we ire set apart.

What is this godliness? someone may ask. I do not want to give you a theological definition, but I can say that godliness is very much connected with God-consciousness. A godly man is a man upon whose soul God is impressed. He acts, he lives, he thinks, in relation to God. The fear of God is upon his spirit.

The true course is that which is urged later by the apostle in 1 Cor. 7:29-31: "But this I say, brethren, the time that remaineth is shortened; in order that both they that have wives be as though they had none; and they that weep as weeping not; and they that rejoice as rejoicing not, and they that buy as not possessing; and they that use this world as not using it to the full; for the fashion of this world passeth away." We are but pilgrims and strangers, passing through a world to which we no longer belong; we are of the Father, His gift to Christ, Whose witnesses we are now called to be, as we wait for His coming to be with Him and to share the glorious inheritance along with Him. It is His will to assign us our lot meanwhile; and piety would own with thankfulness His disposal of us, whether as a test of our subjection of heart or as a sphere of serving Him from day to day. For there is nothing right for our souls where He has not His place. It is not enough that there be "contentment." This alone would be but a heathen sentiment; as in fact not a few pagan authors have expressed it prettily, though (it is to be feared) it was rather what they could see to become man than what they really made good in their daily conversation. The Stoics who most affected such language were hard rather than happy men. Even had they succeeded in practice, how far short of Christ was their self-complacent contentment!

What is here declared to be a great means of gain is "piety" with contentment. This is a state wholly opposed to the pagan self-reliance which leaves out God and dependence on Him. "Piety" cherishes confidence in Him, and looks up to Him habitually, as to One Who does not and cannot fail in His gracious consideration of every need, difficulty, and danger, all being naked and laid bare to His eyes with Whom we have to do. With piety "contentment"* is the fruit of knowing His love and the assurance of His will as good, acceptable, and perfect. As the same apostle said to the Christian Hebrews, "Let your conversation (or conduct) be without love of money, satisfied with present circumstances, for Himself hath said, I will never leave thee, neither will I forsake thee: so that taking courage, we may say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not be afraid: what will man do with me?" (Heb. 13:5-6). It is the same principle at bottom; but here it is the harm for one's own spirit that the apostle warns against rather than the apprehension of mischief from others, which he would remove from the believers of the circumcision. Piety with contentment is great gain.

The Greek word here translated 'godliness' is eusebeia. It, and several words from the same root, are formed from two words eu and sebomai. The little word eu is very often found compounded with some other word (as here) to give the meaning of 'right,' or 'good', or 'well.' Sebomai tells of the attitude of men towards God, to honour Him reverentially with holy awe: (Cremer). It is also used for 'worship:' (Arndt & Gingrich).

Here let us recapitulate for a moment. Godliness is, we may say, the main theme of the epistle, and it is enjoined upon us because we are of the house of God. The knowledge of God Himself as He has been revealed in Christ is the secret spring of it, and it very largely consists in that God-consciousness, that bringing of God into all the details of our daily lives, which is the result of trust in the living God. All this has come before us, and the question would now naturally arise in our minds as to whether any practical instructions can be given which will help us in exercising ourselves to godliness according to the instructions given in verse 7?

"Worship" is also given as the rendering of two words used in Acts 17. In verse 23 it is for eusebeo, with which may be compared the adjective euseben, "devout" (Acts 10:2, 7 and Acts 22:12) and the substantive eusebeia, so often found as "godliness," or perhaps better "piety" in the Pastoral epistles and 2 Peter. It embraces not only the reverence well (eu) and rightly directed to God, but similarly to parents and others, though the first is the general use of the forms of the word in Scripture. It may be rendered in Acts 17:23 "Whom therefore ye reverence, not knowing (him)."