Albert Barnes Commentary 1 Timothy 6:4

"he is puffed up, knowing nothing, but doting about questionings and disputes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings," — 1 Timothy 6:4 (ASV)

He is proud. That is, he is lifted up with his fancied superior acquaintance with the nature of religion. The Greek verb properly means to smoke, to fume; and then to be inflated, to be conceited, etc. The idea is that he has no proper knowledge of the nature of the gospel, and yet he values himself on a fancied superior acquaintance with its principles.

Knowing nothing. The marginal note says, a fool. This means that he does not understand the nature of religion as he supposes he does. His views regarding the relationship between masters and servants, and the bearing of religion on that relationship, show that he does not understand the genius of Christianity. The apostle expresses this in strong language by saying that he knows nothing (see the notes on 1 Corinthians 8:2).

But doting. The marginal note says, sick. The Greek word — nosew — properly means to be sick, then to languish, or to pine after. The meaning here is that such persons had a sickly or morbid desire for debates of this kind. They did not have a sound and healthy state of mind on the subject of religion. They were like a sickly man who has no desire for solid and healthful food, but only for that which will gratify a diseased appetite. They desired no sound doctrine, but rather controversies about unimportant and unsubstantial matters—things that bore the same relation to important doctrines as the things a sick man pines after bear to substantial food.

Questions and strifes of words. The Jews frequently engaged in disputes of this sort, and it would seem probable that the persons referred to here were Jewish teachers (see the notes on 1 Timothy 1:6, 1 Timothy 1:7, and Acts 18:15).

Whereof cometh envy. The only fruit of such disputes is to produce envy. That is, the appearance of superior knowledge, the boast of being profoundly acquainted with religion, and the show of an ability for subtle argumentation, would produce envy in a certain class of people. Envy is uneasiness, pain, mortification, or discontent, excited by another's prosperity, or by his superior knowledge or possessions (see the notes on Romans 1:29).

Strife. Or contentions with those who will not readily yield to their opinions.

Railings. This refers to harsh and abusive language towards those who will not concede a point—a common effect of disputes, and more commonly of disputes about small and unimportant matters than of those which are of great importance. Such railings often accompany disputes that arise from fine and subtle distinctions.

Evil surmisings. These are suspicions that they are led to hold their views not by the love of truth, but from sordid or worldly motives. Such suspicions are very likely to accompany an angry debate of any kind. It might be especially expected to occur concerning such a question as the apostle refers to here—the relationship between a master and a slave. It is always very hard to do justice to the motives of one who seems to us to be living in sin, or to believe it possible that he acts from right motives.