Ambrose of Milan, on 1Tim 4:8

“For bodily exercise is profitable to little: but godliness is profitable to all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.”

“Some indeed put it thus, "Incline my heart unto Thy testimonies and not to what is useful." The reference is to that kind of usefulness which is always on the watch for making gains in business and has been bent and diverted by the habits of men to the pursuit of money. For as a rule most people call that only useful which is profitable, but we are speaking of that kind of usefulness which is sought in earthly loss "that we may gain Christ," whose gain is "godliness with contentment." Great, too, is the gain whereby we attain to godliness, which is rich with God, not indeed in fleeting wealth but in eternal gifts, and in which rests no uncertain trial but grace constant and unending. There is therefore a usefulness connected with the body, and also one that has to do with godliness, according to the apostle's division, "Bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things."”

Imported from an open dataset — not yet checked against the printed edition.