Theophylact of Ohrid, 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 suppose that by fasting he means bodily exercise. This is not true: fasting is a spiritual exercise. But by bodily exercise he means that which, although it requires great labors, nevertheless brings little profit, and only for a time. Here, he says, piety helps a person. For one whose conscience convicts him of nothing bad both rejoices in spirit here, having sure promises of future blessings, and there will live the true life in very deed. Through comparison the apostle shows the superiority of piety.”

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