The text does not say what evil deeds these people were doing. But it does give two examples of their erroneous teachings, namely, commanding people not to marry and not to eat certain kinds of food.

Forbid can also be rendered as “hinder,” “prevent,” “tell people it is wrong.”

The word for foods refers specifically to solid food in contrast to liquid food such as milk, for example. This is perhaps the reason why King James Version translates food here as “meat.” However, the word is also used to refer to food in general, and this is perhaps what is intended here. Abstinence from foods may refer to several things: (1) eating as little food as possible; (2) not eating certain kinds of food (compare Good News Translation); or (3) refraining from eating food at certain times, as, for instance, during periods of fasting. This third option seems quite unlikely. Favoring the first option is the fact that abstinence from food is directly connected with abstinence from sexual activity. Furthermore, there is evidence elsewhere in the New Testament of certain ascetic movements that included prohibition of food (see, for example, Col 2.20-23). Favoring the second option is the fact that the word for foods is plural and thus seems to refer to certain types of food, particularly those that are considered ritually unclean and therefore not fit to be eaten; eating them would be tantamount to sinning against God and against the rules of the believing community. This second option is quite possible, but on the whole, the first of these options seems to be the most appropriate one.

In the Greek there is no verb corresponding to “demand” (New Revised Standard Version) or enjoin. But every translation has to make an adjustment here to make sure that the verb forbid is read only with marriage and not with “abstinence.” Thus, like Revised Standard Version, many English translations add a verb to the second part of the verse; for example, King James Version “command,” New International Version “order,” New American Standard Bible “advocate,” Phillips “command,” Jerusalem Bible “lay down rules about,” Revised English Bible “insist on,” New Jerusalem Bible “prohibit.” Some other translations restructure the whole verse, with one verse governing both parts, as, for example, Good News Translation “teach that it is wrong to marry and to eat certain foods.”

It is rather difficult to determine the reasons for this attitude toward marriage and certain foods. There are of course Old Testament laws dealing with food and how to determine whether a certain kind of meat or food is ritually clean or unclean (see, for example, the list in Leviticus 11). But these false teachers do not seem to be dependent only on the Old Testament, since there is no provision there regarding the prohibition of marriage. The apostle Paul discusses the problem of food and marriage in some of his letters. He recommends abstinence from certain kinds of food so as not to offend the weaker members of the Christian community (see, for example, Rom 14.13-23; 1 Cor 8.7-13). As to marriage, Paul does not forbid it, although he puts higher value to being unmarried. But more importantly Paul encourages Christians to remain as they are, that is, the married to remain married and the unmarried to remain unmarried (see, for example, 1 Cor 7). So it seems that the proper background for these prohibitions is a certain attitude toward the spiritual and the physical, with the former being viewed as good and the latter as evil. According to that attitude the soul is spiritual and is therefore good, but the body is physical and therefore evil. In the same way of thinking, the physical universe is evil, and people who are truly spiritual should refrain from being involved in anything that has to do with the physical world. The more a person withdraws from the world and becomes ascetic, the closer that person is to attaining the life that God intends. One practical result of this attitude is the abstinence from marriage and from food.

The last part of the verse (together with verse 4) is to be read only with foods and not with marriage. Food is described as created by God and is therefore to be received with thanksgiving. Good News Translation‘s restructuring, “But God created those foods to be eaten,” is a good translation model. One may also say, following option (1) above, “But God created food to be eaten.” In languages that do not use the passive voice, translators will need to introduce the subject of “to eat” and say, for example, “But God created food for those who believe in Christ to eat.” The word for received can have the general sense of receiving, sharing, and participating in something, but in a more specific sense of having a share in or partaking of some food. This specific meaning is perhaps intended here, which means that what is being referred to is the very act of sharing in a meal. If this is the case, then thanksgiving would refer to the prayer of thanks before the meal. This was a common practice among the Jews, and it became a common practice among the Christians as well. With thanksgiving may also be expressed as “after thanking him [God]” or “after they have thanked him.” Contemporary English Version‘s translation “with thankful hearts” is also a helpful model.

The people who believe and those who know the truth are one and the same, as clearly indicated by the Greek text, where one definite article is used for the two groups. The two expressions therefore are descriptions of the members of the Christian community. The term used for believe is used elsewhere in this letter with the meaning “faithful” (as, for example, 1.12; 1.15 [“sure”]; 3.11; and other verses) but is used in this verse either to refer to trust in and commitment to Christ, or as a technical term for Christians, hence Good News Translation “believers.” As for know the truth, a similar expression is used in 2.4 (for which see discussion there). The term truth also appears in 2.7 and 3.15. As in these cases and in other parts of the Pastoral Letters, truth is used to describe the message of the gospel in general and a body of Christian teaching in particular. Translators should make sure that the translation does not imply that truth here refers to the statement found in the next two verses.

Alternative translation models for this verse are:
• Such people (or, those liars) teach that it is wrong to marry and to eat certain kinds of food. But God created these foods for believers (or, those who believe in Christ) to eat after a prayer of thanks (or, after thanking him). These are people who have come to know the true teachings.

Or:
• Such people teach that it is wrong to eat food (or, teach that one should abstain from food). But God created food for….

Quoted with permission from Arichea, Daniel C. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Paul’s First Letter to Timothy. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1995. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .