Once again, as an appropriate way to close the letter, Paul turns his attention to Timothy and gives him a solemn charge to guard what has been entrusted into his care. For guard see 5.21 (where Revised Standard Version has “keep”); in that context it means “obey.” The focus here is on preserving and keeping free from any harm (Good News Translation “keep safe”). The form of the verb is that of an aorist infinitive, but probably with the force of a present imperative, which would mean the function of “guarding” is both permanent and ongoing. Entrusted comes from a verb that has the usual meaning of “to place,” “to deposit,” but in this context it means “to commit to one’s charge,” “to place in one’s care” (so Contemporary English Version). Since the verb is in the passive form, the agent is left implicit. Possibilities include Paul himself or the elders who placed their hands on Timothy. It is also possible that this is a case of the construction usually known as the passive of divine avoidance, in which case God is the implicit agent; this is in fact reflected in some translations; for example, Phillips “your divine commission,” Contemporary English Version “what God has placed in your care.” In languages that do not use the passive voice, one may translate this first sentence as “Timothy, you must keep safe what God has given you to look after.”
A more difficult problem is determining what it is that has been entrusted to Timothy. Among the possibilities mentioned are the following: (1) Timothy’s commission as a minister of the gospel; (2) a spiritual gift or endowment that enables Timothy to perform his task as a minister; (3) the body of doctrine that Timothy is expected to teach and preach; (4) the gospel itself. It is possible, of course, and very likely, that the text is deliberately kept in a general tone in order to cover a wide area of possibilities. If this is so, then it is not necessary in the translation to be very specific. However, if notes are being used in the translation, then additional information can be included in the notes in order to help the readers to more fully understand the text.
Timothy is also urged to avoid two things: godless chatter and what is being known as knowledge. Avoid may also be expressed as “Don’t pay any attention to” or “Don’t listen to.” Godless is the same word translated “profane” in 1.9 and “godless” in 4.7, and in this context means “profane” (Good News Translation), “which has nothing to do with God,” or “gives no reverence to God.” Chatter is the plural form of a verb that can be literally rendered as “empty talk”; the meaning here is synonymous with “vain discussion” in 1.6. Contradictions is literally “antitheses” and may refer first of all to the teachings of the false teachers that contradict the gospel as proclaimed in the body of doctrine that has been acknowledged as authoritative by the Christian community, and secondly to inconsistencies prevalent among the false teachers themselves. Good News Translation‘s “foolish arguments” and “stupid talk” (Contemporary English Version) are good models to follow.
The expression what is falsely called knowledge has given rise to some problems of interpretation. Some interpreters have claimed that what is being referred to here is a certain Gnostic movement, since the Gnostics claim to possess a certain kind of knowledge that enables them to have communion with the divine. Others maintain that it is not Gnosticism that is being referred to here but the teachings of the false teachers that are described in various ways in the letter (see especially 1.3-7 and 4.1-4). It is difficult to be sure, but the use of the word knowledge seems to indicate that some form of Gnosticism was present at that time; it is even possible that some of the false teachers were influenced in some way by Gnostic teaching, as for instance the emphasis on genealogies (see notes on 1.4). Another way to express this clause is “that some people say is ‘knowledge,’ but it really isn’t.”
An alternative translation model for this verse is:
• Timothy, you must keep safe what God has given you to look after. Don’t listen to people who incessantly say stupid (or, empty) words that show no reverence for God, and argue stupidly. They call this “knowledge,” but it really isn’t.
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 .