For guard see comments on “keep” in 1 Tim 5.21.

Truth is literally “the good thing,” and some take this to refer specifically to the “sound words” in the previous verse; so Revised Standard Version truth. If translators follow this interpretation, another way to express guard the truth is “guard this truth,” where “this” refers back to “sound words” in verse 13. Others, however, take it in a more general sense; so Good News Translation “good things.”

For the expression that has been entrusted to you, see 1 Tim 6.20 and the discussion on the previous verse.

For dwell see 2 Tim 1.5 and comments.

The relation of the prepositional phrase by the Holy Spirit who dwells within us to the rest of the verse is not easy to determine. One possibility is to understand the Holy Spirit as the instrument through whom the message is entrusted; hence “the truth that has been entrusted to you by means of the Holy Spirit (or, by the power of the Holy Spirit).” A more likely option is to understand the Holy Spirit as providing the power to guard properly what has been entrusted; hence “By the power of the Holy Spirit who lives in us, guard the truth…”; this second option is reflected in Good News Translation; so also Contemporary English Version “Guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit, who lives within you.”

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