2:24a

a servant of the Lord: The phrase a servant of the Lord is a general statement referring to all pastors and all teachers of Christian doctrine. Timothy was also a servant of the Lord, so Paul obviously intended it to apply to him also.

Paul made this general statement using the word servant in the singular. In some languages, it will be necessary to follow the example of the New Living Translation (2004 Revision) and make servant plural.

The Lord’s servants must not quarrel

In many languages the form for general statements has a particular person and number marker or pronoun to indicate the subject of the verb. Some examples are:

We^(incl) who are the Lord’s servants…
-or-
You (sing) who are the Lord’s servant… (See Good News Translation, for example.)
-or-
Someone who is the Lord’s servant…
-or-
People who are the Lord’s servants…

You should use the pattern that is natural in your language and use consistent pronouns. In this context, the statements in 2:24–25 apply to Paul himself, to Timothy, and to anyone else who serves as a pastor or a leader for other Christians.

the Lord: Here the Lord refers to God.

2:24b

but: The word but is a translation of the Greek conjunction de. Here Paul contrasts 2:24a with 2:24b. Some English versions translate this word as “instead.”

must be kind to everyone: In 2:24a, Paul told Timothy how the servant of the Lord must not act toward other people. In 2:24b, he told Timothy how the servant of the Lord should act toward everyone, including non-Christians, including those who want to argue with him. He did not say that Timothy should completely avoid people who did not believe the good news. He knew that if Timothy talked with them in a kind manner, he might be able to explain to them the truths that they needed to hear.

2:24c

able to teach: A servant of the Lord must be able to teach. The teaching referred to here implies teaching the truth to both believers and non-believers. It also refers to teaching against false doctrine.

2:24d

and forbearing: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as forbearing means “to be patient” with those who oppose you. Many English versions translate this word as “patient.” For example, the New Living Translation (2004 Revision) says: “They must be…patient with difficult people.” It is recommended that you also translate this word as “patient.”

© 2003 by SIL International®

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All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible. BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.