4:9a
This is a trustworthy saying: This is an expression that Paul used often in his letters to Timothy and Titus. See 1 Timothy 1:15, 3:1; 2 Timothy 2:11; Titus 1:9, 3:8. You should try and use the same expression for trustworthy saying in all these places. Paul used this expression to refer to a saying that was well known among believers at that time.
Since this saying refers back to something Paul has already said in 4:8, it may be necessary to change the wording of the sentence. For example:
What I have just said is a trustworthy saying
See the General Comment on 4:8–9 for a suggestion that involves changing the order of the verses.
trustworthy: Paul said that what he had said was trustworthy. That means that it was true and reliable. Other ways to say this could be: “This saying really is true,” or “people should believe this.”
saying: A saying is an expression that is well known to people. In some languages it may be possible to use a word like “proverb.”
4:9b
worthy of full acceptance: Because the saying is “trustworthy”, everyone should believe it and should not doubt it in any way. They can be sure that it is true.
General Comment on 4:8–9
As mentioned above, Paul quoted the saying in 4:8, but he did not mention that it was a saying until 4:9. So, in some languages it may be helpful to reverse the order of 4:8 and 4:9 so that Paul’s statement in 4:9 introduces the saying. One way to do this is:
9aFor this is a trustworthy saying 9bthat deserves full acceptance. 8aPhysical training is of some value. 8bHowever godliness has value for all things, 8c as it holds promise for both the present life and the life to come.
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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.