6:4a

conceited: The word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as conceited is used to refer to people who think and behave as though they are superior to other people. They are very proud. In many languages, there is an idiomatic way to say this. The Good News Translation uses an English figure of speech and says “swollen with pride.” See the note on 3:6b. This Greek word also occurs in 2 Timothy 3:4.

understands nothing: This is the second accusation that Paul made against the false teachers in this passage. Paul did not literally mean that the false teachers understood nothing at all. This is an example of hyperbole or exaggeration. He meant that the false teachers did not really understand what they were teaching about when they taught about God. This is similar to what Paul said about them in 1:7b and 1:7c.

6:4b

he has an unhealthy interest: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as has an unhealthy interest literally means “has a sick desire.” Paul was saying that the false teachers were interested in controversies and quarrels about words. He was also saying that this was harming them spiritually.

controversies and semantics: The two Greek words that the Berean Standard Bible translates as controversies and semantics have almost the same meaning. (Moore, page 55, says this is a “near-synonymous doublet (borderline) (coordinate, with ‘and’).”) The false teachers liked to argue, dispute, debate, and disagree with other people.

semantics: The false teachers were arguing with other people about semantics. They were possibly arguing about what certain words in the Old Testament meant. Paul warned Timothy again in 2 Timothy 2:14 about how such quarrels could be harmful.

6:4c–5a

In these verse parts, Paul described the results of such unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words. He listed five results:

(a) envy (6:4c)

(b) strife (6:4c)

(c) abusive talk (6:4d)

(d) evil suspicions (6:4d)

(e) constant friction (6:5a)

These five things were characteristics of the false teachers. They were also becoming characteristics of the people who followed their teaching.

6:4c

out of which come: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as out of which come introduces the five results that Paul listed.

envy: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as envy refers to the emotion that a person feels when he wants something another person has or wants to be like another person. It makes him resentful and discontented with what he has and who he is.

Your language may have an idiomatic way to talk about envy. If so, you could use it here. (Louw and Nida (88.160) on phthonos)

strife: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as strife refers to what happens when people quarrel and disagree with one other. In the New Testament this word almost always occurs along with a word that means “envy” or “jealousy.” See Romans 1:29, 13:13; 1 Corinthians 1:11, 3:3; 2 Corinthians 12:20; Galatians 5:20; Philippians 1:15; Titus 3:9. When people are envious of each other, this causes them to quarrel and disagree with each other.

Paul said in 6:4b that the false teachers were interested in controversies and quarrels. Here in 6:4c he said that this resulted in strife among believers. Use a stronger word to translate strife than you did to translate “controversies and quarrels” in 6:4b.

6:4d

abusive talk: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as abusive talk refers to verbal abuse and insults. The false teachers and those who followed them spoke harshly and said slanderous things about people.

evil suspicions: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as suspicions refers to thoughts that somebody has done something wrong. If a person has evil suspicions, he may accuse other people of wrong doing without any proof.

© 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.