1:18a

May the Lord grant Onesiphorus His mercy on that day: This is a blessing/prayer. In expressing this blessing/prayer, Paul was asking the Lord to repay Onesiphorus with special kindness for all that he had done for Paul in prison.

the Lord grant Onesiphorus His mercy: In Greek this phrase is more literally the Lord to him to find mercy from the Lord. The pronoun “him” refers to Onesiphorus. The Greek says the Lord twice in this sentence. Most commentators believe that the Lord refers to Christ both times. You may want to consider following the model of the Berean Standard Bible here and use the Lord only once and use a pronoun the second time. If you do this you may want to use the name Onesiphorus instead of the pronoun “him” as the Berean Standard Bible does. Do what is most natural in your language.

mercy: This refers to God’s help and kindness toward his own people in their various needs.

on that day: This refers to the final judgment day when Jesus will reward believers. See the notes on 1:12d and 4:8c.

1:18b

You know very well how much he ministered to me in Ephesus: Some scholars describe 1:18b as an afterthought because it does not connect very logically with 1:18a. It is best to simply begin a new sentence here without trying to supply any conjunction to connect it with 1:18a.

In this part of the verse Paul was referring to a time when he and Onesiphorus had both been in the city of Ephesus.

You: The Greek pronoun su “you (sing)” occurs here. This adds extra emphasis. One way to show this emphasis in English is to say “you yourself.”

he ministered to me: The Greek text does not have the word me with the verb ministered in this sentence. For this reason there are two ways to understand this clause:

(1) It is clear whom Onesiphorus ministered to—Onesiphorus helped Paul. Most English versions translate it as “he helped me,” because in the context Paul was writing about his personal relationship with Onesiphorus. For example, Contemporary English Version says:

You know how much he helped me in Ephesus.

See also Berean Standard Bible, New International Version (2011 Revision), Good News Translation, King James Version, NET Bible, King James Version, God’s Word, New Living Translation (2004 Revision), Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English, New Century Version.

(2) It is not clear whom Onesiphorus helped. This probably means that Onesiphorus helped many people. Some scholars think it means “he served people” without explicitly indicating whom he helped. For example, the Revised English Bible says:

You know as well as anyone the many services he rendered at Ephesus.

See also Revised Standard Version and New American Standard Bible.

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1) as the majority of English versions do.

Paragraph 2:1–2

In 1:13–14, Paul had told Timothy to do certain things. In 1:15–18, Paul wrote about what had happened to some of his relationships with people since the Roman authorities had put him in prison. At the beginning of chapter 2, Paul again gave Timothy some instructions. He told Timothy to:

(a) be strong by means of the special ability Jesus gave him (2:1).

(b) teach qualified people the message Paul had taught him (2:2).

2:1a

You therefore: The words You therefore signal two things. One is that Paul was returning to talking to Timothy after talking about other people in 1:15–18. The other is that he was returning to his main theme of instructing Timothy.

my child: When Paul addressed Timothy as my child, Paul was expressing his affection for Timothy. If speakers of your language would think that the phrase my child means that Timothy was really Paul’s son in a physical sense, you could say “you are like my child,” or even “dear Timothy,” or a similar phrase that people use to express affection. See the note on 1:2b.

be strong: Paul encouraged Timothy to be strong in serving Jesus Christ. When Paul said be strong he was not talking about physical strength. He was talking about inner strength or courage. He urged Timothy to be disciplined and to be willing to endure suffering as he served the Lord.

The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as be strong is a passive verb. Some languages may need to make this verb active by saying:

Let God make you strong.
-or-
Let God strengthen you.

2:1b

in the grace: In this verse, Paul used the word grace in a different sense than he used it in 1:9d. Here, Paul was referring to an ability that God gives to all people who trust in Christ. Paul was talking about the ability to endure suffering, to obey God, and in general to live in a way that pleases God.

When Paul commanded Timothy to be strong in the grace, he means that Timothy should be strong “by means of the grace,” “through/with the grace,” or “using the grace” that Christ gives him.

that is in Christ Jesus: The phrase in Christ Jesus is ambiguous. It can mean:

(1) Christ is the source of grace. Grace is provided in/by Christ Jesus. He gives us grace. For example, Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English says:

Be strong in the grace that Christ Jesus gives.

(2) God gives grace to those who believe in (or are united with) Christ Jesus, that is, grace that is given (by God) to those who believe in Christ Jesus. For example, the New Living Translation (2004 Revision) says:

Be strong with the special favor God gives you in Christ Jesus.

Most English versions translate literally the phrases in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. As a result, either of the above interpretations is possible. If possible, you should also translate so that either interpretation is possible. If you must choose one, choose interpretation (1).

General Comment on 2:1

In some languages it may be helpful to reverse the order of 2:1a and 2:1b and translate it as:

Christ Jesus gives us the ability/grace to be strong. So then, my son, be strong.

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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.