2:10a

For this reason I endure all things: The phrase For this reason indicates that 2:10a is the result of 2:9c. Because God’s word was not chained, Paul was willing to endure suffering so that other people could hear the good news about Jesus Christ and believe in him.

all things: The words all things refers to what Paul suffered. He was saying that he would endure whatever suffering he might have to. He would do this so that the people God had chosen could know Jesus.

2:10b

the elect: The elect refers to the people that God has chosen to believe in him and be his special people. It is a key term and a phrase that Paul often used. In translating it, use the same expression as in Matthew 24:24; Luke 18:7; Ephesians 1:4 and Titus 1:1. Some translation possibilities are:

God’s chosen people
-or-
the people God has chosen to be his own/special people
-or-
the people whom God has chosen to follow him

2:10c

so that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus: God has elected/chosen many people to belong to him. However, in order for them to belong to him (in other words, to become Christians), they must still hear the gospel and believe in Christ. Paul may have been tempted to stop preaching the gospel because of his suffering. But in this clause he told Timothy the reason he would not stop: he was committed to help people to believe in Christ.

they too: The word too refers back to the fact that Paul was saved. Paul said that he endured suffering so that the elect may “also” be saved, just as he was saved.

obtain the salvation: The clause obtain the salvation is another way of saying “be saved.” For example, the Contemporary English Version says, “Then God’s special people will be saved.” The Greek text does not indicate whether it is God or Christ Jesus who saves. If you must make this explicit, use Christ Jesus, as in the Display.

in Christ Jesus: In this verse, the phrase in Christ Jesus goes with the word salvation. Some ways of translating the entire phrase are:

salvation that they will receive by believing in Christ Jesus.
-or-
salvation that Christ Jesus gives to all people who believe.
-or-
Christ Jesus may save them.

2:10d

with eternal glory: The phrase with eternal glory refers to the honor and splendor of eternal life when we will be in the presence of God forever.

General Comment on 2:10c–d

English versions vary widely in how they connect eternal glory to the rest of the verse. The Berean Standard Bible is difficult to understand here. Therefore it is recommended that you follow one of these three translations:

they also may obtain salvation in Christ Jesus with its eternal glory (Revised Standard Version).
-or-
salvation that comes through Christ Jesus and brings eternal glory (Good News Translation).

Section 2:14–26

Timothy should be a workman who pleases God

Paragraph 2:14–19

Paul was writing only to Timothy here, so the verbs are singular.

2:14a

Remind: The form of the Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Remind indicates that Paul was asking Timothy to never stop reminding the believers about these things.

the believers: The word believers refers to the entire group of believers in Ephesus and across the province of Asia.

these things: The phrase these things refers back to what Paul had already said, and not to the text that follows. However, Bible scholars are not certain how many of the previous verses Paul was referring to here. He was referring at least to the hymn in 2:11–13. He may also have been referring to all that he had written up to this point. It is best to translate in a general sense so that 2:14a is not limited to any specific thing that Paul mentioned earlier in this letter.

2:14b

charging them before God: This phrase is similar to the wording in 1 Timothy 5:21.

before God: This phrase means “in the presence of God.” It is a type of oath that Paul and other people normally used to emphasize that what they said was true. (See Galatians 1:20.) Here, however, Paul instructed Timothy to use this phrase when he talked to the believers in order to emphasize how important his warning was. See the Display for an example of translating this as direct speech.

Some other ways to translate this phrase are:

with God as your witness (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
in the name of God (New Jerusalem Bible)

God: There is a textual issue here.

(1) Some Greek manuscripts have God. These manuscripts are followed by the Berean Standard Bible, New International Version (2011 Revision), Good News Translation, New Revised Standard Version, New Jerusalem Bible, God’s Word, New Living Translation (2004 Revision), Contemporary English Version, Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English, New Century Version, NET Bible, New American Standard Bible, and Revised English Bible.

(2) Other Greek manuscripts have Lord. These manuscripts are followed by the Revised Standard Version and King James Version.

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

2:14c

quarreling over words: The verb phrase quarreling over words is a translation of a single Greek verb. It means, “to strongly disagree about the meaning of words and the proper way to use them.” Paul warned Timothy in a similar way in 1 Timothy 6:4.

Paul could have been referring to the small details of words that do not change the meaning of doctrines. Or he may have been referring to myths, genealogies, and other cultural ideas that he mentioned in 1 Timothy 1:4 and 4:7.

2:14d

(New American Standard Bible) which is useless: When people argued over unimportant differences in meaning, it would not help those who were listening to better understand the word of God. Such arguments were useless.

A literal translation of this phrase from Greek into English is “for nothing useful/beneficial.” The phrase “for nothing” occurs before the word “useful.” This gives “for nothing” extra emphasis. One way to show this emphasis in English would be to say “no good at all.”

2:14e

(New American Standard Bible) in leading the listeners to ruin: The people who argued about differences in meaning that were not important might confuse the people who listened to them. This confusion could ruin the listeners’ faith.

© 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.