4:14

This verse describes immature Christians. They are like children who are easily influenced by false teachers. Paul compared such Christians to a boat blown about on the sea during a storm. The false teachers who try to influence believers are cunning and deceitful.

4:14a

Then: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Then is sometimes translated as:

in order that (Revised Standard Version)

This conjunction introduces another purpose of 4:11–12a. Translate this conjunction in a way that is natural for introducing a purpose in your language.

Here are some other ways to translate this conjunction:

In order that
-or-
So that
-or-
The purpose is that
-or-
If we do that, then…

we will no longer be infants: The clause we will no longer be infants is a metaphor. It is a continuation of the figure of speech that Paul used in 4:13. It means “immature,” which is the opposite of “mature” in 4:13b. For example:

we will no longer be immature like children (New Living Translation (2004))

Another way to translate this is as a simile:

we will no longer be like children

4:14b–c

tossed about by the waves and carried around by every wind of teaching: There are at least two issues you must consider as you translate 4:14b–c.

Issue 1—passives:

There are several passives in 4:14b–c. If it would be more natural in your language to use active clauses here, you could say:

The waves will no longer toss us about, and every wind of teaching will no longer carry us around.

Issue 2—metaphor:

4:14b–c contains another metaphor. Here Paul compared Christians to boats in the water. The New Century Version makes this explicit when it says:

We will not be tossed about like a ship that the waves carry one way and then another. (New Century Version)

The waves and wind easily push boats off course. In the same way, cunning men easily deceive weak Christians and “push” them away from true doctrine.

In translating this metaphor, you have several possibilities:

• You may want to translate this as a simile:

⌊We will no longer be like boats⌋ that the waves toss back and forth and the wind blows here and there.

• You may want to translate the direct meaning of the metaphor. If you live in a place where boats and travelling on the water are unknown, people who read your translation may be confused by this figure of speech. If that is true, you may need to translate the meaning with no figure of speech:

14c Cunning men will no longer easily deceive us 14b to believe false teaching.

• Or you may need to use another figure of speech, for example:

We will no longer be like dry leaves that the wind blows around.

by every wind of teaching: The phrase by every wind of teaching means we will no longer be easily deceived “by every type of false teaching.” The word wind is part of the figure of speech that Paul used. The word teaching helps explain the meaning of this figure of speech. Wind easily blows a boat in different directions. In the same way, false teaching easily “blows off course” a weak Christian. That is, it easily causes a weak Christian to leave the truth and follow false teaching.

4:14d

by the clever cunning of men in their deceitful scheming: The phrase by the clever cunning of men in their deceitful scheming is also a passive. If it would be more natural in your language to translate this as an active clause, you could say:

Cunning and crafty men ⌊will no longer⌋ deceive us with their scheming.

clever cunning of men: The two words clever and cunning may be treated as a doublet. Together they add emphasis. Both words indicate men who “deceive” or who “trick” people. Some versions translate this phrase like this:

deceitful people (Good News Translation)

deceitful scheming: The phrase deceitful scheming refers to working in an underhanded, lying way. For example:

tricks (Good News Translation)

Paul used these words to emphasize his point. The meaning is similar to “clever” and “cunning.”

General Comment on 4:14b–c

The clever and cunning men in 4:14d are the ones who do the false teaching mentioned in 4:14c, so in some languages, it will be more natural to put 4:14d before 4:14b–c. For example:

14d Clever and cunning men ⌊will no longer be able to⌋ deceive us with their false teaching. 14b–c This teaching tries to toss us back and forth ⌊like boats⌋ on the waves or ⌊like boats⌋ blown here and there by the wind.

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