The activities of these false teachers are now described further; this description is contained in the instruction to Timothy specifying what he should tell these false teachers. So we learn from this instruction that these false teachers were “occupying themselves” with myths and endless genealogies. The Greek for occupy themselves means to devote much time, energy, and attention to something. Timothy is told to order these false teachers to “give up” (Good News Translation) this kind of activity. Another way to say this is “Tell them to stop spending their time…,” or else “Warn them to stop wasting their time” (Contemporary English Version [Contemporary English Version]). The point here is that they are not to spend any time at all with this activity.

Myths are traditional stories of ancestors and origins; these are present in most cultures, and people regard them very highly. Here, however, myths is used in a negative way; it is not simply that the myths referred to are made-up tales and legends (Good News Translation), but that these stories have been substituted for the true Christian message. It is possible to read the text in such as way as to identify the myths with the genealogies, which are in turn described as endless in the sense of “long” (Good News Translation). What these genealogies consist of is not at all clear, since the letter itself offers no clues. Some of the possibilities suggested are as follows:
(1) These could refer to the lists of ancestors that were found in the various Gnostic movements at that time. Gnosticism taught that anything material was evil. This includes the physical universe, which was not created by the Supreme God but by demigods who come between the Supreme God and the physical universe. The genealogies would contain the lists of these semi-divine beings.
(2) These genealogies could refer to Jewish ancestral lists and other stories that became popular among Jews who were influenced by Greek culture. These stories would include not only ancestral origins but the meaning and interpretation of even minute details of the biblical record, such as numerals and the spelling of names.
(3) These genealogies could refer to legends and stories built around the Hebrew ancestors—stories that were handed down by tradition and were contained in popular Jewish writings at that time. An example of this kind of writing is the Book of Jubilees.

All three are possible although, as already noted, it is difficult to be certain. What is certain is that these myths and genealogies have been introduced into the Christian community as a legitimate part of Christian doctrine.

With all this in mind it is probably better for translators to use some general term like Good News Translation‘s “long lists of ancestors” to translate genealogies. “Ancestors” may be variously translated as “forefathers,” “grandfathers in ancient times,” “big grandfathers,” and so on. In languages that do not have a word for “lists,” one may express this as “collections”; for example, “collections of the names of ancestors.” The phrase myths and endless genealogies may then be translated “made-up tales about long lists of ancestors.”

These myths and genealogies promote, that is, encourage, give rise to, cause, “produce” speculations. The word translated speculations is not used anywhere else in the New Testament or in Greek literature. Perhaps this is the reason why some Greek manuscripts have substituted another word that can be translated as “philosophical inquiries.” Since there are no clues from the literature of that time as to the meaning of this word, many interpreters translate it in the light of its context, for example, by looking for the likely result of being preoccupied with these myths and genealogies; hence Good News Translation “arguments.” Other ways to render promote speculations are “cause arguments” (Contemporary English Version) or “cause people to argue with each other.”

Furthermore, these false teachings do not promote the divine training that is in faith. This is a difficult expression. Divine training translates a Greek phrase that can literally be rendered as “God’s economy” and is interpreted in two ways: (1) The Greek word itself refers to the management of a household but can figuratively refer to a stewardship entrusted by God to people. What the text is saying, then, is that these people are not able to carry out the stewardship that God has given to them. (2) The Greek word is also used to refer to God’s universal plan of salvation (compare Good News Translation “God’s plan”). This latter option appears more logical in this context, since God’s plan is what seems to be contrasted with human devices represented by preoccupation with myths and genealogies. “They do not serve God’s plan” may also be rendered as “They hinder God from showing how he wants to save people (from sin).” But if translators follow interpretation (1), one may say “They don’t help anyone to do God’s work” (Contemporary English Version).

The relation of divine training with faith can be understood in two ways: (1) Faith is the central principle of divine training, which means that God’s plan of salvation only works by means of faith. (2) Faith is the way by which “God’s plan” is revealed, which means that God’s plan can only be known by faith. (2) is probably the more likely here. Faith here refers to a person’s trust in God and confidence in God’s faithfulness. Another way of expressing the phrase is in faith is “It is only by believing (in Christ) that people can know about God’s plan to save them.”

Alternative translation models for this verse are:
• You must tell these people to stop spending their time telling legends (or, made-up stories) and collecting long lists of ancestors, which only make people argue with each other. These legends and long lists of ancestors hinder God from showing how he wants to save people. It is only by believing (in Christ) that people can know about God’s plan to save them.

Or:
• You must tell these people to stop spending their time telling made-up tales about long lists of ancestors, which only make people argue with each other. Such arguments don’t help anyone to do God’s work. Work like this can only be done if one believes in God.

Quoted with permission from Arichea, Daniel C. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Paul’s First Letter to Timothy. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1995. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .