In the Greek text verse 7 is not a separate sentence but is connected with verse 6 by the expression “into which” that Revised Standard Version translates For this. There are some translations which retain the Greek form here. However, it is advisable to make verse 7 into a separate sentence for the following reasons: (1) In the Greek the sentence begins with verse 5, and to retain the Greek form results in a rather long sentence. (2) As has been noted, verses 5 and 6 form a unity and may be an early Christian creed; it is best therefore for this unit to stand by itself. So this verse may begin as follows: “This is why I…” or “It is for this reason that I….”
The problem of course that arises when verse 7 is translated as a separate sentence is how to make clear its logical relationship with the rest of the passage. What the verse wants to emphasize is the purpose and reason for Paul’s appointment as prophet and apostle. It is possible to connect For this (literally “into which”) with what follows (for example, “I am appointed to teach the Gentiles faith and truth”) or with what precedes. However, it most probably refers to what precedes, particularly the emphasis on the universal effect of Christ’s sacrifice. This connection needs to be made clear in the translation. It is made very clear in Good News Translation (“and that is why”). I was appointed has as the implicit agent either God or, more likely, Christ; this can be made explicit in the translation; for example, “This is why Christ appointed me as….” Appointed translates a Greek verb that in this context primarily means to assign or designate someone to a special task or function. Paul’s appointment in this case is three-fold: to be a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher. For apostle see 1.1 and comments. The word for preacher is derived from the verb that means “to preach,” “to proclaim a message”; it is noted by some commentators that, in Greek societies at that time, this term was used of a person whose duty was to go about announcing the honors that have been bestowed on someone, hence a “herald.”
The relationship between these three terms can be expressed in several ways. First of all they can be taken as belonging to a series; hence preacher, apostle, teacher. This same series in the same order appears in 2 Tim 1.11. Secondly preacher and teacher may be taken as defining apostle; hence “an apostle to preach and to teach.” Thirdly preacher and apostle may be understood as offices, and teacher as a function of both offices; hence “a preacher and an apostle to teach….” This third interpretation is justified by the fact that, while preacher and apostle are connected with the conjunction and (and therefore can be understood as coordinates), there is no conjunction before teacher. A fourth possibility (compare Good News Translation) is to understand teacher and apostle as offices, and preacher as a function of these two offices. This interpretation does not seem likely, as it appears to conflict with the grammar of the sentence. A literal translation would favor the first of these possibilities; translating preacher and teacher as verbs will result in the second option; while verbalizing only teacher results in the third alternative. The second alternative is the more likely one, however, and is recommended in this Handbook. In some languages it will be necessary to restructure as follows: “For this reason God appointed me as his apostle (or, ambassador) to those who are not Jews. In this capacity I must preach the Good News to them and teach them the true teachings about Jesus.”
Gentiles is literally “nations” and can refer either to all peoples, including Jews and non-Jews, or in most contexts only to non-Jews. This is the case here. In certain languages it will be helpful to begin a new sentence after Gentiles and say, for example, “He wanted me to proclaim” or “He did this so that I might proclaim.”
The expression in faith and truth may be understood as referring to the spirit of the teacher and the way the teaching is done (hence, one who teaches in the spirit of faith and truth), or more likely to the content of the teaching (as in, for example, Good News Translation “the message of faith and truth”); in this latter case faith and truth may be understood as hendiadys, two expressions for one idea, with truth being interpreted as qualifying faith, hence “the true faith” (Translator’s New Testament) or “the true teachings about Jesus.”
The parenthetical statement consists of both a positive part, I am telling the truth, and a negative part, I am not lying. The combination of a positive and a negative statement is a rhetorical device to make an emphatic assertion. In some languages it is more natural to reverse the order. A harder problem is where to connect this statement. In the Greek text the statement comes right after apostle; it is therefore possible to understand the statement as an affirmation of Paul’s apostleship, and a literal translation of the Greek would lend itself to this interpretation. Another possibility is to connect the statement with what follows, as, for example, New Jerusalem Bible “… apostle and—I am telling the truth and no lie—a teacher of the gentiles in faith and truth.” A third possibility is to understand the statement as referring to the whole of verse 7, in which case it can be transferred to the last part of the verse; that is what Good News Translation has done. This position is quite attractive and is in fact preferred by this Handbook.
An alternative translation model for this verse is:
• It is for this reason that God appointed me as an apostle (or, ambassador) to those who are not Jews. In this capacity (or, As his representative) I must preach the Good News (or, the message about Jesus) to them, and teach the true teachings about Jesus. What I have just said is true! I am not lying!
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 .