The first thing that needs to be determined with regard to verse 21 is its connection to the rest of the passage. Does the phrase these rules refer to what precedes or to what follows? If it is the latter, that would justify beginning a new paragraph with this verse, as Good News Translation has done. But if it is the former, then it is better to connect this verse directly with the preceding verse, without starting a new paragraph. There are justifiable arguments for either position; the preference in this Handbook is that verse 21 is better interpreted as looking back than forward. For one thing, the instructions that follow verse 21 seem to be less serious than the subject matter of the preceding verses. For another thing, verses 17-20 deal with one subject matter, whereas verses 22-25 deal with a combination of topics without any apparent unity. In certain languages it will be helpful to express these rules as “these rules which I have just given you.”
In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of the elect angels functions as an oath formula. The more common use of the oath formula is to affirm something as true, and for this purpose God’s name is invoked; for example, Gal 1.20 “Before God, I do not lie!”; Luke 16.15 “God knows your hearts”; 2 Cor 11.11 “God knows I do!” In the Pastorals, however, the oath formula is used to strengthen certain commands and instructions and to put the stamp of divine authority on them. In the present verse God, Christ Jesus, and the elect angels are called upon as witnesses. The combination of these three elements obviously reflects liturgical language, or the language used in the worship of the church. In worship it is as though the heavens are opened, and the worshipers see God on the throne, Christ Jesus seated at God’s right side, and the angels surrounding the throne. The use of these three elements (God, Christ Jesus, elect angels) in an oath formula occurs only here, whereas the combination of God and Christ Jesus occurs also in 1 Tim 6.13 and 2 Tim 4.1. In this context other ways of saying In the presence of … I charge …, are “As God and … look on, I charge….” “I call upon God, Jesus Christ, and the elect angels to witness that I am solemnly calling upon (or, warning) you….”
In the Greek text there is no definite article before Christ Jesus (there is one before God), but this does not seem to have any significance in the interpretation of the verse.
The expression elect angels appears only here in the whole New Testament. Angels are usually interpreted as heavenly messengers; in the present context, however, the focus is in their presence around the throne and not on their role as messengers. Perhaps “God’s heavenly servants” is a suitable alternative translation. Elect is derived from a verb that means “to choose,” with the implicit agent being God or Christ. The use of this term stresses the special status of these angels as “chosen” servants and messengers of God. So one may express elect angels as “God’s chosen (or, special) heavenly servants.” The term “the elect” or “God’s elect” is used elsewhere in the New Testament to refer to Christians as God’s chosen people (see, for example, 2 Tim 2.10; Titus 1.1).
These rules is literally “these things,” with “things” understood as specific “instructions” (Good News Translation). The word for keep has the primary meaning of “guard closely,” but in this context the focus is on faithfulness in observance, hence “obey” (Good News Translation), “maintain” (New English Bible), “follow” (Phillips). Favor is literally “partiality” or “prejudice”; it describes the act of making a decision based on assumptions and prejudgments that are usually unjustified. The word for partiality is synonymous with favor; it describes an unjustified preference for something or someone. Since these two terms are so close to each other in meaning, it is possible in translation to put these two together, as Good News Translation has done. However, in many languages there will be many synonyms, as in English, so that translators may use two synonymous terms, often figurative or idiomatic, to translate the two synonymous Greek terms; for example, “without leaning toward or looking at the face of any person….” But in others, one idiomatic expression will suffice; for example, “without distinguishing faces,” “without playing favorites,” “without taking the side of anyone.” In some languages the full expression without favor, doing nothing from partiality may be restructured as a new sentence; for example, “No matter what you do you must obey these rules without showing favor or partiality to any person in anything you do.”
An alternative translation model for this verse is:
• As God and Christ Jesus, and God’s chosen heavenly servants, look on as witnesses, I solemnly call upon you to obey the instructions which I have just given to you. No matter what you do you must obey these rules without showing favor or partiality to any person in anything you do.
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 .