Doing good and being generous are here emphasized as virtues to be practiced by rich people. In the Greek this verse is not a complete sentence but is part of the sentence that started with verse 17. Therefore the main verb of this verse is “Command” at the beginning of verse 17, and this is made explicit in Good News Translation. The verse consists of two pairs, the first of which refers to doing good, and the second to being generous. To do good and to be rich in good deeds are synonymous; the repetition enhances the importance of this virtue. The second expression, to be rich in good deeds, is more emphatic and intensive than the first; once again it plays on the word rich. This would easily remind the wealthy that, in addition to being materially rich, they should also be rich in the many good deeds that they are capable of performing because of their material wealth. It may not be possible, of course, in some languages to retain the idiom, in which case the two parallel expressions can be combined in a meaningful way; for example, “do good in many ways” or “do many good deeds.”

Liberal and generous are also synonyms. Liberal is more accurately rendered as “generous” (Good News Translation, also New Revised Standard Version), while generous indicates readiness and willingness to share with others. The Greek word in this case is based on the word for “fellowship,” and this may indicate that the wealthy are being urged not only to share their material possessions with others (compare Good News Translation), but also to be involved themselves in various concerns of the Christian community. In many languages generous will be rendered figuratively; for example, “have a wide heart,” and so on.

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 .