In verse 3 Timothy is exhorted to bear his share of suffering. In this verse Paul informs Timothy that he (Paul) is already suffering for the sake of the gospel, and mentions his imprisonment as a specific example. For which is literally “in which”; it is possible to take “Jesus Christ” as the antecedent of this prepositional phrase, but most translations understand the antecedent to be the gospel. A further question is whether the cause of Paul’s imprisonment is the gospel itself or an activity related to the gospel, as, for example, preaching, proclamation, or witnessing. Revised Standard Version can be interpreted either way but leans toward the first of these options (so also Contemporary English Version “And because of this message”), whereas Good News Translation clearly takes the second possibility: “Because I preach the Good News…” (also Revised English Bible “For preaching this…”).

For suffering see 2 Tim. 2.3 above.

Wearing fetters translates the expression “even unto bonds” (see King James Version). Fetters translates a word that is used to denote any instrument of tying or binding, hence “chains,” “ropes.” It was a practice at that time to attach chains to the ankles and sometimes to the hands of prisoners. In languages that do not use the passive voice, one may say, for example, “and they [unknown agents] have put chains about me” or “… have bound me with chains.” In many languages, though, it will be more natural to say “and they have put me in prison and treated me like a criminal (or, as if I were a criminal),” or even “they treat me like a criminal and put me in prison.”

Criminal translates a word that is used only here in the Pastoral Letters; it is the same word used to describe the two criminals who were hanged with Jesus (see Luke 23.32, 33, 39). In some languages criminal will be expressed as “law breaker.”

For word of God see 1 Tim 4.5. Here the contrast is made between Paul’s condition as being in prison and therefore unable to move around, and God’s word, the proclamation of which cannot be restrained in any way. If a translator chooses to use the metaphor of chains in the previous sentence, he may express the sentence But the word of God is not fettered as “But they can’t put chains around God’s message.” However, if “prison” is chosen, one may say, for example, “But they can’t put God’s message in prison.”

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