What follows is a series of nine imperatives, five of them occurring in the present verse, and all related to Timothy’s preaching and teaching ministry. The first and the most important is preach the word. For preach see 1 Tim 3.16. Word translates the Greek word logos and here refers to the Christian message in general, or the gospel. (See further on 1 Tim 4.5.) Timothy is therefore urged to “preach the message” (Good News Translation; compare New Revised Standard Version “proclaim the message”); this is his most important task.

Secondly, Timothy is to be urgent in season and out of season. Be urgent translates a verb that means “to stand by, to be at hand.” Some translations have taken this meaning; for example, New International Version “be prepared.” But the verb can also have the meaning “to continue in an activity in spite of presumed opposition,” hence “to be persistent” (New Revised Standard Version). The reference of course is to the proclamation of the message, which means that Timothy is being urged to keep on with his preaching ministry (so Good News Translation “insist upon telling it”). In many languages it will be helpful to begin a new sentence with the phrase be urgent; for example, “… to preach the message. You should be persistent in doing this….”

The expression in season and out of season is literally “well-timely or untimely” and means “whether it is convenient or not.” Most translations take this general meaning (for example, New Revised Standard Version “whether the time is favorable or unfavorable,” Good News Translation “whether the time is right or not,” New American Bible, Revised “convenient or inconvenient”). It is possible to interpret this in a more specific sense, in which case one has to decide whether the expression is subjective, referring to Timothy, or objective, referring to his hearers. If the former, then a possible restructuring is “whether you feel inclined to preach or not.” If the latter, one can have the following restructuring: “whether people want to hear it or not” (compare Jerusalem Bible “welcome or unwelcome,” Contemporary English Version “even if it is not the popular thing to do”). There is also a play on words here (Greek eukairos—akairos) that in some sense is captured by the translation in season and out of season. It is sometimes possible and even advisable to recapture this play on words in the receptor language, as long as the resulting translation is natural and appropriate.

The final three imperatives are stated without any additional explanation.

For convince see the same verb translated “rebuke” in 1 Tim 5.20. The word includes the element of telling people that they are wrong or have done something wrong; hence “reproach,” “rebuke,” “refute falsehood” (Jerusalem Bible), “reprove” (Phillips).

Rebuke denotes expressing strong disapproval of someone; hence “to denounce,” “reproach” (Good News Translation), “reproof” (Revised English Bible).

For exhort see comments on 1 Tim 4.13, where the same word is translated “preaching”; and see also 1 Tim 1.3 and 2.1, where in both places it is translated as “urge.” The verb used here has a wide range of meanings, but in the present context it means either to appeal earnestly (hence “urge,” “exhort”) or to encourage or console people, either by means of words or by action (compare Contemporary English Version “cheer them up”). It will be helpful in many languages to have two sentences; for example, “You must show people what they have done wrong and reprove them for their sins. But you should also encourage them as you teach them very patiently.”

The last part of this verse (be unfailing in patience and in teaching) is literally “in all patience and teaching.” For patience see 1 Tim 1.16 and 2 Tim 3.10. Teaching is better taken here as referring to the activity of teaching rather than to its content. It is very likely that what we have here is a hendiadys, that is, two elements connected with “and,” with one element being a quality of the other. If this is so, then teaching is the main action, and patience is a quality that characterizes teaching; so Good News Translation “teaching with all patience,” New English Bible “with all the patience that the work of teaching requires.” It is possible, however, to take patience and teaching separately and connect them with the activities represented by the imperatives. The sense then is “do all these with unfailing patience and as a way of teaching” (compare Jerusalem Bible “but do all with patience and with the intention of teaching,” New Jerusalem Bible “but do all with patience and with care to instruct”).

Alternative translation models for this verse are:
• to preach the message. You should be persistent in doing this, whether you feel inclined to preach or not. You must show people what they have done wrong, and rebuke them for their sins. But you must also encourage people as you teach them very patiently.

Or:
• … You should be persistent in this, whether people want to listen to you or not. You must show people what they have done wrong and rebuke them for their sins; but also encourage them. Do all of this with patience, teaching them carefully.

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 .