Watch out for (New English Bible “keep your eye on”; Jerusalem Bible “be on your guard against”) is stronger than a translation such as “take note of” (Revised Standard Version) might suggest.

Those who cause divisions may be rendered as “those who separate people into groups,” “those who cause different groups of people to fight with one another,” or “those who cause strong differences between people.”

Upset people’s faith (New English Bible “lead others astray”) may be literally rendered as “do things to cause (people) to stumble.” In this context the people who are made to stumble are believers. In some languages it is quite meaningless to talk about “upsetting a person’s faith.” One can, however, “twist another’s faith” or “cause a believer to leave the right road.”

Who go against the teaching is a verb transform of the noun phrase “contrary to the teaching” (New American Bible). Teaching (New English Bible, Phillips, New American Bible) or “instruction” (An American Translation*) is a more acceptable term than “doctrine” (Revised Standard Version, Jerusalem Bible, Moffatt). Rather than say go against the teaching, it may be more appropriate to render “talk against the teaching,” “teach contrary to the way in which you have received the teaching,” or “teach against what you have been taught.”

You have received (so New American Bible; New English Bible “you received”) is literally “which you learned.” Several translations make this into a passive construction (Revised Standard Version “you have been taught”; An American Translation* “you were given”).

Keep away from them may be translated in a negative form, “do not associate with them” or “do not go near them.”

Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on Paul’s Letter to the Romans. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1973. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .