The mention of law in the previous verse leads to a discussion of the nature and function of the law within the Christian community.

In the Greek, verses 8-11 consist of one sentence; this is reflected in many translations, as, for example, Revised Standard Version. In New Revised Standard Version, however, these four verses are restructured into two sentences, with verse 8 forming one sentence and verses 9-11 another. In Good News Translation, on the other hand, this long sentence has been broken up into three sentences: verse 8, verses 9-10, and verse 11. In Contemporary English Version there are five sentences: verse 8, verse 9a, verse 9b, verse 10a, and verses 10b-11. Translators always need to remember that they are not bound by the sentence divisions in the original text or in various modern translations. What is of primary importance is to enable the intended audience to understand the message of the passage, and the sentence structure must serve this purpose.

The expression we know occurs only here in the Pastoral Letters; in the other letters, particularly those of Paul, it is used to introduce a principle that is generally accepted and acknowledged within the Christian community (see, for example, Rom 2.2; 3.19; 6.6; and others). We should be translated inclusively, since it refers to all Christians, including both the author and the recipient of the letter. In the present context the statement is about the goodness of the law when it is used properly. Law is used in the same way as in the previous verse (verse 7). Good translates a term that usually refers to pleasant outward appearance, hence “beautiful.” Here, however, the focus is on the character of the law as a valid guide for conduct that is morally and ethically acceptable. So one may also translate this first clause as “We know that what God’s law says is correct (or, valid).” In languages that cannot talk about a law “speaking,” one may translate “We [inclusive] know that what is written in God’s law (or, the Law) is good” or “We [inclusive] know that the words in God’s law are good.”

Any one may include everybody, but it has direct reference to those who are teachers of the law (see verse 7). In some languages it may be more appropriate to change any one into a plural form, hence “people,” and say “if people use the Law in the proper way.” In languages that do not use the passive, the active form if any one uses will be more natural. However, in some other languages it may be more natural to use a passive construction here; for example, “if it [the Law] is used lawfully,” “if it is used as it should be used” (compare Good News Translation), or “… in the right way” (Contemporary English Version).

Lawfully refers to the correct and proper use and application of the law. In the Greek text there is a play on the words law and lawfully (nomos–nomimōs); this can be retained in translation as long as there is a natural way of doing it in the receptor language and, more importantly, if the meaning matches that of the Greek text. The clause “if any one uses it lawfully” may be also expressed as “if a person uses it as it should be used” or “if people use it correctly.”

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 .

Two benefits or rewards of those deacons who serve well are mentioned in this verse: they gain a good standing for themselves and great confidence in the faith. A good standing is literally “a step,” used here as a figure with three possible meanings: (1) promotion to a higher rank, that is, to that of a bishop; (2) influence, reputation, and esteem within the believing community; and (3) standing before God. Once again a literal translation would be ambiguous; if the ambiguity is resolved, it should probably be done in favor of the second alternative, although a combination of the second and third alternatives is possible. Alternative translation models are: “gain a good reputation,” “gain much face,” or “are highly esteemed by their fellow Christians and by God.”

Faith here is to be taken as trust in and commitment to Christ Jesus. The word for confidence is also the word that is often translated “boldness.” This gives rise to three possible interpretations: (1) boldness to speak about their faith in Christ Jesus (as in Good News Translation); (2) greater assurance and confidence in their faith (as in New International Version “great assurance in their faith in Christ Jesus”); and (3) the confidence that others will have in them because of their faith (for example, Contemporary English Version “and will be highly respected for their faith in Christ Jesus”). If (1) is followed by a translator, one may also express this as “and they are able to speak confidently about how they believe in Christ Jesus.” But if (2) is chosen, one may express this as “and they continue to believe in Christ Jesus very confidently.” If, however, (3) is chosen, one may also translate “and other people will highly respect them for their strong trust in Christ Jesus.” All three options are possible, but since the word for confidence is used elsewhere in relation to proclaiming one’s faith, the first option seems more appropriate in this case.

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 .

After dealing with the problem of the younger widows, Paul now returns to the subject of caring for real widows. This verse goes back to the ideas mentioned in verses 4 and 8, except that it now focuses on the female members of the family. Any believing woman translates the feminine form of the word “faithful” or “believing,” hence a woman who has put her trust in Jesus Christ; so Good News Translation “any Christian woman.” As the UBS Greek New Testament shows, there is a textual problem here. In addition to the adopted reading in the text, there are two other readings, namely, “any believing man” and “any believing man or woman.” While there is a considerable degree of doubt over which is the best reading, it seems that from the evidence believing woman is to be preferred, and many modern translations have opted for this textual reading. It is of course logical for women to be in charge of the care of other women in their own household.

Relatives who are widows is literally widows, but the context clearly shows that these would be widows within the Christian woman’s household, and this information has been made explicit in Revised Standard Version (compare Good News Translation “widows in her family”).

Assist is the same verb used in verse 10 (there translated “relieved”), for which see discussion there.

The purpose of providing the needs of widowed members of the family is to relieve the church of the burden of supporting these widows and enable it to support widows who are really in need. In many languages let the church not be burdened will be translated as “not cause the other Christians to be burdened,” or in languages that do not use the passive voice, “not cause the other Christians to have to bear this obligation,” or “This will mean that the other Christians won’t have to bear that burden.” Burdened translates the imperative mood of a verb that means “to be burdened,” that is, to be troubled and loaded by burdensome obligations. The imperative mood can here be rendered as a command; many translations choose to depict this part of the verse as a result of the previous part; that is, supporting widowed relatives results in not putting additional burdens on the church and enabling the church to support widows who otherwise would not have any other source of support. For real widows see 1 Tim. 5.3.

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 .

Among them another way to express this phrase is “Two of them are” (Contemporary English Version).

Two names are mentioned as examples of those who advocate wrong teachings. Hymenaeus appears also in 2 Tim 2.17; if the two references are identical, then we have an example of what Hymenaeus taught, namely, that the resurrection is a past event (2 Tim 2.18). The name Alexander, on the other hand, appears in 2 Tim 4.14; he is identified as one who did Paul great harm, but there is no reference to any specific act that he did or doctrine that he advocated. There is also a reference to Alexander in Acts 19.33. Other than these references, these two names are not mentioned anywhere else in the New Testament, except for Mark 15.21 and Acts 4.6. Are these the same people, then? It is very hard to be sure. All we can be certain about is that they were known within the Christian community and were perhaps leaders in the church, either deacons or more probably elders. Other than that, we cannot say anything else. But fortunately for translators, it is not necessary to come to any conclusion on the identity of these people; what is important is to transliterate their names properly according to the requirements of the receptor language.

As punishment for what they have done, Paul has delivered these two people to Satan. The expression used here also appears in 1 Cor 5.5 to describe the punishment of the Corinthian sinner; the difference is that in 1 Corinthians the sinner is being handed over to Satan for the destruction of his body, so that his spirit may be saved, whereas here the focus is on disciplining the false teachers. The primary question to ask is: what is involved in handing someone over to Satan? Does the expression mean excommunication from the church or infliction of physical harm? Or perhaps a combination of both? Does this expression have the same meaning as in 1 Cor 5.5? Many commentators favor the first of these possibilities, namely, that this refers to being expelled (excommunicated) from the Christian community. Since the false teachers are outside the realm of the church, they are, so to speak, within the realm of Satan and, like Job, would be subject to the pain and suffering that Satan inflicts.

One notes, however, that the handing over to Satan has a corrective and remedial function: it is to educate these false teachers and help them to get rid of their habit of blaspheming. For blaspheme see discussion on 1.13. In the present context the focus seems to be on falsely claiming to have power and authority from God; this is shown by the fact that they are teaching their own doctrines as God’s truth. By doing this they are actually misrepresenting God and opposing God (compare Contemporary English Version, “so they will learn not to oppose God”). Implicit in the verse is that, once these false teachers repent of their wrong doing, they could be reinstated as members in good standing of the Christian community. Since it is not clear exactly what delivered to Satan means, translators are urged to use a more ambiguous translation such as Good News Translation‘s “whom I have punished by handing them over to the power of Satan.” In cultures where Christianity is only a recent phenomenon, a suitable term for Satan or the Devil may not yet have been agreed upon by the Christian community. Translators in concurrence with the churches should carefully select a term that adequately translates the biblical idea of “Devil” or Satan. If a community chooses to use the name Satan, as in this context, it will be helpful to have an item in the glossary explaining who Satan is.

That they may learn not to blaspheme may also be rendered as “that they may learn to stop opposing God,” or “this will teach them to stop misrepresenting God,” or “that they may learn to stop claiming to have God’s authority when in fact they don’t.”

An alternative translation model for this verse is:
• Two of these are Hymenaeus and Alexander. I have let Satan have power over them. This will teach them to stop teaching things that are against God’s truth.

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 .

This is the third of the “faithful sayings”; the formula here is exactly the same as in 1.15. It is difficult to be certain as to what saying is being referred to. There are at least two possibilities:
(1) It refers back to verse 8, namely, the value of spiritual exercise. This seems to be the position reflected in Good News Translation (so also Barclay [Barclay] “This is a saying which you can believe and accept absolutely”; Phillips “There is no doubt about this at all, and Christians should remember it”).
(2) It refers forward to verse 10 or a part of it. This position is difficult to maintain because verse 10 begins with the connective “For” or “Because.” However, those who take this position restructure verse 10 in such a way as to avoid the problem. New English Bible, for instance, translates verse 10 as a proverbial saying by transforming the first clause that begins with “For” into a complete statement: “Here are words you may trust, words that merit full acceptance: ‘With this before us we labor and struggle, because we have set our hope on the living God who is the Savior of all men….’ ” New International Version, on the other hand, takes the “For” clause as a parenthetical statement and identifies the second half of verse 10 as the faithful saying: “This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance (and for this we labor and strive), that we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, and especially of those who believe.”

Translators are urged by this Handbook to follow interpretation (1) and refer back to verse 8.

An alternative translation model for this verse is:
• The words I have just quoted are true. You should accept them completely and believe them.

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 .

The saying is sure is literally “the word is faithful”; it repeats a formula found in 1.15. This expression stresses that a particular statement is very important and is generally accepted as true by the Christian community (so Good News Translation “This is a true saying”). It is possible to understand this as referring to the previous verse (2.15), especially since the word “save” also appears in 2.15 as it does in 1.15. The United Bible Societies’ (UBS) Greek New Testament is in fact formatted with this understanding, but no modern translation seems to have decided to use that format.

It is more likely, however, that The saying is sure refers to what follows, since 2.15 does not sound very much like a saying. This may also be true with 3.1, but at least it can be quoted as a saying, even though it is not part of a creed or a statement of faith. Accordingly most translations reflect this understanding. It is therefore recommended by this Handbook that translators interpret this phrase as referring to the discourse that follows. Other translation models are “The following saying is sure (or true, or can be trusted),” “The following words are true,” or “It is true that” (Contemporary English Version).

Any one is the Greek word tis, which many translations have translated as “a man” (King James Version [King James Version]) or “any man” (New American Standard Bible [New American Standard Bible]). It is true of course that during that time there were only male bishops. But since the Greek does not specifically use a male pronoun here, it is best to use inclusive language when translating as Revised Standard Version has done; or else “whoever” (New Revised Standard Version) or “any person.”

Aspires (literally “to stretch oneself out,” New King James Version [New King James Version ] “desires”) is here used not in a bad but in a good sense. It is one of many Greek words that is used to describe a strong desire to do something or to accomplish a particular goal, so “greatly desire.” In many languages this can sometimes be translated with the use of figurative language; for example, New International Version “sets his heart.”

The office of bishop translates the Greek term episkopē that is related to the term episkopos (literally “overseer,” so New International Version), the latter term referring to the person, and the former to the position or function. In some instances episkopē is used to describe the responsibility of caring for people and protecting them (see, for example, Acts 1.20). In other instances it is used in a technical sense describing the position or function of an ecclesiastical leader. This second sense is what is intended in this verse. There is no unanimity, however, regarding the meaning of this word or of the kinds of responsibility of the office it defines. Some restrict it to those who are responsible for the management, nurture, and pastoral care of a particular church or congregation, while others understand it as referring to those who exercised supervision over several congregations. A further problem is the relation of the bishop to the “elder” that is mentioned in 1 Tim 5.17 and Titus 1.5. Some understand these two terms as interchangeable, in the light of Titus 1.5, 7 (compare Acts 20.17, 28, where the assembled “elders” are referred to as “overseers,” using the Greek term commonly translated “bishops”), while others view them as separate offices, with the “bishop” or “overseer” ranked higher than the “elder” and vested with the authority of appointing elders and other leaders in the church. It may be that the more restricted and localized view of “overseer” was more widely held in the early church, although in the Pastorals we can see the beginnings of what would develop later as “monarchical episcopacy,” in which the “overseer” or bishop was considered as having supreme authority over the Christian community both in matters of teaching and in the appointment of church leaders. At any rate, we should be careful not to read into the biblical term the modern understanding of the episcopal office that includes the exercise of authority over many pastors in many congregations. The New Testament does not explicitly enumerate the duties and functions of a bishop; however, if the office of bishop and “elder” are taken as identical, then the functions of “elders” can also be taken as functions of bishops. Among these functions are the nurture of the members of the congregation (1 Peter 5.2), visiting and praying for the sick (James 5.14), protecting the members of the congregation from enemies (Acts 20.29-31), and living exemplary lives (1 Peter 5.3).

At any rate, translating the text literally as bishop has its advantages in that it at least recognizes that the office of bishop has some biblical support. But at the same time there are some problems in retaining the word bishop here, primary among which is that it simply is not possible to determine whether there is a match between the office of bishop in the Pastorals and the office of bishop today, especially since there are so many ways of understanding and defining this office today in the various Christian branches. This is perhaps the primary reason why Good News Translation has chosen to translate episkopē as “church leaders.” Translators are urged to find a term in the receptor language that covers the various functions of a bishop or “elder” that were given in the previous paragraph. One must, however, avoid a term that conveys the idea of “command” or “control”; the term should rather give the idea of leadership and responsibility. In some languages this word will be translated by a descriptive phrase; for example, “one who takes care of the needs of the believers” or “one who shows what should be done in the church.”

The office of bishop is described very positively as a noble task (literally “good work”) to which one aspires and which one can legitimately desire. Some commentators note that this is the only place in the whole New Testament where there is a hint of people running for office; there is greater evidence that people were appointed to particular positions (as, for example, Acts 14.23). A noble task may also be expressed as “an honorable (or, respectable) task (or, job).”

An alternative translation model for this verse is:
• What I say now is true: If any person greatly desires (or, sets his heart) to become a church leader (or, one who leads the believers), he desires a truly honorable (or, respectable) task (or, job).

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 .

Widows who have children or grandchildren are not expected to depend on the Christian community for support, since these close relatives are obligated to take care of them. Caring for the whole family, including the widowed mother, is a religious duty that should be given utmost (first) priority, and which the children and grandchildren must learn to fulfill. Another way of expressing first is “first of all” or “before anything else.”

Learn in this context means “to practice,” “to become proficient in.” The term used for religious duties is the verb form of the word that is usually translated “godliness”; as a verb it means either to express regard for deity, hence “to worship” or “to venerate,” or in an ethical sense to fulfill a religious obligation, which in the present context refers to providing for the material needs of one’s own family. Religious duties may be expressed as “the things that their religion requires them to do,” or “the things that their Christian faith requires them to do,” or even “the things that as Christians they should do.” The sentence let them first learn their religious duty to their own family may also be rendered as “before anything else let them [the children and grandchildren] become proficient in doing the things for their own family that the Christian faith requires them to do.”

The word for grandchildren occurs only here in the whole New Testament and refers to grandchildren who are grown up.

Family is literally “house” but can refer to a household or a family that consists not only of those who are related either by blood or marriage but also slaves and servants who are living in the same location.

The word translated some return is a word used to describe something that is given as a means of repayment, hence Good News Translation “repay.” The word translated parents is more normally generic in meaning; it refers to people who are several generations removed from the person referred to, hence “forefathers,” “ancestors.” In the present context, however, it is obvious that the word is used in the narrower sense of parents and grandparents as well (compare Good News Translation). The idea of repaying parents is very strong in many cultures, since it is believed that the children owe their lives to their parents.

This refers to the act of caring for the widows and for the whole family. The expression acceptable in the sight of God appears in 2.3, for which see discussion there. This final clause may also be expressed as “for by doing this [repaying their parents and grandparents] they cause God to be pleased” or “for when they do this, God is pleased.”

An alternative translation model for this verse is:
• But if a widow has children and grandchildren, before anything else, they should practice doing the things for their own family that as Christians they are required to do. For when they do this, God is pleased.

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 .