These next two verses describe in detail the conduct of the false teachers and the results of such conduct within the Christian community. These are set out as consequences of teaching false doctrines; that is, anyone who teaches unsound doctrine will have a life characterized by the negative traits mentioned in these two verses.

What is of special concern to translators is that verses 3-5 form one long conditional sentence, with the condition mentioned in verse 3 and the results mentioned in verses 4 and 5. This long sentence may need to be restructured into two or more shorter sentences, depending on the requirements of the receptor language and the intended audience. For this purpose Good News Translation serves as a good model. A further concern is how to render the consequences. One possibility is to retain the conditional structure of the text, that is, the structure “if … then….” One other possibility is to take the consequences as actual descriptions of the false teachers; to depict this properly, however, the conditional structure of the sentence can be substituted with a simple statement that is more fitted for describing something; for example, “Anyone who … is….” If, however, a translator follows the second alternative model at the end of verse 3, a new sentence may be started at the beginning of verse 4; for example, “People who do such things are proud” or “These false teachers are…”

The first consequence is that the false teacher is puffed up with conceit. This translates one Greek word that also appears in 3.6, for which see discussion there. The false teachers are pictured as proud, arrogant, conceited, which must really describe anyone who dares to teach something different from that which Christ himself has taught and revealed. This phrase may also be rendered as “has a heart filled up with pride.”

Secondly, the false teacher knows nothing; that is, he is ignorant (compare New English Bible “a pompous ignoramus,” Phillips “conceited idiot”). The Greek word for know includes the element of understanding; in this case a person who knows nothing is a person who doesn’t understand anything (see New International Version “understands nothing”), and in some languages that will be a natural translation model. Contemporary English Version‘s model “but they don’t really know a thing” is also a helpful one.

Thirdly, the false teacher has a morbid craving for controversy and for disputes about words. Has a morbid craving translates a Greek word that means to have an “unhealthy desire” (Good News Translation) for something. The noun form of the verb refers to sickness in general, which indicates that this unhealthy craving is an ailment of some kind. Other ways to express this are “have a strong unnatural craving (or, desire) to…” or “have a heart which desires wrongly (or, unnaturally) to….” However, in some languages it will be possible to say something like “Their minds (or, hearts) are sick, and they are always wanting to….” Controversy translates a Greek word that refers to forcefully expressing differences of opinion but without interest in seeking for a solution; hence “disputes,” “debates,” “questionings.” Disputes about words on the other hand translates a Greek word that refers to arguing or quarreling about the meaning and use of words; it is used only here and in 2 Tim 2.14. These two terms are obviously related in meaning and may even be put together in translation (for example, Good News Translation “argue and quarrel about words,” New English Bible “mere verbal questions and quibbles”). Another way of expressing controversy and disputes about words is “argue and quarrel with other people about the meaning of words.”

Such useless arguments and quibbling about words give rise to negative conditions within the community; five of these are mentioned. Some translators will find it helpful to begin a new sentence here and say, for example, “Such arguments produce (or, cause)…,” and in some languages it will be necessary to move the phrase among men who to the beginning of this new sentence and say “Such arguments cause certain people who are depraved in mind to….”

Envy is the eager desire to have or attain what belongs to another, and other possible translation models are “be jealous of other people’s abilities” or “desire to have what other people have.” Dissension refers to the act of separating from one another or creating divisions and schisms and thus undermining the unity of any group. So one may also translate “to divide into groups” or “have continual disagreements with others.” Slander is literally “blasphemies,” the verb form of which is used in 1.20. Here, however, the stress of the word is on the horizontal rather than the vertical dimension, that is, it focuses on harsh, evil, and abusive language directed primarily to other people rather than to God. The plural, moreover, focuses on both the frequency of these insults and the number of those who participate in such actions. Another way of expressing slander is “continually say evil things about others.” Suspicions translates a word that refers to forming an opinion based on very scanty evidence, and thus falling into the danger of regarding something false as true. Suspicions are bad in themselves, but here their negative nature is heightened by describing them as base or “evil.” Wrangling translates a word that refers to “constant” and continuous arguing; the plural form (compare Good News Translation “arguments”) accents both the frequency and the constancy of these arguments. Contemporary English Version has “nasty quarrels.” The word occurs only here in the New Testament.

These continuous and violent disputes come from men (better, “people”) who are depraved in mind, bereft of the truth, and who think that godliness is a means of becoming rich. Men translates the generic word for human beings, hence Good News Translation “people.” Depraved translates a perfect passive participle of the verb that means “to ruin,” “to destroy completely.” In a moral or ethical sense, the verb means to cause someone to become morally corrupt, hence “to pervert.” A third meaning of the verb is “to waste away,” to become so weak and incapacitated that the mind can no longer function properly. Most translations take the second of these alternatives (that is, moral corruption), although the third is also possible (see, for example, Good News Translation “whose minds do not function”). If translators take this second meaning, other ways to express depraved in mind are “whose minds are completely corrupt (or, depraved)” or “whose minds are totally wicked (or, evil).” Bereft translates another perfect passive participle, this time from a verb that means to deprive someone of something, sometimes by deception (so “to defraud”) or by some other means. The focus of the translation may be on the resulting state that is the absence of something (hence Good News Translation “who no longer have the truth”; compare New English Bible “have lost grip of the truth”), or on the means by which someone is deprived of something (hence New International Version “who have been robbed of the truth”). For truth see 2.4 and 2.7.

The third thing mentioned about these people is that they think of godliness as a means of material gain. For godliness see comments on “godly” in 2.2 and on “our religion” in 3.16. Means of gain translates a Greek word that means “financial gain” or “profit.” Perhaps the focus here is not on the amount or quantity of wealth involved, but rather on the means used in procuring this wealth. This means that godliness or “religion” (Good News Translation) is not really their main concern but is only being used as a means to achieve their main goal of financial gain. Another way of expressing imagining that godliness is a means of gain is “thinking that being a Christian is a way to become rich.”

A final matter that needs to be discussed is the identity of these people. Some commentators identify the people mentioned in verse 5 with the false teachers, hence with “any one” in verse 3; the activities of these people have resulted in envy, dissension, slander and base suspicions among the members of the Christian community. A second possibility is to identify these people with members of the Christian community who are influenced in a negative way by the false teachers. This means that the people who use religion for personal gain are the same people who display the negative attitudes of envy, dissension, slander and evil suspicions; they are the same people whose minds have become corrupt and who no longer have the truth. The description of the false teachers would be limited to verses 3 and 4a. This second alternative seems closer to the grammatical structure of the text. It should be noted, however, that the first alternative is the choice of many modern commentaries and does not present translators with difficult translation problems.

An alternative translation model for these two verses is:
• People like this have hearts full of pride and don’t understand anything. They have sick minds so that they want to argue and quarrel with others about the meanings of words. This incessant arguing about words causes certain people who have perverted minds (or, hearts) to be jealous of them, say evil about them, and separate into groups. Their minds become full of evil suspicions, and they argue constantly with others. Such people think that they will become rich as a result of becoming Christians.

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 .

Understanding this these verses may be understood as explaining the meaning of verse 8, primarily the proper use of the law. This connection between these verses is made clear in some translations; for example, New Revised Standard Version “This means understanding that….” Or one may say “We understand, of course, that….”

In the Greek, law is without the definite article; it is possible therefore to take law here as referring to any law. However, considering the reference to sound doctrine in verse 10, “the glorious gospel” in verse 11, and the reference to “God’s law” or “the law” (Good News Translation) in verse 8, it seems that law does not include secular laws but is limited to various rules and regulations that are included in the Torah, or the Law of Moses. So it will be possible to translate understanding this, that the law is not laid down for as “We understand, of course, that Moses did not give these laws just for….”

Laid down refers to the enactment and proclamation of the law, and in many languages it will be more natural to use an active expression and say, for example, “Moses gave (or, enacted) these laws,” or if translators understand the law to refer to “laws” in general (compare Good News Translation), then one may translate “These laws are given (or, enacted)” or “They [unknown agents] gave the laws.” The just is literally “the righteous one”; the singular is used here in a generic sense, referring to all those who are “righteous.” As to the meaning of the expression itself, some take it in the generic sense, hence “good” (Good News Translation), “upright people,” “law-abiding people,” or else not violating any law, hence “innocent” (New Revised Standard Version). In this sense it is contrasted with lawless in the next part of the verse. Others, however, take it in its specific Christian sense of referring either to being restored into a right relationship with God (compare Contemporary English Version “people who please God”) or to the result of such a restoration in one’s ethical and moral life, that is, being empowered to live in obedience to the will of God. Either one is possible, depending on how law in the first part of the verse is interpreted. If law is taken as generic, the first alternative will seem more likely. However, if law is interpreted as referring specifically to the law of Moses or to precepts and commandments found in the Scriptures, then the more specific understanding of just will be much more appropriate. Here again, a literal translation will not contain any clue as to what the expression really means. Alternative translation models for the first part of this verse are “We understand, of course, that Moses did not give these Laws just to control people who please God (or, are living in obedience to God)…” or “We also understand that laws are made (or, they [unknown agents] make these laws) not for good people….”

What follows is a catalog of vices, with the clear message that it is for people with such vices that the law is enacted. The function of the law in this case is not primarily to expose these vices but to judge those who do these things. Some things can be said about this catalog. First, this is one of several lists of vices that are found in the New Testament letters. Among the other lists are those found in Rom 1.29-31 and Gal 5.19-21. Some of the lists of vices are followed immediately by a list of virtues, as, for example, Gal 5.22-23. The presence of these lists in the New Testament seems to indicate that these were part of the body of material used in the church’s nurture program. Scholars have noted the absence of the catalog form in rabbinic Judaism, which tends to indicate that here is another instance of Greek influence in New Testament writings.

Secondly, the list is not meant to be exhaustive, but it only includes vices that are considered serious and unusual.

Thirdly, this list has a structure that is unique to itself. It consists first of all of four pairs connected with the conjunction and. These four pairs are followed by six single vices. The list as a whole reflects the order of the Ten Commandments (the Decalogue), although there is no unanimity regarding the details of this relationship. Some aspects of this relationship will be pointed out in this Handbook.

The first three pairs consist of generic terms that describe people in their attitude toward the law, toward God, and toward spiritual matters. The first pair consists of two general terms that describe people in terms of their negative attitude toward the law. Lawless describes people who have no regard for the law and who wouldn’t think twice before breaking it; so “law-breakers” (Good News Translation). Disobedient (Good News Translation “criminals”) translates a word that refers to people who rebel and disobey the law instead of submitting to it. The second pair (ungodly and sinners) are also generic terms describing people in terms of their attitude toward God. Ungodly translates a term that is used of people who are impious, irreverent, and who find no place for God in their lives. Other ways to express ungodly are “people who do not worship God,” “people who have no use for God,” or “people who are not faithful to God.” Sinners on the other hand refers to people who consistently commit acts that are against God and against the law. The third pair likewise are generic terms, but this time they describe people in terms of their attitude toward religious or spiritual matters. The unholy (Good News Translation “those who are not religious”) are the irreligious, the impious, people who have no place for the sacred in their lives. Many languages will not have a set expression for either “religious” or “irreligious.” In such cases they may call unholy or “irreligious” people “those who don’t customarily worship or pray to God.” The profane on the other hand are those who not only regard anything spiritual as irrelevant but who also treat it with contempt and ridicule. In some languages profane will be expressed as “people who speak evil of God” or “people who hate God.” Good News Translation‘s “not … spiritual” is too weak.

There are various possibilities of relating these first three pairs with the first commandments in the Decalogue. One way is to relate the first pair to the commandment “You shall have no other gods,” the second pair to the commandment “You shall not make for yourself a graven image,” and the third pair to the commandments “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain” and “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.” Another possibility is to take the first pair as a general introduction to the catalog, the second pair as related to the first and second commandment cited above, and the third pair as related to the third and fourth commandments cited. A third option is to take all three pairs as related in a general way to all these commandments cited, but without a pattern of one-to-one relationship. But, finally, it is also possible to take these as general descriptions of people in terms of their attitude toward the law and toward God but without any specific relationship to the Decalogue. In the least, it will add to their understanding and appreciation of the passage.

Beginning with the fourth pair, the list moves to specific acts, and here it is much easier to identify parallelisms and relationships with specific parts of the Decalogue, as shown by the following outline:

murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers = “Honor your father and your mother.”
manslayers = “You shall not kill.”
immoral persons and sodomites = “You shall not commit adultery.”
kidnapers = “You shall not steal.”
liars and perjurers = “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.”
whatever else = “You shall not covet….”

Murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers must refer to children who murder their own parents. This is a much more severe example of the violation of the commandment to honor parents. These terms appear only here in the New Testament. It is tempting to speculate on why such an item is included in the list, since the practice of killing one’s own parents must not have been prevalent at that time. But perhaps this just stresses the importance of faithfully obeying that commandment, and of not mistreating one’s parents in any way.

Manslayers are also murderers, but this time the object is other people and not one’s own parents. Since murdering parents has just been mentioned, it would be much more accurate to translate manslayers as “other murderers.” These are people who deliberately kill others, but not in warfare.

Immoral persons translates a term that can be understood in a general sense as referring to people who do evil things, but more accurately, as describing people who engage in sexual immorality. A specific example of sexual immorality is now given, namely, that of homosexual relationships; the term sodomites refers to male partners in such relationships. Many languages do not have specific vocabulary for such activity. In such cases one may translate sodomites as “men who perform sexual intercourse with other men” or “men who engage in abnormal sexual activity.”

Kidnapers refers generally to those in Biblical times who sold people as slaves (so New Revised Standard Version “slave traders”), and specifically to those who used kidnaping as a way of capturing people for the purpose of selling them into slavery. Liars is a general term for those who do not tell the truth, and perjurers (literally those who swear falsely) refers specifically to those who “give false testimony” (Good News Translation), particularly in court. Whatever else would include other actions (so Good News Translation “who do anything else”) that are not specifically mentioned but are nevertheless violations of the law. Some scholars have identified this last unspecific statement as referring to the commandment not to covet, since it does not receive a specific example in the list, probably because of the difficulty of identifying acts of covetousness. At any rate, this seems to be a convenient way to refer to any violation of the law that is not specifically mentioned in the list.

To be included as a violation, an action must be contrary to sound doctrine. The word for doctrine is used fifteen times in the Pastoral Letters, four times in the other letters, and twice in the Gospels (Matt 15.9 and Mark 7.7). The word itself can refer either to the act of teaching or to the content of what is being taught; this latter meaning seems to fit the context in the present verse and in the Pastoral Letters as a whole. It does seem that, at the time the Pastorals were written, there was a body of Christian teaching (or doctrine) that was the basis for determining the validity and acceptability of certain teachings or beliefs. Sound doctrine aptly describes a body of teaching that is correct, accurate, valid, and which contributes to the well-being and building up of the church. Other ways of expressing this final clause are “who do anything else that is against correct Christian teachings” or “who go against correct Christian teachings in any other way.”

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 .

Literally these two verses can be translated as follows: “I am writing to you these things, hoping to come to you quickly. But if I am delayed, in order that you may know how it is necessary to behave….” As one can see from the above, “hoping to come to you quickly” is a dependent clause, while the main part of the sentence is “I am writing to you these things.” Furthermore, verse 15 is an incomplete sentence in the Greek, since the main clause is left implicit, namely, “I am writing to you these things.” These two verses make several things clear. It is Paul’s intention to visit Timothy as soon as possible. There is a likelihood, however, that Paul’s visit may be delayed due to circumstances that are not mentioned. In case Paul is delayed, the letter will make clear certain things that Timothy ought to know.

As can be seen, Revised Standard Version is far from a literal translation of the Greek text, but it is an acceptable restructuring, although the one long sentence sounds rather cumbersome. The Good News Translation restructuring is much simpler, especially since the one long Greek sentence has been rendered into two shorter ones. However, in certain languages where dependent clauses always precede the main clause, RSV’s model will be a satisfactory one, but translators should in most instances divide this long sentence into two.

I hope to come in certain languages will be rendered “I hope to go.”

These instructions is literally “these things,” which can be taken in a general sense as referring to the whole letter (as in Good News Translation “as I write this letter”), or in a specific sense as referring to the instructions regarding the appointment of church leaders described in this chapter, which is what Revised Standard Version seems to suggest. The first interpretation seems to be the more likely one and is recommended by this Handbook.

If I am delayed can also have the meaning “in case I am delayed”; the Greek construction seems to suggest that it is not very likely that there will be anything to hinder Paul’s forthcoming visit. This clause may also be expressed as “If something delays me” or “But in case I cannot come (or, go) to you as soon as I want to.”

Behave translates a reflexive (middle) form of the verb, hence “to conduct oneself.” This can be interpreted as referring to Christian conduct in general (as, for example, New American Bible “what kind of conduct befits a member of God’s household”). But since the immediate context is the qualifications of church officials, the behavior here is perhaps much better taken in a specific sense as referring to the conduct of church affairs. It should be noted further that behave does not have a subject (literally “how it is necessary to behave”; and note Revised Standard Version‘s impersonal how one ought to behave). It is possible to read Timothy as the subject, “how you should conduct yourself”; it is more likely, however, that the whole congregation is meant; this is perhaps the intent of Good News Translation “we,” which should be taken in an inclusive sense. Other ways of expressing how one ought to behave are “how we [inclusive] should live our lives,” or even figuratively as “how we should walk our lives.”

The community of believers is here described in several ways. First, it is the household of God. Household is literally “house,” but the focus here is not on the building as such but on the people. Household therefore is used here metaphorically, comparing the church to a human family, thus stressing the close relationship between the people within the community, with God as the head. Therefore it is possible to express in the household of God as “as part of God’s family” or “as people who are like members of God’s family.” To make this meaning clear and to prevent any misunderstanding, the metaphor is now explained by the phrase the church of the living God. The expression living God occurs fifteen times in the Old Testament and thirteen times in the New Testament. Initially the expression was used to contrast God with idols that were lifeless but were nonetheless objects of worship. Subsequently the expression was also used to describe God as one who is not only alive but also actively working in the world and among people. In some cases the expression can also refer to God as the source of life, although that seems to be less likely here.

Alternative translation models for you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God are “you may know how we [inclusive] ought to live our lives as members of the family of God, which compose the church of the living God,” “you may know how we [inclusive] should walk our lives….” However, in languages that cannot use a collective term for the church of God, one may translate “You may know … as members of the family of God; this family is composed of all those who believe in Christ and belong to the living God.” In situations where “household” and “family” would be understood literally that God had a wife and children, another expression will need to be used, such as “among the people of God.”

Secondly, the community is the pillar and bulwark of the truth. The use of these terms may have been suggested by the previous metaphor, namely, the word for household, which as noted is literally “house.” Both pillar and bulwark are basic parts of a building, making sure that the building is structurally stable, with bulwark referring to a horizontal support at the bottom (the foundation), and pillar referring to the vertical support in the building, holding up the roof. Of these two terms, bulwark has caused more difficulty, since the Greek word can mean “support,” “foundation,” “firm base.” The question then can be asked: is the church the protector of the truth, or is it the foundation and ground of the truth? These two things are not mutually exclusive, however. Considering the situation of the church during the time of the writing of the Pastoral Letters, it was very important to emphasize the role of the church as the guarantor of the truth in the midst of conflicting claims and erroneous teachings. In many languages it will be helpful to begin a new sentence at the pillar and say, for example, “This church supports the true teachings, just as the foundation and post (or, pillar) support and ensure the stability of a house” or “These believers support the true teachings just as the foundation and post ensure that a house stands firm (or, doesn’t fall down).”

The expression the truth is used five times in 1 Timothy, five times in 2 Timothy, and twice in Titus, to refer to the body of accepted Christian doctrine, the custodian of which is the church. (See further discussion on 2.4.)

Perhaps it should be noted that these two verses also give rise to the question of Timothy’s status within in the congregation. As Paul’s representative he seems to be entrusted with the task of making sure that the affairs of the church are conducted properly. But what office or title would Timothy hold? Is he an overseer (bishop), a deacon, or someone who “oversees” both bishops and deacons? Fortunately translators do not need to have answers to these questions before they are able to translate the text in an accurate and meaningful way.

An alternative translation model for verse 15 is:
• But if something causes me to be slow (or, late) in coming (or, going) to you, what I have written in this letter will let you know how we [inclusive] should live our lives as people who are members of the family of God. This family is composed of all those who believe (in Christ) and belong to the living God. These believers support and keep the true teachings firm just as the foundation and post (or, pillar) support a house and ensure that it stands firmly.

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 .