Arrived indicates that Onesiphorus did not reside in Rome but somewhere else, most probably Ephesus. Rome appears only here in the Pastoral Letters; its being mentioned indicates that it is in this city where Paul was held prisoner. The reason for Onesiphorus’ trip to Rome is not mentioned in the text; some have suggested that he went there for business reasons, others have directly related his trip to Paul’s trial and imprisonment. All of these are of course interesting speculations that may not affect the translation in any way, although such information can become part of the notes in a study edition of the Bible. In some languages it will be necessary to indicate that Rome is a city, as in “the city Rome.”

Searched suggests the idea of an intense effort to locate something or someone. The search is done eagerly, that is, with much diligence and earnestness. It is not surprising then that he succeeded in his search; he found what he was looking for. Contemporary English Version has an interesting model: “he searched everywhere until he found me.”

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 .

The list concludes with a description of false piety. Holding is literally “having.” Form appears only here and in Rom 2.20 (“embodiment”). In the present context it refers to mere appearance that has no relation to reality (so “outward form” [Good News Translation, New Revised Standard Version], “outward appearance” [New Jerusalem Bible], “make a pretense” [New American Bible, Revised], “maintain a facade” [Phillips]). Religion translates a word that appears frequently in the Pastorals and is also often translated “godliness” (New Revised Standard Version; see further comments on “godly” in 1 Tim 2.2).

For denying see 1 Tim 5.8 (“disowned”). For power see 2 Tim 1.7.

This is indeed a fitting concluding statement regarding these people who indulge in the above-mentioned vices. They enjoy the outward expressions of the Christian faith, including endless and often senseless theological discussions, and assume that the practice of these visible manifestations of religion is sufficient. But they themselves haven’t changed, since they still participate in the vices that are common among the heathen, and as a result their very lives deny the very power of the religious faith that they profess. This first sentence may also be expressed as “They act as if they worship God, but they don’t really believe in him at all” or “… but they have really stopped believing in him.”

Naturally and logically Timothy is urged to avoid such people, that is, to “keep away” from them, and “have nothing to do” (Translator’s New Testament) with them at all. In this brief instruction to Timothy, Paul shows, perhaps not deliberately, that while he has been presenting the description of the false teachers in the future tense, he has all along been speaking of the actual situation of the Christian community to which Timothy belongs. These false teachers are for real, and it will do well for Timothy not to associate with them in any way.

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 .

For Do your best see 2 Tim 2.15. It is important for Timothy to get to Rome before winter because, for one thing, Paul needs his winter coat (verse 13), but more importantly, it would be extremely difficult to travel from Ephesus to Rome during winter time, since ships didn’t sail in the Mediterranean from November to March. If Timothy was unable to get to Rome before winter, it meant that he had to postpone his trip until the spring. Other ways to express winter are “the cold season,” “the time of the year when the weather is cold,” or even “the hard season,” meaning the one when there are storms accompanied by snow and bitter cold.

Eubulus, Pudens, Linus and Claudia appear only here in the whole New Testament. They are obviously known to both Paul and Timothy, but nothing more is known about them. All the names are masculine except Claudia.

For greetings see comments on “Greet” in verse 19.

For brethren see 1 Tim 4.6. One can restructure as “all the other Christians here in Rome.” There seems to be a contradiction between this verse and 4.16, where Paul stated that all the Christians in Rome had deserted him. But perhaps those who did not stand by Paul or witness on his behalf during his first trial still remained believers, and there is no reason then why they should not send their greetings to Timothy.

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 .

Therefore is literally “and so” and relates this verse to the preceding one, particularly the last part. The very fact that the word of God is not in chains gives meaning to Paul’s suffering and enables him to persevere in them.

The word for endure means to continue to put up with something despite difficulties and afflictions (compare Contemporary English Version “and so I am willing to put up with anything”). One may also express this as “And so I am willing to put up with all difficulties.” There are two other words used for endurance. One of them appears in verse 3 (“share-in-suffering”), while the other occurs in 2 Tim 4.3.

For elect see 1 Tim 5.21, where it is used as a description for the angels; here it is a description of Christians, hence Good News Translation “God’s chosen people.”

Salvation is the nominal form of the verb “to save,” for which see 1 Tim 1.15. Salvation here refers both to the individual’s present experience of being in union with Christ Jesus, together with all its results (right relationship with God and with others, deliverance from demonic and ungodly powers, the possession of eternal life), and to the final consummation of this salvation at the end time. The text does not indicate the source of salvation, and it is possible to translate it without supplying this information. But if so desired it can be made explicit that salvation comes either from Christ Jesus (in which case a possible restructuring would be “so that they may obtain salvation from Christ Jesus,” “so that they may experience the salvation that comes from Christ,” or “so that they may be saved by Christ”) or from God (in which case the restructuring would be “so that God will save them through Christ Jesus” or “so that, in union with Christ, they may obtain the salvation that comes from God”).

This salvation possesses eternal glory, which can be interpreted as pointing to the future completion of salvation. Glory in this context is an eschatological term referring to one’s blessed state at the end time, when one comes into the very presence of God and shares in God’s very life. This state of blessedness is eternal, since it will never come to an end. In certain languages with its eternal glory may be expressed as “which results in their being with God forever.”

Alternative translation models for this verse are:
• Because of this I am willing to endure anything for the sake of God’s chosen people, so that Christ Jesus may save them, and they will live forever with God, who will give them honor and dignity.

Or:
• … so that God will save them through Christ Jesus, and they will ….

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 .

The purpose of all this, this verse seems to say, is to enable Christians to do whatever God wants them to. It is, however, possible to interpret this as result, in which case that would be rendered “and as a result” (compare New Jerusalem Bible “This is how”), and in some languages it will be helpful to start a new sentence here; for example, “As a result, God’s servants….”

The man of God may be interpreted in a general sense to refer to any Christian (so New Revised Standard Version “everyone who belongs to God”), or in a more specific sense to refer to church leaders, of whom Timothy is one (compare Good News Translation “the person who serves God,” and Contemporary English Version “God’s servants”). The words translated complete and equipped are synonyms: the first means being qualified for some function (so New Revised Standard Version “proficient,” New American Bible, Revised “competent,” Revised English Bible “capable”), and the second refers to making someone fully adequate or sufficient for some task. The two terms can be combined in translation; for example, Good News Translation “fully qualified and equipped.” What the man of God is being equipped for is to perform every good work (Good News Translation “every kind of good deed”). For work see “deeds” in 1 Tim 5.10. The interpretation of good work here depends on how man of God is interpreted. If man of God is interpreted in a general sense, then good work is any task done for the benefit of others; thus “good deeds.” If, however, man of God is taken to specifically refer to church leaders, then good work refers to various ministerial tasks. The former is the more likely interpretation and is recommended by this Handbook.

Alternative translation models for this verse are:
• As a result, God’s servants will be fully qualified and trained to do every kind of good deed.

Or:
• The scriptures will make God’s servants ….

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 .

For relates this verse with the previous one and gives the ground or basis for the challenge to Timothy to keep God’s gift alive.

God did not give us may also be expressed as “God did not cause us to be” or “God did not cause us to have.”

The word for timidity occurs only here in the whole New Testament. The word pertains to a state of being afraid due to lack of courage, hence “cowardice” (New Revised Standard Version). The interpretation of the phrase a spirit of timidity depends on how spirit is understood. This is so because “spirit” is used in a variety of ways in the Bible. If spirit here refers to the human spirit, that is, to the inner being of a person or the state in which a person finds himself or herself, then a spirit of timidity is another way of saying “a timid spirit.” The whole clause can then be restructured as: “God did not make us timid” (compare Translator’s New Testament “God did not make us cowards”) or “God did not give us a timid spirit.” It is possible, however, to take spirit here as referring to the Holy Spirit, so that the clause is stating that the Holy Spirit does not make one timid. Many commentaries in fact offer this opinion, but only a few translations make this information explicit (for example, Good News Translation, French Common Language Version [Bible en français courant]). Some translations make a distinction between the first and second occurrences of “spirit,” with the second occurrence being identified with God’s Spirit (compare New Jerusalem Bible “God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but the Spirit of power and love and self control”). While all three are possible, the second of these options seems to make better sense.

At any rate, as is often the case in these letters, a list of qualities or traits is given, starting with the negative, and continuing on with the positive. Here the negative trait is timidity, and the positive traits are power, love, and self-control. Power here is not physical but refers to the spiritual strength that enables Christians to be victorious over adverse circumstances and to remain faithful to their Lord. Another way of saying this is “strength in our hearts (or, minds).”

For love compare 1 Tim 1.5. The focus here is on people’s love for other people, rather than their love for God or God’s love for people.

The word for self-control occurs only here in the whole New Testament and refers to “self discipline,” “good judgment” (Biblia Dios Habla Hoy), and “moderation.” Its opposite is excessive self-indulgence or lack of good sense.

Alternative translation models for this verse are:
• For God did not cause us to be cowards. Instead he caused us to have hearts full of strength, to love other people, and to keep control over ourselves.

Or:
• For God’s Spirit does not make us cowards. Instead his Spirit makes our hearts strong (or, have spiritual power), helps us to love others, and gives us self-control.

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 .

In this verse the meaning of the metaphor is explained, primarily as it relates to the situation in Ephesus.

Any one refers generally to all members of the church, and in some languages it will be helpful to begin this verse in the following way: “That’s how it is with Christians (or, believers)” (compare Contemporary English Version “… with people”). The generic sense here seems to be deliberate in order to include the heretical teachers and those affected adversely by their teachings and actions.

The word for purifies occurs only twice in the New Testament, here and in 1 Cor 5.7, “cleanse out.” It refers to the act of cleaning something thoroughly and completely, with the implication that everything unclean is removed.

From what is ignoble is literally “from these things,” but which may refer to all the negative things that Timothy has been advised to avoid (see especially verses 14 and 16). Some translations achieve this result by using a generic term here; for example, Revised English Bible “all this wickedness,” Phillips “the contaminations of evil,” New Revised Standard Version “the things I have mentioned.”

In the next part of the verse, Paul goes back to the language of the metaphor in the previous verse.

For vessel, see previous verse. This word is also used in a figurative sense to refer to people (see 1 Thes 4.4, where Revised Standard Version renders it “a wife,” and 1 Peter 3.7, where Revised Standard Version translates “the weaker vessel” as “the weaker sex”). The focus in this context is the function of people as equipment or implements in the hands of God.

For for noble use see previous verse. Other ways of expressing the first part of this verse are “That’s how it is with Christians! If a believer stops doing evil and makes himself pure, he will be used in a special way” or “That’s how it is with believers! God will use those Christians in a special way who stop doing evil and make themselves pure.”

For consecrated see 1 Tim 4.5. The focus here is on being dedicated to God through some religious ceremony, so that these utensils now belong to God and are set aside for special use.

Useful translates a word that is used to describe something that is regarded as valuable and beneficial. This is in stark contrast to “disputing about words” in verse 14, words that are of no value at all. This final sentence may also be expressed as “Because he (or, they) will be holy (or, dedicated to God) and useful to God who is the Master of the house. They will be ready for him to use for every good deed.”

For master see 1 Tim 6.2, where the same word is used for the owner of slaves. The master of the house is a figure for God.

Ready translates the perfect passive participle of the verb that means “to make ready,” “to prepare.” The dedication of the utensil accomplishes the task of making it ready for the master’s use.

This last phrase ready for any good work reverts back to the application of the metaphor, for while ready is in the neuter gender and therefore is connected with vessels, good work definitely refers to people and not to the utensils (but see Revised English Bible “fit for any honorable purpose”). What we have here then is a mixture of metaphor and application, with the first part of the verse being application, the middle part metaphor, and the last part application again. Because of this mixing of metaphor and application, it may be appropriate to change the metaphorical parts into similes (for example, “he will be like a vessel”), or else to drop the metaphor altogether, as Good News Translation has done.

Alternative translation models for this verse are:
• That’s how it is with believers. If anyone stops doing evil and makes himself pure, God will use him for special purposes. This is because he is dedicated and useful to his Master, and ready to do all kinds of good deeds.

Or:
• That’s how it is with Christians. God will use in a special way those who stop doing evil and make themselves pure. This is because they have been dedicated to their Master and are useful to him. They are then ready to do all kinds of good deeds.

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 .

Luke appears only three times in the New Testament (here, Col 4.14, and Philemon 24). Even though two of the books of the New Testament are identified as from the hand of Luke, the name of Luke does not appear in these books. The tradition that the author of the Gospel of Luke was a physician stems from identifying him with Luke “the beloved physician” in Col 4.14.

Get translates a verb that appears in 1 Tim 3.16, where the passive form is translated “taken up” to describe the ascension and exaltation of Christ. Here it has the sense of “take along” as a travel companion. For bring see “swayed” in 2 Tim 3.6. The verb should not be understood as implying force, but it does imply a certain amount of persuasion. Mark most probably refers to John Mark, cousin of Barnabas, who with Barnabas accompanied Paul during his first missionary journey (see Acts 13), and who was the reason for the split between Barnabas and Paul (see Acts 15.36-40). The tone of what is written here assumes that Mark is somewhere on the route between Ephesus and Rome, although it is not possible to be more precise. In many languages it will be more natural to express Get Mark and bring him with you as “Please locate (or, find) Mark and bring him with you.”

For useful see 2 Tim 2.21; for ministry see comments on “service” in 1 Tim 1.12.

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 .