SIL Translator's Notes on 1 Timothy 1:2

1:2a

To Timothy: You may need to use a verb and the second person pronoun “you” to translate the words To Timothy. For example:

I am writing this letter to you, Timothy.
-or-
I greet you, Timothy.

1:2b

If you have already translated Titus, compare 1 Timothy 1:2 to Titus 1:4. The Titus passage has a similar meaning. It differs in that it has “in our common faith” instead of “in the faith.”

my true child: This is a metaphor. Paul meant that Timothy was like a son to him; that is, he loved him like a father loves his son.

In some languages it is not possible to call someone “my son” if he is not a biological son. If that is true in your language, you may be able to use a simile rather than a metaphor. For example:

You are like a real son to me.

Or you may prefer to use a more natural expression, such as “my dear [Timothy]” or “my beloved [Timothy].”

true: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as true can also be translated “genuine” or “real.” When Paul described Timothy as his true son, he probably meant that he loved Timothy as much as he would love his biological son.

in the faith: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as in the faith is literally “in faith.” Here it probably refers to Timothy’s own faith. For example, the New Century Version has:

because you believe, [you are like a son to me]

Timothy was like a son to Paul because Timothy believed in Christ (as Paul himself did). See also Titus 1:4a.

1:2c

Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord: When people wrote letters in Greek they often began them with a short prayer like this. Compare this to the similar greeting-prayers in Titus 1:4; Romans 1:7; and Philippians 1:2. This kind of prayer is called a “blessing.” Paul was asking God to bless Timothy.

I pray that…
-or-
I ask God and Christ Jesus our Lord to…

Compare this to the similar greeting-prayers in Titus 1:4; Romans 1:7; and Philippians 1:2.

Grace: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Grace means “favor, good will, kindness.” Paul wanted God to show kindness and favor to Timothy.

In some languages, it may be necessary to use an expression to translate the word Grace. One way to do this would be:

May [God the Father and Christ Jesus our(incl) Lord] be kind to you(sing).

mercy: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as mercy also refers to God’s kindness and compassion toward people. But mercy emphasizes that God is kind and does not punish someone who deserves it.

peace: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as peace applies to three aspects:

(a) the absence of conflict within oneself

(b) the absence of conflict between oneself and another person

(c) the absence of conflict between oneself and God

However, Paul was probably using the word peace here as people who spoke Hebrew used the word shalom. This Hebrew word refers to wholeness or well-being. It was used to talk about people who live in peace with God and with other people. If your language has a word that combines the ideas of inner peace and inner well-being, use it here. Otherwise, use a word that refers to an absence of conflict.

God the Father: You may need to translate this phrase as “God our(incl) Father” if that is the natural way to say this phrase in your language.

our: This again refers to Paul, Timothy, and the Ephesian believers.

Lord: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Lord is a general word that means “master.” It was used to address any respected person. Here it refers to Christ. You could translate it as “owner” or “chief.”

© 2003 by SIL International®

Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0

All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible. BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.

SIL Translator's Notes on 1 Timothy 2:15

2:15a

Women, however, will be saved through childbearing: This is a very difficult expression to understand. Scholars understand it in two main ways:

(1) It means that God will save women spiritually (from sin) while they are bearing (and raising) children. (Moo, in Recovering Biblical Manhood & Womanhood, page 192, says, “We think it is preferable to view verse 15 as designating the circumstances in which Christian women will experience (work out; cf. Philippians 2:12) their salvation—in maintaining as priorities those key roles that Paul, in keeping with Scripture elsewhere, highlights: being faithful, helpful wives, raising children to love and reverence God, managing the household (cf. 1 Tim 5:14; Titus 2:3–5)…. Probably Paul makes this point because the false teachers were claiming that women could really experience what God had for them only if they abandoned the home and became actively involved in teaching and leadership roles in the church. If this interpretation is correct, then verse 15 fits perfectly with the emphasis we have seen in this text throughout. Against the attempt of the false teachers to get the women in Ephesus to adopt ‘libertarian,’ unbiblical attitudes and behavior, Paul reaffirms the Biblical model of the Christian woman…”) For example, the Revised English Bible says:

salvation for the woman will be in the bearing of children

(Revised English Bible, Good News Translation, Revised Standard Version, New Jerusalem Bible, Contemporary English Version, New Century Version)

(2) It means that women will be kept safe physically during childbirth. For example, the New American Standard Bible says:

women will be preserved through the bearing of children

(New American Standard Bible, NET Bible, King James Version)

Other versions are ambiguous. Neither interpretation is completely satisfactory. If it is possible for you to translate this expression in a neutral way, you should do so. However, we know that interpretation (2) is not true because Christian women do suffer pain, or even die, when they bear children. So, if you must choose an interpretation, it is recommended that you follow interpretation (1).

however: The Greek particle de, which the Berean Standard Bible translates as however shows contrast. Although Eve “became a sinner,” God is able to save women from the consequences of Eve’s sin and of their own sin.

childbearing: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as childbearing literally refers to “giving birth to children.” (Some modern commentators say that the text here probably represents all aspects of a woman’s normal role in Paul’s day, including raising children and all the things that women normally do to manage a household. However, the UBS Handbook Translator’s Guide objects to this, saying “this broader interpretation of the Greek noun, though more acceptable to modern thinking, does not seem warranted; the related verb in 5:14 means quite specifically ‘to bear children,’ not ‘to rear children.’” However, it is possible that Paul used the verb figuratively as metonymy for raising children.)

2:15b–c

Here Paul described the way the women in 2:15a should act.

2:15b

if they continue in: God wants people to act as believers continually: he wants them to show “faith”, “love”, and “holiness.” He does not want them to behave this way only occasionally. (We note that this verb, continue, is plural in the Greek, whereas the verb will be saved is singular. However, the verb will be saved in 2:15a refers to women generically. So, when Paul switches to the plural here, he is not making a significant change. Paul did a similar thing when he referred to men in 2:8a in the plural, then switched in 2:12a to the singular, making a generic reference.) They need to persevere. Paul said a similar thing in Romans 11:22 and Colossians 1:23.

they: This refers to the women mentioned in 2:15a.

faith: In some languages it may be necessary to translate faith as a verb. It may then be necessary to provide an object for the verb. If this is true in your language, you could say:

believe in Christ

love: In this verse, Paul did not say whom the women should love. There are three possibilities:

(1) He meant that the women should love other people

(2) He meant that the women should love God

(3) He meant that the women should love both God and other people

It is difficult to know which of these interpretations is best, and most English translations are ambiguous. If it is possible for you to translate this in the same ambiguous way, you should do so. However, if you must supply an object, it is recommended that you follow interpretation (1).

2:15c

holiness: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as holiness means to behave in a way that pleases God. It is the way he wants believers to behave.

self-control: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as self-control means to act in a way that people consider correct, acceptable, or appropriate. Paul used the same word in 2:9b to describe the way in which women should dress.

In this paragraph Paul told Timothy the qualities that a person needed to have in order to become an “overseer.” An overseer was someone who led and taught a group of believers.

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Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0

All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible. BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.

SIL Translator's Notes on 1 Timothy 5:2

5:2a

Again there is no verb in this part of the verse. If you need to supply a verb, you should probably use the same verb as you used in 5:1c.

older women as mothers: Paul wanted Timothy to treat older women in a way that showed that he respected and loved them. In other words, he wanted Timothy to speak to such women as though they were his own mother.

5:2b

As in 5:1c and 5:2a, there is no verb in this part of the verse. If you need to supply a verb, you should probably use the same verb as you used in 5:1c.

younger women as sisters: To treat a younger woman as a sister meant to honor and protect her.

5:2c

with absolute purity: In this context the phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as with absolute purity means that Timothy was to avoid any sort of sexual sin when dealing with older or younger women. This included his thoughts and intentions toward these people as well as his actions.

© 2003 by SIL International®

Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0

All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible. BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.

SIL Translator's Notes on 1 Timothy 6:11

Section 6:11–21

Paul gave Timothy some final instructions

Paragraph 6:11–16

In this paragraph, Paul told Timothy some specific ways that he should behave. He gave him four main instructions:

(a) to “pursue…perseverance” (6:11c, 6:11e)

(b) to “fight the good fight of the faith” (6:12a)

(c) to “take hold of…eternal life” (6:12b)

(d) to “keep this commandment…until the appearance of our Lord Jesus Christ” (6:14a, 6:14c)

6:11a

But you: Paul began this verse with an emphatic pronoun you(sing) along with the Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as But. He used these words to introduce a contrast. He had described those who wanted to become rich and therefore eventually wandered from the faith (6:3–10). Now he described the way that Timothy should behave (6:11–16).

O man of God: Paul called Timothy man of God. There are two ways to understand this:

(1) Paul meant that Timothy was a Christian and that he was someone who belonged to God and desired to behave as God wanted him to behave. For example, the NET Bible says:

a person dedicated to God

(NET Bible, New Living Translation (2004 Revision), Contemporary English Version)

(2) Paul was using the words man of God in a special sense to say that Timothy was like a prophet. This is what the expression man of God meant in the Old Testament. For example, Moses (Deuteronomy 33:1), Samuel (1 Samuel 9), Elijah (1 Kings 17:18) and others were called by this title.

Most English versions translate this phrase literally. If you wish to follow one of the above interpretations in your translation, it is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). Paul called Timothy man of God to highlight that he was commanding Timothy to behave in a way that showed that he belonged to God. This expression is used in 2 Timothy 3:17 as a general term for a believer.

6:11b

flee: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as flee literally means “to run away from.” But here Paul used it in a figurative way to mean “avoid” or “stay away from.” People “avoid” or flee from danger. In the same way, Paul wanted Timothy to avoid behaving in the ways mentioned in 6:3–10.

these things: Paul was talking about the issues that he had discussed in the previous verses: all the ways in which people might sin when they want to become rich.

6:11c

pursue righteousness, godliness: This is also a figure of speech. In some languages a verb like pursue can only be used with an animate object like a person or an animal. It is not possible to pursue something like righteousness or the other qualities in this list (6:11c–e). People use all their physical energy when they chase after someone or something. Paul meant that Timothy should use all his effort to behave in these ways.

righteousness: This is the first of six qualities that Paul told Timothy to pursue. The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as righteousness refers to doing things that God considers right.

godliness: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as godliness refers to the way people behave when they respect God.

6:11d

love: In this verse, Paul was probably talking about love for other people rather than love for God. (Knight, page 262, says, “Where, however, Paul indicates or implies the object of love, it is most often human beings.

6:11e

perseverance: When Paul said that Timothy should pursue perseverance, he meant that Timothy should persist in trusting God and in doing what pleased God, no matter what happened.

gentleness: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as gentleness refers to not being harsh or rough with other people. In the New Testament it usually refers to the way in which a person talks to other people. It can also include the way that a person treats other people. (The actual word which Paul uses here, praupathia, does not occur anywhere else in the New Testament. However, its synonym prautēs occurs eight times, in 1 Corinthians 4:21; 2 Corinthians 10:1; Galatians 5:23, 6:1; Ephesians 4:2; Colossians 3:12; 2 Timothy 2:25; and Titus 3:2.)

© 2003 by SIL International®

Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0

All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible. BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.

SIL Translator's Notes on 1 Timothy 1:13

1:13a

I was formerly: Paul was referring to the time before he committed his life to Christ. In some languages it may be necessary to make this explicit. For example:

before I believed in Christ, I was…

formerly: This means that the following things were things that Paul used to do in the past, before he became a Christian.

a blasphemer: Paul was not saying here that he cursed God. Instead, he was saying that he spoke evil about Jesus and said that Jesus was not the Messiah sent by God. You may need to make this clear in your translation.

1:13b

a persecutor: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as persecutor in this situation refers to a person who uses physical abuse. See Acts 8:3 for details of how Paul (then called Saul) persecuted Christians.

In your language it may be necessary to say whom Paul persecuted. There are two possible objects for this verb:

(1) Paul persecuted believers. Paul said in Acts 22:4 that he persecuted believers by searching for them and arresting them. Then, he took them to the people in authority who put them in prison or punished them in other ways. For example, the New Living Translation (2004 Revision) says:

I hunted down his people.

(2) Paul persecuted Christ. For example, the New Century Version says:

I spoke against Christ and persecuted him.

(New Century Version, Good News Translation, Revised Standard Version, Revised English Bible, Contemporary English Version, God’s Word)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1) and say that Paul persecuted believers.

1:13c

a violent man: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as violent man describes a person who behaves violently and speaks insolently and without respect. This word is also found in Romans 1:30 (third word in the list). Here in 1:13b, it implies that Paul acted cruelly and violently against the Christians whom he was persecuting.

1:13d

yet: This phrase shows the contrast between the sort of person Paul was and the way that God treated him. You should express this contrast in the way that is most natural in your language.

because: Paul was not implying that, because he had “acted in ignorance and unbelief,” his actions were not sinful. Instead, Paul was explaining the reason that Christ had shown him mercy, that is, because he “acted in ignorance and unbelief.”

I had acted in ignorance: Paul had not been sinning against God deliberately. In some languages it may be necessary to specify what Paul was ignorant of. If this is true in your language, choose something very general. For example, the Good News Translation says:

I…did not know what I was doing

1:13e

unbelief: When Paul said that he had acted in unbelief, he did not mean that before he became a Christian he did not believe in God. Rather, he was saying that he did not yet believe that Christ was the Savior whom God had sent. When he persecuted Christians, Paul actually believed that he was pleasing God.

1:13f

I was shown mercy: When Paul said that he was shown mercy, he meant that he was not judged or punished as he deserved.

Paul did not say who showed him mercy. However in some languages, it will be necessary to specify this. Scholars do not agree about whom Paul meant:

(1) He meant Christ. For example, the Contemporary English Version says:

But he [Christ Jesus] had mercy on me…

(2) He meant God. For example, the Good News Translation says:

But God was merciful to me

(Good News Translation, New Century Version, New Living Translation (2004 Revision))

Christ is called “our Lord” in 1:12a. Also the phrase I was shown mercy seems to mean almost the same thing as “the grace of our Lord was poured out on me” in 1:14a. For these reasons, if it is necessary for you to specify who had shown mercy to Paul, it is recommended that you follow interpretation (1) and say that it was Jesus who showed him mercy.

mercy: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as mercy also refers to God’s kindness and compassion toward people. But mercy emphasizes that God is kind and does not punish someone who deserves it.

General Comment on 1:13d–f

In the Greek text, the order is: (1:13f) Christ was merciful because (1:13d) Paul acted in ignorance and (1:13e) unbelief. In some languages it may be better to reorder these parts of the verse. Another way to do this would be:

13eI did not yet believe in Christ 13dand so I did not understand that what I was doing was wrong. 13cBecause of this Christ was merciful to me.

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Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0

All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible. BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.

SIL Translator's Notes on 1 Timothy 3:11

3:11a

In the same way: This verse begins with a Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as In the same way. Paul also used this word in 3:8a where he began to list the requirements for deacons. In that verse the Berean Standard Bible translates it as “likewise.”

the women: There is a major interpretation question in this verse. The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as the women means “women” in some contexts and “wives” in other contexts. There is no special word that only means “wife.” Therefore, there are two possible ways to interpret this word and therefore this verse:

(1) It means wives and therefore refers to the wives of the deacons.

(New International Version (2011 Revision), Good News Translation, King James Version, NET Bible, God’s Word, New Living Translation (2004 Revision))

(2) It means “women” and therefore refers to female deacons (deaconesses).

(Berean Standard Bible, Revised English Bible)

Many English versions are ambiguous but most of those that do choose an interpretation follow interpretation (1). Therefore it is recommended that you also translate this word as wives. Here are some reasons why Paul was probably referring to wives of deacons:

(a) Paul talked about male deacons in 3:8–10, then he continued talking about male deacons in 3:12–13. Paul probably did not interrupt himself here to talk about female deacons. It is more likely that he was talking about the wives of the deacons.

(b) Paul followed 3:11 by saying that a deacon (like an overseer) needed to be a “husband of one wife” (3:12a). If he had been referring to female deacons in 3:11a, he would probably have said that female deacons should be faithful to their husbands.

However, it is impossible to be absolutely certain which interpretation is correct. (Fee, page 88, says, “This sentence is one of the genuine puzzles in 1 Timothy.”) If possible, you should explain both possibilities in a footnote.

dignified: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as dignified is a general word. It means that these women must behave in a way that deserves respect from other people. That is, other people will esteem and honor them because they had earned that respect by the way they behave.

This is the same word that Paul used in 3:8a. You should use the same term here.

3:11b

slanderers: When Paul said that deacons’ wives must not be slanderers, he meant that they must not gossip or say hurtful things about other people. It does not matter whether or not the things are true. If they are meant to be hurtful, the women should not say them. Paul used the same word in Titus 2:3. You should try to use the same term in both verses.

3:11c

temperate: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as temperate means “behaving in a sober, restrained manner.” It often refers to not drinking too much alcohol. But most commentators agree that the meaning is more general here. It includes not getting drunk, but also includes not losing control of themselves in any other way. The same word is used in 3:2c and Titus 2:2.

faithful: If a person is faithful, people can trust him to fulfill his responsibilities and to do what he promises. He is trustworthy, dependable, and reliable. Two ways to translate this are:

a person whom others trust
-or-
a person who always does what he says he will do

in all things: Most scholars and English versions agree that in all things is grammatically attached to the word faithful. So the Berean Standard Bible expression faithful in all things could be translated “completely faithful.”

© 2003 by SIL International®

Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0

All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible. BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.

SIL Translator's Notes on 1 Timothy 5:13

5:13a

At the same time: Paul used the Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as At the same time to introduce a second reason that younger widows should not be added to the list of widows.

they will also learn to be idle: The Greek term that the Berean Standard Bible translates as idle refers to not remaining busy, not working, and being lazy. Widows who were on the list were supported by the church. For that reason, they did not need to work to get the things they needed. As a result, some of them could get into the habit of doing nothing. Instead, they were supposed to use their time to help others.

5:13b

going from house to house: Paul was saying that while these younger widows were idle, they began to spend their time going from house to house visiting people. One reason that they did this was to learn what these people were doing. Then they were gossiping about it with other people (5:13d). Some languages will have idiomatic and descriptive ways of speaking about these things.

5:13c

not only: Paul used the words that the Berean Standard Bible translates as not only to indicate that there were other things that young widows often did when they were not busy managing their homes (5:14c). It is implied that these things were even worse than just being idle.

5:13d

but also gossips and busybodies: The young widows were also acquiring two other bad habits: they were becoming gossips and busybodies.

gossips: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as gossips refers to people who enjoy talking about other people when they are not present. Gossips also pass on rumors about other people.

busybodies: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as busybodies refers to people who are curious and meddlesome. This kind of person asks about what another person is doing. Then he or she gives people advice even though they have not asked for advice and do not want it. Your language may have an idiomatic way of saying this that you could use here.

5:13e

discussing things they should not mention: This part of the verse summarizes 5:13d. One of the reasons that it is wrong to gossip and be a busybody is that such a person says things that she ought not to.

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Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0

All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible. BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.

SIL Translator's Notes on 1 Timothy 2:5

2:5–6

These verses were probably a special saying that believers recited together when they met to worship God. It is not clear where the saying ends.

2:5a

For: Paul used the Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as For to introduce verses 2:5–6. Paul could have used this Greek word gar in one of two ways in this verse:

(1) To loosely connect two thoughts, “since there is one God, all shall be saved” (related to this are Rom 3:30 and Eph 4:6). However this connection seems secondary and the phrase is perhaps best explained by the assumption that the author concludes the thought with a solemn formula.”)

(2) To introduce a reason for the previous verses. This is the more normal use of gar in Greek.

However, 2:5 says that there is one God (2:5a) and one mediator (2:5b). It does not give the reason why God wants to save everybody. Therefore, it is best to translate the word For here in a way that shows that 2:5 is loosely connected with what Paul had said in 2:4.

there is one God: One of the most important beliefs of the Bible is that there is only one God. Even before New Testament times Jewish people repeated the words of Deuteronomy 6:4 every day to remind themselves of this truth. These words say, “Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one.” (This confession is called the Shema. M. R. Wilson in International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (volume 4, page 469) says, “The practice of reciting the Shema daily is firmly established in the Mishnah (ca. A.D. 200), which underscores the Shema’s importance in Jewish religious experience by its opening words: ‘From what time in the evening may the Shema’ be recited?’ (Berakoth i.1). But there is also evidence of the Shema’s use during and even before the NT era…”)

2:5b

one mediator between God and men: At the time when Paul wrote this letter, some Jewish people thought that Moses was the mediator between God and humanity. Other people thought that angels were mediators. Paul was making it clear here that there is only one person who can mediate between God and people.

mediator: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as mediator refers to a person who helps two people or groups of people resolve a dispute.

In 2:6a Paul explained the way in which Christ was the mediator between God and people. After Jesus died on the cross, he began to mediate between God and sinful people, so that God could accept them.

men: The word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as men here does not only refer to males. It includes all human beings: men, women, and children.

2:5c

the man Christ Jesus: Jesus was both God and human. That means that he is a good mediator because he can represent both God and people. When Paul said here that Christ, the mediator, was a man, he was emphasizing that Christ was not only God, but also fully human.

The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as man does not emphasize that Christ was male instead of female. Instead, it emphasizes that he is a person, a human being.

Notice that Paul said the name of the mediator, Christ Jesus, only after he had talked about him. By waiting until after he had talked about him to say his name, Paul emphasized the identity of the mediator. In your language it may be necessary to show this emphasis in another way.

Christ Jesus: Notice that in this verse Paul referred to Jesus as Christ Jesus instead of “Jesus Christ.” The names “Christ Jesus” and “Jesus Christ” refer to the same person. (Some people, however, think that when Paul used the word Christ before the word Jesus, as in Christ Jesus, he was emphasizing that Jesus was the Messiah.)

In most English versions “Jesus Christ” and “Christ Jesus” are translated in the same order as they occur in the Greek manuscripts. It is recommended that you do the same thing.

However, it is possible that, in some languages, people may be confused to see the names in two different orders. They may even think that Paul was referring to two different people. If this is true in your language, it may be necessary to translate Christ Jesus as “Jesus Christ.” This is the more usual word order in the New Testament.

Christ: The word Christ is used in two ways in the New Testament. In the Gospels, Christ is a title for Jesus. It means “the anointed one.” But later, by the time that Paul and others wrote letters to individuals and churches, the word Christ was used as another name for Jesus. It was no longer used as a title. So here and in other New Testament letters you should spell Christ according to the rules of your language.

© 2003 by SIL International®

Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0

All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible. BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.