SIL Translator’s Notes on 1 Timothy 2003 – Page 2

SIL Translator's Notes on 1 Timothy 3:16

3:16a

By common confession: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as By common confession literally means “undeniably, most certainly.” It means that the statement that follows is absolutely true.

the mystery of godliness: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as mystery here is the same word as in 3:9. See the note there. Paul was referring to the true message that God has revealed to people.

In the rest of this verse, Paul explained the aspects of this mystery, The mystery is that God himself came to earth as Jesus. Paul called it the mystery of godliness because when people understand it they want to be godly.

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

great: The word great in English can have more than one meaning. In this verse it means “wonderful” or “awesome.”

3:16b–g

Here, Paul stated in six short lines what “the mystery of godliness” is. These six lines are possibly a hymn that the believers sang in Paul’s time, or they may be a creed that believers recited. To show this, you may want to print them on separate lines as some English versions have done.

3:16b

He: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as He literally means “who.” This suggests that this hymn/creed was part of a longer composition. Both the literal “who” and the Berean Standard Bible’s He are ambiguous: they could refer to either God or Christ. If it is possible in your translation to retain the ambiguity you should do so. If you must chose, you should use “Christ” or “Christ Jesus.” (There is also a textual issue as some manuscripts begin with the word “God” rather than “who”. The King James Version follows this reading. However, the oldest manuscripts use “who” to start the hymn. The Editorial Committee of the UBS Handbook New Testament (4th edition) gives the reading with “who” an {A} rating, indicating that the text is almost certain.)

appeared in the flesh: That is, he “became a human” or “came to earth as a human being.”

3:16c

was vindicated by the Spirit: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as vindicate means “to prove that something or someone is right.” Therefore, when Paul said that Christ was vindicated by the Spirit, he meant that the Holy Spirit showed that Christ was the Son of God, as he claimed to be. Paul did not specify here in what way the Spirit vindicated Christ, so you should not say so either.

the Spirit: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Spirit probably refers to the Holy Spirit.

In some languages it may be necessary to use the normal term for “Holy Spirit” instead of simply “the Spirit” to make it clear.

3:16d

was seen by angels: This could refer to several different events in Jesus’ life. For example, it could refer to:

(a) the angels who saw Jesus at the time of his resurrection

(b) the angels who saw Jesus after his ascension

The text is not explicit and so in your translation you should not make this explicit either.

angels: In this context, The word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as angel refers to “a supernatural, spiritual being who is a messenger from God.”

3:16e

was proclaimed among the nations: In some languages, it may be necessary to state who proclaimed about Christ. The subject could be “his disciples” or “the apostles.”

nations: This word refers to people who are not Jews, people of every language, culture, and ethnic group.

3:16f

was believed in throughout the world: It may be necessary in some languages to state who believed in Christ. One way to do this is:

people of the world believed in him

3:16g

was taken up in glory: Again in some languages it may be necessary to state who took Christ up in glory. If this is true in your language, you should say that God took Christ up in glory.

in glory: In this context the word glory can mean two things:

(1) It refers to the place where God took Christ, that is, heaven. The term glory is used because God, who is awesomely bright, glorious and splendid, is in heaven. Versions that follow this interpretation use the preposition “into” or “to” before the word glory. For example, the Contemporary English Version says:

he was taken up to glory

(Contemporary English Version, Good News Translation, King James Version, Revised English Bible, New Living Translation (2004 Revision), God’s Word)

(2) It refers to the manner in which God took Christ to be with him—in an amazing, powerful, glorious way. Versions that follow this interpretation usually use the preposition in before the word glory. For example, the New International Version (2011 Revision) says:

was taken up in glory

(Berean Standard Bible, New International Version (2011 Revision), Revised Standard Version, New Jerusalem Bible, New American Standard Bible, NET Bible, New Century Version)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1): that God took Christ up to heaven.

General Comment on 3:16e–g

In some languages it will be best to reorder these verse parts so that they appear in chronological order. For example:

^16gwas taken up in glory.

^16ewas preached among the nations,

^16fwas believed on in the world,

That is, Christ was taken up to glory before his disciples preached about him.

Paragraph 4:1–5

4:1a

Now: This word indicates the way that this paragraph connects with what Paul had just said. It indicates a contrast. The church was “the pillar and foundation of the truth” (3:15d), and this truth “was believed on in the world” (3:16f). Even though that was true, some people were going to abandon this truth and even teach against it. If you have a suitable way in your language to indicate this connection you should use it here.

Paul was not writing to warn Timothy that someday false teachers would come to Ephesus. They were already there, as Paul had written in 1:3–7.

the Spirit: That is, the Holy Spirit.

expressly states: What the Holy Spirit communicated was clear, precise, and easy to understand.

states: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as states is in the present tense. Paul probably used the present tense in order to indicate that the Holy Spirit often (This is an instance of the customary or habitual present, which refers to “repeated activity on a regular or habitual basis.” See Perschbacher, page 281.) said this.

Paul was probably referring to the way that the Holy Spirit communicated through the prophets within the Christian community. (The Holy Spirit also revealed this information through Jesus’ teaching (see Mark 13:22 and Matthew 24:10–11).) And Paul himself had prophesied this in his farewell to the Ephesian elders recorded in Acts 20:29–30.

It is not clear in the Greek text how much of the following verses was spoken by the Holy Spirit. It is recommended that you not make explicit where the quotation ends. If you have to make it explicit, you should probably make the quotation end at the end of 4:2.

4:1b

later times: Scholars understand the phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as later times in two main ways:

(1) The phrase refers to the time between Christ’s resurrection and his return. This period is sometimes called the “last days” in the Bible. So the later times were not still in the future in Paul’s day. They had already begun. For example, the New Jerusalem Bible says:

during the last times

(New Jerusalem Bible, King James Version, New Living Translation (2004 Revision), Contemporary English Version, New Century Version)

(2) The phrase refers to time that was later than or after the time when the Holy Spirit spoke the message. For example, the Revised English Bible says:

in time to come

(Berean Standard Bible, Revised English Bible, New International Version (2011 Revision), Good News Translation, Revised Standard Version, New American Standard Bible, NET Bible, God’s Word)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). Paul was saying that people were already abandoning the faith even at the time when he was writing. He also expected more people to abandon it after he finished writing.

4:1c

abandon the faith: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as abandon means “to desert/discard something.” In this context, it refers to a person who no longer believes in or obeys the Christian faith.

the faith: Paul was referring in general to everything that people believe and do in order to follow Christ.

4:1d

to follow deceitful spirits: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as follow can also mean “being devoted to” or “paying close attention to.” Believers had followed the true teaching about Christ. Other people had chosen to abandon that teaching (4:1c) and follow the teachings of deceiving spirits instead.

deceitful spirits: The word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as spirits is a general word and can be used for human spirits, the Holy Spirit, and also evil spirits. By itself it does not indicate good or evil. But the adjective that the Berean Standard Bible translates as deceitful, as well as the context, show that Paul was referring to evil spiritual beings.

These beings have the following characteristics:

(a) They are spiritual beings, not the spirits of people who have died. Therefore, do not use a term that you use to refer to ancestor spirits.

(b) These spirits serve and work for Satan.

Compare the term you use here with the term you use elsewhere for “evil/unclean spirits.” Also see the note on “demons” in 4:1e.

deceitful: This indicates that the spirits deliberately attempted to make people believe lies.

4:1e

the teachings of demons: Paul probably meant that false teachers were going to teach things that demons wanted them to teach. In some languages, a literal translation of the teachings of demons would make people think that the demons themselves actually taught the people. If this is true in your language, you could say:

They will believe people who teach false ideas that demons want people to believe.

demons: The terms deceiving spirits and demons refer to the same sort of spiritual beings. If you do not have two different terms you can use, use the same term for “spirit” and “demon.”

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 5:18

5:18a

For: The word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as For indicates that 5:18 is the reason that believers should give generously to help the elders. Paul used an example from the Old Testament.

Scripture: See the note on 4:13b.

says: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as says is in the present tense, even though the Scriptures were written many years before. This is natural in Greek and English. Use the tense that is most natural in your language.

5:18b

This Scripture is in Deuteronomy 25:4.

Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain: Paul mentioned this Old Testament verse to explain the reason that believers should give generously to help the elders. It was part of the laws that God gave the Israelites many centuries before. It literally meant that farmers should not force an ox to work without letting it eat while it was working. Here Paul used this law as a figure of speech. In this context, the law meant that believers should also not expect an elder to preach and teach without paying him.

muzzle: To muzzle an ox means to put something over its mouth so that it cannot eat.

ox: An ox (plural “oxen”) is a kind of large cow or bull. An ox is very strong, and farmers use oxen for farm work. For example, oxen are used to pull carts or ploughs.

treading out the grain: Here, treading out the grain is an example of the kind of work that an ox did. When a crop such as wheat was harvested, the farmers needed to separate the kernels from the cut stalks. They did this by making an ox walk over the stalks many times.

grain: The word grain refers to the seeds of various types of grasses such as wheat, barley, oats, and millet that people use for food.

5:18c

The worker is worthy of his wages: Here Paul quoted something that Jesus had said (Luke 10:7).

General Comment on 5:18a–c

In some languages it may be helpful to make Paul’s comparison explicit in this verse. One way you could do this is:

For the Scripture says, “Do not muzzle the ox while it is treading out the grain,” and “The worker deserves his wages.” In the same way, those who teach the believers deserve to receive money/help from them.

Paragraph 5:19–22

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

SIL Translator's Notes on 1 Timothy 2:10

2:10

In 2:9, Paul gave instructions about what women should not do. In this verse, he told them what they should do.

2:10a

with good deeds: Earlier in this chapter, Paul had said that women should not try to make themselves beautiful with jewelry or expensive clothes. Here he was saying that they should rather “adorn themselves” with good deeds. This is a figure of speech. Obviously people cannot literally make themselves beautiful with good deeds.

In some languages, it will not be possible to use the same verb for putting on jewels and clothes and also for putting on good deeds. If that is true in you language, you will probably need to use different verbs. Do whatever is most natural in your language.

2:10b

as is proper: Paul was using the word proper to refer to what God wants women to do. Paul was saying that God wants women to do good things to help other people.

who profess to worship God: Paul was talking about women who said that they were believers and that they worshiped God.

worship: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as “to worship God” here is a word that is sometimes translated as “godliness.” It does not only refer to worshiping God, but also to obeying and respecting him.

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

SIL Translator's Notes on 1 Timothy 4:12

4:12a

Let no one despise your youth: People who lived when Paul did normally expected spiritual leaders to be older than Timothy was. Therefore, some people thought that he was too young to teach them so they didn’t want to obey him.

The form of the Greek verb is a third-person command. It could better be expressed in English as “May no one look down on you.” Paul was telling Timothy that he should behave in ways that made him deserve respect. Then people would respect him and not look down on him. The next verses told Timothy how to do this. Use a form of the verb in your language that will best fit this context.

despise: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as despise means “regard as worthless,” “show disrespect to,” or “regard as inferior.”

youth: Timothy was probably between thirty and forty years old when Paul wrote this letter. Try to use a word for youth that includes Timothy’s age group. In some cultures, people do not consider a man of this age group a youth. If this is true in your area, you may need to state that some people thought that Timothy was too young to teach them.

4:12b

set an example: The word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as example means a “model” or “pattern.” Paul wanted Timothy to behave in a way that other believers could copy. If he did that, people would respect him and would listen to what he taught them, even though they considered him young.

an example: In some languages there is no noun that means example. In such languages it may be possible to use a verb like “demonstrate” or “show.” For example:

Instead, show the other believers how to behave as God wants them to.

4:12c–d

Paul wanted Timothy to be an example to the other believers in the way he behaved. In the rest of this verse Paul listed five ways in which Timothy was to be an example. (Some translations, such as the King James Version, add a sixth way, the words “in spirit”, after “in faith” in 4:10d. However, the oldest and best Greek texts that Bible scholars know about do not have the words “in spirit” here. That is why most modern translations do not include this phrase.)

4:12c

in speech: This is the first way in which Timothy was to be an example. Paul meant that Timothy should be careful that everything he said was true, kind, and helpful to others. He should avoid lying or gossiping.

in conduct: This is the second way in which Timothy was to be an example to the other believers. Paul meant that Timothy should behave in a way that pleased God and that others could imitate. Other believers should not have any reason to criticize him for his behavior.

4:12d

in love: This is the third way in which Timothy was to be an example to the other believers. Paul meant that Timothy should be an example to other people by loving them. Here Paul was probably referring to loving people more than to loving God. So if you need to use a verb here with an object, you should say:

in the way you love other people

in faith: This is the fourth way in which Timothy was to be an example to the other believers. Paul told Timothy to be an example to other people in faith. He meant that Timothy should be an example in the way he trusted in God.

in purity: This is the fifth and final way in which Timothy was to be an example to the other believers. Paul meant that Timothy was always to behave in a pure way. The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as purity often refers to avoiding sexual sin in particular. However in this context, it probably refers to avoiding any kind of sin, including sexual sin.

General Comment on 4:12b–d

In some languages, it may be more natural to reorder this verse. For example, you could begin with the list of the ways in which Timothy should be an example. Here is one way to do that:

^12cspeak what is right, behave in a way that pleases God, ^12dlove other people, trust in God, and behave in a blameless way. ^12bThen you will be an example to the other believers.

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

SIL Translator's Notes on 1 Timothy 6:6

6:6

Of course: Paul used the Greek word de that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Of course here. He wanted to contrast what the false teachers thought (6:5c) and what was actually true (6:6).

godliness: In 6:5c, godliness meant “teaching about God.” Here it refers to the way people behave when they respect God. Paul could use this one word to refer to both of these things. However in many languages it will not be possible to use the same word or expression here as in 6:5c.

contentment: In this context the Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as contentment refers to being satisfied. Paul was saying that a person is happy when he is satisfied with what God has given him.

great gain: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as gain is the same word that Paul used in 6:5c. However, there it referred to getting money. Here it has a different meaning and refers to living well with God both now and forever.

great: People think that if they become rich, they will be able to gain good things with their money. But those things are not as good as what people gain when they behave in a way that pleases God.

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

SIL Translator's Notes on 1 Timothy 1:8

Paragraph 1:8–11

Paul said that when people teach the Scriptures, they should teach them correctly.

1:8a

Now: This translates a Greek word, de, that is often translated as “but.” It connects 1:8 to 1:7. In this context it contrasts two facts. First, the false teachers do not understand the things they teach (1:7). Second, Paul, Timothy, and other believers do understand the law (1:8) which they teach.

we know: Paul did not mean that he and Timothy were the only people who knew that God’s laws are good. He included all believers.

the law is good: Paul was saying that God’s law is morally or ethically right. The things that the law says that people should do are just. When people obey the law, they please God. If you have translated Romans, compare Romans 7:12 and 7:16, where Paul also says that “the law is good”.

the law: Paul was still referring to the laws that God gave to Moses. See the note on 1:7a.

Since this phrase is singular in English (and Greek), some readers may think that Paul was talking about only one law. If this causes a problem for your readers you may need to use a plural term.

1:8b

if one uses: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as uses is a general word that means “teaches,” “studies,” and “obeys.” Here Paul was primarily thinking about teaching the law.

legitimately: It is good to teach the law only if people teach it legitimately or “correctly.” The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as legitimately literally means “lawfully.” If a person teaches the law “lawfully,” it means that the way he teaches it agrees with the purpose for which God gave it. In 1:9–10 Paul explained the true purpose of God’s law.

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

SIL Translator's Notes on 1 Timothy 3:6

3:6a

recent convert: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as recent convert refers to a person who has only been a believer for a short time.

3:6b

or he may become conceited: Paul said that if a recent convert is chosen as an overseer there is a danger that he may become conceited.

conceited: The word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as conceited refers to people who think and behave as though they are superior to other people. They are very proud. In many languages, there is an idiomatic way to say this. The Good News Translation uses an English figure of speech and says “swollen with pride.” See the note on 6:4a. This Greek word also occurs in 2 Timothy 3:4.

3:6c

fall under the same condemnation as the devil: This can also be translated:

incur the same judgment as the devil
-or-
earn the same judgment as the devil

the same condemnation as the devil: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as the same condemnation as the devil probably refers to the judgment that the devil receives. This means that God will punish a person who has become conceited in the same way that he punished the devil for his pride. See the New International Version (2011 Revision), New Jerusalem Bible, Good News Translation, New American Standard Bible, and Contemporary English Version.

Paul did not make explicit here the way that God punished the devil. So it would be best if you also did not make this explicit.

the devil: The devil is the chief of all evil spirits. The name of the devil is Satan. He is also referred to in some parts of the New Testament as “The Evil One.”

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

SIL Translator's Notes on 1 Timothy 5:8

5:8

In Greek this verse is connected to the previous verse with a particle, de. Here this particle indicates a contrast between Paul’s instructions in 5:7 and the behavior he described in 5:8a. Many English versions leave this connection implicit. But you should express this contrast in the way that is most natural in your language.

5:8a

anyone: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as anyone stresses that both males and females had the responsibility to provide for their relatives.

provide for: The word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as provide for refers to making sure that people have the basic necessities of life, such as food, water, clothing, and shelter.

his own: This phrase seems to refer to a wider circle of relatives than the term that Paul used in 5:8b, which the Berean Standard Bible translates as “his own household.”

5:8b

his own household: That is, those of his own immediate family. In the context, this term especially refers to a believer’s widowed mother or grandmother. See 5:4a and 5:4c.

5:8c

denied the faith: In this context, the expression that the Berean Standard Bible translates as denied the faith refers to a person whose actions contradict what he says that he believes. That is, the person may say he is a believer, but he does not care for his family in the way a believer should.

the faith: That is, the Christian religion or body of Christian teaching. See the note on the faith in 3:9.

5:8d

worse than an unbeliever: Paul included this phrase to remind the believers that even unbelievers normally cared for their widowed relatives. Therefore, people who called themselves believers should care for their widowed relatives. If they did not, they were behaving in a way that was worse than unbelievers.

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

Step into the multitudes of languages of the Bible and join the worldwide conversation!

Source: SIL Translator's Notes on 1 Timothy 2003

SIL Translator's Notes on 1 Timothy 3:16

SIL Translator's Notes on 1 Timothy 5:18

SIL Translator's Notes on 1 Timothy 2:10

SIL Translator's Notes on 1 Timothy 4:12

SIL Translator's Notes on 1 Timothy 6:6

SIL Translator's Notes on 1 Timothy 1:8

SIL Translator's Notes on 1 Timothy 3:6

SIL Translator's Notes on 1 Timothy 5:8

Step into the multitudes of languages of the Bible and join the worldwide conversation!

American Bible Society