5:4a

But: The Greek particle de that the Berean Standard Bible translates as But indicates that Paul was contrasting widows who had no family (5:3) with those who had a family (5:4a).

children or grandchildren: When Paul was saying children or grandchildren, he was referring to both men and women.

5:4b

they must first learn: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as they must…learn is a third-person command. That means that although Paul was giving the command to Timothy, he meant Timothy to pass it on to others. Paul was actually commanding the children and grandchildren to learn: it was their duty or obligation to take care of their families.

first: This means that one of the most important things for believers to do is to help their widowed mothers and grandmothers.

learn: In this context, the Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as learn means to practice or learn by experience, rather than just from books or a teacher.

to show godliness: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as to show godliness means “to show piety, be reverent.” Usually this verb is used about reverence to God. However, here it means that believers should show their devotion to God by the way in which they treat their own family. This is their duty as believers.

5:4c

to their own family: Believers should take practical care of family members; that is, they should make sure that they have a place to live and enough to eat and wear.

their own family: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as family literally means “house, household.” In Paul’s time, a “household” included servants as well as relatives such as grandparents (see the note on 3:12b). Paul wanted people to care for any widow in the household for whom they were responsible.

5:4d

repay: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as repay means “to pay something back.” When the believers were children, these women cared for them. Paul wanted the believers to care for their mothers or grandmothers in the same way now.

parents: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as parents literally means “ancestors.” In this context, Paul was especially talking about mothers and grandmothers. This was because they were the ones who most urgently needed someone to support them when they became widows.

5:4e

for: The connector for introduces the reason that children and grandchildren should care for their mothers and grandmothers.

pleasing in the sight of God: The phrase pleasing in the sight of God refers to the way that God wants people to act. He is pleased when they do so.

General Comment on 5:4a–e

In some languages it may be helpful to reorder this verse. For example, you may need to say first that children should take care of their own family. Then you could say that this is the way that they should learn to put their religion into practice. One way to do this is:

^4aBut if a widow has children or grandchildren, ^4cthese should take care of their own family ^4dand repay their parents and grandparents. ^4bThis is the most important way for them to learn to put their religion into practice, ^4eand it is pleasing to God.

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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.

6:13–16

In the Greek the sentence that begins in 6:13 does not end until 6:16d. In many languages this will make a sentence that is too long and very difficult to understand. As you translate these verses, consider where you might make sentence breaks. However, be sure that you keep the main focus of the verses.

6:13a

I charge you: That is, Paul was ordering Timothy to do something. It was a command. What he commanded is in 6:14. This is the main clause of this verse.

6:13b

in the presence of God: When Paul commanded Timothy In the presence of God, he meant that God the Father was a witness to what Paul was telling Timothy to do. Paul was stressing that what he would say next was extremely important. See also the note on “before God” in 5:21a.

6:13c

who gives life to all things: This verse part gives a description of God. That is, whatever lives, lives only because God has caused it to live.

6:13d

and of Christ Jesus: Here Paul reminded Timothy that Jesus Christ also was a witness to what Paul was commanding Timothy to do.

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 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.

6:13e

who made the good confession in His testimony before Pontius Pilate: This clause describes Jesus’ action when he testified before Pilate.

the good confession: The phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as the good confession probably refers to what Jesus told Pilate. Jesus told the truth about himself. For example, Jesus knew that his enemies would kill him if he said that he was the king of the Jews. Even though he knew that, he answered “yes” when Pilate asked him that question. See Matthew 27:11; Mark 15:2; Luke 23:3; John 18:33–37.

His testimony: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as testimony refers here to giving evidence in a court.

before Pontius Pilate: That is, Jesus testified while standing in front of Pontius Pilate to be judged.

Pontius Pilate: Pontius Pilate was the Roman governor of Judea at the time when Jesus was crucified. It was he who was the judge who tried Jesus and ordered Roman soldiers to execute him.

General Comment on 6:13a–e

In some languages it may be better to reorder this verse. For example:

^13bIn the sight of God ^13cwho gives life to everything, ^13dand in the sight of Christ Jesus, ^13ewho while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, ^13aI charge you:

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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.

Paragraph 1:15–17

In the same way that Christ saved Paul, he will also save everyone else who believes in him, no matter how sinful they are.

1:15a

This is a trustworthy saying: This is an expression that Paul used often in his letters to Timothy and Titus. See 1 Timothy 3:1, 4:9; 2 Timothy 2:11; Titus 1:9, 3:8. You should try to use the same expression of introduction in all these places. Paul used this expression to introduce a saying that was well-known among believers at that time. This saying is found in 1:15c.

trustworthy: Paul said that this saying (1:15c) about Christ was trustworthy. That means that it was true and reliable. Other ways to say this could be: “This saying really is true,” or “people should believe this.”

saying: A saying is an expression that is well known to people. In some languages it may be possible to use a word like “proverb.”

1:15b

worthy of full acceptance: Because the saying in 1:15c is “trustworthy”, everyone should believe it and should not doubt it in any way. They can be sure that it is true.

1:15c

Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners: This is the saying that Paul introduced in 1:15a–b.

Christ Jesus came into the world: This refers to when Christ Jesus came to earth the first time and died on the cross.

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 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.

to save sinners: This is the purpose for which Jesus came into the world. The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as save means “to rescue from danger.” In this context, the danger is that if a person does not repent and stop sinning, he will not receive eternal life.

sinners: A sinner is a person who has disobeyed God.

General Comment on 1:15c

Sayings are normally short because people want to remember them. Therefore translate this saying with as few words as possible. It would also be helpful to keep the saying in one sentence. One way to do this is:

Christ Jesus came to earth to rescue people who have sinned.

In some languages it may be helpful to indicate the beginning and end of the saying in some way. For example, you may want to use quotation marks or a different printing style, such as italics. The Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English uses both.

1:15d

of whom I am the worst: Notice that this part of the verse is not part of the saying in 1:15c. One way to make this clear would be to use special punctuation. For example, the New International Version (2011 Revision) uses a dash, that is, —. If you place the saying in quotation marks, make sure you close the quotation marks at the end of 1:15c. Paul added these words to make it personal in this context.

I am the worst: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as worst literally means “first.” Paul meant that he considered himself to be the greatest sinner. This did not mean that Paul had committed more or greater sins than anyone else in the world. It meant that Paul felt as if he were the worst sinner. (Stott, page 53, says, “…when we are convicted of sin by the Holy Spirit, an immediate result is that we give up all such comparisons. Paul was so vividly aware of his own sins that he could not conceive that anybody could be worse. It is the language of every sinner whose conscience has been awakened and disturbed by the Holy Spirit. We may begin like the Pharisee in Jesus’ parable, ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men’, but we end like the tax collector who beat his breast and said (literally), ‘God have mercy on me, the sinner [Luke 18:9ff.].’ The Pharisee indulged in odious comparisons; as far as the tax collector was concerned, however, there were no other sinners with whom to compare himself; he was the one and only.”) Paul was so aware of his own sins that he could not imagine that anybody could be worse than he was.

General Comment on 1:15a–d

In some languages it may be best to reorder this verse. For example, it may be better to translate the saying before stating that it is trustworthy. One way to do this is:

We believers often say: ^15c“Christ Jesus came to the world to save sinners.” ^15aThese words are true ^15band everyone can believe them without doubting them in any way. ^15dAnd I have sinned more than anyone…

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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.

3:13a

For those who have served well as deacons: Paul was referring to deacons who help other people in an excellent way.

a high standing: People will honor deacons who fulfill their responsibilities well. For example, the New Living Translation (2004 Revision) says:

Those who do well as deacons will be rewarded with respect

3:13b

great confidence: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as confidence refers to being confident, bold, without fear.

in the faith: This is a very general expression that states the way in which deacons who have served well can be confident. However scholars interpret this in different ways. The main interpretations are:

(1) The deacons are not afraid to tell other people about their faith in Christ. For example, the Good News Translation says:

Those helpers who do their work well…are able to speak boldly about their faith in Christ Jesus.

(Good News Translation)

(2) The deacons have boldness in their relationship with God, and they trust God more and more. For example, the New Living Translation (2004 Revision) says:

Those who do well as deacons…will have increased confidence in their faith in Christ Jesus.

(New Living Translation (2004 Revision), New International Version (2011 Revision), God’s Word, New Century Version)

Many English versions are not clear as to which interpretation they follow. If it is not possible for you to translate this in a general way, it is recommended that you follow interpretation (1).

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 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.

5:15

For: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as For is a conjunction, gar. This conjunction indicates that 5:15 is a reason for Paul’s instruction in 5:14.

some: That is, some of the younger widows.

already: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as already is the first word in the verse, and so it is being emphasized. This emphasis indicates that this verse is a warning. Paul was warning Timothy that some widows were already starting to follow Satan. So his instructions in 5:14 were very important.

turned aside to follow Satan: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as turned aside to follow Satan literally means “turned away after Satan.” Paul meant that some of the younger widows had stopped obeying God. They were now doing things that Satan wanted them to do.

Satan: Satan is the supreme evil spiritual being who leads and directs all other evil spiritual beings. In other parts of the New Testament he is referred to as “the devil” or “the Evil One.”

Satan is a proper name. So keep that name in your translation if you can. However, in some languages, it may be necessary to explain that he is the chief of the evil spirits. Also see the note on 1:20b.

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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.

2:7a

For this reason: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as For this reason literally means “for which.” The phrase connects 2:7 with 2:6 and this connection can be understood in two ways:

(1) Verse 7 is the result of 2:6. For example, the Good News Translation says:

and that is why

(Good News Translation, New Century Version, Contemporary English Version)

(2) Verse 7 is the purpose for which 2:6 occurred. For example, the New International Version (2011 Revision) says:

And for this purpose

(Berean Standard Bible, New International Version (2011 Revision), God’s Word)

Some English translations say “for this.” This English phrase does not make it clear whether they mean “for this reason” or “for this purpose” (New American Standard Bible, Revised Standard Version, NET Bible). If you cannot keep the ambiguity, it is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). Because God sent Christ Jesus to save all people (2:3–6), he appointed Paul to announce the gospel.

2:7b

I was appointed: The Greek text uses a passive here and does not say who had appointed Paul. If it is necessary in your language to use an active verb here, you should say that God appointed him. Some other words for appointed are “assigned” or “chosen.”

a preacher: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as a preacher is more literally “a herald.” A herald is a person that a king or another ruler has appointed to announce a message publicly. Paul was emphasizing that he announced important news like a herald does.

an apostle: Paul was emphasizing that God had sent him to represent Christ. For more details, see the note on “apostle” at 1:1b.

In some languages it may be helpful to translate this part of the verse as a direct quote. For example:

That is the reason that Christ appointed me and told me: “You are to announce the gospel message publicly and represent me.”

2:7c

faithful and true: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as faithful and true literally means “in faith and truth.” These words can refer to:

(1) what Paul taught: the content of his message. For example, the Good News Translation says:

the message of faith and truth

(Good News Translation, New International Version (2011 Revision), Revised English Bible, God’s Word, New Living Translation (2004 Revision), Contemporary English Version, New Century Version)

(2) how Paul taught, that is, he taught faithfully and truthfully. For example, the New Jerusalem Bible says:

a teacher of the gentiles in faith and truth

(Berean Standard Bible, New Jerusalem Bible, Revised Standard Version, King James Version, New American Standard Bible)

Paul had been talking about the message that he proclaimed. There is no reason to think that Paul suddenly changed his topic and said that he himself was teaching faithfully and truthfully. So it is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). That is, Paul was continuing to talk about the message that he proclaimed.

The Greek words meaning “faith and truth” that the Berean Standard Bible translates as faithful and true can be understood in two ways:

(1) This is a hendiadys; that is, the two words “faith” and “truth” refer to one thing. For example, the New International Version (2011 Revision) says:

the true faith

(New International Version (2011 Revision), Revised English Bible)

(2) The two words refer to two things. For example, the Good News Translation says:

the message of faith and truth

(Berean Standard Bible, Good News Translation, God’s Word, New Living Translation (2004 Revision), Contemporary English Version, New Century Version)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1) and translate this as one phrase, “the true faith.” “The true faith” refers to God’s message.

teacher of the Gentiles: Gentiles are people who are not Jews. You may wish to put a footnote or glossary entry in your translation to explain who Gentiles are.

2:7d

I am telling the truth; (The translators of some versions add the words “in Christ.” For example, the King James Version says, “I speak the truth in Christ.” However, most scholars agree that these words were not present in Paul’s original letter to Timothy. The Editorial Committee of the United Bible Societies New Testament (4th edition) gives the reading without “in Christ” an {A} rating, indicating that the text is almost certain.) I am not lying: Paul had written in 2:7b, that he had been appointed as an apostle. Then he added that he was telling the truth and not lying. This could refer to three things:

(1) the whole sentence (Good News Translation, New Living Translation (2004 Revision), God’s Word)

(2) just the phrase that he was a teacher of the Gentiles (New Jerusalem Bible)

(3) just the phrase that he was an apostle

Other English versions are ambiguous. It is recommended that you translate this to refer to the whole sentence. Probably some people were saying that Paul was not really an apostle. Others may have been saying that Christ had not really authorized Paul to teach the Gentiles.

General Comment on 2:7b–d

Paul was not saying that God had chosen him to do three different jobs (herald, apostle, and teacher). Instead, he was saying that he had one task that had three parts. These same three parts are also mentioned in 2 Timothy 1:11.

General Comment on 2:7a–d

Another way to translate this verse is:

^7aThat is why ^7bGod sent me as an apostle to announce ^7cand teach his true message even to those who are not Jews. ^7dWhat I am saying is true. I am not lying.

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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.

4:9a

This is a trustworthy saying: This is an expression that Paul used often in his letters to Timothy and Titus. See 1 Timothy 1:15, 3:1; 2 Timothy 2:11; Titus 1:9, 3:8. You should try and use the same expression for trustworthy saying in all these places. Paul used this expression to refer to a saying that was well known among believers at that time.

Since this saying refers back to something Paul has already said in 4:8, it may be necessary to change the wording of the sentence. For example:

What I have just said is a trustworthy saying

See the General Comment on 4:8–9 for a suggestion that involves changing the order of the verses.

trustworthy: Paul said that what he had said was trustworthy. That means that it was true and reliable. Other ways to say this could be: “This saying really is true,” or “people should believe this.”

saying: A saying is an expression that is well known to people. In some languages it may be possible to use a word like “proverb.”

4:9b

worthy of full acceptance: Because the saying is “trustworthy”, everyone should believe it and should not doubt it in any way. They can be sure that it is true.

General Comment on 4:8–9

As mentioned above, Paul quoted the saying in 4:8, but he did not mention that it was a saying until 4:9. So, in some languages it may be helpful to reverse the order of 4:8 and 4:9 so that Paul’s statement in 4:9 introduces the saying. One way to do this is:

^9aFor this is a trustworthy saying ^9bthat deserves full acceptance. ^8aPhysical training is of some value. ^8bHowever godliness has value for all things, ^8c as it holds promise for both the present life and the life to come.

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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.

Section 6:3–10

Paul warned that it was dangerous to want to be rich

In this section Paul warned Timothy once more about the false teachers. He also told him that it was dangerous to want a lot of money. He told him that the false teachers were sinning in many ways, but that they were especially sinning by trying to use religion to get more money. He told believers to be content with what they had.

6:3a

If anyone teaches another doctrine: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as If often introduces a conditional clause. However, in this context the clause it introduces is not really a conditional clause. Paul knew there were people among the Ephesian believers who taught another doctrine. In some languages this can be made clearer by saying “Anyone who…” or “Whoever…”

teaches another doctrine: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as teaches another doctrine literally means “teaches what is different” or “teaches what is untrue.” The same phrase is used in 1:3d. Paul was warning Timothy against people who taught something different from what Paul himself taught. For example, the Contemporary English Version says:

Anyone who teaches something different…

6:3b

disagrees: The false teachers taught things about Christ and his message that were different from what Christ and his apostles taught.

the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ: Paul told Timothy that the sound words were of our Lord Jesus Christ. Scholars have understood this in two ways:

(1) It means “from our Lord Jesus Christ” and refers to what Christ taught, both when he was alive on earth and through his apostles.

(2) It means “about our Lord Jesus Christ” and refers to the things that the apostles taught about Christ.

Most English versions say “the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ,” which is ambiguous. However, this phrase is most naturally understood as the words spoken by Christ. It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1).

the sound words: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as sound literally means “healthy.” See the note on 1:10d, where the same Greek word is used. Paul was saying that these words were correct and without error.

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.”

Jesus Christ: Notice that in this verse Paul used the more usual order Jesus Christ to refer to Jesus. It is recommended that you do the same thing.

Christ: The word Christ is used 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.

6:3c

godly teaching: When he used the words godly teaching, Paul was talking about the kind of teaching that helps people to behave as God wants them to behave.

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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.