SIL Translator’s Notes on 2 Timothy 2003

SIL Translator's Notes on 2 Timothy 2:4

2:4–6

In 2:4–6, Paul compared the Christian to three types of people. Then in 2:7 he advised Timothy to think deeply about the meaning of these three comparisons. This shows that the point of comparison in Paul’s illustrations would not be immediately clear even to Timothy. He needed to think about what Paul wrote to him. Because of this, you should avoid making the points of comparison explicit in your translation.

2:4a

A soldier: This refers to a soldier on active duty.

entangling himself: This phrase is the translation of one Greek verb. It occurs only here and in 2 Peter 2:20. It means “to get entangled in” or “to get mixed up with.”

in civilian affairs: This phrase is literally “matters/affairs of life.” It can refer to any matter in general, or more specifically, to a business or job that is not a military job. A soldier may have brief times when he is not actually working as a soldier, but even during those times he is not free to start working at some other kind of job.

Some other ways to translate this phrase are:

everyday matters (New Century Version)
-or-
non-military activities (God’s Word)

2:4b

in order to: In the Greek text, the conjunction hina (in order to) connects 2:4a and 2:4b. There are several ways to show this connection.

• Make the conjunction implicit. The New International Version (2011 Revision) uses a dash to indicate the connection between these two verse parts.

^4aNo one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs—^4bhe wants to please his commanding officer.

Other translations (God’s Word, Contemporary English Version) begin a new sentence at 2:4b.

^4aSoldiers on duty don’t work at outside jobs. ^4bThey try only to please their commanding officer. (Contemporary English Version)

• Make the conjunction explicit like the Berean Standard Bible and and New American Standard Bible do. For example, the New American Standard Bible says:

No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier.

• State 2:4b negatively like the NET Bible does.

No one in military service gets entangled in matters of everyday life; otherwise he will not please the one who recruited him.

See also New Living Translation (2004 Revision), and Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English.

• Reorder 2:4a and 2:4b.

^4bA soldier wants to please his commanding officer, ^4aso he does not get involved in civilian affairs.

You should use the option that is most natural in your language.

the one who enlisted him: In Greek, this is literally “the one having enlisted (him).” The Berean Standard Bible, Revised Standard Version, New American Standard Bible, and NET Bible translate this literally. However, a literal translation like “the enlistment officer” may give the wrong impression. In Paul’s time, each officer gathered together (or enlisted) the men he later commanded. This was different than many of today’s armies where the enlistment officer is a completely different person than the commanding officer. Therefore, a term like “commanding officer” or “commander” may be more appropriate.

General Comment on 2:4

The Christian’s commanding officer is Christ. The point of the comparison between a soldier and a person who serves Christ is that the soldier and the Christian must each completely commit himself to his commander, doing whatever the commander tells him to do.

However, the point of comparison should not be made explicit in the translation because in 2:7, Paul asked Timothy to think about what he was saying and said that the Lord would help Timothy to understand it. Therefore, Paul was not trying to be completely explicit.

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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.

SIL Translator's Notes on 2 Timothy 3:15

3:15a

From infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures: This clause is the second object of the verb “know” in 3:14c.

^14cYou know those from whom you have learned these things/truths ^15aand you know that from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures

infancy: In this verse the term infancy refers to the time from which Timothy was able to learn. Timothy probably began learning the Scriptures when he was three to five years old. It does not literally mean from the time he was born. Another way to say this is “from the time you were a small child.”

known: Timothy knew the holy Scriptures because his mother and grandmother taught him the Scriptures. Another way to say this is that Timothy had “learned” the holy Scriptures.

Holy Scriptures: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Scriptures is literally “writings.” There were many “writings” in that day, so the word Holy specified that these “writings” were the “sacred writings” or the books of the Bible that we now call the Old Testament. Other ways to translate Holy Scriptures are “holy/sacred writings” or “God’s word.”

3:15b

which are able to make you wise: Paul said that learning the truths of the Scriptures will make a person wise.

Some other ways to say this are:

God’s word is able to cause you to understand that…
-or-
As you learn God’s word you become wise.

for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus: These words explain what a person will learn from God’s word. Each person will be able to understand, as Timothy had done, what Christ Jesus did to make a way for God to save that person.

This complicated set of phrases can be analyzed as follows:

salvation = God saves you

faith in Christ Jesus = you believe/trust in Christ Jesus

Simply stated, this means:

God saves you through your believing in Christ Jesus.

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SIL Translator's Notes on 2 Timothy 2:19

2:19a

Nevertheless: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Nevertheless indicates a strong contrast with 2:16–18. The idea is that heretics might destroy the faith of some believers, but they cannot destroy God’s foundation. Other English versions translate this word as “but” or “however.”

God’s firm foundation stands: In some cultures, people who are constructing a building begin by putting large stones in the ground as a foundation. Then they build the walls of the building on this foundation. This causes the building to be more stable. Here, Paul used the image of a foundation in a figurative sense.

He was referring to the church, that is, the people who believe the teachings of Jesus. In the same way that the foundation stones of a building never move, the body of true believers always continues to trust firmly in Christ.

There are several options for translating this phrase:

• Translate it literally using the figure of a foundation, as many English translations do.

• Translate the phrase using a simile. In this case, you will have to refer to the church/believers as part of the translation. For example,

The true believers in God are strong in their faith like the strong foundation of a building.

• Replace the figure of speech with the direct meaning. An example of this would be:

God’s people always stand/remain firm.
-or-
God’s people always continue to believe the truth.

stands: Most English versions translate the Greek verb as “stands,” “stands firm,” or “remains standing.” The idea is that the foundation cannot break, nor can anyone destroy it.

This verb indicates that the church consists of people who have believed and continue to strongly believe the message of God’s word even when others have chosen to stop believing it.

2:19b

bearing this seal: Paul continued to use the figure of speech of a foundation.

The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as bearing this seal is literally “having this seal.” In the time of Paul, people would make a mark or carve words on the foundation stones of a building to show who owned the building. Sometimes the writing also told the purpose of the building. This mark or writing was called a “seal.”

In cultures where people do not build on large stones or write on them, you may need to supply a footnote. This footnote could describe buildings that people build on stone foundations and it could explain what these stones are for. The note could also say what kinds of things people write on the foundation stones of their buildings.

2:19c

“The Lord knows those who are His”: This saying comes from Numbers 16:5 in the Greek translation of the Old Testament. It means that God knows which people believe firmly in him. He knows who is part of his church and who is not.

Lord: The word Lord refers to God.

2:19d

and, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord must turn away from iniquity”: Various parts of this saying resemble parts of verses in the Old Testament, but there is no one verse in the Old Testament that contains this entire saying. Therefore, it is uncertain whether Paul wanted to quote from the Old Testament or whether he made this a summary statement of principles from the Old Testament. Nevertheless, because it is one of the two sayings that Paul lists, use the same form of punctuation as you did in the first saying.

calls on the name of the Lord: The Greek phrase which the Berean Standard Bible translates as calls on the name of the Lord means that the person claims that the Lord is his/her master or leader. Good News Translation says: “Whoever says that they belong to the Lord must turn away from wrongdoing.”

the Lord: As in 2:19c, the Lord here refers to God.

turn away from iniquity: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as turn away also means “abandon,” “desert,” or “renounce.” The New Century Version translates this clause clearly when it says: “must stop doing wrong.”

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SIL Translator's Notes on 2 Timothy 4:14

4:14a

Alexander the coppersmith did great harm to me: Paul wanted to warn Timothy about a man whose name was Alexander. He had harmed Paul in some way. This is the only place he is mentioned, so scholars assume that he must have been someone from Ephesus. Luke mentioned a man called Alexander in Acts 19:33–34, and Paul mentioned a man who had this same name in 1 Timothy 1:20. However it was probably a common name at that time. So this Alexander in 4:14 probably was not the same person as those other men named Alexander.

coppersmith: A coppersmith was someone who made things out of copper, iron, or other metals. The Greek word is literally “coppersmith.” However, coppersmiths at that time worked not only with copper but also with other metals, so metalworker is another way that this Greek word can be translated.

great harm to me: The harm that Alexander did to Paul was that he opposed Paul’s work. It does not refer to harming him physically. (See 4:15b.)

4:14b

The Lord: The Lord in this context probably refers to Christ.

will repay him according to his deeds: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as repay also means “reward.” (See Good News Translation.) Here, however, it has a negative sense meaning “to judge” or “to punish.”

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SIL Translator's Notes on 2 Timothy 1:11

1:11a–c

to which I was appointed as a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher: The gospel is the topic of 1:11. You should translate this verse in such a way that the focus will be on the gospel.

I was appointed: God was the one who appointed Paul. Some other words for appointed are “assigned” or “chosen.”

a preacher: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as preacher comes from the verb that means “to preach.” Some versions have translated this word as “herald,” a person that a king or some other important leader has appointed to announce a message publicly.

an apostle: An apostle is a person whom someone has sent to do a specific job on behalf of that sender. Paul was to represent Christ Jesus to others.

a teacher: Paul not only preached the message about Jesus Christ. He also taught people the other truths that God had revealed to him about the way Christians should behave.

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SIL Translator's Notes on 2 Timothy 3:5

3:5a

having a form of godliness: Here Paul described people who do many types of religious things: they use religious words and expressions, they participate in religious ceremonies, and they may even teach other people religious beliefs that sound like the truth. But all these things are external actions and words. Their hearts have not changed. It refers to people who practice a type/kind of religion, but not true Christianity. It has only the outward appearance of true faith.

form: The word form means “outward appearance.” This Greek word occurs only here and in Romans 2:20.

godliness: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as godliness, means “the duty that man owes God to serve and worship him.” Some English versions translate this word by “religion.” (See Revised Standard Version, Good News Translation, NET Bible, Revised English Bible.)

3:5b

denying its power: The phrase denying its power means that people will refuse to allow God’s power to make them genuinely godly.

denying: The word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as denying means “to refuse” or “to reject.”

its: This word refers back to “godliness/religion” in 3:5a.

power: The word power refers to the power found in true Christianity. It is God’s power that changes people’s behavior and makes them holy.

3:5c

Turn away from such as these!: Here Paul commanded Timothy to “avoid” or “stay away from” people who have the characteristics he listed in 3:2–5.

Paragraph 3:6–9

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SIL Translator's Notes on 2 Timothy 2:5

2:5a

Likewise, a competitor: In this verse Paul compared Christians to athletes. Just as an athletic competitor has to follow rules when he plays a game, so Christ has given believers rules regarding their behavior. Paul made this comparison to remind Timothy that he should follow all these rules.

Likewise: The common combination of Greek conjunctions de kai (“and also”) connects 2:4 and 2:5. The Berean Standard Bible translates this phrase with the word Likewise to show that Paul was using another example to illustrate his point. Another way to show this connection is with the word “also,” as the NET Bible, New American Standard Bible, and New Century Version have done.

a competitor: This phrase is the translation of the Greek verb athleō. The English word “athlete” comes from this verb. It means “to compete in a contest.” This verb implies that the athlete is not merely playing a game for fun. He wants to win. Also, the verb implies that the contest was for young people or adults—Paul was not talking about a child’s game. Other ways to express this idea are:

if someone plays in a sport/game
-or-
if a runner runs a race
-or-
if anyone competes as an athlete (New International Version (2011 Revision))

2:5b–c

does not receive the crown: In the sports that Paul was thinking of, the person in charge of the contest, or some other important person, placed a crown made out of leaves on the head of the winner as a symbol of victory.

If you do not have a word for “crown,” you can use a more general term, such as “prize” or “reward.”

unless he competes according to the rules: The point of the comparison in 2:5a is that there are specific rules for each sport that people who compete in that sport must obey. The person who does not obey the rules cannot win.

Another way to state this is:

if he does not follow/obey the rules
-or-
if he does not compete/play according to the rules

General Comment on 2:5

In some languages, it may be more natural to reverse the order of 2:5b and 2:5c as follows:

If he does not compete according to the rules, he does not win the victor’s crown.

It is also possible to combine 2:5a–c as follows:

Also, an athlete cannot win a prize if he does not play by the rules.

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SIL Translator's Notes on 2 Timothy 3:16

3:16a

All Scripture is God-breathed: The term God-breathed is a literal translation of the Greek word that older English versions translated as “inspired.” This is the only place in the New Testament that this word is used.

This word indicates that the people who wrote the books of the Bible did not merely write what they themselves were thinking. It means that they wrote the thoughts that God put into their minds. God was the source or origin of what they wrote.

Another way to translate this term is “all Scripture came from God.” Whichever way you translate this term, be sure that the word “Scripture” is the topic of the sentence.

3:16b

is useful: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as useful also means “helpful” or “beneficial.” This same word is used in 1 Timothy 4:8 and Titus 3:8.

In some languages, it may be necessary to say for whom Scripture is useful. Since Paul was writing to Timothy, he meant that Scripture was useful for Timothy and other church leaders as they would teach, correct, and instruct. If you must state the participants, use a general statement like “it is useful to us^(incl) .”

General Comment on 3:16a–b

There are two ways to interpret and translate 3:16a–b. They are:

(1) “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful….” This is the interpretation presented above. For example, Good News Translation says:

All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching….

See also Berean Standard Bible, New International Version (2011 Revision), Revised Standard Version, NET Bible, New American Standard Bible, King James Version, New Jerusalem Bible, God’s Word, New Living Translation (2004 Revision), Contemporary English Version, Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English, New Century Version.

(2) “All God-breathed Scripture is useful….” This second interpretation is based on the fact that there is no word in the Greek text between “Scripture” and “God-breathed.” The Revised English Bible says:

All inspired scripture has its use for teaching….

See also the footnotes in Good News Translation, New Revised Standard Version, NET Bible.

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). Also, if the major language version in use in your area has a footnote here to show interpretation (2), it is recommended that you also include a footnote about it.

3:16c

for instruction: Paul said that Timothy should use Scripture to teach people. If you need to indicate what the Scriptures teach and to whom it is taught. You could say:

All Scripture…is useful for teaching people God’s message…
-or-
All Scripture…is useful for teaching people the truth….

3:16d

for conviction: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as conviction means “to tell people that what they are believing or doing is wrong.” When Paul used this word, he was probably thinking of the false teachers who believed and taught false doctrine. Another way to translate this word in English is “rebuke” or “reprimand.” This Greek word occurs only here and as a verb in 4:2c (translated as “reprove”) and in 1 Timothy 5:20 (translated as “rebuked”).

3:16e

correction: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as correction probably refers to correcting both wrong beliefs that people had and the wrong ways that they were behaving, and then showing them what was right. It is best to use a general term like Good News Translation does, for example, “correcting faults.”

3:16f

for training in righteousness: Paul told Timothy that he should use the Scriptures to train, or instruct, people in righteousness.

righteousness: The word righteousness includes the meaning of “doing what God says is right/moral,” or “behaving correctly/morally.” So training in righteousness means, “to instruct people how to do what is right.”

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Source: SIL Translator's Notes on 2 Timothy 2003

SIL Translator's Notes on 2 Timothy 2:4

SIL Translator's Notes on 2 Timothy 3:15

SIL Translator's Notes on 2 Timothy 2:19

SIL Translator's Notes on 2 Timothy 4:14

SIL Translator's Notes on 2 Timothy 1:11

SIL Translator's Notes on 2 Timothy 3:5

SIL Translator's Notes on 2 Timothy 2:5

SIL Translator's Notes on 2 Timothy 3:16

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