SIL Translator’s Notes on 2 Timothy 2003 – Page 4

SIL Translator's Notes on 2 Timothy 4:9

Section 4:9–18

Paul asked Timothy to come to him soon

This section contains a variety of specific instructions that Paul gave Timothy in the hope that Timothy would be able to come to Rome soon and spend some time with him.

Paragraph 4:9–13

4:9

Make every effort to come to me quickly: Make every effort is an English phrase that translates one Greek verb. It means “to work/try hard” or “to put the most effort that you can into doing something.” This same verb occurs in 2:15a. Paul wanted Timothy to try to come from Ephesus to Rome as soon as possible, even if it was difficult for Timothy to do.

Paul then mentioned several reasons why he wanted Timothy to come to Rome soon:

(a) Demas had deserted him (Paul) (4:10a);

(b) Crescens and Titus each had traveled elsewhere to serve God (4:10b and 4:10c);

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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 1:6

1:6a

For this reason: The phrase For this reason refers to Timothy’s sincere faith in Christ (1:5a). One way to translate For this reason is to make the reason explicit by saying:

Since you genuinely believe

to fan into flame: Here Paul compared Timothy’s gift to a fire. The clause fan into flame is the translation of one Greek word. There are two ways to interpret this word:

(1) Paul was concerned that Timothy had not been using his gift to his fullest capacity. Therefore he challenged Timothy to “fan into flame” or “rekindle” his use of the gift. For example, the New Living Translation (2004 Revision) says:

This is why I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you

See also Berean Standard Bible, New International Version (2011 Revision), Revised Standard Version, New American Standard Bible, NET Bible, Revised English Bible, New Jerusalem Bible, God’s Word, Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English.

(2) Paul was simply encouraging Timothy to continue to use his gift. He was not implying that Timothy had not been using his gift. For example, the New Century Version says:

This is why I remind you to keep using the gift God gave you

See also Good News Translation and Contemporary English Version.

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1).

This interpretation uses this Greek word in its literal sense, that is, “rekindle” or “light again.” This implies that Timothy’s gift was like a fire that had almost gone out or died and needed to be revived to a useful state. One can rekindle a fire by fanning it or by stirring up the coals.

the gift of God: This spiritual gift was a special ability that God gave Timothy. It enabled him to serve God and minister to other believers in Ephesus. Several verses in 2 Timothy imply that the gift that God had given to Timothy was the ability to serve as a leader (see 4:2 and 4:5).

General Comment on 1:6a

When the word gift is used with the word “rekindle,” the two become a vivid figure of speech. By using this figure of speech, Paul meant that Timothy should reactivate his spiritual gift. This was the gift that the Holy Spirit had given him and that he was to use for God’s service.

You have several options for translating the figure of speech fan into flame the gift of God.

• Maintain the figure of speech, if possible.

• Use a figure of speech that occurs in your language and means something like “to start doing something energetically again.”

• Replace the figure of speech with the direct meaning and translate it “restore/reactivate/revive the gift of God.”

1:6b

which is in you through the laying on of my hands: Some time previously, Paul had put his hands on Timothy (probably on his head). Then he prayed that God would give him a special ability to minister to the believers in the Ephesian church. Paul implied that Timothy received that gift/ability at that time. (Perhaps Paul refers here to the time he mentioned in 1 Timothy 4:14 when the elders prayed for Timothy, but in this verse he mentions only that he laid his hands on Timothy.)

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SIL Translator's Notes on 2 Timothy 2:25

2:25a

He must gently reprove: In the Greek this is literally “with gentleness instructing.” Because the phrase “with gentleness” is before the word “instructing,” it has special emphasis. Try to reflect that emphasis in your translation.

reprove: The word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as reprove also means “to correct.” Most English versions translate it as “correct.”

He … him: The words He and him refers to someone/anyone who is “a servant of the Lord” in 2:24a.

2:25b

in the hope that God may grant them repentance: This is the first reason why the Lord’s servant should “gently reprove.” The second reason is in 2:26. Paul knew that if Timothy would be gentle with his opponents when he talked to them about the word of God, they might listen and realize that what they had believed was not true and that they need to change.

in the hope: The phrase in the hope is the translation of one Greek word that means “perhaps” or “maybe.” It is a word that indicates that Paul was not absolutely sure. It was possible that Timothy’s opponents would repent, but not certain.

that God may grant them: The meaning of the clause that God may grant them is “that God will make it possible for them,” “…enable them,” or “…allow them” to repent.

repentance: In this context repentance refers to a major change in what a person believes and how he behaves: That is, the person turns away from false teachings and now believes the true teachings of God. He turns away from sinful choices and now chooses to do things that please God.

As the phrase indicates, God is the one who makes repentance possible. A person cannot change himself in this way without God’s help.

2:25c

leading to a knowledge of the truth: The literal translation of this phrase from the Greek is “into acknowledgement of the truth.” This grammatical construction makes it difficult to know how this phrase is connected to 2:25b. Most translations consider a knowledge of the truth to be the result of “repentance” in 2:25b. Therefore, they translate it:

perhaps God will allow them to repent and then come to know the truth
-or-
perhaps God will enable them to repent and will lead them to know the truth.

a knowledge of the truth: This phrase means “to know or recognize the true teachings.” (See the note on this phrase in Translator’s Notes for Titus 1:1d.)

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SIL Translator's Notes on 2 Timothy 4:20

4:20a

Erastus has remained at Corinth: Erastus is the name of a Christian man whom Timothy knew. On one of Paul’s missionary trips, Timothy and Erastus had been his companions (Acts 19:22).

4:20b

Trophimus I left sick in Miletus: Trophimus was probably the same person that Luke mentioned in Acts 21:29. In that verse, Luke said that Trophimus was with Paul in Jerusalem on Paul’s last visit there. Trophimus’ home was in Ephesus, so Timothy probably knew him.

Miletus: Miletus was a town on the coast of the Roman province of Asia. It was not far from Ephesus. Apparently Erastus and Trophimus had both been with Paul on a recent trip, and Trophimus had been with Paul until they arrived in Miletus.

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SIL Translator's Notes on 2 Timothy 1:17

1:17a

Indeed: The word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Indeed is the Greek conjunction alla. It expresses a strong contrast between 1:16c and 1:17. Other English words that express this contrast are “rather” or “instead.”

Rome: Rome was the capital city of the Roman Empire. Paul was still in prison in the city of Rome at the time he wrote this letter to Timothy.

1:17b

he searched diligently until he found me: Onesiphorus wanted very much to find Paul. Apparently it was very difficult for him to find the prison where Paul was. He spent a long time searching, and probably walked long distances to various places in Rome, for it was a large city.

General Comment on 1:16–17

Onesiphorus would have arrived in Rome first (17a), then searched for and found Paul (17b), and only then refreshed him (16b). In some languages it may be necessary to reorder these verses. One way to do this is:

^17aWhen Onesiphorus arrived in Rome ^17bhe searched eagerly for me until he found me. ^16bHe often refreshed me ^16cand was not ashamed of me because I was in prison. ^16aTherefore, may the Lord do much good to Onesiphorus and his family.

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SIL Translator's Notes on 2 Timothy 3:11

3:11a

persecutions: The word persecutions refers to physical or mental abuse or harassment. People who did not agree with Paul’s religious beliefs had regularly said and done things to discredit or harm him. They did those things so he would stop preaching about Christ.

sufferings: The word sufferings refers to the physical pain that Paul had experienced because people persecuted him.

3:11b

that came upon me in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra: Here Paul named some specific places where his “persecutions and sufferings” had occurred.

Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra: These are the names of three towns. Before translating this verse read what Luke wrote about Paul’s visits to these towns, in Acts 13:44–14:23. Lystra was the town where the Jews provoked the crowd to stone Paul. It was also the town where Timothy and his parents lived. So even though Paul did not specifically mention “stoning,” Timothy knew what Paul meant when he said that came upon me.

3:11c

What persecutions I endured!: There was no punctuation in the original Greek manuscripts of the New Testament. Therefore Bible scholars have different opinions about how this clause relates to the rest of the sentence and what its function is. The main interpretations are:

(1) It restates the previous clause (3:11b) about what had happened to Paul in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra. For example, the New Jerusalem Bible says:

^11aand the persecutions and sufferings ^11bthat came to me in places like Antioch, Iconium and Lystra—^11call the persecutions I have endured:

See also New International Version (2011 Revision), Revised Standard Version, Good News Translation, New American Standard Bible, Revised English Bible, King James Version.

(2) It is the first clause of the following sentence. For example, the NET Bible says:

^11aas well as the persecutions and sufferings ^11bthat happened to me in Antioch, in Iconium, and in Lystra. ^11cI endured these persecutions ^11dand the Lord delivered me from them all.

See also God’s Word, New Century Version, New Living Translation (2004 Revision), LSA.

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1) as do the majority of translations.

3:11d

Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them: There were times when the people who persecuted Paul almost killed him. But the Lord had protected and rescued him from each of these difficult situations.

Yet: The Greek conjunction kai, which the Berean Standard Bible translates here as Yet, is the most common way to join sentences in Greek. Its most basic meaning is “and.” Here, 3:11d seems to be in contrast with 3:11c. So an English conjunction like “but” shows contrast much better than “and.” Good News Translation, King James Version, New Living Translation (2004 Revision), and New Century Version all translate this word as “but.”

the Lord: Here the word Lord most likely refers to Jesus, not God the Father.

If there is a term in your language for Lord that can refer to both God the Father and to Jesus, use it. If not, use a word that specifically refers to Jesus, for example, “the Lord Jesus.”

them: The pronoun them refers to the persecutions in 3:11c.

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SIL Translator's Notes on 2 Timothy 2:15

2:15a

Make every effort: Make every effort is an English phrase that translates one Greek verb. It means, “to work hard,” “to try hard,” or “to put the most effort that you can into your work.”

to present yourself…to God: The verb to present means “to show” or “to stand before.”

The text does not indicate whether Paul was instructing Timothy concerning “presenting” himself to God in the present time or the future. Some scholars think this verse refers to the future judgment day when people will stand before God. Others think this refers to Timothy daily presenting himself to God. It is best to leave the time vague.

approved to God: The word approved is an adjective in Greek. It means, “accepted after successfully passing a trial or examination.” God is the one who examines how a person represents him and teaches his word. Timothy must live and teach in the ways he knew that God approved. Then he will be an approved workman of God.

As mentioned above regarding the words “present yourself,” we do not know if Paul is speaking of the past, the present or the future. It may be that God had (already) approved of Timothy as his servant or “workman.” On the other hand, the New Century Version uses the future: “give yourself to God as the kind of person he will accept.” If possible, do not be specific about the time. One possibility is to say:

Present yourself to God in such a way that he can approve you.

2:15b

an unashamed workman: This part of the verse describes someone of whom God approves. In some languages, it may be best to follow the example of the New Living Translation (2004 Revision) and start a new sentence here.

Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed

workman: The word in the Greek text that the Berean Standard Bible translates as workman can refer to a person who does general physical work, such as carrying things or digging. But it can also refer to a person whose work requires special skill. Paul here compared Timothy and the way he was working for the Lord to a craftsman who worked well so that he was not ashamed of what he had done.

2:15c

who accurately handles the word of truth: This part of the verse also describes someone of whom God approves. Here Paul again mentioned the second theme of his letter to Timothy: the message about the good news is a special thing that God has entrusted to his people. Those who teach the word of God must never mix erroneous teaching with it.

accurately handles the word of truth: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as accurately handles literally means “to cut straight.” This word further develops the image of a worker in 2:15b. A worker who is not ashamed is one who skillfully uses his tools. Here the “tool” that a Christian worker must correctly handle is the word of truth. Used figuratively, this word refers to “correct teaching.” You have several options for translating this word.

• Keep the figure of speech of a worker and translate it “correctly handles” (New International Version (2011 Revision)) or “accurately handles” (Berean Standard Bible and New American Standard Bible). See also Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English.

• Replace the figure of speech with the direct meaning and translate it “correctly teach” (Good News Translation) or “correctly explain” (New Living Translation (2004 Revision)). See also the New Century Version.

word of truth: This phrase means the same as the “word of God” or the “gospel.”

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SIL Translator's Notes on 2 Timothy 4:10

4:10a

because: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as because indicates that Paul was about to give Timothy some reasons why he wanted him to come and visit him. Another common English translation for this word is “for.”

Demas: Demas had been a fellow worker of Paul the first time that Paul had been in prison in Rome. (See Philemon 24 and Colossians 4:14.) Demas had been in Rome again during this second time Paul was in jail, but he had left without Paul’s approval.

in his love of this world: This means that Demas preferred to enjoy what he thought were the good things in this world. It also included the customs and practices that people did to please themselves at that time. Paul used the expression this world in 1 Timothy 6:17 with the same meaning.

Although Paul was disappointed that Demas abandoned him, he did not say that Demas was no longer a believer.

has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica: Thessalonica is the name of a town that was in the Roman province of Macedonia. Today that area is part of the country of Greece. Paul and Timothy had been there together in earlier times. (See Acts 16:3–17:15.)

4:10b

Crescens has gone to Galatia: The second reason that Paul wanted Timothy to come to him was because Crescens had gone to Galatia. Your translation should also show this connection to 4:9. One way to do this is to say, “Also, Crescens….”

Crescens:
Crescens is the name of a man who had been with Paul in Rome. Paul did not imply that Crescens (and Titus, 4:10c) had disobeyed him or abandoned him by leaving. He probably had sent him to preach the good news about Jesus Christ. He was just pointing out another reason why he needed Timothy.

No other passage in the New Testament mentions Crescens.

Galatia: Galatia was a Roman province located in the center of the area that is now the country of Turkey.

4:10c

and Titus to Dalmatia: This statement is the third reason in Paul’s list.

The verb in this clause is missing in the Berean Standard Bible (and in the Greek) because the original readers would understand it to be the same verb as Paul used in 4:10a and 4:10b, that is, “has gone.”

Titus: Titus was a Greek man who believed in Christ. He was one of the men whom Paul trusted to help him to establish churches when Paul went on some of his missionary journeys.

Dalmatia: Dalmatia was the region that is now the country of Albania and included certain areas to the northwest of Albania. However, in your translation, it is sufficient to identify Dalmatia as a Roman province.

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Source: SIL Translator's Notes on 2 Timothy 2003

SIL Translator's Notes on 2 Timothy 4:9

SIL Translator's Notes on 2 Timothy 1:6

SIL Translator's Notes on 2 Timothy 2:25

SIL Translator's Notes on 2 Timothy 4:20

SIL Translator's Notes on 2 Timothy 1:17

SIL Translator's Notes on 2 Timothy 3:11

SIL Translator's Notes on 2 Timothy 2:15

SIL Translator's Notes on 2 Timothy 4:10

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