SIL Translator’s Notes on 2 Timothy 2003 – Page 6

SIL Translator's Notes on 2 Timothy 2:10

2:10a

For this reason I endure all things: The phrase For this reason indicates that 2:10a is the result of 2:9c. Because God’s word was not chained, Paul was willing to endure suffering so that other people could hear the good news about Jesus Christ and believe in him.

all things: The words all things refers to what Paul suffered. He was saying that he would endure whatever suffering he might have to. He would do this so that the people God had chosen could know Jesus.

2:10b

the elect: The elect refers to the people that God has chosen to believe in him and be his special people. It is a key term and a phrase that Paul often used. In translating it, use the same expression as in Matthew 24:24; Luke 18:7; Ephesians 1:4 and Titus 1:1. Some translation possibilities are:

God’s chosen people
-or-
the people God has chosen to be his own/special people
-or-
the people whom God has chosen to follow him

2:10c

so that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus: God has elected/chosen many people to belong to him. However, in order for them to belong to him (in other words, to become Christians), they must still hear the gospel and believe in Christ. Paul may have been tempted to stop preaching the gospel because of his suffering. But in this clause he told Timothy the reason he would not stop: he was committed to help people to believe in Christ.

they too: The word too refers back to the fact that Paul was saved. Paul said that he endured suffering so that the elect may “also” be saved, just as he was saved.

obtain the salvation: The clause obtain the salvation is another way of saying “be saved.” For example, the Contemporary English Version says, “Then God’s special people will be saved.” The Greek text does not indicate whether it is God or Christ Jesus who saves. If you must make this explicit, use Christ Jesus, as in the Display.

in Christ Jesus: In this verse, the phrase in Christ Jesus goes with the word salvation. Some ways of translating the entire phrase are:

salvation that they will receive by believing in Christ Jesus.
-or-
salvation that Christ Jesus gives to all people who believe.
-or-
Christ Jesus may save them.

2:10d

with eternal glory: The phrase with eternal glory refers to the honor and splendor of eternal life when we will be in the presence of God forever.

General Comment on 2:10c–d

English versions vary widely in how they connect eternal glory to the rest of the verse. The Berean Standard Bible is difficult to understand here. Therefore it is recommended that you follow one of these three translations:

they also may obtain salvation in Christ Jesus with its eternal glory (Revised Standard Version).
-or-
salvation that comes through Christ Jesus and brings eternal glory (Good News Translation).

Section 2:14–26

Timothy should be a workman who pleases God

Paragraph 2:14–19

Paul was writing only to Timothy here, so the verbs are singular.

2:14a

Remind: The form of the Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Remind indicates that Paul was asking Timothy to never stop reminding the believers about these things.

the believers: The word believers refers to the entire group of believers in Ephesus and across the province of Asia.

these things: The phrase these things refers back to what Paul had already said, and not to the text that follows. However, Bible scholars are not certain how many of the previous verses Paul was referring to here. He was referring at least to the hymn in 2:11–13. He may also have been referring to all that he had written up to this point. It is best to translate in a general sense so that 2:14a is not limited to any specific thing that Paul mentioned earlier in this letter.

2:14b

charging them before God: This phrase is similar to the wording in 1 Timothy 5:21.

before God: This phrase means “in the presence of God.” It is a type of oath that Paul and other people normally used to emphasize that what they said was true. (See Galatians 1:20.) Here, however, Paul instructed Timothy to use this phrase when he talked to the believers in order to emphasize how important his warning was. See the Display for an example of translating this as direct speech.

Some other ways to translate this phrase are:

with God as your witness (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
in the name of God (New Jerusalem Bible)

God: There is a textual issue here.

(1) Some Greek manuscripts have God. These manuscripts are followed by the Berean Standard Bible, New International Version (2011 Revision), Good News Translation, New Revised Standard Version, New Jerusalem Bible, God’s Word, New Living Translation (2004 Revision), Contemporary English Version, Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English, New Century Version, NET Bible, New American Standard Bible, and Revised English Bible.

(2) Other Greek manuscripts have Lord. These manuscripts are followed by the Revised Standard Version and King James Version.

It is recommended that you follow option (1) as the majority of English versions do.

2:14c

quarreling over words: The verb phrase quarreling over words is a translation of a single Greek verb. It means, “to strongly disagree about the meaning of words and the proper way to use them.” Paul warned Timothy in a similar way in 1 Timothy 6:4.

Paul could have been referring to the small details of words that do not change the meaning of doctrines. Or he may have been referring to myths, genealogies, and other cultural ideas that he mentioned in 1 Timothy 1:4 and 4:7.

2:14d

(New American Standard Bible) which is useless: When people argued over unimportant differences in meaning, it would not help those who were listening to better understand the word of God. Such arguments were useless.

A literal translation of this phrase from Greek into English is “for nothing useful/beneficial.” The phrase “for nothing” occurs before the word “useful.” This gives “for nothing” extra emphasis. One way to show this emphasis in English would be to say “no good at all.”

2:14e

(New American Standard Bible) in leading the listeners to ruin: The people who argued about differences in meaning that were not important might confuse the people who listened to them. This confusion could ruin the listeners’ faith.

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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 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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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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Source: SIL Translator's Notes on 2 Timothy 2003

SIL Translator's Notes on 2 Timothy 2:10

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

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