complete verse (2 Timothy 3:5)

Following are a number of back-translations of 2 Timothy 3:5:

  • Uma: “In behavior that others see, they will follow religious customs like people who submit to God. But the power of God that can change their hearts, they just reject it. Don’t you associate-with [lit., mix-with] people whose behavior is like that.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “It is true that they are religious but there is no use in it because they do not want their livers to be changed. Beware of people like that.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “They will pretend to worship God, however they will not believe that He has any power. Avoid people like that.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “They will be pretend worshippers of God, but they will not acknowledge his power to change their bad behavior. Distance-yourself (sing.) from people like those.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Their believing/obeying and worship of God is only pretending now. It’s clear from their lives that they really haven’t submitted to his control. Don’t you make-friends/have-fellowship with people like these.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “In appearance, it seems that truly they reverence God. But they do not really believe that God alone has power. Do not be friends with those who do thus.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

Translation commentary on 2 Timothy 3:5

The list concludes with a description of false piety. Holding is literally “having.” Form appears only here and in Rom 2.20 (“embodiment”). In the present context it refers to mere appearance that has no relation to reality (so “outward form” [Good News Translation, New Revised Standard Version], “outward appearance” [New Jerusalem Bible], “make a pretense” [New American Bible, Revised], “maintain a facade” [Phillips]). Religion translates a word that appears frequently in the Pastorals and is also often translated “godliness” (New Revised Standard Version; see further comments on “godly” in 1 Tim 2.2).

For denying see 1 Tim 5.8 (“disowned”). For power see 2 Tim 1.7.

This is indeed a fitting concluding statement regarding these people who indulge in the above-mentioned vices. They enjoy the outward expressions of the Christian faith, including endless and often senseless theological discussions, and assume that the practice of these visible manifestations of religion is sufficient. But they themselves haven’t changed, since they still participate in the vices that are common among the heathen, and as a result their very lives deny the very power of the religious faith that they profess. This first sentence may also be expressed as “They act as if they worship God, but they don’t really believe in him at all” or “… but they have really stopped believing in him.”

Naturally and logically Timothy is urged to avoid such people, that is, to “keep away” from them, and “have nothing to do” (Translator’s New Testament) with them at all. In this brief instruction to Timothy, Paul shows, perhaps not deliberately, that while he has been presenting the description of the false teachers in the future tense, he has all along been speaking of the actual situation of the Christian community to which Timothy belongs. These false teachers are for real, and it will do well for Timothy not to associate with them in any way.

Quoted with permission from Arichea, Daniel C. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Paul’s Second Letter to Timothy. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1995. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

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

© 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.

Commentaire sur la traduction de 2 Timothée 3.5

Ce verset, décrivant ces mêmes personnes, termine la longue phrase commencée en 2 Tim 3.2. Cette fois-ci les gens sont décrits à partir des participes, qui forment un chiasme, litt. :
CH1 ayant une forme (a)
CH2 de piété (b)
CH2 mais la puissance de celle-ci (b’)…
CH1 ayant renié (a’)

Ces lignes sont très emphatiques en grec et constituent une suite logique concession + contre-attente (Smith et Beekman : 83).

ils garderont les apparences de la pitié : le participe présent « ayant » est suivi d’une expression nominale « une figure de piété ». Le mot grec rendu par apparences est μόρφωσις morphôsis, qui renvoie à la forme ou à l’expression de quelque chose (Rom 2.20). Les traducteurs devraient trouver une expression idiomatique qui rend cette idée, par exemple, « ils garderont la forme extérieure de la piété » (La Bible du Semeur). On pourrait aussi dire « Ils agissent comme s’ils adoraient Dieu ».

Plusieurs versions mettent ces propos au futur, mais on pourrait utiliser un présent ici.

Pour piété, voir l’Introduction, Termes clé et 1 Tim 2.2. Ici certaines versions mettent l’emphase sur la foi : « Ils garderont les formes extérieures de la foi » (Nouvelle Français courant), mais le contexte semble parler d’une certain comportement. La Parole de Vie dit : « Ils feront semblant d’être fidèles à Dieu, mais en réalité… » Ici les versions en anglais parlent souvent de « religion ». La version Contemporary English Version est très dynamique : they will make a show of being religious (« ils prétendent être religieux »), qui exprime bien cette idée.

mais en auront renié la puissance est littéralement « mais ayant renié sa puissance », c’est-à-dire la puissance de la piété. La forme du verbe indique un état permanent ou durable. Renier rend le même verbe qui figure en 2 Tim 2.12, 2 Tim 2.13, qui décrit aussi l’acte de Pierre lorsqu’il nie le Seigneur (Matt 26.72). Le sens est non seulement de désapprouver oralement, mais d’empêcher en actes ou en termes concrets la pratique de cette puissance. Il faudrait un verbe fort ici.

Pour puissance, voir 2 Tim 1.7, 2 Tim 1.8 ; 2 Tim 1.8. Ce mot peut aussi être rendu par le mot « force » (Bible de Jérusalem, La Bible du Semeur). Il est important de noter que très souvent le mot piété est lié à la notion de la puissance (Act 3.12 ; 2 Pi 1.3).

Le verset termine par un impératif. Détourne-toi aussi de ces gens-là ! est littéralement « et/aussi de ceux-ci détourne-toi ». La conjonction καί kai, « et », peut indiquer qu’il y a deux groupes, et Timothée doit éviter ce deuxième groupe aussi (le premier groupe serait mentionné en 2 Tim 2.23). Mais il est plus probable qu’ici καί kai serve de simple transition, raison pour laquelle plusieurs versions l’omettent.

L’impératif détourne-toi exprime une action continue : « Continue à éviter ces gens-là ! ». Paul n’insinue pas que Timothée est actuellement en train de les suivre. Le sens est probablement que ces gens-là devraient être exclus de la communauté chrétienne. On pourrait dire « éloigne-toi » (Nouvelle Bible Segond), « évite » (Bible de Jérusalem) ou « Tourne le dos à ces gens-là » (Parole de Vie). ces gens-ci renvoient certainement à toute la liste de personnes citées à partir de 2 Tim 3.2.

Source: Zogbo, Lynell & Ellingworth, Paul La deuxième lettre à Timothée – Manuel de traduction – Commentaire linguistique et exégétique de la Bible. Alliance biblique universelle, 2021.