Instead of “by command of God,” we have here by the will of God, a formula that is present in some of Paul’s letters (see, for example, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Ephesians, Colossians). This change can perhaps be explained by the fact that Paul’s authority as an apostle has already been established in the first letter, and since there is no need to reiterate it here, Paul goes back to the more traditional formula. Will has two components of meaning, namely, “wish” or “desire,” and “intent” or “purpose.” Perhaps both elements are present here, which means that Paul’s apostleship is in obedience to what God wants and in accordance with God’s purpose and plan. In certain languages it will be necessary to restructure an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God and employ a causative expression; for example, “God made me an apostle (or, personal representative) of Christ Jesus because that is what he wanted” or “God wanted me to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and so he made me one.” It is also possible to use two sentences for this one Greek sentence and say “From Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus. God himself chose me to be an apostle…” (compare Contemporary English Version), or “I, Paul, who am an apostle of Christ Jesus, write this letter to you, Timothy. God chose me to be an apostle….”

The phrase according to the promise of the life which is in Christ Jesus translates the Greek text literally but gives little clue as to what it means and how it is related to the rest of the verse.

First of all, the phrase may be understood as qualifying the will of God, hence “by the will of God that is according to the promise….” But secondly, it may qualify apostle of Christ Jesus, in which case the sense is “an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God and according to the promise of life….”

If this second option is chosen, it will still be necessary to define how the promise of the life is related to Paul’s apostleship. Here there are two options as well. First, it may mean that Paul’s apostleship is a result of and in harmony with the promise of the life, in which case the sense is “Because I have experienced the promised life that Jesus makes possible, God has appointed me as an apostle.” But it is more likely that what is intended here is that Paul was made an apostle in order to do something about the promise of the life. For this second option Good News Translation is a good model.

But what is the meaning of the promise of the life which is in Christ Jesus? First of all, the expression the promise of the life (literally “the promise of life”) also occurs in 1 Tim 4.8. Here as there, the promise has God as its source and life as its content, hence “the life that God has promised.” Life here is eternal life; see further on 1 Tim 1.16. So one may translate “and he gave me eternal life which he promised.”

Secondly, the prepositional phrase which is in Christ Jesus is to be taken with life rather than with promise. The kind of life being referred to here is experienced as a result of being in Christ Jesus, that is, having a relationship with Christ that is so close and intimate that people experience themselves to be completely united with Christ. For further discussion of the expression in Christ Jesus, see 1 Tim 1.14. With these comments in mind, another way of expressing this sentence is “and he [God] gave me the life which he had promised to give me. This life comes as a result of being in a close relationship with Christ Jesus.”

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 .

Faithless is better translated in English as “unfaithful” (compare Good News Translation and Contemporary English Version), with Christ as the implicit object of the unfaithfulness. This would make clear that “unfaithful” is parallel to “deny” in the previous verse, since to disown Christ is equivalent to being unfaithful to him. So one may translate “If we are unfaithful to him” or “If we turn our backs on him.”

The second part of this verse is not what we expect it to be, considering the previous verse. So here we would have expected “he will also be unfaithful.” In fact some scholars have suggested that the meaning of he remains faithful is that Christ remains faithful to his sense of justice and will therefore pronounce judgment on those who are unfaithful to him. After all, as Good News Translation puts it, “he cannot be false to himself.” (This may be Christ or God; he is ambiguous, but since Christ is the implicit subject in the previous verses, it is logical to understand this verse in the same way.) Attractive as this explanation may be, it is more likely that the object of faithfulness here is not Christ but the believers, that is, “he remains faithful to us.” “He cannot be false to himself” then means that Christ cannot turn his back on his true nature as the Savior who remains faithful to those who trust in him. It is perhaps appropriate to ensure that this understanding is clear in the translation; for example, “If we are not faithful, he will still be faithful” (Contemporary English Version).

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 .

A person who is in fellowship with Christ inevitably suffers persecution; this is one of the major themes of the Pastoral Letters. Christians are therefore urged to remain faithful in the midst of suffering, which is what endurance is. The tense of endure is present, suggesting continuing action: “if we continue to endure,” “if we persist in enduring” (compare Contemporary English Version “If we don’t give up”). For other comments on the word, see verse 10.

Reign with also translates a rare verb, occurring only here and in 1 Cor 4.8. Once again the verb is in the future tense and therefore has eschatological overtones, referring perhaps to the Parousia, when Christ comes to rule as King, and at that time those who endured all the suffering will participate in Christ’s reign. In some languages the verb reign or “rule” will require an object. In such cases one may translate “we shall also rule over the world with him [Christ].”

For deny see 1 Tim 5.8, where it is translated “disowned.” The first deny is intended to be the opposite of endure and refers to apostasy, or the act of repudiating or disowning Christ in the midst of persecution and suffering. Apostasy is of course not tolerated or encouraged, as shown by Christ’s response to it. Contemporary English Version‘s translation “deny that we know him” is a good model. The second instance of deny may be translated in a similar way, namely, “he will deny that he knows us.”

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 .

For The saying is sure see 1 Tim 1.15.

We here and in the rest of the hymn is inclusive, referring to all Christians. Him refers to Christ; in many cases it may be necessary to make this information explicit in the translation. Have died with translates a rare verb (in addition to this verse it occurs twice elsewhere in the New Testament, namely in Mark 14.31 and 2 Cor 7.3). The verb here is in the aorist tense, indicating that a definite completed past event is being referred to. Since we are actually alive, this argues against interpreting death here in a physical sense, which some interpreters have suggested. It is more likely that death here is used in a figurative sense, referring to the death of the old self when one comes to trust in Christ Jesus. In the New Testament this death is sometimes symbolized by the sacrament of baptism (see especially Rom 6.3-8); this is perhaps what is intended here as well. But translators should maintain the ambiguity. With here and in what follows expresses the idea of being in company with, and is used figuratively to express being in fellowship with Christ.

Live with also translates a very rare verb (in addition to this verse it occurs in Rom 6.8 and 2 Cor 7.3). The future tense of the verb suggests much more than experiencing fellowship with Christ in the present; it in fact recalls verse 10, that is, the experience of eternal glory in the presence of Christ.

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 .

Therefore is literally “and so” and relates this verse to the preceding one, particularly the last part. The very fact that the word of God is not in chains gives meaning to Paul’s suffering and enables him to persevere in them.

The word for endure means to continue to put up with something despite difficulties and afflictions (compare Contemporary English Version “and so I am willing to put up with anything”). One may also express this as “And so I am willing to put up with all difficulties.” There are two other words used for endurance. One of them appears in verse 3 (“share-in-suffering”), while the other occurs in 2 Tim 4.3.

For elect see 1 Tim 5.21, where it is used as a description for the angels; here it is a description of Christians, hence Good News Translation “God’s chosen people.”

Salvation is the nominal form of the verb “to save,” for which see 1 Tim 1.15. Salvation here refers both to the individual’s present experience of being in union with Christ Jesus, together with all its results (right relationship with God and with others, deliverance from demonic and ungodly powers, the possession of eternal life), and to the final consummation of this salvation at the end time. The text does not indicate the source of salvation, and it is possible to translate it without supplying this information. But if so desired it can be made explicit that salvation comes either from Christ Jesus (in which case a possible restructuring would be “so that they may obtain salvation from Christ Jesus,” “so that they may experience the salvation that comes from Christ,” or “so that they may be saved by Christ”) or from God (in which case the restructuring would be “so that God will save them through Christ Jesus” or “so that, in union with Christ, they may obtain the salvation that comes from God”).

This salvation possesses eternal glory, which can be interpreted as pointing to the future completion of salvation. Glory in this context is an eschatological term referring to one’s blessed state at the end time, when one comes into the very presence of God and shares in God’s very life. This state of blessedness is eternal, since it will never come to an end. In certain languages with its eternal glory may be expressed as “which results in their being with God forever.”

Alternative translation models for this verse are:
• Because of this I am willing to endure anything for the sake of God’s chosen people, so that Christ Jesus may save them, and they will live forever with God, who will give them honor and dignity.

Or:
• … so that God will save them through Christ Jesus, and they will ….

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 .

In verse 3 Timothy is exhorted to bear his share of suffering. In this verse Paul informs Timothy that he (Paul) is already suffering for the sake of the gospel, and mentions his imprisonment as a specific example. For which is literally “in which”; it is possible to take “Jesus Christ” as the antecedent of this prepositional phrase, but most translations understand the antecedent to be the gospel. A further question is whether the cause of Paul’s imprisonment is the gospel itself or an activity related to the gospel, as, for example, preaching, proclamation, or witnessing. Revised Standard Version can be interpreted either way but leans toward the first of these options (so also Contemporary English Version “And because of this message”), whereas Good News Translation clearly takes the second possibility: “Because I preach the Good News…” (also Revised English Bible “For preaching this…”).

For suffering see 2 Tim. 2.3 above.

Wearing fetters translates the expression “even unto bonds” (see King James Version). Fetters translates a word that is used to denote any instrument of tying or binding, hence “chains,” “ropes.” It was a practice at that time to attach chains to the ankles and sometimes to the hands of prisoners. In languages that do not use the passive voice, one may say, for example, “and they [unknown agents] have put chains about me” or “… have bound me with chains.” In many languages, though, it will be more natural to say “and they have put me in prison and treated me like a criminal (or, as if I were a criminal),” or even “they treat me like a criminal and put me in prison.”

Criminal translates a word that is used only here in the Pastoral Letters; it is the same word used to describe the two criminals who were hanged with Jesus (see Luke 23.32, 33, 39). In some languages criminal will be expressed as “law breaker.”

For word of God see 1 Tim 4.5. Here the contrast is made between Paul’s condition as being in prison and therefore unable to move around, and God’s word, the proclamation of which cannot be restrained in any way. If a translator chooses to use the metaphor of chains in the previous sentence, he may express the sentence But the word of God is not fettered as “But they can’t put chains around God’s message.” However, if “prison” is chosen, one may say, for example, “But they can’t put God’s message in prison.”

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 .

Remember does not necessarily imply having forgotten something but indicates paying greater attention to something, hence “bear in mind” (compare Contemporary English Version “Keep your mind on Jesus Christ!”). Another way to express this is “Think about.” This is one of the few cases in the Pastorals where the order Jesus Christ appears (see 1 Tim 1.16; 6.3; 6.14; also Titus 1.1; 2.13; 3.6 for other occurrences). The usual order is “Christ Jesus,” which occurs twenty-two times in these letters.

Two aspects about Jesus are mentioned as the focus of attention, namely, his lineage and his resurrection. One should note that in the Greek text the resurrection is mentioned ahead of lineage. Chronologically, of course, lineage is prior to the resurrection, but the resurrection has priority in terms of importance. In languages where chronological ordering is important, this may need to be restructured to reflect the correct chronological sequence (compare Contemporary English Version “He was from the family of David and was raised from death”).

It is possible for the text to be read in such a way as to relate Remember to these two aspects of Jesus and not to Jesus himself; this is reflected in some translations (for example, King James Version “Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead…”); it is also possible to relate Remember to the gospel itself (for example, Revised English Bible “Remember the theme of my gospel: Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, born of David’s line”; also New Jerusalem Bible “Remember the gospel that I carry…”). Most other translations, however, relate Remember to Jesus himself.

Risen from the dead is a typical New Testament way of referring to the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The passive here can be interpreted as a passive of divine avoidance. The death of Jesus is taken very seriously, so that he does not rise from the dead, but his resurrection is made possible as a direct act of God. So in some languages it will be more natural style to say “whom God raised from death.” This verse is the only place where the resurrection is referred to in the Pastoral Letters. This is rather strange in some ways, since in other New Testament letters the resurrection is often the most important feature, because of the central position it had in early Christian preaching (see, for example, 1 Cor 15.4, 12-20).

Descended from David is literally “of the seed of David.” “Seed” is used in some parts of the Bible to refer to descendants (see, for example, Gal 3.16 [translated “offspring”]; Rom 1.3 [literally “of the seed of David”]). This reference to Jesus as a descendant of David achieves two things: it accents Jesus’ humanity (compare Rom 1.3), and it reaffirms Jesus’ messiahship. The Jews believe that the Messiah will come from the lineage of David and will reestablish David’s kingdom. It is therefore significant that “Son of David” is one of the titles used in the Gospels to describe Jesus. Descended from David (Good News Translation “a descendant from David”) may be expressed in differing ways; for example, “whose forefather was David,” “whose great ancestor was David,” “who was a distant grandchild of David,” or even “who was a later man in David’s family.” In certain languages where there is a royal level of the language, it will be important to designate David as King and say, for example, “who continues the name line of King David.”

These two facts about Jesus are not inventions or fabrications of Paul’s fertile imagination; on the contrary, they are an integral part of the gospel itself. As preached in my gospel is literally “according to my gospel.” The gospel of course neither originates from Paul nor belongs to him; on the contrary, it belongs to God. This statement must therefore be restructured to indicate this fact; for example, “according to the Good News that I preach (or, proclaim),” or “according to the Good News that God has commissioned me to proclaim.”

Alternative translation models for this verse are:
• Think about Jesus Christ! God raised him from death, and his great forefather (or, ancestor) was King David. This is what I preach in the Good News.

Or:
• Think about Jesus Christ! He was from David’s family, and God raised him from death….

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 .

This section (that began at verse 1) ends with an invitation to Timothy to consider seriously the things that have been brought to his attention. Think over translates a verb that means “to consider,” “to understand,” “to think,” “to reflect on” (New American Bible, Revised).

What I say (the verb is present tense, hence “what I am saying”) most likely refers to the six previous verses of this chapter, particularly the three illustrations that have been given (so Phillips “Consider these three illustrations of mine…”).

As in similar cases, Lord here is ambiguous, referring either to God or to Christ. An argument in favor of Christ is that in 1 John 5.20 it is the Son of God who gives understanding, and it is possible that this is also true in the present case. However, the mention of Jesus Christ in the next verse, without the appellation “Lord,” may also suggest that Lord in the present context refers to God. While most translations retain the ambiguity, making a choice is crucial especially in languages where one word is used to translate both “Lord” and “God,” and where “Christ” or “Jesus Christ” is added to the word when it refers to Christ rather than to God. In such cases the second option seems to be a better choice.

The word for understanding occurs only here in the Pastoral Letters. It is often translated “knowledge” or “intelligence”; in the present context it refers to a correct, thorough, and intelligent awareness and perception of things.

Everything: it is possible to understand the expression to mean “in all things,” or “in every way,” “in every respect.” However, if Paul is speaking about the three illustrations in verses 4-7, the more natural translation will be something like Good News Translation‘s “understand it all,” or “understand it completely.” An alternative translation model for this final sentence will be “because the Lord (or, God) will cause you to fully understand these illustrations” or “… will help you understand this completely.”

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 .