SIL Translator’s Notes on 1 Timothy 2003 – Page 11

SIL Translator's Notes on 1 Timothy 5:17

Paragraph 5:17–18

Paul said that the believers should respect their leaders. They should give them money or other things to help them.

5:17a

Elders: This term refers to leaders of local groups of believers. The word “overseers” in 3:1b and 3:2a probably refers to the same people. See also the note on 3:8a.

who lead effectively: If you need to say who these elders are leading, you could say, “the church” to indicate the specific context in which these elders direct and lead.

are worthy of: That is, deserve.

double honor: The expression that the Berean Standard Bible translates as double honor could mean either:

(1) that believers should honor the elders in two ways: by respecting them and by helping them materially.

(2) that believers should honor the elders by helping them materially twice as much as they help other leaders. For example, the Contemporary English Version says:

deserve to be paid twice as much

(Contemporary English Version, Good News Translation, New Living Translation (2004 Revision), Revised English Bible, probably the New Jerusalem Bible)

Most English versions translate this phrase literally and therefore are ambiguous. If you can translate this verse in a way that can allow both these interpretations, you should do so. However, if you must be explicit, it is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). (Fee, pages 128 and 129, says, “It is clear from verse 18 that honor (see on v. 3) here includes at least pay. But it is highly unlikely that double honor means “double pay” (as cash), implying either twice as much as others who do not teach or twice as much as the widows. Rather it means “twofold honor,” the honor and respect due those in such positions as well as remuneration.”) When Paul talked about double honor, he was talking about two different ways in which believers should honor the elders. He did not mean that believers should give the elders twice the material rewards they gave other people.

honor: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as honor is closely related to the Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as “honor” in 5:3. In 5:3, Paul was talking primarily about honoring widows by ensuring that they had the material things that they needed. In 5:18, Paul also talked about material help. The Good News Translation shows this by translating honor as “pay.”

5:17b

especially: The Greek word malista that the Berean Standard Bible translates as especially means “particularly,” “above all.” It seems to suggest that there were different kinds of elders among the Ephesian elders. Some preached and taught, but others may have done other things, like visit sick people. Paul was saying that believers should especially honor the elders who preached and taught.

preaching: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as preaching refers to announcing an important message. In this context, it refers to encouraging and urging people to obey God.

teaching: In this context, teaching refers to teaching people about God.

General Comment on 5:17b

In some languages, it may be more logical to reverse the order of the verbs and translate this part of the verse:

especially those whose work is teaching people about God and telling them to obey him.

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.

SIL Translator's Notes on 1 Timothy 5:18

5:18a

For: The word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as For indicates that 5:18 is the reason that believers should give generously to help the elders. Paul used an example from the Old Testament.

Scripture: See the note on 4:13b.

says: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as says is in the present tense, even though the Scriptures were written many years before. This is natural in Greek and English. Use the tense that is most natural in your language.

5:18b

This Scripture is in Deuteronomy 25:4.

Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain: Paul mentioned this Old Testament verse to explain the reason that believers should give generously to help the elders. It was part of the laws that God gave the Israelites many centuries before. It literally meant that farmers should not force an ox to work without letting it eat while it was working. Here Paul used this law as a figure of speech. In this context, the law meant that believers should also not expect an elder to preach and teach without paying him.

muzzle: To muzzle an ox means to put something over its mouth so that it cannot eat.

ox: An ox (plural “oxen”) is a kind of large cow or bull. An ox is very strong, and farmers use oxen for farm work. For example, oxen are used to pull carts or ploughs.

treading out the grain: Here, treading out the grain is an example of the kind of work that an ox did. When a crop such as wheat was harvested, the farmers needed to separate the kernels from the cut stalks. They did this by making an ox walk over the stalks many times.

grain: The word grain refers to the seeds of various types of grasses such as wheat, barley, oats, and millet that people use for food.

5:18c

The worker is worthy of his wages: Here Paul quoted something that Jesus had said (Luke 10:7).

General Comment on 5:18a–c

In some languages it may be helpful to make Paul’s comparison explicit in this verse. One way you could do this is:

For the Scripture says, “Do not muzzle the ox while it is treading out the grain,” and “The worker deserves his wages.” In the same way, those who teach the believers deserve to receive money/help from them.

Paragraph 5:19–22

Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0

SIL Translator's Notes on 1 Timothy 5:19

5:19a

Do not entertain an accusation: This is a command addressed to Timothy. In this context, the Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Do not entertain an accusation is more clearly translated as:

Do not accept an accusation

an elder: See the note on 5:17a.

5:19b

except on the testimony of two or three witnesses: This part of the verse refers to the normal Jewish practice of requiring two or three witnesses to accuse an elder. This rule was in the laws given to Moses (Deuteronomy 19:15). Jesus also quoted it in Matthew 18:16. There needed to be at least two witnesses, or better three witnesses, before a person could be considered guilty.

witnesses: A witness in this context is a person who has seen or heard the elder sin.

Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0

SIL Translator's Notes on 1 Timothy 5:20

5:20a

But those who persist in sin: The context indicates that Paul was referring to elders. It may be helpful in some languages to make this explicit. For example, the God’s Word says:

Reprimand those leaders who sin.

The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as those who…sin is in the present tense. Paul may have used the present tense for one of two reasons:

(1) He was telling Timothy what he should do if an elder became guilty of a particular sin and did not repent of it, even if he only did it once. For example, the New Jerusalem Bible says:

If anyone is at fault

(New Jerusalem Bible, New International Version (2011 Revision), Good News Translation, King James Version, NET Bible, God’s Word, New Living Translation (2004 Revision), Revised English Bible)

(2) Paul was telling Timothy what he should do if an elder was continuing to sin in a specific manner. For example, the Revised Standard Version says:

those who persist in sin

(Berean Standard Bible, Revised Standard Version, New American Standard Bible, Contemporary English Version, New Century Version)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). It does not seem from the context that Paul was talking about whether or not elders persist in sinning. Rather, he was talking about what believers should do when several people accuse an elder of some sin.

should be rebuked in front of everyone: Paul was telling Timothy that he should confront the leader about his sin in front of all the other believers and tell him that he has sinned.

5:20b

so that: This Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as so that indicates the purpose for which Timothy should rebuke the elder publicly.

the others: This can refer to:

(1) only the other elders (God’s Word)

(2) all the other believers (Contemporary English Version)

Most English versions do not specify who the others are. However the most natural understanding of the context suggests that Paul was referring to the other elders. Therefore, it is recommended that you follow interpretation (1).

will stand in fear of sin: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as will stand in fear of sin literally means “may have fear.” If an elder was rebuked in front of other believers, he would be ashamed. When the other elders saw how ashamed the elder was, they would be afraid to sin. They would want to avoid the same shame.

Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0

SIL Translator's Notes on 1 Timothy 5:21

5:21a

I solemnly charge you: The word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as I solemnly charge you means that Paul was commanding Timothy to do something very important.

before God and Christ Jesus and the elect angels: Paul added this phrase to emphasize that what he was commanding Timothy to do was very important indeed. He was implying that God, Jesus and even the angels would witness whether Timothy obeyed Paul or not.

Christ Jesus: Notice that in this verse Paul referred to Jesus as Christ Jesus instead of “Jesus Christ.” The names “Christ Jesus” and “Jesus Christ” refer to the same person. (Some people, however, think that when Paul used the word Christ before the word Jesus, as in Christ Jesus, he was emphasizing that Jesus was the Messiah.)

In most English versions “Jesus Christ” and “Christ Jesus” are translated in the same order as they occur in the Greek manuscripts. It is recommended that you do the same thing.

However, it is possible that, in some languages, people may be confused to see the names in two different orders. They may even think that Paul was referring to two different people. If this is true in your language, it may be necessary to translate Christ Jesus as “Jesus Christ.” This is the more usual word order in the New Testament.

Christ: The word Christ is used two ways in the New Testament. In the Gospels, Christ is a title for Jesus. It means “the anointed one.” But later, by the time that Paul and others wrote letters to individuals and churches, the word Christ was used as another name for Jesus. It was no longer used as a title. So here and in other New Testament letters you should spell Christ according to the rules of your language.

the elect angels: Paul referred to the angels here by a word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as elect. This word indicates here that God had chosen the angels.

angels: In this context, the word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as angels refers to “a supernatural, spiritual being who is a messenger from God.” See the note on 3:16d.

5:21b

maintain these principles: That is, follow or obey these instructions.

these principles: The phrase these principles refers to what Paul told Timothy to do in 5:19–20, which was to rebuke elders who had sinned. (Arichea and Hatton, page 130, say, “…verse 21 is better interpreted as looking back than forward. For one thing, the instructions that follow verse 21 seem to be less serious than the subject matter of the preceding verses. For another thing, verses 17–20 deal with one subject matter, whereas verses 22–25 deal with a combination of topics without any apparent unity.”)

without bias: The phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as without bias means to do something without being biased for or against a person. Timothy was to treat every elder the same way.

5:21c

do nothing out of partiality: The phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as out of partiality is similar in meaning to the phrase “without bias” in 5:21b. Timothy was to treat every elder the same. It should not matter whether or not the elder was a good friend, or wealthy, or powerful, or popular.

General Comment on 5:21b–c

The Greek words that the Berean Standard Bible translates as “bias” and “partiality” mean almost the same thing. Paul probably used both words to emphasize what he was saying. In some languages, there may not be two such similar words. If this is true in your language, you may say something like:

Do not discriminate in any way.
-or-
Be completely fair/just in the way you treat people.

Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0

SIL Translator's Notes on 1 Timothy 5:22

5:22a

Do not be too quick in the laying on of hands: Here Paul implied that Timothy should be careful when he chose people to appoint as new leaders for the community of believers.

Do not be too quick: Paul did not want Timothy to appoint new elders too quickly. In other words, he wanted Timothy to ensure that the person was qualified to be a good elder. Timothy was to be sure that the candidate really was “above reproach” (3:2a).

the laying on of hands: The phrase the laying on of hands refers to the way that Timothy, along with other leaders of the believers, appointed a person to be an elder. They stood around a person, placed their hands upon him and prayed for him.

5:22b

and thereby share in the sins of others: Paul did not want Timothy to appoint any man to be an elder before Timothy really knew the man’s character. If Timothy did appoint an elder and later the elder sinned, Timothy would then share in the sins of that elder. That means that Timothy would be partly responsible for the sins that the elder committed.

others: This refers in general to elders who sin.

5:22c

yourself: Paul used the emphatic pronoun that the Berean Standard Bible translates as yourself to emphasize that Timothy needed to take care not to sin himself.

pure: To be pure means to be free from sin. Timothy needed to avoid having sinful habits or sinning in any major way. If he avoided sin, he would be a good example for the other believers. If he did not stay away from sin, he would be a bad example.

Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0

SIL Translator's Notes on 1 Timothy 5:23

Paragraph 5:23

Paul told Timothy in 5:22c to keep himself pure so that he could appoint elders effectively. In this paragraph he made a brief comment to Timothy about wine. Then he resumed his instructions in 5:24 about appointing elders.

5:23a

Stop drinking only water and use a little wine instead: During the time when Timothy lived, people frequently drank wine. However, if a person drank too much wine, he would become drunk. See the note on 3:8b.

Apparently Timothy had only been drinking water and not drinking any wine. Paul told him that to drank a little wine as medicine was acceptable.

little: Paul did not define how much “wine” Timothy should drink, but it was a small quantity. It was not enough to make Timothy drunk.

5:23b–c

your stomach and your frequent ailments: There are two ways to interpret these words:

(1) These expressions refer to the same thing. That is, Timothy’s frequent illnesses were stomach problems. For example, the Good News Translation says:

to help your digestion, since you are sick so often

(Good News Translation, New Living Translation (2004 Revision), God’s Word)

(2) These expressions refer to different illnesses. In addition to Timothy’s stomach problems, he was also often sick with some other illnesses. For example, the Contemporary English Version says:

your stomach trouble and the other illnesses you always have

Other versions are a little ambiguous, but most likely follow interpretation (2).

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). The illnesses were stomach problems that go away when people drink a little wine.

General Comment on 5:23a–c

In some languages it may be helpful to reorder this verse. For example:

Because your stomach makes you ill so often, try drinking a little wine instead of only water.

Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0

SIL Translator's Notes on 1 Timothy 5:24

Paragraph 5:24–25

In this paragraph Paul resumed his instructions to Timothy about elders. He stated why Timothy should not be quick to appoint them.

5:24a

The sins of some men are obvious: That is, these sins are not done in secret. They are conspicuous or clear to everyone.

some men: The context shows that Paul was especially referring to some of those men whom Timothy might consider choosing as elders.

men: The word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as men here does not only refer to males. It includes all human beings: men, women, and children.

5:24b

going ahead of them to judgment: Sometimes, people sin in ways that other people can easily see or discover. Timothy and other church leaders knew that those people had sinned. So they would not need to examine or consider them as possible elders.

judgment: Timothy was going to judge whether men were suitable to be elders or not. Paul used the Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as judgment to refer to the situation that Timothy was going to be in when he judged people.

5:24c

the sins of others do not surface until later: Other people sin secretly and their sin may not be obvious until after they have sinned. Timothy had to be careful when he chose new elders. He needed to take time to observe their behavior carefully.

Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0

Step into the multitudes of languages of the Bible and join the worldwide conversation!

Source: SIL Translator's Notes on 1 Timothy 2003

SIL Translator's Notes on 1 Timothy 5:17

SIL Translator's Notes on 1 Timothy 5:18

SIL Translator's Notes on 1 Timothy 5:19

SIL Translator's Notes on 1 Timothy 5:20

SIL Translator's Notes on 1 Timothy 5:21

SIL Translator's Notes on 1 Timothy 5:22

SIL Translator's Notes on 1 Timothy 5:23

SIL Translator's Notes on 1 Timothy 5:24

Step into the multitudes of languages of the Bible and join the worldwide conversation!

American Bible Society