SIL Translator’s Notes on 2 Timothy 2003 – Page 5

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 4:8

4:8a

From now on there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness: Here Paul used another figure of speech from sports. During the time that Paul lived, an athlete who won a fight or a race or any other sports event received a crown made of leaves as a prize. Paul lived a righteous life and had done everything that God had told him to do, so he anticipated that God would give him a prize in heaven. Paul described his prize as a crown that was already in heaven waiting for him to arrive.

From now on: The crown was already in heaven waiting for Paul when he wrote this letter to Timothy.

the crown of righteousness: The Greek word that is translated by the Berean Standard Bible as crown is the same word that is used in 2:5b–c. It refers to the crown of leaves given to a winning athlete, not to the crown a king wears. It may be better to translate it as “reward” or “prize” instead of crown if your readers would not know this meaning. For example, the Good News Translation says,

And now there is waiting for me the victory prize….

Scholars have several opinions about the meaning of the phrase crown of righteousness. Two possibilities are:

(1) It is the reward or prize for a person who is righteous. In other words, it is the reward for a person who lives to please and obey God and who lives a life that God considers right. For example, the Contemporary English Version says:

a crown will be given to me for pleasing the Lord.

(2) It is the symbol that God has accepted someone and he is right in God’s eyes. For example, God’s Word says:

The prize that shows I have God’s approval

See also Good News Translation, New Century Version.

Most English versions translate the phrase crown of righteousness literally and the reader cannot tell which option the version followed. It is recommended that if possible, you also do not specify which option you are following, However, if you need to be specific, it is recommended that you follow option (1). In the context, the crown is a reward, which fits better with option (1).

Some ways to translate this term are:

crown of victory for living right
-or-
victory prize for pleasing God
-or-
reward because I was righteous

4:8b

the Lord: In this context Bible scholars agree that the Lord refers to Christ.

the righteous Judge: Christ is the righteous Judge. He always judges people justly and fairly. The righteous Judge would give Paul this prize because Paul had lived righteously.

4:8c

will award to me on that day: The phrase on that day refers to the time when Christ will return to the earth and will judge all people. A similar phrase, for that day occurs in 1:12d.

4:8d–e

and not only to me, but to all who: This grammatical construction (not only me, but to all who…) is stronger than a simple coordination of two groups (“me and all who…”). These words emphasize that Paul was including other Christians.

all who crave His appearing: Christ will also give a crown of righteousness to everyone who desires to see him. The constant, hopeful anticipation of the time when Christ will return is one of the main characteristics that distinguishes genuine Christians from other people.

crave: The word which the Berean Standard Bible translates as crave means “desire.”

His appearing: The term His appearing refers to the time when “Christ will return.”

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SIL Translator's Notes on 2 Timothy 4:7

4:7

In this verse, Paul uses three vivid clauses to summarize all the events of his life and ministry as an apostle. These phrases emphasize Paul’s perseverance.

The clauses are short and parallel in form. This makes them easy to remember and recite. If it is possible in your language, use a similar structure in each of these clauses.

4:7a

I have fought the good fight: Scholars have different opinions about the meaning of the Greek here.

(1) It means a fight. For example, the Berean Standard Bible says:

I have fought the good fight.

See New International Version (2011 Revision), Revised Standard Version, New American Standard Bible, King James Version, God’s Word, New Living Translation (2004 Revision), Contemporary English Version, Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English, and New Century Version.

(2) It means a race. For example, Good News Translation says,

I have done my best in the race.

SIL Translator's Notes on 2 Timothy 4:6

4:6a

For I: In the same way that Paul used a pronoun and conjunction in 4:5a to highlight what Timothy was to do in contrast to the false teachers, so here he begins this thought in Greek with the pronoun meaning I and a conjunction. The pronoun emphasizes Paul’s situation compared to Timothy’s.

The Greek conjunction gar, “for,” indicates that 4:6 gives the reason why Paul had given Timothy the commands in 4:5. Timothy needed to “fulfill” his “ministry” because Paul would not be alive much longer to help him.

being poured out like a drink offering: The phrase being poured out like a drink offering is the Berean Standard Bible translation of one Greek verb. This verb is found only here and in Philippians 2:17. It literally means “being poured out” and describes one particular type or part of a Jewish sacrifice.

Exodus 29:38–41 describes the ritual for offering sacrifices to God each morning and evening. The sacrifice included a lamb, an offering of grain mixed with oil, and a specific quantity of wine, which a priest “poured out” or “poured over” the other things. The wine that the priest poured out was called the “drink offering.” It was the final part of the entire sacrifice.

In this verse, Paul used the word meaning “being poured out” in a figurative sense. Paul considered his entire life to be a sacrifice to God. This part of his life was the final part of that sacrifice, just as the drink offering was the final part of an animal sacrifice. In other words, Paul was saying that he would die soon.

When translating this phrase, you have several possibilities:

• Use the figure of speech, but add a phrase to “being poured out” so that the meaning will be easier to understand. The Berean Standard Bible and most other English versions do this. For example, Contemporary English Version says:

My life is like a drink offering being poured out on the altar.

• Explain the figure of speech. You can say something like,

Just as the offering of wine is poured out at the end of the sacrifice, even so my life is at its end.

• Replace the figure of speech with the direct meaning. If you cannot retain the figure, you can say something like,

My life is already ending….
-or-
My life and work for God are ending….

4:6b

and the time of my departure is at hand: The phrase my departure is a euphemism for “my death.” Paul wrote these words to Timothy because the Romans had condemned him to die, and he knew that they planned to kill him soon.

General Comment on 4:6

In some languages is may be more natural to reorder 4:6a and 4:6b. For instance, you could say:

^6bI am about to die; ^6amy life is like a drink offering that is being poured out as a sacrifice.

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SIL Translator's Notes on 2 Timothy 1:11

1:11a–c

to which I was appointed as a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher: The gospel is the topic of 1:11. You should translate this verse in such a way that the focus will be on the gospel.

I was appointed: God was the one who appointed Paul. Some other words for appointed are “assigned” or “chosen.”

a preacher: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as preacher comes from the verb that means “to preach.” Some versions have translated this word as “herald,” a person that a king or some other important leader has appointed to announce a message publicly.

an apostle: An apostle is a person whom someone has sent to do a specific job on behalf of that sender. Paul was to represent Christ Jesus to others.

a teacher: Paul not only preached the message about Jesus Christ. He also taught people the other truths that God had revealed to him about the way Christians should behave.

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SIL Translator's Notes on 2 Timothy 2:2

2:2

In 2:2, Paul gave Timothy the second command. This second command was that Timothy should pass this teaching on to others.

2:2a

And the things that you have heard me say: The wording here is similar, but not identical, to 1:13a.

And: In Greek, 2:1 and 2:2 are one sentence. The word And indicates a simple coordination between the command in 2:1 and the command in this verse. Many English translations begin a new sentence here and do not include the word And.

the things: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates here as the things refers to the phrase “sound teaching” in 1:13. Because things is emphasized in Greek, one way to show this is to say, “As for the things you have heard me say….”

2:2b

among many witnesses: The Greek word dia, which the Berean Standard Bible translates with the phrase among, usually means “through” or “by.” So Bible scholars have different opinions about what the Greek text means here.

(1) It means that Timothy had heard Paul preach and teach the gospel in front of or in the presence of many people. For example, Good News Translation says:

Take the teachings that you heard me proclaim in the presence of many witnesses

See also Berean Standard Bible, New International Version (2011 Revision), Revised Standard Version, King James Version, Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English, NET Bible, New American Standard Bible, Revised English Bible.

(2) It means that Timothy had heard the gospel confirmed through or by many other people. Timothy had heard the gospel message from Paul. He had also heard it from others. For example, the New Living Translation (2004 Revision) says:

You have heard me teach many things that have been confirmed by many reliable witnesses.

See also New Jerusalem Bible, New Revised Standard Version, God’s Word, New Century Version.

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1).

witnesses: The witnesses are people who have seen or heard something. Here it refers to those who had heard Paul speak. They could confirm that Paul had preached the gospel and that what he said was true. This is the same word that is used in 1 Timothy 5:19 and 1 Timothy 6:12.

2:2c

entrust these to faithful men: The verb entrust means to “leave something valuable with other people who will keep it safe.” Here, the thing that Timothy was to entrust was the message about Jesus Christ. Paul wanted Timothy to teach that message to people whom he was certain would not change the message. These were to be people whom Timothy could trust to teach the gospel accurately to other people.

faithful: Other words for faithful are “reliable,” “trustworthy,” or “dependable.”

2:2d

who will be qualified to teach others as well: The men whom Timothy was to choose were to be those who were able to teach well.

qualified: This word means “capable” or “competent.”

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SIL Translator's Notes on 2 Timothy 1:18

1:18a

May the Lord grant Onesiphorus His mercy on that day: This is a blessing/prayer. In expressing this blessing/prayer, Paul was asking the Lord to repay Onesiphorus with special kindness for all that he had done for Paul in prison.

the Lord grant Onesiphorus His mercy: In Greek this phrase is more literally the Lord to him to find mercy from the Lord. The pronoun “him” refers to Onesiphorus. The Greek says the Lord twice in this sentence. Most commentators believe that the Lord refers to Christ both times. You may want to consider following the model of the Berean Standard Bible here and use the Lord only once and use a pronoun the second time. If you do this you may want to use the name Onesiphorus instead of the pronoun “him” as the Berean Standard Bible does. Do what is most natural in your language.

mercy: This refers to God’s help and kindness toward his own people in their various needs.

on that day: This refers to the final judgment day when Jesus will reward believers. See the notes on 1:12d and 4:8c.

1:18b

You know very well how much he ministered to me in Ephesus: Some scholars describe 1:18b as an afterthought because it does not connect very logically with 1:18a. It is best to simply begin a new sentence here without trying to supply any conjunction to connect it with 1:18a.

In this part of the verse Paul was referring to a time when he and Onesiphorus had both been in the city of Ephesus.

You: The Greek pronoun su “you (sing)” occurs here. This adds extra emphasis. One way to show this emphasis in English is to say “you yourself.”

he ministered to me: The Greek text does not have the word me with the verb ministered in this sentence. For this reason there are two ways to understand this clause:

(1) It is clear whom Onesiphorus ministered to—Onesiphorus helped Paul. Most English versions translate it as “he helped me,” because in the context Paul was writing about his personal relationship with Onesiphorus. For example, Contemporary English Version says:

You know how much he helped me in Ephesus.

See also Berean Standard Bible, New International Version (2011 Revision), Good News Translation, King James Version, NET Bible, King James Version, God’s Word, New Living Translation (2004 Revision), Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English, New Century Version.

(2) It is not clear whom Onesiphorus helped. This probably means that Onesiphorus helped many people. Some scholars think it means “he served people” without explicitly indicating whom he helped. For example, the Revised English Bible says:

You know as well as anyone the many services he rendered at Ephesus.

See also Revised Standard Version and New American Standard Bible.

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

Paragraph 2:1–2

In 1:13–14, Paul had told Timothy to do certain things. In 1:15–18, Paul wrote about what had happened to some of his relationships with people since the Roman authorities had put him in prison. At the beginning of chapter 2, Paul again gave Timothy some instructions. He told Timothy to:

(a) be strong by means of the special ability Jesus gave him (2:1).

(b) teach qualified people the message Paul had taught him (2:2).

2:1a

You therefore: The words You therefore signal two things. One is that Paul was returning to talking to Timothy after talking about other people in 1:15–18. The other is that he was returning to his main theme of instructing Timothy.

my child: When Paul addressed Timothy as my child, Paul was expressing his affection for Timothy. If speakers of your language would think that the phrase my child means that Timothy was really Paul’s son in a physical sense, you could say “you are like my child,” or even “dear Timothy,” or a similar phrase that people use to express affection. See the note on 1:2b.

be strong: Paul encouraged Timothy to be strong in serving Jesus Christ. When Paul said be strong he was not talking about physical strength. He was talking about inner strength or courage. He urged Timothy to be disciplined and to be willing to endure suffering as he served the Lord.

The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as be strong is a passive verb. Some languages may need to make this verb active by saying:

Let God make you strong.
-or-
Let God strengthen you.

2:1b

in the grace: In this verse, Paul used the word grace in a different sense than he used it in 1:9d. Here, Paul was referring to an ability that God gives to all people who trust in Christ. Paul was talking about the ability to endure suffering, to obey God, and in general to live in a way that pleases God.

When Paul commanded Timothy to be strong in the grace, he means that Timothy should be strong “by means of the grace,” “through/with the grace,” or “using the grace” that Christ gives him.

that is in Christ Jesus: The phrase in Christ Jesus is ambiguous. It can mean:

(1) Christ is the source of grace. Grace is provided in/by Christ Jesus. He gives us grace. For example, Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English says:

Be strong in the grace that Christ Jesus gives.

(2) God gives grace to those who believe in (or are united with) Christ Jesus, that is, grace that is given (by God) to those who believe in Christ Jesus. For example, the New Living Translation (2004 Revision) says:

Be strong with the special favor God gives you in Christ Jesus.

Most English versions translate literally the phrases in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. As a result, either of the above interpretations is possible. If possible, you should also translate so that either interpretation is possible. If you must choose one, choose interpretation (1).

General Comment on 2:1

In some languages it may be helpful to reverse the order of 2:1a and 2:1b and translate it as:

Christ Jesus gives us the ability/grace to be strong. So then, my son, be strong.

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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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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 4:8

SIL Translator's Notes on 2 Timothy 4:7

SIL Translator's Notes on 2 Timothy 4:6

SIL Translator's Notes on 2 Timothy 1:11

SIL Translator's Notes on 2 Timothy 2:2

SIL Translator's Notes on 2 Timothy 1:18

SIL Translator's Notes on 2 Timothy 1:17

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