SIL Translator’s Notes on 2 Timothy 2003 – Page 8

SIL Translator's Notes on 2 Timothy 2:22

Paragraph 2:22–26

In this paragraph, Paul instructed Timothy regarding how he could be a “container” that God can use.

2:22a

This verse begins with the Greek conjunction de, which can be translated But (NET Bible, New Century Version) or “so” (Revised Standard Version). It indicates that Paul was changing his topic from the figure of speech about the different containers and their uses to another topic. Many English versions, including Berean Standard Bible, New International Version (2011 Revision) and Good News Translation, do not translate this conjunction, but indicate the change of topic by beginning a new paragraph.

Flee from: Other ways to translate the verb phrase Flee from are “run from,” “stay away from,” or “avoid.”

In the figure of speech about the containers in a large house, Paul had indirectly encouraged Timothy. Here with the verb Flee he directly commanded him. If the change seems too abrupt, perhaps your language has a way to mark this change. One way to do this is to begin the command with “Timothy” as you will see in the first Meaning Line of the Display.

youthful passions: The phrase youthful passions means “the evil things that young people want to do.” The New Living Translation (2004 Revision) translates this phrase “youthful lusts” and the New International Version (2011 Revision) translates it as “evil desires of youth.”

passions: Other ways of translating the word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as passions are “desires” and “impulses.” Paul was probably referring to sexual desires. He may also have been referring to selfish ambition, impatience, and doing unwise, impulsive things.

2:22b

pursue: The verb pursue is the opposite of “flee” in 2:22a. Flee means “to run away from,” and pursue means “to run towards.” Paul used these two verbs figuratively. He used “flee” to mean, “do not…” and pursue to mean, “make an effort to….” The New Living Translation (2004 Revision) says: “Follow anything that makes you want to do right.”

The four abstract nouns that follow the word pursue describe character traits that Paul urged Timothy to develop. It may be necessary for you to use verb phrases or complete clauses to express what these abstract nouns mean.

righteousness: Because Paul was talking about character traits here, righteousness in this context probably refers to the way that we behave. It means “to live in a way that God considers right, and to do what is right and just to other people.” Paul was probably not talking here about the righteousness that God attributes to us because we trust in Jesus Christ. That kind of righteousness does not depend on our good character or on anything that we have done or could do.

2:22c

faith: It is not clear in which sense Paul used this word here. There are two interpretations:

(1) It means “faithfulness,” that is, being honest, truthful, and dependable either toward God or other people.

(2) It means “belief or trust in God.”

If possible, translate in a general way so that people could understand both interpretations. If that is not possible and you must make a choice, choose interpretation (1).

love: In this context, love refers to love for other people, not love for God.

peace: The word peace refers to living in harmony with other people.

2:22d

together with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart: Scholars disagree about what this phrase goes with. There are two interpretations:

(1) It applies to all four nouns that follow the verb “pursue.” So both Timothy and those who call on the Lord are to pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace.

(2) It applies only to the word peace. So Timothy is to live in peace with those who call on the Lord.

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1).

those who call on the Lord: This phrase means “people who pray to the Lord.” It refers to those who follow the Lord and worship him. It is similar to the phrase “everyone who confesses the name of the Lord” in 2:19d.

the Lord: Here the Lord probably refers to God.

a pure heart: The term pure heart means “sincerely” or “without deceit.” In many languages there is an idiom to express this aspect of a person’s character. Consider whether your language also uses an idiom. Use it if it is appropriate.

General Comment on 2:22

One possible way to translate 2:22 is to put 2:22d earlier in the verse as follows:

Timothy, run away from the evil things that other young men do. You and those who worship the Lord with clean hearts should search for ways to do what is right, faithful, loving, and peaceful.

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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 2:21

2:21a

So: At the beginning of 2:21a, Paul used a Greek conjunction oun, which means “therefore” or “so.” This conjunction connects 2:20 and 2:21 and indicates that Paul was going to interpret the image in 2:20. Many English versions omit this word, but it is recommended that you translate this conjunction so that readers understand the purpose of 2:21. You can follow the example of the Berean Standard Bible (So) or the New American Standard Bible (“Therefore”). If you need a more explicit way to show that Paul was explaining his image, you can say something like “The lesson is that…” or “In the same way….”

if anyone cleanses himself: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as cleanses means “to thoroughly clean.” It is a rare word that occurs only here and in 1 Corinthians 5:7. Paul used the word cleanses in a spiritual sense. It means that someone has cleansed (or removed) sin from his life or that he has repented from sin. In this context, the sin was accepting the false teachers and their doctrines.

of what is unfit: In the Greek text, this phrase is literally “from these.” There are two views about the meaning of the word “these.”

(1) It refers specifically to the common purposes that Paul mentioned at the end of 2:20. In this view, the phrase means that believers should stay away from the false teachers and their doctrines. For example, the Revised Standard Version says,

If any one purifies himself from what is ignoble…

See also New International Version (2011 Revision), NET Bible.

(2) It refers to evil or wickedness in general that Paul mentioned in 2:16–19d. For example, the Revised English Bible says,

Anyone who cleanses himself from all this wickedness…

See also Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version, New Century Version, Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English.

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1).

2:21b

he will be a vessel for honor: Paul continued to use the same figure of speech. The word he refers to Christians who reject false teachers and their doctrines. Paul compared these Christians to containers/vessels that are for honor.

vessel: This is the same word as in 2:20a and refers to the containers that are made of gold and silver.

honor: This is the same term in Greek as in 2:20d–e. It refers to containers that people used for special food.

2:21c

sanctified: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as sanctified means “set apart,” or “reserved” “made holy” for God’s use.

This verb is passive. The text does not say who sanctified the person, so if possible, you should use a passive verb. If, however, you need to supply a subject, you can say something like “The Master has made him holy….” If you need to make it active instead of passive you can say, “His life will be pure.”

useful: The Master can “use” a person who is holy.

the Master: Here Paul continued the figure of speech about a house. The Master represents God. Paul compared God, who is the Christians’ master, to the master/owner of the house.

2:21d

and prepared for every good work: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as prepared is literally “having been prepared.” It is a passive verb. As with the term “sanctified” in 2:21c, the text does not say who “prepared” the person. If necessary, you can say:

The Master has prepared him for any good deed.

However, a better way to translate prepared is to use a verb that means “to be ready.” For example, the New Living Translation (2004 Revision) says:

you will be ready for the Master to use you for every good work.

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SIL Translator's Notes on 2 Timothy 2:20

Paragraph 2:20–21

In this paragraph, Paul compared the church to a house. He also compared Christians to various types of utensils in a house.

Normally, Paul used the term “church” to refer only to the group of true believers. This paragraph may be the only place in the New Testament where Paul spoke of the church (“house”) in a broad sense that included not only true believers, but also those who claim to be believers.

The figurative language extends over two verses, so you need to try to retain the image.

2:20a

In Greek the verse begins with the conjunction de that the Berean Standard Bible has left untranslated. The de indicates that Paul was changing from one figure of speech (a foundation in 2:19) to another figure (a house). Some English versions have tried to indicate the change of figure with the conjunction “Now,” like the New American Standard Bible has done. But here, the English word “Now” does not have its normal meaning of “at this time.” Rather, it indicates a connection between topics, not simply between sentences. Many English versions omit translating the conjunction but indicate the change of subject by beginning a new paragraph.

A large house: The term large house refers to the house of a rich person. The New Living Translation (2004 Revision) translates this term as “wealthy home.”

vessels: The term vessels here refers to things like dishes, bowls, and jars. Some languages have a generic term like “containers” or “articles” for all of these items. Other languages do not have one generic word but can list some specific items, as in Good News Translation, which says, “dishes and bowls of all kinds.”

There are many different kinds of dishes, bowls, and other containers in the house of a wealthy person. In the same way, there are many different types of people in the church.

2:20b–c

of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay: The dishes and pots are not all of equal value. Some of these containers are made of expensive materials, such as gold and silver. Other containers are made of cheap materials, such as wood and clay.

The two types of containers represent various types of people in the church. (Another interpretation is that the two types of containers represent different roles that people have in the church. See also the footnotes at 2:20d and 2:20e.)

2:20d

Some indeed are for honorable use: For the phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as honorable use means that people used the containers made of gold and silver for special foods when they were celebrating or when they were entertaining guests.

The containers made of gold and silver represent the true believers in the church. (This interpretation is followed by the New International Version (2011 Revision), Revised Standard Version, NET Bible, New American Standard Bible, King James Version, God’s Word, and the New Jerusalem Bible.A second interpretation of the term “noble” is that it means “special.” According to this interpretation, the gold and silver containers are those used for special occasions. For example, Good News Translation says, “some are for special occasions.” (See also New Revised Standard Version, New Living Translation (2004 Revision), New Century Version, Contemporary English Version.) According to this view, the containers used for special events represent those believers who have the more spectacular spiritual gifts such as prophesy.)

2:20e

but others are for common use: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as common means “dishonorable,” “disgraceful,” or “shameful.” It is the opposite of the term “honorable” that Paul used in 2:20d. People used these containers for dirty things like garbage or excrement.

The common containers (those made of wood and clay) represent false teachers, such as those to whom Paul has referred in 2:17–18. (This interpretation is followed by the New International Version (2011 Revision), Revised Standard Version, NET Bible, New American Standard Bible, King James Version, and God’s Word.A second interpretation of the term “ignoble” is that it means “ordinary.” According to this interpretation, the wood and clay containers are those used for common or everyday events. For example, Good News Translation says, “others for ordinary use.” (See also New Revised Standard Version, New Living Translation (2004 Revision), New Century Version.) According to this view, the containers used for everyday events represent those believers who have ordinary or less spectacular gifts.)

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SIL Translator's Notes on 2 Timothy 2:19

2:19a

Nevertheless: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Nevertheless indicates a strong contrast with 2:16–18. The idea is that heretics might destroy the faith of some believers, but they cannot destroy God’s foundation. Other English versions translate this word as “but” or “however.”

God’s firm foundation stands: In some cultures, people who are constructing a building begin by putting large stones in the ground as a foundation. Then they build the walls of the building on this foundation. This causes the building to be more stable. Here, Paul used the image of a foundation in a figurative sense.

He was referring to the church, that is, the people who believe the teachings of Jesus. In the same way that the foundation stones of a building never move, the body of true believers always continues to trust firmly in Christ.

There are several options for translating this phrase:

• Translate it literally using the figure of a foundation, as many English translations do.

• Translate the phrase using a simile. In this case, you will have to refer to the church/believers as part of the translation. For example,

The true believers in God are strong in their faith like the strong foundation of a building.

• Replace the figure of speech with the direct meaning. An example of this would be:

God’s people always stand/remain firm.
-or-
God’s people always continue to believe the truth.

stands: Most English versions translate the Greek verb as “stands,” “stands firm,” or “remains standing.” The idea is that the foundation cannot break, nor can anyone destroy it.

This verb indicates that the church consists of people who have believed and continue to strongly believe the message of God’s word even when others have chosen to stop believing it.

2:19b

bearing this seal: Paul continued to use the figure of speech of a foundation.

The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as bearing this seal is literally “having this seal.” In the time of Paul, people would make a mark or carve words on the foundation stones of a building to show who owned the building. Sometimes the writing also told the purpose of the building. This mark or writing was called a “seal.”

In cultures where people do not build on large stones or write on them, you may need to supply a footnote. This footnote could describe buildings that people build on stone foundations and it could explain what these stones are for. The note could also say what kinds of things people write on the foundation stones of their buildings.

2:19c

“The Lord knows those who are His”: This saying comes from Numbers 16:5 in the Greek translation of the Old Testament. It means that God knows which people believe firmly in him. He knows who is part of his church and who is not.

Lord: The word Lord refers to God.

2:19d

and, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord must turn away from iniquity”: Various parts of this saying resemble parts of verses in the Old Testament, but there is no one verse in the Old Testament that contains this entire saying. Therefore, it is uncertain whether Paul wanted to quote from the Old Testament or whether he made this a summary statement of principles from the Old Testament. Nevertheless, because it is one of the two sayings that Paul lists, use the same form of punctuation as you did in the first saying.

calls on the name of the Lord: The Greek phrase which the Berean Standard Bible translates as calls on the name of the Lord means that the person claims that the Lord is his/her master or leader. Good News Translation says: “Whoever says that they belong to the Lord must turn away from wrongdoing.”

the Lord: As in 2:19c, the Lord here refers to God.

turn away from iniquity: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as turn away also means “abandon,” “desert,” or “renounce.” The New Century Version translates this clause clearly when it says: “must stop doing wrong.”

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SIL Translator's Notes on 2 Timothy 2:18

2:18a

who have deviated from the truth: Apparently these two men had at one time professed to believe the message about Jesus Christ. But the things they were teaching people at the time that Paul wrote this letter were not true.

deviated from: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as deviate from originally meant “to miss the mark.” Later it came to mean “to miss, fail, deviate, and depart.” This verb occurs in 1 Timothy 1:6 also.

2:18b

They say that the resurrection has already occurred: Here Paul specifically mentioned one of the teachings of the false teachers. They taught that the resurrection had already happened.

the resurrection: In the New Testament, the word resurrection can refer to:

(a) the specific, future, universal resurrection of human beings. This term is usually preceded by the definite article: “the resurrection” (John 11:24),

(b) the resurrection of Jesus from the grave three days after he was buried (Matthew 27:53).

Here it refers to (a), the resurrection of human beings. The teaching about the resurrection includes the ideas of eternal life, fellowship with God, and rewards for living in a way that pleases God.

has already occurred: Scholars do not agree about what the false teachers meant when they said that the resurrection had already occurred. However, most scholars say that these heretics taught the following: when people believed the good news about Jesus Christ, God “resurrected” them symbolically or spiritually. This heretical teaching implied that since the resurrection was symbolic only, believers could not look forward to life in a resurrected, physical body after they died.

Try to leave all this information implicit in your translation. You may want to consider putting it in a footnote.

2:18c

and they undermine the faith of some: Apparently some of the people in the congregation at Ephesus had believed this new teaching and now doubted what they had believed before.

undermine: The verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as undermine means “destroy,” “to overthrow” or “to overturn.” This same verb is used in Titus 1:11 where the Berean Standard Bible translates it as “undermine.”

According to 1 Corinthians 15:12–19, a key element of the Christian faith is belief in the resurrection of the body. So when the false teachers convinced people that there would be no resurrection of the body, they were indeed “undermining their faith.”

The verb for undermine is in the present tense. This indicates that at the time Paul was writing this letter to Timothy, these false teachers were actively deceiving believers.

faith: Here, Paul used the word faith in the sense of the basic teachings that Christians believe and practice The false teachers were causing the believers to stop believing in Christ and his teachings.

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SIL Translator's Notes on 2 Timothy 2:17

2:17a

and: The Greek text begins this verse with the conjunction kai, which is often translated and. Some English translations (Berean Standard Bible, Revised Standard Version, NET Bible, God’s Word, New American Standard Bible, Revised English Bible) begin this verse with and to show that 2:17a is connected with 2:16.

the talk of such men will spread: This is the second reason why Timothy should avoid empty chatter.

the talk of such men: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as talk is literally “word.” Here it refers to the “empty chatter” in 2:16a. The words “teaching” or “message” are other ways to translate this word.

will spread: The verb phrase will spread means that if the false teachers continued to talk, their message would go out to a wider area and deceive more and more people.

like gangrene: The word gangrene is a medical term. It refers to the decay of body tissue that is caused by an infection or disease.

Paul used gangrene as a figure of speech. Paul was comparing the false teaching to an infected wound. If no one tries to cure the infected wound, the infection will spread to more and more of the person’s body until it poisons him and eventually kills him. In the same way, if Timothy allowed the false teachers to continue teaching false doctrines, more and more people would believe their message and would stop believing the true message. In this way, those people would die spiritually.

If you cannot keep the figure of speech, you can say something like:

their words will spread and eventually destroy the faith of the people who listen to it.
-or-
more and more people will hear their teaching and it will damage those who pay attention to it.

2:17b

Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus: This is the first time in this letter that Paul mentioned the names of any of the false teachers. He had spoken of them in 2:17a when he mentions “the talk of such men.” Hymenaeus and Philetus were two of the people who had been teaching the believers ideas that were contrary to the truths of the word of God. Apparently, Timothy knew who both of these men were. Paul mentioned Hymenaeus in 1 Timothy 1:20 and indicated that he had removed Hymenaeus from the Christian congregation in Ephesus.

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SIL Translator's Notes on 2 Timothy 2:16

2:16a

But: In Greek, this verse begins with the conjunction de, which the Berean Standard Bible translates as But (see also NET Bible, Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English). For reasons of style, many English translations such as the New International Version (2011 Revision) omit the conjunction here. The de shows the contrast that Paul was making between the positive statements in 2:15 (“Make every effort” and “the word of truth”) and the negative statement in 2:16a (“Avoid godless chatter”).

avoid: The word avoid means that Paul was warning Timothy to stay away from, and not to join in, discussions with people who did not show any evidence that they trusted in God or revered him.

irreverent, empty chatter: The Berean Standard Bible translates two words in the Greek text here as irrevertent, empty chatter. These same two words are found in 1 Timothy 6:20. In both places, the words are plural. This is significant in interpreting 2:16b. See interpretation (2) below.

irreverent: The word irreverent refers to something that is “secular,” “profane,” or “unholy,” to something that does not honor God.

empty chatter: The noun the Berean Standard Bible translates as empty chatter means “foolish, empty, idle talk,” “talk about topics that are not important or have no value.”

2:16b

which will only lead to: Paul gave Timothy two reasons why he should avoid irreverent, empty chatter. The first reason is here in 2:16b. The second reason is in 2:17a.

which will only lead to more ungodliness,: In Greek, this clause is literally “because to more they-will-increase of ungodliness.” Scholars disagree about whom the subject “they” of the verb “will increase” refers to. There are two interpretations:

(1) “they” refers to the people who talk in godless ways. Those who follow this interpretation say that this verse means that the people who chatter in ungodly ways will become more ungodly. For example, the NET Bible says:

because those occupied with it will stray further and further into ungodliness….

See also New International Version (2011 Revision), God’s Word, Revised English Bible, and most commentaries.

(2) “they” refers to the irreverent, empty chatter or discussions. Those who follow this interpretation say that this verse means that godless chatter will increase and lead people into more ungodliness. For example, the New Century Version says:

because that will lead people further away from God.

See also Berean Standard Bible, Revised Standard Version, Good News Translation, New Jerusalem Bible, New Living Translation (2004 Revision), Contemporary English Version, Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English, New American Standard Bible.

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

more: Because this word occurs first in the clause, it has emphasis. Another way to show this emphasis in English is to translate the word as “more and more” or “even more.”

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SIL Translator's Notes on 2 Timothy 1:2

1:2a

To Timothy: Timothy was the name of the person to whom Paul wrote this letter. In some languages it is necessary to say: “I am writing to you, Timothy….”

1:2b

my beloved child: Timothy was not Paul’s child in the physical sense of that word. But Paul referred to Timothy several times as his “child.” This is perhaps because Paul had been responsible for Timothy’s spiritual conversion. If the people reading your translation only understand this phrase literally, you may want to say something like:

you are like a beloved child to me
-or-
it is as if you are my dear son

1:2c

Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord: This phrase was a common way for Christians to greet each other during the time when Paul lived. It is a sort of prayer or blessing. Paul was asking God to bless Timothy. You may need to begin this blessing with a verb clause such as “I pray that God will give you…” or “I ask God to give you….”

Grace: The authors of the New Testament letters often used the word Grace in their greetings at the beginning of their letters. It is used to express their desire that God would bless the people who received the letter or to wish them well. Grace means that God favors people or that he is kind to people even though they do not deserve it.

mercy: The Greek word that English versions translate as mercy means that God treats us kindly or with compassion, or that he pities us.

peace: The Greek word that is translated peace here refers to the satisfaction we have in our innermost beings because we are in a harmonious relationship with God. This peaceful relationship is possible because he has forgiven our sins, and he causes us to live without having anxiety and fear. In this verse, peace is not referring to a person being at peace with other people.

God the Father: You may need to translate this phrase as “God our^(incl) Father” if that is the natural way to say this phrase in your language.

General Comment on 1:2c

Your language may usually require that you translate each of these nouns with a clause, rather than a single word. However, when translating greetings, you may want to use something shorter. In 1:2c, Paul was giving Timothy greetings, not teaching him about grace, mercy, and peace. Therefore it may not be necessary to include all the elements that are normally associated with these key terms.

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Source: SIL Translator's Notes on 2 Timothy 2003

SIL Translator's Notes on 2 Timothy 2:22

SIL Translator's Notes on 2 Timothy 2:21

SIL Translator's Notes on 2 Timothy 2:20

SIL Translator's Notes on 2 Timothy 2:19

SIL Translator's Notes on 2 Timothy 2:18

SIL Translator's Notes on 2 Timothy 2:17

SIL Translator's Notes on 2 Timothy 2:16

SIL Translator's Notes on 2 Timothy 1:2

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