1 Timotius 3:1--6:10

Qualifications for Overseers and Deacons

3:1 This saying ¹  is trustworthy: “If someone aspires to the office of overseer, ²  he desires a good work.” 3:2 The overseer ³  then must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, ⁴  temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, an able teacher, 3:3 not a drunkard, not violent, but gentle, not contentious, free from the love of money. 3:4 He must manage his own household well and keep his children in control without losing his dignity. ⁵  3:5 But if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for the church of God? 3:6 He must not be a recent convert or he may become arrogant ⁶  and fall into the punishment that the devil will exact. ⁷  3:7 And he must be well thought of by ⁸  those outside the faith, ⁹  so that he may not fall into disgrace and be caught by the devil’s trap. ¹⁰ 

3:8 Deacons likewise must be dignified, ¹¹  not two-faced, ¹²  not given to excessive drinking, ¹³  not greedy for gain, 3:9 holding to the mystery of the faith ¹⁴  with a clear conscience. 3:10 And these also must be tested first and then let them serve as deacons if they are found blameless. 3:11 Likewise also their wives ¹⁵  must be dignified, not slanderous, temperate, faithful in every respect. 3:12 Deacons must be husbands of one wife ¹⁶  and good managers of their children and their own households. 3:13 For those who have served well as deacons gain a good standing for themselves ¹⁷  and great boldness in the faith that is in Christ Jesus. ¹⁸ 

Conduct in God’s Church

3:14 I hope to come to you soon, but I am writing these instructions ¹⁹  to you 3:15 in case I am delayed, to let you know how people ought to conduct themselves ²⁰  in the household of God, because it is ²¹  the church of the living God, the support and bulwark of the truth. 3:16 And we all agree, ²²  our religion contains amazing revelation: ²³ 

He ²⁴  was revealed in the flesh,

vindicated by the Spirit, ²⁵ 

seen by angels,

proclaimed among Gentiles,

believed on in the world,

taken up in glory.

Timothy’s Ministry in the Later Times

4:1 Now the Spirit explicitly says that in the later times some will desert the faith and occupy themselves ²⁶  with deceiving spirits and demonic teachings, ²⁷  4:2 influenced by the hypocrisy of liars ²⁸  whose consciences are seared. ²⁹  4:3 They will prohibit marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. 4:4 For every creation of God is good and no food ³⁰  is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving. 4:5 For it is sanctified by God’s word and by prayer.

4:6 By pointing out such things to the brothers and sisters, ³¹  you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, having nourished yourself on the words of the faith and of the good teaching that you have followed. ³²  4:7 But reject those myths ³³  fit only for the godless and gullible, ³⁴  and train yourself for godliness. 4:8 For “physical exercise ³⁵  has some value, but godliness is valuable in every way. It holds promise for the present life and for the life to come.” 4:9 This saying ³⁶  is trustworthy and deserves full acceptance. 4:10 In fact this is why ³⁷  we work hard and struggle, ³⁸  because we have set our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, ³⁹  especially of believers.

4:11 Command and teach these things. 4:12 Let no one look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in your speech, conduct, love, faithfulness, ⁴⁰  and purity. 4:13 Until I come, give attention to the public reading of scripture, ⁴¹  to exhortation, to teaching. 4:14 Do not neglect the spiritual gift you have, ⁴²  given to you and confirmed by prophetic words ⁴³  when the elders laid hands on you. ⁴⁴  4:15 Take pains with these things; be absorbed in them, so that everyone will see your progress. ⁴⁵  4:16 Be conscientious about how you live and what you teach. ⁴⁶  Persevere in this, because by doing so you will save both yourself and those who listen to you.

Instructions about Specific Groups

5:1 Do not address an older man harshly ⁴⁷  but appeal to him as a father. Speak to younger men as brothers, ⁴⁸  5:2 older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters – with complete purity.

5:3 Honor ⁴⁹  widows who are truly in need. ⁵⁰  5:4 But if a widow has children or grandchildren, they should first learn to fulfill their duty ⁵¹  toward their own household and so repay their parents what is owed them. ⁵²  For this is what pleases God. ⁵³  5:5 But the widow who is truly in need, and completely on her own, ⁵⁴  has set her hope on God and continues in her pleas and prayers night and day. 5:6 But the one who lives for pleasure is dead even ⁵⁵  while she lives. 5:7 Reinforce ⁵⁶  these commands, ⁵⁷  so that they will be beyond reproach. 5:8 But if someone does not provide for his own, ⁵⁸  especially his own family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

5:9 No widow should be put on the list ⁵⁹  unless ⁶⁰  she is at least sixty years old, was the wife of one husband, ⁶¹  5:10 and has a reputation for good works: as one who has raised children, ⁶²  practiced hospitality, washed the feet of the saints, helped those in distress – as one who has exhibited all kinds of good works. ⁶³  5:11 But do not accept younger widows on the list, ⁶⁴  because their passions may lead them away from Christ ⁶⁵  and they will desire to marry, 5:12 and so incur judgment for breaking their former pledge. ⁶⁶  5:13 And besides that, going around ⁶⁷  from house to house they learn to be lazy, ⁶⁸  and they are not only lazy, but also gossips and busybodies, talking about things they should not. ⁶⁹  5:14 So I want younger women to marry, raise children, and manage a household, in order to give the adversary no opportunity to vilify us. ⁷⁰  5:15 For some have already wandered away to follow Satan. ⁷¹  5:16 If a believing woman ⁷²  has widows in her family, ⁷³  let her help them. The church should not be burdened, so that it may help the widows who are truly in need. ⁷⁴ 

5:17 Elders who provide effective leadership ⁷⁵  must be counted worthy ⁷⁶  of double honor, ⁷⁷  especially those who work hard in speaking ⁷⁸  and teaching. 5:18 For the scripture says, “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain,” ⁷⁹  and, “The worker deserves his pay.” ⁸⁰  5:19 Do not accept an accusation against an elder unless it can be confirmed by two or three witnesses. ⁸¹  5:20 Those guilty of sin ⁸²  must be rebuked ⁸³  before all, ⁸⁴  as a warning to the rest. ⁸⁵  5:21 Before God and Christ Jesus and the elect angels, I solemnly charge you to carry out these commands without prejudice or favoritism of any kind. ⁸⁶  5:22 Do not lay hands on anyone ⁸⁷  hastily and so identify with the sins of others. ⁸⁸  Keep yourself pure. 5:23 (Stop drinking just water, but use a little wine for your digestion ⁸⁹  and your frequent illnesses.) ⁹⁰  5:24 The sins of some people are obvious, going before them into judgment, but for others, they show up later. ⁹¹  5:25 Similarly good works are also obvious, and the ones that are not cannot remain hidden.

6:1 Those who are under the yoke as slaves ⁹²  must regard their own masters as deserving of full respect. This will prevent ⁹³  the name of God and Christian teaching ⁹⁴  from being discredited. ⁹⁵  6:2 But those who have believing masters must not show them less respect ⁹⁶  because they are brothers. Instead they are to serve all the more, because those who benefit from their service are believers and dearly loved. ⁹⁷ 

Summary of Timothy’s Duties

Teach them and exhort them about these things. ⁹⁸  6:3 If someone spreads false teachings ⁹⁹  and does not agree with sound words (that is, those of our Lord Jesus Christ) and with the teaching that accords with godliness, 6:4 he is conceited and understands nothing, but has an unhealthy interest in controversies and verbal disputes. This gives rise to envy, dissension, slanders, evil suspicions, 6:5 and constant bickering by people corrupted in their minds and deprived of the truth, who suppose that godliness ¹⁰⁰  is a way of making a profit. 6:6 Now godliness combined with contentment brings great profit. 6:7 For we have brought nothing into this world and so ¹⁰¹  we cannot take a single thing out either. 6:8 But if we have food and shelter, we will be satisfied with that. ¹⁰²  6:9 Those who long to be rich, however, stumble into temptation and a trap and many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 6:10 For the love of money is the root ¹⁰³  of all evils. ¹⁰⁴  Some people in reaching for it have strayed from the faith and stabbed themselves with many pains.

[3:1]  ¹ tn Grk “the saying,” referring to the following citation (see 1 Tim 1:15; 4:9; 2 Tim 2:11; Titus 3:8 for other occurrences of this phrase).

[3:1]  ² tn Grk “aspires to oversight.”

[3:2]  ³ tn Or “bishop.”

[3:2]  sn Although some see the article with overseer as indicating a single leader at the top of the ecclesiastical structure (thus taking the article as monadic), this is hardly necessary. It is naturally taken generically (referring to the class of leaders known as overseers) and, in fact, finds precedent in 2:11-12 (“a woman,” “a man”), 2:15 (“she”). Paul almost casually changes between singular and plural in both chapters.

[3:2]  ⁴ tn Or “a man married only once,” “devoted solely to his wife” (see 1 Tim 3:12; 5:9; Titus 1:6). The meaning of this phrase is disputed. It is frequently understood to refer to the marital status of the church leader, excluding from leadership those who are (1) unmarried, (2) polygamous, (3) divorced, or (4) remarried after being widowed. A different interpretation is reflected in the NEB’s translation “faithful to his one wife.”

[3:4]  ⁵ tn Grk “having children in submission with all dignity.” The last phrase, “keep his children in control without losing his dignity,” may refer to the children rather than the parent: “having children who are obedient and respectful.”

[3:6]  ⁶ tn Grk “that he may not become arrogant.”

[3:6]  ⁷ tn Grk “the judgment of the devil,” which could also mean “the judgment that the devil incurred.” But see 1 Tim 1:20 for examples of the danger Paul seems to have in mind.

[3:7]  ⁸ tn Or “have a good reputation with”; Grk “have a good testimony from.”

[3:7]  ⁹ tn Grk “the ones outside.”

[3:7]  ¹⁰ tn Or “be trapped like the devil was”; Grk “fall into the trap of the devil.” The parallel in 2 Tim 2:26 supports the rendering given in the text.

[3:8]  ¹¹ tn Or “respectable, honorable, of serious demeanor.”

[3:8]  ¹² tn Or “insincere,” “deceitful”; Grk “speaking double.”

[3:8]  ¹³ tn Grk “not devoted to much wine.”

[3:9]  ¹⁴ sn The mystery of the faith is a reference to the revealed truths of the Christian faith.

[3:11]  ¹⁵ tn Or “also deaconesses.” The Greek word here is γυναῖκας (gunaika") which literally means “women” or “wives.” It is possible that this refers to women who serve as deacons, “deaconesses.” The evidence is as follows: (1) The immediate context refers to deacons; (2) the author mentions nothing about wives in his section on elder qualifications (1 Tim 3:1-7); (3) it would seem strange to have requirements placed on deacons’ wives without corresponding requirements placed on elders’ wives; and (4) elsewhere in the NT, there seems to be room for seeing women in this role (cf. Rom 16:1 and the comments there). The translation “wives” – referring to the wives of the deacons – is probably to be preferred, though, for the following reasons: (1) It would be strange for the author to discuss women deacons right in the middle of the qualifications for male deacons; more naturally they would be addressed by themselves. (2) The author seems to indicate clearly in the next verse that women are not deacons: “Deacons must be husbands of one wife.” (3) Most of the qualifications given for deacons elsewhere do not appear here. Either the author has truncated the requirements for women deacons, or he is not actually referring to women deacons; the latter seems to be the more natural understanding. (4) The principle given in 1 Tim 2:12 appears to be an overarching principle for church life which seems implicitly to limit the role of deacon to men. Nevertheless, a decision in this matter is difficult, and our conclusions must be regarded as tentative.

[3:12]  ¹⁶ tn Or “men married only once,” “devoted solely to their wives” (see the note on “wife” in 1 Tim 3:2; also 1 Tim 5:9; Titus 1:6).

[3:13]  ¹⁷ sn The statement those who have served well as deacons gain a good standing for themselves is reminiscent of Jesus’ teaching (Matt 20:26-28; Mark 10:43-45) that the one who wishes to be great must be a servant (διάκονος [diakonos], used here of deacons) of all, just as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve (διακονέω [diakonew], as in 1 Tim 3:10, 13).

[3:13]  ¹⁸ sn In the phrase the faith that is in Christ Jesus, the term faith seems to mean “what Christians believe, Christian truth,” rather than personal trust in Christ. So the whole phrase could mean that others will come to place greater confidence in them regarding Christian truth; but the word “confidence” is much more likely to refer to their own boldness to act on the truth of their convictions.

[3:14]  ¹⁹ tn Grk “these things.”

[3:14]  sn These instructions refer to the instructions about local church life, given in 1 Tim 2:1–3:13.

[3:15]  ²⁰ tn Grk “how it is necessary to behave.”

[3:15]  ²¹ tn Grk “which is” (but the relative clause shows the reason for such conduct).

[3:16]  ²² tn Grk “confessedly, admittedly, most certainly.”

[3:16]  ²³ tn Grk “great is the mystery of [our] religion,” or “great is the mystery of godliness.” The word “mystery” denotes a secret previously hidden in God, but now revealed and made widely known (cf. Rom 16:25; 1 Cor 2:7; 4:1; Eph 1:9; 3:3, 4, 9; 6:19; Col 1:26-27; 4:3). “Religion” (εὐσέβεια, eusebeia) is a word used frequently in the pastorals with a range of meanings: (1) a certain attitude toward God – “devotion, reverence”; (2) the conduct that befits that attitude – “godliness, piety”; and (3) the whole system of belief and approach to God that forms the basis for such attitude and conduct – “religion, creed.” See BDAG 412-13 s.v.; 2 Tim 3:5; 4 Macc 9:6-7, 29-30; 15:1-3; 17:7. So the following creedal statements are illustrations of the great truths that the church is charged with protecting (v. 15).

[3:16]  ²⁴ tc The Byzantine text along with a few other witnesses (א^c A^c C² D² Ψ [88 pc] 1739 1881 Ï vg^ms) read θεός (qeos, “God”) for ὅς (Jos, “who”). Most significant among these witnesses is 1739; the second correctors of some of the other mss tend to conform to the medieval standard, the Byzantine text, and add no independent voice to the discussion. A few mss have ὁ θεός (so 88 pc), a reading that is a correction on the anarthrous θεός. On the other side, the masculine relative pronoun ὅς is strongly supported by א* A* C* F G 33 365 pc Did Epiph. Significantly, D* and virtually the entire Latin tradition read the neuter relative pronoun, ὅ (Jo, “which”), a reading that indirectly supports ὅς since it could not easily have been generated if θεός had been in the text. Thus, externally, there is no question as to what should be considered original: The Alexandrian and Western traditions are decidedly in favor of ὅς. Internally, the evidence is even stronger. What scribe would change θεός to ὅς intentionally? “Who” is not only a theologically pale reading by comparison; it also is much harder (since the relative pronoun has no obvious antecedent, probably the reason for the neuter pronoun of the Western tradition). Intrinsically, the rest of 3:16, beginning with ὅς, appears to form a six-strophed hymn. As such, it is a text that is seemingly incorporated into the letter without syntactical connection. Hence, not only should we not look for an antecedent for ὅς (as is often done by commentators), but the relative pronoun thus is not too hard a reading (or impossible, as Dean Burgon believed). Once the genre is taken into account, the relative pronoun fits neatly into the author’s style (cf. also Col 1:15; Phil 2:6 for other places in which the relative pronoun begins a hymn, as was often the case in poetry of the day). On the other hand, with θεός written as a nomen sacrum, it would have looked very much like the relative pronoun: q-=s vs. os. Thus, it may have been easy to confuse one for the other. This, of course, does not solve which direction the scribes would go, although given their generally high Christology and the bland and ambiguous relative pronoun, it is doubtful that they would have replaced θεός with ὅς. How then should we account for θεός? It appears that sometime after the 2nd century the θεός reading came into existence, either via confusion with ὅς or as an intentional alteration to magnify Christ and clear up the syntax at the same time. Once it got in, this theologically rich reading was easily able to influence all the rest of the mss it came in contact with (including mss already written, such as א A C D). That this reading did not arise until after the 2nd century is evident from the Western reading, ὅ. The neuter relative pronoun is certainly a “correction” of ὅς, conforming the gender to that of the neuter μυστήριον (musthrion, “mystery”). What is significant in this reading is (1) since virtually all the Western witnesses have either the masculine or neuter relative pronoun, the θεός reading was apparently unknown to them in the 2nd century (when the “Western” text seems to have originated, though its place of origination was most likely in the east); they thus supply strong indirect evidence of ὅς outside of Egypt in the 2nd century; (2) even 2nd century scribes were liable to misunderstand the genre, feeling compelled to alter the masculine relative pronoun because it appeared to them to be too harsh. The evidence, therefore, for ὅς is quite compelling, both externally and internally. As TCGNT 574 notes, “no uncial (in the first hand) earlier than the eighth or ninth century (Ψ) supports θεός; all ancient versions presuppose ὅς or ὅ; and no patristic writer prior to the last third of the fourth century testifies to the reading θεός.” Thus, the cries of certain groups that θεός has to be original must be seen as special pleading in this case. To argue that heretics tampered with the text here is self-defeating, for most of the Western fathers who quoted the verse with the relative pronoun were quite orthodox, strongly affirming the deity of Christ. They would have dearly loved such a reading as θεός. Further, had heretics introduced a variant to θεός, a far more natural choice would have been Χριστός (Cristos, “Christ”) or κύριος (kurios, “Lord”), since the text is self-evidently about Christ, but it is not self-evidently a proclamation of his deity. (See ExSyn 341-42, for a summary discussion on this issue and additional bibliographic references.)

[3:16]  tn Grk “who.”

[3:16]  sn This passage has been typeset as poetry because many scholars regard this passage as poetic or hymnic. These terms are used broadly to refer to the genre of writing, not to the content. There are two broad criteria for determining if a passage is poetic or hymnic: “(a) stylistic: a certain rhythmical lilt when the passages are read aloud, the presence of parallelismus membrorum (i.e., an arrangement into couplets), the semblance of some metre, and the presence of rhetorical devices such as alliteration, chiasmus, and antithesis; and (b) linguistic: an unusual vocabulary, particularly the presence of theological terms, which is different from the surrounding context” (P. T. O’Brien, Philippians [NIGTC], 188-89). Classifying a passage as hymnic or poetic is important because understanding this genre can provide keys to interpretation. However, not all scholars agree that the above criteria are present in this passage, so the decision to typeset it as poetry should be viewed as a tentative decision about its genre.

[3:16]  ²⁵ tn Or “in spirit.”

[4:1]  ²⁶ tn Or “desert the faith by occupying themselves.”

[4:1]  ²⁷ tn Grk “teachings of demons” (speaking of the source of these doctrines).

[4:2]  ²⁸ tn Grk “in the hypocrisy of liars.”

[4:2]  ²⁹ tn Or “branded.” The Greek verb καυστηριάζω (kausthriazw) can be used to refer either to the cause (“brand”) or the effect (“seared”).

[4:2]  sn Consciences are seared. The precise meaning of this phrase is somewhat debated. Three primary interpretations are (1) the consciences of these false teachers are “branded” with Satan’s mark to indicate ownership, (2) their consciences are “branded” with a penal mark to show they are lawbreakers, or (3) their consciences have been “seared” (i.e., totally burnt and desensitized) so that they are unable to notice the difference between right and wrong. See G. W. Knight, Pastoral Epistles (NIGTC), 189.

[4:4]  ³⁰ tn Grk “nothing.”

[4:6]  ³¹ tn Grk “brothers,” but the Greek word may be used for “brothers and sisters” or “fellow Christians” as here (cf. BDAG 18 s.v. ἀδελφός 1, where considerable nonbiblical evidence for the plural ἀδελφοί [adelfoi] meaning “brothers and sisters” is cited).

[4:6]  ³² sn By pointing out…you have followed. This verse gives a theme statement for what follows in the chapter about Timothy’s ministry. The situation in Ephesus requires him to be a good servant of Christ, and he will do that by sound teaching and by living an exemplary life himself.

[4:7]  ³³ sn Those myths refer to legendary tales characteristic of the false teachers in Ephesus and Crete. See parallels in 1 Tim 1:4; 2 Tim 4:4; and Titus 1:14.

[4:7]  ³⁴ tn Grk “the godless and old-wifely myths.”

[4:8]  ³⁵ tn Grk “bodily training” (using the noun form of the verb “train” in v. 7b).

[4:9]  ³⁶ tn Grk “the saying.”

[4:9]  sn This saying. The literal phrase “the saying” refers to the preceding citation. See 1 Tim 1:15; 3:1; 2 Tim 2:11; Titus 3:8 for other occurrences of this phrase.

[4:10]  ³⁷ tn Grk “for toward this,” denoting purpose. The conjunction “for” gives confirmation or emphasis to 1 Tim 4:8-9.

[4:10]  ³⁸ tc A number of mss (א² D 0241^vid 1739 1881 Ï latt sy co) read ὀνειδιζόμεθα (oneidizomeqa, “suffer reproach”), while the reading behind the translation (ἀγωνιζόμεθα, agwnizomeqa) is supported by א* A C F G K Ψ 33 1175 al. The reading from the verb ἀγωνίζομαι (agwnizomai) has slightly better external credentials, but this verb is found in the corpus Paulinum five other times, twice in the Pastorals (1 Tim 6:12; 2 Tim 4:7). The verb ὀνειδίζω (oneidizw) occurs only once in Paul (Rom 15:3), not at all in the Pastorals. In this instance, transcriptional and intrinsic evidence might seem to be opposed to each other. In such cases, the external evidence should be given more weight. With some hesitation, ἀγωνιζόμεθα is preferred.

[4:10]  ³⁹ tn The plural Greek term ἀνθρώπων (anqrwpwn) is used here in a generic sense, referring to both men and women, and is thus translated “people.”

[4:12]  ⁴⁰ tn Or “faith.”

[4:13]  ⁴¹ tn Grk “reading.”

[4:13]  sn The public reading of scripture refers to reading the scripture out loud in the church services. In a context where many were illiterate and few could afford private copies of scripture, such public reading was especially important.

[4:14]  ⁴² tn Grk “in you.”

[4:14]  ⁴³ tn Grk “which was given to you through prophecy.” Here as in 2:15 the preposition “through” denotes not “means” but accompanying circumstances: “accompanied by prophecy.”

[4:14]  sn These prophetic words perhaps spoke of what God would do through Timothy in his ministry (cf. 1 Tim 1:18).

[4:14]  ⁴⁴ tn Grk “with the imposition of the hands of the presbytery” (i.e., the council of elders).

[4:15]  ⁴⁵ tn Grk “that your progress may be evident to all.”

[4:16]  ⁴⁶ tn Grk “about yourself and your teaching.”

[5:1]  ⁴⁷ tn Or “Do not speak harshly to an older man.”

[5:1]  ⁴⁸ tn No verb “speak” is stated in this clause, but it continues the sense of the preceding.

[5:3]  ⁴⁹ sn The word honor here carries the double meaning of respect and financial support. This Greek word can imply both senses, and both are intended in this context.

[5:3]  ⁵⁰ tn Grk “the real widows,” “those who are really widows.”

[5:4]  ⁵¹ tn Or “to practice their religion.”

[5:4]  ⁵² tn Or “and so make some repayment to their parents”; Grk “and to give back recompense to their parents.”

[5:4]  ⁵³ tn Grk “for this is pleasing in the sight of God.”

[5:5]  ⁵⁴ tn Or “left all alone.”

[5:6]  ⁵⁵ tn For “is dead even” the Greek text reads “has died.”

[5:7]  ⁵⁶ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[5:7]  ⁵⁷ tn Grk “and command these things.”

[5:8]  ⁵⁸ tn That is, “his own relatives.”

[5:9]  ⁵⁹ sn This list was an official enrollment, apparently with a formal pledge to continue as a widow and serve the Lord in that way (cf. v. 12). It was either (1) the list of “true widows” who were given support by the church or (2) a smaller group of older women among the supported widows who were qualified for special service (perhaps to orphans, other widows, the sick, etc.). Most commentators understand it to be the former, since a special group is not indicated clearly. See G. W. Knight, Pastoral Epistles, 222-23 for discussion.

[5:9]  ⁶⁰ tn Grk “let a widow be enrolled if she has reached not less than sixty years.”

[5:9]  ⁶¹ tn Or “a woman married only once,” “was devoted solely to her husband” (see the note on “wife” in 1 Tim 3:2; also 1 Tim 3:12; Titus 1:6).

[5:10]  ⁶² tn Grk “if she raised children.” The phrase “if she raised children” begins a series of conditional clauses running to the end of the verse. These provide specific examples of her good works (v. 10a).

[5:10]  ⁶³ tn Grk “followed after every good work.”

[5:11]  ⁶⁴ tn Grk “refuse younger widows.”

[5:11]  ⁶⁵ tn With a single verb and object, this clause means “pursue sensuous desires in opposition to Christ.”

[5:12]  ⁶⁶ tn Grk “incurring judgment because they reject their first faith.”

[5:12]  sn The pledge refers most likely to a vow not to remarry undertaken when a widow is put on the list (cf. 1 Tim 5:9).

[5:13]  ⁶⁷ tn L&N 15.23 suggests the meaning, “to move about from place to place, with significant changes in direction – ‘to travel about, to wander about.’”

[5:13]  ⁶⁸ tn Or “idle.” The whole clause (“going around from house to house, they learn to be lazy”) reverses the order of the Greek. The present participle περιερχόμεναι (periercomenai) may be taken as temporal (“while going around”), instrumental (“by going around”) or result (“with the result that they go around”).

[5:13]  ⁶⁹ tn Grk “saying the things that are unnecessary.” Or perhaps “talking about things that are none of their business.”

[5:14]  ⁷⁰ tn Grk “for the sake of reviling.”

[5:15]  ⁷¹ tn Grk “wandered away after Satan.”

[5:16]  ⁷² tc Most witnesses (D Ψ Ï sy) have πιστὸς ἤ (pisto" h) before πιστή (pisth), with the resultant meaning “if a believing man or woman.” But such looks to be a motivated reading, perhaps to bring some parity to the responsibilities of men and women listed here, and as a way of harmonizing with v. 4. Further, most of the earliest and best witnesses (א A C F G P 048 33 81 1175 1739 1881 co) lack the πιστὸς ἤ, strengthening the preference for the shorter reading.

[5:16]  ⁷³ tn Grk “has widows.”

[5:16]  ⁷⁴ tn Grk “the real widows,” “those who are really widows.”

[5:17]  ⁷⁵ tn Grk “who lead well.”

[5:17]  ⁷⁶ tn Or “deserving.”

[5:17]  ⁷⁷ tn Like the similar use of “honor” in v. 3, this phrase
denotes both respect and remuneration: “honor plus honorarium.”

[5:17]  ⁷⁸ tn Or “in preaching”; Grk “in word.”

[5:18]  ⁷⁹ sn A quotation from Deut 25:4.

[5:18]  ⁸⁰ sn A quotation from Luke 10:7.

[5:19]  ⁸¹ sn An allusion to Deut 17:6, 19:15.

[5:20]  ⁸² sn As a continuation of v. 19, this refers to elders who sin, not to sinning believers more generally.

[5:20]  ⁸³ tn Or “censured.” The Greek word implies exposing someone’s sin in order to bring correction.

[5:20]  ⁸⁴ tn “Before all” probably refers to the whole congregation, not just all the elders; “the rest” is more likely to denote the remaining elders.

[5:20]  ⁸⁵ tn Grk “that the rest may have fear.”

[5:21]  ⁸⁶ tn Grk “doing nothing according to partiality.”

[5:22]  ⁸⁷ tn In context “laying hands on anyone” refers to ordination or official installation of someone as an elder.

[5:22]  ⁸⁸ tn Grk “and do not share in the sins of others.”

[5:23]  ⁸⁹ tn Grk “for the sake of your stomach.”

[5:23]  ⁹⁰ sn This verse gives parenthetical advice to Timothy, to clarify what it means to keep pure (5:22c). Verse 24 resumes the instructions about elders.

[5:24]  ⁹¹ tn Grk “they [the sins] follow after others.”

[6:1]  ⁹² tn Traditionally, “servants.” Though δοῦλος (doulos) is normally translated “servant,” the word does not bear the connotation of a free individual serving another. BDAG notes that “‘servant’ for ‘slave’ is largely confined to Biblical transl. and early American times…in normal usage at the present time the two words are carefully distinguished” (BDAG 260 s.v.). The most accurate translation is “bondservant” (sometimes found in the ASV for δοῦλος), in that it often indicates one who sells himself into slavery to another. But as this is archaic, few today understand its force.

[6:1]  ⁹³ tn Grk “that the name…may not be slandered” (a continuation of the preceding sentence).

[6:1]  ⁹⁴ tn Grk “the teaching.”

[6:1]  ⁹⁵ tn Or “slandered.”

[6:2]  ⁹⁶ tn Or “think the less of them”; Grk “despise them,” “look down on them.”

[6:2]  ⁹⁷ tn Or “those who devote themselves to service are faithful and dearly loved” (referring to slaves who serve them).

[6:2]  ⁹⁸ tn Grk “these things teach and exhort.”

[6:3]  ⁹⁹ tn Grk “teaches other doctrines,” (different from apostolic teaching, cf. 1 Tim 1:3).

[6:5]  ¹⁰⁰ tc Although most witnesses, including some early versions and fathers (D² Ψ Ï sy Cyp Lcf Ambst), have ἀφίστασο ἀπὸ τῶν τοιούτων (afistaso apo’ twn toioutwn, “stay away from such things!”) after εὐσεβείαν (eusebeian, “godliness”; thus, “who suppose that godliness is a way of making a profit; stay away from such things!”), there seems to be little good reason for this clause’s omission in some of the oldest and best witnesses (א A D* F G 048 6 33 81 1175 1739 1881 lat co). It is likely that it crept into the text early, perhaps as a marginal comment, but it should not be considered authentic in light of the strong external evidence against it.

[6:7]  ¹⁰¹ tc The Greek conjunction ὅτι usually means “because,” but here it takes the sense “so that” (see BDAG 732 s.v. 5.c). This unusual sense led to textual variation as scribes attempted to correct what appeared to be an error: D* and a few versional witnesses read ἀληθές ὅτι (“it is true that”), and א² D² Ψ Ï read δῆλον ὅτι (“it is clear that”). Thus the simple conjunction is preferred on internal as well as external grounds, supported by א* A F G 33 81 1739 1881 pc.

[6:8]  ¹⁰² tn Grk “with these.”

[6:10]  ¹⁰³ tn This could be taken to mean “a root,” but the phrase “of all evils” clearly makes it definite. This seems to be not entirely true to life (some evils are unrelated to love of money), but it should be read as a case of hyperbole (exaggeration to make a point more strongly).

[6:10]  ¹⁰⁴ tn Many translations render this “of all kinds of evil,” especially to allow for the translation “a root” along with it. But there is no parallel for taking a construction like this to mean “all kinds of” or “every kind of.” The normal sense is “all evils.”