1 Timotius 1:17

1:17 Now to the eternal king, ¹  immortal, invisible, the only ²  God, be honor and glory forever and ever! ³  Amen.

1 Timotius 6:1

6:1 Those who are under the yoke as slaves ⁴  must regard their own masters as deserving of full respect. This will prevent ⁵  the name of God and Christian teaching ⁶  from being discredited. ⁷ 

[1:17]  ¹ tn Or more literally, “king of the ages.”

[1:17]  ² tc Most later witnesses (א² D¹ H^c Ψ 1881 Ï) have “wise” (σόφῳ, swfw) here (thus, “the only wise God”), while the earlier and better witnesses (א* A D* F G H* 33 1739 lat co) lack this adjective. Although it could be argued that the longer reading is harder since it does not as emphatically affirm monotheism, it is more likely that scribes borrowed σόφῳ from Rom 16:27 where μόνῳ σόφῳ θεῷ (monw sofw qew, “the only wise God”) is textually solid.

[1:17]  ³ tn Grk “unto the ages of the ages,” an emphatic way of speaking about eternity in Greek.

[6:1]  ⁴ 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]  ⁵ tn Grk “that the name…may not be slandered” (a continuation of the preceding sentence).

[6:1]  ⁶ tn Grk “the teaching.”

[6:1]  ⁷ tn Or “slandered.”