OET interlinear 1 TIM 4:6

4:6a

By pointing out these things: Paul was indirectly commanding Timothy to point certain things out to other believers.Sherman and Tuggy (1994) say about the English language, “It is commonly understood that such forms as “Would you like to do the dishes?” means “I would like you to wash the dishes; please wash them.” This is a gentle way of suggesting that someone do something. Greek, English, Spanish, and probably many other European languages use this (and other devices) for gentle suggestions. For instance, we all react to the sentence “If we confess our sins, he will cleanse us” as meaning “We should confess our sins, since he will cleanse us.” Notice the mismatching between the surface grammar and the meaning which it expresses. Grammatically, the sentence is made up of a dependent conditional clause attached to an independent clause. Semantically, however, the relationship is reversed; that is, the central appeal unit is expressed by the dependent clause, and the supporting motivational unit is expressed by the independent clause. This mismatching between the grammar and the meaning is a device for making the exhortation or command a gentle one.” Other ways to express this are:

In pointing out these things (NASB)

when you point these things out (GW)

pointing out: In this context, Paul meant that Timothy should make the other believers aware of “these things.”

these things: It is not clear what things Paul was referring to here. It could be:

1. the things that Paul had mentioned immediately before this, that is, in the previous section (4:1–5). Paul was giving the reasons why it was acceptable to eat any kind of food.

2. all the instructions that Paul had given in the letter so far.

Most translations do not make clear what these things refer to. It is recommended that you also leave this ambiguous if you can. However, Paul was probably emphasizing at this point what he had written about immediately before this in 4:1–5. So if it is necessary for you to make a choice here, it is recommended that you translate these things in a way that refers to the immediately preceding verses.

brothers: The word brothers refers to believers, or other Christians. This term probably includes both men and women. In your translation, you can say “all the other believers” or “all the brothers and sisters.”

4:6b

a good servant of Christ Jesus: There are several interpretations of what Paul meant when he said that he expected Timothy to be a good servant of Christ Jesus. The two most likely meanings are:

1. He expected Timothy to do the work of Christ by teaching others. In other words, he expected Timothy to do what Christ wanted and commanded.

2. He expected Timothy to be a person whom Christ appointed to teach and help others.

It is recommended that you use a general expression here rather than making one of these interpretations explicit. But if you must be specific, it is recommended that you follow interpretation (1).

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.

4:6c

nourished by: The Greek word that the BSB translates as nourished by is a word used when referring to rearing a child.The word in Greek is entrephō. Some people, including Louw and Nida, BAG, and NEB understand this to refer primarily to being trained. Louw and Nida (33.242) translate the active form of this word as, “to provide instruction and training, with the implication of skill in some area of practical knowledge—‘to train, to teach.’” BAG gives as the definition, “bring up, rear, then train in something.” Newman gives the definition for the middle form as, “live on, feed oneself on.” Knight (page 194), referring to Robertson, mentions that this word “was used by Plato (Leges 7.798a) of those who are ‘nourished in the laws.’” Arichea and Hatton (page 97) say that it refers to both nourishing and training: “The word for nourished occurs nowhere else in the New Testament; the metaphor very likely comes from child rearing and pertains to all the activities that have something to do with the nurturing of a child, such as feeding and training.” In this context, it is a metaphor that means “being trained by.”

Paul was saying that when Timothy taught other believers, God would use those teachings to train not only the listeners but also Timothy himself.

the words: The expression the words is connected to both “the faith” and “the good teaching.”

faith: Here, faith refers to Christianity. In other words, it refers to all that God revealed to people concerning what we should believe and do in order to follow Christ properly. See the note on faith at 3:9. See faith, meaning 2, in the Glossary.

sound instruction: The sound instruction refers to the true teaching about God. It contrasts with the false teaching that Paul had been warning Timothy about.

4:6d

that you have followed: That is, that Timothy had chosen to listen to and obey.