OET interlinear 1 TIM 6:14

6:14a

Keep this commandment: The Greek word that the BSB translates as commandment is a general word that refers to any sort of commandment or order. Scholars suggest many different things to which Paul might have been referring. Three of the suggestions are:

1. Paul was referring to everything that God expected Timothy to do as a believer and as a minister of the gospel. For example, the NLT says:

   obey his [God’s] commands (NLT, GNT, REB, NCV)

2. Paul was referring to everything that he had commanded Timothy to do in this letter.

3. Paul was referring to what he had commanded Timothy to do immediately before this, in 6:11–12. Translations that supply the word this and use a singular “command” are probably following this interpretation. (BSB, NIV, KJV, GW)

Some English versions are ambiguous. The same Greek phrase occurs in a similar context in 2 Peter 2:21 and 3:2. Also Paul did not use a word meaning this. Therefore, interpretation (1) is probably correct, and it is recommended that you follow it.Knight, pages 266–267 says, “Each option has a certain plausibility to it within this context alone. Hence consideration must be given to use of ἐντολή [=‘command’] elsewhere in contexts analogous to this one and to use of analogous terms in 1 Timothy. Paul does not use singular articular ἡ ἐντολή frequently; when he does, he refers to one of the Ten Commandments (Rom. 7:8–13), which seems unlikely here. In the non-Pauline NT letters ἡ ἐντολή is used in 2 Pet. 2:21; 3:2 (and in 1 John and 2 John of the love command, but that meaning has not been suggested here and nothing in 1 Timothy 6 would seem to warrant it). In 2 Peter ἡ ἐντολή is used ‘as a description of Christianity considered as a body of ethical teaching’ (Bauckham, Jude, 2 Peter, at 2:21; at 3:2 he indicates that the term is used ‘in the same way’). Such a meaning for ἡ ἐντολή in 1 Tim. 6:14 would seem to be supported by the significance of analogous terms in the PE [=Pastoral Epistles]: Paul has designated the Christian faith as ‘the command’ (ἡ παραγγελία, 1 Tim. 1:5), and in the conclusion of the letter (6:20) he charges Timothy to ‘guard the deposit,’ i.e., the Christian faith (τὴν παραθήκην φύλαξον). In 2 Tim. 4:7 he uses the same verb as he does here in saying that he himself has ‘kept the faith’ (τὴν πίστιν τετήρηκα). Paul speaks, therefore, about the Christian faith as a command and as that which must be guarded or kept. This formulation of the matter was already presented by Jesus in the Great Commission, which in its Greek form (Mt. 28:20) contains the same verb, τηρέω, as 1 Tim. 6:14 and the verb ἐντέλλω, which is the cognate of ἐντολή.” On pages 267–268, Knight continues, saying, “The other…alternatives…refer ‘the commandment’ to vv. 11–12 or to the whole letter and would seem to require that the text read ‘this,’ rather than ‘the,’ commandment. They also seem not to give adequate attention to the definiteness and absoluteness of the phrase ‘the commandment.’”

6:14b

without stain: This is a figure of speech. If something has a stain, on it, it is not perfect. So when Paul said that Timothy should obey God’s commands without stain, he meant that Timothy should obey them perfectly.

or reproach: If Timothy obeyed God’s commands without…reproach, no one would be able to accuse or blame him for the way he behaved.

In some languages it may not be possible to translate these two terms separately or to keep the figure of speech. Some other ways to translate this verse part are:

completely and fully (CEV)

without fault or failure (NET)

6:14c

until the appearance of our Lord Jesus Christ: Paul was telling Timothy to keep obeying God’s commands until Jesus returned.

our: This again refers to Paul, Timothy, and the Ephesian believers.

Lord: The Greek word that the BSB translates as Lord is a general word that means “master.” It was used to address any respected person. Here it refers to Christ. You could translate it as “owner” or “chief.”

Jesus Christ: Notice that in this verse Paul used the more usual order Jesus Christ to refer to Jesus. It is recommended that you do the same thing.

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.