¹ tn Grk “Paul.” The word “from” is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied to indicate the sender of the letter.
²tn Traditionally, “servant” or “bondservant.” Though dou'lo" (doulos) is normally translated “servant,” the word does not bear the connotation of a free man serving another. BAGD 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” (BAGD 205 s.v. dou'lo"). The most accurate translation is “bondservant” (sometimes found in the ASV for dou'lo"), in that it often indicates one who sells himself into slavery to another. But as this is archaic, few today understand its force.
³tn Grk “for the faith,” possibly, “in accordance with the faith.”
⁴tn Grk “before eternal ages.”
⁵tn The Greek text emphasizes the contrast between vv. 2b and 3a: God promised this long ago but now has revealed it in his own time.
⁶tc The imperfect ajpevleipon (apeleipon) is read by A C F G 088 0240 33 1175 et pauci, while the aorist ajpevlipon (apelipon) is found in Í* D* Y 81 1739 et pauci. The imperfect thus enjoys fairly representative evidence within the Alexandrian and Western traditions. At the same time, the reading of these witnesses could be a simple itacistic change as may be suggested by a third and fourth reading (katevlipon [katelipon] in Ͳ D² Byz et alii; katevleipon [kateleipon] in L P et alii). Intrinsically, it should be noted that Paul nowhere uses the imperfect of -leipw (-leipw) verbs, though he does use the present participle on occasion. But a scribe would tend to change such forms to the aorist, to conform to Paul’s normal style. As well, in this context the aorist fits nicely, while the imperfect seems a bit awkward (especially with its internal perspective). Hence, the imperfect has a slightly greater probability of being original.
⁷tn Grk “if anyone is blameless…” as a continuation of v. 5b, beginning to describe the elder’s character.
⁸tn Or “married only once,” “devoted solely to his wife.” See the note on “wife” in 1 Tim 3:2; also 1 Tim 3:12; 5:9.
⁹tn Or “believing children.” The phrase could be translated “believing children,” but the parallel with 1 Tim 3:4 (“keeping his children in control”) argues for the sense given in the translation.
¹⁰sn The overseer is another term for the same official position of leadership as the “elder.” This is seen in the interchange of the two terms in this passage and in Acts 20:17, 28, as well as in the parallels between these verses and 1 Tim 3:1-7.
¹¹tn Grk “as God’s steward.”
¹²tn Grk “the faithful message in accordance with the teaching” (referring to apostolic teaching).
¹³tn Grk “the healthy teaching” (referring to what was just mentioned).
¹⁴tc The earliest and best manuscripts omit kai (kai) after polloi (polloi; so Í A C P 088 81 104 et alii), though the conjunction is found in several significant witnesses, chiefly of the Western and Byzantine texts (D F G I Y 33 1739 1881 Byz lat). Although it is quite possible that some scribes omitted the word, thinking it was superfluous, it is also possible that others added the conjunction for clarification. Judging by the pedigree of the witnesses and the inconclusiveness of the internal evidence, the shorter reading is considered to be most likely original.
¹⁵tc Before peritomh'" (peritomhs), several important manuscripts add the article (Í C D* I 33 81 1739 et alii). The shorter reading is supported by fairly strong support as well, though chiefly of the Western and Byzantine texts (A D² F G Y Byz). Since shorter readings are generally uncharacteristic of the Byzantine text, and since such here is backed by a few decent witnesses (especially A F G), it is most probably original. Translation is not likely to be affected either way.
tn Grk “those of the circumcision.”
¹⁶sn A saying attributed to the poet Epimenides of Crete (6th century BC).
¹⁷sn Jewish myths were legendary tales characteristic of the false teachers in Ephesus and Crete. See parallels in 1 Tim 1:4; 4:7; and 2 Tim 4:4.
¹tn Grk “say what is fitting for sound teaching” (introducing the behavior called for in this chapter.).
²tn Or “sensible.”
³sn Temperate…in endurance. See the same cluster of virtues in 1 Thess 1:3 and 1 Cor 13:13.
⁴tc The indicative (swfronivzousin, swfronizousin) after i{na (ina) is unclassical; and though it is found in Koine Greek, it is not common. Every instance of such is changed to a subjunctive in the NT manuscripts (always or almost always by the Byzantine scribes). Thus, it is clearly the harder reading. Such a harder reading becomes virtually certain as original when it is found in early Alexandrian witnesses, for these are prone (so it is assumed) to correct grammar (thus they would be prone to change the indicative to the subjunctive swfronivzwsin (swfronizwsin). In this instance, the indicative is read by Í* A F G H P et alii, a significant number of Alexandrian and Western witnesses. There can be little doubt that this is the original wording.
tn Grk “that they may train” (continuing the sentence of 2:3).
⁵tn This verb, swfronivzw (swfronizw), denotes teaching in the sense of bringing people to their senses, showing what sound thinking is.
⁶tn Or “sensible.”
⁷tn Grk “domestic,” “keeping house.”
⁸tn Or “word.”
⁹tn Or “slandered.”
¹⁰tn Or “sensible.”
¹¹tn Or “put to shame.”
¹²tn Or “to be subject to their own masters, to do what is wanted in everything.”
¹³tn Or “showing that genuine faith is productive.” At issue between these two translations is the force of ajgaqhvn (agaqhn): is it attributive (as the text has it) or predicate (as in this note)? A number of considerations point in the direction of a predicate ajgaqhvn (e.g., separation from the noun pivstin (pistin) by the verb, the possibility that the construction is an object-complement, etc.), though is not usually seen as an option in either translations or commentaries. Cf. Wallace, Exegetical Syntax, 188-89, 312-13, for a discussion. Contextually, it makes an intriguing statement, for it suggests a synthetic or synonymous parallel: “‘Slaves should be wholly subject to their masters…demonstrating that all [genuine] faith is productive, with the result [ecbatic i{na] that they will completely adorn the doctrine of God.’ The point of the text, then, if this understanding is correct, is an exhortation to slaves to demonstrate that their faith is sincere and results in holy behavior. If taken this way, the text seems to support the idea that saving faith does not fail, but even results in good works” (Wallace, 312-13). The translation of ajgaqhvn as an attributive adjective, however, also makes good sense.
¹⁴tn Or “adorn,” “show the beauty of.”
¹⁵tn Grk “all men”; but ajnqrwvpoi" (anqrwpois) is generic here, referring to both men and women.
¹⁶tn Grk “training us” (as a continuation of the previous clause). Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started at the beginning of v. 12 by translating the participle paideuvousa (paideuousa) as a finite verb and supplying the pronoun “it” as subject.
¹⁷tn Grk “ungodliness.”
¹⁸tn Grk “the blessed hope and glorious appearing.”
¹⁹tn The phrase “our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ” is one of the christologically significant texts affected by the Granville Sharp rule. According to this rule, in the article-noun-kaiv-noun construction the second noun refers to the same person described by the first noun when (1) neither is impersonal; (2) neither is plural; (3) neither is a proper name. For more discussion see Wallace, Exegetical Syntax, 270-78, esp. 276.
²⁰tn Grk “who” (as a continuation of the previous clause).
²¹tn Or “a people who are his very own.”
²²tn Grk “for good works.”
²³tn Or “reproof,” “censure.” The Greek word ejlevgcw (elencw) implies exposing someone’s sin in order to bring correction.
²⁴tn Grk “speak these things and exhort and rebuke with all authority.”
²⁵tn Or “let anyone despise you”; or “let anyone disregard you.”
¹tn Or “discredit,” “damage the reputation of.”
²tn Vv. 4-7 are set as poetry in NA26/27. These verses probably constitute the referent of the expression “this saying” in v. 8.
³tn Or “on us richly.”
⁴tn This is the conclusion of a single, skillfully composed sentence in Greek encompassing Titus 3:4-7. Showing the goal of God’s merciful salvation, v. 7 begins literally, “in order that, being justified…we might become heirs…”
⁵tn Grk “heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”
⁶sn This saying (Grk “the saying”) refers to the preceding citation (Titus 3:4-7). See 1 Tim 1:15; 3:1; 4:9; 2 Tim 2:11 for other occurrences of this phrase.
⁷tn Grk “concerning these things.”
⁸tn Cf. 1 Tim 1:4.
⁹sn Fights about the law were characteristic of the false teachers in Ephesus as well as in Crete (cf. 1 Tim 1:3-7; Titus 1:10, 14).
¹⁰tn Grk “knowing” (as a continuation of the previous clause).
¹¹tn Grk “is perverted and is sinning.”
¹²tn Grk “sin, being self-condemned.”
¹³tn Grk “Eagerly help.”
¹⁴tn Although it is possible the term nomikov" (nomikos) indicates an expert in Jewish religious law here, according to LN 33.338 and 56.37 it is more probable that Zenas was a specialist in civil law.
¹⁵tn Grk “that nothing may be lacking for them.”
¹⁶tn Grk “that those who are ours” (referring to the Christians).
¹⁷tn Grk “and also let our people learn.”
¹⁸tn Or “faithfully.”