Short exegetical essays, 1 : 2 Tim 3, 14-17

Abstract

In chapter 3 of this epistle, Paul discusses the life of the Christian leader in the distressing period of the last days. The writer builds this description in three paragraphs starting respectively at verses 1.10.14. As paragraph initial, he always uses linguistic features that somehow show the intended reader that it is marking the opening of a new thematic section. In 3,1 Paul employs the clause initial 'You must understand this'(NRSV), after which comes what Timothy is supposed to understand. In the first paragraph (3,1-9) Paul describes in what consist the difficulties created by the 'last days' for the faithful Christian. In the next two paragraphs Paul insists though that however distressful these last days are meant to be, Timothy was well equipped to face these dangers and will eventually survive. This second part of this discussion is divided by the writer of the epistle in two parts: vv.10-13. 14 -17. Each part opens with an emphatic use of the personal pronoun OD, you, followed by the contrastive particle de, 'but'; notwithstanding these language markers for discourse division, many translations ignore this division of the text and divide the text differently. NRSV lumps together the two paragraphs in vv.lO-13 and 14-17 into one. Likewise NIV, MBS, GN, and REB, but not the NBS and the NV. Probably most translations were led astray in this by the paragraph division in Nestle-Aland, Novum Testamentum Graece and The Greek New Testament edition of the United Bible Societies I; these two editions ignored the division markers furnished by the writer.