1 Timothy 1:17-19

New English Translation

Footnotes

1. 1 Timothy 1:17 tn Or more literally, “king of the ages.”
2. 1 Timothy 1:17 tc Most later witnesses (א² D¹ H^c Ψ 1175 1241 1881 M al) have “wise” (σόφῳ, sophō) 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 (Rom 14:26 in M) where μόνῳ σόφῳ θεῷ (monō sophō theō, “the only wise God”) is textually solid. It is difficult to explain why Alexandrian and Western scribes would omit “wise” in 1 Tim 1:17 while keeping it in Rom 16:27 for a similar benedition.
3. 1 Timothy 1:17 tn Grk “unto the ages of the ages,” an emphatic way of speaking about eternity in Greek.
4. 1 Timothy 1:18 sn This charge refers to the task Paul described to Timothy in vv. 3-7 above.
5. 1 Timothy 1:18 sn The prophecies once spoken about you were apparently spoken at Timothy’s ordination (cf. 1 Tim 4:14) and perhaps spoke of what God would do through him. Thus they can encourage him in his work, as the next clause says.
6. 1 Timothy 1:18 tn Grk “that by them you might fight…” (a reference to the prophecies which can encourage him in his work).
7. 1 Timothy 1:19 tn In Greek this continues the same sentence from v. 18, a participle showing the means by which Timothy will accomplish his task: Grk “fight the good fight, holding firmly…”