Part Fifty One – Examination of 1 & 2 Timothy Ethiopian Tewahedo Orthodox and King James

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Opening – What Was Timothy Actually Told to Guard?

Welcome back to Cause Before Symptom, where we don’t chase symptoms—we test the cause against Scripture. Tonight we continue our examination of the Ethiopian Tewahedo Orthodox Bible alongside the 1611 King James Bible, and we have reached First and Second Timothy. These two letters are different from many of the books we have already examined because Paul is not primarily writing to an entire congregation. He is writing to Timothy, a younger man entrusted with protecting, teaching, and leading the church. And almost immediately, Paul tells us why that responsibility matters. Something was already going wrong.

There were people teaching other doctrines. There were arguments over fables and genealogies. There were people wanting to become teachers of the Law without understanding what they were saying. Paul warns about false doctrine, corrupted consciences, people departing from the faith, seducing spirits, doctrines of devils, religious hypocrisy, greed, pride, and eventually a time when people would no longer endure sound doctrine at all. That sounds remarkably familiar. But before applying any of it to the modern church, we need to do what we have been doing throughout this series. We need to determine what the texts actually say.

So I am placing the Ethiopian Bible Restoration Project translation on one side and the actual 1611 King James on the other. And just as we discovered in Thessalonians, we have to be careful. Sometimes something that appears to be a translation difference is simply four hundred years of English language change. Words like “charity,” “conversation,” “study,” or “prevent” may not mean to us exactly what they meant to a reader in 1611. But there are passages in Timothy where even small differences could matter. What exactly does Paul say about women teaching and exercising authority? What does “saved in childbearing” mean? What qualifications does Paul actually give for bishops and deacons? What does he mean when he says, “great is the mystery of godliness”? Does the Ethiopian witness preserve “God was manifest in the flesh”? What happens when Paul predicts that some will “depart from the faith” in the latter times?

Then we reach Second Timothy. Paul knows his ministry is nearing its end. The letter becomes intensely personal. He tells Timothy not to be ashamed. He tells him to endure hardship. He warns him about the last days. He describes people who maintain a form of godliness while denying its power. He warns that a time will come when people will refuse sound doctrine and gather teachers who tell them what they want to hear. And right in the middle of that warning comes one of the most important statements about Scripture in the New Testament: “All scripture is given by inspiration of God.”

We are going to compare that too. I don’t want to begin with Catholic tradition, Protestant tradition, Orthodox tradition, modern church government, complementarianism, egalitarianism, or an end-times system. Those discussions can come afterward. First, we read. First Timothy. Second Timothy. Ethiopian translation. 1611 King James. Where they agree, we will say so. Where the King James simply contains older English, we will explain it. And where there is a genuine difference in wording, we will stop and examine whether that difference changes how the passage can be understood. Because Paul’s final charge to Timothy is ultimately about preserving something.

The question tonight is: What exactly was Timothy told to guard? And once we know that, there is another question waiting for us. Are we still guarding it?

Part 1 – 1 Timothy 1:1–20 – “Some Have Turned Aside”

Paul begins First Timothy with a problem already inside the church. In the Ethiopian translation, Paul tells Timothy to remain at Ephesus so that he may command certain people “not to teach other doctrines, nor to give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which cause disputes rather than godly edification which is in faith.” The 1611 King James gives substantially the same warning, using older English: “that thou mightest charge some that they teach no other doctrine, neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies.” The first thing our comparison establishes, therefore, is important. Paul is not warning Timothy primarily about persecution coming from outside the church. He is telling him to confront corrupted teaching arising within it.

Then Paul tells us what sound teaching is supposed to produce. The Ethiopian translation says, “Now the end of the commandment is love from a pure heart, and a good conscience, and sincere faith.” The 1611 King James reads “charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned.” Here the English sounds different, but the thought is remarkably close. “Charity” is the older English expression for love, while “unfeigned” means genuine or sincere. The Ethiopian translation makes the older language immediately understandable: love, a pure heart, a good conscience, and sincere faith.

Paul then describes people who have departed from that simplicity. The Ethiopian reads, “From which some, having strayed, have turned aside unto vain talk.” The King James says some have “swerved” and “turned aside unto vain jangling.” Again, this is primarily modernization. “Vain jangling” sounds strange today; “vain talk” communicates the idea plainly. Then comes the Law. Both witnesses say these people desire to be teachers of the Law while understanding neither what they say nor what they affirm. And both immediately add that “the law is good, if a man use it lawfully.” Paul’s criticism is therefore not that God’s Law is evil. His criticism is that people can teach it without understanding its purpose.

Paul then lists conduct contrary to “sound doctrine”: lawlessness, ungodliness, murder, sexual immorality, kidnapping or “menstealing,” lying, perjury, and anything else contrary to sound teaching. The Ethiopian translation makes some of the grammar easier for a modern reader, but the substance remains very close to the King James. Then Paul does something remarkable. Instead of merely pointing toward other sinners, he points toward himself. The Ethiopian translation says that Paul had formerly been “a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious,” but received mercy because he acted “ignorantly in unbelief.” Then comes the center of the chapter: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.” The King James preserves essentially the same declaration.

Paul is not presenting himself as the hero of Christianity. He is presenting himself as evidence of the mercy of Jesus. He says that his own salvation became a “pattern” for those who would afterward believe in Christ unto everlasting life. Finally Paul returns to Timothy. The Ethiopian translation says, “This charge I commit unto you, son Timothy,” so that through the prophecies concerning him he “might wage a good warfare.” The King James uses the familiar expression “war a good warfare.” Timothy is told to hold faith and a good conscience because some have rejected these and “made shipwreck” of their faith.

That final expression is preserved in both witnesses. And notice where the chapter began and ended. It begins with people teaching other doctrines, and it ends with people shipwrecking their faith. Between those two warnings stands the gospel: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. That gives us our first answer to what Timothy was told to guard. He was not merely protecting an institution. He was protecting sound doctrine, sincere faith, a good conscience, and the gospel itself from people who could use religious language while slowly turning away from the truth.

Paul had already seen it happening. And First Timothy has only just begun.

Part 2 – 1 Timothy 2:1–15 – “One God, and One Mediator”

Paul begins this chapter with prayer. The Ethiopian translation says that “supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks” should be made for all people, including kings and those in authority, so believers may live “a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.” The 1611 King James preserves essentially the same wording. The point is striking because Paul does not tell Timothy that Christians should pray only for rulers they approve of. Prayer extends to those holding authority because the desired result is peace in which godliness can flourish. Then Paul gives the reason. The Ethiopian translation says God “will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.” The King James says the same. Paul immediately follows with one of the clearest statements in the letter: “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.”

There is no meaningful difference between our two witnesses here. Both continue that Jesus “gave Himself a ransom for all.” Whatever theological systems were later constructed around mediation, Paul’s wording here is remarkably direct. God is one. The mediator is one. That mediator is Christ Jesus. Then we reach the controversial portion. The Ethiopian translation says women should dress modestly “with propriety and self-control,” rather than displaying themselves through elaborate hair, gold, pearls, or costly clothing. The 1611 King James uses older expressions, including “shamefacedness and sobriety.” This is a good example of why we are doing this comparison. “Shamefacedness” can sound today as though Paul wants women ashamed of themselves. The Ethiopian wording communicates the idea as modesty, propriety, and self-control. The emphasis continues into verse 10: a woman professing godliness should adorn herself with good works.

Then Paul says, in the Ethiopian translation, “Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection.” The King James is essentially the same. Verse 12 becomes even more important. The Ethiopian translation reads: “But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to have authority over the man, but to be in silence.” The 1611 King James reads: “But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.” There is a noticeable difference. The Ethiopian says “have authority.” The King James says “usurp authority.” To a modern reader, “usurp” can suggest taking authority illegitimately, which can make the prohibition sound narrower. The Ethiopian wording does not contain that qualification. That means we should be careful about building an interpretation entirely upon the modern sense of the English word “usurp.”

Paul then gives his own explanation: “For Adam was first formed, then Eve.” He continues that Adam was not deceived, but the woman, being deceived, was in the transgression. Both witnesses preserve this appeal to Adam and Eve. Paul therefore does not leave the instruction entirely within the local circumstances at Ephesus; he himself connects his reasoning to Genesis. Then comes perhaps the strangest sentence in the chapter: “Nevertheless she shall be saved in childbearing, if they continue in faith and love and holiness with sobriety.” The Ethiopian translation preserves that difficult statement rather than explaining it away. The King James does the same, although it uses “charity” where the Ethiopian uses “love.” Paul cannot simply mean that giving birth earns salvation, because that would collide with the gospel he teaches elsewhere and even with the surrounding emphasis on faith. Notice the qualification inside the verse itself: “if they continue in faith and love and holiness with sobriety.”

So at this point we should not force an interpretation the text has not yet given us. What we can say is that our two witnesses agree on almost everything in this chapter. The most significant wording difference is “have authority” compared with “usurp authority.” And that difference matters enough that we should remember it, because in the next chapter Paul is going to tell Timothy exactly who may oversee the church—and what kind of person that overseer must be.

Part 3 – 1 Timothy 3:1–16 – “The Mystery of Godliness”

Paul now moves from teaching inside the church to the people entrusted with overseeing it. The Ethiopian translation begins, “If a man desires the office of a bishop, he desires a good work.” The 1611 King James gives essentially the same statement. Whatever authority a bishop possesses, Paul immediately places qualifications around it. Both witnesses say a bishop must be “blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober,” well behaved, hospitable, and able to teach. He must not be controlled by wine, violence, greed, argument, or covetousness. The wording is remarkably close. The Ethiopian translation mainly makes the older English easier to hear.

Then Paul moves into the home. The Ethiopian translation says the bishop must be “one that rules well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity.” The King James preserves essentially the same wording. Paul then asks a very practical question: if a man does not know how to rule his own house, “how shall he take care of the church of God?” That tells us something important about Paul’s definition of leadership. He does not begin with charisma, speaking ability, popularity, wealth, education, or influence. He looks at character and then at the man’s own household.

Paul also says the bishop must not be a novice, because pride can cause him to fall into condemnation. He must even have “a good report” from people outside the church. Again, both witnesses agree. The private man, the family man, the public man, and the church leader are not supposed to be four different people. Then Paul turns to deacons. They must be serious, not double-tongued, not controlled by wine, and not greedy for money. They must hold “the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience.” And Paul says they should first be tested before being allowed to serve.

Verse 11 deserves attention. The Ethiopian translation says, “Even so must their wives be grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things.” The King James also reads “their wives.” So between these two witnesses, we do not have a significant difference here. Both present women or wives in connection with the qualifications surrounding the deacons. Then Paul returns to the household requirement: “Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well.” That connects directly with what we examined in the previous chapter. Whatever conclusions people reach concerning church offices today, we should first acknowledge what both of our witnesses actually preserve. The language describing both bishops and deacons is explicitly framed around a husband, a wife, children, and the management of a household.

Then the chapter suddenly becomes theological. Paul explains why he is writing these instructions: so Timothy will know how people “ought to behave” in the house of God, which he calls “the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.” Then comes verse 16. The Ethiopian translation reads: “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.” The 1611 King James also says: “God was manifest in the flesh.”

That is important. Between the two witnesses we are examining, there is no weakening of that statement. Both explicitly say “God was manifest in the flesh.” Both continue with the same progression: justified in the Spirit, seen by angels, preached among the Gentiles, believed on in the world, and received up into glory. And look at where Paul places this declaration. He has just spent most of the chapter talking about bishops, deacons, families, character, money, sobriety, reputation, and church order. Then he tells us what stands at the center of the entire house. Not the bishop.

Not the deacon. Not the institution. The mystery of godliness begins with this declaration: “God was manifest in the flesh.” That is what the church is supposed to protect. And in the next chapter, Paul tells Timothy that some people are going to depart from it.

Part 4 – 1 Timothy 4:1–16 – “In the Latter Times Some Shall Depart From the Faith”

Paul has just described the church as “the pillar and ground of the truth” and declared that “God was manifest in the flesh.” Then chapter 4 opens with a warning. The Ethiopian translation says, “Now the Spirit clearly says that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith.” The 1611 King James says, “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith.” Here the difference is simply older English. “Speaketh expressly” and “clearly says” communicate essentially the same warning. Paul does not say people outside Christianity will reject Christianity. He says some will “depart from the faith.”

Both witnesses then describe what accompanies this departure: “seducing spirits and doctrines of devils.” The Ethiopian and King James are remarkably close. Paul is describing spiritual deception operating through teaching. Then he becomes surprisingly specific. These teachers will speak lies in hypocrisy, having their consciences “seared with a hot iron.” They will forbid marriage and command people to abstain from certain foods. Paul’s response is important. He does not condemn fasting or voluntary abstinence. His concern is people turning abstinence into religious requirement concerning things God created to be received with thanksgiving. The Ethiopian translation says, “For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving.” The King James preserves the same statement.

Paul then tells Timothy that if he reminds the brethren of these things, he will be “a good minister of Jesus Christ,” nourished in the words of faith and good doctrine. Then comes another interesting comparison. The Ethiopian translation says, “For bodily exercise profits little: but godliness is profitable unto all things.” The King James says essentially the same: “bodily exercise profiteth little.” That verse can easily be misunderstood today as Paul saying physical exercise is almost worthless. But his contrast is about scale. Physical training has limited benefit because it concerns this present life. Godliness reaches further because, as Paul immediately explains, it carries “promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.” Paul is contrasting temporary benefit with eternal benefit.

Then comes a remarkable statement. Both witnesses call God “the Savior of all men, especially of those that believe.” Paul does not explain the entire theology of that sentence here, so neither should we force one onto it. But we should allow the words to stand exactly where Paul placed them. Then Paul turns directly toward Timothy. “Let no man despise your youth.” Timothy’s authority is not supposed to come from age, intimidation, or position. Paul tells him to become an example to believers. The Ethiopian translation lists “word, conversation, love, spirit, faith, purity.” The King James uses nearly identical language, including the older word “conversation.” In 1611 English, “conversation” could refer to conduct or manner of life, not merely talking with someone. So Paul is telling Timothy to demonstrate the teaching through the way he lives.

He continues: give attention to reading, exhortation, and doctrine. Do not neglect the gift given through prophecy and the laying on of hands. Meditate upon these things and give yourself wholly to them. Then Paul ends with a warning that reaches back to the beginning of the chapter: “Take heed to yourself, and to the doctrine; continue in them.” And then comes the difficult phrase: “for in doing this you shall both save yourself and them that hear you.” Both witnesses preserve it. Paul has already identified God as Savior and Christ as mediator, so Timothy is not replacing Christ as the source of salvation. The context is perseverance. Timothy must watch both his life and his doctrine because corrupted teaching can lead people away from the faith.

That brings the entire chapter together. Some will depart from the faith through deceptive teaching. Timothy’s answer is not to invent something new. Watch your life. Watch your doctrine. And continue in what you were given.

Part 5 – 1 Timothy 5:1–6:21 – “The Love of Money”

Paul now moves from doctrine into the everyday problems of caring for a church. He tells Timothy how to treat older men, younger men, older women, younger women, widows, elders, servants, wealthy believers, and false teachers. And throughout these instructions, the Ethiopian translation and the 1611 King James remain remarkably close. Paul begins with relationships. An older man should be treated as a father, younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters “with all purity.” Christianity is not merely a collection of doctrines. Paul expects doctrine to determine how people actually treat one another.

Then he spends considerable time discussing widows. The Ethiopian translation says, “Honor widows that are truly widows.” The King James says, “Honour widows that are widows indeed.” The older wording sounds unusual today, but the meaning is essentially identical. Paul is distinguishing women genuinely without support from those whose families can care for them. Then comes a severe statement. If someone refuses to provide for his own household, Paul says he “has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” The 1611 King James uses “infidel” where the Ethiopian translation uses “unbeliever.” That is not a theological difference. “Infidel” was older English for someone without the faith.

Paul then turns to church elders. Those who rule well should receive “double honor,” particularly those laboring in teaching. But leadership does not place someone beyond accountability. An accusation against an elder requires two or three witnesses, while those who persist in sin are to be rebuked publicly. Paul even commands Timothy to do this “without preferring one before another, doing nothing by partiality.” Then chapter 6 addresses servants and masters before returning again to false teaching. Paul says anyone who teaches otherwise and refuses the wholesome words of Jesus Christ is proud and understands nothing. Such a person becomes consumed with disputes, arguments, envy, suspicion, and conflict.

Then money enters the picture. The Ethiopian translation says some corrupt teachers suppose “that gain is godliness.” The 1611 King James preserves the same warning. In other words, Paul is describing people who begin treating religion as a way to acquire wealth. His response is almost the reverse: “But godliness with contentment is great gain.” Then comes one of the most misquoted verses in Scripture. The Ethiopian translation says, “For the love of money is the root of all evil.” The 1611 King James says the same. Paul does not say money is evil. He says the love of money is the problem.

And the surrounding verses make his meaning even clearer. “We brought nothing into this world,” Paul says, “and it is certain we can carry nothing out.” Those determined to become rich can fall into temptation, snares, and destructive desires. Paul says some, while coveting money, “have erred from the faith and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.” But Paul does not command every wealthy Christian to dispose of everything they possess. Later in the same chapter, he tells Timothy what to tell the rich. They must not become proud or trust in “uncertain riches,” but trust in the living God. They are to become rich in good works, generous, and willing to share.

So the problem is not possession. The problem is what possesses you. Then Paul brings Timothy back to the central theme of these letters: “Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life.” And finally: “O Timothy, keep that which is committed to your trust.” The Ethiopian translation and King James stand together on the central message. Timothy has been entrusted with something that money, ambition, arguments, false doctrine, and religious corruption can destroy if he does not guard it. Paul began this letter warning about people who had turned aside. He ends First Timothy telling Timothy not to follow them.

Guard what was entrusted to you.

Part 6 – 2 Timothy 1:1–18 – “God Has Not Given Us the Spirit of Fear”

Second Timothy feels different almost immediately. Paul is no longer simply instructing Timothy about the administration of the church. He is speaking personally to a man he loves, while suffering and knowing that the end of his own ministry is approaching. Paul calls Timothy his “dearly beloved son” and remembers him constantly in prayer. He remembers Timothy’s tears, his family, and particularly the faith that first lived in his grandmother Lois and his mother Eunice. The Ethiopian translation calls it the “sincere faith” that was in Timothy. The 1611 King James calls it “unfeigned faith.” Once again, this is primarily a difference in English rather than meaning. “Unfeigned” means genuine, sincere, not pretended. Paul is talking about a faith that is real.

Then Paul tells Timothy to “stir up the gift of God” that is within him through the laying on of Paul’s hands. Immediately after that comes one of the best-known statements in these letters. The Ethiopian translation reads, “For God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” The 1611 King James preserves essentially the same wording: “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” There is no meaningful difference between our two witnesses here.

But context matters enormously. Paul is not promising Timothy that Christians will never experience the emotion of fear. The very next verse tells us what Paul is addressing. Timothy must not be ashamed of the testimony of Jesus or ashamed of Paul because Paul is a prisoner. Instead, Timothy is told to participate in the suffering connected with the gospel. So “God has not given us the spirit of fear” is not a promise of a trouble-free life. It is a command not to allow fear to silence faithfulness. Then Paul explains why. God “has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace.” The Ethiopian translation and King James again stand together. Salvation and calling originate in God’s purpose and grace, not human achievement.

Paul then turns directly to Christ. The Ethiopian translation says Jesus Christ “has abolished death, and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.” The King James says the same. Think about the circumstances in which Paul is writing those words. Paul is suffering. Paul is imprisoned. Paul knows death is approaching. And Paul writes that Christ has abolished death. He does not mean Christians no longer physically die. Paul himself is approaching death. He means death no longer possesses the final victory. Christ has brought life and immortality into the light through the gospel.

That explains Paul’s next declaration: “Nevertheless I am not ashamed.” Then comes another deeply personal statement preserved in both witnesses: “for I know whom I have believed.” Notice that Paul does not merely say, “I know what I believe.” He says, “I know whom I have believed.” Christian faith, for Paul, ultimately rests in a Person. Then Paul turns the responsibility back to Timothy. The Ethiopian translation tells him, “Hold fast the pattern of sound words which you have heard from me.” The 1611 King James uses the older expression, “Hold fast the form of sound words.”

Again, the Ethiopian wording helps clarify the older English. Timothy has received a pattern of sound teaching. He is not being commissioned to reinvent Christianity for the next generation. He is being told to preserve what he received. And then Paul says something painfully human. People in Asia had turned away from him. He specifically names Phygellus and Hermogenes. But he also remembers Onesiphorus, who was not ashamed of Paul’s chains and diligently searched for him in Rome until he found him. That gives us the contrast running through the entire chapter. Some turned away.

One searched until he found Paul. Timothy must decide what kind of man he will be. And Paul’s answer to fear is not comfort, safety, popularity, or escape from suffering. It is power. Love. A sound mind. And faithfulness to what has been entrusted to him.

Part 7 – 2 Timothy 2:1–26 – “Study to Show Yourself Approved”

Paul begins this chapter by telling Timothy, “Be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.” Then he describes how the faith is supposed to continue after Paul is gone. The Ethiopian translation says, “The things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, the same commit to faithful men who shall be able to teach others also.” The 1611 King James preserves essentially the same instruction. Timothy received something from Paul, and Timothy is supposed to entrust it to others who will preserve and teach it again. Paul then gives three pictures: a soldier, an athlete, and a farmer. The Ethiopian translation says, “You therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.” The King James uses essentially the same wording. The soldier does not become entangled with the affairs of this life because his objective is to please the one who enlisted him.

The Ethiopian translation then makes Paul’s athletic picture easier for a modern audience: “And if a man also competes in games, he is not crowned unless he competes lawfully.” The older King James speaks of a man who “strive for masteries” and says he is not crowned unless he strives lawfully. The language has changed, but the message has not. It is not enough merely to compete. There are rules governing the race. Paul then reminds Timothy of the center of everything: “Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead.” Paul may be imprisoned, but he immediately adds, “the word of God is not bound.”

Then comes a serious warning. “If we suffer, we shall also reign with Him: if we deny Him, He also will deny us.” Both witnesses preserve that language. Paul follows it by saying that even if we are faithless, Christ remains faithful because “He cannot deny Himself.” Whatever theology we build around those verses must allow both statements to remain standing. Then we arrive at one of the most famous verses in Second Timothy. The Ethiopian translation says, “Study to show yourself approved unto God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

The 1611 King James famously says, “Study to shew thy selfe approued vnto God, a workeman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly diuiding the word of trueth.” In this case, the Ethiopian translation retains language extremely close to the King James, including the word “study.” But we need to be careful with that word. In older English, “study” could carry the broader sense of applying oneself diligently or making earnest effort. Paul’s command is bigger than simply sitting down with books. Timothy is to present himself before God as an approved worker who handles the word of truth correctly.

And Paul immediately shows us what happens when truth is handled incorrectly. He names Hymenaeus and Philetus, who were teaching “that the resurrection is past already.” Paul says this error was overthrowing the faith of some. This is important. Their teaching apparently still used Christian ideas. They still talked about resurrection. The problem was that they moved something true into the wrong place and made it false. That is a remarkable warning about doctrine. You do not necessarily have to deny a biblical event to corrupt it. You can change when it happens, what it means, or how it should be understood.

Yet Paul says, “The foundation of God stands sure,” bearing this seal: “The Lord knows them that are His.” Then Paul changes the picture again. A great house contains vessels of gold, silver, wood, and earth. A person who purges himself from dishonor becomes “a vessel unto honor, sanctified, and fit for the Master’s use.” Finally, Paul tells Timothy how someone defending truth should behave. This may be one of the most overlooked parts of the chapter. “The servant of the Lord must not strive.” Both witnesses preserve it. Timothy must be gentle, able to teach, patient, and meek when instructing those who oppose themselves. Why? Because the objective is not to destroy the person who is wrong. Paul says God may grant them repentance so that they acknowledge the truth and escape “the snare of the devil.”

So “rightly dividing the word of truth” is not permission to become arrogant with Scripture. The approved worker knows the truth. He refuses to corrupt it. And he teaches it with enough humility to want the person who is wrong to be rescued.

Part 8 – 2 Timothy 3:1–9 – “In the Last Days Perilous Times Shall Come”

Paul now tells Timothy to look ahead. The Ethiopian translation begins, “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.” The 1611 King James preserves the same warning. There is no meaningful difference between the two witnesses. Paul expects a period he describes as dangerous or difficult, but what makes these times perilous is worth noticing. He does not begin with wars, earthquakes, governments, technology, famine, or economic collapse. He begins with people. The Ethiopian translation says people will be “lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy.” The 1611 King James preserves essentially the same list. Some of its words sound older to us, but the picture is unmistakable. The danger Paul describes begins with a corruption of human character.

Then the language becomes even stronger. The Ethiopian translation continues: “Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good.” Several of those King James expressions require translation for a modern listener. “Without natural affection” describes the loss of ordinary human or familial affection. “Trucebreakers” refers to people who cannot be reconciled or who refuse peace. “Incontinent” here has nothing to do with the modern medical meaning of the word. It means without self-control. The Ethiopian translation retains much of this older vocabulary rather than completely modernizing it, so in this passage the two English witnesses sound unusually similar.

Paul continues: “Traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God.” And then comes the sentence that changes the entire passage. “Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof.” Both witnesses preserve it. That means Paul is not merely describing an openly godless world. These people can possess a form of godliness. There can be an outward appearance of religion while the transforming power that should accompany it has been rejected. Paul does not tell Timothy to be impressed by the appearance. He says, “from such turn away.” That connects directly with everything we have been reading since First Timothy. Paul has repeatedly warned about people who use religious language while departing from sound doctrine. Here the deception becomes more difficult to recognize because it can actually look godly from the outside.

Then Paul gives an uncomfortable example. He describes men who “creep into houses” and lead captive what the King James calls “silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts.” The Ethiopian translation preserves nearly the same wording, including “silly women.” That word sounds far harsher to modern ears than it would have functioned in older English. The point is not that women as a class are foolish. Paul is describing vulnerable people burdened by sin and desires who become targets for deceptive teachers. The context is exploitation. Then comes one of the most haunting descriptions in the chapter:

“Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.” Again, both witnesses preserve it. Information is not necessarily truth. A person can continually learn, listen, study, discuss, and accumulate knowledge while never arriving at the truth Paul is telling Timothy to guard. Finally Paul mentions Jannes and Jambres, saying that just as they resisted Moses, these men resist the truth. Paul calls them people of corrupt minds and “reprobate concerning the faith.” Yet he says their progress will eventually stop because their folly will become evident. So what are the “perilous times”?

Paul’s answer is more personal than we might expect. Self-love replaces love of God. Pleasure replaces devotion. Knowledge accumulates without truth. Religion retains its outward form while losing its power. And deception operates from inside something that can still look spiritual. That is why Timothy must know not only what Christianity looks like. He must know what is real.

Part 9 – 2 Timothy 3:10–4:8 – “All Scripture Is Given by Inspiration of God”

Paul has just described people who are “ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.” Now he turns Timothy in the opposite direction. Instead of following corrupted teachers, Timothy is told to remember what he has already received. Paul says Timothy has known his “doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, patience,” along with the persecutions and afflictions Paul endured. The 1611 King James preserves essentially the same testimony. Paul’s doctrine was not separated from his life. Timothy had watched both. Then Paul makes a statement that is difficult to soften: “All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.”

Both witnesses preserve it. Paul does not promise Timothy that faithfulness will make life easier. In fact, he immediately says evil people and deceivers will “grow worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.” Timothy’s answer is not to change with them. “But continue in the things which you have learned.” Paul reminds Timothy that from childhood he has known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make him “wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.” Then we reach one of the most important statements in the entire examination. The Ethiopian translation reads: “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.”

The 1611 King James reads essentially the same: “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God.” Between these two witnesses, there is no meaningful difference in that declaration. And notice what Paul says Scripture does. It teaches. It reproves. It corrects. It instructs in righteousness. And the purpose is that the man of God may be complete and equipped for every good work. Then chapter 4 begins with extraordinary seriousness. Paul charges Timothy before God and Jesus Christ to “preach the word.” The King James tells him to “be instant in season, out of season.” To modern ears, “instant” can sound like Paul means immediate. In older English, the sense is to be ready, urgent, persistent. Timothy must remain prepared whether the opportunity seems convenient or inconvenient.

Why? Because Paul says a time will come when people “will not endure sound doctrine.” That connects directly with everything we have been reading. The problem will not be that teachers disappear. There will be plenty of teachers. Paul says people will gather teachers to themselves according to their own desires, “having itching ears.” They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn toward fables. That is almost the reverse of biblical discipleship. Instead of allowing truth to correct their desires, they choose teachers who confirm their desires. Timothy is commanded to do the opposite: remain watchful, endure affliction, do the work of an evangelist, and fulfill his ministry.

Then Paul’s attention turns toward himself. He knows the end is near. The Ethiopian translation and King James preserve the famous declaration: “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith.” Paul does not say he built the largest church. He does not mention wealth. He does not mention influence. He does not even measure his ministry by how many people remained beside him. His measurement is faithfulness. “I have kept the faith.” And Paul says there is now laid up for him “a crown of righteousness,” which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give him on that day—and not to Paul alone, but to all who love Christ’s appearing.

That brings us back to the question we started with. What was Timothy supposed to guard? Paul has now answered it repeatedly. The gospel. Sound doctrine. The word of truth. The faith. And the God-inspired Scriptures capable of making a person wise unto salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. Timothy is not being told to improve them. He is being told to continue in them.

Part 10 – 2 Timothy 4:9–22 and Overall Comparison – “Guard What Was Entrusted to You”

Paul has reached the end. After two letters warning Timothy about false doctrine, corrupted teachers, money, pride, apostasy, persecution, and people who will no longer endure sound teaching, the final verses become intensely personal. Paul asks Timothy to come to him quickly. Then he explains why. “Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world.” The 1611 King James preserves the same devastating statement in older English: “Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world.” There is no significant difference between our two witnesses. That sentence is especially powerful after everything Paul has told Timothy. Demas had apparently been close enough to Paul to serve alongside him, yet proximity to an apostle did not guarantee faithfulness. When the pressure came, Demas chose the present world.

Then Paul says, “Only Luke is with me.” Paul is approaching the end of his life, and the circle around him has become very small. But then something surprising happens. Paul tells Timothy, “Take Mark, and bring him with you: for he is profitable to me for the ministry.” This is the same Mark whose earlier departure had contributed to the sharp disagreement between Paul and Barnabas. Yet here, near the end of Paul’s life, Mark is useful to him again. Failure did not have to be final. Then Paul names Alexander the coppersmith and says he “did me much evil.” Both witnesses preserve the warning. But Paul does not tell Timothy to seek revenge. He says, “the Lord reward him according to his works.” Judgment is placed in God’s hands.

Then we arrive at one of the loneliest statements Paul ever wrote. “At my first answer no man stood with me, but all men forsook me.” And then Paul says, “I pray God that it may not be laid to their charge.” Think about that. The man who has just been abandoned does not finish by asking God to destroy everyone who abandoned him. He asks for mercy. And then comes the contrast: “Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me.” Everyone else could leave. The Lord did not. Paul says the Lord delivered him and would preserve him “unto His heavenly kingdom.” The Ethiopian translation and the 1611 King James again stand together. Paul’s confidence at the end of his life is not that he will escape death. He has already told us that his departure is near. His confidence is that death cannot prevent Christ from bringing him into His kingdom.

And that brings us to the overall comparison of First and Second Timothy. We found many places where the Ethiopian translation and the 1611 King James are extraordinarily close. Sometimes the apparent difference was simply older English: “unfeigned” and “sincere,” “infidel” and “unbeliever,” or expressions whose meanings have shifted over four centuries. We also found places worth noticing. In First Timothy 2, the Ethiopian translation says a woman is not “to have authority over the man,” while the King James says not “to usurp authority over the man.” That wording deserves attention because modern readers can hear “usurp” more narrowly.

But on many of the largest theological declarations, our two witnesses stand together. “One God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” “God was manifest in the flesh.” “Some shall depart from the faith.” “The love of money is the root of all evil.” “God has not given us the spirit of fear.” “Study to show yourself approved unto God.” “In the last days perilous times shall come.” “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God.” And finally: “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith.”

That may be the sentence that explains both letters. Paul received something. Paul guarded it. Paul suffered for it. And before he died, he entrusted it to Timothy. Timothy was then commanded to entrust it to faithful people who could teach others also. The chain was never supposed to end with Timothy. And perhaps that leaves us with the most important question of this entire examination. If Paul could stand at the end of his life and say, “I have kept the faith,” will we be able to say the same?

Conclusion – “I Have Kept the Faith”

We began this examination with one question: What was Timothy actually told to guard? After reading First and Second Timothy beside one another, and placing the Ethiopian translation beside the 1611 King James, the answer becomes difficult to miss. Paul was preparing Timothy to preserve the faith when other people would abandon it. From the beginning of First Timothy, the danger was already present. Some were teaching other doctrines. Some wanted to become teachers without understanding what they were teaching. Others had rejected faith and a good conscience and made shipwreck of their faith. Then the warning became stronger.

“The Spirit clearly says that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith.” Paul warned about seducing spirits, doctrines of devils, hypocrisy, greed, religious arguments, and people who believed godliness could become a means of gain. Then Second Timothy carried the warning even further. “In the last days perilous times shall come.” But the danger Paul described was not merely something happening in governments or nations. It was happening inside people. They would become lovers of themselves, lovers of money, lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God. And perhaps most disturbing of all, they could still possess “a form of godliness.”

Religion could remain after its power was gone. Then Paul said the time would come when people “will not endure sound doctrine.” Instead, they would gather teachers around themselves according to their own desires. That may be one of the greatest warnings in these letters. The danger is not always that someone takes the Bible away from us. Sometimes the danger is that we keep the Bible, keep the church, keep the language, keep the teachers, and gradually surround ourselves with interpretations that tell us exactly what we already wanted to hear. Paul’s answer is remarkably simple.

Continue. “Continue in the things which you have learned.” “Hold fast the pattern of sound words.” “Study to show yourself approved unto God.” “Preach the word.” “Fight the good fight of faith.” And finally: “Keep that which is committed to your trust.” Our comparison also taught us something important about the two biblical witnesses themselves. Much of what initially sounds different between the Ethiopian translation and the 1611 King James turns out to be the changing English language. “Unfeigned” becomes sincere. “Infidel” becomes unbeliever. Older expressions become clearer when rendered for modern ears. There are places where wording deserves closer examination, such as “have authority” compared with “usurp authority.” Those differences should not be ignored.

But the central message survived our comparison remarkably intact. There is one God. There is one mediator between God and humanity, Christ Jesus. Christ came to save sinners. God was manifest in the flesh. Some will depart from the faith. Scripture is given by inspiration of God. Jesus Christ abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. And Timothy was commanded to guard what he had received. Then we reach Paul’s final testimony. “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith.” Notice what Paul wanted to say at the end.

Not, “I was always right.” Not, “Everyone stayed with me.” Not, “I became powerful.” Not even, “I won every argument.” “I have kept the faith.” Maybe that is the question these two letters leave with every generation after Timothy. We inherited something. The gospel did not begin with us. Scripture did not begin with us. The faith was handed down through people who sometimes suffered terribly rather than surrender what they had received. Now it has reached us. And one day our course will also be finished. When that day comes, perhaps the greatest thing any of us could say is what Paul said while standing near the end of his own life:

“I have fought a good fight.” “I have finished my course.” “I have kept the faith.”

Bibliography

• The Ethiopian Bible Restoration Project. The Ethiopian Bible: Geʽez to English. 2025. Ethiopian Bible Restoration Project.
• The Holy Bible, Containing the Old Testament and the New: Newly Translated out of the Original Tongues. London: Robert Barker, 1611. King James Version.
• Fee, Gordon D. 1 and 2 Timothy, Titus. New International Biblical Commentary. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 1988.
• Guthrie, Donald. The Pastoral Epistles: An Introduction and Commentary. Tyndale New Testament Commentaries. Leicester, England: InterVarsity Press, 1990.
• Johnson, Luke Timothy. The First and Second Letters to Timothy. Anchor Bible 35A. New York: Doubleday, 2001.
• Knight, George W., III. The Pastoral Epistles: A Commentary on the Greek Text. New International Greek Testament Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1992.
• Marshall, I. Howard, with Philip H. Towner. A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Pastoral Epistles. International Critical Commentary. Edinburgh: T&T Clark, 1999.
• Mounce, William D. Pastoral Epistles. Word Biblical Commentary 46. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2000.
• Towner, Philip H. The Letters to Timothy and Titus. New International Commentary on the New Testament. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2006.
• Wall, Robert W., and Richard B. Steele. 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus. Two Horizons New Testament Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2012.
• Witherington, Ben, III. A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary on Titus, 1–2 Timothy and 1–3 John. Letters and Homilies for Hellenized Christians, Vol. 1. Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2006.

Endnotes

1. 1 Timothy 1:3–4. Paul’s opening concern is the teaching of “other doctrine,” together with attention to fables and endless genealogies.
2. 1 Timothy 1:5. The Ethiopian translation renders Paul’s goal as “love from a pure heart, and a good conscience, and sincere faith,” while the 1611 King James uses “charity” and “faith unfeigned.”
3. 1 Timothy 1:6. The Ethiopian translation’s “vain talk” corresponds to the older King James expression “vain jangling.”
4. 1 Timothy 1:7. Paul criticizes those desiring to become teachers of the Law while failing to understand what they teach.
5. 1 Timothy 1:8. Both witnesses preserve the declaration that “the law is good, if a man use it lawfully.”
6. 1 Timothy 1:9–10. Paul’s list describes conduct contrary to sound doctrine, including lawlessness, murder, sexual immorality, kidnapping or “menstealing,” lying, and perjury.
7. 1 Timothy 1:12–14. Paul describes his former life as that of a blasphemer, persecutor, and injurious man who nevertheless received mercy.
8. 1 Timothy 1:15. Both witnesses preserve the declaration, “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.”
9. 1 Timothy 1:16. Paul describes himself as a pattern demonstrating Christ’s longsuffering toward those who would afterward believe.
10. 1 Timothy 1:18–19. Timothy is commanded to “war a good warfare,” holding faith and a good conscience.
11. 1 Timothy 1:19–20. Paul describes some as having made “shipwreck” concerning faith and specifically names Hymenaeus and Alexander.
12. 1 Timothy 2:1–2. Paul commands prayer, supplication, intercession, and thanksgiving for all people, specifically including kings and those in authority.
13. 1 Timothy 2:3–4. Both witnesses describe God as desiring all people “to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.”
14. 1 Timothy 2:5. Both texts declare, “There is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.”
15. 1 Timothy 2:6. Christ is described as having given Himself “a ransom for all.”
16. 1 Timothy 2:8. Paul commands men to pray everywhere, lifting holy hands without wrath and doubting.
17. 1 Timothy 2:9–10. The Ethiopian translation uses “propriety and self-control” in its description of modest dress, while the 1611 King James employs the older expression “shamefacedness and sobriety.”
18. 1 Timothy 2:10. Paul contrasts outward ornamentation with the good works appropriate to those professing godliness.
19. 1 Timothy 2:11. Both witnesses instruct the woman to learn “in silence with all subjection.”
20. 1 Timothy 2:12. The Ethiopian translation reads “nor to have authority over the man,” while the King James uses “nor to usurp authority over the man.” This is one of the more noticeable English wording differences encountered in the examination.
21. 1 Timothy 2:13–14. Paul grounds his argument in the order of Adam and Eve and in the Genesis account of deception and transgression.
22. 1 Timothy 2:15. Both witnesses preserve the difficult statement concerning being “saved in childbearing,” followed by continuing in faith, love or charity, holiness, and sobriety.
23. 1 Timothy 3:1. Both witnesses describe the office of a bishop as “a good work.”
24. 1 Timothy 3:2. The bishop is required to be blameless and “the husband of one wife,” as well as vigilant, sober, hospitable, and able to teach.
25. 1 Timothy 3:3. Paul excludes drunkenness, violence, greed, contentiousness, and covetousness from the character of an overseer.
26. 1 Timothy 3:4–5. Management of a man’s household becomes part of Paul’s test for his ability to care for the church of God.
27. 1 Timothy 3:6. A bishop must not be a novice because pride can lead to condemnation.
28. 1 Timothy 3:7. Paul requires a good reputation even among those outside the church.
29. 1 Timothy 3:8–9. Deacons must be serious, not double-tongued, not controlled by wine or greed, and must hold the mystery of faith with a pure conscience.
30. 1 Timothy 3:10. Deacons are to be tested before serving.
31. 1 Timothy 3:11. The Ethiopian translation and King James both refer to “their wives” as grave or serious, not slanderers, sober, and faithful.
32. 1 Timothy 3:12. Deacons are described as “husbands of one wife,” ruling their children and households well.
33. 1 Timothy 3:13. The older expression “purchase to themselves a good degree” concerns the standing gained through faithful service rather than the literal purchase of an office.
34. 1 Timothy 3:15. Paul calls the church of the living God “the pillar and ground of the truth.”
35. 1 Timothy 3:16. The Ethiopian translation explicitly reads, “God was manifest in the flesh.”
36. 1 Timothy 3:16. The 1611 King James likewise reads “God was manifest in the flesh.” Between the two witnesses used in this examination, there is therefore no difference on that wording.
37. 1 Timothy 3:16. The verse continues with Christ being justified in the Spirit, seen by angels, preached among the Gentiles, believed on in the world, and received up into glory.
38. 1 Timothy 4:1. The Ethiopian translation says “the Spirit clearly says,” while the 1611 King James uses the older “the Spirit speaketh expressly.” Both introduce the prophecy of departure from the faith.
39. 1 Timothy 4:1. Paul specifically says that “some shall depart from the faith,” making apostasy within the sphere of professed faith central to the warning.
40. 1 Timothy 4:1–2. The departure is associated with seducing spirits, doctrines of devils, hypocrisy, lies, and a seared conscience.
41. 1 Timothy 4:3. Paul identifies forbidding marriage and commanding abstinence from foods among the teachings being condemned.
42. 1 Timothy 4:4–5. Paul says God’s creation is good and is to be received with thanksgiving, being sanctified by God’s word and prayer.
43. 1 Timothy 4:6. Timothy is told that faithfully reminding believers of these things characterizes a good minister of Jesus Christ.
44. 1 Timothy 4:7. Paul tells Timothy to reject profane and “old wives’ fables” and instead exercise himself toward godliness.
45. 1 Timothy 4:8. Both witnesses state that bodily exercise “profits little” or “profiteth little,” while godliness carries promise concerning both the present life and the life to come.
46. 1 Timothy 4:10. God is described as “the Savior of all men, especially of those that believe.”
47. 1 Timothy 4:12. Timothy is told not to allow his youth to be despised but to become an example in word, conduct, love, faith, and purity.
48. 1 Timothy 4:12. The King James term “conversation” can carry the older sense of conduct or manner of life rather than merely verbal conversation.
49. 1 Timothy 4:13–14. Timothy is instructed to devote himself to reading, exhortation, and doctrine and not neglect the gift associated with prophecy and the laying on of hands.
50. 1 Timothy 4:16. Paul commands Timothy to watch both himself and his doctrine and to continue in them.
51. 1 Timothy 4:16. Both witnesses preserve the statement that by continuing faithfully Timothy will “save” himself and those hearing him; the immediate context concerns perseverance in life and doctrine.
52. 1 Timothy 5:1–2. Timothy is instructed to treat older men as fathers, younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters with purity.
53. 1 Timothy 5:3. “Widows indeed” in the King James corresponds to the Ethiopian translation’s clearer “truly widows.”
54. 1 Timothy 5:4–8. Paul places primary responsibility for needy family members upon their own families where such support is available.
55. 1 Timothy 5:8. The Ethiopian translation uses “unbeliever” where the King James traditionally uses “infidel,” an older term for one outside the faith.
56. 1 Timothy 5:17–18. Elders who rule well are considered worthy of “double honor,” especially those laboring in word and doctrine.
57. 1 Timothy 5:19. An accusation against an elder is not to be received without two or three witnesses.
58. 1 Timothy 5:20–21. Persistent public sin is to be rebuked openly, while Timothy is commanded to act without partiality.
59. 1 Timothy 5:22. “Lay hands suddenly on no man” warns against haste in the laying on of hands and association with another person’s sins.
60. 1 Timothy 5:23. Paul personally advises Timothy to use a little wine for his stomach and frequent infirmities.
61. 1 Timothy 6:1–2. Paul addresses servants and masters and places concern for God’s name and doctrine at the center of the instruction.
62. 1 Timothy 6:3–5. False teaching is associated with pride, unhealthy disputes, strife, suspicion, and the belief that gain is godliness.
63. 1 Timothy 6:6. Paul reverses that logic with the declaration, “godliness with contentment is great gain.”
64. 1 Timothy 6:7–8. Human beings bring nothing into the world and can carry nothing out; Paul therefore connects contentment with basic provision.
65. 1 Timothy 6:9. Paul warns that those determined to become rich can fall into temptation, a snare, and destructive desires.
66. 1 Timothy 6:10. Both witnesses read, “the love of money is the root of all evil.” The grammatical subject is the love of money, not money itself.
67. 1 Timothy 6:10. Paul connects covetousness with wandering from the faith and piercing oneself with many sorrows.
68. 1 Timothy 6:11–12. Timothy is commanded to flee these things, pursue righteousness and godliness, and “fight the good fight of faith.”
69. 1 Timothy 6:15–16. God is described as King of kings and Lord of lords, possessing immortality and dwelling in unapproachable light.
70. 1 Timothy 6:17–19. Wealthy believers are not commanded merely to possess nothing; they are commanded not to trust riches and instead to become rich in good works, generosity, and willingness to share.
71. 1 Timothy 6:20–21. First Timothy closes with the command, “O Timothy, keep that which is committed to your trust.”
72. 2 Timothy 1:3–5. Paul remembers Timothy, his tears, and the faith associated with his grandmother Lois and mother Eunice.
73. 2 Timothy 1:5. “Unfeigned faith” in the older King James conveys genuine or sincere faith, corresponding closely with the Ethiopian translation’s wording.
74. 2 Timothy 1:6. Timothy is told to stir up the gift of God associated with the laying on of Paul’s hands.
75. 2 Timothy 1:7. Both witnesses preserve, “God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”
76. 2 Timothy 1:8. The immediate context of the statement about fear concerns Timothy refusing shame and participating faithfully in suffering for the gospel.
77. 2 Timothy 1:9. Salvation and holy calling are attributed to God’s purpose and grace rather than human works.
78. 2 Timothy 1:10. Both witnesses say Christ “has abolished death” and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.
79. 2 Timothy 1:12. Paul’s confidence is personal: “I know whom I have believed.”
80. 2 Timothy 1:13. The Ethiopian translation’s “pattern of sound words” corresponds to the King James expression “form of sound words.”
81. 2 Timothy 1:14. Timothy is commanded to guard the good thing entrusted to him through the Holy Spirit.
82. 2 Timothy 1:15–18. Paul contrasts those who turned away from him with Onesiphorus, who diligently sought him in Rome and was not ashamed of his chains.
83. 2 Timothy 2:1–2. Timothy is commanded to entrust what he received from Paul to faithful people capable of teaching others.
84. 2 Timothy 2:3–4. Paul compares Timothy to a soldier who endures hardship and avoids becoming entangled with the affairs of ordinary life.
85. 2 Timothy 2:5. The Ethiopian translation’s image of competing in games makes clearer the older King James expression “strive for masteries.” In both, the competitor must compete lawfully to receive the crown.
86. 2 Timothy 2:6. Paul’s third image is the hardworking farmer who first partakes of the fruit.
87. 2 Timothy 2:8–9. Paul identifies the risen Jesus Christ, descended from David, as central to his gospel and declares that although he is bound, “the word of God is not bound.”
88. 2 Timothy 2:11–13. Paul places together dying and living with Christ, suffering and reigning, denial and being denied, and Christ’s continuing faithfulness because He cannot deny Himself.
89. 2 Timothy 2:15. Both witnesses preserve “Study to show yourself approved unto God” and “rightly dividing the word of truth.” The older English sense of “study” can encompass earnest diligence and application rather than only academic study.
90. 2 Timothy 2:16–18. Hymenaeus and Philetus are identified as teaching that the resurrection had already occurred, thereby overthrowing the faith of some.
91. 2 Timothy 2:17. The older image that their teaching “will eat as a canker” describes something spreading destructively, comparable to gangrene.
92. 2 Timothy 2:19. Despite doctrinal corruption, Paul declares that God’s foundation stands sure and that “The Lord knows them that are His.”
93. 2 Timothy 2:20–21. Paul’s image of vessels in a great house describes becoming a vessel of honor, sanctified and prepared for the Master’s use.
94. 2 Timothy 2:22. Timothy is told to flee youthful lusts while pursuing righteousness, faith, love, and peace.
95. 2 Timothy 2:23–26. Paul commands avoidance of foolish controversies and says “the servant of the Lord must not strive,” but must teach patiently and meekly in hope of repentance and recovery from the devil’s snare.
96. 2 Timothy 3:1. Both witnesses preserve the warning, “In the last days perilous times shall come.”
97. 2 Timothy 3:2–4. Paul characterizes those times principally through corrupted human character: self-love, covetousness, pride, ingratitude, lack of holiness, lack of self-control, betrayal, and love of pleasure rather than God.
98. 2 Timothy 3:3. Several traditional English terms require care for modern readers. “Incontinent” means lacking self-control, while “trucebreakers” describes those unwilling or unable to maintain reconciliation or peace.
99. 2 Timothy 3:5. The people Paul describes can retain “a form of godliness” while denying its power.
100. 2 Timothy 3:6. Both witnesses preserve the older expression “silly women” in Paul’s description of vulnerable people being led captive by deceptive teachers.
101. 2 Timothy 3:7. Paul describes people as “ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.”
102. 2 Timothy 3:8–9. Jannes and Jambres are presented as examples of opposition to Moses and become Paul’s comparison for people resisting the truth.
103. 2 Timothy 3:10–11. Timothy had personally observed Paul’s doctrine, conduct, purpose, faith, patience, love, persecutions, and afflictions.
104. 2 Timothy 3:12. Both witnesses state that those desiring to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.
105. 2 Timothy 3:13–14. Paul contrasts deceivers growing worse with Timothy continuing in what he has learned.
106. 2 Timothy 3:15. Timothy had known the Holy Scriptures from childhood, which Paul says are able to make one wise unto salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.
107. 2 Timothy 3:16. The Ethiopian translation reads, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God,” followed by its usefulness for doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness.
108. 2 Timothy 3:16. The 1611 King James likewise reads, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God.” The two witnesses therefore agree on the central wording examined in this episode.
109. 2 Timothy 3:17. The purpose given is that the man of God may be complete or thoroughly furnished for every good work.
110. 2 Timothy 4:1–2. Paul solemnly charges Timothy before God and Christ Jesus to “preach the word” and to remain ready “in season, out of season.”
111. 2 Timothy 4:2. The older King James word “instant” carries the sense of being ready, urgent, or persistent rather than the modern idea of instantaneous action.
112. 2 Timothy 4:3–4. Paul predicts a time when people will not endure sound doctrine but will gather teachers according to their own desires and turn their ears from truth toward fables.
113. 2 Timothy 4:5. Timothy is commanded to remain watchful, endure affliction, perform the work of an evangelist, and fulfill his ministry.
114. 2 Timothy 4:6. Paul describes himself as approaching his departure, signaling his awareness that his death is near.
115. 2 Timothy 4:7. Both witnesses preserve Paul’s testimony: “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith.”
116. 2 Timothy 4:8. Paul anticipates the “crown of righteousness” from the righteous Judge, extending the promise to all who love Christ’s appearing.
117. 2 Timothy 4:9–10. Demas is said to have forsaken Paul because he “loved this present world.”
118. 2 Timothy 4:11. Paul says only Luke remains with him and asks Timothy to bring Mark because Mark is useful to him for ministry.
119. 2 Timothy 4:14–15. Paul warns Timothy concerning Alexander the coppersmith, who had done him great harm, while leaving recompense to the Lord.
120. 2 Timothy 4:16. Paul says no one stood with him at his first defense, yet asks that their abandonment not be held against them.
121. 2 Timothy 4:17. In contrast to human abandonment, Paul declares, “the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me.”
122. 2 Timothy 4:18. Paul expresses confidence that the Lord will deliver him from evil and preserve him unto His heavenly kingdom.
123. Across First and Second Timothy, many apparent differences between the Ethiopian translation and the 1611 King James arise from changes in English vocabulary rather than substantial differences in meaning, including “charity/love,” “unfeigned/sincere,” and “infidel/unbeliever.”
124. 1 Timothy 2:12 remains one of the clearest wording differences encountered in this examination: “have authority” in the Ethiopian translation compared with “usurp authority” in the King James tradition examined here.
125. 1 Timothy 3:16 is significant because both witnesses used in this examination explicitly preserve the Christological declaration “God was manifest in the flesh.”
126. The repeated language of guarding, holding, continuing, teaching, and entrusting links the two letters together: 1 Timothy 1:18–19; 4:16; 6:20; 2 Timothy 1:13–14; 2:2; 3:14; 4:2.
127. Paul’s final claim that he has “kept the faith” provides a fitting summary of his charge to Timothy. The task is not presented as inventing a new faith but faithfully preserving, living, and transmitting what has been entrusted.

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