independentparticipialrelativepurposecausecontentconditionalphrase modifierdashed = verbless / suspended
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Slaves under the yoke — for the name's sake 6:1–2
1
Ὅσοι εἰσὶν ὑπὸ ζυγὸν δοῦλοι,relative — generalizing relative as virtual protasis ('as many as' = 'if any'), leaning forward on the command below — ζυγός names the burden without euphemism
τοὺς ἰδίους δεσπότας πάσης τιμῆς ἀξίους ἡγείσθωσαν,independent — third-person imperative — ἡγέομαι the verb of reckoning; ἴδιος: the master one actually belongs to, not masters in general
ἵνα μὴ τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ ἡ διδασκαλία βλασφημῆται.purpose — negative purpose — the missionary stake (cf. Isa 52:5; Tit 2:5, 10): conduct guards the name and the διδασκαλία together
2
οἱ δὲ πιστοὺς ἔχοντες δεσπότας μὴ καταφρονείτωσαν,independent — the harder case — καταφρονέω, to look down on: brotherhood tempts to presumption
ὅτι ἀδελφοί εἰσιν,cause — the ground of the temptation, not of the duty — equality misread as license
ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον δουλευέτωσαν,independent — the counter-command — μᾶλλον: faith raises the standard of service; δουλεύω, the cognate verb of δοῦλος
ὅτι πιστοί εἰσιν καὶ ἀγαπητοὶ οἱ τῆς εὐεργεσίας ἀντιλαμβανόμενοι.cause — read with the masters as subject — οἱ ἀντιλαμβανόμενοι receive the benefit of the slaves' εὐεργεσία; the alternative ('masters devoted to kindness') remains possible
Ταῦτα δίδασκε καὶ παρακάλει.independent — the clipped transition formula (cf. 4:11) — closing the household table and pivoting to the different teachers
The different teacher — sick with controversies 6:3–5
vv. 3–4a — the double protasis and its verdict: one perfect verb
3
εἴ τις ἑτεροδιδασκαλεῖconditional — first-class protasis — ἑτεροδιδασκαλέω, the letter's opening worry (1:3), leaning forward on τετύφωται
καὶ μὴ προσέρχεται ὑγιαίνουσιν λόγοις τοῖς τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦconditional — the protasis' second verb — προσέρχομαι, to attach oneself; ὑγιαίνοντες λόγοι, the health metaphor the diagnosis below inverts
καὶ τῇ κατ' εὐσέβειαν διδασκαλίᾳ,phrase modifier — coordinate dative object — εὐσέβεια the letter's touchstone, about to be counterfeited as a profit-scheme (v. 5)
4
τετύφωται,independent — the whole apodosis — one perfect verb: τυφόω, wrapped in smoke; a settled fog of conceit
μηδὲν ἐπιστάμενος,participial — concessive-descriptive — the pretension and the vacuum in one breath
ἀλλὰ νοσῶν περὶ ζητήσεις καὶ λογομαχίας,participial — νοσέω περί, to be sick with craving — the diseased counterpart of the healthy words refused (v. 3)
vv. 4b–5 — the harvest: five vices, then the ruined men who breed them
ἐξ ὧν γίνεται φθόνος, ἔρις, βλασφημίαι, ὑπόνοιαι πονηραί,relative — the vice-harvest — ἐξ ὧν on the disputes; singular γίνεται distributed over the whole list
5
διαπαρατριβαὶ διεφθαρμένων ἀνθρώπων τὸν νοῦν καὶ ἀπεστερημένων τῆς ἀληθείας,phrase modifier — the list's last and longest item — διαπαρατριβή, perpetual chafing; τὸν νοῦν accusative of respect; ἀπεστερημένων, truth once had, now stripped away
νομιζόντων πορισμὸν εἶναι τὴν εὐσέβειαν.participial — the root error exposed — πορισμός, a profit-scheme; the next section picks the word up and turns it inside out
Great gain — godliness with contentment 6:6–10
6
Ἔστιν δὲ πορισμὸς μέγας ἡ εὐσέβεια μετὰ αὐταρκείας·independent — the slogan reclaimed — fronted Ἔστιν concedes the 'gain' and relocates it; αὐτάρκεια, the Stoic self-sufficiency baptized (cf. Phil 4:11)
7
οὐδὲν γὰρ εἰσηνέγκαμεν εἰς τὸν κόσμον,cause — the ground — Job 1:21; Eccl 5:15: empty-handed in
ὅτι οὐδὲ ἐξενεγκεῖν τι δυνάμεθα·cause — the awkward ὅτι — read as loosely consecutive ('so that,' 'which shows that'), the exit proving the entry; some MSS smooth with δῆλον ὅτι
8
ἔχοντες δὲ διατροφὰς καὶ σκεπάσματα,conditional — participial protasis — 'if/when we have,' leaning forward on the resolve below; σκεπάσματα, covering: clothing and roof alike
τούτοις ἀρκεσθησόμεθα.independent — the resolve — future ἀρκεσθησόμεθα with imperatival force, cognate with αὐτάρκεια (v. 6)
vv. 9–10 — the counter-case: the will to be rich, and the root beneath it
9
οἱ δὲ βουλόμενοι πλουτεῖν ἐμπίπτουσιν εἰς πειρασμὸν καὶ παγίδαindependent — βουλόμενοι — the settled will to be rich is the danger, not wealth itself; παγίς, the snare of 3:7 without its owner named
καὶ ἐπιθυμίας πολλὰς ἀνοήτους καὶ βλαβεράς,phrase modifier — the fall's third landing-place — desires at once witless and wounding
αἵτινες βυθίζουσιν τοὺς ἀνθρώπους εἰς ὄλεθρον καὶ ἀπώλειαν.relative — βυθίζω, to drag to the bottom — the drowning that ends the trajectory; ὄλεθρος καὶ ἀπώλεια doubled for finality
10
ῥίζα γὰρ πάντων τῶν κακῶν ἐστιν ἡ φιλαργυρία,cause — the maxim — ῥίζα anarthrous: a root, not the only one; πάντων τῶν κακῶν, evils of every kind rather than every single evil
ἧς τινες ὀρεγόμενοι ἀπεπλανήθησαν ἀπὸ τῆς πίστεωςrelative — ἧς with ὀρεγόμενοι — the participle's genitive complement: reaching for money itself, the verb of 3:1 aimed at the wrong object
καὶ ἑαυτοὺς περιέπειραν ὀδύναις πολλαῖς.relative — the relative's second verb — περιπείρω, to impale; ἑαυτούς emphatic: the wound is self-inflicted
The man of God — flee, pursue, fight, seize 6:11–16
11
Σὺ δέ, ὦ ἄνθρωπε θεοῦ, ταῦτα φεῦγε·independent — the emphatic turn — Σὺ δέ against the money-lovers; ἄνθρωπος θεοῦ, the prophets' title (Deut 33:1; 2 Kgs 1:9) laid on Timothy
δίωκε δὲ δικαιοσύνην, εὐσέβειαν, πίστιν, ἀγάπην, ὑπομονήν, πραϋπαθίαν.independent — flight and chase in one breath — six virtues, εὐσέβεια now pursued rather than sold; πραϋπάθεια a rare, gentle close
12
ἀγωνίζου τὸν καλὸν ἀγῶνα τῆς πίστεως,independent — the athlete's cognate accusative — the contest is the faith's own (cf. 2 Tim 4:7)
ἐπιλαβοῦ τῆς αἰωνίου ζωῆς,independent — ἐπιλαμβάνομαι — seize the prize already given; the one aorist among the present imperatives
εἰς ἣν ἐκλήθηςrelative — the divine ground of the grasp — calling precedes contest
καὶ ὡμολόγησας τὴν καλὴν ὁμολογίαν ἐνώπιον πολλῶν μαρτύρων.relative — the relative's second verb — baptism or ordination; the many human witnesses answer the two divine ones below
vv. 13–14 — the adjuration: two witnesses, one spotless commandment
13
παραγγέλλω σοι ἐνώπιον τοῦ θεοῦ τοῦ ζῳογονοῦντος τὰ πάνταindependent — performative παραγγέλλω — ζῳογονέω names God the life-giver, the martyr's comfort (cf. 2 Macc 7:22–23)
καὶ Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ τοῦ μαρτυρήσαντος ἐπὶ Ποντίου Πιλάτου τὴν καλὴν ὁμολογίαν,phrase modifier — the second witness — ἐπὶ Πιλάτου read locally ('before,' at his tribunal) rather than merely temporal; Christ's ὁμολογία the pattern for Timothy's (v. 12)
14
τηρῆσαί σε τὴν ἐντολὴν ἄσπιλον ἀνεπίλημπτονcontent — infinitive of the charge — ἡ ἐντολή the whole entrusted ministry; ἄσπιλον ἀνεπίλημπτον asyndetic, the overseer's word (3:2) now on the charge itself
μέχρι τῆς ἐπιφανείας τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ,phrase modifier — the horizon — ἐπιφάνεια, the Pastorals' word for the visible advent
vv. 15–16 — the doxology: the Sovereign's titles, light none can approach
15
ἣν καιροῖς ἰδίοις δείξει ὁ μακάριος καὶ μόνος δυνάστης,relative — God the Father, not Christ, the subject — he 'shows' the appearing at times his own; μόνος δυνάστης against every imperial claim
ὁ βασιλεὺς τῶν βασιλευόντων καὶ κύριος τῶν κυριευόντων,phrase modifier — apposition — participles, not nouns: whoever happens to be reigning, he outranks (cf. Deut 10:17; Dan 4:37 LXX)
16
ὁ μόνος ἔχων ἀθανασίαν,participial — second μόνος — deathlessness possessed, not conferred; creatures receive it, God has it
φῶς οἰκῶν ἀπρόσιτον,participial — the Shekinah figure — φῶς ἀπρόσιτον (cf. Ps 104:2; Ex 33:20): nearness itself forbidden
ὃν εἶδεν οὐδεὶς ἀνθρώπων οὐδὲ ἰδεῖν δύναται·relative — the invisibility of God — fact (εἶδεν) and capacity (ἰδεῖν δύναται) both denied (cf. Jn 1:18)
ᾧ τιμὴ καὶ κράτος αἰώνιον· ἀμήν.relative — the ascription — verbless doxological relative (εἴη understood), sealed with ἀμήν
The rich in the present age 6:17–19
17
Τοῖς πλουσίοις ἐν τῷ νῦν αἰῶνι παράγγελλεindependent — παράγγελλε resumes the charge-verb of v. 13, now relayed through Timothy — wealth located ἐν τῷ νῦν αἰῶνι, already relativized against 'the coming' (v. 19)
μὴ ὑψηλοφρονεῖνcontent — the first infinitive — ὑψηλοφρονέω, to think high: pride the rich man's first peril
μηδὲ ἠλπικέναι ἐπὶ πλούτου ἀδηλότητι,content — perfect ἠλπικέναι, hope settled in place — its object dissolved into an abstraction: not riches but their uncertainty
ἀλλ' ἐπὶ θεῷ τῷ παρέχοντι ἡμῖν πάντα πλουσίως εἰς ἀπόλαυσιν,phrase modifier — the counter-object of hope — πλουσίως, wordplay on the rich; εἰς ἀπόλαυσιν: given for enjoyment, no asceticism here
18
ἀγαθοεργεῖν,content — the positive series opens — beneficence as the rich man's proper occupation
πλουτεῖν ἐν ἔργοις καλοῖς,content — the verb redeployed — πλουτέω in a better currency: the true wealth is done, not held
εὐμεταδότους εἶναι, κοινωνικούς,content — two NT hapax adjectives — the open hand and the common table
19
ἀποθησαυρίζοντας ἑαυτοῖς θεμέλιον καλὸν εἰς τὸ μέλλον,participial — the paradox of giving as saving (cf. Mt 6:20) — the mixed metaphor, treasuring up a foundation, left standing
ἵνα ἐπιλάβωνται τῆς ὄντως ζωῆς.purpose — ἡ ὄντως ζωή — the prize of v. 12 opened to the rich; the real life against the seeming life of wealth
O Timothy — guard the deposit 6:20–21
20
Ὦ Τιμόθεε, τὴν παραθήκην φύλαξον,independent — the letter's last charge — παραθήκη, the entrusted gospel (cf. 2 Tim 1:12, 14); aorist φύλαξον, one standing order
ἐκτρεπόμενος τὰς βεβήλους κενοφωνίας καὶ ἀντιθέσεις τῆς ψευδωνύμου γνώσεως,participial — the guarding's negative side — κενοφωνία, sound without substance; ἀντιθέσεις the errorists' rival theses (not yet Marcion's book); ψευδώνυμος γνῶσις an incipient gnosis-claim
21
ἥν τινες ἐπαγγελλόμενοι περὶ τὴν πίστιν ἠστόχησαν.relative — ἀστοχέω, to miss the aim (1:6) — the casualties again unnamed (τινες, as in v. 10; cf. 1:19)
Ἡ χάρις μεθ' ὑμῶν.independent — the terse benediction — verbless; plural ὑμῶν reaches past Timothy to the listening church (some MSS read σοῦ)
Analysis. The shape alternates command-columns and their grounds, running from the household to the throne of light and back to a whispered goodbye. In vv. 1–2 two third-person imperatives sit flush left with ὅτι-grounds hanging beneath, the generalizing Ὅσοι-clause leaning forward on the first like a protasis; the layout reads οἱ τῆς εὐεργεσίας ἀντιλαμβανόμενοι as the believing masters who receive the benefit of their slaves' good service — beloved beneficiaries, not benefactors — while flagging the alternative. Verses 3–5 are one sentence: a double protasis leans on the single perfect τετύφωται, two participles descend from it (knowing nothing, sick with disputes), then ἐξ ὧν releases the vice-harvest, whose last item διαπαρατριβαί drags a genitive chain of ruined men — and their exposed axiom, godliness as πορισμός, v. 6 picks up verbatim and inverts. In the contentment run the crux is the ὅτι of v. 7, taken here as loosely consecutive (the empty-handed exit proving the empty-handed entry) rather than strictly causal; v. 8's participial protasis leans on the quasi-imperatival future ἀρκεσθησόμεθα; and the famous maxim of v. 10 is rendered honestly — anarthrous ῥίζα, 'a root,' with πάντων τῶν κακῶν as evils of every kind. The Σὺ δέ of v. 11 turns the page: four flush-left imperatives (flee, pursue, fight, seize), then the performative παραγγέλλω of v. 13 with its two witnesses — ἐπὶ Ποντίου Πιλάτου read as 'before Pilate,' the tribunal and not merely the date — carrying the τηρῆσαι-infinitive out to the ἐπιφάνεια, at which point the mention of the appearing triggers the doxology: everything in vv. 15b–16 hangs at one depth under δυνάστης — the participial royal titles, the two μόνος-claims, the unapproachable light, the unseeable God, and the verbless ᾧ-ascription — God the Father, not Christ, being the one who 'shows' the appearing in his own times. Verses 17–19 re-run the charge-shape at second hand: five infinitives hang on παράγγελλε, hope's object corrected from an abstraction (the uncertainty of riches) to the God who gives richly for enjoyment, and the participle ἀποθησαυρίζοντας carries the paradox of treasure laid up by being given away, aimed (ἵνα) at ἡ ὄντως ζωή — the same prize v. 12 told Timothy to seize. The close is a vocative and three lines: guard the παραθήκη, swerve from the ψευδώνυμος γνῶσις (its ἀντιθέσεις left as the errorists' own rival theses, not yet Marcion's book), and a benediction whose plural ὑμῶν lets the whole listening church under the letter's last word.