bishop, overseer

The Greek that is translated as “overseer” or “bishop” is kalayi in Chokwe. “This is the word for a watchman set in time of danger or war, who is responsible for the welfare of all under his care and will be held accountable for his faithfulness or otherwise.” (Source: D. B. Long in The Bible Translator 1952, p. 87ff. )

In Bacama the translation is adɨ nidə ji-kottə: “person who looks after the followers.” (Source: David Frank in this blog post )

hospitable

The now commonly-used German expression gastfrei, literally meaning “generous tóeward guests,” was first coined in 1522 in the German New Testament translation by Martin Luther. (Source: Günther 2017, p. 72)

For other idioms or terms in German that were coined by Bible translation, see here.

See also practice hospitality and hospitality.

complete verse (1 Timothy 3:2)

Following are a number of back-translations of 1 Timothy 3:2:

  • Uma: “That’s why a religion leader must be one who is above reproach [lit., not accuse-able], just have one wife, and he must know how to hold-in-check the evil desires of his heart, his heart must be clear [i.e., wise, mature], and he must have good customs [i.e., keep social rules, be polite]. He must be hospitable and diligent at teaching.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “A person titled the leader of the ones trusting in Isa Almasi ought to be a person no one can find fault with. He ought to/must have only one wife. That person must not give-in-to his greedy-desire, his thinking/mind ought to be good and his customs (ought-to-be) good. If someone goes to his (i.e. the church leader’s) house he ought to really welcome/honor/treat-according-to-custom. He ought also to be skilled to teach (usihat) his companions.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “However the one who leads the believers, there must be nothing about him to blame him for. He has only one wife and he does not commit adultery against her. He must always regulate his behavior; he knows how to think properly, and he is respected. He must be one who takes care of his guests. He must also know how to teach.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Since that is a valuable work, it is necessary that the leader be-accused-of nothing. It is also necessary that he have only-one spouse and not commit-adultery (lit. woman-with). He must be a thinking/reflective and circumspect person who is able-to-control himself. He must be hospitable and skilled to teach.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “But this overseer, it’s necessary that no fault is to be found in his nature/ways, he hasn’t switched wives but has only one. And he knows how to keep-good his own conduct and controls well his own will. It’s also necessary that he has a wholly good nature/ways which can be honored/respected by others, he welcomes people well who need to stay at his house, and does indeed have ability to teach.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “Therefore the person who has the position of leading the word must not have any word to be found against him. He must have only one wife. He must control himself. He must watch himself well. He must walk so as to be looked well upon. He must give a resting place in his home. He must know how to teach well.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

Translation commentary on 1 Timothy 3:2

Now translates a Greek word that can be literally rendered “therefore.” This may be taken as simply relating this verse to the previous one and therefore can be left out in the translation. Or it can be understood as emphasizing the importance of the position and the need for high qualifications (compare Contemporary English Version “That’s why”).

Since the office of bishop is such an important one, the qualifications for such an office should be defined very carefully, and this is done in these next six verses. The first trait mentioned is that the bishop should be above reproach. This does not mean that he should be sinless, but that his conduct and actions should be seen by the congregation as blameless (Good News Translation “without fault”). It is possible to take this term either as the first of twelve virtues or as a general summary of the eleven qualities that a bishop should have. If it is the first of twelve virtues, one may restructure as “a church leader must have these virtues: he must have no faults….” If, however, this is a general summary of the eleven qualities, one may translate, for example, “he should have no faults; for example, he must have only…” or “he should have no faults. This means that he must have only….” Either of these is possible, and it is difficult to choose which one is more valid. But since this virtue is quite generic in contrast to the others, which are quite specific, the second option seems more appropriate.

Next, the bishop must be the husband of one wife. This looks as if it does not need further explanation, but the statement is more complicated than it seems. Does it mean, for example, that bishops should be married, and that unmarried men are disqualified? Or is this a statement against polygamy, so that a man with more than one wife cannot become a bishop? Or again, does this prohibit second marriages, so that a man who desires to be a bishop should not get married again, even though he is divorced or even if his first wife dies? (See for example, the note in Good News Translation.) Or, finally, does this put stress on faithfulness to one’s wife? (See, for example, New English Bible “faithful to his one wife.”) This last interpretation assumes that the person is married, but it does not rule out polygamy, divorce, and remarriage, and does not necessarily prohibit a widower from marrying again. All four options are possible, although the last option may have some advantages, since unfaithfulness in the marriage relationship was a common occurrence in the world of the New Testament. If translators follow this final option “faithful to his one wife,” then they should put the other main option “have only one wife” in a footnote.

The next five virtues are each represented by one Greek word. The first three are closely related and describe an orderly life. Temperate (Good News Translation “sober”) translates a word that generally means abstaining from wine or strong drink. While it can have that sense here, it is more likely that it is used here in a metaphorical sense to describe conduct that is free from any form of excess, particularly in moral and spiritual matters. Other ways to say this are “doesn’t do anything to excess” or “not immoderate (or, intemperate) in anything he does.” Sensible and dignified appear together in non-Christian writings to describe ideal behavior. Sensible (Good News Translation “self-controlled”) describes a mind that is earnest and sound. This is expressed in various ways in other languages; for example, “know how to control one’s actions and feelings,” “the ability to say no to one’s own desires.” Dignified, on the other hand, translates the same word used in 2.9 (there translated “seemly,” where it is used to describe the way women dress). Here the focus is on human behavior and puts emphasis on being well-ordered and free from confusion, hence “orderly” (Good News Translation), “well-behaved” (Contemporary English Version).

The fourth virtue in this series of single words is hospitable (literally “friend of strangers”). The early Christians were admonished to practice this virtue. This was understandable, considering the small number of Christians in a community, coupled with the need to provide accommodation for Christian travelers, especially traveling missionaries. Other ways of expressing hospitable are “ready to welcome as guests those who are traveling” or “welcome Christians into their homes who are strangers” (see also A Handbook on The First Letter from Peter, page 140, for a further discussion on “hospitality”).

The fifth virtue is the ability to teach (an apt teacher), accenting the function of a bishop as one who is able both to teach true doctrine and to refute false teachings. This term is used again in 2 Tim 2.24. Another way of saying this is “able to teach the believers well.”

Quoted with permission from Arichea, Daniel C. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Paul’s First Letter to Timothy. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1995. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .