弟茂德前书 1 Timothy Chapter 6
1 Timothy
Chapter 6

1 1 Those who are under the yoke of slavery must regard their masters as worthy of full respect, so that the name of God and our teaching 2 may not suffer abuse.

凡负轭为奴隶的,应认为自己的主人堪受各种尊敬,以免天主的名号和道理被人亵渎。

2 3 Those whose masters are believers must not take advantage of them because they are brothers but must give better service because those who will profit from their work are believers and are beloved.

奴隶若是有信教的主人,也不可因他们是弟兄,便加以轻视,反要越发服事他们,因为得服事之惠的是信徒,是可爱的弟兄。你要拿这些事教训人,劝勉人。

3 Whoever teaches something different and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the religious teaching

若有人讲异端道理,不顺从我们的主耶稣基督的健全道理,与那合乎虔敬的教训,

4 is conceited, understanding nothing, and has a morbid disposition for arguments and verbal disputes. From these come envy, rivalry, insults, evil suspicions,

他必是妄自尊大,一无所知,患有辩论和舌战之癖的人;由此而生出嫉妒、争吵、谩骂、恶意的猜疑,

5 and mutual friction among people with corrupted minds, who are deprived of the truth, supposing religion to be a means of gain.

以及心思败坏和丧失真理者的口角;他们以为虔敬是获利之源。

6 4 Indeed, religion with contentment is a great gain.

的确,虔敬是一个获利的富源,但应有知足的心,

7 For we brought nothing into the world, just as we shall not be able to take anything out of it.

因为我们没有带什么到世界上,同样也不能带走什么,

8 If we have food and clothing, we shall be content with that.

只要我们有吃有穿,就当知足。

9 Those who want to be rich are falling into temptation and into a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires, which plunge them into ruin and destruction.

至于那些向往致富的人,却陷于诱惑,堕入罗网和许多背理有害的欲望中,这欲望叫人沉溺于败坏和灭亡中,

10 For the love of money is the root of all evils, and some people in their desire for it have strayed from the faith and have pierced themselves with many pains.

因为贪爱钱财乃万恶的根源;有些人曾因贪求钱财而离弃了信德,使自己受了许多刺心的痛苦。

11 5 6 But you, man of God, avoid all this. Instead, pursue righteousness, devotion, faith, love, patience, and gentleness.

至于你,天主的人哪!你要躲避这些事;但要追求正义、虔敬、信德、爱德、坚忍和良善,

12 Compete well for the faith. Lay hold of eternal life, to which you were called when you made the noble confession in the presence of many witnesses.

要奋力打这场有关信仰的好仗,要争取永生:你正是为此而蒙召,并为此在许多证人前宣示了你那美好的誓言。

13 I charge (you) before God, who gives life to all things, and before Christ Jesus, who gave testimony under Pontius Pilate for the noble confession,

我在使万有生活的天主前和曾对般雀比拉多宣过美好誓言的基督耶稣前命令你,

14 to keep the commandment without stain or reproach until the appearance of our Lord Jesus Christ

务要保守这训今,不受玷污,无可指摘,直到我们的主耶稣基督的显现:

15 that the blessed and only ruler will make manifest at the proper time, the King of kings and Lord of lords,

在预定的时期使人看见这显现的,是那真福,惟一全能者,万王之王,万主之主,

16 who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, and whom no human being has seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal power. Amen.

是那独享不死不灭,住于不可接近的光中,没有人看见过,也不能看见的天主。愿尊崇和永远的威权归于他!阿们。

17 7 Tell the rich in the present age not to be proud and not to rely on so uncertain a thing as wealth but rather on God, who richly provides us with all things for our enjoyment.

至于今世的富人,你要劝告他们,不要心高气傲,也不要寄望于无常的财富,惟独寄望于那将万物丰富地供给我们享用的天主。

18 Tell them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous, ready to share,

又要劝他们行善,在善工上致富,甘心施舍,乐意通财,

19 thus accumulating as treasure a good foundation for the future, so as to win the life that is true life.

为自己积蓄良好的根基,以备将来能享受那真正的生命。

20 8 O Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you. Avoid profane babbling and the absurdities of so-called knowledge.

弟茂德啊!要保管所受的寄托,要躲避凡俗的空谈,和假冒知识之名的反论。

21 By professing it, some people have deviated from the faith. Grace be with all of you.

有些人自充有这知识,但终于失落了信德。


Footnotes(注解)

1 [1-2] Compare the tables for household duties, such as that of Col 3:18-4:1. Domestic relationships derive new meaning from the Christian faith.

2 [1] Our teaching: this refers to the teaching of the Christian community.

3 [2b-10] Timothy is exhorted to maintain steadfastly the position outlined in this letter, not allowing himself to be pressured into any other course. He must realize that false teachers can be discerned by their pride, envy, quarrelsomeness, and greed for material gain. 1 Tim 6:6 is rather obscure and is interpreted, and therefore translated, variously. The suggestion seems to be that the important gain that religion brings is spiritual, but that there is material gain, too, up to the point of what is needed for physical sustenance (cf 1 Tim 6:17-19).

4 [6] Contentment: the word autarkeia is a technical Greek philosophical term for the virtue of independence from material goods (Aristotle, Cynics, Stoics).

5 [11-16] Timothy's position demands total dedication to God and faultless witness to Christ (1 Tim 6:11-14) operating from an awareness, through faith, of the coming revelation in Jesus of the invisible God (1 Tim 6:15-16).

6 [11] Man of God: a title applied to Moses and the prophets (Deut 33:1; 1 Sam 2:27; 1 Kings 12:22; 13:1; etc.).

7 [17-19] Timothy is directed to instruct the rich, advising them to make good use of their wealth by aiding the poor.

8 [20-21] A final solemn warning against the heretical teachers, with what seems to be a specific reference to gnosticism, the great rival and enemy of the church for two centuries and more (the Greek word for "knowledge" is gnosis). If gnosticism is being referred to here, it is probable that the warnings against "speculations" and "myths and genealogies" (cf especially 1 Tim 1:4; Titus 3:9) involve allusions to that same kind of heresy. Characteristic of the various gnostic systems of speculation was an elaborate mythology of innumerable superhuman intermediaries, on a descending scale ("genealogies"), between God and the world. Thus would be explained the emphasis upon Christ's being the one mediator (as in 1 Tim 2:5). Although fully developed gnosticism belonged to the second and later centuries, there are signs that incipient forms of it belonged to Paul's own period.