2 Timothy 3:10 10But you have followed my teaching, conduct, purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance,
In verses 1-6, Paul warned Timothy about false teachers who claimed to be godly but lived selfishly and lacked God’s power. He now attempts to motivate Timothy to be strong by following his example. Followed (parēkolouthēsas) gives the sense of a student faithfully following a teacher. Timothy knew Paul well because he spent many years traveling with him. There is a strong contrast between how the opponents acted and the example Paul gave by his faithful obedience to his calling.
Paul’s list includes the knowing, doing, and being of ministry. First, he had passed down to Timothy the truth of the gospel through his teaching (knowing). Timothy needed to be firmly grounded in the gospel in order to deal with false teachers. Teaching and the truth of the gospel were big challenges in the church in Ephesus at this time. Timothy needed to know the truth of the gospel. He could reflect back on what Paul had taught him and make sure the leaders of the church knew it as well (2:2).
Second, Timothy should also know Paul’s conduct and how he lived (doing). Timothy had spent many years with Paul and had watched and learned from him (1 Corinthians 4:17). Spending time with someone and watching that person can be one of the greatest ways to learn. We model what we see. He saw how Paul handled stress and suffering and faithfully preached the gospel.
Third, Paul reminds Timothy of important matters of character (being). Paul’s purpose was to preach the gospel to the nations (Romans 1:14). This mission required faith. Faith is trusting in the promises God has made, and the great promise is found in Jesus Christ. Our faith is often tested through trials and difficult times, but it is through these experiences that faith becomes stronger. Paul had learned to trust in God’s grace in some of the most difficult situations imaginable (2 Corinthians 11:16-12:10).
Through the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit, Paul had developed patience to endure suffering and deal with difficult people. Patience is literally “long” (makro-) “suffering” (-thymia), putting up with suffering or hardship for a time knowing that God is with us and will see us through. Patience comes as a result of faith and makes faith stronger.
Paul’s relationship with Christ helped him grow a heart of love. Love is the greatest gift God gives us through his Spirit (1 Corinthians 13:13). God’s love to us enables us to love others (1 John 4:19). Love is an important theme in Paul’s letters, which indicates that it was a central theme to his preaching and teaching. Timothy should have caught on to this and then taught others to live a life of love in imitation of Christ (Ephesians 5:1-2).
Faith, patience, and love helped Paul develop endurance (hypomenē) through his suffering. Endurance is patience under pressure, stress, or persecution. It is shown by holding steady in a difficult situation. It is difficult to stand strong or even to stay standing in a challenging situation if one does not have faith, patience, and love.
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