1 Timothy 4:13

‘Until I come, give heed to reading, to exhortation, to teaching.’

Meanwhile he has a task to do before Paul arrives. And that is to read, exhort and teach. In the light of the whole emphasis in these verses on addressing others we must probably see ‘reading’ as referring to reading aloud in the public meeting, from the Scriptures, and probably also from letters of Paul (compare Colossians 4:16) and written tradition about Jesus (the Testimony of Jesus - Revelation 1:2; Revelation 1:9). Such public reading, especially of the Law, was considered very important (compare Exodus 24:7; Deu 31:11 ; 2 Kings 23:2; Nehemiah 8:7-8; Luke 4:16; Acts 15:21; 2 Corinthians 3:14; 1 Thessalonians 5:27) Exhortation and teaching would then follow, as in the synagogue (see Luke 4:16-21).