Verse 13
‘Hold the pattern of sound words which you have heard from me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.’
Timothy is therefore to hold the pattern of sound words which contain all this, close within his heart. He too must act as a guard, for as Christ Jesus was guarding his soul, Timothy was to guard Paul’s gift to the world, the full truth about Jesus. And he must do it in the faith and love which have their source in being ‘in Christ Jesus’ (compare Galatians 2:20).
‘Pattern.’ A summary or outline. As we know from Romans Paul had systematised the Gospel, and built it into a ‘representation, summary (hupostasis)’. See also the summary in 1 Corinthians 15:3-8; Philippians 2:5-11; and compare 1 Timothy 3:16. This was what Timothy had to hold on to.
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