2 Timothy 1:13-18 - Hold to Sound Teaching!

2 Timothy 1:13-18

Be Loyal to the Faith

13 Hold fast the pattern of sound words which you have heard from me, in faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. 14 That good thing which was committed to you, keep by the Holy Spirit who dwells in us.

15 This you know, that all those in Asia have turned away from me, among whom are Phygellus and Hermogenes. 16 The Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, for he often refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain; 17 but when he arrived in Rome, he sought me out very zealously and found me. 18 The Lord grant to him that he may find mercy from the Lord in that Day—and you know very well how many ways he ministered to me at Ephesus.

Timothy was urged to the pattern of teaching drawn out by Paul according to scripture which he was taught and by implication not to wander off from the path that God laid out in His word which was given to him to follow.  This is still excellent advice for us all to stick to sound doctrine and be established in it with the context and understanding of the Bible unveiled to us by the Spirit of God living in us as interpreter and guide to lead us through all God has for us.  We are also to pursue the sound teaching with faith in God’s faithfulness to tell us the truth and with love for Him shown to others who contradict and argue against the sound truths we have been taught in scripture by those who have gone before us and are over us in the Lord (Hebrews 13:7-9) Jesus Christ.  What God has committed to us in and through His word we are to hold fast in resolute faith and hold out (2 Thessalonians 2:15, Philippians 2:16) to others with the same resolve of the certainty of the doctrine unearthed from God’s word and communicated to us faithfully by others.  Some will turn away from us because they cannot abide sound teaching as they pursue the experiential and self-gratifying teachings contrary to scripture but made popular by those espousing prosperity over suffering and being served (Mark 10:45) over serving God and and others.  Those who follow sound doctrine are laying a solid foundation for living for Christ and supporting those who teach the truth of the gospel over the tickling of the ear and satisfying of the flesh.  We see in 1 John 2:15-17 the value of pursuing the will of God over our own desires, and this pursuit is found outlined in sound teaching from God’s word taken in context to be rightly understood (2 Timothy 2:15) as truth to follow.  This race to the destination gives us mercy in His grace to pursue truth and the telling of it against all opposition.  We are to be loyal to God (2 Chronicles 16:9) with a pure heart and receptive mind (1 Timothy 1:5, Hebrews 10:22-23) to serve the truth of the gospel and those who so teach and preach it to us.  We are not to pursue the exiting and miraculous over the sound foundation of truth that saves our souls and leads to godliness, but the proven doctrine which deceivers should have us believe is somehow a bad thing.  Hold to sound teaching!