2 Timothy 3.10-Paul Reminds Timothy of the Example He Provided Him in Their Teacher-Disicple Relationship
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Tuesday July 21, 2015
Second Timothy: Second Timothy 3:10-Paul Reminds Timothy of the Example He Provided Him in Their Teacher/Disciple Relationship
Lesson # 73
2 Timothy 3:10 Now you followed my teaching, conduct, purpose, faith, patience, love, perseverance, 11 persecutions, and sufferings, such as happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium and at Lystra; what persecutions I endured, and out of them all the Lord rescued me! (NASB95)
“Now” is the conjunction de (δέ), “now” (2) nominative second person singular form of the personal pronoun su (σύ), “you” (3) second person singular perfect active indicative form of the verb parakoloutheō (παρακολουθέω), “followed.”
The conjunction de is functioning as a marker of contrast meaning that it is introducing a statement which stands in contrast with Paul’s previous statements in Second Timothy 3:8-9.
The personal pronoun su means “you” referring of course to Timothy and is used for emphasis by Paul and involves a contrast between Timothy’s faithfulness to his apostolic teaching and the unfaithfulness of the unrepentant apostate pastor-teachers in the Roman province of Asia.
The verb parakoloutheō means “to faithfully follow alongside as a disciple.”
Therefore, it denotes that Timothy “faithfully followed as a disciple” Paul’s teaching, conduct, purpose, faith, patience, love, perseverance, persecutions and sufferings.
Second Timothy 3:10 You, however, in contrast to them, faithfully followed as a disciple my teaching, my conduct, my purpose, my faith, my patience, my divine-love, my perseverance. (Author’s translation)
Here in Second Timothy 3:10, the apostle Paul contrasts Timothy’s faithfulness to his apostolic teaching with that of the unfaithfulness of the unrepentant apostate pastor-teachers in the Roman province of Asia.
Not only is there a contrast being made between Timothy’s faithfulness and the unfaithfulness of the apostate pastors but also Paul is presenting a contrast between his godly conduct and the ungodly conduct of these apostate pastors.
Now, here in verse 10, Paul affirms with Timothy that the latter had faithfully followed as a disciple his teaching, conduct, purpose, faith, patience, love, perseverance, persecutions and underserved suffering.
This stands in contrast to the unfaithfulness and disobedience of the unrepentant apostate pastor-teachers in the Roman province of Asia.
Therefore, we have a contrast between the unfaithfulness of these apostate pastors to Paul’s apostolic teaching and Timothy’s faithfulness to this teaching.
So Paul in Second Timothy 3:10 is describing the teacherdisciple or teacherstudent relationship that existed between himself and Timothy.
The latter was trained by the former.
Timothy learned the Word of God and the Christian way of life from Paul his teacher.
He also observed closely Paul’s example and sought to imitate his teaching and example.
So Paul is affirming that Timothy identified with him by faithfully learning from him and imitating his example.
In Paul’s day, those who sat under the teaching of a didaskalos were called mathetes, “disciples.”
The word was used of students who lived in close fellowship with their teacher, they traveled with him, ate with him, and attended festive occasions with him.
The students of a teacher were characterized by complete submission to the authority of the teacher, as well as by a devotion to him which was to surpass devotion to father or mother and which displayed itself in service to the teacher.
The teaching or learning method was to sit at the feet of the teacher listening to him.
It also involved engaging in a question and answer encounter with the teacher as well as observing the actions of the teacher, especially how he conducted himself in regard to the Law or solved problems of conduct through his knowledge of Law and tradition.
After the strenuous studies the student was ordained through the laying on of hands and received the right to be called Rabbi.
He then had the responsibility to pass on that which he had learned from his teacher and to make disciples himself.
John the Baptist had his disciples (Matt. 9:14), the Pharisees had theirs (Matt. 22:16), even Paul had his (Acts 9:25), and of course, the Lord had many disciples (Luke 6:17).
A New Testament disciple is one who is under biblical instruction.
The Lord expected discipleship to involve total commitment if one was going to be able to fully follow through as a disciple, but being a disciple and being a believer are not one and the same.
In the Gospels, the verb didasko was used of the Lord Jesus Christ “educating, teaching and instructing” His disciples in regards to the kingdom of God.
Our Lord was often addressed as the didaskalos, “teacher,” or “Rabbi” (Matt. 8:19; Mark 10:17; Luke 10:25; John 3:2; 20:16).
Our Lord was always teaching publicly whether in the Temple in Jerusalem, the synagogues or outside in the open air (Matt. 4:23, 5:2; 9:35; 11:1; 26:55; 28:20; Mark 1:21-22; 2:13; 4:1-2; 6:2, 6, 34; 8:31; 9:31; 10:1; 11:17; 12:35; 14:49; Luke 4:15, 31; 5:3, 17; 6:6; 11:1; 13:10, 22; 19:47; 20:1; 21:37; 23:5; John 6:59; 7:14, 28; 8:2, 20; 18:20).
Our Lord set the example for the pastor-teacher in the church age by teaching daily in the Temple (Matt. 26:55; Mark 14:49; Luke 19:47).
The apostles taught in the Temple in the midst of the stiff opposition from the Sanhedrin (Acts 5).
Paul taught everywhere throughout the Roman Empire (1 Cor. 4:17).
So therefore, when considering Paul’s statements here in Second Timothy 3:10-11, we must view them from the Jewish perspective of the relationship between the Jewish rabbi and his disciples.
In Second Timothy 3:10, the apostle Paul lists seven items which are related to his ministry and his four-fold responsibility as a pastor to study, teach, pray and exemplify godliness.
All of these things Timothy was personally acquainted with when he was being trained by the apostle Paul for ministry.
In Second Timothy 3:10, “my teaching” is referring to the content of Paul’s apostolic teaching and speaks of the gospel that Paul faithfully communicated to the Christian community and to the non-Christian community.
“My conduct” is used of the apostle Paul’s lifestyle which was carefully observed by Timothy and imitated by him.
“My purpose” is speaking of Paul’s “purpose” in life which was to glorify God by growing to spiritual maturity and Christ-likeness.
His purpose was to grow up spiritually to be like Jesus Christ and thus glorify God (cf. Philippians 3:1-14).
As a pastor it was to communicate the full counsel of God to the church so as to engender faith in the individual members of the body of Christ.
“My faith” refers to the apostle Paul’s post-conversion faith in the Word of God or in other words, his faith in the Spirit’s teaching that is revealed through the communication of the Word of God.
“My patience” refers to the godly “patience” produced in the apostle Paul by the Holy Spirit when he exercised faith in the gospel in the sense that he endured undeserved suffering and adversity in his ministry.
It describes Paul as being in a state of emotional calm in the face of provocation or adversity or underserved suffering without complaint or irritation.
It speaks of him remaining in a state of being tranquil despite undeserved suffering and adversity or persecution.
“My divine-love” refers to the love of God reproduced in the life of Paul by the Holy Spirit when he exercised faith in the Word of God and specifically faith in his union and identification with Christ.
It refers to Paul obeying the Lord Jesus’ command to love one another as He loves, which is the direct result of exercising faith in the Word of God (John 13:34).
Timothy faithfully followed as a disciple the love of God produced in his life by the apostle Paul in that he carefully observed the apostle exercising this love to the members of the body of Christ and the non-Christian.
Timothy witnessed first-hand Paul demonstrating this love towards his enemies whether from within the Christian community or outside of it.
He witnessed first-hand Paul loving God with his entire being and his neighbor as himself.
“My perseverance” speaks of Paul exemplifying this godly virtue which was produced in him by the Holy Spirit when he appropriated by faith the Word of God which resulted in his obedience to the Word of God.
It refers to Paul remaining faithful to the Lord by being obedient to the Word of God despite the obstacles in placed in his life such as the old sin nature and the cosmic system of Satan.
It refers to him bearing up under intense pressure and not quitting on God.
Timothy witnessed Paul’s perseverance in the midst of many trials and tribulations in his ministry.