2 Timothy 1:13
"Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me,
in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus."
The Apostle Paul, in his second letter to Timothy, gives him words of instruction as the elder preacher to the younger, emphasizing what is vital in the ministry and what is the one message to which Timothy was to hold tenaciously as he faced a time of hardship and possible discouragement. In this verse, Paul exhorts Timothy to hold fast to the teaching of Christ (the form of sound words) that he had received from Paul—specifically, the foundational truth of the Gospel of Christ, salvation by His righteousness imputed alone, and the Faith essential for the Church. Paul knew the necessity of sound doctrine and understood that Timothy would face many challenges in ministry, as with any servant of Christ whom He sends into the world. Yet, Timothy is encouraged to keep teaching sound words, not as a list of legalistic dos and don’ts, but rather as a life-giving message of Christ and Him crucified—a legacy passed down through Paul’s own life and teaching.
"Hold fast the form of sound words": Paul calls Timothy to "keep as the pattern (form) of sound teaching." The Christian Faith, from the beginning, has been built on the clear and faithful teaching of God's Word, founded in the Old Testament scriptures outlined in types, pictures, promises, and prophecies concerning Christ and His death on the cross, fulfilled in His coming, doing, and dying in the fullness of the time (Galatians 4:4). It is the Faith once and for all delivered unto the saints (Jude 1:3). Paul emphasizes the preservation and faithful transfer of doctrine (teaching) that is true to the only Gospel of Christ, unaffected by falsehoods, distortions, and attacks by enemies of Christ and His cross. Today, the same call exists for us—believers and leaders alike—to stand firm in the Truth of the Word and guard it from misinterpretation.
"In Faith and Love which is in Christ Jesus": The two qualities that Paul associates with sound teaching are Faith and Love. Sound teaching is not just giving information; it is the very revelation of God concerning His Son and God's purpose to save chosen sinners, for whom Christ came and paid their sin debt. Once revealed in the hearts of sinners who were redeemed and justified by the death of the Lord Jesus, the Spirit causes them to embrace the Lord Jesus and His finished work as their sole Hope in salvation, expressed through a heart of Faith and Love in the Lord Jesus. In both receiving and sharing God’s Word, these qualities are reflected in each child of God in whom the Lord Jesus is revealed by His Spirit. Faith is both the objective revelation of Christ in the heart and the receiving of that revelation with love and joy. Faith’s object is always the Person and work of the Lord Jesus. Love is the objective foundation of salvation as well as the response in those whom God has loved with everlasting love, and therefore redeemed and justified by His death on the cross.
Paul encourages Timothy not only to build on the doctrine of Christ but to see it as a "pattern" (form)—a way of life, a model that he should follow by his example, not in word only, but in every aspect of his life. Sound teaching, when rightly understood, shapes how we live, influences our decisions, and guides us through all of life’s trials, persecutions, and attacks of the enemy. It’s not just information to store in our minds, but a blueprint for our walk in the Faith that is in Christ Jesus alone. What does this walk look like?
Following Sound Doctrine: In an age where many voices compete for the attention of the Lord's people, it is essential to regularly and consistently hear the Word of Truth set forth in the scriptures alone, in which the Lord Jesus is revealed in every line and verse (John 5:39). Therefore, we are to be diligent students of Christ, searching the scriptures as did the Bereans (Acts 17:11), and surrounding ourselves only with teachings that align with the truth of Christ in Scripture. We must look to the Lord to guard our hearts and minds against notions or teachings that contradict or, in any degree, water down the Gospel by the leaven of "free will" works religion.
Live a Life of Faith and Love: We must ensure that the doctrine of Christ is never compromised or held as something merely theoretical, or a matter of personal opinion. It must be lived out through the Faith of Christ revealed in the heart and love for Him and others of like God-given faith in Christ. It is the Faith of Christ that causes us to trust that God’s Word (Christ) is true and enables us to love Him, who first loved us, and also love those who are of His redeemed family with kindness, grace, and sacrificial service toward them.
Just as Timothy was called to guard and pass on the Gospel, we, who are the Lord's people in our generation, are entrusted with the same sacred Word of Christ. May we remain faithful to the pattern of sound teaching and live it out with unwavering faith and love, as faithful stewards of the Word of God!
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