Paul writes two very personal letters to his young friend and co-worker, Timothy. In his second letter, the young man has been resident in Ephesus for a number of years, teaching and shepherding the flock, which is a difficult and sometimes frustrating task. Paul is especially concerned about false teaching that is becoming more prevalent over time. Paul warns him that ”for the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.” 2 Tim 4:3-5. It was true then and even truer today.
Earlier in the same letter, Paul, lays out a very important principle which will guide Timothy and the local church in combating error in the church. In 2 Timothy 1:13, Paul writes “Hold fast the pattern of sound words which you have heard from me, in faith and love which are in Christ Jesus”. There is much for us to unpack in this short verse.
The first words that stand out for us in this verse is ‘hold fast’. Paul tells the Corinthian believers to the hold fast to the gospel and to the faith they have. There are many things that would shake our faith these days. A renowned Bible teacher once said of our faith: it was something to which a man had to hold tenaciously. Life makes many an attempt to take away our faith. Things happen to us and to others which baffle our understanding; life has its problems to which there seems no solution and its questions to which there seems no answer; life has its dark places where there seems to be nothing to do but hold on. Faith is always a victory, the victory of the soul which tenaciously maintains its clutch on God – DSB. We need to cling to the truth of the gospel which we have received.
The second phrase which stands out to us in our theme verse is ‘pattern of sound words’. The meaning behind pattern is design, sketch or blueprint and but the emphasis is on imitation. Vincent Word Studies says that these sound words should be “held, preached, and practiced”. God has provided all we need to hold fast and all we need to know His sound words. God has provided His pattern for so many things in scripture. We see it in creation, in the building of the ark and we see it in the wilderness.
As the Lord leads the children of Israel out of Egypt He gives Moses not only the Law to obey, but also detailed instruction on the building the Tabernacle. Every aspect of the design belongs to God, from the dimensions, the precious metals used, the fabric of the outer court and the tabernacle itself. The Lord even provides a detailed description of the clothing the priests would wear and the offerings they would sacrifice. We read God’s instruction to Moses in Exodus 25: 8-9, “Let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them. According to all that I show you, that is, the pattern of the tabernacle and the pattern of all its furnishings, just so you shall make it.”
The Lord Jesus Christ also provided all we need to know to follow Him and obey Him. He provides it in His teaching, in His life’s pattern and practice and through His Word. Paul especially talks of these patterns that have been left for us. In Philippians 3:17 where he writes to the believers, “Brethren, join in following my example, and note those who so walk, as you have us for a pattern.” We have so many wonderful examples in Scripture of the life we should lead, starting with the Lord Jesus Christ but also the apostles and others who followed Him. We also have faithful believers today who are obedient to God’s Word and provide a demonstration of what a true disciple of Jesus Christ should look like.
Our goal is to know, to love and to live out God’s Word, especially the pattern of sound words that are given to us. God teaches us and demonstrates these patterns to us so that we might become more like His Son. Let us seek out and study these patterns together and then apply them to our lives.
Pattern Of Sound Words 