2 Timothy 3:10Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

In general, in all these Epistles one sees the fatherly care and love of the Apostles for Christians of every condition. The Epistle of the holy Apostle Paul to Timothy was written in this spirit.

Who was Timothy? Timothy was a Christian (Acts 16:1). He was brought up on the word of God under the good and powerful influence of the hearts of pious women, his grandmother and mother.

Later he became one of the disciples devoted to the Apostle Paul. Finally, he was appointed bishop in the maritime city of Ephesus.

This city was famous both for extensive trade and for a multitude of varied pagan temples and beliefs. In such a city, where traders of many tribes gather, being bishop is not easy for a true Christian.

There noisy trade, wealth, dissoluteness, and freethinking go hand in hand. Here a bishop must have great caution and attentiveness, both to himself and to his flock, and also to false teachers.

He needs great zeal in defending right belief, and no small knowledge of the false reasonings of the enemies of Christian truth, cf. 1 Cor 16:8-9.

The holy Apostle Paul himself endured many sorrows and dangers in this city, despite the fact that his towels and handkerchiefs had miraculous effect upon the sick and the possessed, Acts 19:12.

Knowing the Ephesian inhabitants, the holy Apostle Paul, as a prisoner at the end of his suffering life, writes an Epistle to Timothy in Ephesus as a spiritual testament from father to son.

In this Epistle he depicts the enemies of Orthodoxy, and even names those who have fallen away from it. He speaks about dangers to the faith.

In this Epistle the holy Apostle joyfully recalls the firmness in faith and truly pastoral ministry of Timothy himself among Christians weakening in piety and right belief.

Unfortunately, their vices are also observed among us.

Verse 10. The holy Apostle, approving his disciple, says directly: You, child Timothy, have followed me in teaching, the truth of Christ, and in pure life, though not without sorrows.

You followed me in purpose and faith in God and His holy providence, in longsuffering amid slanders and rumors, and in love for God and people, both the faithful and the erring.

You followed me in patience amid arguments and disputes with freethinkers, and in persecutions and sufferings for your firmness and faithfulness to Christ our Savior.

You, O Timothy, are not like "men corrupt in mind and reprobate concerning the faith" (2 Tim 3:8). Rather, as a prudent and faithful disciple, you followed my pure teaching, my life in Christ, my right intention, and my firm faith in Christ.

You followed my longsuffering toward sinners, my love for all, and my patience in the persecutions that came upon me in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra.

This signifies that Timothy was a careful guardian of the divine teachings. He had a life pleasing to God and a holy intention. He was also faithful, longsuffering, loving, patient, and a fellow partaker with Paul in persecutions.

He mentioned only the persecutions in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra because Timothy had only heard about these. During Paul’s stay there, Timothy was already a disciple of Christ, but he had not yet followed Paul.

But Timothy was an eyewitness and fellow partaker of the other persecutions, as one who followed him.

Thus in Pisidian Antioch the Jews stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas and "expelled them from their borders" (Acts 13:50).

In Iconium, the Gentiles and Jews with their rulers insulted them and "stoned them" (Acts 14:5). In Lystra, the people "stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing him to be dead" (Acts 14:19).

Since in the following words he teaches that all the pious will be persecuted, he foretells consolation to deliver them from fear. He says: "And from them all the Lord delivered me."

Do not be afraid, he says, when you hear of persecutions. For though I endured many persecutions, the Lord delivered and preserved me from them all.

Together with these came sufferings that tempered him for all the sufferings that followed. By recalling this glorious beginning, or this foundation, the Apostle also reminded him of what came afterward.

He spoke as though saying to Timothy: "Take courage. It is not the first time for you and me to enter into labors and endure. Nor should we expect rest. It is not appointed for us," verse 12.

"From the beginning until now, you have shown such courage, constancy, and patience. Remain such to the end, for the end crowns the work."

The aim is to inspire him to unfailing courage. But what is the source of this inspiration? It is that "from them all the Lord delivered me."

The direct conclusion from this is: take courage, then. The Lord will deliver you also. Therefore do the work of an evangelist without paying attention to troubles, and not merely without being disturbed by them.

"The heavier the persecutions against the Apostle were," says one recent commentator, "the more clearly the goodness of God could be revealed in delivering him from them.

The more instructive examples of hope in God could his disciple find in these teachings of his, as could all who wish to imitate them."

Blessed Theophylact explains: "You did not simply attach yourself to me, but followed me. That is, you remained with me for a long time, shared everything with me, attended to all that was mine, and became trained in it. Be strong."

Oecumenius adds: "As one who has acquired training, you must remain the same without change."

He followed the teaching, "the word of the Gospel," as Chrysostom and Blessed Theophylact say. He followed "the truth handed on to you in preaching," as Blessed Theodoret says, and "the doctrines," as Oecumenius says.

Here the beginning of all that follows is laid down. Convictions received with all the fervor of a youthful heart gave movement to the whole life.

"Conduct," αγωγη, means behavior, "that manner of life shown in deeds," as Blessed Theodoret says. It means "how I acted in varied relations with others and in different circumstances," as Oecumenius says.

"Purpose," προθεσει, means the disposition of my will. "This is said of zeal and disposition of soul," says Chrysostom, or "of the aims St. Paul had in view," says Blessed Theodoret.

You saw this and followed "my zeal, presence of mind, and manly inspiration, with which I did everything," as Oecumenius and Blessed Theophylact say.

"And I myself," he says, "did not only teach, nor philosophize only in words, but fulfilled in deed," says Chrysostom.

Both outward deeds and inward dispositions answered to one another, and everything was according to God and before God.

"Faith" means not only doctrinal faith, but still more living faith, or confidence in God, that He will never abandon those who work for His glory.

Blessed Theodoret writes: "You learned from me the disposition I have toward the Master."

Blessed Theophylact defines it directly: "He says that you followed faith, that is, firmness and unchanging constancy in the true doctrines, or faith that does not let one fall into despair in extreme dangers.

It is faith that believes God will deliver one from them." See the same in Oecumenius.

"Longsuffering" means patience when meeting obstacles that cut off the favorable course of the labors of our zeal, as Oecumenius says. It also applies to cases of the brethren’s falls, whether into sins or into some wrong opinion.

"Nothing of the kind troubled me," says Chrysostom. "No temptation and no obstacle cooled my zeal or made me lazy. Those of other opinions did not trouble me, but I received them too with good spirit and instructed them with meekness," says Blessed Theophylact.

"I also showed great longsuffering toward heretics," says Chrysostom.

"Love" means "the heartfelt compassion with which I am always disposed toward all," as Blessed Theodoret says. "Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to stumble, and I do not burn?" (2 Cor 11:29).

"My little children, for whom I am again in travail," cf. Gal 4:19.

"Patience" means patience "in persecutions," as Chrysostom says, and "how manfully I bear the assaults of opponents," as Blessed Theodoret says.