2 Timothy 3:14
But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them;
But continue in what has been learned and firmly believed and proved certain, holding fast to truth already given and living it out. Knowing from whom it was learned means remembering faithful and trustworthy teachers, including Paul as father in the gospel with his example of faithful teaching and godly life, and including a mother and grandmother with godly teaching and example in the home. Timothy was a young minister who from childhood had known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make a person wise to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus, and this is instruction for young people preparing for Christian service to receive and hold God's Word. It belongs with the truth that all Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness, so that the man of God may be perfect and thoroughly furnished unto all good works. The call to steadfastness stands while all who live godly in Christ Jesus suffer persecution and evil people and deceivers grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived, and continuing in sound Scripture teaching guards against misinterpreting Scripture, claiming false new light, and being unsettled by deception and false theories. Continuing in learned and assured truth opens a path of continual advancement toward perfection of character and Christlikeness, and the truths held are to be possessed and also communicated to bless others by faithful preaching even when sound teaching is rejected.
Meaning and Scriptural Setting
But continue thou in what has been learned and firmly believed and proved certain, holding fast to truth already given and living it out. Continuing means remaining faithful to truths learned and become convinced of, not letting them go. It is holding to them and communicating them, possessing truth and also living it.
Knowing of whom they were learned means remembering the faithful and trustworthy teachers from whom they were learned. This includes Paul as father in the gospel, whose example of faithful teaching and godly life gives confidence in the instruction. It includes also Timothy's mother and grandmother and the godly example and teaching in his home, carried forward with the apostle's guidance.
Timothy was a young minister of the gospel to whom this charge was given. From childhood he had known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make a person wise unto salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. The charge is therefore instruction for young people preparing for Christian service, to receive God's Word and hold it firmly.
In its setting the charge belongs with the teaching that follows it, that all Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness. Its purpose is that the man of God may be perfect and thoroughly furnished unto all good works. Scripture thus provides instruction in righteousness and equips the servant of God for every good work, and its truth is to be shared through faithful preaching.
The Scriptures to be continued in contain all necessary information. They were deemed essential in the councils of heaven by the Father and the Son for the salvation of man from eternity. They are infinite, yet plain enough for finite beings and even a child to comprehend. They were spoken by Christ with exclusive divine authority, because every sentence He uttered came from God.
Steadfastness Amid Deception
The call to continue in what has been learned and firmly believed is given for a time when all who live godly lives in Christ will suffer persecution while evil people and deceivers grow worse and worse, deceiving others and being deceived. Steadfastness in that setting means remaining in truths learned from childhood and become convinced of, holding fast to the holy Scriptures that are able to make a person wise to salvation through faith in Christ. Confidence for such continuance rests on knowing the trustworthy people from whom they were learned, including Paul's example of faithful teaching and godly life as father in the gospel. Even as many depart from the faith and oppose the truth, believers are to hold to this instruction amid worsening deception and persecution.
Continuing in sound teaching drawn from Scripture guards against misinterpreting Scripture, claiming false new light that would unsettle established truth, and being moved by deception and false theories and false messages. It holds fast to truth already given by God rather than turning the ears from truth to fables and heaping up teachers with itching ears when people will not endure sound doctrine. All Scripture given by inspiration of God is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness, to make the man of God perfect and thoroughly furnished unto all good works.
The third chapter describes persons who accept error, including the error of one mind exercising complete control over another mind so that one acts out the will of another. God forbids any such thing and has given no ray of light or encouragement for it to be taken up. Though innocent in appearance, this mind-cure in its development is for destruction and not restoration, is one of Satan's greatest sciences, and through it great temptations will come, so its real character must be seen clearly. It must be allowed no particle of standing-room in sanitariums and has no place in the work of a Christian physician.
Abiding in the Scriptures known from childhood is God's abundant provision for successful warfare against the evil in the world and against false teachers having a form of godliness. The Bible is the armory where the loins are girt with truth, righteousness is the breastplate, faith is the shield, salvation is the helmet, and the word of God is the sword of the Spirit. With that armor the obstructions and entanglements of sin are cut through.
Steadfast continuance grounds watching for souls as those who must give an account, with clear discernment not only to see defects existing in the church but to take up the unwelcome missionary task of pointing them out. It therefore means preaching the word, being instant in season and out of season, reproving, rebuking, and exhorting with all longsuffering and doctrine, watching, enduring afflictions, and making full proof of ministry. It gives warnings and reproof that uncover the hidden things of darkness, using Scripture for doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness, including plain rebuke of those who sin before all, that others also may fear.
Advancement, Teaching, and Mission
Continuing in learned and assured truth opens a path of continual advancement toward perfection of character, requiring constant striving onward and upward and holding fast to received truth. The object to reach and the standard to gain is Christlikeness, being perfect in the human sphere as God is perfect in His high sphere. That high ideal and standard includes everything good and pure and noble and elevated.
The truths continued in are to be possessed and also communicated to bless others, for Scripture gives instruction in righteousness and equips the servant of God to be perfect and thoroughly furnished unto all good works. They are infinite yet plain enough for finite beings and even a child to comprehend, deemed essential in the councils of heaven by the Father and the Son for the salvation of man from eternity, and spoken by Christ with exclusive divine authority because every sentence He uttered came from God. They must be shared through faithful preaching even when people reject sound teaching, preaching the word and being instant in season and out of season, reproving, rebuking and exhorting with longsuffering and doctrine, watching, enduring afflictions and making full proof of ministry when the time comes that sound doctrine will not be endured and people heap up teachers with itching ears and turn from truth to fables.
Continuing means keeping close to the work and letting no device turn aside from it, preaching the truth as it is in Jesus with the burden of the message to all nations as Jesus Christ and Him crucified. Nothing is to be interposed between the soul and the Savior, and carnal methods to please and attract people for means are to be refused. Side issues, foolish and unlearned questions, strife about words, drollery, novelty, and a mass of words that buries saving truth are to be refused, so that saving truth stands clear and prominent in every discourse.
For one given quick discernment in the Scriptures as a rare and valuable treasure, continuing means staying in that appointed work of imparting to others the light graciously given and bringing many souls to Jesus, because the Holy Scriptures known from childhood make wise unto salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. It means not leaving the work God gave to take up self-chosen work and self-devised projects without God's help and approval. Light not improved will be taken away, and self-chosen labor without God's sanction ends in failure, while turning back to the God-given work brings blessing.
The verse is instruction for young people preparing for Christian service to receive and hold firmly to God's Word, remembering trustworthy teachers and the Scriptures known from childhood that make wise unto salvation through faith in Christ and equip for faithful teaching and service. Teaching and published writing are to remain faithful to God's Word under the Holy Spirit's direction and instruction, keeping attention on God rather than exalting human authors and thinkers who do not know or obey Him. Timothy's foundation lay in faithful instruction, godly example and teaching in his home from his mother and grandmother with the apostle's guidance, showing that parents are to make the Word of God the lesson book for their children, since lessons of Scripture lived out from childhood shape steady, noble Christian character and keep from evil.
The verse applies at this present time to every minister and to all the churches throughout the world in view of Jesus' soon return and the day of the Lord. It calls believers to study and heed the counsel, to keep holding and living the truths learned and proved certain, and to cooperate in sharing the truth and bearing the message that fits up a people to stand. It calls for waking out of lethargic slumber and self-satisfied indifference and backsliding, trimming lamps with grace and letting them shine in clear bright rays to a world in darkness. In a time of special evangelistic blessing it calls every church member to draw near to God, search the heart, confess sin, live in perfect harmony, help with means, clear the way, attend the meetings armed and equipped for service, and labor together with Christ in wakefulness, daily prayer and gratitude, praying and working for the lost sheep and drawing strength from Christ.