Paul draws a sharp contrast between Timothy and the false teachers that have been rampant in Ephesus. With the beginning of this week’s passage, he emphatically states that Timothy must be different.

Take a look at it for yourself in 2 Timothy 3:14-15:

Paul sees an obvious distinction between Timothy and the evil men and impostors listed in the previous verse. While they may spiral down in their unrighteousness, Timothy is to maintain a steady faithfulness to his ministry and to the gospel message.

Paul encourages Timothy to hold steadfast, and to continue in what he has learned. This certainly refers back to verse 10, where Paul reminds Timothy that he knows a significant amount about Paul’s teaching and lifestyle. But we must also remember that Timothy was raised by a godly mother and grandmother, both of whom taught him the Scriptures from a very early age (2 Timothy 1:5). Timothy’s education in the Scriptures is what led to the faith of his family, and ultimately to his own. These examples are the first reason he must hold onto his convictions.

The second reason is given in the next verse, and that is the solid foundation of the Scriptures themselves. From early childhood, in fact, Paul calls it “infancy,” Timothy has been exposed to the authority and reliability of God’s Word, from a variety of sources, but most significantly, beginning in the home. The Jewish culture was to begin teaching the principles of God’s Word (specifically the Old Testament here) to children before almost anything else. It’s very likely that Timothy’s education continued in the synagogue as soon as he was old enough to attend. His exposure to God’s truth was solid and consistent.

This truth had the effect of making him wise, as opposed to the “depraved minds” of the false teachers (verse 9), and resulted in salvation from Christ, in Timothy’s own life, and multitudes of others over the centuries.

Finally, Paul stresses that the salvation he received did not originate from the Scriptures themselves, but from the one to whom they point, Christ Jesus. This is a recurring theme throughout Paul’s letters; he stresses that salvation always comes through faith in Christ Jesus.

Most often, the primary catalyst for this comes from the Word of God. In fact, the next passage in this chapter has become one of the most often cited in support of the authority of Scripture, and we will look at it in depth next week. For now, it is sufficient to state that the Bible we possess today is still the inspired, authoritative Word of God, and holds immense value for our lives. It is completely and totally reliable and trustworthy, proven to be true again and again. And it is life-altering, convicting of sin and communicating the truth of the gospel throughout the ages.

The benefits are only realized, however, when we take it in, read it, meditate on it, study it, and apply it to our lives. But when we do, its effects are tremendous!

Question: What place do the Holy Scriptures hold in your life? What can you do to make them even more of a priority in your life? You can leave a comment by clicking here.