Pastoral Epistles: Godly Examples (Part 2 of 3)

Follow the pattern of the sound words that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus 

2 Timothy 1:13 

The story is told of a T.V. repairman who didn’t like to think about his job when he came home. As a result, he never bothered to properly install the T.V. antenna on the top of his house or fix it when one arm broke in a windstorm. One day a new family moved in next door, and the owner went up on his roof to install an antenna. Knowing that his neighbor was a T.V. repairman, he put his up exactly the same way and turned his antenna to face in the same direction as his neighbor’s. Then, after studying his neighbor’s antenna for a while, he reached up and broke one arm off his new antenna!

As disciples, we teach by example, whether we intend to or not! And while this may apply in greater measure for those who are in leadership positions, it applies universally to all people because we are all teaching. In writing his second letter, Paul is not rebuking any negligence on Timothy’s part, but fortifying and encouraging Timothy to remain steadfast in his ministry should anything happen to him during his “vacation” in a dungeon. And the call to follow a pattern is truly a call for Timothy set an example by holding fast to sound doctrine because a godly leader cannot be one if he does not hold fast to the truth.

As the saying goes, Orthodoxy, right teaching, will always lead to orthopraxy, right living. It is not some sort of intellectual ascent that Paul is commending towards Timothy, but rather that the truth should be expressed in his own life. As disciples of Christ we should treasure the word of God, but it should be evident by the way that we live that we are not living according to our will, but that of the will of the Father. Paul expressed this same truth in his first letter and to Titus to “set the believers an example” and “to be a model of good works” (1 Tim 4:11; Titus 2:7). A special handling of God’s Word will ultimately impact their teaching and godly living which could result in the salvation of themselves and their hearers (1 Tim 4:16).

And this charge is not exclusive to Timothy and Titus, but for all believers. Every generation is charged with the responsibility to guard sound doctrine and to live according to it, through the help of the Holy Spirit. Each person is called to live in such a way that others will see our good works, and give God the glory (Matthew 5:16). And so, I encourage you to continue to follow the pattern of sound words that you have heard and to set a godly example to your fellow believers and to the world.

Grace and Peace,
Alex Galvez

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