(1) “Teaching” refers to the truth of the gospel that Paul teaches; the apostle affirms that Timothy believes and propagates his delivery of the faith.
(2) “Conduct” means that Timothy has followed the leading of Paul’s “way of life” (BDAG, s.v. ἀγωγή, italics original). Timothy follows not only Paul’s beliefs but also his behavior.
(3) “Aim in life” translates a single word that means “purpose” or something “planned in advance” (BDAG, s.v. πρόθεσις, italics original). Paul had a purpose in ministry, and Timothy has followed it.
(4) “Faith” is “trust in or absolute dependence on God” (cf. 1 Tim. 4:12; 6:11; 2 Tim. 2:22).
(5) “Patience” refers to the ability “to bear up under provocation, forbearance, patience toward others” (BDAG, s.v. μακροθυμία, italics original). Just as Paul has responded faithfully to persecution and suffering, so also has Timothy.
(6) “Love” is the characteristic Christian virtue, the first fruit of the Spirit, that which sets believers apart from the world. Christians love one another, their neighbors, and even their enemies. Timothy has followed love in this sense.
(7) “Steadfastness” is sometimes translated “endurance” and refers to the ability “to hold out or bear up in the face of difficulty” (BDAG, s.v. ὑπομονή). The term anticipates the final two characteristics of Timothy’s faithfulness. Timothy not only follows Paul’s teaching and conduct but also willingly enters into his suffering for the gospel.
(8) “Persecutions” refers to a “program or process designed to harass and oppress” (BDAG, s.v. διωγμός). This term is plural—Paul was persecuted continuously for preaching the gospel.
(9) “Sufferings” are the result of the aforementioned persecution.
Paul specifies instances of persecution from his first missionary journey, “at Antioch, at Iconium, and at Lystra” (cf. Acts 13:45, 50; 14:1–5, 19). In Pisidian Antioch, the Jews persecuted Paul. In Iconium, some in the city sought to kill him by stoning, but he escaped. In Lystra, on the other hand, “They stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing that he was dead” (Acts 14:19). Yet Paul continued to preach, even returning to the very cities that had sought to end his life (Acts 14:21) and preaching the gospel to them again. Along the way he “strengthened” and “encouraged” the disciples, telling them that “through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God” (Acts 14:22).
When we understand the extent of Paul’s suffering, we begin to see the significance of how Timothy has “followed” Paul into persecution, with resolve in spite of the risk. Timothy is unafraid to suffer.
Paul offers no exceptions to “all,” but we must be careful not to conclude too quickly that someone not suffering must not be a believer. A Christian’s living out a peaceful life indicates one of two things:
(1) They have not experienced persecution yet, but will.
(2) We have misunderstood what the Bible means by “persecution.” We tend to think of “persecution” solely in terms of intense forms of suffering for the faith. Yet Christ says that to “revile” or to “utter all kinds of evil against you” fits in the category of “persecution” (Matt. 5:10–12). Thus persecution does not always involve physical suffering that could lead to death. Persecution involves any form of mistreatment for the sake of the gospel, ranging anywhere from verbal opposition to being arrested to losing all of one’s possessions or even to physical suffering and loss of life.
Timothy must continue because he knows from whom he has learned the faith. It may be surprising that Paul does not appeal immediately to the character of Scripture but rather appeals to the character of those who taught that Scripture to Timothy. The faith of Lois and Eunice is now Timothy’s faith. And Paul appeals to the faithful Christian character of these women as a basis for Timothy’s continued confidence in what he has learned from them.
With these solemn words, Paul recognizes the importance of the calling of motherhood. He invites readers to consider the singularly powerful impact that a faithful mother and grandmother can have on children and grandchildren. Timothy’s father was apparently not a Christian, and yet this did not prevent Timothy from coming to faith through the witness of his mother and grandmother. A mother can make her mark on her child like no one else can (cf. 1 Cor. 7:14). God can use her to raise up servants who would lay down their lives for Christ. A child holds a special place in his heart for his mother. When “times of difficulty” (2 Tim. 3:1) come in the life of that child, the memory of a mother’s faithfulness to Christ may very well carry that child through the storm. The child will follow Jesus because his mother did. Paul affirms the glorious potential of motherhood with the words “knowing from whom you learned it.”