The Pattern of Sound Teaching

The Pattern of Sound Teaching
Words of Faith 7-6-2023
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2023
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL
www.faithfellowshipweb.com
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2 Timothy 1
[13] What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus. [14] Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you-- guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.

What does sound teaching look like? We live in a world where some new or novel "truth" is proclaimed at every turn in the road. Things we see and hear seem pretty thrilling at first glance. But how can we know that this is the truth of God? For Paul, it was essential to know the difference-- to recognize truth when we see it and identify the counterfeits when they come along.
Paul says it is about a pattern.
The principle here is timeless. Sound teaching is not simply a matter of thrilling messages that always "hit it out of the park." Nor is truth reflected in the relative absence of heretical error. Sound teaching is a pattern. A good teacher teaches a method as well as a fact.
Paul used the word "hupotupos," which means a form, pattern, or sketch which can be imitated. We use patterns in everything from construction and manufacturing to sewing and cooking. Patterns guide us through a process of exploration and creation. Patterns are replicated to establish a method of study and discernment.
Paul wanted young Pastor Timothy to realize that the teaching he had observed in Paul revealed something beyond just the substance of the lessons. Yes, Paul taught truth, healthy doctrine, and the Gospel of grace. But even more, Paul was establishing a pattern for sound teaching.
A good teacher does not simply deliver "truth" distilled from hours of study and prayer. A good teacher establishes a pattern for others to discern truth through study and prayer. A good teacher models the process of seeking and confirming truth. This sets a guard against the intrusion of spurious ideas and teaching.
What is the pattern we see in Paul?
It was the pattern of Paul to never be far from the Gospel of grace at the core of everything he taught. He expressed this in the previous verses-- "This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel" (vss. 9-10).
This was his anchor. Paul never lost his sense of balance because he never lost his sense of awe before the Gospel. Grace is what gripped Paul and changed him. From this vantage point, Paul humbly approached the pattern of discerning the truth to teach. "And of this gospel, I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher. That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day" (vss. 11-12).
This pattern in Paul always stands on the solid ground of faith and love in Christ Jesus. Teaching that wanders from absolute faith in Christ Jesus will quickly go astray. Teaching that does not express the love of Jesus will likely become judgmental religion and completely miss the mark. The pattern of Paul is one of sound teaching with faith and love at the foundation.
This was the pattern to be guarded. There are other aspects of the pattern found in Paul's teaching. He never lost sight of his Hebrew roots. He affirmed the truths of the Hebrew Scriptures but always through the lens of the cross. He was constantly on guard against the intrusion of "works" as a means of self-righteousness. He warned against mythologies, speculation about angels, and genealogies. These things were distractions that threatened to dilute the Gospel of grace.
The Truth of the Gospel is to be proclaimed widely, and the pattern of teaching deposited in Timothy was to be guarded. By this, Paul did not mean that the pattern of sound teaching was some "gnostic secret." But the pattern of discerning, teaching, and applying truth, born in grace and grounded in faith and love, needed to be preserved with the help of the Holy Spirit.
Paul had entrusted to Timothy this pattern of sound teaching as a deposit to be guarded and passed on. As Paul wrote in his first letter to Timothy, "Guard what has been entrusted to your care. Turn away from godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge" (1 Timothy 6:20).

Father God, teach me the patterns of discernment. Teach me the form for knowing the truth. Keep me close to the Gospel of grace as I seek to know You and share Your Gospel. Show me, by the presence of Your Holy Spirit, how to guard the good deposit You have left for me. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

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© Jeffrey D. Hoy 2023
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy - Faith Fellowship Church (EFCA)
2820 Business Center Blvd.
Melbourne, Florida 32940 (321)-259-7200
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
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The Words of Faith devotion is published five days a week by E-mail, excluding Federal holidays. Please feel free to forward this devotion to a friend who might be blessed by this devotion. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is quoted from the New International Version (R) of The Holy Bible. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Words of Faith (c) 1997, 2023 Jeffrey D. Hoy. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to forward this copyrighted material or use portions of it with appropriate notation of the source for non-profit purposes.