Message summary: Today we consider the importance of what we have learned and from whom we learned it.

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"But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus" (2 Timothy 3:14-15).

This week I am transporting Amish teachers from their homes early in the morning (the first one is picked up at 6 am) to their schools and then back home in the afternoon. (Actually we both are since we can back up each other up in our busy schedules.)  One is a new school with a first year 20 year old teacher. Since the school building is not yet built the school is meeting in the upper floor of a very tidy barn (see photo above) where the Amish community also holds their church services. They rotate holding their church services among member families, meeting every other week.

Yesterday I got there a little early in the afternoon and walked through the school space in the barn. Brand new old-fashioned style desks were set up for each student and the walls already have various character building themes, a common trait in Amish schools.

For those our age many of our grandparents or for some even parents attended these small one room schoolhouses, especially in rural areas. They resemble the school on the set of "Little House On The Prairie". Max is a friend from Bible College whose 12 years of schooling all took place in a one room schoolhouse in very rural central Nebraska. When he started college he was at no disadvantage academically to the majority of us who had attended large, likely well-funded, suburban schools.

Of vital importance is the character of the teacher. Many of us recall good teachers that helped form our learning habits and may have also contributed to our character traits as well. Of utmost importance are those who have taught us spiritual truths. Consider those who had a formative role in your life teaching you such truths.

It's so very important to reinforce our call to continue in faithfulness to God and His Word. Our text today is a solemn command to Timothy from Paul and begins, "But as for you, continue".

Today let us consider the two phrases, "in what you have learned" and "you know those from whom you learned it".

Continue:

1) "in what you have learned". That is the content of the teaching: Paul was confident in the content of what Timothy had been taught. We need to know what we believe and why we believe it (a phrase I learned early on). All content needs to be rooted in the Scriptures. The latter part of the passage states "you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus".

2) "Because you know those from whom you learned it". That is the character of the teacher: Timothy's early learning, "from infancy", was from his mother and grandmother whom Paul had mentioned earlier in the book. "I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well" (2 Timothy 1:5).

This is very instructive in light of the verse that introduces Timothy in Acts 16:1: "A disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, but his father was a Greek". The contrast between "believer" and "Greek" is quite pointed indicating almost certainly that Timothy's father was not a believer and had no role in teaching him spiritual truths.

That his initial spiritual influence was primarily from his godly mother and grandmother should connect with a lot of people all these centuries later. Although God's ideal design is that mothers and fathers both spiritually influence their children, we know plenty of grandmothers and mothers who are assuming the primary role of spiritual leader due to absent and negligent fathers. The reverse is true as well with fathers assuming this role without the mother's participation (though less common).

But Timothy had many others who provided spiritual influence in his life, including his mentor, Paul. Let's consider that phrase again, "Because you know those from whom you learned it". For so much of the church's history teaching would have been face to face giving people an opportunity to personally know their spiritual leader. Now many receive teaching from those they do not know through books, radio programs, podcasts, the internet, etc. That's true for us and our teaching role in your life. Some of you know us but the majority of our readers we have never met so you really don't know us.

The point is not invalidating our ministry of course, let alone that of many others who faithfully share God's Word using technology unavailable in previous generations. I have benefited greatly from many I don't know personally.

Hebrews 13:7 states, "Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith".

Look back and consider those who taught you and consider the outcome of their way of life. Some have already finished, others still steadfastly demonstrate Christ-like character.

In one way or another you are all teaching others and leaving an example. What type of character do they see in you?

Be encouraged today!  Hebrews 3:13

Stephen & Brooksyne Weber