¹²Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe.

Many are accustomed to thinking of Timothy’s age as late teens or early twenties, but is that true? He began traveling with Paul before 50 A.D., and this would not have happened until Timothy had become of age past puberty, which would have put him into his mid-teens at least. Since Paul is writing to him now in the early 60s A.D., that would put Timothy around twenty-five to thirty-five years old. It may be what often happens with being older, that Paul tended to see Timothy in the same light as when they first became associated, as being youthful. As both he and Paul matured in their walks of faith, Paul would have always seen Timothy as being younger. Age has a funny way of categorizing people.

It may also be that Timothy may have had what we today would call a baby-face, in that he looked much younger than he really was. If so, we can understand Paul’s instruction as one concerning Timothy’s perception to others as a young man. But then, how can Timothy control what others think of him? The answer is this: “Don’t act in such a way that conveys that you are immature.” Not that Timothy tended to act like a young person, but Paul seems to think others might assume that to be the case unless Timothy consciously acted to dispel that perception. This is quite ironic since Jesus’s disciples were all roughly Timothy’s age when they began to follow Jesus; they would undoubtedly be considerably younger than Paul was at the time of this letter.

Implied in this instruction is a description of how spiritual maturity looks: being an example to others in how we talk, behave ourselves, act in love, exercise faith, and walk in purity of heart and the flesh. Paul had just told him to teach about godliness, but now the mentor is telling his mentee that he also needs to model godliness. Teach with your mouth and with your actions. Show people with your life what you tell them with your mouth.

Teachers of the Word should take notice, whether we are parents teaching children, sharing with others in a small group, conversing casually with other Christians, preaching to a congregation, or teaching in a Bible college, seminary, or Sunday school. Teaching with our mouths is necessary for conveying and defending truth, but we must also show the truth by how we live. If we do not, then we become hypocrites at worst, or we are seen as immature believers who need to grow up spiritually.

Lord, I know I have a ways to go, but I do want to grow more toward maturity so that I can convince others by my life what true godliness is and looks like.