²The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.

How will the Christian movement carry on? This question is foremost in the aging Paul’s mind as he writes his protégé, his son in the faith, and in a sense, his successor. Some teach a theology of apostolic succession, where the role and gifting of apostleship were transmitted down through succeeding generations, apparently in an attempt to protect the teaching handed down from the apostles, including Paul. The idea developed later in Christian history, but Scripture does not teach it. Faithfulness cannot be instituted; no ecclesiastical structure can guarantee it, as can be seen by the theological drift that all Christian organizations and denominations exhibit over time. Of all Paul’s followers, Timothy was the most faithful, and if the apostle had meant for Timothy to carry on the apostolic gift, it is unimaginable that he would not mention that in his writings. To interpret apostolic succession in this passage is a gross importation of later theology into the text.

How then was Paul’s teaching, in particular, to be preserved and carried forward to the next and succeeding generations? First, faithfulness must come through discipleship, based on the Word of God, which does not drift over time. The things Timothy heard from Paul were written down and preserved. Other writings judged to be apostolic have also been preserved, which collectively we call the New Testament documents. Second, Timothy and others were to convey those teachings to others. Notice, Paul does not instruct him to seek out new revelation or new doctrines. Timothy’s task was to pass on Paul’s teachings, not to add his own teachings.

Paul instructed Timothy to pass on the apostle’s teachings to other faithful men, who would pass them on faithfully to others. Faithfulness begets faithfulness. And this practice was to carry on through the ages. Today, we are beneficiaries of those who have worked hard to preserve the apostolic teachings. Ecclesiastical courts have attempted to hinder the Scripture from being available for ordinary people, but praise God for those who faithfully and meticulously copied the original texts and translated them, often in the face of extreme persecution and even at the penalty of death.

Our task today is to carry on faithfully, receiving the apostolic teaching and conveying it to the next generation through educating, discipling, and training others. This is what keeps the Christian movement going — the communication of God’s unchanging Word through His people.

Lord, help me to faithfully and in Your strength, teach Your Word to others.