¹⁰Now you followed my teaching, conduct, purpose, faith, patience, love, perseverance, ¹¹persecutions, and sufferings, such as happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium and at Lystra; what persecutions I endured, and out of them all the Lord rescued me! ¹²Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.

True mentor that he is, Paul affirms that Timothy has followed the apostle’s example. Lest anyone assign Paul to the company of the arrogant, his statement is no more radical than when a parent says to a child, “That is great, you can tie your shoes just like I showed you.” Modeling, setting an example, is the consummate role of a true teacher. He gives himself as a visual for how the instruction works in real, everyday life. And in Timothy, Paul had found a good replication of his own life.

Paul himself repeatedly told people to follow his example, which was a human visual of how to imitate Christ (see 1 Cor. 4:16, 11:1, Phil. 3:17, etc.). Since Christ is no longer physically present (we cannot see or touch him), we learn to follow Him not only by the descriptions of Him in the gospel accounts but also by the example of others who have gone before us and who teach us.

Paul now commends Timothy in specific areas. To be sure, Timothy embraced Paul’s doctrinal teachings. But he also patterned his behavior (“conduct”) on what he observed in Paul’s daily life during their considerable time traveling around the eastern Mediterranean region. Paul would also have infected Timothy with his driving purpose in life—indeed it would be difficult not to have the same attitude as Paul, namely, to “[p]ress on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 3:14–15). Timothy, too, became a driven man for Christ.

Timothy picked up more than doctrine, godly behavior, and life purpose from Paul. He took on the four spiritual characteristics of faith, patience, love, and perseverance. Paul demonstrated these in his experience of persecution during the mission tours when Timothy was with him. The example is clear: anyone who desires to live a similar godly life as Paul will suffer the same consequences as Paul did. No exception.

The example doesn’t end with the hardships of persecution but with the enduring expectation of God’s rescue. What a model the apostle Paul left, and that Timothy adopted as his own life pattern!

Lord, I want to follow Paul’s and Timothy’s example of Christ, whatever the cost, because I know You will rescue me from a meaningless and unfruitful life.