2 Timothy 3:10-13 - Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

But thou hast a better pattern to follow; for thou hast fully known my doctrine In all the branches of it; manner of life My conduct toward God, his people, and all men; purpose The end and design of my ministry, namely, the glory of God in the salvation of men, and not any honour, interest, or advantage of my own; faith My fidelity in the discharge of my duty; long-suffering When treated in the most injurious manner; charity Or love rather, to all men, saints or sinners, not excepting even mine enemies and persecutors; patience Under great and long-continued trials; persecutions From Jews and Gentiles; afflictions Τοις παθημασιν, sufferings; at Antioch In Pisidia; at Iconium, at Lystra See the margin; what persecutions I endured Timothy being a native of Lystra, and Paul's disciple and companion when the apostle was stoned in that city, and dragged out of the streets as one dead, he may have been present on that occasion, and even one of those who stood round him when he revived, Acts 14:20. But out of them all the Lord delivered me And therefore be not thou discouraged if thou meetest with similar trials; yea, and all that will live godly That will conduct themselves by the strict rules of piety prescribed in the gospel of Christ, not turning aside to the right hand or the left, and having the Spirit of Christ, without which we are not his; shall suffer persecution More or less: there is no exception. Therefore count the cost, reader. Art thou resolved to live godly in Christ Jesus, out of whom there is no godliness? Hence we infer, that either the apostle was mistaken in making this assertion, or those who think they are religious, and are not persecuted in some shape or other, deceive themselves. But evil men and seducers Though they may escape persecution, are yet in a more wretched state, for they provoke God to give them up to the lusts of their own hearts, and so shall wax worse and worse More corrupt in heart and life, and more obstinate in their opposition to the gospel and its faithful ministers; deceiving and being deceived He who has once begun to deceive others, is both the less likely to recover from his own errors, and the more ready to embrace the errors of other men.