Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.
Let no man despise thy youth - Act so as to be respected in spite of thy youth (1 Corinthians 16:11; Titus 2:15): cf. "youthful," 2 Timothy 2:22: thy gravity maketh up for thy juvenility. He was but a mere youth when he joined Paul (Acts 16:1-3). Eleven years had elapsed since. Now, after Paul's first imprisonment, he was still young (about thirty-five probably), especially in comparison with Paul (whose place he was filling), and with elderly presbyters, whom he should "entreat as a father" (1 Timothy 5:1); and in respect to rebuking, exhorting, and ordaining (1 Timothy 3:1), which ordinarily accord best with an elderly person (1 Timothy 5:19).
Be thou an example, х tupos (G5179) ginou (G1096)] - 'become a pattern' (Titus 2:7): the true way of making men not to despise thy youth.
In word - in all thou sayest in public and private.
Conversation, х anastrophee (G391)] - 'behaviour:' the Old English sense.
In charity ... faith - the two cardinal motives of the Christian (Galatians 5:6). 'Aleph (') A C Delta G f g, Vulgate, omit "in spirit:" perhaps interpolated from 2 Corinthians 6:6.
In purity - outwardly manifested (1 Timothy 5:22; 2 Corinthians 6:6; James 3:17; James 4:8; 1 Peter 1:22).