But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity, patience,
Fully, known, х pareekoloutheesas (G3877)] - 'fully followed up;' traced, with a view to following me as thy pattern, so far as I follow Christ. Compare Greek, Luke 1:3, "having had perfect understanding of." Lois and Eunice would recommend him to study fully Paul's Christian course. He was not yet the companion of Paul's at the apostle's persecutions in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra (Acts 13:50; Acts 14:5; Acts 14:19), but is first mentioned as such, Acts 16:1-3. However, he was 'a disciple' already when introduced in Acts 16:1-3. As Paul calls him "my own son in the faith," he must have been converted by the apostle previously: perhaps in the visit to those parts three years before. Hence arose Timothy's knowledge of Paul's persecutions, which were generally spoken of in the churches there at the time of his conversion. The incidental allusion to them forms an undesigned coincidence between the history and the letter, indicating genuineness, (Paley's 'Hor. Paul.') A forger of letters from the Acts would never allude to Timothy's knowledge of persecutions, when that knowledge is not mentioned in the history, but is only arrived at by indirect inference; also the omission of Derbe here minutely agrees with the fact that in Derbe no persecution is mentioned in the history, though Derbe and Lystra are commonly mentioned together. His reason for mentioning his persecutions before Timothy became his companion, and not those subsequent, was because Timothy being familiar with the latter as an eye-witness, Paul needed not to remind him of them, but the former Timothy had traced up by information from others. Perhaps Paul's sufferings were what tint impressed Timothy. If Timothy was converted at Lystra (as seems probable: see 'Introduction'), he may have witnessed the almost-completed martyrdom, of Paul (Acts 14:19).
Doctrine - `teaching.'
Manner of life - `conduct' (1 Corinthians 4:17).
Purpose, х prothesei (G4286)] - elsewhere used of God's "purpose;" but here, as in Acts 11:23, of Paul's 'purpose of heart in cleaving unto the Lord:' my set aim in my apostolic function not selfish gain, but the glory of God.
Long-suffering - toward adversaries and the false teachers; toward brethren in bearing their infirmities; toward the unconverted, and the lapsed when penitent (2 Timothy 4:2; 2 Corinthians 6:6; Galatians 5:22; Ephesians 4:2; Colossians 3:12).
Charity - love to all.
Patience - `brave endurance:' patient continuance in well-doing amidst adversities (2 Timothy 3:11; Romans 2:7).