But continue you in the things which you have learned and have been assured of, knowing of whom you have learned them;
But continue you in the things which you have learned and have been assured of, knowing of whom you have learned them;
But abide thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them.
But see that you keep to the teaching you have been given and the things of which you are certain, conscious of who has been your teacher;
But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing from whom thou hast learned them;
But you remain in the things which you have learned and have been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them.
But abide thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them;
But continue thou - No man, however well instructed in the things of God, or grounded in Divine grace, is out of the reach of temptation, apostasy, and final ruin; hence the necessity of watching unto prayer, depending upon God, continuing in the faith, and persevering unto the end.
But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of - To wit, the truths of religion. Timothy had been taught those truths when a child, and he had been confirmed in them by the instructions of Paul. Amidst the errors and seductions of false teachers, Paul now exhorts him to hold fast those doctrines, whoever might oppose them, or whatever might be the consequence; compare the notes at 2 Timothy 1:13.
Knowing of whom thou hast learned them - To wit, of his mother 2 Timothy 1:5, and of Paul; 2 Timothy 1:13. The reference seems to be particularly to the fact that he had learned these truths first from the lips of a mother (see 2 Timothy 3:15); and the doctrine taught here is, "that the fact that we have received the views of truth from a parent's lips, is a strong motive for adhering to them." It is not to be supposed, indeed, that this is the highest motive, or that we are always to adhere to the doctrines which have been taught us, if, on maturer examination, we are convinced they are erroneous; but that this is a strong reason for adhering to what we have been taught in early life. It is so, because:
(1) a parent has no motive for deceiving a child, and it cannot be supposed that he would teach him what he knew to be false;
(2) a parent usually has had much more experience, and much better opportunities of examining what is true, than his child has;
(3) there is a degree of respect which nature teaches us to be due to the sentiments of a parent.
A child should depart very slowly from the opinions held by a father or mother; and, when it is done, it should be only as the result of prolonged examination and prayer. These considerations should have the greater weight, if a parent has been eminent for piety, and especially if that parent has been removed to heaven. A child, standing by the grave of a pious father or mother, should reflect and pray much, before he deliberately adopts opinions which he knows that father or mother would regard as wrong.
3:14 From whom - Even from me a teacher approved of God.