What does 2 Timothy 3:14 mean?
Paul offers Timothy words of wisdom, emphasizing that Timothy's calling and behavior have nothing to do with the acts of these evil men: "But as for you." Timothy was a faithful follower of Christ, well-known to Paul and to those he led. Paul offered three specific reasons for this encouragement. First, Timothy was to maintain faithfulness to the teachings he was already walking in. Timothy had learned the Scriptures from his mother and grandmother (2 Timothy 1:5), as well as from Paul.Second, he was to continue in what he had established clearly as his beliefs. Timothy had both learned God's truth and had believed the gospel. Both were important parts of Timothy's life and ministry. He had likely been led to faith in Christ by Paul in his hometown of Lystra (Acts 16:1), later following Paul as a fellow missionary before becoming the leader of the Christians in Ephesus. Third, Timothy had deep personal experience with the man from whom he had learned these truths. The prior verses were specifically meant to describe the various ways in which Timothy had seen evidence of Paul's own faith.
Paul had taught to Timothy the same gospel which he had received after his encounter with Jesus on the Damascus road (Acts 9) and had learned from the apostles who had been with Christ (Galatians 1:18). Timothy had the advantage of personally learning the teachings of Christ from Paul and other early Christians prior to the completion of the New Testament writings.