2 Timothy 1:13
“Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Paul charges Timothy to keep firm hold of the sound teaching he received, held together by faith and love in Christ.
What Does 2 Timothy 1:13 Mean?
Paul urges Timothy to hold fast a pattern of healthy, trustworthy words, the teaching he learned directly from the apostle. This holding is to be carried out in faith and love, both found in Christ Jesus.
Truth is meant to be guarded, kept whole and not let slip. Yet Paul does not call for a cold, defensive grip; the holding happens within faith and love. Sound teaching and warm affection belong together, lest doctrine harden into mere argument. For the reader, this is a balanced charge: be faithful to what you have been taught, but hold it the way Christ would, with trust toward God and love toward others. Truth carried in love becomes life-giving rather than brittle, a treasure kept and shared at once.
In the Original Language
hupotuposis (ὑποτύπωσις), 'form' -- a pattern or outline that serves as a model to follow and reproduce.