When we remember that, as a Pharisee, Paul had been a real `formalist',

but that at his conversion and in his subsequent ministry he had died to

legalism and ceremonial, we may at first be somewhat surprised to find him in

his last epistle advocating the retention of a `form' of words, however sound

it might be.  We find, however, that he uses the word `form' in more than one

way.  He rebuked the self -satisfied Jew, who rested in the law and had a

`form of knowledge and of the truth in the law' (Rom. 2:20).  In 2 Timothy

itself he tells us that in the last and perilous days, men will have a `form

of godliness' but without its power, `men of corrupt minds, reprobate

concerning the faith'.  In both these passages the word for `form' is

morphosis, which in usage somewhat stresses the idea of `appearance'.

A very different idea is resident in the word tupos, used in a good

sense in Romans 6:17, `Ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine

which was delivered you', or, better still, as the margin indicates, `that

mould of doctrine into which you were delivered'.  The word is derived from

the verb tupto `to strike' and so means an impression made by striking a

blow.  It then becomes the `fashion' or `pattern', e.g. according to which

Moses made the Tabernacle (Acts 7:44; Heb. 8:5); or it indicates an `example'

(1 Cor. 10:6,11; Phil. 3:17; 1 Thess 1:7; 2 Thess. 3:9 and 1 Peter 5:3).  It

is this word, in combination with hupo, `under', that the apostle uses in the

injunction to hold a `form' of sound words.  Hupotuposis is from the verb

hupotupoo, `to draw a sketch or first draft', as a painter does before

beginning on the actual canvas.  It is used by Aristotle in this sense and is

translated by the Latin adumbrare, `to shadow forth', `to adumbrate'.  The

title Hai Hupotuposeis was the name given to his outlines of Pyrrhonic

Philosophy by Sext. Empiricus, which word Paul here uses in much the same

way.  The word is twice used by the apostle in his epistles, both occurrences

being in an epistle to Timothy.  In the first epistle he wrote: `Howbeit for

this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show forth

all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on

Him to life everlasting' (1 Tim. 1:16).

Paul does not entertain the construction or holding of a creed, the

sense of the very word translated `a preliminary sketch' being entirely

removed from such an idea.  The rights of each person's individuality are

respected and the changing phraseology of each succeeding generation allowed

for, but all who would serve in this great ministry are exhorted to keep well

before them the outline of truth received by revelation and delivered in such

faithfulness by the apostle of the Gentiles.  It was in this sense that

Chrysostom understood Paul for he comments: `Take thine examples on every

subject from my teaching'.

That the apostle does not refer to a creed or catechism

is further manifested by the fact that the relative hon, `which', belongs not

to hupotuposin, but to logon, `words'.

Let us examine this expression `sound words' (2 Tim. 1:13).  The fact

that words are produced by the aid of `sound', or that by their means we may

`sound' great depths has no connection with the `sound' words of Paul's

exhortation.  Each word has entered into our language from different sources,

and while `sound' as sensation of hearing is from sonus, and the final d is

an addition, `sound' as translating the apostle's meaning is derived from

gesund, indicating a state free from disease.  We do well to remember that

mere `sound' may be very `unsound'.  Hugiaino `to be sound' of course gives

us our word hygiene.  In classical Greek the term hai hugiainontes came to be