 |  |
those churches among whom the Apostle had laboured and who had received the epistles
of the mystery. To-day we have no need to appeal to any authority or witness beyond the
complete canon of Scripture, and for the distinctive teaching of the mystery, the four
great prison epistles are all-sufficient: they constitute the good deposit.
The Apostle enjoins that this sacred deposit of truth shall be committed to a definite
class of believer.
"The same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also"
(II Tim. 2: 2).
Note the order of the qualifications of these teachers: (1) Faithful; (2) Able. No
degree of ability can compensate for unfaithfulness, while, conversely, it is true that a
teacher must not only be faithful, but must have the ability to teach. The extremely
important office of the teacher is manifested by the derivatives of didasko, "to teach". It
would take us too far afield to follow all the ramifications of this word, but we shall profit
by observing those which are used in II Timothy. First of all, the verb itself, didasko,
"to teach". The word is probably derived from an obsolete verb, deikoto, "show",
"exhibit", and, through the Latin, the Saxon word taecan: hence the English word teach:
"Able to teach (didasko) others also" (II Tim. 2: 2).
From didasko comes didaskalos, "the teacher": "Whereunto I am appointed a
preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles" (II Tim. 1: 11).
Didaskalia is the teaching of the didaskalos, the teacher, and is often translated
doctrine, even as didaskalo is translated at times doctor (Luke 2: 46).
"My doctrine" (II Tim. 3: 10).
"Profitable for doctrine" (II Tim. 3: 16).
"The time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine" (II Tim. 4: 3).
Didache, doctrine, the art of teaching: "Exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine"
(II Tim. 4: 2).
Didaktikos, "Apt to teach" (II Tim. 2: 24).
In II Tim. 2: 2 the Apostle insists upon two things: the subject-matter (the doctrine)
and the instrument (the teacher). Regarding the subject-matter, he has made it clear that
it must conform to that good deposit entrusted to him and which constitutes the pattern
for all concerned to follow. Regarding the instrument, he says the teachers shall be
"faithful men" and that they shall be "sufficient to teach others". "It is required in
stewards, that a man be found faithful" (I Cor. 4: 2).
We are not at liberty here to pass by the fact that the Apostle said "faithful men". If a
writer in Greek wished to make his statement open, so that either sex could be included,
facilities lay to his hand. For example, in II Tim. 2: 5, the A.V. reads, "If a man also
strive for masteries", but this is the rendering of tis, "someone". So also in II Tim. 2: 21.