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"Exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine (didache, the act of teaching) . For the
time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine (didaskalia, the substance of
the teaching) but . . . . . will heap unto themselves teachers (didaskalos)."
To the ordinary reader there does not seem to be any obvious connection between the
two words "doctrine" and "teaching". "Doctrine" comes from the Latin docere "to
teach", even as doctor, document, docile, (i.e. teachable), and disciple (i.e. a learner from
Latin discere "to learn" which is allied to docere "to teach"). It would not be right to-day
for any "teacher" to assume the title "doctor", but that is simply because the two words
have parted company and have received distinctive characters which we must observe.
The apostle has more to say about this "doctrine" in these Pastoral epistles, than
elsewhere. In his other epistles he actually gave the "substance", but in epistles to his
fellow-servants Timothy and Titus, he reminds them of its value and character. There are
fourteen references in these three epistles to the apostle's doctrine, and one of the
contrary doctrine of perilous times that are to come. Seven of these occur in I Timothy
and three in II Timothy. The three in II Timothy are 3: 10, 16 and 4: 3. It will not
be a waste of time if we gather the seven references to "doctrine" made in the first epistle.
A | a | 1: 10. Contrary to sound doctrine. Unholy and profane.
b | 4: 6, 7. Good doctrine . . . fables . . . unto godliness.
B | 4: 13. The reading, exhortation, doctrine.
C | 4: 16. Thyself and Thy doctrine.
B | 5: 17. Labour in the word and doctrine.
A | a | 6: 1. Name of God and His doctrine, not blasphemed.
b | 6: 3, 4. Doctrine according to godliness, questions.
It would take us too far afield to examine these references separately, but we must
draw attention to the central one "thyself and thy doctrine", which is just the same line of
thought as that of II Tim. 3: 10.
"Manner of life" agoge. This word does not occur again in the New Testament. It
comes twice in Esther and three times in the second book of the Maccabees.
"Like as when she was brought up with him" (Esther 2: 20) is expressed in the LXX,
"As when she was with him: and Esther changed not her manner of life". In Esther 10: 3
where the Hebrew reads, as in the Authorized Version, "speaking peace" the LXX
translates the passage: "And passed his life beloved of all his nation."
While the Apocrypha was never looked upon as inspired and canonical, its influence
upon phraseology was great, just as the words of Shakespeare, Bunyan, Milton or
Tennyson are quoted to-day by many who do not realize that such expressions are
quotations at all. As a proof of this, can the reader say, without reference, to which
English writer we owe such household words, as "The cricket on the hearth", "As
children gathering pebbles on the shore" and "The light fantastic toe"?*
[* - The writer is Milton.]