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Its occurrence in II Thess. 2: 8 is not parallel. There it is used like an adjective to
describe one of the aspects of the parousia which the Lord had revealed in
Matt. 24: 27-30.
Thus, in the post-Acts epistles of Paul, it describes the giving of God's unspeakable
Gift, His own Beloved Son and with Him the riches of His grace and surpassing love in
choosing, saving and redeeming each member of the Church which is His Body, and also
looks forward to the climax of their salvation, when His glory shall be revealed to the
wondering gaze of heaven's principalities and powers and this church shall be manifested
there with him, Head and Body united in heaven's Holiest of all (Col. 3: 1-4).
Another word which is characteristic of the Pastoral Epistles, and one which is greatly
stressed, is the word doctrine didaskalia. It occurs fifteen times in these epistles, 8 times
in I Timothy, 4 times in Titus, and 3 times in II Timothy. We now give a
concordance of this word in these epistles:
Didaskalia in the Pastoral Epistles.
"if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine" (I Tim. 1: 10).
"giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils" (4: 1).
"words of faith and of good doctrine" (4: 6).
"give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine" (4: 13).
"take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine" (4: 16).
"they who labour in the word and doctrine" (5: 17).
"that the name of God and His doctrine be not blasphemed" (6: 1).
"the doctrine which is according to godliness" (6: 3).
"that he may be able by sound doctrine . . . . . to convince the gainsayers" (Titus 1: 9).
"the things which become sound doctrine" (2: 1).
"in doctrine showing uncorruptness" (2: 7).
"that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour" (2: 10).
"thou hast fully known my doctrine" (II Tim. 3: 10).
"all scripture is . . . . . profitable for doctrine" (3: 16).
"the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine" (4: 3).
That this is one of the key words of these epistles is obvious. The word `doctrine' is
often linked in the mind with something that is dry and uninteresting. If we substitute the
word teaching we shall see the closer link with teacher, as didaskalia, doctrine, is linked
with didaskalos, one who teaches. The epistle to Timothy and Titus were addressed to
those who had been called to teach and to lead, hence the vast importance of the subject
or subjects taught.
These believers could be sound teachers of the Truth, or like some of the Apostle's
day and at the end time, teachers of myths, pleasing those who have itching ears
(II Tim. 4: 3, 4). There is sound or healthy teaching (Titus 1: 9) and in contrast the
teaching of demons (I Tim. 4: 1). The former is linked with the One who is the Truth
(John 14: 6) and His Word which is Truth (John 17: 17), and the other with the father
of lies (John 8: 44).