But continue thou in the things
That is, in the doctrines of the Gospel, and not be moved away
from them, either through the malice or persecutions, or the
cunning sleight of men that lie in wait to deceive; and which is
an exhortation suitable to the godly in all ages: and what follow
are so many reasons enforcing it:
which thou hast learned:
not merely in a theoretical way, as arts and sciences are
learned, but in a spiritual and experimental manner; a
comfortable knowledge and experience of which he had attained
unto; and were not like those in ( 2 Timothy
3:7 ) , who had been ever learning, and yet could not come to
the knowledge of the truth: and since therefore he had learned
the truths of the Gospel, and had attained to a good
understanding of them, it was his duty, as it is the duty of all
such, to abide by them:
and hast been assured of:
the doctrines of the Gospel are certain things; they are truths
without controversy; there is a full assurance of understanding
of them, which men may arrive unto, and which ministers should,
since they are to affirm them with certainty. Scepticism is very
unbecoming one that calls himself a minister of the Gospel; and
when a man is assured of the truth and reality of Gospel
doctrines, it would be shameful in him to drop them, or depart
from them:
knowing of whom thou hast learned them.
The apostle means himself, though he modestly forbears the
mention of himself: and it is another argument why Timothy should
continue steadfastly in the doctrines of the Gospel, seeing he
had learned them of so great an apostle of Christ; whose mission,
as such, was abundantly confirmed by miracles and success, and
who had received these doctrines by immediate revelation from
Christ; so that it was all one as if Timothy had learned them
from Christ himself. The Alexandrian copy reads the word "whom",
in the plural number, as if the apostle referred to more teachers
of Timothy than himself; however, he doubtless was the principal
one.