Is doctrine or loving people more important?
Illustrates Jesus' description of himself "I am the Good Shepherd" (from the Gospel of John, chapter 10, verse 11). : Wikipedia ) "Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus ." ( 2 Timothy 1:13 ) There are several significant pieces to this important command. We must "hold firm" to the "pattern" of the "wholesome words" that have been given to us. And that firm hold must rest in the faith and love that we have in Christ Jesus. This is not an option. We are to hold to the form of the sound words. Hupotuposis is the Greek term, only used one other time in the New Testament , where Paul insists that his life was to be "a pattern to them which should hereafter believe" ( 1 Timothy 1:16 , emphasis added). We are to be "under" ( hupo ) the "outline" or "pattern" ( tupos ) of the wholesome words. The purpose of the two le