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Paul is giving Timothy both encouragement and instruction. Timothy is obviously young, but he has been chosen to preach. He is told, however, to be a good example of Christianity. Paul knows that the people will be watching him. He is also told to study as well as to encourage and to teach. We have been called to be disciples because of our Baptism. We too must be good examples of the Christianity we proclaim. It doesn’t matter if we are young or old, we are expected to imitate Christ in our way of life, in how we show love to one another and by our moral choices. We are also expected to grow in our knowledge of the faith by reading the Scriptures, and to encourage others to be faithful and to teach others by word and example. We should never stop learning! I’m constantly amazed by how much I have forgotten of what I have read. And I am also surprised that a passage I have read many times before now has a different meaning to me. That’s because Scripture is a living word. I know I have said that before, but we sometimes need reminding. This is one of the reasons passages of Scripture appear in more than one book in the Bible and sometimes with expanded meaning. Jesus himself quotes Scripture and gives a new interpretation, a clearer understanding of its meaning. Just as Timothy had Paul as his teacher, we also might seek out others who can help us understand what it means to be a Christian and also who will support us as we witness our faith to others.Prayer: Lord, it helps that you have given us encouragement as well as resources to enable us to be better witnesses to others of the joy of being a Christian. Amen.