The meaning of the word “fidelity.” What is fidelity - definition, how are fidelity and friendship, love, duty related? Loyalty to your views

Among different peoples and at all times, loyalty is perhaps one of the most valuable qualities, glorified both in ancient legends, the works of classics, and in the works of modern authors and films. Despite the fact that the millstones of permissiveness propaganda are spinning more and more every day, often grinding many, people are subconsciously drawn to something good and come, sometimes through thorny paths, to the conclusion about the undeniable superiority of remaining faithful to their loved ones, their worldview, and their fatherland.

A person begins to comprehend the basics of this concept in childhood, when his views on life are formed. The process of cognition is complex and similar to finding a fairway in the skerries. Therefore, parents must certainly take on the role of pilot. Further, already having a solid foundation, it is easier to follow the chosen path: select your social circle, read the right books, be faithful to those people and ideals that do not bring chaos and evil into life. Loyalty is a kind of vaccination against various vices, temptations, and base emotions. It, like a sense of duty, cannot be completely given away or lost. However, one should avoid a surrogate sense of loyalty, which sooner or later becomes a burden, since its manifestation is aimed at gaining the approval of others and satisfying one’s own pride.

Loyalty comes from the heart and is a conscious choice. It cannot be imposed. There can be no jealousy or mistrust in a relationship between two loving people. After all, the coexistence of fidelity and jealousy is akin to the interaction of matter and antimatter, which have no place in the same world.

Loyalty as a life priority

Choosing fidelity as a life priority will protect you from depravity and encourage you to strive for bright ideals and self-improvement. Unfortunately, many people prefer momentary pleasures and novelty, not realizing that this destroys the psycho-emotional component of the personality and replaces true values. Meanwhile, where fidelity lives, there is peace, harmony, confidence, harmony. And this is nothing more than the ingredients of happiness, which are deprived of those who surrender to the hot embrace of an all-consuming, but essentially empty passion, as which weakens, enchanting unforgettable impressions are replaced by a hangover. But unlike its alcoholic counterpart, it torments the soul, not the body, and continues until a new hobby appears. In other words, a person simply becomes a slave to his passions.

In addition, negative emotions and lies tend to accumulate and fall on the consciousness, causing anger, rage, jealousy, malice, in which the personality simply dissolves. At a moment of acute mental pain, it is worth thinking about what is happening and comprehensively analyzing the situation. Here it is important to correctly place the emphasis and choose the path to light and true love.

Loyalty is a derivative of love

it implies the deliverance of a person from pride and selfishness, the desire to give good without demanding anything in return, the desire to find a compromise in any situation, exceptional self-sacrifice. Those who are lucky enough to experience love discover the true concept of fidelity, without which relationships lose all meaning. We can say that fidelity is a derivative of love and its integral companion, that guiding star, following which two warm hearts, having united once, will never separate again, will overcome all life’s adversities and will do good.

It would seem that fidelity is not such a flexible concept (unlike a smile) that it can be interpreted differently. You are either faithful or not - no halftones or double meanings.

However, as psychologists have found, fidelity through the eyes of a man looks different than in the female version. What are the differences?

In the broadest, generally accepted sense of the word, to be faithful means not to change. But further reasoning can lead far: what is considered treason anyway?

Why are ladies jealous?

A woman thinks more about the sensual side of the issue. The lady shrewdly sees potential danger where there seems to be none. She, when her husband just looks at the elastic forms of passing ladies.

She gets annoyed when he uses tender words to remember his “just an old friend.” It will hurt her to think that her husband might be thinking about someone else, dreaming about his neighbor, or being nostalgic about his ex.

If we delve deeper, we will see: the lady is worried about the very possibility of a connection with another woman (both physical and sensual). It is not so important to her whether something has already happened or is still being planned - emotional betrayal has already occurred.

What gentlemen won't forgive

A man is more concerned with the physiological side, simply put - sex. After all, the lady of his heart belongs to him to some extent. And he, as a very meticulous and stern owner, will be outraged that someone used his property without asking.

A woman, of course, is not a thing or movable property, but here evolution is powerless. Men are jealous of everything they have.

The husband is concerned about a completed action that has become a fact. The husband will ask his wife: “Did you have it or not? Speak!” And the answer decides everything.

Chances of salvation

If we compare the understanding of fidelity between men and women, we will come to the conclusion: a guy would rather forgive a girl for a platonic relationship than sex (thought, dreamed, corresponded, but did not go to bed).

A lady is able to forget about her husband’s betrayal if it was just sex, and no feelings other than passion. But a long-term romance based on correspondence and kinship of souls hurts her much more.

Male fidelity is a myth

Scientists have long assured us that the stronger sex is so polygamous by nature that it cannot control itself.

He himself may not take the initiative, but if he ends up at a party without his wife, drinks too much and falls victim to an insidious seductress, all hell breaks loose.

That's why it's like that there is a large percentage of men who do not deny the possibility of physical betrayal(as much as 70%).

The gentlemen themselves are sure that once or twice is possible, and it cannot be called infidelity (as long as the wife does not find out). After all, family remains in the foreground for them.

Here we see the famous contradiction: guys believe that so-called “just sex” (casual, without feelings and long-term plans) does not prevent them from remaining faithful to their wives - loving them, protecting them, respecting them.

However, having learned that their women also had “just sex,” they are in no hurry to forgive.

My friend’s husband very accurately formulated the main rule of marital fidelity, which all gentlemen adhere to: “A husband can do anything, just be careful. Nothing for the wife.”

At the same time, family remains the most important value for them. And the possible adultery occurs as if in a parallel world and does not concern her in any way.

Why women cheat less often

The lady, with her usual cunning and wisdom, could easily cover her march to the left. If she wanted to go there. And this is the main difference: a woman needs a psychological, emotional connection with a candidate lover.

Just like that, for beautiful hips and an eagle look, only a lady who is very experienced in these matters will go to bed. The rest want romance, sweets and bouquets.

Therefore, you have to either give up cheating altogether, or take risks, start a long-term affair and live a double life.

For a woman, her own infidelity is a very serious and more than once deliberate step that can destroy a family. She can commit adultery, guided by the most unexpected motives - the desire for revenge, out of anger at her husband, or out of everyday boredom.

Having fallen in love with a boyfriend on the side, a woman can leave the family forever. But men never leave their wives for random mistresses.

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Loyalty is a positive quality of a person’s character consisting in the ability to show perseverance regarding an event or object, based on one’s choice, without any doubt. It's about limit with choice and trust.

Loyalty is a very deep concept. Loyalty is when the search for something more preferable is forever completed. The choice has already taken place and the person is completely confirmed in his choice and now he is not gnawed by doubts. The position in the life of such a person is in a state of certainty, an intended final goal or saturated with basic feelings. This is a very deep, systematized knowledge of one’s basic value and the value of a person, his meaning in life.

By transferring his trust to a specific person, structure or principle, a person shows Devotion to them and, as a rule, puts their interests above his own, showing Love.

Loyalty is impossible without the desire to be faithful. When a person loves a woman, family, parents, friend, work, homeland, his desire to switch to another object disappears.
It is no coincidence that Loyalty is friends with Steadfastness, Firmness and Immutability in the social aspects of life. Loyalty to your word and deed. Loyalty to the Oath and the State, to one’s Motherland are not empty words. Behind every phrase is the experience of the previous generation, behind every word there is powerful energy that permeates a person and fuels confidence in one’s abilities and chosen Goals.

Loyalty is the opposite of Depravity, Depravity, Betrayal. This is the desire for the Pure, the Good and the Light.
When they talk about and know about such virtues as Loyalty and Devotion, it is necessary to understand that they are the most important and fundamental in any serious relationship, both personal and business.

Manifestations of Loyalty

Speaking about Fidelity, as a rule, at the first moment the thought arises about the relationship between husband and wife. Indeed, in family life, Fidelity represents a powerful, indestructible fortress for Morality. Loyalty and Morality allow you to suppress animal instincts and all Depravity. Loyalty is the second side of love, it is the punishment for love.
Loyalty and Constancy, as the immutability of any qualities and feelings, in combination with Fidelity, makes the fulfillment of duties regarding one’s object of fidelity natural, desirable and unconditional.
A faithful person is a strong, mature personality, faithful, first of all, to his principles and beliefs, which constitute his inner core, thanks to which he shows responsibility for his words, decisions, actions and deeds.
Having a solid inner core of your own Self is a prerequisite for fidelity.
Only a person who consciously follows the voice of his Conscience and principles can be considered Faithful.

Conditions of devotion are the personal qualities of a Strong personality such as Reliability, the value of feelings and a given word, responsibility, resistance to difficulties and temptations, correct actions, keeping one’s word, fulfilling one’s duty in practice, adequately overcoming obstacles and other fundamentals of the rules of devotion.

The basis of Love is Devotion and Fidelity

The basis and primary condition of Love is Devotion, unconditional Fidelity and Devotion.

True Love is not blind; on the contrary, it perhaps opens a person’s eyes for the first time. The slightest betrayal of a loved one, whether it happens sooner or later, is a complete betrayal of everything, from the very beginning, it destroys not only the future, but also the past, because it means that every day of a life full of trust was a lie and the heart was deceived. Anyone who turns out to be unfaithful at least once will never be faithful.

Loyalty and Devotion as qualities are respect and absolute trust in Love. They always trust reliable and loyal people, invest energy and achieve big and important life goals.

Loyalty and Devotion, as the basis of Love, is the ability not to give up on your chosen goals, your path, when obstacles and difficulties arise, the ability to overcome all problems and difficulties on the way to your goals with dignity, not to give up, not to betray the path and your obligations, not to succumb to temptations , don’t sell out and don’t waste your time on trifles.

The Basics of Happiness in Family Life

In Modern life, most often we come across the concept of Loyalty in family relationships.
A man is usually the breadwinner in the family, and the concept of the rear of family life is not an empty phrase. Life experience shows that he is not Happy who has a lot of Good, but he who has a faithful wife.
The basis of happiness in family life is, of course, Fidelity. Family life imbued with honesty, integrity, responsibility, sacrifice, openness, conscientiousness and conviction gives a state of Happiness. The connection between Husband and Wife in energy flows and thoughts is unconditional. A wife who admits thoughts of betrayal, selfish thoughts of profiting from her husband immediately splashes out this in the form of Secrecy.
The husband subconsciously feeling thoughts of betrayal, loses energy, begins to compensate for losses or show Secrecy, Fear, Anger, Malice and Jealousy. Happiness in family life is where there is not even the most insignificant thought of betrayal.
Loyalty gives a person, first of all, Love and respect for himself.

The Opposite of Loyalty and Devotion

The opposite of Loyalty is Infidelity.

Time and life experience

Circumstances of life, life events are a continuous flow of events, with each life experience and circumstances they undergo a certain correction and beliefs of a person. Life forces everyone to take a test of loyalty.
Loyalty means you are with the object of fidelity, for him, always, everywhere and under all circumstances.
A person with such a demonstrated personality quality as Loyalty can partially reconsider his views and principles.
However, once the principle of life he chose sits so firmly and unshakably in his heart that no forces of the Universe are able to shake the power of his Loyalty.

Characteristics of Loyalty

Complete Faithfulness is the truth, you cannot be a quarter or half faithful. Loyalty and trust is when a person shows loyalty in words and deeds, others have confidence in him.
Loyalty is tested by Lust. In the material world, when maintaining Fidelity involves any losses and sacrifices.
For example, a person fears for his life, family, property or work; he is faithful to these values. He is ready to give everything he has materially for his Faith.

What is Perfidy?

Perfidy - breaking Faith. When he behaves treacherously, then, first of all, he breaks the faith and trust of the people around him in himself and his actions. People are afraid to deal with a person capable of infidelity, betrayal and betrayal.

Problems of modern society with the concepts of Loyalty and Devotion

The distortion of concepts in modern society is associated with the hypertrophied leap of society towards material values.
The material has eclipsed all truths.
Fundamental traditional values and virtues, such as Duty, Dignity, Valor, are no longer in honor.
The attitude towards the concepts of Devotion or Fidelity among many modern people, especially young people, is more negative than positive. Modern people try not to think or talk about such values as Devotion.
Many people implement in their lives the so-called democratic values - free love without obligations, justification of vices, etc.
The cultivation and propagation of imaginary democratic values is in fact the disintegration of society and degradation.
For a modern person, these words are empty words, and not the principles of life, which are the core of his personality.

These problems of moral education of the younger generation were a consequence of the collapse of the huge country of the USSR. Only now are government bodies thinking about the consequences after the events in Ukraine.

The erosion of the principles of Loyalty and Devotion are methods and active acts of aggression of another State aimed at society. A feature of warfare at the present stage is the secrecy of intentions. Under pretexts that seem plausible at first glance, Democracy is formed and implanted, destroying all the basic principles of internal beliefs. Good is replaced by Evil.
Discussions on this topic are the following large articles.

“You pay too much for health insurance,” said Carl, the insurance agent. - If you choose our company, you can save 15 euros per month, but this is a considerable amount.

“Maybe that’s true,” Jens replied, “but I’ve been using the services of this company for several years now.” She has helped me out more than once, and I want to remain faithful to her.

- Loyalty is, of course, a good quality, but you are losing money! - Karl objected.

Karl was right. Those who show loyalty, or devotion, often suffer losses. In addition, fidelity requires time, effort and emotional investment. So is it worth showing this quality?

More praise than manifestation

A survey conducted by the Allensbach Institute for the Study of Public Opinion showed that 96 percent of respondents consider loyalty a valuable quality.

According to another survey, which was conducted by the same institute, but among young people aged 18 to 24 years, two-thirds of respondents believe that fidelity can be useful in life.

Although loyalty is often praised, attitudes quickly change when it comes to demonstrating this quality yourself.

For example, in some European countries, spouses and relatives often do not remain faithful to each other.

It happens that friends lack loyalty. And the times when the owner and employee, as well as business partners, were bound by a word of honor have long since sunk into the past. Why is this happening?

Often the busy pace of life leaves people with too little time and energy to faithfully fulfill their obligations.

Those who are disappointed in people and got burned once are afraid to trust someone again.

Others live by the principle “here today, gone tomorrow,” so there is no room for fidelity in their lives.

Be that as it may, loyalty is a quality that is more often praised than demonstrated.

Let's therefore discuss: is it worth showing fidelity? If so, then to whom should you be faithful and how to demonstrate this quality? What blessings await those who are faithful?

Why you should be faithful

In some countries, children like to throw burdock thorns. The thorns cling to clothing and stay on it, no matter what the child does: walk, run, jump or try to shake them off. You can only get rid of the thorns if you unhook them one by one. Children really like this fun.

Of course, seeing burdock on your clothes is not very pleasant. And yet we admire this plant's amazing ability to cling to fleecy surfaces.

A person who is faithful can be compared to such a plant. He develops close, lasting relationships with others.

He firmly adheres to solid principles, faithfully fulfills his obligations and keeps his word, even if circumstances interfere with this.

The word “loyalty” is close in meaning to words such as devotion, reliability and immutability.

As a rule, we all appreciate it when others remain faithful to us. But for our part, do we find the strength to remain faithful? If so, to whom should we demonstrate this quality?

Loyalty is the basis of marriage

Marriage is a structure in which fidelity plays a decisive role, but it is the spouses who most often lack this quality.

Being true to your marital vow to stay together and do everything for the benefit of the other is an important step towards happiness and contentment. Why?

Humans were created with the need to be faithful and have loyal friends.

When the marriage between Adam and Eve took place in the Garden of Eden, God commanded: “A man shall leave his father and his mother and cleave to his wife; and they will become one flesh."

The same principle applied to the wife: she, too, had to cleave to her husband. Husband and wife were to be faithful and supportive of each other (Genesis 2:24; Matthew 19:3-9).

Of course, this was several thousand years ago. Is commitment in marriage considered outdated today?

Most people don't think so. For example, 80 percent of participants in a survey conducted in Germany believe that fidelity in marriage is very important.

In another survey, researchers wanted to find out which masculine and feminine qualities are considered most valuable. A group of men were asked to name the five qualities they admire most in women.

A similar question was asked to a group of women. Both groups named loyalty as their most valuable quality.

Truly, fidelity is the foundation of a happy marriage. However, as we have already learned, loyalty is more often praised than demonstrated.

The huge number of divorces indicates that betrayal and treachery are widespread in the world. How can spouses resist such an attitude and remain faithful to each other?

Loyalty holds a marriage together

The fidelity of the spouses will be manifested in the fact that they will assure each other of their devotion.

For example, instead of saying “my”, it is better to say “our”: our friends, our children, our home, and so on.

When planning and making decisions about housing, work, parenting, entertainment, vacations, or religious life, spouses should consider each other's opinions and feelings. (Proverbs 11:14; 15:22)

A husband and wife will also show fidelity if they help each other feel needed and desired.

If one spouse behaves too friendly with people of the opposite sex, this can cause feelings of anxiety and insecurity in the other.

The Bible advises husbands to cleave to the “wife of their youth.” A husband should not allow his heart to desire the attention of another woman. And of course, he must avoid adultery.

The Bible says: “Whoever commits adultery with a woman has no understanding; he who does this destroys his soul.” A wife must meet the same high standards (Proverbs 5:18; 6:32).

Is fidelity in marriage worth the effort? Without a doubt.

Fidelity makes a marriage stronger and more durable and brings blessings to both spouses.

So, if a husband is faithful and cares about his wife's well-being, this will give her peace of mind and confidence, and she will be able to reveal the best sides of her personality.

The same can be said for the husband. In addition, if he is determined to be faithful to his wife, it will be easier for him to adhere to righteous principles in all areas of life.

When spouses face difficulties, mutual devotion gives both a sense of security.

If there is a lack of fidelity in a marriage, spouses most often decide to separate or file for divorce. However, this does not solve problems, but only creates new ones.

In the 1980s, one famous couturier left his wife and children. Has his single life brought him happiness?

Twenty years later, he admitted that, having left his family, he found only loneliness and emptiness. “How many times have I been unable to sleep, thinking about my children and dreaming of wishing them good night,” he said.

Loyalty of parents and children

If spouses are faithful to each other, their children are likely to develop this quality too. Those who grow up in a happy, loving home will have an easier time managing their marriages responsibly and caring for their aging parents (1 Timothy 5:4, 8).

But, of course, it also happens that the children themselves may get sick and need constant care.

This is exactly what happened in the family of Herbert and Gertrude, who are Jehovah's Witnesses. The couple are already over 40. Their son Dietmar suffered from muscular dystrophy from birth. He died in November 2002. For the past seven years, the boy needed care around the clock, and his parents lovingly cared for him. They even installed medical equipment in their home and received special training. What a wonderful example of loyalty!

Loyalty in friendship

“A person can be happy without marriage, but without a friend happiness cannot be found,” Birgit noted.

Perhaps you will agree with this too. Whether you're married or not, the loyalty of a trusted friend will warm your heart and enrich your life.

Of course, if you are married, your best friend should be your life partner.

A friend is not just an acquaintance. We may have many acquaintances: neighbors, colleagues, people we meet from time to time. But true friendship requires time, effort and emotional investment.

It's a great honor to be a friend. Friendship brings many blessings, but also comes with certain responsibilities.

Friendship is impossible without good communication. After all, friends need support and help.

“We call my friend once or twice a week and share our experiences. How wonderful it is to know that she is always there and ready to listen,” says Birgit.

Distance is no obstacle to friendship. Gerda and Helga live thousands of kilometers away from each other, but they have been friends for more than 35 years. “We constantly correspond,” says Gerda, “we report news and share our joys and sorrows. I always look forward to letters from Helga. We are very similar and have a lot in common.”

Loyalty is an important condition for friendship. Betrayal can destroy even those relationships that have developed over the years.

Friends usually consult with each other on the most intimate issues. They are sincere and are not afraid of being misunderstood or having their trust betrayed.

The Bible says, “A friend loves at all times and is like a brother in times of trouble” (Proverbs 17:17).

Because friends influence how we think, feel, and act, it is important to be friends with those whose lifestyles we relate to.

For example, it is very important that we have the same religious views, moral principles and standards of good and evil. Such friends will help you achieve your goals.

Indeed, why get close to those who do not share your moral principles?

Regarding the importance of choosing friends wisely, the Bible says, “He who associates with wise men will be wise, but he who associates with fools will become corrupt” (Proverbs 13:20).

Loyalty can be learned

Having learned to attach thorns to clothes, the child will most likely want to do it again and again. The same can be said about a person who has developed loyalty. Why?

The more often we remain faithful, the easier it is for us to demonstrate this quality.

If a child in a family learns to be faithful from early childhood, it will be easier for him later to become a devoted friend. And strong friendship, in turn, will help him be faithful to his life partner.

Jesus said that the most important thing in life is to love Jehovah God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength.—Mark 12:30.

This means that we need to be selflessly devoted to God. Loyalty to Jehovah God brings many blessings.

As his friends, we will never be disappointed because the Bible says that “God is faithful” (1 Corinthians 10:13).

Surely, if we are faithful to God, we will be blessed forever (1 John 2:17).

Life is the most wonderful gift

confidence in fulfilling one's duties and keeping promises. The first and true form of loyalty is loyalty to oneself, one’s tasks, one’s duty; an individual who is true to himself is said to be “of character.” Loyalty towards another is constancy in affection.

Excellent definition

Incomplete definition ↓

Loyalty

Loyalty is God’s devotion to the people; He entered into a covenant with Crimea. Loyalty is a necessary condition for the people of Israel to also be faithful to God. This concept is expressed in various forms of Hebrew. the word atap, meaning “firmness,” “durableness,” and “steadfastness.” In Sept., this concept is sometimes conveyed using the Greek. The word is alitheia (“truth”), but another word commonly used is pistos (occurring 67 times in the NT), derived from pistis “faith.”

One of the most important themes of the OT is the connection between God's faithfulness and His mercy (hesed) towards the people with whom He entered into a covenant. The Bible says: “Know this, that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God, who keeps His covenant and lovingkindness towards those who love Him and keep His commandments...” (Deut. 7:9; cf. Gen. 24:27; Exodus 34:6). This idea is especially emphasized in Ps: “All the ways of the Lord are mercy and truth...” (24:10; cf. 39:1011; 84:11; 113:9; especially 135). Here God's faithfulness becomes the basis for calls to God for help (Ps 39:12; 53:7; 56:4; 68:14; 85:1516; 142:1112; esp. 88). It is God’s faithfulness to the people with whom He entered into a covenant with the Crimea that allows the prophets, despite the threatening disasters, to assure the people of Israel of God’s unshakable devotion. Hosea skillfully uses the metaphor of a marriage union for this: “And I will betroth you to Me forever, and I will betroth you to Me in righteousness and judgment, in kindness and mercy, and I will betroth you to Me in fidelity...” (Hosea 2:1920; cf. Is 49 :7; Jer 32:41; Micah 7:20).

Loyalty is an essential quality of God's people. However, if in the OT God's devotion to the people of Israel is an act of God's mercy, then the devotion of His people is a response filled with a sense of duty. Loyalty to God is necessary for the people not for the sake of preserving His favor and mercy; this is the only possibility of response open to man. Therefore, many psalms compare faithfulness to obedience to God's law (Ps. 119:30; 110:78). In addition, in the psalms there is a connection between faithfulness and mercy (hesed), but this characterizes only the relationships between members of the covenant community (Prov3: 3; 14:22; 16:6). Thus, God's people are obligated to show mutual faithfulness to each other as a reflection of God's faithfulness.

This is fully confirmed in the NT. God's faithfulness sustains Christians in their calling (1 Cor 1:9), for God remains faithful to all his promises (Heb 11:11; cf. 10:23). God securely preserves His people until the Second Coming of Christ (1 Thessalonians 5:23) and provides the strength necessary to withstand temptation (1 Corinthians 10:13), fight evil (2 Thessalonians 3:3), and endure suffering. (1 Pet 4:19). In the NT, God's unwavering faithfulness is as strong as in the OT, His love and mercy for the people of Israel. It is unchangeable, despite all human errors: 9 9048 “If we are unfaithful, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself” (2 Timothy 2:13). Since Jesus expresses this eternal attitude of God, Rev. gives the term pistos in relation to Jesus its original meaning: Jesus is the “faithful and true” witness (3:14:19:11: pistos kai alethinos).

Faithfulness is the criterion of true Christian life. The NT mentions the names of those “leading” Christians who have earned the title of “faithful”: Tychicus (Eph 6:21; Col 4:7), Epaphras (Col 1:7; 4:12), Onesimus (Col 4:9) and Timothy (1 Cor 4:17). In Hebrews, on the basis of the Christological concept presented here, Christ is called the model of faithfulness (2:17; 3:2,56; cf. 11), giving strength and confidence to the believer. For up. Paul, fidelity is especially important to witnesses and clergy. This is exactly how the ap characterizes himself. Paul (1 Tim. 1:12) also justifies his pastoral calling on this basis. He convinces Timothy to appoint such teachers, their loyalty beyond any doubt. Loyalty to God and His people is a virtue, it is the “fruit of the Spirit” (Gal. 5:22), and it should be the focus of authentic Christian life.

In biblical theology, faithfulness is the central element of the covenant relationship between God and man. God pledges unwavering fidelity to His promises, so He expresses this through covenants. God guarantees the immutability of the relationship of kinship between Him and His people, and we are called to implement in our lives the principle of fidelity to Him.

G.M. BuRGE(nep. V.R.) Bibliography: A. D. Verhey, ISBE (rev.), II, 27375; R. Bultmann, Theology of the NT, 1.31424; J. Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion 3.2; O. Michel, NIDNTT, I, 593606; A. Weiser and R. Bultmann, TDNT, VI, 174228.