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Hypotypōsis means a pattern, model, or outline that gives faithful shape. Paul says the mercy shown to him, the foremost sinner, became a pattern of Christ's perfect patience for future believers.
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Full entry for ὑποτύπωσις (G5296) · Open the biblical lexicon
Hypotypōsis means a pattern, model, or outline that gives faithful shape. Paul says the mercy shown to him, the foremost sinner, became a pattern of Christ's perfect patience for future believers.
The BSB source-word alignment has 2 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include [to the] pattern (1), an example (1).
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at 1 Timothy 1:16. Its strongest book concentrations include 1 Timothy (1), 2 Timothy (1).
Hypotypōsis means a pattern, model, or outline that gives faithful shape. Paul says the mercy shown to him, the foremost sinner, became a pattern of Christ's perfect patience for future believers. He tells Timothy to hold to the pattern of sound words heard from him, in the faith and love found in Christ. Romans uses a related but distinct pattern term for the form of teaching to which believers became obedient; it supplies canonical context rather than another occurrence of this rare noun.
Hypotypōsis is not a rigid script or permission to fossilize human custom. The pattern is apostolic gospel content embodied in mercy, faith, and love.
Hypotypōsis describes a trustworthy shape for belief and ministry. Paul's conversion displays Christ's patience, while Timothy guards a pattern of sound words in faith and love. Related teaching-form language shows doctrine shaping obedient life.
But for this very reason I was shown mercy, so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display His perfect patience as an example to those who would believe in Him for eternal life.
First Timothy 1:16 says Paul received mercy so Christ might display perfect patience in him as a pattern for those who would believe for eternal life. The example magnifies Christ's mercy, not Paul's notoriety.
Hold on to the pattern of sound teaching you have heard from me, with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.
Second Timothy 1:13 commands Timothy to hold the pattern of sound words received from Paul in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. Doctrinal form and Christlike manner belong together.
But thanks be to God that, though you once were slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were committed.
Romans 6:17 uses related pattern language for the form of teaching to which believers were handed over and became obedient from the heart. It is supporting word-family context, not a direct occurrence of hypotypōsis.
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders ItA compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
Greek word. A sketch or outline pattern meant to guide imitation, not just illustration of behavior
Textus Receptus witness, full corpus Greek token appearances from Scrivener 1894 Textus Receptus in the full New Testament corpus.
2 Greek text appearances shown. Linked morphology labels have verse guides.
a pattern, example
Read versea pattern, example
Read verseFull New Testament corpus: 260 chapters, 7,957 verses, 140,628 tokens. Data source: honza/textus-receptus (data only), with authority check against byztxt/greektext-textus-receptus.
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
This word appears as a noun across 1 case and number pattern. The form changes show how the word functions in a sentence; they do not change the basic lexical meaning by themselves.
Verse guides are not available for this word yet, so verse references remain plain evidence markers.
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Showing 1 selected witness from 2 lexical occurrence verses.
Paul emphasizes that Timothy received a defined doctrinal framework, not a flexible or evolving message. 2 Timothy 1:13-14
Hypotypōsis gives Christian teaching recognizable shape without turning it into lifeless replication. Paul's own salvation becomes a pattern because Christ's extraordinary patience is displayed in a real sinner who becomes a servant. Timothy must preserve the contour of apostolic words, but he does so in the faith and love found in Christ, not as a defensive collector of formulas.
Related language in Romans shows teaching shaping heart obedience. Churches need doctrinal boundaries and faithful transmission, yet they must distinguish the gospel's durable form from local habits, slogans, personalities, and methods. A trustworthy pattern can be examined in Scripture, embodied in mercy, and handed on with love. It points to Christ rather than demanding imitation of every historical detail.
2Tim.1.13
Hypotypōsis is a rare noun meaning pattern, outline, model, or sketch. Its New Testament uses concern exemplary shape in mercy and teaching; related typos language may illuminate but is not lexically identical.
Covenant instruction is preserved in fixed words yet embodied through faithful lives, and prophetic patterns point beyond themselves to God's saving work. The apostolic gospel supplies the church's governing form.
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