One thing a good teacher knows is that repetition is one of the best ways to teach, as well as one of the best ways to learn. If you think about it, we learn the alphabet by repetition, by saying the letters over and over. We learn how to count the same way. We learn the multiplication tables by repeating them over and over again until we could do them in our sleep.

Paul begins this chapter by saying, "For me to write the same things to you is not tedious, but for you it is safe." (3:1) Paul is about to repeat some things that evidently he had already taught them when he was with them in person. As you well know, anything worth saying is worth repeating. There are certain things that we need to hear over and over and over.

I heard about a woman talking to her husband one time, and she bu…