He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught. Then he’ll be able to comfort others and build them up with the true teaching, and he’ll be able to prove that people who oppose it are wrong.
But make sure that you honor Christ as Lord in your hearts. Always be ready to give an answer to anyone who asks you to give a reason for the hope you have. But do this gently and with respect.
If someone does something wrong to you or insults you, don’t do the same thing to them. Instead, respond with kind words. This is what God wants you to do so that you can receive a blessing.