"I am counting on you"
Continuing in our deep dive into the book of 2 Timothy, we focus on verses 8 to 18 this week, looking at the different temptations that Timothy (and we) face to be faithful to Christ during challenging circumstances. Let’s dive into the passage:
The Challenge (v.8)
”So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner. Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God.” (1 Tim 1:8)
Looking at verse 8, Paul tells Timothy not to be ashamed of two things. First, the message of the gospel, which is given by “the testimony about our Lord.” Second, “of me” referring to Paul himself. In a world where the gospel message is counter cultural, and even often ridiculed, there seems to be a strong temptation to keep quiet about the gospel out of fear of being ridiculed or even condemned. This leads to our silence or even compromise, so our message isn’t too “offensive” to the world’s culture. In the same sense, there’s also a temptation to be ashamed of other Christians who have suffered for the gospel. Looking at these two temptations, we can see what Paul is trying to say: the gospel and the community that lives and shares it, go hand in hand. If the gospel is ridiculed so are the people who live and share it.
This is evident in Paul’s imprisonment and his subsequent execution. His charges were directly related to his attempt to spread the gospel. I’m sure Timothy struggled deeply with this temptation as someone who was closely related to Paul (through Christ) and closely related to the gospel work. He was tempted to pretend to not know Paul and even shy away from sharing the gospel out of fear that he too would be persecuted. But, Paul encourages Timothy (and us) to resist these temptations and not be ashamed of such. Rather he says to join in suffering rather than avoid it. Now such a feat requires a great deal of courage... How do we know we can do it?
The Motivation (v.9-11)
Looking back into verse 7, we know that God doesn’t give us a spirit of fear, but of power, love and self-control. To a degree, we face the same temptations that Timothy faced, allowing fear to seep into our hearts. However, through this passage we are reminded that God’s presence and spirit of power, love and self-control is with us. The courage that He promises will be there with us, so this is our motivation to take on the gospel mantle and whatever consequences come with it. We may lose sight of this motivation, but we are reminded through hearing again and again the sheer beauty of the gospel, as Paul shares in verses 9 to 11 (what we would call a mini-theology):
In verse 9, Paul talks about how God had purposely planned our salvation even before we took our first breath on this Earth.
Verse 10 talks about how we are saved by Jesus’s work so that we could live a holy life now. It also reminds of immortality, and the freedom from death/destruction that is to come when we finally enjoy eternity with God.
The Example(v.12-18)
At the end of 2 Timothy 1, we are left with two contrasting responses to Paul’s suffering, people who we look to as an example of how to react and how not to react to another believer’s suffering for the gospel. First, Paul mentions Phygelus and Hermogenes, who deserted Paul when he faced persecution. Second, Paul mentions Onesiphorus, who Paul holds in high esteem, telling Timothy of Onesiphorus’ good deeds like how he searched for Paul when he was imprisoned and how much he helped in Ephesus. It’s clear that these two groups of people are examples for us of how important it is to be supportive to other believers who share the message of Christ. We must not be ashamed of the gospel or of one another, but keep encouraging suffering Christians to continue to suffer for the gospel, sharing that burden of suffering with them. Despite the challenges of sharing the gospel, Paul’s message to Timothy encourages us with more reason to endure.
Lord God,
We thank you that you’ve blessed us with this amazing gospel and that we can live this new life with and in You. We are sorry for the time we have been reluctant to share your good news, and even sometimes feeling ashamed. We pray that as a community, we can continue to remind each other of the power of Your Spirit and the beauty of the gospel. So, that we may be able to share in suffering for the gospel together and also be expectant, that Your glory will shine through gospel work.
We pray this in Your name Lord Jesus,
Amen.