2 Timothy Study #4

"A String Around Your Finger"

2 Timothy 2:8-14

Study #4 in 2 Timothy Series

INTRODUCTION:

What are some tricks you use to help you remember things that are important? Do you have a special method? Sticky notes on your monitor screen? Notes on your shaving mirror or on the refrigerator? Alarms on your computer or your phone?

Our brains are very much like computers in many ways. Computers are capable of some amazing feats, but they are dependent on two critical ingredients: (1) accurate data; and (2) a means of storing, retrieving, and utilizing that data. That is true of us as well. Everything we see, hear, taste, touch, smell, and think is logged into our brains as data. No kidding, it’s all in there somewhere! The problem is getting to the information when we need it. 

Our brain is organized like a file cabinet or a computer directory. There are a whole bunch of drawers and tabbed file folders. What happens is that we have an experience… Let’s imagine that you and your wife flew to Maui on holiday, spent 10 glorious days in Lahaina and Ka’anapali for the vacation of a lifetime. It was amazing! You never felt more alive! You knew the name of your hotel and the beach where it was located. You knew the number of your suite. You even knew the name of the maid who changed your sheets every day. You traveled around the island and saw some wonderful scenery. You went on the Road to Hana and climbed Haleakala. It was all fresh in your mind. 

Now let’s roll the tape forward 10 years. You and your wife are sitting on the sofa reminiscing about that great Hawaiian vacation. You say, “Honey, what year was that when we went to Hawaii?” She says, “Oh, I don’t know, maybe 2010 or 2011, somewhere around there.” Then you say, “And what was that great place where we stayed? Kapahulu, Kalapuli, Kakalaka, Kanapineapple...something like that.” You see, while you needed the information it was there for you, but now that you don’t really need it anymore, your brain has transferred the files to microfilm and stored it all in a cardboard box in the basement of your brain where you can’t easily get to it anymore. 

We all struggle with remembering stuff, and we often resort to creative techniques for helping us not forget important appointments, deadlines, and meetings. You are probably familiar with the old method of “tying a string around your finger.” Many years ago, this was a literal method of reminding oneself to do something. Much as you might set an alarm on your watch or phone today, or leave a sticky note in the middle of your computer monitor to tell yourself that there is some task you must perform, the string on the finger routine was actually used in the old days, so much so that it became a figurative expression that some of us still use, although anyone under 30 probably will not know what in the world you are talking about.

TRANSITION:

In our text for today the apostle Paul is obviously concerned that the Christians in Ephesus under Timothy’s care and supervision, not forget several important things. Paul exhorts Timothy to “remind them.” Let’s look at what those things are that Christians should never forget. We are in 2 Timothy 2, starting at verse 8. 

NOTES on the Text:

Verses 8-9: Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, descendant of David, according to my Gospel, ⁹ for which I suffer hardship even to imprisonment as a criminal; but the Word of God is not imprisoned.

·         Notice that our text has bookends. Verse 8 starts with, “Remember.” And verse 14 starts with, “Remind them.” Here in verse 8 Paul says, “Remember Jesus Christ” then points out some key points about who Jesus is. The word “remember” is stated as a present imperative, a command stressing the continuity of the action: “Be continually remembering.” But this is odd. How could any of us forget Jesus?

·         “Risen from the dead” (literally, “having been raised from the dead”). The sentence construction underscores the fact that He rose and now lives. The Bodily Resurrection of Jesus is the foundation, the bedrock of the Gospel message. Paul explains in 1 Corinthians 15 that if Christ is not raised and alive, then we have nothing of substance to hold onto—no hope, no future, no forgiveness, and no Heaven. But praise God, Jesus was raised, and is alive, and is coming back sooner than you think!

·         “Descendant of David” (literally, “out of the seed of David”). Why is this important? We see this same idea in Romans 1:3 and Acts 13:23. This term emphasizes Jesus' true humanity, His Messianic lineage, and His sovereign authority as Israel’s rightful King, all at the same time.

·         “According to my Gospel” Paul does not mean “my” in the sense of ownership. He did not invent the Gospel or think it up. He just means that this is the Gospel message that he has been preaching from the beginning of his conversion, the message he was commanded to preach. This is the “treasure” that was entrusted to him by Christ through the Holy Spirit.

·         “For which I suffer hardship even to imprisonment as a criminal.” Remember, Paul was chained in a Roman dungeon writing this by the light of a flickering oil lamp. At this point he had already been found guilty of being a public nuisance and of sedition against the Roman state by confessing loyalty to another “Emperor,” King Jesus. He was just waiting for his execution to be carried out.

·         “But the Word of God is not imprisoned.” Isn’t that wonderful news! No prison bars, no threats of men or of governments can hold back the power of the Word of God. The Romans could put Paul in prison, but the Word of God walked about freely, in and out through the bars. The Word of God reached all the way into the barracks of the emperor’s secret police, the Praetorian Guard (cf. Philippians 1:13), and even into the household of Caesar himself (Phil. 4:22). Nothing can stop the Word from doing what it was sent to do—to convict us of sin, to act as a mirror to show how far we fall short, to lead us to God, and to point the way to the Lamb of God, our Savior, Jesus Christ. Over the centuries many have tried to stamp out the Word of God, but all have failed. They are gone, but the Word of God is still here, still alive, and still doing its miraculous work!

Verse 10: For this reason, I endure all things for the sake of those who are chosen, so that they also may obtain the salvation, which is in Christ Jesus and with it, eternal glory.

·         “For this reason, I endure all things for the sake of those who are chosen.” What are the “all things” to which he refers? Prison, beatings, lack of food and water, not enough clothes to wear to preserve modesty or to keep him warm, separation from friends and loved ones, injustice, false accusations, threats, etc. Check out his testimony in 2 Corinthians 11:24-28. So, why would he put up with all that? Answer: “For the sake of those who are chosen [i.e., elect].” Who does that refer to? Fellow Christians, of course. According to Pauline Theology believers have been called/chosen by God unto salvation. Paul tells us in Romans 8:29-30, “For those whom He [i.e., the Father] foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He [Christ] would be the firstborn among many brethren; ³⁰ and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.” It’s a package deal! Now I know that a lot of Christians today react strongly to the idea that God chooses some to be saved, leaving others to wander off on their own to face eventual judgment. Unfortunately, that is what the Bible teaches and there is no way around it except to try and say that is not what it really means. Apparently, Paul believed in the doctrine of election and according to this passage and others, was comforted by it. Why? Because the doctrine of election guarantees that there will be a bountiful harvest of saved, redeemed people gathered around God’s throne one day. He has called out a people for Himself.

·         “...so that they also may obtain the salvation, which is in Christ Jesus and with it, eternal glory.” The redeemed of all the ages will eventually experience the final stage of their salvation, and that is called “glorification” when they stand before God in snow-white garments, representing the fact of having been washed clean from the presence of all sin. Finally, we shall “see Him as He is” and we shall share in His glory. What a day that will be! John saw it in a vision and described it this way in Revelation 7:9-10: “After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands; ¹⁰ and they cry out with a loud voice, saying, ‘Salvation to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.’” 

·         There is an old hymn composed by Charles H. Gabriel that we used to sing in church when I was a boy. It is entitled, “O That Will Be Glory.” Here are the words:

When all my labors and trials are o’er,

And I am safe on that beautiful shore,

Just to be near the dear Lord I adore,

Will through the ages be glory for me.

 

Refrain

O that will be glory for me,

Glory for me, glory for me,

When by His grace I shall look on His face,

That will be glory, be glory for me.

 

When, by the gift of His infinite grace,

I am accorded in Heaven a place,

Just to be there and to look on His face,

Will through the ages be glory for me. Refrain

 

Friends will be there I have loved long ago.

Joy like a river around me will flow.

Yet just a smile from my Savior, I know,

Will through the ages be glory for me. Refrain

·     I think that this was exactly what Paul had in mind here.

Verses 11-13: It is a trustworthy statement: For if we died with Him, we will also live with Him; ¹² If we endure, we will also reign with Him; If we deny Him, He also will deny us; ¹³ If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself.

·         “It is a trustworthy statement:” This sounds like Paul might be quoting from some ancient creed or statement of faith, but what might it be? Many Bible scholars think that Paul may have been quoting the lyrics from a favorite hymn sung by Christians in the First Century. We have no way of knowing for sure the source, but we can say that this was written in Hebrew poetic form and has a balanced structure. Look at it again and think of it as a poem with 4 lines, four “if/then” 1^st class conditional statements, all assumed to be true.

IF we died with Him, (And we did!), we shall also live with Him.

IF we endure, (And we will!), we shall also reign with Him.

IF anyone should deny Him, (And some will), He shall also deny them.

IF we should prove faithless, He remains faithful (for He cannot deny Himself).

·         So here you have four IF statements, all true, but the response to the 4^th statement is different. Even if we prove faithless to Him, He cannot give us tit-for-tat because His very nature prohibits Him from ever proving false to Himself. It is something He “cannot” do. He is the One who is Eternally Faithful. 

Verse 14: Remind them of these things, and solemnly charge them in the presence of God not to wrangle about words, which is useless and leads to the ruin of the hearers.  

·         Here Paul tells Timothy to tell the people in the Ephesian church to tie a string around yet another finger. Up in verse 8 they tied a string around one finger to not forget Jesus Christ, the Risen Lord, and what He had done for them by taking their sins upon Himself and dying in their place. That is something no Christian should ever forget! We owe a huge debt of gratitude to Jesus for what He did for us.

·         Now here in verse 14 Paul says, “Remind them of “these things.” What things? It begs the question. He is referring, of course, to the main points he has been making in the verses leading up to this one. And what are they again? Let’s recap:

1.    From verse 8 – The Gospel we proclaim has Jesus as the central focus, the main character. It is all about Christ, and Him Risen, and about the fact that He is indeed the Promised Messiah.

2.    From verses 9-10 – This Christ and this Gospel are worth suffering for, even to the point of imprisonment and death.

3.    Also, from verse 9 – The Word of God, which is the bulwark of our faith, cannot be contained, cannot be stopped, cannot be defeated. It will accomplish the work for which God sent it. Now we just need to trust in the power of the living and abiding Word of God.

4.    From verse 10 – Those who are the chosen of God have a glorious future awaiting them, an eternity in Heaven with God. That knowledge should motivate us to pay any price to see people brought into the Kingdom. It was for that goal that Paul was willing to suffer whatever hardships the world could throw at him.

5.    From verses 11-13 – Those who died with Christ will live with Him forever. Those who endure and persevere to the end will be given the privilege to reign with Him. However, those who deny Him will just as surely be denied by Him. As Jesus said in Matthew 10:32-33, “Everyone therefore who shall confess Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in Heaven. But whoever shall deny Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in Heaven.”

6.    From verse 13 – Even when we fail Christ, and we often do, He will never fail us. He is always Faithful. That is even one of His titles: “Faithful and True” (cf. Rev. 3:14; 19:11). For Him to be unfaithful is an absolute impossibility.

·         So, these are the things that these believers are charged never to forget. Paul would say, “Do whatever you must do to make sure that these truths never slip from your consciousness. Write yourself a note. Tie a string around your finger. Make these into a screensaver. Whatever you must do. Just DO NOT FORGET!”

·         “...and charge them in the presence of God not to wrangle about words” This has been a recurring theme in both of Paul’s letters to Timothy. Apparently, there were some troublemakers in the Ephesian church who loved to argue and pick fights with people who did not agree with all their peculiar hobby-horse doctrines. Unfortunately, we occasionally run into people like that. The problem was not limited to the Early Church or to Ephesus. Paul strongly warns Timothy not to get caught up in their stupid game. He points out that it, “is useless and leads to the ruin of the hearers.” NOTE: “... the ruin of the hearers” Who is Paul really concerned about? These troublesome people that just like to argue and wrestle over words? No! He is worried for those who sit on the sidelines listening to the useless debates and get confused and eventually throw up their hands and walk away. That is who he is concerned about. New believers. Those weaker in the faith. 

CONCLUSION:

So, what are we to do with this text? What are you going to do with it? Take a minute and think about what this means to you, to us today. What is the Spirit of God saying to you? Are you one of those people who likes to argue, wrangle, and split doctrinal hairs? Well, cut it out! It’s fine to discuss doctrinal differences but we need to do it with kindness, openness, and humility with the goal of learning from one another and becoming more united in Christ. We should not find joy in attacking one another’s faith and setting other people straight so that we can feel good about ourselves. Our goal should always be greater oneness in the Body of Christ, increased love for one another, and total submission to the Word of God.

2 Timothy Study #3

“Bite the Bullet”

2 Timothy 2:1-7

Study #3 in 2 Timothy Series 

INTRODUCTION:

I have an interesting book in my library entitled, The Dictionary of Clichés: Their Meanings and Origins, by James Rogers. You have all heard the expression, “to bite the bullet.” This is what Mr. Rogers says about it: “It means to brace yourself for an unpleasant experience; to decide to get on with a difficult task. Although one can find other explanations, it seems most plausible that the term originated in battlefield surgery before the days of anesthesia. A surgeon about to operate on a wounded soldier would urge him to bite on a bullet of soft lead to distract him from the pain: at least it would minimize his ability to scream and thus divert the surgeon.”

We all know the concept. It’s Saturday and I want to go fishing or perhaps ride my motorcycle. But the lawn needs mowing, and the shrubs need trimming, and the weatherman says that starting tomorrow it’s going to rain for two solid weeks. So instead of doing what I feel like doing, I “bite the bullet” and go out and mow the lawn and trim the bushes. See what I mean? 

TRANSITION:

In this, our third study of 2 Timothy, Paul tells Timothy that he needs to “bite the bullet” and get serious about carrying out the mission to which God has called him. He needs to toughen up and be strong. He needs to speak up and train others as a good teacher. He needs to soldier up and remember that as Christians we are engaged in a real war. He needs to bulk up and grow some spiritual muscles like a professional athlete. And last of all, he needs to get down and dirty like a dedicated farmer who sacrifices everything to gain a harvest. Let’s jump right into our text in 2 Timothy 2:1-7. 

NOTES on the Text:

Verse 1: You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.

• The word “therefore” is a hinge word. It forces us to look back to see what has just been said that forms the basis for what the writer is about to say. In this case, Paul has just been talking about the fact that Timothy should not be ashamed of Christ, or the Gospel, or of Paul (vs. 8). Rather, he should be ready to join with Paul in suffering for the Gospel if he should be called upon to do so. In 1:13 Paul lays a charge on Timothy to “retain the standard” even though there were some people in Ephesus who wanted to twist or water-down the truth from the Scriptures. And even though many Christians from throughout the region of Asia were distancing themselves from Paul and shirking their responsibilities, Timothy was to “guard through the Holy Spirit the Gospel treasure that had been entrusted to him” (verse 14).
• So now, here in 2:1 Paul continues, “You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.” Paul points out the source of Timothy’s strength to carry out his mission. The source is not his intelligence, his theological training, his spiritual gifts, his charm, wit, good looks, or personality, but rather, “…in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.” In Greek grammar this is what is called “a locative of sphere.” As children of God, we live in the sphere, the realm of our Father’s grace. It is like the air we breathe. It is like the water that surrounds a fish. In the sphere of His grace, we can be strong. The Lord is our Strength, says the psalmist, and that is as true now as it was in the past. Listen to these words from Moses to the Children of Israel recorded in Deuteronomy 31:6-8. “Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or tremble at them, for the Lord your God is the one who goes with you. He will not fail you or forsake you.”  ⁷ Then Moses called to Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel, “Be strong and courageous, for you shall go with this people into the land which the Lord has sworn to their fathers to give them, and you shall give it to them as an inheritance.  ⁸ The Lord is the one who goes ahead of you; He will be with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.” 
• This is the same thing that Paul is saying to Timothy. 

Verse 2: The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.  

• In terms of leadership-development and disciple-making this is one of the most instructive and important verses in the New Testament. It outlines both the process and the desired outcome.
• Imagine with me a series of links making up a long, strong chain. Jesus is the first link. Jesus came to earth on a mission with a message. He chose a bunch of men into whom He poured His life. Paul was one of those who were hand-chosen by the Lord. So, Paul is the second link in this chain. Paul, in turn, chose some men and invested his life in them—some of their names were Epaphroditus, Trophimus, Erastus, Urbanus, and Andronicus. And, of course, there was Timothy. Imagine Timothy as being the third link in our chain. Now Paul writes to Timothy and tells him to choose some “faithful men” that he can teach and train and “entrust” with the message and the job of faithfully and accurately proclaiming it. So now let’s lump those faithful men together and call it our 4^th link. But the chain does not end there! Paul continues, “…faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” There is our 5^th link in the chain. And do you see that the chain has no end? It continues, right up to our day. The process goes on!
• This was Jesus’ plan from the beginning, that those handpicked by Him would go on to lead others to faith and would train them to lead still others to saving faith in Christ. In John 17:20 Jesus prayed for His disciples, but in so doing He prayed for us as well: “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in Me through their message.” There it is! Each one wins one and the chain keeps growing. That is how the Gospel message finally got to you and to me!
• “…faithful men” The Lord is not looking for super-Christians, super-heroes with a big capital “C” sewn on the front of their shirts and blouses. The primary requirement of being used by God is not great intellect, great oratory skills, great charisma, etc. It is “faithfulness.”  That puts success in reach of all of us, because by God’s grace and with the Spirit’s help we can all be “faithful” if we choose to be. It is just a matter of faith and obedience. Like the old Gospel song says, “Trust and obey, for there’s no other way…” It’s not rocket-science!

Verse 3: Suffer hardship with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.

• This is the second of four vocations that Paul talks about in this text. Think about it. In verse 2 he uses the analogy of a TEACHER. A good teacher looks for willing learners. He invests his best effort in those who want to learn. Of course, he must teach everyone, but he reserves his best for those with ears to hear. So first, Paul tells Timothy that he is to be a faithful teacher, a mentor, and he is to look for faithful students. You see, this whole context is about using different examples to illustrate that word “faithful” in verse 2.
• In verse 3 Paul introduces a second analogy, that of the GOOD SOLDIER. He says that Timothy is to suffer hardship right along with him as a fellow soldier of Jesus Christ. Christ is the General. We are the privates. He is in charge. We are not in charge. He leads. We follow. He commands. We obey. We call Him “LORD” because He is the Commander-in-Chief.
• Hardship is part of the expected life of a soldier. Anyone who joins the US Army with the intention of becoming an Army Ranger has already heard about “Hell Week.” It should come as no surprise. Anyone joining the US Marine Corp knows upfront that he is going to have to toughen up to survive the 20-mile forced marches while carrying a 70-pound pack plus a rifle and extra ammo. It is part of the job! And suffering hardship is just part of being a good and faithful soldier of Jesus Christ. 

Verse 4: No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier.

• Continuing the analogy of the good soldier Paul points out to Timothy that the soldier’s life has very few frills. He owns very little. He travels light. He does not have a lot of outside interests and hobbies because he is so focused on being a “good soldier.” Paul says that these kinds of civilian interests are really “entanglements” to a soldier. An “entanglement” is anything that trips you up, and slows you down, and keeps you from doing what you are supposed to be doing.
• Moreover, Paul reminds Timothy about Who it was that enlisted him. It was not Paul. It was Jesus himself. You and I need to have that same sense, that it is Jesus that we want to please, and not other people. Our service is for Him and for His glory, His honor, and His Kingdom.

Verse 5: Also, if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not win the prize unless he competes according to the rules. 

• Here we have Paul’s 3^rd analogy—that of a professional ATHLETE—a wrestler or fighter to be exact. I think Paul had in mind the Greek Olympic Games. You may not know that our English word “athlete” comes straight from the Greek verb, athléo, which means, “I wrestle, or fight, or contend.” I can really relate to this because of our son, Chris, who was a professional mixed martial artist. The life of a professional fighter is no picnic. It involves a grueling schedule of dieting, running, weightlifting, sparring, and long hours in the gym. Then as the fight event draws near the athlete often must cut weight to qualify. The day before the fight they have a weigh-in. If the fighter cannot “make weight” he is either penalized or can even be disqualified. Then in the fight itself the fighters must compete by the rules. There is a referee in the ring watching closely to be sure that the fighters do not cheat or take unfair advantage or use any kind of “low blow.” If a fighter refuses to fight by the established rules, he is simply disqualified and thrown out, paid nothing, and his opponent is declared the winner.
• In the realm of the Christian life how does this principle apply? I believe that Paul is reminding Timothy that a Christian leader is always under scrutiny: by the world and the devil, as well as by the Lord and other Christians. If he is faking it, sooner or later the truth will come out.

Verse 6: The hard-working farmer ought to be the first to receive his share of the crops.

• This is the 4^th in a series of four analogies that Paul uses to describe what a Christian is to be like. Not only is he/she to be a dedicated teacher, and a loyal soldier, and a disciplined athlete, but also a hard-working FARMER. I can certainly appreciate this concept. Back when I was in college I did ranch work during the summers, full-time in the summer and part-time throughout the school year. I can tell you that farmers and ranchers are some of the hardest working people I have ever known. They start early and work late. They are up before the chickens and do not quit until after dark, and they do it day after day, year after year.
• But some of my best memories of those days are sitting around the dinner table with a bunch of farm hands. Boy did we eat well! We had huge breakfasts, enormous dinners, and even bigger suppers. Of course, you earned every bite, but still, we ate mighty high on the hog, as they say. And most of that food came right off the ranch. The bread was made from wheat that we had harvested. The meat was from cattle that we raised. The vegetables and fruit came right out of the farmer’s garden and the orchard. And rightly so! Look at what Paul says here.
• “The hard-working farmer ought to be the first to receive his share of the crops.” Notice that word “ought.” This is both a right and an obligation. Let me illustrate. If a farmer grows the crop but is unwilling to eat it, maybe there is something wrong with it. In the same way, if a chef were willing to cook the food but refuses to eat what he has prepared, I would look for a different restaurant. It is a sign that something is fishy. And it is only right and fair that the farmer “receives his share of the crops.”
• Paul develops this idea more fully in 1 Corinthians 9:1-14 where he defends the idea that the servant of God has the right to be justly compensated for his work, but here Paul stresses the spiritual benefit that Timothy should receive from his faithful service. He should personally know the blessings of the message he is giving to others. Paul said almost the same thing in his first letter to Timothy, back in 1 Timothy 4:15-16. Here it is in the NLT: “Give your complete attention to these matters. Throw yourself into your tasks so that everyone will see your progress. ¹⁶ Keep a close watch on how you live and on your teaching. Stay true to what is right for the sake of your own salvation and the salvation of those who hear you.” This leads us right into verse 7. 

Verse 7: Consider what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything.

• Here in this last verse of our text Paul tells Timothy to go find a quiet spot to sit down and “consider” these things. Mull it over in your mind, he says. Meditate on these truths. And as you do this, the Holy Spirit of God will give you insights into these truths. They will begin to make all kinds of sense. Applications will begin to pop into your mind. The Lord will show you how this applies to you, your life, and your ministry.

CONCLUSION:

In applying this passage I would ask if we are really ready to “bite the bullet” and get serious about our Christian life. We talk a lot about the joy, and peace, and happiness, and fulfilment in being a Christian, and there is nothing wrong with those things. Those are the things that most of us have come to associate with being a follower of Christ. But according to Paul and Jesus and the other biblical writers we should also expect hardship, discipline, suffering, painful training, and just plain hard work. That is the “normal Christian life,” not the coddled existence that so many of us modern Christians think is the norm.

Listen to me, dear Christian, hard times are coming, and may be on us sooner than we think. It is time to start toughening up, getting down to our fighting weight, disciplining ourselves in righteousness to stand firm in the evil day. Like good soldiers, and professional fighters, and hard-working farmers we must commit ourselves to the task that God has called us to do, to be ambassadors for Christ, soldiers of the Kingdom, wise farmers who know how to plant good seed, water, and harvest when God gives the increase. This passage challenges me to become more than I am right now; to “cowboy up” to the task of bringing men and women to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. Will you join me?

2 Timothy Study #2

“No Shame, No Fear, No Worries”

2 Timothy 1:12-18

Study #2 in 2 Timothy Series 

INTRODUCTION:

There is something incredibly beautiful about watching a little baby sleep. Lying there in her mother’s arms, wrapped in a soft blanket, the little one sleeps peacefully. I used to love to hold my little kids while they slept, just to watch their faces and listen to the soft little snuffly noises that they made. You see, a baby has no sense of fear because she has never been hurt or abandoned. She has no sense of shame to trouble her sleep because she has not lived long enough to do anything evil to feel ashamed of. And she does not worry about anything because her every need is taken care of. She has no shame, no fear, and no worries.

But how about you? Can you say the same thing about yourself? Most of us have done things in our past that make us feel ashamed when we think about them. And we have things we are afraid of because we have already experienced some bad stuff in our lives and are afraid that it might happen again. And we are subject to worry because the future seems unsure and unpredictable, and we all know people who have been victims of misfortune.

TRANSITION:

In this, our second study in 2 Timothy the Apostle Paul addresses all three of these issues: shame, fear, and worry. As he wrote 2 Timothy, he was a prisoner of Rome, already sentenced and awaiting his execution. He was an old man, in poor health. He spent his time chained to the wall in a dark, stinky dungeon cell. He knew that his time was short and that his ministry would soon end. However, despite all that he tells us that he is not ashamed, that he is not afraid, and that he is free from worry. How can that be? Let’s find out. 

NOTES on the Text:

Verse 12: For this reason, I also suffer these things, but I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day. 

• “For this reason, I also suffer these things, but I am not ashamed;” Let’s take the easy part first. He says, “I suffer these things.” By “these things” he is obviously referring to his imprisonment, and discomfort, and impending death. OK, but he says, “For this reason…I suffer these things.” What reason is he talking about? We have just parachuted into a context, so we need to stop and look around for just a minute to get our bearings before we press on. Is Paul referring to something he has just said, or to something he is about to say? While the second option is a possibility, I do not think it is the best choice here. If you think back to our last study when we looked at 1:1-11 I think you will start to make connections and understand what Paul is getting at.
• Paul is just saying that he knows that his present sufferings are entirely because he is a preacher of the Gospel. Look back at verse 8. In 1:8 Paul tells Timothy to not be ashamed of Christ, or the Gospel, or of Paul who was in prison for preaching the Gospel. Then in verse 9 Paul talks about God’s purposeful grace, by which He has saved us and called us, and because of which we have the promise of Heaven. Paul then goes on in verse 10 to say that Christ has abolished death and brought us life and immortality through His glorious Gospel. In verse 11 Paul says that he has been appointed as a herald, and a missionary, and a teacher of this Gospel.
• That argument leads us right up to verse 12 where he concludes, “For this reason I also suffer these things, but I am not ashamed.” You see, his boldness came not from self-confidence but from God-confidence. The fact that he has been forgiven, cleansed, saved, called, commissioned, empowered, and credentialed by the King of kings leads him to see his present discomfort (i.e., imprisonment and being chained in a dungeon awaiting his execution) as just a bump in the road. He knows that he is suffering for righteousness’ sake and there is no shame in that. He is in good company, along with Jesus, and Stephen, and James the brother of John, and the prophets of old. In Matthew 5:10-12 Jesus told His disciples, “Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. Blessed are you when men revile you, and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely, on account of Me. Rejoice, and be glad, for your reward in Heaven is great, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” 
• But what is it that frees Paul from fear and gives him such courage in the face of impending death? Look at the rest of verse 12: “…for I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day.”  Here we have one of the most remarkable little testimonies in all of Scripture. Paul tells us that he is not afraid of the future that awaits him because he has complete confidence in the Lord Jesus Christ. The Bible says “perfect love casts out fear” and Paul had experienced this first-hand. Look closely at his words here in verse 12: “I am not ashamed…I know…I have believed…I am convinced.” This is a powerful statement of faith…but based on what? Based upon his intimate knowledge of, and relationship with, the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul says in effect, “Knowing Christ as I do, I have complete confidence in Him, that He will deliver on every promise He has ever made, and you can take that to the bank!” 
• “…I know WHOM I have believed” Normally we would say: “I know WHAT I have believed.” But the emphasis here is not on Christian doctrine but upon Christ himself. It is not WHAT we know that gives us holy boldness, but rather, WHO we know!
• But exactly what had Paul entrusted to Christ? Answer: Everything! His salvation, his hopes, his future, his whole life.
• Until when? “…until that day.” What day? The Day of Judgment when the Lord will reward the righteous and judge the wicked. You will see this same expression used down in verse 18.

Verse 13: Retain the standard [lit. pattern] of sound words which you have heard from me, in the faith and love which are in Christ Jesus.   

• “Retain the standard of sound words [i.e., of the Gospel, of biblical truth]” To “retain the standard” means to hold the bar high. Do not lower the standard to make it possible for more people to hop over the bar. We have seen the controversy for years in law enforcement, fire bureaus, and in the military. How do we accommodate the inclusion of women into these traditionally male roles? Answer: We lower the standard of physical strength and agility. We drop the bar so that more people can jump over it and get in. Please do not start sending me feminist hate mail. In some instances, this readjustment of expectations may be fair and just. However, in terms of holding firmly to the precepts and teachings of God’s Word, we have no right to manipulate the bar to fit with our own preconceptions. Yet this is going on everywhere we look—about marriage, homosexuality, theistic evolution, annihilationism, etc. In Titus 1:9 Paul says almost the same thing, “…holding fast the faithful Word, which is in accordance with the teaching, so that you will be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict.”  

Verse 14: Guard, through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, the treasure [lit. good deposit], which has been entrusted to you. 

• The “treasure [or deposit]” that Paul speaks of here is the Gospel, the message of salvation by grace through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. In Romans 1:16-17 Paul wrote, “For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes, for in it the righteousness of God is revealed.” 
• Paul tells Timothy to “guard” this treasure that has been entrusted to him. In a sense every Christian is an armed guard for the Gospel, not to keep people away from it but to keep anyone from twisting it or watering it down so that it loses its potency and meaning. Notice, “Guard, through [i.e., by means of] the Holy Spirit who dwells in us…” The Holy Spirit is the source of our power and authority to “guard” the treasure. A Brinks guard relies upon his training, his armored vehicle, and his weapons to help him guard the treasure under his care. But as Christians we have something far more powerful. We have the eternal God, who is our strength and the One who empowers us to guard the Gospel by living it out in all its fullness without any compromise. 

Verse 15: You are aware of the fact that all who are in Asia turned away from me, among whom are Phygelus and Hermogenes. 

• “You are aware of the fact that all who are in Asia turned away from me.” Paul states that Timothy knows that “all who are in Asia” had deserted him. Now we know that this is hyperbole, a deliberate exaggeration to make the point that many had turned their backs on Paul after he got arrested and imprisoned for the second time in Rome, either out of shame or out of fear of the Romans. We know it is hyperbole because Timothy and the Ephesian church were in Asia and Timothy certainly had not deserted Paul, and neither had a lot of other people. However, Paul was obviously hurt and disappointed that so many had left him high and dry, just when he needed them the most. 
• Here Paul mentions the names of two people who had turned their backs and deserted him in his greatest hour of need. We do not know much about these two fellows. This is the only biblical text that even mentions them. But they very well may have been the ringleaders and the main cause of the trouble. In his first letter to Timothy Paul speaks of those who were opponents of his mission and his authority. These may be the very fellows he had in mind. Apparently, they were two professing Christians from Ephesus with whom Paul got acquainted while he ministered in Asia. We do not know exactly what they did but the text implies that Hermogenes and Phygelus probably led the movement to abandon Paul and disassociate from him, possibly out of fear that they might be considered equally guilty by their association with him. We cannot know for sure. However, the fact that Paul singles them out by name tells me that their behavior came as a great shock and surprise to him. He thought they were made of better stuff. I believe that he was both hurt and disappointed by their actions. Of course, we only hear Paul’s side of the story here, but I am inclined to believe that he was right, and they were wrong in this matter. I imagine that when Timothy received this letter and read it publicly to the congregation in Ephesus, these two guys must have looked and felt like two cents waiting for change. They probably started looking for the nearest emergency exit or a hole to climb into.
• Have you ever been abandoned by someone who you thought would always be there for you and would stick by you through thick and thin? I have, and I can tell you that it really hurts. That is why that verse in Proverbs 18:24 is precious to me. It says, “There is a Friend who sticks closer than a brother.” The writer is talking, of course, about the Lord. Others may abandon you, but He never will! 

Verses 16-18: The Lord grant mercy to the house of Onesiphorus, for he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains; ¹⁷ but when he was in Rome, he eagerly searched for me and found me— ¹⁸ the Lord grant to him to find mercy from the Lord on that day—and you know very well what services he rendered at Ephesus. 

• Paul mentioned the names of those who abandoned him, but here he names someone who was a special blessing to him, who often refreshed his spirit, who was the exact opposite of the two guys mentioned in the previous verse. This man was an example of faithfulness and Christian love, in sharp contrast to Hermogenes and Phygelus and others who had abandoned Paul. Evidently a loyal friend of Paul, Onesiphorus, whose name means “help-bringer, or profit-bearer” took the risks and made the effort of journeying to Rome and hunting up Paul in prison when others were avoiding Paul or deserting him. It seems that Onesiphorus hailed from Ephesus and was an active member of the Christian congregation there where Timothy was the shepherd. Paul’s recollections of his ministry at Ephesus suggest that Onesiphorus might have been a deacon in that church. His kindnesses to Paul in the Roman prison came at a time when Paul was alone and friendless, and they were deeply appreciated. The references here in 2 Timothy to the “household of Onesiphorus”, and not to Onesiphorus himself, suggest to some that Onesiphorus might have died before Paul wrote this second letter to Timothy. That could be true, but it was also common to address a person’s household to include the person along with all those who were associated with him. Onesiphorus is mentioned only here and in 2 Timothy 4:19.
• “…[May] the Lord grant to him to find mercy from the Lord on that day” We saw this same exact phrase up in verse 12 and it means the same thing here: the coming Day of Judgment of Christ. Paul is expressing his desire that Onesiphorus should receive special kindness from the Lord in repayment for the special kindness that this godly man poured out on Paul in his hour of greatest need. 

CONCLUSION:

Look again at verse 16: “The Lord grant mercy to the house of Onesiphorus, for he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains.” Do you have people in your life who refresh you? We all need those. There are people in this world who are “energy vampires.” Every minute spent with them drains you of emotional and spiritual vitality. Then there are people who seem to speak peace and truth and love into your life, that can refresh your soul and spirit, the way a glass of cold water quenches your thirst. Onesiphorus was this kind of person and proved to be a great blessing to Paul. 

As Paul sat in that dark cell awaiting his execution he could truly say, “I am not ashamed.” He had been radically saved through the power of the Gospel, and he knew that if God could save him, then He could and would save anyone who repented and turned to Christ. Moreover, Paul could truthfully say, “I am not afraid,” because he knew that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord and even if he lost his life physically his eternity was a sure thing because it rested firmly on the promises of God. And lastly, he could say with all truthfulness, “I am not worried,” because he knew the Lord Jesus personally, and knew that the Lord was watching over him.           

With these assurances Paul could lay down and sleep like a baby. No shame, no fear, and no worries! How about you? Do you have the sweet assurance that your deepest darkest sins have been forgiven and that your place in Heaven is guaranteed by the promises of God? Have you experienced the freedom from fear and worry that plague so many people, because you “…know WHOM you have believed and are convinced that He is able to guard what you have entrusted to Him until that day”? If you do not have that peace and assurance then you need to meet my friend, Jesus, so that you too can live with “no shame, no fear, and no worries.”