2nd timothy chapter I....be
not ashamed
The second
epistle represents the last words of Paul to Timothy and to all of us, in
effect the swansong of the apostle. They
say that the last song of a dying swan is the most melodious of all. Last words
are very important, and here we have the sweetest and most appealing of all his
writings Scripture records a number of
last words of great men, and these records deserve close attention.
·
Jacob Genesis chapter 49
·
Moses The book of Deuteronomy (especially
chapters 31-33).
·
Joshua Joshua chapter 24
·
David 2nd Samuel chapter 23
·
Christ John chapter 14-17
·
Paul 2nd Timothy
·
Peter 2nd Peter
Written by
Paul from Rome, whilst awaiting execution, ordered by the emperor Nero around
A.D. 66/67. In all other epistles, Paul
was anticipating future exploits and movements such as in Romans 1vv10-15; 15vv22-24;
1st Corinthians 4vv18-19;
1st Thessalonians 2vv17-18 etc. Now he knew the time of his departure had
come (2nd Timothy 4v6). This
context adds weight to the message as the content is from a man about to leave
this world. The epistle contains short,
sharp, precise instructions, which can be tabulated as follows:
v
Chapter
1v8 Be not
ashamed
v
Chapter
2v1 Be
strong
v
Chapter
3v14
Be steadfast
v
Chapter
4v5 Be watchful
All the
best advice from a man facing death, whose life has been exemplary. These are the very practical challenges handed
down to all of us.
Verses
1-2 Greetings
Similar to the first epistle with one major difference; “...according to the promise of life in Christ
Jesus...” he is thinking of
compensation. In 1st Timothy
1v1 it was “according to the commandment
of God our Saviour....” there the
thought is of commission. Paul is
facing death, so he writes of “the
promise of life”. We really must
enter into the reality of this, he is laying hold of the promise of Christ
concerning the unknown, and so far, the unseen. In deed, Paul had no life on this earth in
the way we normally think of life, but now his life was about to be realised in
the glory to which he was bound. This
exultation of the future glory beyond pervades the whole epistle (chapter 1v10;
1v12; 2vv11-12; 4v1; 4v8; 4v18). He
wanted Timothy, and all of us to enter into the joy of that. He appeals for us all to experience the
constant streams of spiritual refreshment in the form of grace, mercy and peace
from above. He speaks to Timothy as a
departing father consoling his son. In three
sharp commands he brings the responsibilities of service before the young man
to prepare him for the path ahead
Verses
3-7 Remember
It is said
when a man is facing death his whole life flashes before him. Paul, here, sums up his own life “I thank God, whom I serve from my forefathers....”. The word “serve” is religious service like
that of a priest, that is service done consciously for God As his forefathers had done before him he
had served God with a pure conscience, even in his days before conversion. Conscience depends on light, and he had
served to his best in the light he was given.
This is a tremendous statement, honestly spoken, and when he opposed God
he did it in ignorance. Paul was very
keen that everything he did was with a clear conscience; is my life ruled by my
conscience before God? He gave thanks to God that he had remembered
Timothy night and day, caring for him, remembering his tears. He now appeals to him to remember his
heritage. Indeed a key word in these
verses is “remember”, which he repeats three times, and another twice in
chapter two (1v3, 1v4, 1v6, 2v8, 2v14. This pattern is used in the book of
Deuteronomy, where the call to remember is repeated many times, the entire book
being the last words of Moses: a
summary by Keith Keyser is useful.......”Remember
what you were in Egypt” Deuteronomy 5v15;
“Remember what God did to Pharaoh” 7v18;
“Remember the way the Lord led you” 8v2; “Remember you provoked the Lord to anger” 9v7; “Remember the day you
came forth” 16v3; “Remember what God did to Miriam” 24v9; “Remember what Amalek did to you” 25v17; “Remember the days of
old” 32v7.
In
critical days of change we need to be reminded whose we are and whom we serve. Paul reminds him now of the great heritage
which is his.
·
The
companionship and care of the commissioned apostle of Christ.
One who had been a father figure to him spiritually, who prayed for him
night and day, who was aware of his struggles.
·
The
unfeigned faith that was in his
grandmother and mother. There was nothing fake about their faith and
they had passed it on to Timothy This
had been passed down in the genes to Timothy who has the same faith, that is he
responded to the call just like his mother and grandmother.
·
The
spiritual gift of God endowed upon him, and recognised by the church, by the
apostles and by local elders. This gift of God requires courage on the
part of the recipient. It is not of
fear, but of power (dynamic, that is a living power which can change things)
and of love (that is the characteristic of seeking the best for others), and of
a sound mind (that is the rational understanding and propagation of Divine
truth).
With all
this heritage and privilege, the appeal is to “stir up the gift of God” within.
The word used for “stir up” is “anazopureo” which is to rekindle, to fan
the flame, to bring to life what is dying down. The flame has not quite yet gone out but due
to the hardship of the way, Timothy has been slipping a little, has become less
forthright, less courageous, less lucid than before. This is a reminder we should be on fire for
the Lord “who maketh his ministers a flame of fire;” this refers to angels, but
we are all servants and we should be passionate about the things of God. In chapter 4v14 he says “neglect not the
gift of God that is in thee;” put it to use, don’t be idle, use it and here he
says rekindle it, stir it up. In life
we can be passionate about many things, but what about our zeal for the
Lord? We are told not to quench the
spirit. General Booth, the founder of
the Salvation Army said “the tendency of fire is to go out, it needs to be
constantly rekindled.” God has given
us a gift (that is the Divine side); then there is the laying on of hands (the
human identification of the gift). God
has not given us the spirit of fear holding back because of timidity (but the
spirit of power dynamic and authoritative) and the spirit of love (gentle and
kind) and a spirit of a sound mind (spiritually intelligent and self
disciplined). The gospel is the power
of God, it proclaims the love of God, and is the truth of God; to serve him we
need to adjust our lives accordingly.
Verses
8-12 Be not ashamed
Three times
in verses 8-18 we have the phrase “not
ashamed”. The call to Timothy (verse
8); the example of Paul (verse 12); and the example of Onesiphorus (verse 16). The stand for faith in Christ is a thing of
shame in the godless world, and it requires courage to maintain it. Sometimes the power of example is the
greatest encouragement, and Paul uses that here. The knowledge of others who have suffered for
the truth at great cost to themselves is a great incentive. First
he reminds him of God’s sacrifice for him (verses 8-10); then of his own sacrifice (verses 11- 14); then of the sacrifice of Onesiphorus (verses
15-18). “Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord nor of me
His prisoner...”. Testimony for God will bring afflictions,
association with Paul will do the same, but the incentives are great.
Ø
Salvation “...who
hath saved us...” delivered us from
the dread power and eternal consequences of our sins. The repeated title of “our Saviour” sprinkled through
these letters are a constant
reminder of our great deliverance: hope for the future 1st Timothy
1v1; full knowledge of the truth 1st Timothy 2v4; consciousness
of the living God 1st
Timothy 4v10; death replaced by life and immortality 2nd Timothy 1v
10; a Divine commission to preach Titus
1v3; constant supplies of spiritual resources Titus 1v4; salvation-bringing
grace has appeared to all men Titus
3v11; Jesus Christ will appear again in glory
Titus 3v13; Divine
philanthropy and kindness to the undeserving
Titus 3v4; Divine power operating within us Titus 3v6.
Ø
Called
with a holy calling Few in life receive a call from anyone
important, Christians are called by the most High into highest service. The word “holy” is difficult to explain, but
it carries the idea of “apart”, something which is so superior to any other
comparison that it stands out, it stands apart. This calling is like no other and puts the
person so called in a position of high honour.
There can be no calling quite like this... the famous preacher C.H.
Spurgeon reputedly said, “If God has called you to be a missionary, don’t you
demote yourself to become a king!”
Many have great callings in life, this is the highest and noblest of all.
Ø
According
to God’s own eternal purpose Not based on any merit but on God’s own
purpose in grace. He did not call us to
serve Him due to our talent or ability or performance, but in His own purpose and
grace (unmerited favour) in Christ Jesus who made it possible. What happens now in time was conceived “in
eternal times” and becomes effectual in our lives.
Ø
The
incarnation “.....now made manifest by the appearing of our
Saviour Jesus Christ...”. This made possible His death, by which He
“abolished death”, that is He defeated it, because He did not succumb to it but
entered into it and came through it, thus paving the way for it’s ultimate
abolishment. Paul wrote to the
Corinthians “...the last enemy that
shall, be destroyed is death.” Before His coming there was only one
possibility, the never ending cycle of life and death. Leading to permanent
separation from God. In His coming He conquered
death and has “...brought life and
immortality to light through the gospel.”
There is now the possibility of permanent fellowship with God. This will be manifest in the spirit (life)
and in the body (immortality), in a new indissoluble life. The gospel Paul has brought and Timothy is
to preach, presents a full salvation to mankind in spirit and body for all
eternity, why would we be ashamed of that?
He describes himself as a preacher (a herald) and an apostle and a
teacher of the nations, this message is for all, it must be given to all, must
be understood by all, it is for the eternal benefit of all. In this world it will produce opposition, it
will mean personal suffering, but it is superior to every other teaching that
it demands steadfastness.
Ø
It
is a sacred deposit “ ..for
I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which
I have committed unto Him against that day”.
Paul has entrusted to Him
the welfare of his eternal soul, and he knows and is persuaded that He will be
true to his word. It therefore follows that
we should be trust worthy in the unashamed proclamation of it, a theme he
develops in the next section. He will
keep my deposit for eternity, can we keep His deposit to us for the few years
of time left to us?
Verses
13-18 Hold fast
“Hold fast the form of sound words....” Once
more he refers to the nutritional value of the gospel for the soul, which he
reiterates throughout the letters....wholesome words, health-giving words. He uses the word “form” or “pattern”, the
same as in 1st Timothy 1v16.
It means a sketch, an outline, a delineation; that is we are to have the summary of the gospel
at our fingertips, ready for simple and instant propagation. It is to be the same as what he heard and it
is to be held in faith and love, that is in line with the word of God and with
the motivation of love to others. He
calls it “..that good thing(noble thing)
which was committed to thee...” We
have committed the keeping of our souls to Him, He has committed to us the
keeping of the precious deposit of the gospel.
The command to Timothy is to keep it, to guard it as with a military
guard; it is to be preserved against all attacks of
variation or corruption. On our own, we
are unable for this, so we need Divine assistance and he adds “...through the Holy Spirit which dwelleth
in us.” The ever present Spirit
keeps us on track.
He now
cites two examples of service, one unfaithful, the other faithful; He speaks first of what he knows, that “...all in Asia have turned away from me...”
and mentions two of the ringleaders of the defection....Phygellus and
Hermogenes. These would be known to
Timothy, and it is hard for us to interpret.
Certainly to turn away from Paul was to defect from the gospel, but it
did not deter Paul. Nevertheless the
extreme disappointment he must have felt as his labours in Asia appeared to be
fruitless, coupled with the sense of loneliness caused him great
suffering. Those who serve the Lord in
this way must be prepared for rejection, yet remain faithful to the truth. It is recorded in 1st Samuel 8v7 “They have not rejected thee, but they have
rejected me said the Lord.” Rejection
of God’s servant is tantamount to rejection of God and it is not easy to bear.
Paul is
thankful for the contrasting attitude of Onesiphorus who supported him in this
time of severe testing. It seems in the
darkest times He has His agents everywhere, whether human or angel. The devotion and courage in desperate circumstances was appreciated. Some features are noteworthy and it is worth
taking the time to list them;
·
His charity His
name means “bringer of profit” and he lived up to his name. It is a good trait to bring profit to all
those we meet. Paul had already
appealed for Timothy to bring profit to all (1st Timothy 4v15). Am I a “profitable person” to be around? Am I a taker or a giver?
·
His consistency He refreshed Paul often he
was consistent in his service to others, he did it in Ephesus, now he’s doing
it in Rome. Is my ministry consistent
and is it of a refreshing nature? Am I
a breath of fresh air to the Lord’s people?
·
His courage He was not ashamed of Paul’s chain, he proved it by
travelling to Rome and then searching for him at considerable risk to himself
at a time when Christianity was entering periods of persecution.
·
His commitment “....he sought me out
very diligently and found me..” He was not deterred by difficulties
,and he was prepared to differ even from his brethren in Asia by supporting
Paul. No doubt he was grateful for the Apostle’s
spiritual blessing to him.
Paul prays
for Divine mercy for Onesiphorus at the judgment seat, and for mercy on his
household. No doubt he is thinking of
the beatitudes where the Lord said “Blessed
are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy.”
The kindness shown by this man will be rewarded in that day and
kindness will also be shown to his family.
There is something powerful in a living example of Christ-like behaviour
as was evident in this dear man.
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