Not Ashamed of the Gospel – 2 Timothy 1:11-18
We have noted that the theme for 2 Timothy is found in the short command in 4:5: “Do the work of an evangelist.” Paul had told Timothy in 1:8 not to be ashamed of the Gospel. In this paragraph (verses 11-18), Paul talks about the Gospel and how it impacted his life and other’s.
eternity.
THE GOSPEL IN PAUL’S LIFE – 1:11-14:
Verse 11 – This verse begins with “for,” (“unto”) showing that it was for the Gospel that Paul had been “appointed” by God to be a preacher/herald, an apostle and a teacher.
Verse 12 – How does the Gospel play out in Paul’s life? It brings suffering. In these words of Paul, we see confidence and conviction – two things that cannot be shaken or destroyed or weakened when you know that you know what you know! What Paul entrusts to God, his “deposit,” is Paul’s life, his soul, his entire being.
Verse 13 – Paul gives Timothy the 2nd of 33 imperatives now in the letter: Retain the standard of sound words, along with love and faith which are in Christ Jesus. Clearly, there is a pattern to the Gospel that we are to follow. We must follow the pattern and we must have the proper attitude toward God in following that pattern – faith and love.
Verse 14 – It would be entirely possible that Timothy could be afraid for his life or happiness if he were to suffer as Paul has suffered. Paul is calling Timothy to Rome (4:13). So, here, Paul gives Timothy yet another (3rd) imperative: Guard (!) the good deposit through the Holy Spirit dwelling in us.
The “good deposit” would be the Gospel message and Timothy would guard it through the Holy Spirit by using the Holy Spirit to protect, keep, and defend the Holy Spirit’s message.
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But some Christians then, as now, do not guard the truth and change the truth, either to avoid persecution or to win a large audience. Such were many of Paul’s own converts in Asia.
THE GOSPEL APPLIED – 1:16-18:
Yet, to encourage Timothy, Paul gives an example of someone who was not ashamed of the testimony of the Lord nor of Paul. Paul will use Timothy as an example of Christianity with the Philippians (chapter 2); here, he uses someone else as an example for Timothy – a man named Onesiphorus…
Verse 16 – Onesiphorus many times had refreshed Paul and was not ashamed of Paul’s imprisonment. The word “refresh” means to “breathe, blow” again, so, “to make cool, refresh.”
Verse 17 – Rather than being ashamed, Paul says of Onesiphorus that he earnestly (diligently) sought Paul and found him.
Verse 18 – Onesiphorus had also been active in Ephesus, where he “served”. Paul spent three years in Ephesus, Acts 19-20.
Paul’s desire for Timothy is that he would live the Gospel as Onesiphorus had lived it, not as Phygelus and Hermogenes.
–Paul Holland
