‘So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord’
Today we’re starting a new four-week series on 2 Timothy. I’m looking forward to this short series! Over the years I’ve studied a number of the New Testament letters but I’ve never really studied 2 Timothy. I’m interested to find out what it’s about. Today we’re going to look at a passage from 2 Timothy chapter 1; next week I’ll take a passage from 2 Timothy chapter 2 and so on, and hopefully that will help us to see the main things Paul wanted to tell Timothy.
Let me start by setting the scene. When Paul wrote this letter to Timothy, they had probably known each other for about 15 years. They had met when Paul was on the second of his missionary journeys. Paul had travelled to an area which was then called Galatia and is now in southern Turkey. He met Timothy there and invited him to join him on his journey. Later, Timothy also accompanied Paul on his third missionary trip. After that Paul was arrested in Jerusalem, imprisoned and later sent to Rome. I expect he arrived there before 64 A.D. At the end of Acts, we find Paul is in prison but his conditions seem quite pleasant.
But in 64 A.D. there was a great fire in Rome. Nero blamed the Christians and it became extremely dangerous to be a Christian. When Paul wrote his second letter to Timothy, from prison in Rome, he was expecting to die. Towards the end of his letter Paul writes ‘For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come.’ According to tradition, Paul was beheaded.
Timothy, meanwhile, had ended up in Ephesus. So Paul sent his letter from Rome to Ephesus.
Letters such as 1 John, Peter and Jude, for example, are written BY John, Peter and Jude. But 2 Timothy was not written BY Timothy. 2 Timothy is a letter written by Paul TO Timothy.
Eventually Timothy became the first bishop of Ephesus. According to tradition, Timothy died by being stoned to death.
So both Paul and Timothy were put to death, as were many others at that time. Being a Christian in those days was a tough calling. It was likely to involve suffering.
So what, we might wonder, would Paul have to say to Timothy in perhaps the last letter he ever wrote?
Paul starts off by addressing Timothy as his beloved child. It’s really affectionate. He then reflects on Timothy’s family, his grandmother and his mother. He remembers Timothy’s qualities. He’s extremely warm and encouraging. That takes us to verse 7. This is one of the famous verses in 2 Timothy. If you know any verses in 2 Timothy it’s likely to be this one: ‘…for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.’
In verse 8 it seems that Paul gets down to business. He turns to the point of why he’s writing to Timothy. Paul writes, ‘Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God.’
Paul lived in the first century AD. The world he lived in had been influenced by Greek culture for centuries. Greek rhetoric was famous and it had a definite and very logical way of setting out arguments. It’s still used a lot in academic writing today. The writer would introduce the subject and set the context. Then he or she would state the key point. Today we call it the proposition or thesis statement. At the end, the writer would have a conclusion.
I imagine that verse 8 is Paul’s thesis statement. This is the key thing he wants to tell Timothy. In verse 8 Paul gives Timothy a charge. He tells him:
‘Therefore, do not be ashamed of the testimony about Jesus, or about Paul, but share in suffering for the gospel.’
If we’re right about that being the big idea of Paul’s letter then Paul will come back to it in his conclusion. We can easily find his conclusion. It’s in chapter 4, verse 5. Paul writes:
‘As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfil your ministry.’
So, at the start of his letter Paul wrote, ‘share in suffering for the gospel’ and at the end of the letter he writes, ‘endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist.’
It’s very similar. It strongly suggests that this is Paul’s key message to Timothy. Paul is telling Timothy, ‘Don’t be ashamed of the gospel but share in the suffering that WILL come if you are faithful.’ Paul’s final admonition to Timothy is: ‘fulfil your ministry.’ That the job. Do it.
I’d like to reflect for a moment on this word ‘ashamed.’ ‘Ashamed’ is not the same as ‘afraid’. We’re ashamed when we think we’ve done something wrong.
Paul tells Timothy, ‘Do not be ASHAMED OF THE TESTIMONY ABOUT JESUS.’
Paul isn’t saying, ‘Don’t be ashamed of JESUS.’ It’s quite possible to be ashamed of Jesus and lots of people who call themselves Christians act as though they are.
Nor is Paul saying, ‘Do not be AFRAID to testify about Jesus.’ That’s quite possible too.
But Paul isn’t talking about either of these things here. Paul’s focus here is on not being ashamed ‘OF THE TESTIMONY ABOUT JESUS’, of the gospel, in other words.
Why should anyone be ashamed of the gospel? Many people in Paul’s day thought the gospel was foolish. No doubt the same is true today. The gospel tells us that Jesus saves. And yet Paul was in prison! So a person might ask: does Jesus save?!
There are many reasons why people might be ashamed of the gospel in our day. For example, people might think that the gospel isn't true: miracles don't happen or scripture isn't true. They might think that the message of the gospel is embarrassing: ‘Jesus is the only way?’ Really?! The gospel speaks of sin, failure, and repentance and of punishment and suffering. These are hardly popular subjects.
So, how can Paul encourage Timothy?
1. Paul doesn’t offer platitudes. He doesn’t tell Timothy that everything will be easy. Instead, he tells Timothy, “Share in suffering.”
2. Paul reminds Timothy who called him. God!
• … who saved us AND CALLED US to a holy calling (v.9)
And NB, our calling isn’t based on our own qualifications: ‘not because of our works (v.9)
• … I WAS APPOINTED a preacher and apostle and teacher (v.11)
• … what HAS BEEN ENTRUSTED to me (v.12)
• … guard the good deposit ENTRUSTED TO YOU (v.13)
3. Paul reminds Timothy that God gives us power:
• … by the power of God (v.8)
• … he is able to guard (v.12)
• By the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, guard the good deposit … (v.14)
4. Finally, Paul reminds Timothy what a wonderful message we have:
• Jesus … abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel (v.10)
For all those reasons, Timothy is not to be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord. The same applies to us. Some Christians today are ashamed of the gospel. They feel they can’t present its message. It IS tough. The world we live in is hostile to the Christian message. But let us not be ashamed of the message we have to proclaim. Let us remember who called us to the task of proclaiming it, that is, God. Let us remember who empowers us to proclaim it. That is also God. And let us remember what a wonderful message we have.
Talk given 10th September 2021 at Rosebery Park Baptist Church, Bournemouth, UK
