Introduction

There is something significant about “last words,” isn’t there? The thought that there might be something more potent than someone’s final thoughts offered to the world. Bob Marley is supposed to have said, “Money can not buy you life,” the renowned German philosopher Karl Marx was reported to have responded to his Housekeeper, who asked if he had any final thoughts: “Go On, get out! The last words are for the fools who have not said enough. The last words seem to mark our culture because, in some way, there should be something profound in someone’s last thoughts for the world. Last words can be meaningless, yet there are moments when they are significant.

Some Last Thoughts

Why does it matter? Well, here we are, opening a pastoral letter from Paul. Something we must hold fast to as we read and pray through it is that we are engaging with Paul’s last recorded words as an Apostle. We are thinking through quite possibly the last letter Paul knew he would write. Not all previous words are significant, but these are. Think about the life that Paul has lived; once opposed to the Church to animate her, he became the least of the apostles as the risen Lord met him on the road and transformed his entire understanding of life, faith and what it means to worship God. Paul the Zealot became Paul the Missionary Apostle to the gentile world as he moved from bringing destruction to Gospel life in all who he encountered. Paul was transformed; every aspect of his life was reoriented in his understanding of what it meant to “love the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength and love your neighbour.” Paul’s life was transformed when he encountered Jesus, and from that moment, every aspect of his life was shaped around who Jesus was and made him known. Thus, there is something significant about Paul’s last recorded words because they encapsulate everything he became because of Christ. They are his last words to Timothy as he writes from Prison, enchanted and ready to die for the Lord he has served, yet they are not final words of regret. They are the final words of encouragement as Paul seeks to affirm Timothy and encourage him to continue in this Gospel ministry. It is not astonishing to consider that we have Paul’s last will to his friend and “spiritual son and protege.” Thus, this letter carries a certain weight, punch and power as Paul implores Timothy to continue the fight HE has fought. To Carry forth this Gospel amid growing political persecution, cultural apathy and internal doctrinal confusion and challenges.

In Paul’s final word, we are reminded of all that God has done in Paul’s life and throughout Paul’s life. He has been transformed in a way so real and powerful that it has brought transformation wherever he has been brought by the Spirit of God, in his making of Christ now. In Paul, we see the Sovereign Grace of God at work in the world, and in this 2nd Letter to Timothy. Such was the work that God did in the heart of Paul on the Damascus road that he fully grasped the value and worth of this Gospel; and not that we need to be reminded, but he valued it so much that he was willing to suffer for it: Shipwrecked, beatings, mock trails, imprisonment, mockery (2 Corinthians 11). Paul has suffered for this Gospel that he received from Grace, and in his instructions to Timothy to come over the folding days, we see the worth and value of this Gospel that Paul carried and now seeks to protect. He commends Timothy to be content with the Gospel because it is the world’s hope.

1 Greeting and Introduction (1:1-2)

So Paul begins his final recorded letter in a way that many of his other pastoral epistles begin: by identifying himself. At the very beginning, Paul makes himself known, yet more broadly and powerfully, he reminds Timothy, to whom he writes, of where his identity is. Paul understands his identity as something far beyond him, rooted in something outside of him.

When you think about it, how someone introduces themselves tells us something about how they perceive themselves, their importance and perhaps their worth. I remember being introduced to another minister by another minister. When our friend finished introducing us, the new minister corrected his introduction by giving himself his full title and listing his academic accomplishments. It was a strange moment, but at that moment, perhaps he revealed something about his identity and what was important to him. Yet, here is Paul, the super apostle, the greatest missionary of all times, the greatest theologian that the Church will have ever known. How does he introduce himself?

• I, Paul, the greatest of the Apostles?
• I, Paul, the theologian?
• Paul, the wise one?
• Paul, the leader?
  

No, he uses no earthly form of identity or success; even in chains, he declares the foundations of his entire personhood, life and purpose – who he is in Christ and because of Christ. “Paul an Apostle of Christ Jesus, by the will of God.” Interestingly, it is a greeting that almost mirrors his introduction in 1 Timothy 1:1: “Paul an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the command of God our Saviour and Christ Jesus our Hope.” Paul’s ministry has always been marked by apologetic humility; he knew he was the least because he had not walked with the disciples but had been confronted by Jesus on the Damascus road. Yet, here, there is clear confidence in his call and authority – he is not doing this by his own choice; no, he has arrived at this point of chains because it has been the will [which God has enacted Matt 18:14, etc.]. Paul may be in chains, but he is confident that he is right where he is meant to be because he is confident in the one who sent him. He is where he is right now, not because of man’s schemes but because of God’s will. Paul has been faithful and, throughout it all, has known the faithfulness of God. Now, he writes to hand over to his disciples his co-worker in the gospel, Timothy.

Such is the depth of the relationship, the love and affection that Paul feels toward his coworker, who has become like a child to him, and he addresses him as a reminder of why. All that Paul has done and been through is “for the sake of the promise of life in Christ Jesus.” Everything is because of the hope of life in Christ and to make known the hope and assurance of life in Christ. To Timothy, his true son in the faith (1:1), it is now the faithful one (2:1) because he has been consistent in the gospel call. To him:

“Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.”

The exact same Greeting as in 1 Timothy, and that simple reminder that everything we have is from God through Christ, made real in our lives by the power of the Holy Spirit at work in us.

2 Thanksgiving and Prayer for Timothy (1:3-5)

In the two verses at the beginning, the letter feels similar to both 1 Timothy and Titus. Two of Paul’s most personal and pastoral letters, as he writes to younger co-workers in the gospel, are to commend them for the work, instruct them on what it will look like, and warn them of the challenges they will face. Yet, here, 2 Timothy takes a different turn: Paul began his letter in 1 Timothy and Titus by almost commissioning them into their Ministry. Think of the words that might be spoken over you at your ordination.

In my home diocese, when we were getting ready for each of our ordination, the Bishop would have us spend three days on retreat, and then in the last hour before we would drive to the Church where we were being ordained, he would charge us from Scripture as to what he wanted our Ministry to be defined by. A church was encouraging about what was to come. Yet, this section of 1 Timohty is more like being brought back to the Bishop’s office ten years after you have been ordained and he is about to retire. As you sit together, his tone is markedly different; he appears almost vulnerable, solemn and joyful, and above all, he is thankful. He has brought you to see him one last time because he wants to encourage you and give thanks for your faithfulness amid difficult circumstances, for continuing when others have failed, for bringing light when the darkness seemed to get darker still. Paul’s tone and address to Timothy mirror that reflective and thankful heart as he remarks on the faithfulness of God whom he has served in the service of Timothy. Eugene Peterson captures the essence of thankfulness when he writes:

“Every time I say your name in Prayer – which is practically all the time – I thank God for you, the God I worshipped with my whole life in the tradition of my ancestors. I miss you a lot, especially when I remember that last tearful goodbye, and I look forward to a joy-packed reunion. “ (MSG 1:3-4)

I don’t know what you think of men like Paul and the apostolic weight they carried. I often consider them lone wolf-type figures, wandering into the wilderness and wickedness of the world proclaiming Christ and needing nothing but the Holy Spirit. Yet, here we are reminded already of two profound trues and realities of Gospel ministry:

1. We are never called alone. No man is called into Kingdom service alone. The apostles were always defined and known in their collective, and any era where the Church has been marked by renewal or revival has been a ministry in the fullness of the body of Christ. John Wesley once wrote in his journal: “God knows nothing of solitary religion. No man ever went to heaven alone; he must either find or make companions.”
2. It is good to encourage. It sounds almost too simple to say, doesn’t it? But it is good to encourage, and it is good to be encouraged. A recent study in America said that 70% of pastors surveyed felt utterly alone in ministry and their problems. What might encourage a co-worker in the Gospel do for their morale and faithfulness? As Paul encourages Timothy here, we are challenged to be encouraging. When was the last time you encouraged or were encouraged in your faithfulness?
   

Paul the Elder thanks God for the faithfulness, friendship and ministry of Timothy the Young. A thankfulness that is rooted in generational thankfulness because this sincere [anupokritos – genuine, unfeigned] faith is in him because of the faithfulness of his guardians. His Grandmother Lois came to know Christ as Lord and lived in such a way that her daughter Eunince came to faith, who, along with her mother, lived in such a way that her Son Timothy came to know the beauty of life in Christ. What is sincere faith? Believing the right thing? Knowing it in our head? No, it is faith that dwells enokieō, Romans 8:11 of the dwelling of the HS (1:5), meaning it is faith that has taken root, faith that affects not just our thinking but every aspect of who we are, from our head to our heart. A faith that, as it takes root, the Holy Spirit bears fruit so that our families might see something this world cannot offer. Do you see the unfolding pattern of remembrance:

1. Paul remembered Timothy in his prayers. Constantly and Day & Night.
2. Paul remembers Timothy’s Tears (4) because there is a deep Gospel friendship, a Philea Love like that between David and Jonathan.
3. Paul remembers Timothy’s sincere faith and that of his family. Difficult circumstances mark this family, as his mother married a Greek gentile (Acts 16:1-3), meaning Timothy did not naturally fit into either the Jewish faith world or the Gentile world. Thus adding weight to our understanding of the depth of Paul’s encouragement of this family’s sincere faith.
4. Finally, Paul remembers a charge he had already given Timothy – to fan into flame the gift of God.
   

3. Exhortation to Rekindle the Gift of God (1:6-7)

In Nigeria, the coldest temperature you might see throughout the year is 20 degrees Celcius; back home in Ireland, the warmest temperature we saw this year was 20 degrees Celsius. It has been a cold summer and quite a cold year. So you can imagine then that if our summers don’t get much warmer than your winter – what our winters are like! The average temperature in Ireland over the winter is between 4-8, so good heating is needed. Today in the city, most houses have central heating that either uses oil or gas, warming up radiators to keep the house warm. Yet, I grew up in the countryside and fondly remembered many a cold winter night huddled in front of the farmhouse fire. The fire gave off the greatest heat and light on those nights, and one of my favourite memories of growing up was watching my parents light the fire and then learning how to do it myself.

To light a fire is a simple thing, but it is not always easy; you have to get the right material, make sure to spark the flame, and then make sure it gets enough air so that it increases, yet not too much of a breeze or else you will blow the spark out. Fire takes work to start and to maintain. Even the wildest forest fires need fuel, and a controlled fire needs even more thought and management. On those cold winter nights in Ireland, if I had fallen asleep, the longer I would have slept, the dimmer the fire would have become, and if It was ignored for too long, soon it would become a whimper, a memory as the cold returned. A good fire needs work.

Paul has been remembering and giving thanks for Timothy’s faith, their brotherhood in the Gospel, and the faith that has shaped Timothy in his family household.

Yet, the final thing that Paul seems to remember is something that used to be brighter and more fierce. He remembers how the flame of young Timothy’s faith used to burn and rage. Perhaps Timothy has been worn down by the reality of gospel ministry; he has fought the good fight and been faithful, yet with all the energy that he has expended, with all the criticism he has carried, the things that were once easily done, become that little bit more difficult. If we are honest, it is somewhere we have all been; the joy seeps away, and staleness can so easily set in as what we hope for in ministry is challenged and sometimes replaced with the monotony of routine. The fire of our faith may not burn as brightly as it once did.

It is not that Paul is saying Timothy has lost his faith (1:5), for we know how genuine. Nor is Paul hinting that Timothy has lost sight of his call because we know he has been faithful to Paul where others have not. Yet, there seems to be a hint that something has lessened this Gospel flame in the heart of this young leader. We don’t know how long it has been between the two letters, nor do we even have a hint at the experience Timothy had as he confronted false teachers at Ephesus and contented for the faith. We know his faith is there, yet we also know what life can throw at us and that the health of our faith will decay unless we tend to it. Like the strength of our muscles, our faith requires focus – it is not something we can ignore. The word translated as fan [anazōpureō] here is used only once in the New Testament. It is a compound verb and can mean anything from kindling up, inflaming one’s mind, and strengthening zeal. In the LX translation of the Old Testament, there is an intransitive use in Genesis 45:27. When Joseph’s brothers return from Egypt with the supply of food and report to Jacob that Joseph is alive, the text says literally that Jacob’s spirit was rekindled. (anezōpurēsen)” (an intransitive usage).

Timothy must, with the help of God, again rekindle the flame of the Gift (charisma), both in the sense of call that Timohty has had from God (laying on of hands) and the gifts that God has given him to fulfil this call in the power of the Holy Spirit. JB Philips translated verse 5: “I now remind you to stir up that inner fire which God gave you at your ordination.”

For this reason, You have been Gifted.
Timothy was set apart for something in the early Church. We are all gathered here today as ministers of the Gospel who have been ordained in the church to contend for the Gospel of Christ. And even if we were not ordained, we should know our scriptures and know that God’s call is on every believer to join in the work that God is already doing in the world. And work that God calls us to, he equips us for! Nor does he unequip or under equip! Thus, the strength of verse 7 after verse 6, Enflame your faith, Timothy, because the one thing the Spirit of God does not do is make us timid/ fearful/cowardice deilia, the original word here Strongs dictionary notes is never used in a positive sense. The image is that of one hiding in the shadows; such a posture is not one that the Lord’s empowerment should ever bring – especially in his service. What gifts did the Spirit of God give Timothy for this call:

• Power: Dunamis is Literally where we get the word Dynamite! Used 115 times in the New Testament either to refer to the “mighty works” (Mtt. 11:21, 23) of God or power about God’s work in the world (Matt 22:29, Mark 6:14, Mark 12:24, Acts 4:7). What God ordains for each of us in service of Jesus, he gives us he means to do it by his Grace. As we serve him in the world, he is doing mighty work in us by Grace through the Holy Spirit to do Gospel work through us.
• Love: (Agape), in that God gives us the ability to perceive his love for us through Christ and to love our brothers as sisters like Christ because of Christ. This is not just any love, but the highest form of love that we glimpse on the Cross and experience through Jesus Christ. Thus, the love we have received we are empowered to make known – because that love convicts us of our sin and will change the world. Agape Love is the way of the Cross, and as God empowers Timothy and each of us for his work, it is this love he gives us.
• Self Control: Translated differently across the English translations: Sound Judgement, Sound mind, Self-discipline. The interference is clear: in a world where the desire of the flesh dominates, and people give themselves over to them, the Kingdom worker has been empowered to love, make good decisions, and have self-control. All to bring glory to the Father. In this Spirit, we are not fearful of the world but alert enough and confident in who we are to live distinctively and different from the world even as we serve it.
  
  These are all aspects of the gift that Timothy is urged to fan into flame, given through Paul’s laying of hands. The Spirit supplies in the life of the Kingdom worker the power to love God and make God’s love known, as well as the strength to control ourselves in a way that points to the distinctiveness of God’s kingdom. God has given Timothy a spirit of power, love, and self-discipline, not fear, enabling boldness in ministry.
  

4. Call to Not Be Ashamed of the Gospel or Paul (1:8-10)

Thus, because of the Spirit God has given us, of power, love, and strength to control, Paul implores Timothy to be bold. It almost seems that in verse 8, Paul has to remind Timothy of the upside-down, inside-out nature of the kingdom of God and the counter-cultural way that God works in the world. Paul is, in a way, reminding Timothy of the reality of the Cross (that which the world meant for shame and defeat, God used for Victory and to display his Glory). The Cross is our Hope, But it is also our way. It is our way because it is the way God works. Thus, if we look to the Cross in hope and confidence, we should never become fearful or discouraged when ministry and Kingdom work begins to look weak in the eyes of the world.

Verse 8 is a Therefore moment. Literally, because of what I have just said do or be. Thus, Paul says that because God has given you a spirit of power, love, and self-control, you must not be ashamed of Jesus’s testimony. A testimony that looks weak and insignificant in the eyes of the world, but God will use it for power. Nor must Timothy be embarrassed by Paul’s current disposition or posture – that of utter weakness. Paul is chained and imprisoned, awaiting death. He is not doing very well by all accounts of earthy success and power. His friends have mostly abandoned him, the state is seeking to put him to death, and he cannot even get house arrest; no, he is in chains and under guard of the state. If we are honest, we can understand why Timothy might be a bit embarrassed by the situation his spiritual mentor has gotten him into. It is a situation we can understand and sympathise with, but only if we think and see through the prism/lens of this world. Yet, when we remember the testimony of our Lord – the very thing that saves us and emboldens us when we remember the way of the Cross, we remember that even as Paul is in chains that which the world intends for evil, God will use for good. Paul might be suffering, but Timothy needed to remember that the Spirit God gives us empowers us to join in with the work of God and the way of God. That looks nothing like the world’s notion of power, success, or forward movement. Hence, after reminding him of the Spirit God has given us – power, love, right mind – and calling him to a renewed Gospel confidence in Christ and Christ’s faithful workers, Paul renews an invitation to Timothy. An invitation that is not one to be successful, powerful or professional through the prism of the world way’s but to join Paul in the way of the Kingdom, by the ethic of the Cross – the way of Suffering. In Short, Paul says: Timothy, mate, do not be ashamed of Christ’s suffering and my suffering; join me in it – because suffering is the way of Kingdom and the Glory of the Cross. It is the suffering of the servant King that disempowered the principalities and powers of this world. Suffering was always the plan of redemption and is still the way we will make known the hope of the Gospel. A Suffering Church is a vibrant and life-giving church that joins in the work of the Kingdom through the ethics of its King. A king who was crowned on the cross, and this is why Paul again implores Timothy to join him. Yet, we do not suffer in our strength but by the dunamis of God. That same Spirit of power to do, live, and be self-controlled in the Kingdom is the same Spirit that gives us confidence in the testimony of Christ and in the way of Christ that Paul was modelling in Chains. It is that same Power that enables us to join in this way – we suffer for the Glory of God, to make know the HOpe of the Gospel by the power God gives us to live and work out his Kingdom (1:9)

It is the way of God (1:9-10)

Indeed, for Timothy to share in the suffering that Paul is enduring by the power of God is the very outworking of the purpose of God in his life and living. Paul continues in verse 9, “He” being God has saved us – that is, all children of God – called us with a holy calling. We are saved with power and for purpose. That sovereign purpose led Paul into chains, and it was that Sovereign purpose that Timothy needed to be reminded of again. It has never been about the strength of Timothy, and it will never be about the strength of you and me. It has always been from God, by God, and for God’s Glory that we are saved and that we are empowered, hence those wonderful freeing words:

“not according to our works, but according to his purpose and grace, which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began.”

We who come to Christ do so because the Father has called us; it is a holy calling that is based upon God’s purpose and Grace (10), meaning that it will look nothing like the ways of the world but will always look like the way of the Kingdom, made most clear in the ethic of the cross. Jesus Christ enabled us to achieve this Holy Calling, but he is also the model of this Holy Calling (v10). All things are from Christ and for Christ’s Glory. This was a Grace given before the concept of time but only revealed with the person and work of Jesus Christ. JB Philips put these two verses beautifully when he phrases them:

“For he has rescued us from all that is really evil and called us to a life of holiness—not because of any of our achievements but for his own purpose. Before time began, he planned to give us in Christ the grace to achieve this purpose, but it is only since our saviour Jesus Christ has been revealed that the method has become apparent.”

This is why Timothy must remember not to be fearful; he is encouraged not to be ashamed of the gospel or of Paul’s imprisonment but to share in suffering for the gospel because this was part of God’s Gracious redemptive plan in Christ set forth before the beginning of time and now revealed in the person of Jesus. This Redemption is now revealed in the person of Jesus Christ. Thus, we must be confident! The gospel message is centred on the grace of God in Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to all who turn to him – this is why Timothy must remain steadfast and confident in the face of the world’s pressures – because in Christ we have received far more than they can take. What did Jesus do? “For Christ has completely abolished death and has now, through the Gospel, opened to us men the shining possibilities of the life that is eternal.” The Flame that Timothy must rekindle is the Gospel remembrance of who Jesus is, what he has done, what we have received and now by the Holy Spirit are empowered to do, for the Glory of God.

5. Paul’s Testimony and Confidence in Christ (1:11-12)

What is the Gospel? What is the good news of the Christian faith? “God has rescued us from all that is really evil and called us to a life of holiness—not because of any of our achievements but for his own purpose. Before time began, he planned to give us in Christ the grace to achieve this purpose, but it is only since our saviour, Jesus Christ, has been revealed that the method has become apparent. For Christ has completely abolished death and has now, through the Gospel, opened to us men the shining possibilities of the life that is eternal.” 2 Timothy 1:10.

In the west, our cultural moment is obsessed with identity, people are spending their lives looking inward to try and figure out who they are, with the belief that if they can figure that out, then they will know the “why” of their being here. There is this strange notion that an internal sense of self or identity is linked to the outward reason for existing. Define who you are, and then you can find and define your purpose in the world. It is the the greatest lie because as people look inward for life, they are missing the author of life.

Paul seems to have clarity in both his purpose and his identity. His identity is in Christ, and his purpose has been to proclaim this goodness. A herald is one appointed by a higher authority to deliver a message and make sure the people hear it. Paul is one saved by God, to be commissioned by God to be a herald of the Gospel of Christ. Paul now speaks of his own ministry, not to big himself up, but on behalf of this Gospel. The three ministries mentioned here in verse 11, Apostle, Teacher, and preaching/heralding, are all aspects of Gospel ministry. God has called him to this, as God has equipped and called each of us according to something within his sovereign purposes. The three modes of Gospel ministry are not mutually exclusive of one another, but rather each a service of the Gospel in a different way. The Herald proclaims the Good news! The teacher helps people understand and explains God’s truth in a way that edifies the church, and the Apostle is Paul’s special commission from God for this cause. This role was unique yet should act as an example for Timothy to continue contending and for all of us who follow. We are those who must be bold in our proclaiming and know that our identity is in his Christ and purpose from him because he is the fulfilment of the life God has created us for. Thus, Paul, as a servant of the Lord (preacher, apostle, and teacher), faces suffering but remains unashamed because of his trust in Christ. Why? Because his confidence is grounded in knowing that Christ is able to guard what Paul has entrusted to Him until the day of His return.

6. Guard the Good Deposit of Faith (1:13-14)

Paul has made clear to Timothy that he has been saved with a purpose, empowered for a purpose, and is not alone in this purpose. It is the Gospel; the same Gospel which saved him, his mother, and grandmother, the same gospel he has been contending for in Ephesus by the power of God, is his call, commission and purpose. Yet, not alone – this is done with the help of God and his fellow labourers in the Gospel, and because of this, he can be confident in the work of God and boast in his fellow Kingdom workers because chains will not hold the Gospel back. This Gospel is the treasure of God and the life the world has been looking for, and it is this Gospel to which Timothy is again called to contend! Hence, the instructions that come in this verse.

As we think through versus 13-13, we need to keep in our mind the foundation of verse 12. Where paul declares it is because of this Life giving gospel he has suffered, and has confidence. Why? Because he meet Jesus on the road to Damascus, and he trust that which Jesus said he will do, he will do. SO Paul is content to be where he is, because he know’s the one who has brought him to this place.

The Gospel is life, and it gives life, so when Paul instructs Timothy to keep the pattern of sound teaching, he is instructing to fight any heresy or abortion that will dilute the power of the Gospel. The Greek word translated as Pattern (NIV) in verse 13 can infer one of three things: sketch or outline, a model/pattern, or the use of speech to create a clear picture. Yet, here, given the entire flow of the letter, Paul has encouraged Timothy to rekindle the passion of his faith, to not look upon him (Paul) with embarrassment, but rather to see it all as modelling the way of Christ, who, in his moment of worldly shame was ultimately glorifying God. All of this is what Paul is talking about when he calls Timothy to this pattern. Added to it is the use of “Sound teaching,” which echoes through all of Paul’s pastoral letters to Timothy and Titus (1 Tim 1:10, 6:3; 2 Tim 4:3, Titus 1:9,13;2:1-2) Paul is making clear that in his life and teaching Timothy (and the church) have clarity about what God is calling them to. In Paul, we clearly see what faithfulness looks like.

Added to that, the weight in which it’s said and how Pattern is connected to Sound teaching and to guarding should make this clear for Timothy and anyone reading this – there is no liberty here, this is the Gospel, and this is the way God choose to make known the hope of the Gospel. No one has the liberty to deviate from this Apostolic teaching. The Gospel is the Gospel, and the way of the Cross is the way God will always work in the world, and the faithful church will delight in joining in with that work. Yet, it is not a duty; it is a delight to be called by Christ. This commission from Paul is the Sovereign call of God on the life of this young leader given to him in the faith and love of Jesus Christ. This is the call on every disciple, and Paul finishes this powerful imperative by reminding us that we are not alone in this work of contending for the faith. No, we guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us. The dwelling of the Spirit is a reminder that God is always in control.

In summary, Timothy and all who would follow him are called to follow the pattern of sound teaching with faith and love in Christ Jesus. All of us By the Holy Spirit who is sovereign and in control are to (like Timothy)    guard the good deposit of the gospel, preserving the truth amid opposition.

7. Paul’s Example of Loyalty and Desertion (1:15-18)

It is Hard Work(15)

Ministry is hard, isn’t it? I don’t think there is one minister in the world who, at some point, has not found themselves questioning their calling and wondering if they are the right person for the job. Sometimes, we make our own mistakes, and sometimes, it seems that no matter what we do, nothing seems to go right. Add to that the weight of being faithful and contending for the Gospel in a world where the historic denominations have lost sight of the beauty of Jesus, where false teachings seem to be more successful at selling other Gospel. Ministry is hard, and in an honest moment, Paul acknowledges that it is a painful reality as he highlights how many people in Asia have deserted him. He is alone, and even the great Apostle Paul is not impenetrable to human feeling, he has felt the harshness of ministry as much as anyone, and it serves as a reminder that remaining faithful contending for the faith carries a cost. Sometimes, it is a cost that even other disciples cannot carry.

The Blessing of Friendship and Faithfulness (16 – 18)

Yet, while there will be moments when we feel the weight of this call, we can know that we serve a God who will bring us the people we need for the season that we are in. When a friend from Asia abandoned Paul, Onesiphorus was there for him. Beautifully, his name means helpful, and that is what he was to Paul. When Paul needed encouragement and refreshment in Gospel faithfulness, the Lord brought him Onesiphorus, who was not ashamed of the state Paul was in, and the Lord used a helpful one to lift him up. It seems simple to say, but how many of us feel like Paul and could do with an Onesiphorus in our lives? Onesiphorus serves as the embodiment of what Paul is calling Timothy to, Gospel courage and boldness, as he supports Paul publicly in a time of need. Onesiphorus was not ashamed and contented with the faith in a practical way as he encouraged Paul. The acts of Onesiphorus were small in the grand scheme of things, yet they demonstrated the courage and boldness Paul is calling Timothy to, and they show us how God will use small acts to do mighty things for his Kingdom and those who serve within it. Onesiphorus shows us what it means to be a part of the Body of Christ, united in our love of Christ. Onesiphourus, in the simplicity of his actions and service represents what Timothy (and all of us who falled Christ) are being called to be: one who stands firm, is unashamed of the Gospel, supports those suffering for the Gospel, and one who is faithful in small and great ways. Thus, our chapter finishes with Paul’s prayer of blessing over Onesiphorus, where he asks for the Lord’s mercy upon one who was merciful to him.

Conclusion: So must We

In Onesiphorus, we see a quiet yet powerful example of gospel faithfulness. His small but bold acts of courage show us what it means to serve Christ by standing with others, even when the world might turn away. His loyalty to Paul during such a tough time reflects the very qualities Paul urges Timothy to live out – courage, perseverance, and a willingness to endure for the sake of the gospel. Both Onesiphorus and Timothy give us a picture of what it looks like to be unashamed of Christ and His people, faithfully serving in the everyday challenges of ministry. May we follow their example, remaining faithful to the gospel and each other, trusting that God will use even the smallest acts for His kingdom.