Not ashamed of the gospel

8 So don’t be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, or of me his prisoner. Instead, share in suffering for the gospel, relying on the power of God. 9 He has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began. 10 This has now been made evident through the appearing of our Saviour Christ Jesus, who has abolished death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. 11 For this gospel I was appointed a herald, apostle, and teacher, 12 and that is why I suffer these things. But I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that he is able to guard what has been entrusted to me until that day.

13 Hold on to the pattern of sound teaching that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 14 Guard the good deposit through the Holy Spirit who lives in us.

2 Timothy 1:8-14

So you can see the screen is on and the sound is working, but there are no lights. So don’t be fooled. We’ve got inverters that power these things. So just to say: there is no tea and coffee after the service this morning. Our inverter power doesn’t stretch to the hall and the urn and everything else, so we won’t be able to have tea and coffee this morning. You might be disappointed if you go there. But you know what? If you want to, you can still go there and have a chat. You just can’t have tea and coffee. [Laughter]

Well, it’s good to be here this morning. You may remember that a couple of months ago I preached from 2 Timothy chapter 1, and I only touched on the first seven verses. As I did my preparation, I had intended to preach through the first fourteen verses of 2 Timothy chapter 1, but I realized that it was going to be far too long—actually, it was two separate sermons. So it’s great to have this opportunity this morning to complete a two-part miniseries. We’re going to follow on from 2 Timothy 1:7 into verse 8 through to verse 14. We’ll read this morning from the Christian Standard Bible, starting at verse 7 down to the end of verse 14.

Let’s read together:

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but one of power, love, and sound judgment. So don’t be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me, his prisoner. Instead, share in suffering for the gospel, relying on the power of God. He has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began. This has now been made evident through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who has abolished death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. For this gospel I was appointed a herald, apostle, and teacher. That is why I suffer these things. But I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that he is able to guard what has been entrusted to me until that day. Hold on to the pattern of sound teaching that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. Guard the good deposit through the Holy Spirit who lives in us.

I’m sure that the Lord will bless the reading of His word this morning.

As we come to this portion of Scripture, I’m sure some of you weren’t here the last time I preached, and it was a couple of months ago, so maybe some of you have just forgotten all about it. I’m going to take you back a little to introduce what I’m talking about this morning. We know that Paul’s second imprisonment was a lot harsher than the first one. His first imprisonment was in a rented house, and he was able to welcome guests as he wanted without any problems. Then came the great fire of Rome, which destroyed almost two-thirds of the city. Nero, the emperor at the time, blamed the Christians for it, so persecution of Christians took place in Rome.

When Paul writes this second letter to Timothy, he finds himself languishing in a dungeon—literally a hole in the ground. It was an old, unused system with no windows, just a hole in the roof. They would let the prisoner down through that hole. When they needed to feed him, they would pass the food down through the hole. That’s where Paul finds himself: cold and damp. As we read further on, he requests that Timothy bring a cloak that had been left in Troas. He was lonely as well. Even being underground in such a terrible place, Paul was chained. Not a happy place for him to be. Paul also knew that he was nearing the end of his life; there wasn’t much time left. He was executed shortly after this. So this is the last letter Paul was to write.

Now, if we go back to that previous sermon, can any of you remember the acronym I used? H.I.P. Thank you. That’s the easy part. Can you remember what the words stand for? H stands for the heritage Timothy has through his grandmother and mother and the way he came to faith. I stands for the intensity where Paul reminded Timothy to fan into flames the gift given to him through the laying on of hands. P stands for power—the power we see in verse 7: God hasn’t given us a spirit of fear, but a spirit of power, love, and sound judgment. We would rather have that calm, self-controlled mind than the panic and confusion that sets in when we face a fearful situation.

Now we come to our passage beginning from verse 8. Paul, having reminded Timothy of the power within him, continues with these instructions. There are four things I want to touch on this morning.

Don’t Be Ashamed of the Testimony

The first starts in verse 8. Paul says to Timothy, “Don’t be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or me, his prisoner.” In essence, Paul is communicating to Timothy that he should expect trouble and affliction. Given what was going on in Rome with all the suffering and persecution, it wasn’t a great place to be spreading the gospel. But Paul tells Timothy not to be afraid of preaching the gospel, not to be ashamed of the gospel, and more so, not to be ashamed of those who are suffering for the sake of the gospel—including Paul himself.

Think of it this way: Here is Paul in prison preaching a gospel about a man who died a terrible criminal’s death. Is that a great environment for convincing people to become Christians? With all the persecution, people would likely reject it because, “You can’t talk to us about a criminal who died on a cross, and you’re a criminal yourself trying to convince us this is the way.” But Paul does it anyway and tells Timothy not to be ashamed—not of the gospel he’s preaching, nor of the people being imprisoned and persecuted for preaching that same gospel.

The gospel is the testimony of our Savior Jesus, by which He bears testimony of Himself to us. As we adhere to and share the gospel, we bear testimony of Him and for Him. Paul was the Lord’s prisoner, and it was for the Lord’s sake that he was bound by chains. Yet he was not ashamed of the gospel nor of those suffering for it. Paul tells Timothy that hardship will come—it will be part and parcel of spreading the gospel—and Timothy himself would need to take his place alongside those who preach.

What about us? Are we ashamed of the gospel? Are we ashamed of those who preach the gospel and bring good news? We shouldn’t be, because it has been entrusted to us. So we should not be embarrassed or ashamed about speaking out the gospel of our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Share in Suffering for the Gospel by God’s Power

Second, Paul exhorts Timothy to share with him in suffering for the gospel, and the way to do that is through the power of God. Whatever challenges Timothy might face in suffering for the gospel, he would only be able to endure by relying on God’s power. God’s power would enable Timothy to win through persecution and suffering.

In 1 Corinthians chapter 10, verses 12 and 13, we read: “So whoever thinks he stands must be careful not to fall. No temptation has come upon you except what is common to humanity. But God is faithful. He will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able. But with the temptation, he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to bear it.” Whatever Timothy might face for the sake of the gospel would be proportioned according to the power of God resting upon him.

We see Paul speaking of Timothy’s timidity in verse 7. It would be easy for Timothy to succumb to the temptation of not preaching the gospel because of the persecution and hardship Christians were facing. Nero had no qualms about dipping Christians in tar, setting them on fire, and using them as garden lamps. That’s the kind of person we’re talking about. So you would understand if Timothy might have been a little timid or reticent. That kind of persecution would discourage any of us greatly. But Timothy is told by Paul: whatever happens, you need to join me in suffering for the gospel.

Paul gives reasons for this. He says to Timothy: “He has saved us and called us with a holy calling.” Timothy should not think that he would not have to suffer for the thing he hoped to be saved by. That is true for us as well. Philippians 1:6 tells us, “I am sure of this, that he who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” That is true of Timothy and of us. The work begun in us as believers and in spreading God’s word will be completed. Salvation is designed for our sanctification, and our Christianity is a holy calling. We are called to labor in it.

When Paul talks about Christ and salvation, he gets so passionate that he often digresses and gives more detail. We’re going to do the same this morning because he has such a desire to share the gospel. Paul wants us to have that same passion and desire. We are called to a holy life, he writes—not because of the things we have done, not because of our works, but because of God’s purposes and His grace. The gospel is aimed specifically at salvation, and its origin is free grace through the eternal purpose of God in Christ Jesus. Nothing we do earns our salvation, and nothing we do will achieve it other than the work of Christ on the cross.

If we had merited salvation for ourselves, we would have had to work very hard for it and suffer for it. We did not. It came through God’s eternal plan in Christ Jesus before the creation of the world—before the beginning of time. When creation happened, God instituted time as we know it. God’s plan of salvation was already in place. That’s what Paul is talking about as he speaks of God’s eternal plan brought about by Christ’s death on the cross. Every good gift to man from God comes through our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.

In Titus chapter 1, the first two verses, we read: “Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Christ Jesus, for the faith of God’s elect and their knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness in the hope of eternal life that God, who cannot lie, promised before time began.” That underlines the point. The gospel has been revealed to us through our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, as He appeared on earth. Through Him, God’s gracious plan and purpose have been revealed to men. Jesus suffered for it. Paul suffered for it. Why should we not suffer for it as well?

The reality is that Jesus has abolished death, as Scripture says. He has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. It’s important to notice that Jesus didn’t just weaken death—He moved it out of the way completely. He destroyed it and broke its power over us. In 1 Corinthians chapter 15, verses 53 through 58, we read:

> For this corruptible body must be clothed with incorruptibility, and this mortal body must be clothed with immortality. When this corruptible body is clothed with incorruptibility and this mortal body is clothed with immortality, then the saying that is written will take place: “Death has been swallowed up in victory. Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the Lord’s work, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

That’s a great lesson for us to take on board this morning. Death has become a doorway through which we pass from this world—full of sin, trouble, and persecution—into a completely different world: a world of perfect peace and purity. Death does not triumph over those who believe the gospel; rather, it is those who believe the gospel who triumph over death. The power of sin over those who believe is broken. Jesus has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. He has shown us another world more clearly than ever before. He has set it before us and offered it to us. So let us value the gospel more than ever, for it is by the gospel that life and immortality have been brought to light. That should motivate and excite our endeavors in seeking glory, honor, and immortality for the glory of God.

Paul then makes an example of himself as he speaks further to Timothy. He says, “I was appointed a herald, an apostle, and a teacher of this particular gospel.” If you refer back to many of Paul’s letters, he always refers to himself as an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God or by the command of God. Paul was not self-appointed; he didn’t take that mantle upon himself just for the sake of it. He was there by God’s grace and will, called to preach the gospel, especially to the Gentiles. For him, it was worth suffering for. Why should Timothy not think so also? And what about us? Paul preached the gospel wherever he went—fearlessly, deliberately. That is why he found himself in prison suffering. Why should we not think so too?

Paul reiterates once again: “I am not ashamed.” In Romans 1:16, Paul writes, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, first to the Jew and also to the Greek.” But here to Timothy, he gives a different reason: “Because I know whom I have believed. That’s why I am not ashamed. And not only that, I am persuaded that he is able to guard what has been entrusted to me until that day.”

It is true that good men often suffer greatly for a good cause—perhaps even for the best cause in this world. But those of us who trust in Christ know whom we have believed. Paul is adamant: he doesn’t say “I know what I have believed” but “I know whom I have believed.” That whom is Jesus. Paul had lodged what he had been entrusted with in the hands of the most trustworthy trustee there is. He was fully persuaded that the One in whom he trusts was able to guard what had been entrusted to Paul for that day.

What is it that Paul had been entrusted with? It was the souls of men and women—their salvation and preservation to the kingdom of heaven. There is going to come a day when we will have to give an account, and questions will be asked: “You had a soul committed to you. What have you done with it? To whom was it offered in service—to Satan or to God? Was it employed in the service of sin or in the service of Jesus Christ?” I trust our answers will be the latter.

From Luke 16, Jesus tells the parable of the dishonest manager. He was called to account when rumors went around that he had been dishonest. The rich man called him in and asked, “What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your management, because you cannot be my manager anymore.” That day will come for us. It will be a solemn day, but we will be called to give an account of the stewardship of our souls. If by an act of obedient faith we have committed all to Christ, we can be sure that He is able to keep it and that He will be there for our comfort on that day. I hope this is true for each one of us.

Hold On to the Pattern of Sound Teaching

The third point Paul makes to Timothy is found in verse 13: “Hold on to the pattern of sound teaching that you have heard from me.” We need to understand the pattern of sound teaching that comes from God’s Word, from the Holy Scriptures themselves. We need to hold on to it, remember it, retain it, adhere to it, and stick to it in opposition to heresies and false doctrines that would corrupt our Christian faith. Just as Timothy heard from Paul, we need to hold on to the pattern of sound teaching. The Scriptures were divinely inspired; Paul, as he wrote, was divinely inspired. So it is good for us to adhere to the sound words we have in the Scriptures, for it is sound teaching that cannot be condemned.

Titus chapter 2, verses 6 through 8, says: “In the same way, encourage the young men to be self-controlled in everything. Make yourself an example of good works with integrity and dignity in your teaching. Your message is to be sound beyond reproach, so that any opponent will be ashamed because he doesn’t have anything bad to say about us.” So we need to be sure that what we tell people comes out of God’s Word. We need to have that within us and hold to that teaching with faith and love in Christ Jesus.

It’s not enough to just agree with it or approve of it. More than that, we need to love it. We need to believe its truth and love its goodness. We need to speak the truth in love, as Ephesians chapter 4 and verse 15 tells us: “But speaking the truth in love, let us grow in every way into him who is the head, that is Christ.” It must be with Christian faith and love fastened upon Jesus Christ, in and by whom God speaks to us and we to Him.

Timothy as a pastor would have to hold on to that sound teaching for the benefit of others. We need to hold on to the sound teaching we receive and read from God’s Word for the benefit of others. Psalm 119:11 says, “I have treasured your word in my heart so that I may not sin against you.” That is a verse we should learn, take to heart, and apply every day of our lives.

Guard the Good Deposit Through the Holy Spirit

Finally, Paul instructs Timothy to guard the good deposit through the Holy Spirit who lives in us. That good deposit—that good thing committed to you—guard it through the Holy Spirit who lives in you. The good deposit is in the form of sound teaching, the Christian doctrine committed to Timothy through his baptism, conversion, education, heritage as a Christian, and ordination as a minister. Christian doctrine is a trust committed to us as believers in general, but also in particular to pastors and teachers.

It is a good thing—a thing of great value in itself, an incredible advantage to us. It is a jewel of inestimable value because it reveals to us the unsearchable riches of Christ. Ephesians chapter 3, verses 7 and 8, says (Paul writing): “I was made a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace that was given me by the working of his power. This grace was given to me, the least of all saints, to proclaim to the Gentiles the incalculable riches of Christ.” Paul’s view of himself as the least of all saints—if he is the least, we don’t really have much of an excuse.

That good deposit, the gospel, has been committed to us to be preserved in its purity and entirety. It needs to be transferred to those who come after us. We will not live forever, so we must keep it and ensure we do not contribute anything to corrupting its purity, weakening its power, or diminishing its perfection.

Even those of us who are well educated and well taught cannot keep what we have learned any more than we were able to first learn it without the assistance of the Holy Spirit who indwells us. We should not think ourselves capable of keeping it in our own strength. We are only able to guard it and keep it through the working of the Holy Spirit who indwells all believers. He enables and empowers us to keep the gospel pure and uncorrupted. We have a responsibility to use our best endeavors to keep this good thing. We have the help of the Holy Spirit, but that doesn’t exclude us from endeavoring to do it as well. The Holy Spirit and we can coexist well together to achieve that. We need to concentrate on this.

Application for All Believers

As I draw this to a close and pull it all together, let me remind you of Paul’s instructions to Timothy. You might say, “Timothy was a pastor, so this isn’t for me.” But Timothy was a believer before he was a pastor. So this applies to every single one of us.

Going back to the H.I.P. reminder: God has not given us a spirit of fear but a spirit of power, love, and sound judgment.

Second, we should not be ashamed of sharing the gospel. None of us. It is valuable, life-giving, and anyone who hasn’t responded to it yet needs it. If we don’t share it, they won’t hear it.

Third, we need to share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God. Let’s be honest: right here in South Africa, suffering for sharing our faith is mild to non-existent. But we may yet be called upon to suffer greatly. I don’t know how many of you are aware, but we have a Cultural, Religious, and Language Rights Commission right now looking into regulating the church—regulating who should be a pastor and who should be able to preach. History has taught us that when government interferes in the church, persecution follows. So we may yet be called upon to stand strong for our faith. We need to be sure we are prepared to do that.

Fourth, we need to hold on to the pattern of sound teaching we have heard from the Word. We need to read it, study it, memorize it, hide it in our heart. A day may come when you may not have that Bible in your possession anymore. What you have stored here and here will be available to you. It is valuable for us to do that.

Finally, we need to guard that good deposit through the Holy Spirit who lives in us. We have a responsibility. We need to take it seriously.

Timothy faced incredible challenges, and we as individuals may yet face challenges. We don’t know. But we should never shirk our responsibility in spreading the gospel. We should never be ashamed of it, never embarrassed about it. We should be making sure we are sharing it.

Conclusion: Preach the Word

I want to conclude with Paul’s instruction to Timothy from 2 Timothy chapter 4, verse 2 onward:

> Preach the word. Be ready in season and out of season. Correct, rebuke, and encourage with great patience and teaching. For the time will come when people will not tolerate sound doctrine, but according to their own desires will multiply teachers for themselves because they have an itch to hear what they want to hear. They will turn away from hearing the truth and will turn aside to myths. But as for you, exercise self-control in everything. Endure hardship. Do the work of an evangelist. Fulfill your ministry.

As I read that, it almost appears as if Paul had a view straight to where we are in the world today, because that’s what’s going on. There is a lot of faulty doctrine being preached. The only way we guard against that is by God’s Word. We need to read it and study it. We need to take that to heart. We need to be ready to preach in season and out of season. When I say “preach,” I mean just sharing the gospel. I know when I said “preach,” some of you thought, “No, I can’t do that.” But the reality is, little bits of Scripture and the way you live as an example for people—they may challenge you on it. Have the Scripture ready. Be prepared to share it, to preach it in season and out of season. There will be seasons when it’s great, and there will be days when you just don’t feel like it—you get out of bed in a bad mood and think, “I’m going to do this.” The challenge is even in those times to be able to do it.

I trust that as we have gone through and completed this first chapter of 2 Timothy, you have found meaning in it and that it has challenged you, because certainly in preparing it, it has challenged me.