2 Tim 1:1-18, Unashamed of the Gospel

2 Timothy 1:1–2 (ESV) — 1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God according to the promise of the life that is in Christ Jesus, 2 To Timothy, my beloved child: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.


• Very similar to 1 Timothy greeting
1 Timothy 1:1–2 (ESV) — 1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope, 2 To Timothy, my true child in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
• Meant to be read
• Words in the letter are a little more personal, but Paul wanted the whole church to hear his last letter


2 Timothy 1:3–7 (ESV) — 3 I thank God whom I serve, as did my ancestors, with a clear conscience, as I remember you constantly in my prayers night and day. 4 As I remember your tears, I long to see you, that I may be filled with joy. 5 I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well. 6 For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, 7 for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.


• Two things about the first letter:
1. He immediately gets to the point of addressing some problems in the Ephesus church
2. Paul was thankful for his own ministry (1 Tim 1:12)
• In this letter, how does Paul start, and why?
• He is thankful for Timothy and his ministry
• When we are near death, all the things of life pale in comparison to relationships
• APPLICATION: What we worry about today is not what we will worry about when we are at death's door. What is really important in life and what are we doing about those things?
• What is his appeal? To fan the fire
• Why and how? Let's start with why?
• We get complacent
• We forget our original purpose (we don't remember the voice of God from a previous time)
• We fall in love with things, other than the things of God
• How to fan the flame?
• Heart: Prayer -- It starts with a spirit of thankfulness
• Head: Knowledge -- we need to increase in knowledge … read a good book that increases your wisdom; reread a book that changed you in the past
• Hands: Action -- we need to be involved in a regular ministry where we can use our gifts
• Lastly, Timothy seems to suffer from fear. Why would this be especially important to mention at this time in history
• They just arrested Paul
• Associates of Paul were in danger
• It would be natural to go into hiding
• APPLICATION: This is a tough one because we all naturally want to protect our life. But as we will see in the next session, God has given us:
• Power (we can rise above our fears)
• Love (we can love our enemies)
• Self-control (we can control our actions -- we are not slaves to sin -- remember: seasoned with salt)


2 Timothy 1:8–14 (ESV) — 8 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, 9 who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, 10 and which now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, 11 for which I was appointed a preacher and apostle and teacher, 12 which is why I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that day what has been entrusted to me. 13 Follow the pattern of the sound words that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 14 By the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, guard the good deposit entrusted to you.


• Key message:
• Don't be ashamed of the testimony (message) about our Lord
• Don't be ashamed of Paul
• Share in the suffering
• Why?
• God saved us
• God has called us to a holy calling
• The gospel has power (power over death; life and immortality)
• This is a unique time and age in history
• We do not need to fear death
• God has guaranteed our future with the Holy Spirit
Ephesians 1:13–14 (ESV) — 13 In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.
• APPLICATION:
• God saved us and called us
• It is the same gospel with power
• It is a unique time in history
• We do not need to fear death
• We have the guaranteed Holy Spirit


2 Timothy 1:15–18 (ESV) —
15 You are aware that all who are in Asia turned away from me, among whom are Phygelus and Hermogenes. 16 May the Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, for he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains, 17 but when he arrived in Rome he searched for me earnestly and found me— 18 may the Lord grant him to find mercy from the Lord on that day!—and you well know all the service he rendered at Ephesus.


• What is he likely referring to?
• Troas is in Asia
• He was probably arrested in Troas
• He left a number of personal items in Asia that he is trying to retrieve
• Paul has had a lot of time to think about what it means to be ashamed of the gospel. I don't think it was himself deserting that hurt, I think he was hurt because they deserted the message
• Onesiphorus was an exception, why?
• He wasn't ashamed of the chains
• He searched our Paul (required him to identify with Paul)
• There is some thought that Onesiphorus died when the letter was written
• APPLICATION: Two-fold
1. Am I the example I should be that I would not be ashamed for others to follow?
2. Am I willing to identify with the gospel even if it causes hurt (this is a hard one because it depends how far one takes it)?