Greeting
Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, according to the promise of life which is in Christ Jesus,
To Timothy, a beloved son:
Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
Timothy’s Faith and Heritage
I thank God, whom I serve with a pure conscience, as my forefathers did, as without ceasing I remember you in my prayers night and day, greatly desiring to see you, being mindful of your tears, that I may be filled with joy, when I call to remembrance the genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am persuaded is in you also.Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands.For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.
Not Ashamed of the Gospel
Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God,who 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, but has now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, to which I was appointed a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles.For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day.
Stay Loyal to the Faith
Hold fast the pattern of sound words which you have heard from me, in faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. That good thing which was committed to you, keep by the Holy Spirit who dwells in us.
This you know, that all those in Asia have turned away from me, among whom are Phygellus and Hermogenes. The Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, for he often refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain; but when he arrived in Rome, he sought me out very zealously and found me. The Lord grant to him that he may find mercy from the Lord in that Day—and you know very well how many ways he ministered to me at Ephesus
It is hard to read the above without feeling the heart beat,the passion and the love Paul has for his young prodigy and fellow co-worker in Christ.Timothy it would appear, is suffering a bit of stress and is not a little fearful. Of course Paul has gone through this all before in his own life and can see the big picture as regards Timothy's service to God and his importance to the church at Ephesus.
ReplyDelete'Stir up the gift that is within you',that 'spirit of power of love and a sound mind.'I think as we get up on the morning we should stir up that gift within us and not let ourselves be bullied by stressful or fearful thoughts that will often attack us during the day.
'Not ashamed of the gospel'Paul encourages his prodigy not to run away and hide when the threat of persecution arises but rather to share with him in the sufferings of the gospel.
ReplyDeleteWhy? Because of the power of God,'who 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'.God has called us and to suffer for Him is a great honour and He promises that He will keep what we have entrusted to Him on that Great Day.As Jesus told the early followers 'Rejoice and be glad when people call you all manner of evil for my sake, for great is your reward in heaven!
As you and I know from experience, the Word of God is alive and active, and the New Testament writings are not just part of a book, but living expressions of faith and testimony of living men. And yes, this letter of holy apostle Paul to his young prodigy (and protegé, an amazing play on words!) are the living words of any elder to a younger co-disciple.
ReplyDeleteThanks for posting this, and I love the graphic of the manuscript. Just can't get enough of the Word of God in any form.
Ver. 7. “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”
ReplyDeleteThat is, we did not receive the Spirit, that we should shrink from exertion, but that we may speak with boldness. For to many He gives a spirit of fear, as we read in the wars of the Kings. “A spirit of fear fell upon them.” (Ex. xv. 16?) That is, he infused terror into them. But to thee He has given, on the contrary, a spirit of power, and of love toward Himself. This, then, is of grace, and yet not merely of grace, but when we have first performed our own parts. For the Spirit that maketh us cry, “Abba, Father,” inspires us with love both towards Him, and towards our neighbor, that we may love one another. For love arises from power, and from not fearing. For nothing is so apt to dissolve love as fear, and a suspicion of treachery.
“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind” he calls a healthy state of the soul a sound mind, or it may mean sobriety of mind, or else a sobering of the mind, that we may be sober-minded, and that if any evil befall us, it may sober us, and cut off superfluities.