2 Timothy Chapter 1

1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, according to the promise of life which is in Christ Jesus, 2 To Timothy, my dearly beloved son: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

Receiving a blessing from an apostle or pastor or other five fold ministry gift seems to be vastly underrated these days.  The first thing Paul does here is to give his name and title.  I have seen many who ignore titles saying, “I’m just brother or sister so and so.”  Perhaps you are, however if God has seen fit to ordain you and anoint you to carry that title, then it seems we ought to see those titles as He does.  Paul was writing to his beloved son in the gospel.  When he spoke a word of blessing over him it was not a wishful, hopeful, “perhaps God will hear.”  It was a dynamic and powerful, “By faith God WILL grant you grace (charis), mercy (eleos), and peace (eirene).  These gifts will be given by both God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”  One may not be able to command God but one may command the blessings of God according to your anointing and level of faith.

The next time someone says, “God bless you.”  Consider the source, as they say.  Was it spoken in faith like Timothy’s blessing, or just something the other person said that was nothing more than a powerless platitude.  If the person has the requisite anointing and call on their life but did not seem to have put their heart in it; perhaps you might simply ask them to put some faith into it.  Everyone’s life becomes overwhelming on occasion and perhaps they didn’t put much faith behind your blessing.  You might want to say, “Apostle, you seem to be a bit preoccupied today.  Perhaps you could pray that again with more feeling?”  You should be sensitive to the other’s mental state, but there is no reason you can’t encourage them to put their heart into it.  Find them when they are rested and full of energy.  Faith requires our physical self is fully engaged with the spiritual self. 

3 I thank God, whom I serve from my forefathers with pure conscience, that without ceasing I have remembrance of thee in my prayers night and day; 4 Greatly desiring to see thee, being mindful of thy tears, that I may be filled with joy; 5 When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also.

Are you faithful to your calling?  Paul was.  According to verse 3 he never had to mentally hedge his answers to those who asked, “Are you praying for me?”  He was.  In Philemon he said, “Making mention of thee.”  Here it is translated remembrance but remains the same Greek word, mneia.  One has the idea that while praying, whenever the needs of Timothy, Philemon or others came to his mind and he spoke a blessing over them. 

Paul had an intense craving to see his son Timothy.  He understood how much grief Timothy had endured this far and wanted to see him and let him know that he was okay.  The last point he made was to give Timothy an understanding of his potential and make sure he was not discouraged by the struggles and difficulties he had endured.  One point to consider is that most of the original disciples of Jesus were killed for their faith.  These leaders were forced to make sure those following were up to the task of continuing the spread of the gospel.  This is still a real responsibility of powerful leaders today.  One should always have prepared a replacement and possibly several.

6 Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands.

I hope you’ll take time to examined the underlined words in the following verses.  These words are adjectives and hook phrases together into one contiguous sentence.  It the case of scripture, the phrases are verses and whether connected by wherefore, but, for, and or any other conjunction, are all part of one thought.  Verses three through five may be one sentence but verses three through twelve are one complete statement.  Paul is quite famous for run on sentences and this isn’t even his longest.

In verses three through five Paul is reminding Timothy of his spiritual legacy.  It is worth noting that God blesses families from generation to generation just as He used to curse AND bless families from generation to generation.  There is considerable teaching in the church that our actions alone will make or break us and there is no passing along of debts or benefits of a life lived badly or well.  This verse is just one of many that argue against this.  Notice that Paul went back to Timothy’s grandmother and mother.  Just as a good name is something to be sought after, building a strong multi-generation family history of growth, spiritual maturity and service is a noble and important goal as well.  Even curses may be retained for generations unless someone submits themselves to Christ and has that curse erased.

Just because Jesus died for mankind does not mean He died for you if you do not accept that gracious gift.  The Old Testament curses continue until they run into the blood of Jesus.  If you’ve never run to the blood then you have not outrun the curse.

The meat of this verse is to remember the gift God gave you through the laying on of hands of the presbytery (1 Timothy 4:14) and the stirring up of those gifts.  God rarely demands we succeed.  His Spirit nudges and empowers us but we can put Him off.  That is our choice as free agents of our own future.  He will not force you to miss Hell or have a better life through obedience and faithful living.  As someone who went through a season of boredom and inactivity I can honestly say it is much easier to stir up the gifts and keep them stirred up than it is to bring them back after a long period of lethargy.  I heartily recommend you keep the fire hot rather than living in cycles of weakness and strength.

7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

Are you afraid?  Draw closer.  Are you weak?  Draw closer.  Are you frustrated and aggravated by others?  Draw closer.  Is your mind a whirling mass of confusion?  Draw closer to God.  All these things are signs of a weak interpersonal relationship with God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.  The world will not accept you and the leaders are often suspicious of you.  We are not of this world and they can feel that disconnection.  You might win them individually to the Lord but you will never be their true friend until that happens.  Your life is offensive to them and in their offense they will not hear your message.  There will always be a lack of understanding between us and them and we win them a few at a time, not all at once.

8 Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God; 9 Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, 10 But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel: 11 Whereunto I am appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles.

So…since you are the recipient of God’s calling tug upon your heart and some man or woman’s blessing, and hopefully someone in your family has prayed for you to grow and be blessed; and now that you have been endowed with mighty spiritual gifts…do not let them atrophy or die.  Make them grow and flourish.  Be diligent to press toward the mark of the high calling in Christ Jesus and continue faithfully in the work God has assigned you.  Do not let the attacks of the enemy and godless on earth sway you to the right or left of God’s plan for your life. 

Look at verse nine.  God has called us with a great calling.  He didn’t do it because we were so special but because He looked upon us in love.  It was done before the world was created and God has patiently been causing it to unfold ever since.  Now look at verse ten.  Our future and blessings are unfolding because of Christ’s gifts, who has taken upon Himself the real problems that hold us back.  He has abolished death, given us real, tangible life and has given us immortality.  In other words…we have become much more than this weak and beggarly flesh and are now immortal like our Lord.  We will live forever.  This gospel of ours will bring all this to light so others may see and strive for that light.

It is bringing this glory (heavenly light and power) filled gospel to us that called “Paul the Persecutor” to be a proclaimer of God’s word and sent him to many exciting and sometimes dangerous places to teach its specifics.  More importantly, the Jewish Pharisee had been sent to a people he would not even have spoken to or willingly been in the same room with before.  This is something to consider in all we do.  We must know God’s will for us because it will likely be different from what we think we should be doing.

12 For the which cause 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 that which I have committed unto him against that day.

Whew!  This is the last part of a very long statement.  Everything from verse three on is summed up in this verse.  This one verse has three “special” conjunctions to tie it together.  Why do I suffer all these things?  Because of everything in verses three through eleven but specifically ten and eleven.  Paul was saying, “I am not ashamed.”  The words not ashamed can mean that he wasn’t embarrassed but more accurately says ‘I CANNOT BE STOPPED!”  The second part of this verse has been made into a song.  “I know whom I have believed…and am persuaded…that He is able…to keep that which I have committed…unto Him…against that day.  Which day?  The most likely day here is the ‘Day of the Lord’ when Jesus returns for His church. 

The Day of the Lord was the most important day in the hearts of the new disciples and many believed it would come in their lifetime.  It had become a fear that all this was a false hope and there would be no Day of the Lord.  Paul was prompted to lay that fear to rest many times and we still have his comforting words in Romans, Thessalonians and Corinthians.  “The dead in Christ would rise first.”  Why?  Because they had run their race and finished their course.  Only after the graduates were honored would the current students and teachers be raised up.  In actual practice this whole thing happens in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye.  How?  Because in that moment, we will be snatched out of these mortal bodies, removed from the bondage of time and given our glorious immortal bodies.  In that ‘moment’ you can live an entire lifetime and be no closer to the end.

13 Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.

Let’s read this in the Amplified Bible.  13 Hold fast and follow the pattern of wholesome and sound teaching which you have heard from me, in [all] the faith and love which are [for us] in Christ Jesus.  When I learned to ride a motorcycle I was taught one rule that I held dear.  That rule was to assume all the other drivers on the road were trying to kill me.  Does that seem fatalistic or paranoid?  Perhaps it is but it contains a hint of truth nonetheless.  There’s an old saying that even paranoids have enemies.  John 15:19 says it pretty clearly, “The world hates you.” 

You are the holy ones.  You’re not perfect and that leaves you open to attack and character assassination but you have absolute standards (or should) and are hated by all unsaved men.  They might not even know why they do and try to accept you…but they will not be able to.  Why would I assume all car drivers are trying to kill me on my motorcycle?  Because when it comes to a small motorcycle they become blind and do not see me…they are looking for other full size cars.  Why do I assume all sinners hate me?  Because their father is the Devil and even without knowing it they are pushed toward hating me.  They are blind and cannot see the truth.  Only God’s Spirit can open their hearts to see the truth and accept it.

Once you know this, you can understand why it is so important that we do not allow the ways of the flesh to taint our doctrine or Christian ideals.  You can’t lower God’s standards to win souls.  That makes you into some psycho-babble shrink who is working things out as you go along.  Your responsibility is to keep the Word of God in HOLINESS and POWER and let God touch those hearts that He will.  In this country we are all sinking toward the abyss of touchie feelie humanistic doctrine and away from the true doctrine of sin and salvation.  God says He never changes.  What was true two thousand years ago is still true today.  Stand on the truth beloved and hold to the love of our Lord Jesus.

14 That good thing which was committed unto thee keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us.

The Amplified version says, “14 Guard and keep [with the greatest care] the precious and excellently adapted [Truth] which has been entrusted [to you], by the [help of the] Holy Spirit Who makes His home in us.”  That’s pretty clear isn’t it?  You can’t do it alone but the Holy Spirit makes it possible and strengthens us to hold the truth in love.  God expects the best of us.  He expects the most of us.  He expects miracles because He has empowered us to walk in them.  He expects us to hold His word PERFECT and COMPLETE and UNCHANGED in any way, never bowing to the world or their version of wisdom.

15 This thou knowest, that all they which are in Asia be turned away from me; of whom are Phygellus and Hermogenes.

How sad.  An entire group of people turned away from God…and not just from Paul but from God Himself.  Paul frequently had to deal with those who came, grew up quickly, fed by excitement and this ‘new thing’ and just as quickly died off because they had no root in themselves.  As ministers of God’s word, this is a fact of life.  There will be those who you offer your love and prayers to, those you weep over and stay up nights comforting and those very people who will cut you to the heart when they leave.  It used to hurt when they did it to my Apostle and worse when it happened to me, but I finally realized that it is part and parcel of our walk with the Lord. 

Some people simply are not rooted and grounded in themselves (Mark 4:17) and others trying to find love do not really love themselves.  There are seven verses in the New Testament alone that tell us we must love our neighbor’s as we love ourselves (Matthew 19:19, 22:39, Mark 12:31, Luke 10:27, Romans 13:9, Galatians 5:14 and James 2:8).  For some this is hard because they do not love themselves.  For others, they are not made perfect in love and stop when they are hurt.  Whatever the reason, these cannot hold onto the miracle of faith that is our walk with God.

16 The Lord give mercy unto the house of Onesiphorus; for he oft refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain: 17 But, when he was in Rome, he sought me out very diligently, and found me. 18 The Lord grant unto him that he may find mercy of the Lord in that day: and in how many things he ministered unto me at Ephesus, thou knowest very well.

This is not the Onesimus of Philemon.  Onesiphorus was a little known believer who was one of those seldom mentioned men or women who attach themselves to a struggling minister and make their life easier by lifting whatever burdens are afflicting the minister and making their lives easier.  According to this verse he did so more than a few times and did not think Paul’s bondage was due to sin or foolishness.  The man went out of his way to track Paul down in his Roman prison so he might relieve him of some burden.

He was probably a business man who managed his travel to coincide with Paul’s journeys and may have become a Christian in Ephesus.  His Greek name meant “bringing profit.”  It brings us back to my earlier reminder of how much a good name is worth.  It’s price is far above rubies.  Nothing here says he became a preacher or a prophet.  It says he refreshed Paul.  Sometimes your gift is that you know how to make money and that gift serves you well in comforting the man or woman of God.  Our Lord never blesses us with the ability to get wealth for our life here on Earth alone.  It always is primarily to empower the ministry and ease the heart of some man or woman of God.

I have seen this quite often that a real need in the minister’s life is met by a saint who wants nothing more than to be a blessing.  Sadly, I have seen it abused by others who use their money to control the man or woman of God.  Beloved, if God gives you the wonderful opportunity to aid the work of God through your financial blessing, then do not let that opportunity slip through your hands.  I have done so myself more than a few times in the past and it always blessed me more than the one I gave to.