Please turn in your Bibles this evening to II Timothy chapter 1 as we continue our study through the Word of God and we begin Paul’s second letter to his son in the faith, Timothy. In Paul’s first letter to Timothy, Paul had been released from his first imprisonment, he was under house arrest at that time which meant he was in a house but chained to at least one Roman guard at all times. Now that he was released he visits some of the churches he started. Now we don’t know exactly where Paul went, the Scriptures are silent regarding this.
But we do know that Paul went to Ephesus and found the church in disorder, it was a mess. Some of the leadership was teaching heresy, some departing from the faith and Paul tries to get the church back in order. It doesn’t seem like he spent much time in Ephesus but he did leave Timothy behind to finish correcting the problems, to raise up godly leadership, faithful leaders. Thus, Paul writes his first letter to Timothy to encourage him in the work, to show him how the church is to function, some guidelines for leadership, the care of widows, order in the church and-so-on.
Now, in July of 64 AD Nero ordered the torching of his own city, Rome. And once this fire was started, it burned for six days and nights destroying not only the wooden shacks of the poor, but also mansions of the rich, some of the public buildings, some of the pagan temples. It affected the rich and the poor, the political people to the religious people and they were not happy. Of this the Roman historian Tacitus wrote: “But all human efforts, all the lavish gifts of the emperor and the propitiations of the gods did not banish the sinister belief that the conflagration [fire] was the result of an order by Nero. Consequently, to get rid of the report, Nero fastened the guilt and inflicted the most tortures on a class hated for the abominations, called Christians by the populace.”
By 66 AD the persecution against Christians grew stronger and Paul was arrested, possibly in Ephesus, and then taken back to Rome, this time not under house arrest, but placed into a dungeon called the Mamertime prison that was nothing more than a dungeon with a hole on the top to let light in. It was dark, it was cold, it was damp, it was filthy, it stunk as you can imagine and that is where Paul was. You can go to Rome today and visit the Mamertime prison, which was nothing more than a holding cell until the prisoners could be executed, as was going to happen to Paul.
What happened to Nero who only a few years earlier released Paul from prison and now is planning to execute him? We don’t know for sure, but Paul did witness to Nero during his first imprisonment, before he was released. He presented Jesus Christ to Nero, he heard the truth, and it must have been very convicting and yet, he hardened his heart to it, he rejected Jesus Christ as His Lord and Savior and shortly after this, he set Rome ablaze, he went insane! He would gather Christians, tie them to poles naked, start them on fire and ride past them in his chariot naked! That is not normal and it is possible that in rejecting the truth that was before him, the heavy conviction, he went completely in the other direction, maybe even being demon possessed! That is a possibility, we don’t know for sure, but obviously something drastic happened to this man in his life to cause him to act like this.
A short time after Paul wrote this letter he was martyred for his faith, according to tradition he was beheaded for his faith on the Ostian Way, west of Rome by orders from Nero. So Paul new his earthly life was coming to an end and he is passing the mantle of his ministry to his son in the faith, Timothy. In a sense, this is Paul’s last will and testament and so what he has to say, his final words are very important, he is not going to waste them.
The last words we say can be and should be important. During a battle in the Civil War, a Union General stood watching over the wall. His officers urged him to duck, but he refused. He said, “They couldn’t hit an elephant at this dist_____.” Famous last words!
“Pistol Pete” Marovich died as he lived, playing basketball. He collapsed during a friendly game in a church gym. Shortly before his death he wrote: “I have finally realized after 40 years that Jesus Christ is in me.” Famous last words!
Jim Elliot, a missionary who was martyred in 1956, at the age of 29, wrote: “Only life will soon be past. Only what’s done for Christ will last.” Famous last words!
For Paul, sitting in this filthy hole in the ground waiting for his execution, you wouldn’t expect a letter of encouragement and yet, that is what Paul leaves with Timothy. You see, he lived what he believed and thus, no matter what came down the pike, even death, it was not going to change him, move him from the joy he had in the Lord.
If you were to give a theme to this letter I think it would be “Faithfulness in the face of hardship.” Paul did not want Timothy to give up the fight even if more hardship was to come his way and he used his life as an example for Timothy to follow. With that as our introduction, let’s begin reading in II Timothy chapter 1, starting in verse 1, and let’s see what the Lord has for us this evening as Paul writes from the Mamertime Prison in Rome to Timothy who is in Ephesus.
VERSES 1-2
Timothy knew Paul, so why did he list his credentials, expound on his calling to Timothy? Keep in mind that various leaders probably read this letter in the various churches, and thus, Paul wants them to know that his calling was from God and not the will of man. Folks, in all we do for the Lord, it should be from a calling that God has placed upon on lives.
Paul speaks of “the promise of life which is in Christ Jesus,” why? Because he is facing death very soon and he realizes that there is eternal life with Jesus even though these bodies of flesh will go back to the dust of the earth. Having a proper perspective keeps the door closed to the enemy who wants to bring doubt, discouragement into your life. Paul, during his first imprisonment in Rome, said in Philippians 1:21-26, “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if I live on in the flesh, this will mean fruit from my labor; yet what I shall choose I cannot tell. For I am hard-pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better. Nevertheless to remain in the flesh is more needful for you. And being confident of this, I know that I shall remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy of faith, that your rejoicing for me may be more abundant in Jesus Christ by my coming to you again.” Paul was ready to go home, to be with the Lord, but he felt at that time God would spare him so that he could minister to, build up the people in the faith. That time has now passed and Paul will be taken home to glory very soon!
Once again, in these Pastoral Epistles we see “mercy” added to “grace” and “peace.” Why is that? Possible as a pastor, a leader in the church we need more mercy and as we receive the mercy of God into our lives, not getting what we deserve, we can minister the mercy of God to others. Now, keep in mind that the peace of God is found in the Grace of God, it is found in Jesus and it is because of God’s rich Grace, getting what we don’t deserve, His mercy, not getting what we do deserve, that we can experience the peace of God in our lives because we have made peace with God through Jesus Christ.
VERSES 3-5
When Paul speaks of his “forefathers” he is speaking of those who loved the Lord, were awaiting His coming, not the hypocrites who put on a show of righteousness but inwardly they were wicked. Paul loved to see genuine faith, not people who came to church to put on a show and Timothy, his son in the faith, brought him great joy and he prayed for Timothy all day long, whenever he came into Paul’s mind.
Now the tears from Timothy could be when Paul left him there in Ephesus or they could be related to Paul’s arrest in Ephesus and being taken to Rome. It is a possibility, and Paul, knowing he is going to be put to death soon, wants to see Timothy one last time. You can just imagine the heart of Paul at this point. Keep in mind that God did make us emotional people, he was not some stoic or ignoring what was going on, and yet, he knew the ultimate outcome of it all, he would be with the Lord, and yet he missed Timothy and wanted to see him one last time!
Timothy and his family came from the city of Lystra, where Paul visited on his first missionary journey, (Acts 14). And Timothy had an unbelieving Greek father, a believing Jewish grandmother named Lois and a believing Jewish mother names Eunice. First his grandmother was saved, then his mother and then Timothy was saved, maybe on Paul’s first journey there, we are not sure. It would seem from the Scriptures that Paul lead Timothy to Christ. Then, on Paul’s second missionary journey he came to Lystra again and Timothy is a believer with a good reputation and as Paul leaves Lystra he takes Timothy with him and he mentored this young man who now was overseeing the church in Ephesus.
Timothy’s home life was not ideal since his father was an unbeliever, and the husband, the father had authority over the family. But that did not stop his mother and grandmother from teaching Timothy the things of God, and look how God used this young man. You may be in a house situation that is not ideal, but don’t let that distract you from God who takes the impossible and makes it very possible. Don’t make excuses for your behavior or what you are not doing for the Lord, learn the lessons of faith and continue to grow in the Lord and see what God will do in you and through you for His glory!
VERSES 6-7
In I Timothy 4:14 Paul told Timothy, “Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the eldership.” Why would Timothy neglect this gift? Why would he have to be reminded to stir up the gift, to fan the flame, not to let the fire go out? It is possible that fear caused him to step back, to lay low. Timothy was not the Terminator or the Rock. He was timid, shy, he was not bold like Paul. And now that the Roman persecution against Christians was growing, over 6 million martyred for their faith in around 300 years, he was not burning brightly with the gift that God had given him and Paul wants Timothy to stir things back up! Use it or lose it, was what he was saying. Of this Guthrie remarks, “The Greek anazopureo (stir up) means either ‘to kindle afresh’ or ‘to keep in full flame.’ There is no necessary suggestion, therefore, that Timothy had lost his early fire, although undoubtedly, like every Christian, he needed an incentive to keep the fire burning at full flame.”
“During the Boxer Rebellion (1899-1900), extreme nationalist Chinese fomented [incited] a campaign of terror against officials of foreign governments, Christian missionaries, and even Chinese Christians. After they surrounded a certain mission station, they sealed all exits except one. They placed a cross in the dirt in front of the opened gate and told the missionaries and students that anyone who walked out and trampled the cross would be spared. According to reports, the first seven students who departed trampled the cross and were sent on their way. The eighth student, a young girl, approached the cross, knelt down, prayed for strength, carefully walked around the cross, and was immediately shot to death. The remaining 92 students, strengthened by that girl’s courageous example, also walked around the cross to their deaths.” (John MacArthur). Paul was trying to do the same with Timothy, encourage him in what was ahead, not to give up, to steady the course.
How can we fight against this fear that the enemy throws at us? Paul gives us three things we can do. First of all God has given to us “power” or DUNAMIS in the Greek and from this word we get our English words “dynamic” and “dynamite” from. God, by His Spirit has given to us the power we need to accomplish the work He wants us to do! Secondly, God has given to us unconditional love, AGAPE love and thus, the power God has given to us is manifested in the Love we have towards others. Lastly, God has given us a sound mind or one that is calm, self-controlled. There is no confusion or panic in us. Fear causes us to not use the gifts that God has given to us, while faith believes and uses those gifts that God has given to us, the power to exercise them in love and with a calm spirit in the midst of turmoil!
VERSE 8
Paul just told Timothy to stir up the gift that God has given to him, not to be afraid to use it because God has empowered him for the work, he has given to him AGAPE love to exercise it, and a sound mind to keep him on course. Thus, don’t be ashamed of the Gospel, of Paul, even though he is locked in prison awaiting his execution. Keep moving forward even though he was facing suffering for his faith. For Paul, he saw many drop out, distance themselves from the Lord and from Paul because of the sufferings, the persecutions, some getting into false doctrine. In II Timothy 1:15 we are told, “This you know, that all those in Asia have turned away from me, among whom are Phygellus and Hermogenes.” In II Timothy 2:16-17 we are told, “But shun profane and idle babblings, for they will increase to more ungodliness. And their message will spread like cancer. Hymenaeus and Philetus are of this sort.”
In II Timothy 3:1-9, 13 we are told, “But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts, always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. Now as Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, disapproved concerning the faith; but they will progress no further, for their folly will be manifest to all, as theirs also was . . . But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.” And in II Timothy 4:3-4, 10, 14-16 we are told, “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables . . . for Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world, and has departed for Thessalonica — Crescens for Galatia, Titus for Dalmatia . . . Alexander the coppersmith did me much harm. May the Lord repay him according to his works. You also must beware of him, for he has greatly resisted our words. At my first defense no one stood with me, but all forsook me. May it not be charged against them.”
Paul poured his heart into people and when he needed them most, they were not there for him. Folks, it can be tough, but remember the Lord is with you, press on! And think of it like this. Rome and all the power it had, all the persecution it perpetrated against Christians, is gone and the Gospel message, the message of Jesus Christ continues on. Don’t be afraid!
VERSES 9-10
God not only saved us but He uses us for His glory not because we are so special, so talented, but because of His Grace! We don’t deserve any of it and yet He freely gives it to us. God has a plan for each of us, may we walk accordingly!
Paul, knowing he is going to be put to death shortly, speaks of Jesus abolishing death, which does seem strange. But keep in mind that the sting of death is gone, Jesus removed it and to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. For the Christian we don’t speak of death but of sleep and in reality, it is moving day as our spirit and soul moves out of this tent and into a mansion that the Lord has created, an eternal body. Thus, Christ removes the sting of death! In knowing that, why would you be fearful to give people the Good News of Jesus Christ? Your fate is sealed in Him, theirs, outside of Christ is not! Thus, they need to hear and receive Jesus as Lord and Savior of their lives and no matter what may happen to us, God has a plan and He is in control, and even in death, Satan loses!
VERSES 11-12
That Good News, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, our salvation is based upon His finished work on the cross of Calvary and Paul was commissioned by God to preach, to be an apostle and to be a teacher to the Gentiles. To preach speaks of ministering to the lost, the unsaved and once they are saved they are then taught the things of God, built up in the faith. We truly need more teaching in churches today and less preaching, the sheep need to be built up in the faith! And Paul was an apostle to the Gentiles, he had the authority of God in what he said, what he taught.
Now, we are all commissioned by God to go and make disciples of all nations. Jesus commissioned us in Matthew 28:19-20, “‘Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’ Amen.” You see, preaching to them Jesus and then teaching them the things of God!
Paul suffered tremendously as he brought the Good News to the lost. In fact, the Lord warned Ananias of what was ahead for Paul in the work God called him to do. We are told in Acts 9:15-16, “But the Lord said to him, ‘Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name's sake.’”
Today, if someone looks at us the wrong way we feel we are being persecuted. Paul truly suffered persecution for his faith. He was thrown in prison, beat up, stoned, shipwrecked and yet, through it all he stayed strong, he stayed on course. How did he do it? He tells us that “ . . . I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day.” Yes, it is important to know WHAT you believe but it is also important to know in WHOM you believe! Paul believed upon Jesus as His Lord and Savior and thus, he knew that He would be able to keep him safe, to protect him, sustain his faith until he went to be with the Lord or the Lord returned for him and all believers living at that time in the Rapture – THAT DAY! You see, if you have that perspective, as you look to that day, if it is precious to you as it was to Paul, you will not be shaken, moved from the course that God has set for you!
It is as Spurgeon said, “‘Know thyself,’ said the heathen philosopher; that is well, but that knowledge may only lead a man to hell. ‘Know Christ,’ says the Christian philosopher, ‘know him, and then you shall know yourself,’ and this shall certainly lead you to heaven, for the knowledge of Christ Jesus is saving knowledge.”
VERSES 13-14
Many churches across America have become atheological or they are without any solid theological convictions, the Word of God is not important to them. What tends to be important is the latest fad, the newest technique to grow a church, this new band, and the list goes on. I can’t tell you the last time someone called looking for a church to attend and they asked me “What do you teach?” or “Do you teach from the Bible?” They tend to ask me, “Do you have any single women or men at your church?” Or “Do you have a kid’s ministry?” Or “How big is your church?” And that list goes on! Paul wants Timothy to hold onto sound doctrine or healthy doctrine, not to let go of it, but to teach it to others! How important that is for us today to hold fast to healthy doctrine and not be tossed to and fro by the winds of doctrine that come blowing through the church.
God committed to Timothy the Good News, the Gospel Message and by the power of the Holy Spirit, he will fulfill the work he was called to do if he would only exercise his faith. We too need to hold onto, keep guard, what God has given to us – family, gifts, His Word, time, education and-so-on. God is faithful in what we commit to Him, are we faithful in what He has committed to us? We need to be! The key of course is the power of the Holy Spirit working in us, that we don’t hinder what He is trying to do; we don’t grieve Him by our actions or inactions, but submit our lives to His control!
VERSE 15
When Paul speaks of Asia he is not speaking of the far eastern continent but the Roman Province of Asia or mostly modern day Turkey. Ephesus was located in the Roman Province of Asia and thus, Timothy was aware of the situation. Paul spent a good part of his life ministering to people the love of Christ, the Good News and now, when things got tough for him, they turned from him, those who were suppose to be his friends. They abandoned Paul, in a sense. Now, if Paul was around today and this happened, the book deals would be off, the interviews would be over, the magazine stories would be silent, no movie deals for sure. But, as unpopular as Paul was with people, supposedly Christians, because of his faith and the persecution he was suffering, Heaven was rejoicing over this man. Folks, again, perspective is everything. Do you want to be a man pleaser or a God pleaser? I want to hear “Well done good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of your King!” I would rather serve the Lord and have fellow Christians against me than to have people exalt me and hear groans from Heaven!
Paul even names the names of two men who were unfaithful, Phygellus and Hermogenes. These men were well known and thus, may have been leaders in the church there in Ephesus. But now they were ashamed of the Gospel, ashamed of Paul and they tried to distance themselves! We don’t know anything more about these two men except what we are told here and how sad to have their lives known by these words because they were not willing to count the cost and go the distance. Now, in our own lives, if someone had to describe our faith as Paul did with these two men, would they speak of us as a coward, traitor, deserter, or faithful even in the face of danger?
VERSES 16-18
In stark contrast to the unfaithfulness of Phygellus and Hermogenes is Onesiphorus. We don’t know a lot about this man except that he lived in Ephesus, (II Timothy 4:19), and he traveled to Rome, some say on business. I tend to think he went there for the business of finding Paul and when he got there he hunted Paul down and once he found him, he was a comfort to Paul, he ministered to Paul’s needs!
Onesiphorus was a servant and what he did for Paul we should do unto others. First of all he refreshed Paul. When was the last time, by your presence, you refreshed someone? Not only that, but he was not ashamed of Paul’s situation, the chains that he was in. True friends will stick by you no matter what while “fair-weather friends” are only around when things are going well, when they get what they want. What kind of friend are you to others? He also sought Paul out very zealously. There were many prisons in Rome and he could not just pick up the phone and call to find out where Paul was. He had to search them out one at a time until he found Paul. If you are only faithful when it is easy, then you are not a friend, you are not faithful! The love that this man had for Paul did not end when tough times came but only grew stronger. Here is a man who lived up to his name; it means “help-bringer.” As Christians, may we, as “Christ-followers” manifest the nature of Jesus in all we do! What a great example for us to follow!
As I close this evening, let me leave you with this to think about. To whom would God have you be an Onesiphorus to? Then step forward and do it – refresh them, don’t be ashamed of them, and seek them out diligently! Great lessons to apply to our lives!