KC Tsai—Toronto, Canada

In what was probably his last epistle, Paul encouraged Timothy not to be ashamed of the testimony of the Lord, nor of him, Paul, a prisoner. He asked Timothy, by the power of God, to join him in his suffering for the gospel (2 Tim 1:8).

But why would the power of God cause Timothy to suffer? How could Timothy be ashamed of witnessing for the Lord? If Paul were imprisoned for the Lord’s sake, why would Timothy be ashamed of him? Without understanding Paul’s experiences, it is difficult to answer these questions.

Paul wrote 2 Timothy during his second imprisonment in Rome, shortly before he was martyred. This second imprisonment was very different from the first, where he was under house arrest in Rome. Though he had been confined to a rented house, he could still receive guests and preach the gospel of Christ freely. However, in this second imprisonment, the conditions were not as good. Onesiphorus, a co-worker, searched for him and eventually found him in a dungeon (2 Tim 1:17), where preaching opportunities were sparse.

Furthermore, after presenting his first defense in court, Paul anticipated his own death (2 Tim 4:16, 6). Perhaps he knew this epistle would be his final testimony. To Paul, preaching the gospel and bringing as many people as possible to salvation was his life’s sacrifice. Knowing his life was ending, he willingly gave it to the servitude of God, like a drink offering, with no regrets (Phil 2:17):

 [For the gospel,] 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. (2 Tim 1:11–12)

To appreciate the meaning behind Paul’s words, and why he encouraged Timothy not to fear or be ashamed, we need to understand that, at that time, being identified as a Christian was a life-threatening situation.

In A.D. 64, a devastating fire broke out in Rome; it raged for days and destroyed ten of the fourteen city quarters. Gaius Cornelius Tacitus (A.D. 56–120), a Roman senator and historian who was a child at the time, later wrote:

Therefore, to stop the rumor [that he had set Rome on fire], [Emperor Nero] falsely charged with guilt, and punished with the most fearful tortures, the persons commonly called Christians, who were [generally] hated for their enormities. Christus, the founder of that name, was put to death as a criminal by Pontius Pilate, procurator of Judea, in the reign of Tiberius, but the pernicious superstition—repressed for a time, broke out yet again, not only through Judea—where the mischief originated, but through the city of Rome also, whither all things horrible and disgraceful flow from all quarters, as to a common receptacle, and where they are encouraged. Accordingly first those were arrested who confessed they were Christians; next on their information, a vast multitude were convicted, not so much on the charge of burning the city, as of “hating the human race.” [1] [2]

Paul’s second letter to Timothy was likely to be written in A.D. 66–67, when Christians were severely persecuted following Nero’s smear campaign. It was very difficult to justify the act of preaching at the time. Witnessing for Jesus and proclaiming one’s faith would expose oneself to grave danger. Paul had preached the gospel with fervency and faithfulness, yet the result was imprisonment and impending execution⸺how could the Almighty God allow this to happen, and how could Paul continue pressing forward? A person of insufficient faith would be overcome by such challenges and give up witnessing for the Lord. This is why Paul encouraged Timothy not to be ashamed of testifying for the gospel, nor of he who was imprisoned. Paul’s martyrdom would testify to the world that the gospel he preached was worth the sacrifice of one’s life.

Faith Overcomes Fear

God does not give His loved ones a spirit of fear (2 Tim 1:7). If the purpose of our faith were only so that we can have a smooth and easy life, we would simply give up at the first sign of trouble. As life is always filled with challenges, a person pressing forward without being rooted in the faith or without holding on to the hope of salvation (2 Tim 1:10) will inevitably succumb to a spirit of fear. However, God gives His loved ones a spirit of power, love and self-control. With these qualities, one is empowered to endure hardships beyond what man can endure (Heb 11:35–38) and beyond what the world deems tolerable.

Paul proclaimed: “I know whom I have believed.” Despite the severe persecution of believers, despite heresies disrupting the church’s core beliefs (2 Tim 2:16–18), despite many deserting him (2 Tim 1:15; 4:16), and even despite his own impending death, Paul boldly held on to his faith. The church might have appeared to be at the brink of crisis and destruction, yet Paul acknowledged that the God he believed is the only Potentate (1 Tim 6:15), the Absolute Ruler, the Author and Master of the beginning, the process and the end of all things.

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. (2 Tim 1:12b, ESV) [3]

The Lord had entrusted to Paul the truth of salvation and the ministry to preach to the Gentile world. As Paul wrote his final letter to Timothy, he knew he had completed his race; it was time to bid the world farewell. The ministry handed to him would never die. He harbored no regrets over his life; he had done his utmost to serve his Master and wholeheartedly trusted in Him, the ultimate owner of the ministry. Paul knew that even if the church were diminished in his time, it would not be a failure, because at a pre-determined time, God would rekindle the true church. This true church of the end time would continue the work Paul had left behind, and preach the complete truth of salvation to the ends of the earth.