2nd Timothy chapter 1 verse 1
through 12 for those on the CD the internet so it's like Paul
an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God according to
the promise of life which is in Christ Jesus to Timothy my
dearly beloved son grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father
and Christ Jesus our Lord. I thank God, whom I serve from
my forefathers with a pure conscience, that without ceasing I have remembrance
of thee in my prayers night and day, greatly desiring to see
thee, being mindful of thy tears, that I may be filled with joy.
When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee,
which first dwelt in thy mother, Lois, and in thy grandmother,
Lois, and in thy mother, Eunice, I'm also persuaded is in thee
also. I want you to notice how endearingly
he speaks to and about Timothy. That'll be part of our study.
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. For God hath not given us the
spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. Be not therefore ashamed of the
testimony of our Lord, nor of me, his prisoner. But be thou partaker of the affliction
of the gospel according to the power of God. Watch, who has
saved us, called us with a holy calling, not according to our
own works, but according to his own purpose and grace which was
given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, but is now made
manifest. by the appearing of our Savior,
Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, who hath brought life
and immortality to light through the gospel, whereunto I am appointed
a preacher and an apostle and a teacher of the Gentiles. In verse 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 is committed, which I have committed unto him
against that day. Now verse 12 will become eventually
our focus of study and our principal text. This week, recently, I
read a sermon by John Gill. You know how far that goes back.
Preached upon this text at a funeral of a man who had passed away
in the church that he pastored. And it was told to Dr. Gill after
the man died, that this verse 12 or this passage was one of
his favorite passages of the scripture, and that he was always
quoting it, and that it stood as his assurance, as part of
his assurance in the Christian faith. And they all thought it
well, that the text be used there at that funeral. And this is
one of those verses that leaps out at us as we read it, as it
has special emphasis and meaning. In part, it is a statement of
the Christian creed. I know whom I have believed and
I am persuaded. But to work our way to it, let's
look at the larger context in which we find this great text
this morning. It appears, as we know, that
the letter or the epistle was written to Timothy. Timothy,
a minister and a helper of Paul. Verse 2 again, to Timothy, my
dearly beloved son. See much the same greeting in
1 Timothy chapter 1 and verse 2. my own son in the faith, as
I refer to Timothy. In 1 Corinthians 4, verse 17,
Paul highly commends young Timothy to be received as a minister
among them, and he sends them. Timotheus, he said, my beloved
son and faithful in the Lord. He just keeps on heaping these
accolades upon young Timothy. And to the Philippians, he commends
Timothy in these words that I quote, found in Philippians chapter
2 and verse 20, I have no other man like-minded. I have no other
man that serves in the gospel so like-minded, so close and
so one with me in the treatment of the gospel. And woven into
this personal pastorial epistle unto Timothy, there are exhortations
one after the other for Timothy to remain steadfast in the gospel,
to not be deterred from it, to not give it up, and to not let
it be perverted. I want to read some. For example,
chapter 1, verse 6, as we go over it again. Wherefore, I put
thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God which
is in thee by the putting on of my hand. We drop down to verse
13, and he says to young Timothy, hold fast the form of sound words
which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in
Jesus Christ. Over in chapter 2 and verse 15
and 16, study to show thyself approved unto God a workman that
needeth not to be ashamed rightly dividing the word of truth but
shun profane and vain bad things, for they will increase into more
godliness. In chapter 3 and verse 14, continue
thou in the things which thou has learned and has been assured
of, knowing of them whom thou has learned them. Now it is clear
from all of that that Paul has schooled Timothy well in the
gospel. He has taught him the gospel,
the gospel that Paul received by direct revelation. And not only was Timothy exhorted
to continue in the gospel, but as Gil wrote, said, in that funeral
service, we have here in verse nine and in verse 10, a summation
and substance of the everlasting gospel. I won't read it again,
but it is precious. Verse 9 and verse 10. Before the world ever began,
grace and mercy was declared and was decreed. They're called,
not according under their work, but according to the purpose
and grace. that was given us in Christ Jesus
before the world and which is said in verse 10 of chapter 1
is now being or has been manifest by the appearing of our Lord
and Savior Jesus Christ who in his death abolished death and
brought life, that is spiritual life, and immortality to life
through the gospel. The eternal purpose of grace
is stated in verse 9 and in verse 10. It was unfolded when the
fullness of time had come, and the Son became incarnate. In the cross, he abolished death,
that he might destroy sin, that it might not destroy his people. And then he took up his life
again. And this is the essence of the
gospel of our Lord. But again, in verse 11, where
unto I am appointed, that is, to the gospel. I'm appointed
as a minister of the gospel, to be an apostle and a preacher
and a teacher. Romans 1.1, he said, separated
under the gospel of God. Paul, separated under the gospel
of God, marked out by God, chosen by God, set apart ordained unto
the gospel. And in this Paul is much like
the prophet Jeremiah. We read in Jeremiah chapter 1
and verse 5, Before I formed thee in the belly, I knew thee. And before thou camest forth
out of the womb, I sanctified thee. and ordained thee, the
margins said gave thee, a prophet unto the nations." There's Jeremiah's
experience. Not just knew him to be, not
just knew that he was an individual and lived on the earth, but knew
him in an intimate way of saving for knowledge. the Expositor
Calvin wrote on Jeremiah 1 and 5, that knowing is not mere pre-naissance
and not merely knowing by foresight, but irresistibly is it for ordination
of the prophet unto an office and a ministry. I ordained thee
a prophet unto the nation and that before he was ever born
or ever saw the light of day and it was like that with the
Apostle Paul and it has two parts And he lays them out for us in
the epistle unto Galatians. First of all, his election in
Christ. God lay hold upon him before
he was ever born. To be not only a Christian, but
a minister of the gospel. And the second thing, chapter
1 of Galatians, by the way, his irresistible conversion, which
you have a record of in Acts chapter 9, and his call from
Christ and his commission to be an apostle and a preacher
of the gospel of the grace of God. He tells the Galatians chapter
1 verse 15 and 16 that though He had persecuted the church
with great vigor and viciousness. He had practiced before a strict,
parasitical, practical life in Judaism, that he was exceedingly
zealous of the tradition, and that those his own age, he outstripped,
he went off and left them in the dust. But when it pleased
God who separated me from my mother's womb and called me by
his grace, called me by his grace, much like in 2 Timothy 1 and
verse 9, hath called us with a holy calling in that grace
before the world. Now coming to verse 12, and the
verse that we're looking at today, where he mentions, first of all,
the persecution and the suffering that he had endured and was then
enduring for the preaching of the gospel. Look, for which cause
I suffer these things. We'd ask ourselves the question,
what things, what exactly does poem have in mind? Even as he
wrote this epistle, he was a prisoner of Caesar in chains and in Rome. And as in verse 8, he calls himself
the prisoner of the Lord because he was imprisoned at the hand
of Caesar. Down in verse 16, he said, Onesiphorus,
It refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains." As Paul went out,
preached the gospel, even maybe chained to a Roman soldier, this
brother was not ashamed of him as he preached the gospel. In
Acts 26-29, in Ephesians chapter 6 and verse 20, for the sake
of the gospel, I am an ambassador in Bonn. Thus beside all of the
other persecution that had come upon the apostle for the sake
of the gospel at the hand of his own countrymen, but the determination
is expressed in such texts as 2 Timothy 2 verse 9 and 10. I shall read, wherein I suffer
trouble as an evildoer, but even unto bonds, but the word of God
is not bound. Therefore, I endure all things
for the elect's sake, that they may also obtain the salvation
which is in Jesus Christ with eternal glory." What words are
these from the Apostle? That should come as no surprise.
For in Acts 9 and verse 16, when God, when Christ called him and
converted him and commissioned him, he said this, I will show
him how great things he must suffer for my name's sake, unquote. He that made others to suffer
Saul would now suffer himself and that for the same reason
the sake of the gospel and Paul and the gospel let me give you
a thought from John Murray Romans chapter 1 and verse 1 is the
place where I found it he's describing Paul commitment and faithfulness
unto the gospel quote I all bounds of interest and attachment, alien
or extraneous to the promotion of the gospel had been severed. He set apart in all of his interests
and in all of his ambition in the cause of the gospel." How
well that describes Paul as a minister. And not only the proclamation
of the gospel, preaching it orally in this place and that, but the
doctrine of the gospel and the purity of the gospel that had
been committed unto him. And this, God had not raised
up another man like Paul until this very day and likely never
will. But coming at long last to our
12th verse. Having said these things, I suffer
for the sake of the gospel, and that on two accounts that we
might notice. Number one, he suffered at the
hands of the enemies of the gospel in about every place he went.
And number two, He suffered by his resignation to the gospel
and the cause of the Lord Jesus Christ. Had he preached circumcision
and the law, he would have been fine in the eye of the Jew. And he gives two reasons here
why his imprisonment was not a disgrace. It is not a reflection
upon his call or upon his ministry, either against him as an apostle
or against the gospel. That he is in prison and in chains
is not a detriment or a shame to any of these things. A. What is his crime? When we ask,
what is crime, Paul? What is Paul's crime? What was
it? Well, his crime was he preached
the gospel, he submitted to the will of God, he was not a criminal,
not one in any sort of a way. And then B, he says, there is
no shame. suffering for doing well. And you have that in 1st Peter
chapter 4 and verse 17. In suffering for the cause of
Christ there is no shame. But then in verse 12 we come
upon a nevertheless. I'm not ashamed, I'm willing
to suffer, nevertheless. And let's take a little look
at that. This is a word of wide meaning and rendering in the
New Testament, used in a lot of ways and can be used in a
lot of ways. So it is rendered several ways
when we find it in the New Testament. Some of those ways are but. But. How be it? Notwithstanding, moreover, yet,
therefore, all of these would fit and give a continuity of
thought. I am not ashamed, neither of
the gospel or of Christ, and I'm not even ashamed of being
criminalized for the sake of the gospel and put in bonds and
in chains for the sake of the gospel. the reason Paul could
have that attitude. For I know whom I have believed. I've suffered these things. Nevertheless,
I'm not ashamed. For because I know whom I have
believed. Now, the two statements here,
A, I am not ashamed. Not ashamed of Christ or the
gospel. Not ashamed of preaching him.
Anywhere that he might be he gloried in his infirmities Paul
did what grace 2nd Corinthians 11 30 12 and 9 1st Peter 4 and
verse 16 But if any suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed
Let him glory on this behalf that's a hard thing to do in
the flesh and then be a I know whom I have believed. Here's the heart and the core
of our passage and of our study today. I know. I know whom I have believed. I know whom I have believed,
and I am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have
committed. Now some expositors point out
that the word believed here, I know whom I have believed,
is actually equal to the word trusted. I know whom I have trusted. I think it's from the root word
pistis or pistis meaning a firm persuasion, to give credence
to, to have a very strong and abiding conviction of the faithfulness
of the object of our trust, and I know whom I have believed. It means to have reliance upon
him and to give credit under his word, his promises, and to
cherish hope because we know whom we have believed in and
am persuaded. Paul speaks in Ephesians chapter
1 and verse 13 of those who first trusted in Christ, who trusted
in Christ. The margin there has hoped, those
who first hoped in Christ. It came when they heard the gospel
when the Lord opened their heart and it became the gospel of their
salvation. And they received, says Paul,
the earnest of the spirit until the day of redemption, Ephesians
1 and verse 13. Now, any trust and any hope that
Paul had was in and through the Lord Jesus Christ, his person
and his work and his offices. His hope was built as the songwriter
said, on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness. And old Puritan Thomas Goodwin
wrote, all that could fall out between his first believing and
that day he had committed unto God and unto Christ. Amen. He, I know whom I have
believed and he will keep what I have committed. And he saw
two things here that cheered him and strengthened him and
helped him. Number one, the faithfulness
of God. God is faithful that promised. We read in the scripture, Hebrews
10, 23. Yes, God is faithful. First Corinthians
10, 13. And will not suffer you to be
tempted above that which you're able, but will with the temptation
provide a way of mistake. But is there a greater verse
on that than that one in Lamentations chapter 3 and verse 23? Great is thy faithfulness. It is new every morning. So that the promises of God,
as they were to Abraham, are such as aid our perseverance
in the profession of the faith of the gospel of Christ our Lord. Now, the second thing that we
noted, not only the faithfulness of God, but the ability and the
power of God to consummate his every purpose Especially through
Paul in this case saith the Apostle I am persuaded that he is Able
I stand fully persuaded that that which he has promised He
also will perform that was a trademark of the life of Abraham as well
Romans chapter 4 verse 21 and being fully persuaded that what
he had promised he was also able to perform. Now look at it again. I am persuaded. We see that's the same word that
we have in verse 5. And the word persuaded in the
active voice means to apply persuasion to prevail. and to persuade a
change of mind by influence and bring one to that settled persuasion
of mind. Paul was not always of this mind
as we know. Once he trusted in his Jewish
and his pharisaic credentials. He trusted and he boasted in
them. You have it in Philippians 3
and verse 4 through verse 6. Once he was persuaded that he
was right in the practice of Judaism, and he went about it
with a fanaticism that bordered on vengeance. Even in his persecution
of Christianity, he thought that he ought to do many things contrary
to the name of Jesus. When called by Christ on Damascus
Road, he threw it all away. He counted it but dung. He counted
it refuse. He counted it trash to be thrown
out and burned and considered his own righteousness filthy
rags, to have the saving righteousness of Christ. And he became to be
of another persuasion altogether, this man who once was such an
enemy of Christ and the church. But now he says, all things are
safe in the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, here are some things that
we should mention. There is a word in the New Testament
that means to persuade in an evil way as well as a good. Acts 18 and verse 13. It has a prefix, anna, and it
means to go back. See also Acts 19, 26. 1419 and
the words of Luke in chapter 16 and verse 21 of Abraham to
divies when he said Neither will they be persuaded though one
rise again from the dead in Acts 21 verse 14 when Paul would not
be persuaded from going to Jerusalem at the season of Pentecost. Acts chapter 18 and then again
in chapter 20. Now we turn the object of his
persuasion that he is able to keep that which I have committed
unto him against that day. And there are two things for
us to ponder here and to ponder very carefully. Number one, that
which is committed. That, he doesn't name it specifically,
but that which I have committed. And then number two, that day. Here's a mysterious phrase often
found in the scripture in a lot of ways and places. What day
does Paul have in mind? He's able to keep that which
I've committed against that day. Now, as for committed, the word
committed here is the noun. And it is an interesting word
as it is used in 1st and 2nd Timothy by this same apostle. Some render the word deposit. He is able to keep that which
I've committed. He is able to keep that my deposit. He's able to keep the deposit.
He's able to keep the trust and can mean to place alongside for
security and protection. He is able to keep. that deposit
which is made unto him. Verse 14, you see it again. To Timothy, he said, that good
thing which was committed unto thee, that good thing that was
deposited unto thee, keep by the Holy Spirit which dwells
in you. In 1 Timothy chapter 6 and verse
20, O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust. Keep that deposit which is given
unto thy trust. 1 Corinthians 1 and 11. Another word is used by Paul
here as he writes, according to the glorious gospel of the
blessed God which was committed unto my trust. Now hear the words
and hear the thought is I've been entrusted with it. I have
been entrusted with the gospel, with which I am entrusted, or
with which I have been entrusted, depending on the Greek. Some
say it is I have been entrusted. The Greek expressing a past act. that God has performed. In fact,
we would make it even more personal on Paul's part, with whom I,
on my part, have been entrusted. And by the Godhead, he had been
called to the glorious gospel and the proclamation of it. Paul was one of a small band
of men who were, in a special way, entrusted with the gospel
directly from the hand of the Lord. And Paul was an a special
guardian of the gospel, perhaps above all others. At times he
calls it my gospel, the others the gospel, the gospel of Christ.
But Paul speaks of it as my gospel. You'll find that in Romans 2
16 16 25 and again in 2nd Timothy chapter 2 and verse 8. My gosh,
why would he say that? Well, he received it by divine
and direct revelation from the Lord Jesus Christ. He was not
taught it by a man, did not learn it from the male, did not learn
it in the schools or from the rabbi. He received the gospel
directly from the Lord Jesus Christ and that's his claim.
Galatians 1 verse 11 and 12. And he rebuked Peter. when Peter
deviated from the truth of the gospel in Galatians chapter 2
and verse 14, and perhaps only he could say that he received
the gospel in such a way as, for example, Paul taught Timothy
the gospel, but Paul received it by direct revelation. But
back in 1 Timothy 1 and verse 12, and the latter half of the
verse now, and that he is able to keep that which I have committed
unto him against that day. And then the question again,
what is that that Paul has committed unto God? Of course, Paul had
put all in the hands of God and in the hands of Christ, his life,
his soul, his ministry, the results of it, and all things. But he
seems to speak here of a more singular thing in verse 12, that
which I have committed, especially when we look at the way that
he leads up to it again. I am not ashamed. I know whom
I have believed. I am persuaded that he is able
to keep that which I have committed or deposited unto him. Now, the question is raised by
some expositor, and I wanted to be fair and cover this this
morning. Is it what Paul committed to
God or what God had committed unto him? My deposit which I
have committed. Now I raise this question because
some expositors take a sort of another view of what we ought
to make out of it. And their argument may have some
merit and some strength when we look at it unbiased. They point out that the preeminent
emphasis in the surrounding context is upon the gospel. And we need that thought embedded
in our mind. The surrounding thought, the
surrounding all of it, is upon the blessed gospel. It's upon
Paul's apostolic ministry, his function as an apostle and a
called one of Christ. For example, looking back, remember
verse 8, 9, and 10, that great summation of the gospel in that
place. Verse 11 again, chapter 1, where
unto I am appointed minister. Verse 13 and 14, hold fast the
form of sound words that good thing committed unto you. Who
can deny that Paul is speaking there to Timothy of the gospel
deposited with him. So they hold, these people, that
Paul's deposit is his apostolic calling, his apostolic ministry,
and his preaching of the gospel, the gospel committed unto him,
and that the great power of God would preserve his calling and
his sacred gifts unimpaired unto the very completion or fruition. And this might bolster their
argument, for soon Paul will tell Timothy, in 2nd Timothy
chapter 4 and verses 6 through 8. Let's turn there if you like,
and I would like to read from this passage of scripture. In
verse 1 through 5 of this chapter, there are exhortations to Timothy
concerning the gospel. But then let's look at verses
6 through 8. They have a bearing on this matter. For I am now ready to be offered,
and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good
fight. I have finished my course. I
have kept the faith, and henceforth there is laid up for me a crown
of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give
me at that day, and not to me only, but unto all of them also
that love his appearing." Notice, my departure is at hand. He does not speak of leaving
prison or leaving Rome. He speaks here of his physical
death. But he had finished his course.
He had kept the faith. He had been faithful to that
calling and to the gospel. And now I think I can see he
would want his mantle to fall upon Timothy, as was the case
with Elijah and Elisha. Contend for the purity of the
gospel. Some say that the tense actually
is, I am being poured out. Even now, I am being poured out. So see the connection, if you
will, between the exhortation of his departure to watch and
endure, to be a good soldier of the Lord Jesus Christ, for
I am ready to be offered and the torch be passed on unto Timothy. However, the more widely accepted
view of that verse is that Paul refers to his whole life, his
soul, the salvation of it, keep him in the faith, persevere him
until the end of his life, and then receive him up into everlasting
bliss and glory. Guard his soul. Preserve him
in the Lord Jesus Christ as in Philippians chapter 1 and verse
6 Being confident of this very thing that he that hath begun
a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ
unquote How powerful, how powerful the words of our great high priest
when we catch him at prayer in John chapter 6 and verse 39. This is the Father's will of
all which he has given me. I should lose nothing, but should
raise it up again in the last day. So when one comes to Christ,
they put all they have into the hands of Christ. that deposit. Lord, save me or I perish. Let me throw in here, if one
must keep themselves, if one must be their own perseverance,
then none would ever be saved if left to themselves and to
their will. But, 1 Peter 4, 19, let them
that suffer according to the will of God commit their soul
unto him in well-doing as unto a faithful creator, end quote,
knowing he is able to keep the deposit. He is able to keep it
safe and secure until it is carried beyond time and mortal kin. He is able to keep it when this
mortal shall have put on immortality. He is able to cause this mortal
to be clothed in immortality. 1 Corinthians 15 and verse 53. when to be absent from the body
is to be present with the Lord." 2 Corinthians chapter 5 and verse
8. Here's a short quote that I gleaned
from the Puritan Thomas Goodwin on a little commentary that he
made on the 12th verse, which is our text today. Quote Thomas
Goodwin, The soul does trust Jesus Christ with all and for
all, with all it has or ever shall have, and forever what
it ever looks for." Anything good that it looks for, It looks
for it in the Lord Jesus Christ. Let all beside be lost. Let all be gone. Yet this hope
remains and it remains likened unto an anchor of the soul in
Hebrews chapter 6 and is within the veil. We have a hope within
the veil. where Christ therefore has entered. Turn to, if you want to, to the
book of Jude, the next to last book in the Bible. Now, there
are a couple of things here that I would like for us to read.
In fact, verse 24 and verse 25 of the little book of Jude. Now, you know that Jude discusses
the subject of apostates and apostasy. And he writes this
in closing out the letter. Now unto him that is able to
keep you from falling and to present you flawless before the
presence of his glory with exceeding joy, to the only wise God our
Savior, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now
and forever. Said another Puritan, Thomas
Manton, quote, Christ is the guardian of believers, having
received a charge concerning them to preserve them from destruction,
end quote. He is to save the elect. He is
to save his people from their sin, Matthew 1, 21. He's to bring
many sons to glory. Hebrews chapter 2 and verse 10. Yea, woe unto him as our surety,
if any be lost that the Father hath given unto him to be surety. They are put into his hand. He has all power. He has all
authority residing in the Godhead to bring them to God in both
salvation and celestial glory. So, Paul says, I am persuaded. I'm persuaded that he is able
to keep that which I've committed unto him against that day where
he expected it. He lived in the expectation and
the hope of it. When absent from the body, present
with the Lord, Philippians 1 20-24. Paul's persuasion was very strong,
and I think some of it was because of the experiences that he had.
But after all, he saw the Lord on Damascus. He was caught up
into the third heaven. And that sealed Paul up in a
determinate conviction that these things were of God and that they
were true and they would have their glorious consummation. Can we say this morning, I am
persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed
unto him against that day and that none shall be lost for whom
our Lord is the surety and the redeemer and the savior and the
atonement. Thank God for that. He's able
to keep that against that day, through the world, in the world,
to keep it unto glory that is to come.