Survey of the Letters of Paul back to the top     back to main page for this verse 2 Timothy 1:8 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; This section has 4 verses: 2 Timothy 1:8-11 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 Saviour 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. A GOSPEL WORTH SUFFERING FOR So, then, do not be ashamed to bear your witness to our Lord; and do not be ashamed of me his prisoner; but accept with me the suffering which the gospel brings, and do so in the power of God, who saved us, and who called us with a call to consecration, a call which had nothing to do with our own achievements, but which was dependent solely on his purpose, and on the grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus: and all this was planned before the world began, but now it stands full-displayed through the appearance of our Saviour Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and incorruption to light by means of the good news which he brought, good news in the service of which I have been appointed a herald, and an apostle and a teacher. IT is inevitable that loyalty to the gospel will bring trouble. For Timothy, it meant loyalty to a man who was regarded as a criminal, because as Paul was writing he was in prison in Rome. But here Paul sets out the gospel in all its glory, something worth suffering for. Sometimes by implication and sometimes by direct statement, he brings out element after element in that glory. Few passages in the New Testament have in them and behind them such a sense of the sheer grandeur of the gospel. (1) It is the gospel of power. Any suffering which it involves is to be borne in the power of God. To the ancient world, the gospel was the power to live. That very age in which Paul was writing was the great age of suicide. The highest-principled of the ancient thinkers were the Stoics; but they had their own way out when life became intolerable. They had a saying: ‘God gave men life, but God gave men the still greater gift of being able to take their own lives away.’ The gospel was, and is, power – power to conquer self, power to take control of circumstances, power to go on living when life is unlivable, power to be a Christian when being a Christian looks impossible. (2) It is the gospel of salvation. God is the God who saves us. The gospel is rescue. It is rescue from sin; it liberates people from the things which have them in their grip; it enables them to break with the habits which are unbreakable. The gospel is a rescuing force which can make bad people good. (3) It is the gospel of consecration [dedication to the service and worship of God]. It is not simply rescue from the consequences of past sin; it is a summons to walk the way of holiness. (4) It is the gospel of grace. It is not something which we achieve, but something which we accept. God did not call us because we are holy; he called us to make us holy. If we had to deserve the love of God, our situation would be helpless and hopeless. The gospel is the free gift of God. He does not love us because we deserve his love; he loves us out of the sheer generosity of his heart. (5) It is the gospel of God’s eternal purpose. It was planned before time began. We must never think that God was once stern law and that only since the life and death of Jesus has he been forgiving love. From the beginning of time, God’s love has been searching for us, and his grace and forgiveness have been offered to us. Love is the essence of the eternal nature of God. (6) It is the gospel of life and immortality. It is Paul’s conviction that Christ Jesus brought life and immortality to light. The ancient world feared death; or, if it did not fear it, regarded it as extinction. It was the message of Jesus that death was the way to life, and that far from separating us from God it brought us into his nearer presence. (7) It is the gospel of service. It was this gospel which made Paul a herald, an apostle and a teacher of the faith. It did not leave him with the comfortable feeling that now his own soul was saved and he did not need to worry any more. It laid on him the inescapable task of wearing himself out in the service of God and of other people. This gospel laid three obligations on Paul. (a) It made him a herald. The word is ke¯rux, which has three main lines of meaning, each with something to suggest about our Christian duty. The ke¯rux was the herald who brought the announcement from the king. The ke¯rux was the one who was sent when two armies were opposed to each other, who brought the terms of or the request for truce and peace. The ke¯rux was the person whom an auctioneer or a merchant employed to advertise the wares and invite people to come and buy. So, the Christian is to be the one who brings the message to others; the one who brings men and women into peace with God; the one who calls on others to accept the rich offer which God is making to them. (b) It made him an apostle, apostolos, literally one who is sent out. The word can mean an envoy or an ambassador. The apostolos did not speak for himself, but for the one who sent him. He did not come in his own authority, but in the authority of the one who sent him. Christians are the ambassadors of Christ, whose task is to speak for him and to represent him to the world. (c) It made him a teacher. There is a very real sense in which the teaching task of Christians and of the Church is the most important of all. Certainly, the task of the teacher is very much harder than the task of the evangelist. The evangelist’s task is to appeal to people and confront them with the love of God. In a vivid moment of emotion, someone may respond to that summons. But a long road remains. That person must learn the meaning and discipline of the Christian life. The foundations have been laid, but the main structure still has to be built. The flame of evangelism has to be followed by the steady glow of Christian teaching. It may well be that people drift away from the Church after their first decision, for the simple yet fundamental reason that they have not been taught about the full meaning of the Christian faith. Herald, ambassador, teacher – here is the threefold function of all Christians who would serve their Lord and their Church. Now continuing in what the gospel is... (8) It is the gospel of Christ Jesus. It was fully displayed through his appearance. The word Paul uses for appearance is one with a great history. It is epiphaneia, a word which the Jews repeatedly used of the great saving manifestations of God in the terrible days of the Maccabaean struggles, when the enemies of Israel were deliberately seeking to obliterate God. In the days of the high priest Onias, a certain Heliodorus came to plunder the Temple treasury at Jerusalem. Neither prayers nor pleading would stop him carrying out this sacrilege. And, so the story runs, as Heliodorus was about to set hands on the treasury, ‘the Sovereign of spirits and of all authority caused so great a manifestation [epiphaneia] . . . For there appeared to them a magnificently caparisoned [harnessed] horse with a rider of fighting mien . . . it rushed furiously at Heliodorus and struck at him with its front hooves . . . When he suddenly fell to the ground and deep darkness came over him’ (2 Maccabees 3:24–7). What exactly happened, we may never know; but in Israel’s hour of need there came this tremendous epiphaneia of God. When Judas Maccabaeus and his little army were confronted with the might of Nicanor, they prayed: ‘O Lord, you sent your angel in the time of King Hezekiah of Judah, and he killed fully 185,000 in the camp of Senacharib [cf. 2 Kings 19:35–6]. So now, O Sovereign of the heavens, send a good angel to spread terror and trembling before us. By the might of your arm may these blasphemers who come against your holy people be struck down.’ And then the story goes on: ‘Nicanor and his troops advanced with trumpets and battle songs, but Judas and his troops met the enemy in battle with invocations to God and prayers. So, fighting with their hands and praying to God in their hearts, they laid low at least 35,000, and were greatly gladdened by God’s manifestation [epiphaneia]’ (2 Maccabees 15:22–7). Once again, we do not know exactly what happened; but God made a great and saving appearance for his people. To the Jews, epiphaneia denoted a rescuing intervention of God. To the Greeks, this was an equally great word. The accession of the emperor to his throne was called his epiphaneia. It was his manifestation. Every emperor came to the throne with high hopes; his coming was hailed as the dawn of a new and precious day, and of great blessings to come. The gospel was fully displayed with the epiphaneia of Jesus; the very word shows that he was God’s great, rescuing intervention and manifestation into the world. ~Barclay Commentary Now to the other commentaries. The verse breaks out into 4 parts; 1] Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord 2] Nor of me his prisoner. 3] But be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel. 4] According to the power of God. 1] Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord. Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord - “Do not become ashamed” (as he had not). Robertson's Word Pictures Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord - The exhortation, grounded on the fact that the spiritual gifts which he had received should be allowed, as it were, free play, implies some fear that Timothy was acting as if ashamed of the testimony of Jesus. ~Popular Commentary on the New Testament Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord - Since "the spirit of fear" was not imparted, there must be boldness to testify for the Lord. ~People's New Testament Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord - Do not be ashamed to bear your testimony to the doctrines taught by the Lord Jesus; John 3:11, John 3:32-33; John 7:7. Paul seems to have apprehended that Timothy was in some danger of being ashamed of this gospel, or of shrinking back from its open avowal in the trials and persecutions to which he now saw it exposed him. ~Barnes Notes Quoted verses: John 3:11 Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness. John 3: 32-33 32 And what he hath seen and heard, that he testifieth; and no man receiveth his testimony. 33 He that hath received his testimony hath set to his seal that God is true. John 7:7 The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil. Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord - The testimony of Christ is the Gospel in general, which proclaims Christ crucified, and redemption through his blood. In the sight of the world, there appeared to be reason why a man should be ashamed of this; ashamed of him who was crucified as a malefactor; but, when this Gospel became the power of God to the salvation of every one that believed, it was a subject to exult in. Hence the apostle, Romans 1:16, said, I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ. ~Adam Clarke Quoted verse: Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. Be not then therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord - Either that testimony which Christ bore personally by his doctrine and miracles, and by his sufferings and death; or rather the Gospel so called, because it comes from Christ, and because it is a testimony concerning him; concerning his person, his offices, his righteousness, blood, sacrifice, and satisfaction; concerning his obedience, sufferings, death, resurrection, ascension, session at God's right hand, intercession for his people, and second coming to judgment; and concerning life and salvation by him: and which no preacher or professor of Christ has reason to be ashamed of, it being so true in itself, so great, so glorious, and so useful; and whoever is, Christ will be ashamed of him another day: ~John Gill 2] Nor of me his prisoner. Nor of me his prisoner - Something obviously had come to St. Paul’s knowledge on this point, which had given him pain. Timothy had drawn back, as if ashamed of him, as well as of the Gospel. He adds the word ‘prisoner’ as likely to appeal more strongly than aught else to Timothy’s feelings. ~Popular Commentary on the New Testament Nor of me his prisoner - Though a prisoner, he was a prisoner for righteousness' sake. It may be that this was a gentle rebuke; that Timothy had failed in boldness. ~People's New Testament Nor of me his prisoner - Of the testimony which I have borne to the truth of the gospel. This passage proves that, when Paul wrote this Epistle, he was in confinement. Timothy knew that he had been thrown into prison on account of his love for the gospel. To avoid that himself, there might be some danger that a timid young man might shrink from an open avowal of his belief in the same system of truth. ~Barnes Notes Nor of me his prisoner - When our friends are in power and credit, we can readily acknowledge them, and take opportunities to show that we have such and such connections; but when the person falls into disgrace or discredit, though we cannot pretend not to know him, yet we take care not to acknowledge him. This induced Cicero, in relation to friendships, to give for a maxim - Amicus certus in re incerta cernitur: “A true friend is known in adverse circumstances;” and from this we have borrowed our proverb, A friend in need, is a friend indeed. ~Adam Clarke Nor of me his prisoner - for Paul was now a prisoner at Rome, but not for any capital crime, or for any immorality, but for the sake of Christ, and for preaching his Gospel; wherefore none of his friends had any reason to be ashamed of him; he was suffering in a glorious cause, and setting a noble example to others; it looks as if Timothy was somewhat blameworthy in this respect. ~John Gill 3] But be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel. But be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel - Better, ‘Be thou a partaker in my sufferings for the gospel.’ ~Popular Commentary on the New Testament But be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel - Ready to share with me whatever may befall. ~People's New Testament But be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel - The sufferings to which the profession of the gospel may expose you; compare the notes at Colossians 1:24. ~Barnes Notes Quoted verse: Colossians 1:24 Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body's sake, which is the church: But be thou partaker of the afflictions of the Gospel - No parent could love a child better than Paul loved Timothy; and, behold! he who could wish him nothing but what was great, honorable, and good, wishes him to be a partaker of the afflictions of the Gospel! Because, to suffer for Christ, and suffer with Christ, was the highest glory to which any human being in this state could arrive. The royal way to the crown of glory, is by the [stake] of Christ. ~Adam Clarke But be thou partaker of the afflictions of the Gospel - the Gospel is here represented as a person suffering afflictions, and the apostle would have Timothy suffer them as that did, and along with it; he means those afflictions which come upon men for preaching and professing the Gospel; for though the Gospel is a Gospel of peace, yet, through the corruption and depravity of men, it brings a sword, division, and trouble. Tribulation arises on account of it; and this should be endured patiently, and constantly, for the sake of it: ~John Gill 4] According to the power of God. According to the power of God - i.e. the power that comes from God, with special reference to the ‘spirit of power’ of 2 Timothy 1:7. ~Popular Commentary on the New Testament Quoted verse: 2 Timothy 1:7 [See Lesson] For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. According to the power of God - Suffer afflictions, bearing them, sustained by the power of God. ~People's New Testament According to the power of God - That is, according to the power which God gives to those who are afflicted on account of the gospel. The apostle evidently supposes that they who were subjected to trials on account of the gospel, might look for divine strength to uphold them, and asks him to endure those trials, relying on that strength, and not on his own. ~Barnes Notes According to the power of God - While thou hast no more affliction than thou hast grace to sustain thee under, thou canst have no cause to complain. And God will take care that if a faithful discharge of thy duty shall expose thee to afflictions, his power manifested in thee shall be in proportion to thy necessities. His load cannot be oppressive, who is strengthened to bear it by the power of God. ~Adam Clarke According to the power of God - which is only sufficient to enable persons to bear them; and is mentioned for the encouragement of Timothy and others, to endure them cheerfully. ~John Gill Recap Here are some of the key points from this lesson: 1] Loyalty to the gospel will bring trouble. 2] The gospel makes us all heralds, ambassadors and teachers. 3] Allow the gifts and talents that are in you to flow freely. 4] Invoke boldness throughout your Salvation Process. 5] "A friend in need, is a friend indeed." 6] Be ready for whatever may befall us or the church. 7] Be thou a partaker of the afflictions of the gospel. Endure them patiently and constantly. 8] Continually invoke and rely on the Spirit of God, which is the power of God by which we do all things in the Salvation Process. back to the top     back to main page for this verse