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#6.
Power for those who partake of gospel afflictions (1: 8).
pp. 43 - 46
We now turn our attention to the first subdivision of section B1 | II Tim. 1: 8-12
which has the "Gospel" for its subject, and "before the age-times" as its time period. We
will repeat the structure of this section so that we can have it before us during the study.
f1 | 8. The Prisoner. Jointly suffer evil.
g1 | 8. The Gospel.
h1 | 9. Before age-times. Grace given
h1 | 10. Now manifested. Life illuminated.
g1 | 10. The Gospel.
f1 | 11, 12. The Preacher. I suffer these things.
"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: 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, 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; whereunto I am appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the
Gentiles. For the which cause I also suffer these things" (II Tim. 1: 8-12).
Throughout the Epistle the reader will find an insistence upon the special ministry of
the apostle Paul.
"Through the gospel: whereunto I am appointed a preacher . . . . . of the Gentiles"
(II Tim. 1: 10, 11).
"Hold fast the form of sound words which thou hast heard of me" (II Tim. 1: 13).
"All they which are in Asia be turned away from me" (II Tim. 1: 15).
"The things which thou hast heard of me . . . . . the same commit thou to faithful men"
(II Tim. 2: 2).
"Remember that Jesus Christ was raised from the dead according to my gospel,
wherein I suffer trouble, as an evil doer" (II Tim. 2: 8, 9).
"Thou hast fully known my doctrine" (II Tim. 3: 10).
"That by me the preaching might be fully known, and that all the Gentiles might hear"
(II Tim. 4: 17).
Before any of these sentences was written, however, the Apostle had penned
II Tim. 1: 8, "Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of the Lord nor of me His
prisoner". In all the consciousness of his peculiar ministry, and with all the emphasis
noticeable on "me" and "my", we nevertheless realize that the Apostle is magnifying not
himself but his office. What he had to give others he had received of the Lord by
revelation. In such circumstances false modesty would have been as harmful to his work
as spiritual pride. With a good conscience, without conceit, without in the least
forgetting that he was but an earthen vessel, the Apostle could couple the name of the
Lord he served with his own.