Day 646: Part of the team - 2 Timothy 1 vs 12 to 2 vs 2
12-14 I'm 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. Follow the pattern of the sound words that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. By the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, guard the good deposit entrusted to you.
15 You are aware that all who are in Asia turned away from me, among whom are Phygelus and Hermogenes. 16-18 May the Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, for he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains, but when he arrived in Rome he searched for me earnestly and found me - may the Lord grant him to find mercy from the Lord on that Day! And you well know all the service he rendered at Ephesus.
Chapter 2 vs 1-2. You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. 2 Timothy 1:12 – 2:2 English Standard Version.
What's the connection between what Paul says to Timothy in vs 12-14, and what he urges him to do in Chapter 2 vs 1-2?
Just as Timothy was urged to carefully follow the message he had heard Paul preach, so he must also make sure he passed that message on to others after him who would be able to teach it to the next generation. Paul sometimes used the illustration of running a race to describe the effort and perseverance Christian's need to reach their destination. In today's verses one could liken Christianity to a relay race where one runner passes the baton on to the next one in the team.
Two thoughts came to mind. Firstly, we see that Paul refers to the message he had preached as 'sound words'. The Greek word he used meant 'healthy' words. It's the word from which we get our English word 'hygienic'. When a runner receives the baton in a relay race their job is to grab it tightly and run for all their worth. They mustn't stop to look at the baton and wonder if they could make any changes to it to make it easier to hold, or lighter to run with. So too, believers are not called to try and reshape the gospel message to make it more acceptable to others, or less dangerous to themselves. We are to pass on the message in the pattern we received it.
My other thought was from what we read of the man named Onesiphorus. Look again at what Paul said of him in vs 16-18. What a contrast to the two people Paul mentions in vs 15.
The background to this is that being a Christian in the city of Rome, as in many other places, had become risky and dangerous. So to make an effort to visit and assist someone who was in prison for being a Christian was likely to put one's own life in danger too. That's why, sadly, many believers began to distance themselves from Paul. After all, he would've been looked upon by the Romans as one of the 'ring leaders' of this message that put Jesus Christ above Caesar. But that wasn't true of Onesiphorus.
We know very little of him. He's only mentioned twice in the Bible, both times in the letter we're looking at. Apart from not being ashamed to make the effort to find out where Paul was being held in prison, and then to visit him, Paul says to Timothy: “You well know all the service he rendered at Ephesus.” Onesiphorus obviously loved Paul and had served him and other Christians before. It's possible that it was Paul who had led him to faith in Jesus Christ.
It's often the case that in a team taking part in a competition, some of the squad might be less known than others. In football we may only remember years later the one who scored the winning goal. But each member of the team had a part to play. Our part in the gospel may be a small one. But, like Onesiphorus, if we are faithful we can also look forward to God's mercy on the day when Jesus returns.