Entrusted With the Gospel

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1. Paul’s Testimony (verses 11-12)
2. Timothy’s Trust (verses 13-14)

Before you take a long journey, you often set things straight at home. If you are away for the weekend, you might ask your neighbors to take in your paper and check your mail. If you are away for several weeks, you might line up someone to mow your lawn. If you are going abroad, far away from home, you might make sure that your will is in place.

And if you die in your old age, your last days will be about setting things in order. You may revise your will. You may give last minute instructions to your family. You may tell them about your grandmother’s heirloom that you want to entrust to your oldest child.

Well, that’s where Paul is when he writes his second epistle to Timothy. He is soon to be killed for serving Christ. And he is giving his beloved child in the faith his final instructions before he meets the executioner. He is setting things straight. And to Timothy, he entrusts the gospel.

Consider the text, ...

2 Timothy 1:8-14
Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord or of me His prisoner, but join with me in suffering for the gospel according to the power of God, who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity, but now has been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, for which I was appointed a preacher and an apostle and a teacher. For this reason I also suffer these things, but I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day. Retain the standard of sound words which you have heard from me, in the faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. Guard, through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, the treasure which has been entrusted to you.

My message this morning is entitled, "Entrusted with the Gospel." Paul gives testimony to how he was entrusted with the gospel. Timothy is given the task of being entrusted with the gospel.

In verses 11 and 12, we see ...
1. Paul’s Testimony (verses 11-12)

That’s my first point this morning: Paul’s testimony. In verses 11 and 12, Paul speaks about his own experiences with the gospel. God had entrusted Him with the gospel.

Look again at verse 11. He says, "I have been appointed a preacher and an apostle and a teacher." This was God’s work in Paul’s life. Paul didn’t set himself up to be the greater leader whom all should listen to and all should follow. No, God, Himself, appointed Paul to be a preacher and an apostle and a teacher.

You can read the account of it in Acts, chapter 9. Paul (who at that time was named Saul), was headed off to Damascus to persecute the Christians. He had papers in his hand to bring the Christians in that city back to Jerusalem bound by chains (Acts 9:2). As He was traveling along the road, a light from heaven flashed all around him, blinding him (Acts 9:3, 8). It was the voice of Jesus, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?"

Jesus then sent Saul into Damascus, where he fasted for three days, awaiting word from Jesus (Acts 9:6, 9). Jesus then met up with a man named Ananias, and said, "Get up and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying, ... he is a chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel; for I will show him how much he must suffer for My name’s sake" (Acts 9:11, 15, 16).

Although the word isn’t used here, this is what an apostle is. He is one sent. He is one sent from the authority. In this case, Paul was sent into the world with the authority of Jesus Christ.

He went to preach. We read, in Acts 9, that after Ananias had met with Saul, he went to Damascus and was with the disciples for a few days. Then, "He began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, saying, ‘He is the Son of God’" (Acts 9:20). This is what a preacher is. A preacher is a "proclaimer." A preacher is a "herald." A preacher is the one who has been invested with authority from the king to come and "announces the news." Particularly, here, Paul was testifying of the good news of Jesus Christ -- that Jesus was indeed the Son of God, that Jesus was indeed the Messiah, that forgiveness of sins comes through His name, not through law-keeping. Jesus Christ has come into the world to save sinners (1 Tim. 1:15). Today is a day of good news. All who repent of their sins and place their trust in Jesus Christ will be forgiven of their sins and given a new life.

This is the message that we proclaim. Jesus is the Messiah! He is able to save all who call upon His name! That’s the message that Paul was proclaiming in the synagogues all throughout Damascus. When the Jews were questioning his message, he was "confounding the Jews who lived at Damascus by proving that this Jesus is the Christ."

Here you see Paul’s teaching ministry. Rather than picking up his megaphone and announcing to the world that Jesus was the Messiah, he was opening his Old Testament, and going from passage to passage, demonstrating how Jesus fulfilled the prophesies. I’m sure that there was some dialogue back and forth. That’s what a teacher does, he shows truth from the Scriptures, seeking to persuade from the mind. The preacher aims for the heart.

And that’s what Paul was. He was a preacher and an apostle and a teacher. In 1 Timothy 2:7, Paul had identified himself using the same things. Each of these roles were all toward one end: to persuade people to put their hope in God. God appointed him to these things. Or, if you will, God entrusted him with the gospel to spread to all the world! And Paul knew that. And Paul also knew that God would strengthen him for the task. He wasn’t all alone in these things.

In chapter 4, verse 17, Paul spoke of God’s help in his life to spread the gospel to the world. He writes, "The Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that through me the proclamation might be fully accomplished, and that all the Gentiles might hear." This is the very thing that God commissioned Paul to do -- to preach the gospel to the Gentiles. And Paul knew that this was no easy task. In fact, the gospel had brought suffering into his life. He says in verse 12, "For this reason I also suffer these things."

Paul’s commission to be a minister of the gospel was the reason why he was in prison. His faithfulness to proclaim the gospel was the reason why he had been beaten times without number, received 39 lashes from the Jews on 5 occasions, been stoned, been shipwrecked, experienced many dangers from the sea, the Gentiles, the city, the wilderness and from false brethren. His faithfulness was the reason he had taken upon himself the burdens of the churches (2 Cor. 11:23-28) All because he had been entrusted with the gospel.

But, according to verse 12, he wasn’t ashamed, "... but I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day." Paul willingly took these sufferings upon himself with no regard to himself. In chapter 1, verse 8, Paul had admonished Timothy not to be ashamed. And now, in verse 12, Paul, himself says, "I am not ashamed." I have not been defeated. My hopes had not been disappointed. I knew that the gospel was the power of God for salvation to those who believe (Rom. 1:16).

Why wasn’t Paul ashamed? He says it right here in verse 12, "I know whom I have believed." There was a man names Justin Martyr who became a martyr for his faith. Moments before Justin Martyr was to be killed for his faith, the Roman prefect asked him whether he believed that he would ascend to heaven after his decapitation. Justin Martyr replied, "I am so sure of the grace which Jesus Christ has obtained for me that not a shadow of a doubt can enter my mind." ^[1]

Now, notice the relative pronoun in verse 12, "I know whom I have believed." It’s not "what" Paul believes that is helping him here. It's not "in whom" he believed. It is "who" Paul believes. He believes in the living Christ, Jesus, raised from the dead. Believing Him makes all the difference.

Charles Spurgeon tells the story of when James W. Alexander was dying. His wife was with him, seeking to comfort him with these words. She said to him, "I know in whom I have believed." And on his deathbed, he corrected her by saying, "Not in whom I have believed," but "I know whom I have believed." Spurgeon makes the comment, "He would not even suffer a little preposition to be between his soul and his Savior." ^[2]

See, it’s not our doctrine that saves us. It’s a person who saves us. It is Jesus Christ who saves us. Paul knew that. Paul was convinced of that. And that’s why he wasn’t ashamed. Such was the heart of Paul.

Now, I need to make a comment about verse 12. It can be translated one of two ways. It can read like most versions: "I know Whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I’ve committed unto Him until that day" (verse 12). Or, it can read like the ESV translates it, "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." The first translation understands this as Paul entrusting his life to God. The second translation understands this as God entrusting the gospel to Paul.

In both translations, it is God who guarantees the deposit, whether my life in His hands or His gospel in my hands. Both realities are true. So, however we interpret this text, our understanding is Biblical. Personally, I believe that the first translation is better, as it is a better rendering of the Greek text, whereas the second translation fits better into the context, especially verses 13 and 14 and 1 Timothy 6:20.

I believe that the flow of the passage goes like this. God had entrusted the gospel to Paul. Paul, in turn, had entrusted his life, his ministry, and his all to God. As a result, Paul had an unwavering trust in this, "I am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day" (verse 12). Paul had entrusted his whole life. Paul had entrusted his whole eternity to God. And he is convinced that God can keep him, guard him, protect him and help him "until that day." He’s talking about the day that Christ returns. Or, the day when Paul dies.

Three times in this short letter, Paul refers to "that day." The first is the one we are speaking of now, in verse 12. Once more came in chapter 1, verse 18, when he prayed for mercy on Onesiphorus, "the Lord grant to him to find mercy from the Lord on that day." The other time came in Chapter 4, verse 8, when Paul was considering his own future, "In the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing."

Notice the confidence. Notice the commitment. Notice the assurance. God had entrusted Paul with the gospel. Paul had entrusted everything to God. And he was fully assured that God would sustain him until the end.

Now, what about you? You may not have been appointed by God as a preacher, apostle or a teacher. But, He may have appointed you as a mother. He may have appointed you as a sheet metal worker. He may have appointed you as a printer or an engineer or a carpenter. And in some regard all of us have been entrusted with the gospel. We need to communicate it with our children. We need to communicate it with our family and neighbors and coworkers.

Furthermore, we have a need to live faithfully until the end. We have a need not to desert the gospel in our own lives, but to live lives consistent with the realities of the gospel until our final day.

The thing that’s going to help us to do so is our belief and confidence in the saving power of God in our lives. When we come to trust in the Lord like we trust in gravity, there is nothing that will ever stand in our way of serving Him faithfully until the end, even if it means suffering.

I love how limited our knowledge needs to be. Ultimately, Paul was trusting in one thing -- God. We don’t need to know all of the intricacies of theology. We don’t need to know all of the proof texts in the Bible. We don’t need to know how to answer the cults or the wayward philosophies of life. No, we need to know one thing. We need to know Jesus. "I know whom I have believed."

I was speaking with someone recently who had some Jehovah’s Witnesses come to her door. She responded perfectly, not with a full knowledge of their abhorrent theology, not with proofs of the deity of Christ, but with the simple gospel of Christ. In following up, I even encouraged this woman the next time they come to show her love and devotion and adoration to Jesus. That’s one thing that cults don’t have. They have their "truth" and want to propagate it. They twist the scripture to prove their point. But, we have our Savior, to whom we cling for all things.

So, in meeting the cults, show confidence in your faith in Jesus, "I know whom I have believed." Show an affection and a tenderness for Jesus, "I love my Savior." Give testimony to God’s saving grace in your life, "Jesus has been so gracious to save me; I just can’t get over it." These things are sufficient for your soul. These things are sufficient to combat the enemy.

It wasn’t with accident that Paul, while coming to Corinth, said, "I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified" (1 Cor. 2:2). It wasn’t with accident that the great desire of Paul’s heart was to know Jesus Christ. He says in Philippians 3:10, "that I may know Him." That is, in a deeper and deeper way. Knowing Jesus was the consuming desire of Paul’s heart. "I know Whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I’ve committed unto Him until that day" (verse 12).

The words of verse 12 have ministered greatly to many down through the centuries. Daniel Whittle wrote a song that repeats this verse as the refrain. Turn in your hymnals to hymn #527. We’ll sing this song at the end of my message.

Daniel Whittle was saved when fighting in the Civil War in the 1860's. I want for you to pay particular attention to the verses. All of them speak of the things that we don’t really know or understand, and then comes the refrain,