The Christian message has been controversial and unpopular for 2,000 years and is not about to change.
As we open 2 Timothy, we read what is very likely the apostle Paul’s final letter and therefore his parting words.[1] This adds a unique character to the letter in addition to its personal nature.
We see the impending death of a man who had given his life so zealously for the Kingdom of God who is essentially passing the torch to his spiritual son, Timothy.
With this, the apostle calls him to boldness for the sake of the gospel:
“For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, 7 for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control” (2 Tim. 1:6-7).
While the context does not tell us exactly what gift the apostle is talking about, the message to Timothy is clear regardless: Timothy, do not let timidity rule your life! The apostle is calling his ministry protégé to boldness, knowing that he would be departing from this life.
For the Spirit of God is not a spirit that brings fear. Now, the Greek word underlying “fear” has the specific nuance of, “a state of fear because of a lack of courage or moral strength.”[2]
The concern here is not general fear, fear of the dark, fear of heights, or fear of snakes. Rather, it is a fear that would make the believer timid with their profession and willing to compromise. It is cowardice.
Instead, the Holy Spirit grants power, love, and self-control, or the ability to exercise prudence.[3]
The apostle Paul was finding out who his true friends were as he underwent suffering.
While writing this letter, he was once again in prison, “bound with chains as a criminal (2 Tim. 2:9). With this, many had left him. Those in Asia, specifically Phygelus and Hermogenes, had abandoned Paul when things went south for him (2 Tim. 1:15).
Knowing that hardships caused many to abandon the gospel and its messengers, the apostle calls Timothy to boldness. He calls him to be unashamed about the testimony of Jesus and about Paul as a prisoner (2 Tim. 1:8).
Paul himself was unashamed, knowing the One in whom he had believed (2 Tim. 2:12). He knew that to depart from this life was to go and to be with Christ (Phil. 1:21-23). He was faithful until the end, no matter what trials came his way.
Now the baton was being passed to Timothy. Would he guard the truth? Would he remain steadfast in his profession of gospel truth, not fearing what trials might come his way as a result?
Today, we live in an increasingly hostile world that hates Christ. This might tempt us at times to shrink in fear and to be ashamed of the gospel because it is so controversial.
But let us not lose sight of the fact that the exclusivity of the gospel was always a problem for nonbelievers.
In the first century, Roman syncretism had no problem accepting other gods and essentially identifying them as members of their pantheon. To this, the Christians would claim that there was but One. He was not part of the pantheon. He was God alone, the only true and living God and the only way to Him was through His Son Jesus Christ.
As years passed on, countless Christians lost their lives for their profession.
Concerning martyrs, in the Revelation it is written:
“And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death” (Rev. 12:11).
Could this be written of us? Will we fan into flame that which God has given to us and be emboldened and unashamed of the gospel (Rom. 1:16), or will we bow to the idolaters of our day who want to silence our message?
[1] Clinton E. Arnold, Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary: Romans to Philemon. (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2002), 480.
[2] Johannes P. Louw and Eugene Albert Nida, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Based on Semantic Domains (New York: United Bible Societies, 1996) 316.
[3] William Arndt et al., A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000), 987.