2 Timothy 1

Remember what we said about observing the atmosphere of a text? How we should consider the setting of both the writer and the reader? When we do that here we see that Paul wrote this letter to Timothy while he was in Rome—awaiting execution. He had been sentenced to death for proclaiming the gospel in Jerusalem. There in Rome he was facing not only death but also the end of his ministry, and abandonment by most of those closest to him. And then he writes this letter to encourage Timothy.

Paul starts by telling Timothy not to be ashamed of the gospel, nor of himself (Paul), since he was in prison (vs 8a). Instead, he tells Timothy to "guard the good deposit" (vs 14), entrusted to him, and "share in suffering for the gospel," which is the holy calling to which he had been called (vs 8b-9a).

But this sharing is not only with Paul, it's also and primarily with Jesus, "who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel" (vs 10b). This was God's purpose: that even before the ages began we would receive grace through the suffering and death of Jesus Christ (vs 9b-10a).

So because Christ suffered and died for us, we are to share with him in suffering for the gospel. Paul shared in this suffering; you will feel the weight of that on his shoulders as we read through the rest of his letter. Are you willing to join him? You have been given the Holy Spirit as a deposit, a guarantor of your future reward in heaven. Are you guarding it with everything you've got, even if it means subjecting yourself to pain and suffering to protect it?