TEXT: II Timothy 1:8-12

SUBJECT: Exposition of II Timothy #4: Be Bold!

II Timothy is an old preacher's letter to a young man in the ministry. The old man is Paul, now jailed in Rome and facing the chopper's block. The young preacher is Timothy, whose work must be done under the same conditions...and worse. Paul is preparing him for the challenge. He tells Timothy the sort of man he must become if he would be a faithful servant of Christ. What traits does the young preacher need?

Last time, we learned that he must have zeal. He can't be satisfied with a half-hearted performance, but must "stir up the gift of God which is in him". Make the most of what he has. This isn't easy in the best of times. It will be doubly difficult in the worst. Yet it's not beyond Timothy, for "God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind". And by the use of these, Timothy can "stir up the gift of God which is in him". And so can you, whatever your gifts may be.

The second trait Timothy needs is boldness--a willingness to stand up and to speak up for Jesus Christ. Some preachers are thought bold who are really just obnoxious. Boldness honors Christ--not yourself or your party. And boldness is always tempered with humility and love.

The duty is found in v.8; it is put in two ways. Negatively, "Do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord nor of me His prisoner". On the surface, there was ample reason to be ashamed. The Founder of Timothy's religion was a convicted criminal and its leading advocate was now in jail. Furthermore, most Romans were tolerant in religion, while Christianity was "narrow-minded". Finally, to confess "Jesus is Lord" was to deny the Lordship of Caesar, which was a very unpopular--and dangerous--idea to express in public. Because of these factors, and others, Timothy, it seems, was starting to feel ashamed.

But I don't have to prove that to you, do I? You've felt that way, too, haven't you? It's embarrassing to admit, but still true: Most Christians are, at times, ashamed of Jesus Christ. Charles Bridges, d. 1869, could have been writing of us:

Positively, "share with me in the sufferings of the Gospel". This means that Timothy is not to withdraw himself because the battle is hot, but to charge into it, whatever the consequences. "And if I perish, I perish" cried Esther. Isaac Watts had the idea:

I'll bear the toil,

Endure the pain,

Supported by Thy Word.

Timothy is scared; Paul wants to help him. But how? Not by making him feel guilty or by mocking his fear. I've heard preachers lambaste their churches for not witnessing more: "Aren't you ashamed of yourself for being ashamed of Christ?" they bellow. Of course we are. We agree with the hymn:

Jesus and shall it ever be,

A mortal man ashamed of Thee?

Ashamed of Thee whom Angels praise,

Whose glories shine through endless days!

But "being ashamed of being ashamed" only makes us more ashamed. And spiritually paralyzed. Paul employs a very different incentive--two in fact.

The first, and most important, is the Gospel itself, vv.9-10. The glory of the Gospel casts out fear like nothing else can. If you want to be unashamed of the Gospel, meditate on it! The Apostles weren't unusually brave men, yet they preached with shocking boldness. Why? "We cannot but speak the things we have seen and heard". Even the rulers had to admit: "They had been with Jesus".

Is there anything shameful in the Gospel? It is of God. It is by grace. It is to holiness. It is revealed by Jesus Christ, who in performing His work on our behalf, did two things:

Thinking deeply and often on the Gospel will make Timothy "not ashamed". It will do the same for you. As it is written:

"Whoever believes in Him

Shall not be ashamed".

The other incentive Paul uses to excite Timothy to boldness is his own example, vv.11-12.

If any man should be ashamed of the Gospel, it would be Paul. For he is no ordinary Christian, but "a preacher, an Apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles". He is a "preacher". This means "town crier"-- a man who goes from place to place announcing "The Good News". Indiscriminately; all must hear it. He is an "Apostle", that is, "one sent out from another with a message". He doesn't speak for himself, but represents the Lord Jesus to men. He is a "teacher". Not only must he impart the Gospel of Christ, he must do the meticulous work of explaining it to all--to the intellectual, to the dullard, and to every one in-between. This hard work he must do among "the Gentiles", a people both skeptical and superstitious. They would make him "the gazing stock" and "the offscouring of all things". Yet he would not be ashamed.

Why not? What was the secret of his success? A deep and personal knowledge of Jesus Christ. "I know Whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that day".

It is a closer walk with Christ that will make you bold in the Gospel. Nothing else can. Pride can make you bold in yourself. Learning can make you bold in theology. A quick wit can make you bold in debate. But only piety can make you "not ashamed of the testimony of our Lord".

If Timothy is to be an evangelist, pleasing to God, he must be bold. Not rash, not rude, not offensive, but willing to speak up for Christ. The same is true of other preachers. Pray for us that we "may speak boldly, as we ought to speak". But not only preachers need this humble courage, all believers do. Pray for boldness and act upon what God gives you. In short,

"Sanctify the Lord God in your hearts,

And be always ready to give an answer

To every man who asks you a reason

For the hope that is in you,

In meekness and in fear".

May God make us such, for Christ's sake. Amen.