In this session we will focus on the how we build our lives on the gospel, and how we will pass the faith to others because God has given us his Spirit who guides and empowers us.
How much do you know about your spiritual lineage? Who passed the faith down to you?
Passing the gospel down to others is a key tenet of the Christian faith. And in the opening passages of 2 Timothy, Paul’s second letter to his “true son in the faith” (1 Tim. 1:2), we get a front-row seat to the passing of the torch of faith. In this first session, pastor Joby Martin teaches us about receiving the faith, passing on the faith, and, even in the face of fear and suffering, standing firm in the faith. We’ll see that the Spirit of God whom we’ve received—who lives in us—does not make us fearful but guards us and gives us power for sharing our faith in God with others.
1Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God according to the promise of the life that is in Christ Jesus,
2To Timothy, my beloved child Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
Guard the Deposit Entrusted to You
3I thank God whom I serve, as did my ancestors, with a clear conscience, as I remember you constantly in my prayers night and day. 4As I remember your tears, I long to see you, that I may be filled with joy. 5I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well. 6For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, 7for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.
8Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, 9who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, 10and which now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, 11for which I was appointed a preacher and apostle and teacher, 12which is why I suffer as I do. But I am 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. 13Follow the pattern of the sound words that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 14By the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, guard the good deposit entrusted to you.
15You are aware that all who are in Asia turned away from me, among whom are Phygelus and Hermogenes. 16May the Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, for he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains, 17but when he arrived in Rome he searched for me earnestly and found me— 18may the Lord grant him to find mercy from the Lord on that day!—and you well know all the service he rendered at Ephesus. – 2 Timothy ESV
Watch RightNowMedia – 1: 2 Timothy 1:1–18 (13 minutes).
Joby introduced the book of 2 Timothy by saying that throughout this letter we’ll see the apostle Paul “passing the torch to young Timothy,” or handing the responsibilities of a pastor down to him. Regarding the Christian faith, what does it mean to “pass the torch” to another person? Why did Paul need to “pass the torch” to Timothy? To what extent is it important for all Christians to “pass the torch” to other Christians?
The opening line of Paul’s letter to Timothy is different from most of our modern letters—it’s jam-packed with theology. In it, he calls himself an apostle of Christ Jesus “by God’s will.” In other words, he’s been chosen by God and appointed to do the work he’s doing. When you recount your story of coming to faith, can you see God’s will at work? How so?
We get our first glimpse of Paul passing the torch in verse 2 when he refers to Timothy as his “dearly loved son.” Paul views Timothy as the torch-bearer, or the next generation of disciple-makers in his spiritual lineage. How can his statement (“my dearly loved son”) help inform the way you read this letter? How can it inform the way you view the task of disciple-making?
Do you have anyone in your life whom you could refer to as your dearly loved family member? If so, who? What priority do you place on passing the torch of faith to them?
In verses 3–4, Paul writes about the act of remembering. He remembers Timothy in his prayers, and he remembers Timothy’s tears and his sincere faith. This act of remembering leads Paul to thankfulness and stirs up a longing to see Timothy again. In what ways is the act of remembering important to the Christian life? How often do you set aside time for the practice of remembering?
One of the themes of this session and of the entire letter, as Joby mentioned, is the idea of passing on our faith. And in verse 5, we get another glimpse of handing down the faith when Paul mentions Timothy’s lineage of faith, a faith that was transferred from his grandmother Lois to his mother, Eunice, and then on to him. How far back can you trace your spiritual lineage? Who are the people who have shaped your faith?
In what ways is it important to you to continue the legacy of faith that has been passed down to you? How can you continue to cultivate a longing for handing down the faith to others?
Paul goes on to encourage Timothy to “fan into flame” the gift of God that is in him, meaning to cultivate and grow the gifts God had given him. How can we rekindle or strengthen the gifts God has implanted in us? In what ways do you personally strive to grow in your gifting?
The language Paul uses in verse 6, Joby said, hearkens back to the book of Acts, which is where we find some of Timothy’s spiritual biography. And it’s here in verse 6 where Joby encouraged us to “use the Bible as commentary to itself,” or be so familiar with Scripture that we know and use its references as we study. How does knowing the Bible well help us to read it well? How well would you say you know your Bible? What practices do you have in place to continue learning your Bible?
The second part of verse 6 is a passage many of us often quote: “for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” Commenting on this verse, Joby said that fear isn’t simply a feeling or emotion, but “a spirit that does not come from God.” To what extent do you struggle with fear? In what ways does it help you to reframe fear as a spirit instead of simply a feeling or emotion?
Building on what he’s written thus far, Paul proceeds in verse 8 to encourage Timothy further. “Do not be ashamed,” he says, “but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God.” Should we also be prepared to suffer for the gospel? How can we prepare for suffering?
Have you ever had to suffer for the sake of your faith? What was that like and to what degree were you prepared for it?
In the next few verses (v13-18) of the chapter, Paul shares why he’s unashamed of the gospel and why he’s able to endure suffering: because he knows the gospel and he believes it, and he knows the Christ in whom he believes. In what ways has knowing Christ and his gospel helped you when you’ve suffered?
Each member of the Godhead is intimately involved in the work of salvation, which includes the role we play in passing on the faith. Salvation comes from God the Father, through Christ the Son, by the Holy Spirit, who empowers us, keeps us, and guides us as we pass the gospel to others. In what ways does it give you confidence to know that God is intimately involved in your effort to pass the faith to others?
Paul charges Timothy in verse 13 to “follow the pattern of sound words” that Timothy had heard from him. In the CSB, this statement is rendered, “hold on to the pattern of sound teaching.” Paul is instructing Timothy to hold fast to what he’s been taught. How easy do you find it to drift from what you know to be true? Why?
What measures do you personally take to “hold on to the pattern of sound teaching” that you’ve received?
Near the end of chapter 1, Paul laments that so many in the province of Asia had deserted him. But there is one bright spot: Onesiphorus. Consistent with his name (Onesiphorus means “one bringing usefulness”), he sought out Paul while he was in Rome and refreshed him. What can we learn from the example of Onesiphorus in these few verses? What opportunities do you have now to mimic the outgoing service that Onesiphorus models?
Joby summed up Paul’s instruction to Timothy in chapter 1 with this statement: “build your life and ministry on the gospel.” Are your life and ministry built on the gospel? How do you know?
How do Paul’s words encourage you when he says, “God gave [you] a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control”? What can you do to build your life on these words and use them to help guide and empower your daily walk with God?