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There’s only one Gospel. There’s only one Gospel. There’s. Only. ONE. Gospel.
Paul continues to reiterate the fact that the Gospel requires sacrifice, suffering, and even imprisonment. Suffer. Hardworking. Endure. Faithful. These are all characteristics of someone who is following Jesus. These are traits of obedience. In 2 Timothy 1, Paul urged Timothy to guard what has been entrusted to him. Guarding means more than just understanding… it means action.
Paul’s attitude is one of embracing suffering to that God’s message can flourish. He makes the statement that he is bound, but God’s message is not. This is why we press forward and endure. There are other “Pauls” out there who are currently hostile to God but who are waiting on a Spirit-led message to break through their hardened hearts. I think Paul viewed his suffering as minimal compared to the immeasurable return on investment being produced by the Spirit.
Another topic Paul continues to hammer is the idea that Timothy must avoid useless debates with divisive people. He even calls out two men specifically.
But avoid irreverent, empty speech, for this will produce an even greater measure of godlessness. 17 And their word will spread like gangrene; Hymenaeus and Philetus are among them. 18 They have deviated from the truth, saying that the resurrection has already taken place, and are overturning the faith of some.
2 Timothy 2:16-18 HCSB
Like gangrene… what an image! These two were teaching that a resurrection had already taken place which was a direct assault on Paul’s teaching that our bodily resurrection will take place after death. This was serious because it changed Salvation to complete instead of “yet to come.”
“…this doctrine forced a radical reorientation of the church’s view of salvation and the Christian life. The realized resurrection meant the completion of salvation. Since this pertained only to the spirit, life in the flesh and life in the world diminished in importance.”
IVP Commentary
If a resurrection has already occurred to the point of Salvation being made complete in me, why should I continue to participate here on Earth? Furthermore, it gives a license to sin knowing that you are already “complete” in a spiritual sense. When you remove this foundational principle from the Gospel, everything begins to crumble.
“This false resurrection teaching (which they called “knowledge” – 1Ti 6:21) was the antithesis of the gospel (the truth, 2Ti 2:17; the faith, 1Ti 1:6; 1Ti 6:21) taught by the apostles.”
IVP Commentary
Interestingly, Paul warned Timothy against debating such nonsense. In fact, he said it would contribute to an even greater degree of ungodliness.
These are both concepts that no one has mastered. Embracing suffering is difficult. The act of restraining ourselves from divisive, ignorant people is equally difficult. I would argue that the world today teaches the exact opposite of both points. The world would say, embrace what feels good and destroy anyone who disagrees with you. Many so-called Christians do not realize how radical Jesus’ teachings actually are.
A Christian life is a life of learning, failing, sacrificing, and enduring. This is the life that Paul and many other Jesus-followers exemplified.