Pastorals: The Precious Gospel

Pastorals Message Twenty-Five

2 Timothy 1:13-14

ETS: Paul instructed Timothy to continue on the ministry handling the Gospel with great care.

ESS: We should handle the Gospel with great care, maintaining and guarding the truth.

OSS: [MO: Consecrative] {SO: I want the hearers to commit to careful Gospel handling}

PQ: What lessons can we learn from these verses?

UW: Lessons

Intro.:

TS: Let us examine a few lessons learned from these two verses:

We should keep the Gospel, the Gospel. (v. 13)

ἔχε- This imperative means to hold, to maintain.

The idea communicated is not that there is a specific “formula” for sharing the Gospel. Paul trusted Timothy to use his own personality and style to share the Gospel, but he communicated that it was of utmost importance to hold to or keep the “pattern” or “example” meaning- the outline, the basic guidelines of the Gospel which have been passed down. We must keep the Gospel, the Gospel.

Notice the manner by which Paul instructed Timothy to do this: in a manner of faith and love which flow from the realm of a relationship with Jesus.

Application: We must keep the Gospel the Gospel, holding the truths thereof with love and faith which flow from a relationship with Jesus.

We should guard the Gospel. (v. 14)

The Gospel message and ministry is what is considered the “good deposit” in this verse. The terminology is similar to that used in v. 12, but here, it gives the connotation that Paul was entrusting the ministry work and investment in Ephesus to Timothy to continue the advancement of the Gospel.

Thus, here, he specifically charges Timothy to “guard the good deposit,” but he charges him to do so not on his own strength and ability, but through the means/agency of the Holy Spirit.

Application: We are entrusted with the Gospel- both the Message and the Ministry thereof. We must guard it through the Holy Spirit’s power working within us.

CONCLUSION: Notice the description of the Gospel here: “the pattern”; “sound teaching”; “the good deposit”- these words used remind us of “the preciousness and the unchanging” qualities of the Gospel (Platt, 154). Thus, when we handle the Gospel, we must handle it with respect and with careful handling- keeping the Gospel, the Gospel and guarding it from any false or heretical teaching that may try to sneak in and change it. What will it take for you to join in the Gospel ministry- to invest your time and energy in the Message and Ministry which has been entrusted to you?