2 Timothy 1.12a-Paul Suffered Many Things Because of His Divine Appointment But Never Was Ashamed Because of Suffering For This Appointment
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Wednesday March 4, 2015
Second Timothy: Second Timothy 1:12a-Paul Suffered Many Things Because of His Divine Appointment But Never Was Ashamed Because of Suffering For This Appointment
Lesson # 17
2 Timothy 1:3 I thank God, whom I serve with a clear conscience the way my forefathers did, as I constantly remember you in my prayers night and day, 4 longing to see you, even as I recall your tears, so that I may be filled with joy. 5 For I am mindful of the sincere faith within you, which first dwelt in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am sure that it is in you as well. 6 For this reason I remind you to kindle afresh the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. 7 For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline. 8 Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord or of me His prisoner, but join with me in suffering for the gospel according to the power of God 9 who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity 10 but now has been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel 11 for which I was appointed a preacher and an apostle and a teacher. 12 For this reason I also suffer these things, but I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day. (NASB95)
“For this reason” is composed of the following: (1) preposition dia (διά), “for” (2) relative pronoun hos (ὅς), “this” (3) noun aitia (αἰτία), “reason” (4) conjunction kai (καί), “also.”
The preposition dia is a marker of cause denoting the basis or reason for the following statement here in verse 12 that Paul suffered because he was appointed by the Lord to be a herald, an apostle and a teacher of the gospel.
The relative pronoun hos is the object of the preposition dia and is used with reference to the previous statement in verse 11 that Paul was appointed by the Lord to be a herald, an apostle and a teacher of the gospel.
The noun aitia means “reason” since it refers to the basis or grounds for a particular action and here it is referring to the basis or the reason for Paul suffering.
Therefore, this prepositional phrase indicates that Paul suffered many things because the Lord appointed him to be a herald, an apostle and a teacher of the gospel.
“Also” is the conjunction kai (καί), which is adjunctive meaning it is introducing a clause which serves as an addition to the statement in verse 11.
Therefore, it indicates that “in addition to” being appointed by the Lord to be a herald of the gospel, an apostle and a teacher of the gospel, Paul suffered many things because of this divine appointment.
“I suffer these things” is composed of the following: (1) demonstrative pronoun houtos (οὗτος), “these things” (6) verb paschō (πάσχω), “I suffer.”
The verb paschō means “to suffer” in the sense of experiencing suffering or undergoing suffering and is used in relation to the undeserved suffering of the apostle Paul as a result of his divine appointment to be a herald for the gospel, an apostle and a teacher of the gospel.
The plural form of the demonstrative pronoun houtos means “many things” and is a comprehensive term which refers to all the suffering that Paul experienced during his second Roman imprisonment which he mentions in Second Timothy 1:8.
The word speaks of the hardships that he was experiencing during his second Roman imprisonment when he wrote this epistle to Timothy.
“But I am not ashamed” is composed of the following: (1) conjunction alla (ἀλλά), “but” (8) emphatic negative adverb ou (οὐ), “not” (2) verb epaischunomai (ἐπαισχύνομαι), “I am ashamed.”
The strong adversative conjunction alla means “but in fact” since it is a marker of an emphatic contrast between Paul suffering many hardships during his second Roman imprisonment because of his divine appointment and his never being ashamed because of suffering because of this appointment.
The contrast is clearly implied from Second Timothy 1:8 which is being ashamed because of suffering because of this divine appointment in communicating the gospel.
Therefore, the emphatic contrast is between being ashamed because of being appointed by the Lord to communicate the gospel and never being ashamed because of suffering because of the gospel.
As was the case in Second Timothy 1:8, the verb epaischunomai here in Second Timothy 1:12 means, “to experience or feel total and complete shame or disgrace because of some particular activity.”
In Second Timothy 1:12, the verb’s meaning is emphatically negated by the emphatic negative adverb ou which means “never” since it is used to emphatically to deny the reality of an alleged fact occurring.
It is a clear cut, point-blank negative, which is objective and final.
Therefore, these two words emphatically deny the reality of Paul being ashamed because of suffering for the communication of the gospel.
Second Timothy 1:3 I make it my habit of expressing gratitude to God (the Father), whom I make it a habit of serving with a clear conscience as the forefathers, when I always make it my habit of bringing you into remembrance during my intercessory prayer requests during the day as well as during the night. 4 Consequently, I greatly desire to see you when I remember your tears in order that I would become filled with joy. 5 I make it my habit of expressing gratitude to God (the Father) because I have clung to the memory of your sincere faith which first lived in your grandmother Lois as well as in your mother Eunice. Indeed, I am convinced that it lives in you. 6 For this reason, I want to cause you, at this particular time, to remember to continue making it your habit of exercising with enthusiasm the spiritual gift originating from God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. 7 For God (the Father) by no means gave each and every one of us a Spirit who produces cowardice but rather power as well as divine-love and in addition self-discipline. 8 Therefore, do not permit yourself to be ashamed of the Lord’s testimony or me, His prisoner but rather I solemnly urge you to accept your share of suffering for sake of the gospel in accordance with the power produced by God. 9 The one who saved each and every one of us. Indeed, the one who effectually called each and every one of us by means of an invitation to privilege which is holy. Never because of our meritorious actions but rather because of His own gracious predetermined plan which was brought into existence for the benefit of each and every one of us in association with the Christ who is Jesus before eternal ages. 10 But now has been revealed by means of the appearing of our Savior, Jesus, who is the Christ. On the one hand, He broke the power of (eternal) death while on the other hand He made fully known (eternal) life by revealing it as well as immortality through the proclamation of the gospel 11 for which I myself was appointed a herald as well as an apostle and in addition a teacher. 12 For this reason, I also suffer many things but in fact I am never ashamed. (My translation)
Verse 12 is connected to the apostle Paul’s previous statement in verse 11 which records him telling Timothy that he was appointed by the Lord to be a herald, an apostle and a teacher of the gospel.
Thus, it reveals that Paul also suffered many things because the Lord appointed him to be a herald, an apostle and a teacher of the gospel.
The apostle is in essence telling Timothy that he was undeservedly suffering the hardships of imprisonment because he was faithful in fulfilling his duties as a herald of the gospel, an apostle and teacher of the gospel.
Then, he emphatically tells Timothy that he is in fact never ashamed that he was suffering because of this divine appointment.
In verse 12, there is a contrast which is clearly implied from Second Timothy 1:8 which is being ashamed because of suffering because of this divine appointment in communicating the gospel.
Therefore, the emphatic contrast is between Paul being ashamed because of being appointed by the Lord to communicate the gospel and his never being ashamed because of suffering because of the gospel.
The apostle was unashamed by his suffering imprisonment for the sake of the communication of the gospel because he was confident that God’s power in his life would enable him to overcome this suffering (cf. Second Timothy 1:8).
Paul is attempting to once again exhort Timothy to suffer with him undeservedly on behalf of the gospel.
He tells his young delegate and friend that he suffered many hardships during his second Roman imprisonment because the Lord appointed him to be a herald of the gospel as well as an apostle and a teacher of the gospel.
So like his statement in verse 9, Paul’s statement here in verse 12 is designed to encourage Timothy to be willing to suffer undeservedly along with him on behalf of the communication of the gospel.
He is exhorting Timothy to endure undeserved suffering with him for the sake of the communication of the gospel.
In other words, the apostle is saying that if my attitude is one of not being ashamed because I am undeservedly suffering many hardships because of being a communicator of the gospel, so you too Timothy should never be ashamed when you too suffer undeservedly for the gospel.
Thus, Paul is telling Timothy here in verse 12 to follow his example.
The fact Paul was treated as a criminal by the Roman Empire which would cause others to have a bad opinion of him, prompted the apostle to encourage Timothy to not be swayed by public opinion of him.
There would be pressure on Timothy to abandon Paul and the gospel as Phygelus and Hermogenes did (cf. 2 Timothy 1:15).
Though Paul was innocent, the public’s view of him in the Empire was not favorable but rather antagonistic towards him and other Christians because they would view Christians as subversive and trouble makers.
Thus, Paul is attempting to exhort Timothy to ignore public opinion and concentrate upon the fact that he was in fact suffering simply because he was communicating the gospel and not because he was subversive or attempting to rebel against the civil authorities in the Roman Empire.