Stay the Course

13 Follow the pattern of the sound words that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 14 By the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, guard the good deposit entrusted to you.

15 You are aware that all who are in Asia turned away from me, among whom are Phygelus and Hermogenes. 16 May the Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, for he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains, 17 but when he arrived in Rome he searched for me earnestly and found me— 18 may 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 1:13-18 ESV

Even while imprisoned in Rome, Paul took a keen interest in the affairs of the many local congregations he helped to start. He wrote many of his pastoral epistles while under arrest, using his time to encourage the church of Jesus Christ, provide doctrinal instruction, offer relevant application of Jesus’ teaching, and occasionally admonish false teachers and all those swayed by their words.

But Paul also used his confinement to write this letter to his young friend and disciple, Timothy, to bolster his faith and strengthen his commitment to his calling as a minister of Christ. Paul knew firsthand the kind of opposition Timothy faced. He also understood the constant pressure his young friend was under to compromise his message and discredit his calling.

Timothy was young, yet he had been thrust into a high-intensity role, responsible for overseeing the growing flock in Ephesus. He was the God-appointed shepherd of the sheep under his care, and Paul knew his young friend was struggling. Even Paul’s imprisonment had left Timothy wrestling with questions and doubts about the future. After all, his mentor had been arrested and accused of crimes against the state, and Paul’s enemies had used his arrest as an opportunity to undermine his work and destroy his reputation. But Paul encouraged Timothy to “never be ashamed to tell others about our Lord. And don’t be ashamed of me, either, even though I’m in prison for him” (2 Timothy 1:8 NLT).

Paul assured Timothy that there was only one reason behind his imprisonment: his preaching of the gospel. He wasn’t an insurrectionist or an enemy of the state; he was simply a “preacher and apostle and teacher” (2 Timothy 1:11 ESV), who had been faithfully fulfilling his God-ordained assignment. So, for him, confinement in prison was a badge of honor, a symbol of his alignment with Christ's sufferings, and Paul wanted Timothy to share that mindset.

Timothy had become part of Paul’s traveling entourage and had watched him preach the good news of Jesus Christ all throughout the Roman Empire. He had witnessed the sheer power of the gospel message as countless individuals from all walks of life placed their faith in Christ. He had seen small congregations spring up in the most unlikely of places. Gentiles who had grown up in pagan cultures worshiping a pantheon of false gods had discovered the truth about Yahweh and His Son. They had turned their backs on idolatry and been restored to a right relationship with the one true God through Jesus Christ.

Timothy must have found all of this incredibly encouraging to his faith. He had enjoyed a front-row-seat experience of the gospel’s transforming power and of Paul’s obvious calling as an ambassador of Jesus Christ. He was compelled to follow Paul’s example, until things went south and Paul was imprisoned. But Paul didn’t want Timothy to lose heart, so he challenged him to quit focusing on his imprisonment and to remember all that he had taught him.

Hold on to the pattern of wholesome teaching you learned from me—a pattern shaped by the faith and love that you have in Christ Jesus. – 2 Timothy 1:13 NLT

Paul’s circumstances had done nothing to alter the gospel message. His imprisonment did not confine the good news any more than Jesus’ death prevented His resurrection and ascension. God's sovereign plan remained intact, and Timothy had a responsibility to continue spreading the message of salvation through faith alone in Christ alone.

Confined to prison, Paul passed on to Timothy the responsibility of preaching the gospel to the Gentiles and warned him to “carefully guard the precious truth that has been entrusted to you” (2 Timothy 1:14 NLT). He was to do it “through the power of the Holy Spirit” (2 Timothy 1:14 NLT). Nothing had changed. Paul’s imprisonment was not a problem for God, and it had not caught the Almighty by surprise or left Him desperately trying to develop a “Plan B.” It was all part of God’s divine strategy, and Paul wanted Timothy to know God had chosen him for this very occasion. God had called, gifted, and empowered Timothy, and then Paul had sent him to Ephesus. He was exactly where he was supposed to be to accomplish what God had for him.

Paul wanted Timothy to understand that his role was not up for debate. He may not have liked the circumstances of his life, but he had no choice but to embrace the gift of grace God bestowed on him.

God saved us and called us to live a holy life. He did this, not because we deserved it, but because that was his plan from before the beginning of time—to show us his grace through Christ Jesus. – 2 Timothy 1:9 NLT

To ensure that Timothy remained faithful to his calling, Paul brought up the actions of two individuals named Phygelus and Hermogenes, who had used Paul’s imprisonment as an excuse to abandon him. These men had evidently played a leadership role among the churches in Asia, and their treatment of Paul had negatively affected those under their care.

In contrast, Paul highlights the efforts of Onesiphorus, who chose to remain faithful to Paul and his ministry despite his imprisonment. Paul points out that this individual and his family “often visited and encouraged me. He was never ashamed of me because I was in chains” (2 Timothy 1:17 NLT). Onesiphorus even made a special trip to Rome to find Paul and encourage him. Paul expressed his gratitude by asking the Lord to show special kindness to this man and his family.

Paul wanted Timothy to model his life after Onesiphorus, not Phygelus and Hermogenes. His young friend was to embrace a mindset of selfless service and sacrificial love, refusing to let life's circumstances deter him from his mission or distract him from his calling. The gospel does not need fair-weather friends who bail at the first sign of trouble. Paul wanted Timothy to know his job would be difficult but not impossible; he would face trials, but he was not alone. Timothy also needed to embrace his role as non-negotiable and fully binding. In fact, in the very next lines of his letter, Paul will call Timothy to “share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 2:3 ESV).

And, as a soldier of Christ, Timothy was obligated to serve faithfully and obediently. That’s why, in his first letter to Timothy, Paul provided him with some strong words of instruction.

But you, Timothy, are a man of God; so run from all these evil things. Pursue righteousness and a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness. Fight the good fight for the true faith. Hold tightly to the eternal life to which God has called you, which you have declared so well before many witnesses. – 1 Timothy 6:11-12 NLT

Paul may have been imprisoned, but Timothy was free to spread the good news of Jesus Christ and continue building up the body of Christ. There was no time to doubt and debate the efficacy of God’s strategy; there was work to be done, and Paul wanted Timothy to know that he was the man for the hour. His young age, inexperience, feelings of inadequacy, fear, and reservations were no match for God’s divine calling and Spirit-empowered gifting for the task at hand. Timothy needed to remain committed to the cause and ready to be used by the One who had called him in the first place.

Father, Your calling on our lives is irrevocable and inarguable. We may not feel qualified or equipped to carry out the mission You have given us, but that does not exempt us from doing Your will. Jesus’ disciples certainly didn’t feel up to the task He gave them. His command to be His “witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8 ESV) was not something they aspired to do. Yet, He had prefaced His command with the reassuring words, “you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you” (Acts 1:8 ESV). They would have all the resources they needed to carry out the work He gave them. And the same is true for me and every other follower of Christ. Like Timothy, we have been called, gifted, and empowered. We enjoy the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit and have access to Your Word and the support of the body of Christ As Peter put it, You have “given us everything we need for life and godliness” (2 Peter 1:3 BSB). Jesus never promised it would be easy. The Christian life is not a walk in the park or a trouble-free existence. But when we do Your will in the power of the Spirit, we find the strength to persevere and joy of watching You work in and through our lives. Never let us lose sight of the mission. Keep us on task and in complete dependence upon You till the work is done and Your Son returns. Amen. 

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The Gift That Keeps On Giving

7 But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ's gift. 8 Therefore it says,

“When he ascended on high he led a host of captives,
    and he gave gifts to men.”

9 (In saying, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth? 10 He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.) 11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. – Ephesians 4:7-14 ESV

Paul has encouraged the believers in Ephesus to live together in unity, recognizing their shared faith and common bond in Christ. God had called them and placed them in the body of Christ, and together, they were to bring glory and honor to God. Paul reminded them that God had given them gifts to make their unification possible. Paraphrasing from Psalm 68:18, Paul emphasized that when Jesus ascended back to heaven, He gave gifts to men. This was fulfilled with the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.

On the day of Pentecost all the believers were meeting together in one place. Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm, and it filled the house where they were sitting. Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them. And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability. – Acts 2:1-4 NLT

Jesus’ departure guaranteed the arrival of the Holy Spirit. Just before His death, He told His disciples, “If you love me, obey my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth” (John 14:15-17 NLT). He went on to prepare them for His pending death, but then assured them, “I will not abandon you as orphans—I will come to you. Soon, the world will no longer see me, but you will see me. Since I live, you also will live. When I am raised to life again, you will know that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you” (John 14:18-20 NLT).

The Holy Spirit’s arrival was a game-changer for the disciples. He empowered and equipped them for service. He provided them with the capacity to speak languages they didn’t know and perform supernatural miracles of healing. And Jesus had told them this would happen.

“I will send the Holy Spirit, just as my Father promised. But stay here in the city until the Holy Spirit comes and fills you with power from heaven.” – Luke 24:49 NLT

The gift of the Holy Spirit was not just for Jesus’ original disciples. He was to become a permanent fixture in the life of every believer. At the point of salvation, the Holy Spirit takes up residence in a believer, providing them with a gift, a supernatural enablement designed to build up the body of Christ. Paul described the nature of the gifts in his letter to the Corinthians.

A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other. To one person the Spirit gives the ability to give wise advice; to another the same Spirit gives a message of special knowledge. The same Spirit gives great faith to another, and to someone else the one Spirit gives the gift of healing. He gives one person the power to perform miracles, and another the ability to prophesy. He gives someone else the ability to discern whether a message is from the Spirit of God or from another spirit. Still another person is given the ability to speak in unknown languages,[while another is given the ability to interpret what is being said. It is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have. – 1 Corinthians 12:7-11 NLT

These gifts are God-ordained, Spirit-empowered, and not man-made. They are not talents or natural capabilities, and no one is born with these gifts.

But the Spirit’s indwelling presence and the gifts He provides are not all that God has given the church. Paul reminds the Ephesians that God has also provided godly leaders for the church. These are divinely appointed individuals whom God has chosen and equipped for the task of leading His people. Just as God chose and appointed Moses to lead the people of Israel out of slavery in Egypt, He also chose David to transform Israel from a kingdom of former slaves to prominence as one of the greatest nations in the world. In the same way, God provided the church with leaders.

Paul describes them as apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds, and teachers. An apostle was literally a “sent one” or messenger. The original 11 disciples had been commissioned and sent by Jesus to take the gospel message to the world. Paul, though not one of the original 12 disciples chosen by Jesus, regarded himself as an apostle because he had been commissioned byJesus on the road to Damascus. The primary role of an apostle was to spread the gospel and establish churches throughout the known world.

Prophets were “forth-tellers” who had the divinely enabled ability to speak the truth of God. These individuals were responsible for building up the body of Christ, especially the local churches. Paul provides insight into their role in his letter to the Corinthian believers: “The one who prophesies speaks to people for their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation” (1 Corinthians 14:3 ESV). In the early days of the church, before most of the New Testament had even been written, the role of prophets was vital. These individuals were divinely empowered to discern and disseminate the truth of God in a time when false teachers and false gospels were prevalent. 

Evangelists were “heralds of salvation.” They were Spirit-empowered to share the gospel, and their role was essential. These itinerant preachers played a significant part in leading others to Christ. Some evangelists stayed close to home, ministering to their local communities, while others traveled from city to city to spread the good news of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles.

When Paul refers to pastors and teachers, he is likely speaking of a single function, not two. It could be translated as “pastor-teacher,” referring to one role within the church. Regardless of whether Paul was speaking of one or two gifts, these individuals were essential in shepherding and teaching the body of Christ. The term “pastor” literally means “shepherd,” one who ministers to the needs of the flock of Jesus Christ. He was to care for, protect, guide, and feed them. As a teacher, he was responsible for instructing the people of God in everything from the teachings of Jesus to sound doctrine. This particular role was essential to the church's well-being because of the growing problem of false teaching and divisive doctrine.

Together, these gifted individuals were to minister to God’s people, equipping them for the work of the ministry. It seems quite clear that Paul did not have in mind a professional clergy who did all the work of the ministry on behalf of God’s people. These were lay leaders who were specifically gifted as equippers and trainers, ensuring that the believers under their care were able to do the work of ministry in their local congregations.

It was as individual believers were properly taught, trained, and equipped that they were able to minister to one another and build up the body of Christ. Just a few verses later in this chapter, Paul describes the outcome of a well-equipped church:

He [God] makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love. – Ephesians 4:16 NLT

The goal is growth, and the objective is spiritual health and doctrinal soundness. Jesus did not leave His flock defenseless or alone. He provided us with the Holy Spirit, and the Spirit has given the church gifted individuals to lead, guide, and equip the body of Christ.

Paul has in mind not only the spiritual maturity of every believer but also the unity and well-being of the local body of Christ. There was no place for spiritual stagnation or immaturity. There was no excuse for disunity and discord. God expected His people to grow, and so did Paul. But it was to be a team effort. Each individual was expected to do his or her job, selflessly and sacrificially. And the commitment was for the long term.

This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ. – Ephesians 4:13 NLT

Father, You have given us Your Spirit, equipped us with spiritual gifts, provided us with qualified leaders, and placed us into the body of Christ. In doing so, You have “given us everything we need for life and godliness” (2 Peter 1;3 BSB). We have no excuse. There is no reason we should struggle with uncertainty, disunity, or spiritual ignorance or apathy. Unless, of course, we choose to quench and grieve Your Spirit by refusing to hear His voice and heed His commands. As Paul made clear to the Galatians, we each have a daily choice to either live according to our selfish, sinful flesh or according to the Spirit. We can live empowered by the Spirit or enslaved to our sinful nature. Which is why Paul wrote, “let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves” (Galatians 5:16 NLT). That is the way I want to live, but I know I can’t do it on my own. That is why I am grateful for the gift of Your Spirit. You have given me all that I need and have surrounded me with other like-minded men and women who are Spirit-enabled, empowered, and committed to building up the body of Christ until Your Son returns. May we bring You glory and honor as we carry out Your will. Amen

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

A High Calling.

Ephesians 4:1-16

Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. – Ephesians 4:1 NLT

One of the things to constantly keep in mind when reading most of the letters of Paul is that he is typically writing to a congregation, not an individual. Except in the case of his two letters to Timothy and the one he sent to Titus, most of his letters are intended for a particular body of believers. He is addressing the church corporately. In his letter to the Ephesian church, he is stressing the unique nature of their identity as part of the body of Christ. They are a diverse group of individuals from all walks of life and a variety of religious backgrounds, whom God has called together and placed within His family. They share a common bond as recipients of the grace of God made possible through Jesus Christ. And while everything about their diverse backgrounds might naturally result in disunity and dissension, Paul calls them to unity. They have been loved by God, so now they should love one another.

He begs them to lead lives worthy of their calling. He wants them to conduct their lives in a manner that is in keeping with God's purpose in calling them in the first place. Then he gives them concrete examples of what that kind of corporate life will look like. They are to be humble, gentle, patient with each other, and willing to love in spite of one another's faults and failures. He stresses that their union as members of God's family was the work of the Spirit of God and, as a result, they should strive to maintain their peace with one another. This was not an easy thing considering the natural animosity Jews and Gentiles had toward one another. And it's important to remember that, as a result of the Gospel, the church in Ephesus was made up of both factions. Paul reminds them that "there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future. There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father, who is over all and in all and living through all" (Ephesians 4:4-6 NLT). Unity is the theme of this section. Unity in diversity.

God, in His infinite wisdom, has not only called together a diverse group of individuals and placed them into His family, He has gifted each and every one of them with special Spirit-enabled gifts designed to benefit the body of Christ. Among them are the leadership gifts He has given to the church in form of apostles, prophets, evangelists, and pastor-teachers. These individuals were given to the church by God in order to strengthen and equip the body of Christ so that each member would do his or her work effectively, resulting in a vibrant and growing church. The Greek word Paul uses for "equip" is katartismon which means preparing, mending, or restoring people to their proper use. There are those in the church whose primary responsibility it is to help the body function efficiently and effectively. The church functions best when each individual believer is utilizing his or her spiritual gift in order to build up the rest of the body. When everyone is doing their job and conducting their lives within the body of Christ according to their individual calling, the entire body prospers. And the goal of all of this activity is spiritual maturity – "until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God's Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ" (Ephesians 4:13 NLT).

Spiritual maturity or increasing Christ-likeness is God's objective for the church, and everyone plays a vital role in the process. God's plan calls for unity and a shared concern for one another. "He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love" (Ephesians 4:16 NLT). We are in this together. The church is not a collection of individual believers growing independently and in isolation, but a body where each part has been meticulously and strategically placed by God and designed to function in a symbiotic and sympathetic relationship. This God-ordained and Spirit-empowered entity called the church is to be a remarkable witness to God's amazing wisdom. It shouldn't work, but it does. But only as long as we live in humility, gentleness, patience and love with one another, doing everything we can to maintain the unique spirit of unity that God has created to experience.

Father, thank You for the church. When I consider the incredible diversity of the body of Christ and the wide assortment of personalities and backgrounds represented, I am amazed that it works at all. In spite of our individual sin natures and tendency to live self-centered lives even in the midst of community, Your Spirit makes it all function – in spite of us. Give us a growing desire to live in unity, using our God-given gifts to benefit one another. Help us to understand that we grow best when we grow together. Amen.