20 Days in 2 Timothy

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

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

Today really acts as a continuation of what we learned yesterday. Remember, in this part of Paul’s letter to Timothy he is encouraging him to persevere in his faith amidst difficult circumstances. In verses 8-12, Paul gave Timothy two commands—to not be ashamed of the Gospel or its consequences and to join in the sufferings of those who commit their lives to follow Jesus for the sake of the mission at hand.

Today, Paul gives two new commands as practical pieces of advice in order to do just that, commands that we can adopt all these years later as we, too, seek to stay faithful to Jesus against the tide of mounting opposition. If you’ve ever felt the temptation to back away from sharing your faith or the urge to just not bring up the topic because it seems to make conversations more difficult, then these commands from Paul may be the encouragement you need today.

1. Follow the pattern.
2. Guard the good deposit.

Follow the pattern equates to the common phrase “hold fast.” It’s a sailing term—meaning that when the wind and the waves threaten to blow you over or shove you off course, the best and only solution is to tighten your grip on the rope that holds the sail. As the context of our world gets more chaotic, Paul is encouraging us, “Don't let go. Grip it (the truth of God) tighter!”

How do we hold fast? Grip the Word of God. Grip it in the faith and in the love found in Jesus. Grab onto the Word of Truth and then tuck it into you, guarding and protecting it with the help of the Holy Spirit. He will empower you.

It can be hard to associate with God during difficult times, but Paul doesn't shame Timothy for that. He reminds him that he doesn't have to be ashamed because he has the truth of Christ, the love of God, and the help of the Holy Spirit. Timothy wasn’t alone, and neither are we now. The presence of God is always with us as a helper and a comforter.

But not every believer has followed these commands. In fact, here in Paul’s letter, he gives Timothy examples of those who had abandoned the faith. As soon as life got hard, they dropped Jesus. Phygelus and Hermogenes deserted Paul when times got hard, and associating with Jesus led them toward suffering. Onesiphorus, on the other hand, was a steady companion in Paul's life, and so Paul asks for mercy for him on "that day,” referring to the end of time as we know it, and we meet Jesus face to face.

All of this may sound extreme, but we need to remember that these were very real people, living very real lives, up against very real challenges. Paul is writing to Timothy from jail, fully having heard of the difficulty Timothy is suffering through, and like a good friend, wants to encourage the young man. “Look,” he’s saying, “ there are others doing it, and you can do it too. God is empowering you, He is with you, and the community of God is around you.” These words should echo to us through the ages to encourage us in our own moments of trial and spur us on to hold fast to the truth of God and guard it in our hearts so that we can be useful ministers of the Gospel to the world around us.