Articles
I Know and Am Convinced
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 (2 Timothy 1:12, NASB).
While teaching 2 Timothy in a recent Bible class, I was struck with just how encouraging this statement is. It is indeed a statement, a declaration, of Paul’s trust that Jesus would see him through his circumstances. As we observed in our class discussion, Paul knew he was on the threshold of death; unlike his previous incarcerations, he had no hopes of being released or living to see many more days of fruitful service (compare Philippians 1:22-26 and 2 Timothy 4:6-8). Still, he wrote, “I am not ashamed.”
Where did Paul find such assurance? The answer is found in the two statements that follow. First, he knew Jesus. Like Abraham, Paul had learned to trust God’s promises. When hungry or satisfied, he learned that contentment is found in Christ (Phil. 4:11-13). When suffering persecution, he learned to depend on God’s power (2 Cor. 4:7-12). When receiving “no” for an answer, he learned to rely on Christ’s sustaining strength (2 Cor. 12:7-10). When facing the possibility of death, he learned to view it as gain (Phil. 1:21). God is faithful in every situation, and being chained as a criminal in a dark dungeon awaiting execution is no exception. Knowing Jesus was enough for Paul to suffer without fear or shame.
Secondly, Paul was convinced God would protect his deposit. There are two ways in which this can be translated; both give a slightly different sense to what Paul is saying. First, the ESV reads: “I am convinced that he is able to guard until that day what has been entrusted to me” (also CSB, HCSB, NET). Here, God had deposited something in Paul’s hands (similar to today’s financial “trust”); Paul is a steward, a trustee, of something. The same word or concept is used in other passages of the gospel (1 Tim. 1:18; 6:20; 2 Tim. 1:14; 2:2; 2 Cor. 4:7). If his use here is consistent with these other passages, Paul’s point is that he trusts God, not only to sustain him personally, but to advance the cause of the gospel until the end of time. He was not focused solely on his own situation, but also on the unimpeded progress of the gospel. This, of course, was what brought Paul joy while imprisoned in Rome the first time (Phil. 1:12).
God guards the gospel: what an encouraging thought! God’s message to the world did not cease after Paul died—yes, a great soldier fell on the battlefield, but others took up the fight in his stead. Ultimately, the kingdom’s increase does not depend on man’s ability to present it perfectly but on God who causes the growth. While not removing our responsibility to proclaim God’s word (after all, it is entrusted us so that we may share it with others), this point reminds us that the gospel is not a fragile thing that will fail if we stutter in our presentation or the world persecutes us to our death.
On the other hand, the second reading is represented by the NKJV, NIV, and NASB. In this case, Paul entrusted something to God, presumably his life, destiny, and soul. This is what Jesus did on the cross (Luke 23:46; 1 Pet. 2:23) and what we do when we endure persecution: “Therefore those who also suffer according to the will of God shall entrust their souls to a faithful Creator in doing what is right” (1 Pet. 4:19). If this is Paul’s intended meaning, the point is that he knows God will protect his soul, even if people take his life (Matt. 10:28). As a side note, placing ourselves in God’s hands involves full commitment from us, as Paul’s own life illustrates.
God guards our souls: another encouraging thought! The mountains we perceive as impassable in this life are no obstacle for God. There is no problem, sickness, tragedy, or disaster that can separate us from God’s love (Rom. 8). God has abolished death and promised eternal life to the faithful (2 Tim. 1:10). When “that day” arrives we will be able to stand before the Judge with assurance that our eternal future is in His gracious hands. And we don’t have to be morally perfect or have all the answers to enjoy this boldness.
Either reading of 2 Tim. 1:12 is possible—and both are equally inspiring. Perhaps Paul deliberately left the grammar ambiguous because he intended both meanings. If this is true, it shows a reciprocal entrusting between us and God, and highlights our responsibility to uphold our end of the deposit. We must guard the gospel in the same way God guards our souls.
May Paul’s declaration of confidence in God inspire and challenge us to likewise “not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord,” but be bold in our proclamation of it (2 Tim. 1:7-8).
