Unashamed, Suffering, and Faithfulness (2 Timothy 1:8-18)

“Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God.”

The dictionary defines shame as “the feeling you have when you feel guilty and embarrassed because you, or someone close to you, have done something wrong.” Not being ashamed means not feeling guilty and embarrassed. 

In our Sunday sermon passage, Paul encourages Timothy not to be ashamed of the Gospel because of the risk of potential persecution and suffering but to be strengthened in God’s grace and ready to suffer for Christ’s sake.

2 Timothy is the last letter written by the apostle, who finds himself in a cold cell somewhere in Rome, waiting for execution. If there was a person who could speak about suffering, this person was Paul; he not only suffered but remained faithful to the end. 

Paul’s suffering and imprisonment point to Christ’s sufferings. Christ suffered greater injustice than Paul because He never sinned but perfectly kept God’s commands. 

Timothy is not to be ashamed or fearful because of Jesus’s name but even more determined to stand for the Gospel. After all, the Spirit in him is the Spirit of power, not of fear (v.7).

In 2 Timothy 2:13, Paul says that he is not ashamed of the Gospel and does not feel guilty for being in prison because of it. In verse 16, there is another example of someone who was not ashamed of the Gospel nor associated himself with those who suffered for it: Onesiphorus.

Timothy has examples to follow. As disciples of Jesus, we also have examples to follow: Jesus, Paul, and Onesiphorus. 

Living in a growing antagonistic world and secularized culture, this passage encourages believers to pray that the Lord prepares us to face opposition because of our beliefs and ready to suffer the consequences of choosing truth over lies, Christ over the world. 

Those who suffer because of Christ have no reason to feel guilty or ashamed; on the contrary, they should feel encouraged because they are blessed, and theirs is the kingdom of heaven. To be reviled because of the name of Jesus, persecuted, and the loss of material possessions is a reason to rejoice since the loss of these things and even our own life in this world points to a great reward waiting for us in heaven, Christ himself (Matt. 5:10-12).