Under the Roman emperor Nero Christianity came under heavy persecution. The impact of having strong leaders of the church, like Paul and Peter, martyred was that some were pulling back and even turning from their faith. In this context Paul, as he was anticipating his martyrdom, wrote telling Timothy to step up, be unashamed, and join him in suffering for the Gospel.
In his effort to keep Timothy focused, he drew his attention to the center of the ministry – the message of the person and work of Jesus Christ. Paul highlights its unchanging, eternal quality as God's plan of salvation. He then declares that what God planned in eternity was revealed in its fullness in the coming of Christ and His work on the cross.
Paul says the gospel is what his ministry has been all about. The gospel is what Timothy's must be all about. Nothing changes when one messenger or slave dies and another picks up the work.
It is the message and the power of God behind the message that makes the minister of the message able and effective. Any personal weakness on Timothy's part will not hinder the ministry of the message as long as he remains faithful to the Lord and the work he has been chosen to do.
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In the fall of 1969, Gil began a full-time teaching ministry as Senior Pastor of Indian Hills Community Church. He also earned his Ph.D. from the California Graduate School of Theology. The focus of Pastor Rugh’s ministry is systematic, verse-by-verse teaching of the Bible. As a...