2 Timothy 1:12 - Patience in Persecution

For this reason
Paul begins by referring to the preceding verses where he speaks of his calling and the gospel. His suffering is directly linked to his mission to spread the message of Christ. This phrase sets the stage for understanding that his hardships are not random but are a direct result of his commitment to his divine calling.

even though I suffer as I do
Paul's suffering includes imprisonment and persecution, common experiences for early Christians. His suffering is a testament to his dedication and mirrors the sufferings of Christ, as seen in passages like Philippians 1:29. The early church faced significant opposition from both Jewish and Roman authorities, making Paul's endurance a powerful example for believers.

I am not ashamed
In a culture where honor and shame were pivotal, Paul boldly declares his lack of shame in the gospel, echoing Romans 1:16. Despite societal pressures, he remains steadfast, encouraging Timothy and others to stand firm in their faith without fear of disgrace.

for I know whom I have believed
Paul emphasizes a personal relationship with Christ, not just intellectual assent. This knowledge is experiential and rooted in his encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus (Acts 9). It underscores the importance of a personal faith that goes beyond mere tradition or ritual.

and I am convinced that He is able
Paul's confidence is in God's power and faithfulness. This assurance is echoed in other scriptures, such as Philippians 1:6, where Paul expresses certainty in God's ability to complete the work He has begun. It reflects a deep trust in God's sovereignty and omnipotence.

to guard what I have entrusted to Him
The "entrusted" could refer to Paul's life, ministry, or the gospel itself. The imagery of guarding suggests protection and preservation, akin to a deposit kept safe. This reflects the biblical theme of God as a protector, as seen in Psalm 121:7-8.

for that day
"That day" refers to the eschatological hope of Christ's return and the final judgment. This future orientation is a common theme in Paul's writings, providing motivation and hope for enduring present trials. It aligns with passages like 2 Thessalonians 1:10, where the return of Christ is anticipated with eager expectation.

Persons / Places / Events

1. Paul
The apostle and author of the letter, writing to Timothy from prison, expressing his unwavering faith despite suffering.

2. Timothy
A young pastor and close companion of Paul, recipient of the letter, encouraged to remain steadfast in faith.

3. Roman Imprisonment
The context of Paul's writing, highlighting his physical suffering and the potential for execution.

4. God
The one in whom Paul has placed his trust, capable of guarding what Paul has entrusted to Him.

5. That Day
Refers to the future day of judgment or Christ's return, when all will be revealed and rewarded.

Teaching Points

Unashamed Faith
Despite suffering, Paul remains unashamed of his faith. Believers are encouraged to stand firm in their convictions, even in adversity.

Personal Relationship with God
Paul emphasizes knowing "whom" he has believed, highlighting the importance of a personal relationship with God rather than mere knowledge about Him.

Trust in God's Sovereignty
Paul's confidence in God's ability to guard what he has entrusted underscores the believer's call to trust in God's sovereign power and faithfulness.

Eternal Perspective
The reference to "that day" encourages believers to maintain an eternal perspective, focusing on the ultimate fulfillment of God's promises.

Encouragement in Suffering
Paul's example serves as an encouragement to endure suffering with hope and assurance in God's protection and purpose.

(12) For the which cause I also suffer these things.--Because he had been the teacher and apostle, had all these sufferings--the prison, the chains, the solitude, the hate of so many--come upon him. There was no need to refer to them more particularly. Timothy knew well what he was then undergoing. The reason of the Apostle's touching at all upon himself and his fortunes will appear in the next clause, when, from the depths, as it would seem, of human misfortune, he triumphantly rehearses his sure grounds of confidence. Timothy was dispirited, cast down, sorrowful. He need not be. When tempted to despair, let him think of his old master and friend, Paul the Apostle, who rejoiced in the midst of the greatest sufferings, knowing that these were the sure earthly guerdon of the most devoted work, but that there was One, in whom he believed, able and, at the same time, willing to save him for yet higher and grander things.

Nevertheless I am not ashamed.--Not ashamed of the suffering I am now enduring for the cause of the Lord. He then, by showing the grounds of his joyful hope, proceeds to show how men can rise to the same lofty heights of independence to which he had risen, whence they can look down with indifference on all human opinion and human reward and regard.

For I know whom I have believed.--Better rendered, whom I have trusted; yea, and still trust. "Whom" here refers to God the Father.

That which I have committed unto him.--More exactly, my deposit. Considerable diversity of opinion has existed among commentators of all ages as to the exact meaning which should be assigned to the words "my deposit." Let us glance back at what has gone before. St. Paul, the forsaken prisoner, looking for death, has been bidding his younger comrade never to let his heart sink or his spirit grow faint when oncoming dangers threaten to crush him; for, he says, you know me and my seemingly ruined fortunes and blasted hopes. Friendless and alone, you know, I am awaiting death (2Timothy 4:6); and yet, in spite of all this crushing weight of sorrow, which has come on me because I am a Christian, yet am I not ashamed, for I know whom I have trusted--I know His sovereign power to whom I have committed "my deposit." He, I know, can keep it safe against that day. St. Paul had intrusted his deathless soul to the keeping of his Heavenly Father, and having done this, serene and joyful he waited for the end. His disciple Timothy must do the same.

"That which I have committed unto Him, my deposit," signified a most precious treasure committed by St. Paul to his God. The language and imagery was probably taken by the Apostle from one of those Hebrew Psalms he knew so well (Psalm 31:5)--"Into thy hand I commend my spirit," rendered in the LXX. version (Psalm 30:5), "I will commit" (parath?somai). In Josephus, a writer of the same age, the soul is especially termed a parakatatheke--deposit. The passage is one in which he is speaking against suicide (B. J. iii. 8, 5). Philo, also, who may almost be termed a contemporary of St. Paul, uses the very same expression, and also calls the soul "a deposit" (p. 499, ed. Richter). Both passages are quoted at length by Alford, who, however, comes to a slightly different conclusion.

Against that day.--The day of the coming of Christ--"that day when I (the Lord of Hosts) make up my jewels." He will keep my soul--"my deposit"--safe against that day when the crown of life will be given to all that love His appearing. . . .

Verse 12. - Suffer also for also suffer, A.V.; yet for nevertheless, A.V.; him whom for whom, A.V.; guard for keep, A.V. For the which cause (ver. 6, note) I suffer also. The apostle adds the weight of his own example to the preceding exhortation. What he was exhorting Timothy to do he was actually doing himself, without any wavering or hesitation or misgiving as to the result. I know him whom I have believed, and I am persuaded that he is able to guard that which I have committed unto him. The ground of the apostle's confidence, even in the hour of extreme peril, was his perfect trust in the faithfulness of God. This he expresses in a metaphor drawn from the common action of one person entrusting another with some precious deposit, to be kept for a time and restored whole and uninjured. All the words in the sentence are part of this metaphor. The verb πεπίστευκα must be taken in the sense of "entrusting" (curae ac fidei alicujus committo), as Luke 16:11. So πιστευθῆναι τὸ εὐαγγέλιον, "to be entrusted with the gospel" (1 Thessalonians 2:4); οἰκονομίαν πεπιστεῦμαι, "I am entrusted with a dispensation" (1 Corinthians 9:17; see Wisd. 14:5, etc.). And so in classical Greek, πιστεύειν τινί τι means "to entrust something to another" to take care of for you. Here, then, St. Paul says (not as in the R.V., "I know him whom I have believed," which is quite inadmissible, but), "I know whom I have trusted [i.e. in whom I have placed confidence, and to whom I have committed the keeping of my deposit], and I am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have entrusted to him (τὴν παραθήκην μου) unto that day." The παραθηκή is the thing which Paul entrusted to his faithful guardian, one who he knew would never betray the trust, but would restore it to him safe and sound at the day of Christ. What the παραθήκη was may be difficult to express in any one word, but it comprised himself, his life, his whole treasure, his salvation, his joy, his eternal happiness - all for the sake of which he risked life and limb in this world, content to lose sight of them for a while, knowing that he should receive them all from the hands of God in the day of Christ. All thus hangs perfectly together. There can be no reasonable doubt that παραθήκην μου means, "my deposit" - that which I have deposited with him. Neither is there the slightest difficulty in the different applications of the same metaphor in ver. 14 and in 1 Timothy 6:20. For it is as true that God entrusts to his faithful servants the deposit of the faith, to be kept by them with jealous fidelity, as it is that his servants entrust to him the keeping of their souls, as knowing him to be faithful. Parallel Commentaries ...

Greek

For
Δι’ (Di’)
Preposition
Strong's 1223: A primary preposition denoting the channel of an act; through.

this
ἣν (hēn)
Personal / Relative Pronoun - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 3739: Who, which, what, that.

reason,
αἰτίαν (aitian)
Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 156: From the same as aiteo; a cause, i.e. reason, crime.

even [though]
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

I suffer
πάσχω (paschō)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 1st Person Singular
Strong's 3958: I am acted upon in a certain way, either good or bad; I experience ill treatment, suffer.

[as I do],
ταῦτα (tauta)
Demonstrative Pronoun - Accusative Neuter Plural
Strong's 3778: This; he, she, it.

I am not ashamed;
ἐπαισχύνομαι (epaischynomai)
Verb - Present Indicative Middle or Passive - 1st Person Singular
Strong's 1870: To be ashamed, be ashamed of. From epi and aischunomai; to feel shame for something.

for
γὰρ (gar)
Conjunction
Strong's 1063: For. A primary particle; properly, assigning a reason.

I know
οἶδα (oida)
Verb - Perfect Indicative Active - 1st Person Singular
Strong's 1492: To know, remember, appreciate.

whom
ᾧ (hō)
Personal / Relative Pronoun - Dative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3739: Who, which, what, that.

I have believed,
πεπίστευκα (pepisteuka)
Verb - Perfect Indicative Active - 1st Person Singular
Strong's 4100: From pistis; to have faith, i.e. Credit; by implication, to entrust.

and
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

I am convinced
πέπεισμαι (pepeismai)
Verb - Perfect Indicative Middle or Passive - 1st Person Singular
Strong's 3982: A primary verb; to convince; by analogy, to pacify or conciliate; reflexively or passively, to assent, to rely.

that
ὅτι (hoti)
Conjunction
Strong's 3754: Neuter of hostis as conjunction; demonstrative, that; causative, because.

He is
ἐστιν (estin)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1510: I am, exist. The first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb; I exist.

able
δυνατός (dynatos)
Adjective - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 1415: (a) of persons: powerful, able, (b) of things: possible. From dunamai; powerful or capable; neuter possible.

to guard
φυλάξαι (phylaxai)
Verb - Aorist Infinitive Active
Strong's 5442: Probably from phule through the idea of isolation; to watch, i.e. Be on guard; by implication, to preserve, obey, avoid.

what I have entrusted [to Him]
παραθήκην (parathēkēn)
Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 3866: A deposit, anything committed to one's charge or trust. From paratithemi; a deposit, i.e. trust.

for
εἰς (eis)
Preposition
Strong's 1519: A primary preposition; to or into, of place, time, or purpose; also in adverbial phrases.

that
ἐκείνην (ekeinēn)
Demonstrative Pronoun - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 1565: That, that one there, yonder. From ekei; that one (neuter) thing); often intensified by the article prefixed.

day.
ἡμέραν (hēmeran)
Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 2250: A day, the period from sunrise to sunset.

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