"So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner. Rather, join with me in suffering for the Gospel, by the power of God." 2 Timothy 1:8
In the first century, the cross was a shameful thing, and if you knew someone who was crucified, it would be a scandal, and you would keep it secret; to not be ashamed went against the cultural standards of the times.
DO NOT
This has the strength of a command. It is a clear statement that we are not to be ashamed. If we are sorry, we need to confess and repent.
TESTIMONY
To testify is to tell what you know. It does not require an advanced college degree to tell about your experience,
SUFFERING
We are invited to share in his suffering. It is an honor to suffer from the Lord. The Apostles rejoiced that they were counted worthy to suffer in his name, Acts 5:41.
POWER
Power is set in contrast to shame. In this case, it is the opposite of shame. The Gospel is the power of God to change lives and save mankind. This power is far greater than any shame we could experience. The Gospel has power, and that should be sufficient to overcome fear.
JOIN
Instead of being ashamed of the Gospel, Paul invites us to become partners with Christ in affliction.
The greater act of power was salvation; it is the harder task; the lesser is to empower us to testify- to empower us would be easy after making salvation.
Accept the power, claim it, and act on the power of the Gospel.
To learn more about how the Gospel can change lives, see my other blog.
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