2 Timothy 1:8 8Therefore, do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord or of me his prisoner, but join in suffering for the gospel according to the power of God,
Paul again encourages Timothy to remain strong under pressure, a message which will be central to the letter and repeated many times. There was likely just a handful of believers in Ephesus, but the church was growing and expanding its reach. This was frontline evangelism, cutting edge mission. The church had likely existed for at least a decade, so there were established believers and new ones. Timothy was in a vulnerable position as a young leader with a two part mission: to train up and secure leaders, and to help the church move forward in evangelism. Both of these situations exposed Timothy to pressures of isolation and shame.
The social force of honor and shame determined a person’s worth and acceptance, which, in Timothy’s situation, would have influenced the effectiveness of his task. The temptation when facing opposition and potential social shame is to retreat to a place of social acceptance. For a Christian, this could be a compromising position of not
Many believers may be afraid to share their faith because of the potential of social rejection. Paul reminds Timothy that the testimony (martyrion) or witness is not about his own ideas but about Jesus. Although the message of the cross is foolishness to the world, it is the power and wisdom of God (1 Corinthians 1:23) and brings salvation to all who will believe and accept it (Romans 1:16). Timothy should also not be ashamed of the ministry and Paul and his mentor. Perhaps some of the opponents in Ephesus ridiculed Paul, like similar people did in Corinth (2 Corinthians 10). Paul represented Jesus and the gospel and so did Timothy. This verse gives the first indicator of the letter than Paul was in prison when he wrote it. The likely option was his last imprisonment in Rome.
The last part of this verse must have been a challenge for Timothy as Paul called him to join in suffering for the gospel. Timothy’s suffering was not arbitrary, political, or because of personal decisions. It was because of his faith in Jesus Christ. As believers, we should expect similar opposition, although we may not necessarily have to suffer physical trauma. Shame can be a form of psychological suffering that can be just as painful as physical harm. Paul calls Timothy to join in the same type of shame Jesus experienced on the cross. But endurance through this suffering would not come by human means but according to the power of God. This power came through the presence of the Holy Spirit who gives courage to those with faith (verse 7). Suffering is part of God’s gift through the Spirit to help us grow our character through faith and dependency on Christ as Lord.
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