The Way Forward Is Backward
2 Timothy 2:8-9
2 Timothy 2:8-9
Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, the offspring of David, as preached in my gospel, for which I am suffering, bound with chains as a criminal. But the Word of God is not bound!
A paradox is something that at first glance seems contradictory, but after deeper thought can be rationally plausible and possible. Throughout the Bible, there are what I’ll call “progress paradoxes”, meaning, ways of progressing forward which seem contradictory, but upon deeper thought actually makes sense. For example, the way to be the greatest of all is to be the least of all. (Matthew 20:26). If you want to be first, you have to be last. (Matthew 20:27). In order to gain much, you have to lose all. (Matthew 16:25). In order to truly live, you have to first truly die (Luke 17:33.) And in order to keep moving forward, you have to keep looking backwards.
In today’s verses, Paul gives us two reminders that aid us in faithfully enduring as soldiers of Christ Jesus. He tells us two ways we need to look backward if we want to keep faithfully moving forward until the end. Let’s look into God’s Word.
Firstly, Paul says to remember the person of Jesus in the gospel. 2 Timothy 2:8-9a says, “remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, the offspring of David, as preached in my gospel, for which I am suffering, bound with chains as a criminal.” As I just mentioned, Paul here is instructing Timothy to look backwards and remember the person of Jesus in the gospel in order to move forward in faithfulness. But how could Timothy forget about Jesus, the central figure of the Christian faith? Well, two answers come to mind. For one, we humans are spiritual amnesiacs. Our finite and fallen hearts and minds are always forgetting the truth and in need of constant reminders to re-focus our wandering hearts. Secondly, Paul here is likely talking about a functional forgetfulness as opposed to a cognitive forgetfulness. In other words, Timothy may be able to cognitively recall the person (offspring of David) and work (risen from the dead) of Jesus in his head, and yet still functionally forget and fail to be affected and moved toward obedience by these same truths in his heart. Thus, Paul is calling Timothy to remember Jesus not as a distant theological reality and being but as an accessible comforter and close friend. Paul is calling Timothy to remember and abide in Jesus apart from whom he can do nothing. (John 15:5).
“We humans are spiritual amnesiacs. Our finite and fallen hearts and minds are always forgetting the truth and in need of constant reminders to re-focus our wandering hearts.”
The second way Paul calls us to look back is to remember the power of God through His Word. Verse 9 says, “for which I am suffering, bound with chains as a criminal. But the Word of God is not bound!” Paul’s ability to impact and influence those around him was limited. Even as he writes to Timothy he is imprisoned, bound in chains and without the ability to travel around preaching the gospel and strengthening churches. Yet, in spite of his imprisonment, Paul declares the glorious reality that God’s Word is not bound. Where Paul can’t reach, God’s Word can reach. God’s Word, unlike Paul, is not confined to the boundaries of space and time. Paul knew that for years after he would pass from this earth, the gospel as preached and proclaimed through the Word of God would continue to impact and influence hearts and minds for the glory of God! He knew that the scope of God’s Word far exceeds the petty scope of mortal ability! He knew the incredible power of God’s Word.
And yet isn’t it easy for us to forget this truth? We constantly run the risk of domesticating and dumbing down the raw power and impact of God’s Word. We forget that God’s Word isn’t just a book but is the very breathed out Word of God. And do we realize what can happen when our God speaks a word? He can create an uncontrollable and incomprehensible universe. He can calm raging storms with a simple sentence. He can cast out evil spirits, cure infirmities and diseases, and call dead men to walk in life. He can take a hardened heart of stone, and turn into a heart of flesh. This is the power of the Word of God! And the same God that spoke the universe into existence, healed the sick and oppressed, and raised the dead to life is the same God that has revealed Himself to us in His Word! Oh how we fail to treat God’s Word as the powerful weapon and effective instrument that it is! As we read it we must remember that it is not simply a collection of instructions and stories. It is a book with heart-transforming and life-changing capabilities. It is a book with immeasurable power, power accessible and available at our fingertips!
So are we remembering the person of Jesus Christ as preached in the gospel? Do we recognize the power of God through His Word? As mentioned earlier, it is relatively easy to cognitively recall these truths, but much harder to be functionally affected by them. Even as I write this right now, and in writing DTFR in general, I have to remind myself that God’s Word is not just a book for writing material, but a book that is meant to be obeyed and lived. And in doing service for Jesus Christ, how easy it is to forget to be with Him! How easy it is to be busy for God and yet never spend substantive time with God!
Which is why we must take time to sit back and reflect on the truths from which all other ministerial endeavors stem. If we want to endure and play the long-game, we need to look back and remember the person for which we are playing (Jesus), and the power by which we are enabled to keep playing (God’s Word). To keep moving forward, we have to keep looking backwards. We must resolve to remember!
Hebrews 13:20-21 says, “Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in in us that which is pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.” Truly, we pray that God would equip us with all that we need to endure in service to Him. And may all that we do be a pleasing and acceptable sacrifice, serving to further the glory of His great name. Amen!