Last night, at Bible study, we looked at 2 Timothy 1:1-7. In this introduction, Paul is writing from a prison cell in Rome to his young son in the faith, Timothy. He is writing to strengthen Timothy in his resolve to minister the gospel faithfully. In this greeting, we saw five principles for having a fruitful ministry (based on how Paul ministered to Timothy and how he called Timothy to action). These apply to us all since every Christian is called to minister to one another and to share the gospel.
- You must base your ministry on the authority of God’s Word. Paul had apostolic authority. We have the Word of God from the Apostles (v. 1).
- You must minister according to the “promise of life…in Christ Jesus” – the gospel message is what we are passing on. The promise of life for those who trust in Jesus (v. 1).
- You must minister in the context of discipleship relationships. Paul was a spiritual father to Timothy- instructing him and living out a godly example (see 2 Tim. 1:13, 2:1-2, 3:10). We should all look for a "Paul" and "Timothy" in our life (v. 2)
- You must pray constantly for those you are ministering to. God is the one we depend on in ministry. (v. 3)
- You must fan into flame the gift of God. Paul called Timothy to exercise the gifts God had given him (v. 6).
We realize ultimately all the fruit in ministry is produced and sustained by God, yet we have a job to do. Let’s be faithful and fruitful servants of God.
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