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2 Timothy 1:14 |
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That good thing which was committed unto thee keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us.
Note 30 at 2 Tim. 1:14: There are many good things that Timothy received from the Lord. What good thing is Paul talking about?
The wording of this command is nearly identical to other statements Paul made about the Gospel. Romans 3:2 says that God committed the oracles of God unto the Jews. This is speaking of the Word of God. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 9:17 that a dispensation of the Word of God had been committed unto him. In 2 Corinthians 5:19, Paul said the Lord had committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Paul said in Galatians 2:7 that the Gospel of the uncircumcision had been committed unto him, and in 1Timothy 1:11, Paul told Timothy that the glorious Gospel of the blessed God had been committed unto his trust.
Therefore, it appears that Paul is speaking about the revelation of the Gospel in which he had so carefully instructed Timothy. That is the "good thing" Paul is referring to in this verse.
Paul had previously told Timothy, toward the end of his first letter, to "keep that which is committed to thy trust" (1 Tim. 6:20). In just a couple of verses, Paul tells Timothy to commit the things he had learned from him, to faithful men who will be able to teach others (2 Tim. 2:2). This is definitely talking about the truths of the Gospel.
Note 31 at 2 Tim. 1:14: The word "commit" as used in this verse, means "to consign; entrust" (NAHD). God has entrusted unto us the message of His love and what that has provided. That is an awesome responsibility. Every believer who knows the truth has a sacred trust that he has to take seriously. Others won't know if we don't tell them (see note 32 at this v.).
Note 32 at 2 Tim. 1:14: It is an awesome responsibility to have God's truths entrusted unto us (see note 31 at this v.). How can anyone possibly execute such a trust successfully? The answer is that we can only do it through the power of the Holy Spirit.
That is certainly one of the reasons the Lord has given us the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit. In Acts 1:8, Jesus specifically mentioned receiving power to be witnesses at the coming of the Holy Spirit. We were never intended to live the Christian life in our own strength. God wants to live through us by the power of His Holy Spirit.
