2 Timothy 1:12

Contextual Overview

⁶For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. ⁶ For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. ⁶ For this reason I remind you to kindle afresh the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. ⁶For this reason I remind you to kindle afresh the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. ⁶Don't let the fire go out by not using the gifts God gave you when I laid my hands on you. ⁶ For this reason I say to you, Let that grace of God which is in you, given to you by my hands, have living power. ⁶ For which cause I put thee in mind to rekindle the gift of God which is in thee by the putting on of my hands. ⁶ Therefore, I remind you to keep ablaze the gift of God that is in you through the laying on of my hands. ⁶ For this cause, I remind you that you should stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. ⁶ Wherefore I put thee in remembrance, to stir up the gift of God which is in thee, by the laying on of my hands.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

the which: 2 Timothy 1:8, 2 Timothy 2:9, 2 Timothy 3:10-12, 2 Timothy 4:16, 2 Timothy 4:17, Acts 9:16, Acts 13:46, Acts 13:50, Acts 14:5, Acts 14:6, Acts 21:27-31, Acts 22:21-24, Ephesians 3:1-8, 1 Thessalonians 2:16

I am: 2 Timothy 1:8, Psalms 25:2, Isaiah 50:7, Isaiah 54:4, Acts 21:13, Romans 1:16, Romans 5:4, Romans 5:5, Romans 9:33, Philippians 1:20, Hebrews 12:2, 1 Peter 4:16

for I: Psalms 9:10, Psalms 56:9, Philippians 3:8, Philippians 3:10, 1 Peter 4:19

believed: or, trusted, Isaiah 12:2, Nahum 1:7, Matthew 12:21, Romans 15:12, Romans 15:13, Ephesians 1:12, Ephesians 1:13, 1 Peter 1:20, 1 Peter 1:21

am persuaded: 2 Timothy 1:5

he is: John 10:28-30, Philippians 3:21, Hebrews 2:18, Hebrews 7:25

keep: John 6:39, John 6:40, John 6:44, John 17:11, John 17:12, John 17:15, 1 Timothy 6:20, 1 Peter 1:5, Jude 1:24

which I: Psalms 31:5, Luke 23:46, Acts 7:59, 1 Peter 4:19

against: 2 Timothy 1:18, 2 Timothy 4:8, Matthew 7:22, Matthew 24:36, Luke 10:12, 1 Thessalonians 5:4

Reciprocal: Exodus 22:10 - General Job 5:8 - unto God Psalms 10:14 - the poor Psalms 16:1 - for Psalms 71:9 - Cast Proverbs 27:17 - so Ecclesiastes 9:1 - that the Jeremiah 20:18 - with Daniel 6:20 - able Daniel 11:33 - yet Hosea 2:20 - and Mark 8:38 - ashamed Luke 9:26 - whosoever Luke 14:27 - cannot John 5:23 - all men John 10:14 - am Acts 14:23 - they commended Acts 20:24 - none Acts 27:25 - I believe Acts 27:35 - in Romans 4:21 - fully Romans 8:35 - shall tribulation Romans 8:38 - For I Romans 11:13 - the apostle 1 Corinthians 9:26 - not 1 Corinthians 15:19 - hope 2 Corinthians 5:1 - we know 2 Corinthians 10:8 - I should not Philippians 1:17 - that Philippians 2:19 - But Colossians 1:23 - whereof 1 Thessalonians 2:2 - shamefully 2 Thessalonians 1:10 - in that 2 Timothy 4:18 - and will 1 Peter 2:19 - for conscience 1 Peter 2:23 - but 1 John 3:19 - assure 1 John 5:19 - we know

Cross-References

Genesis 1:10
God called the dry ground "land," and the gathered waters he called "seas." And God saw that it was good.

Genesis 1:10
God called the dry ground "land," and the gathered waters he called "seas." And God saw that it was good.

Genesis 1:10
And God called the dry land earth, and the gathering of the waters He called seas; and God saw that it was good.

Genesis 1:10
God called the dry land earth, and the gathering of the waters He called seas; and God saw that it was good.

Genesis 1:10
And God called the drie lande ye earth, and the gatheryng together of waters called he the seas: and God sawe that it was good.

Genesis 1:10
God named the dry land "earth," and he named the water that was gathered together "seas." And God saw that this was good.

Genesis 1:10
God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good.

Genesis 1:10
And God clepide the drie place, erthe; and he clepide the gadryngis togidere of watris, the sees. And God seiy that it was good;

Genesis 1:10
And God called the drie land, Earth, and the gathering together of the waters called hee, Seas: and God saw that it was good.

Genesis 1:10
And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

For the which cause I also suffer these things,.... The present imprisonment and bonds in which he now was; these, with all the indignities, reproaches, distresses, and persecutions, came upon him, for the sake of his being a preacher of the Gospel; and particularly for his being a teacher of the Gentiles: the Jews hated him, and persecuted him, because he preached the Gospel, and the more because he preached it to the Gentiles, that they might be saved; and the unbelieving Gentiles were stirred up against him, for introducing a new religion among them, to the destruction of their idolatry and superstition; and the sufferings which he endured were many; and he was appointed to them, as well as to the Gospel, which he preached.

Nevertheless I am not ashamed; neither of the Gospel, and the truths and ordinances of it, for which he suffered; but he continued to own and confess it constantly, and to preach it boldly; none of these things moved him from it: nor of the sufferings he endured, for the sake of it; since they were not for murder, or theft, or sedition, or any enormity whatever, but in a good cause; wherefore he was so far from being ashamed of them, that he took pleasure in them, and gloried of them. Nor was he ashamed of Christ, whose Gospel he preached, and for whom he suffered; nor of his faith and hope in him. For it follows,

for I know whom I have believed. A spiritual knowledge of Christ is necessary to faith in him: an unknown Christ cannot be the object of faith, though an unseen Christ, as to bodily sight, may be, and is. Knowledge and faith go together: they that truly know Christ, believe in him, and the more they know him, the more strongly do they believe in him: such who spiritually and savingly know Christ, have seen the glories of his person, and the fulness of his grace; and they approve of him, as their Saviour, being every way suitable to them, and disapprove of all others; they love him above all others, and with all their hearts; and they put their trust in him, and trust him with all they have; and they know whom they trust, what an able, willing, suitable, and complete Saviour he is. This knowledge which they have of him, is not from themselves, but from the Father, who reveals him to them, and in them; and from himself, who gives them an understanding that they may know him; and from the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: and be it more or less, it is practical, and leads to the discharge of duty, from a principle of love to Christ; and is of a soul humbling nature, and appropriates Christ to a man's self; and has always some degree of certainty in it; and though it is imperfect, it is progressive; and the least measure of it is saving, and has eternal life connected with it: and that faith which accompanies it, and terminates on the object known, is the grace, by which a man sees Christ in the riches of his grace; goes to him in a sense of need of him; lays hold upon him as a Saviour; receives and embraces him; commits its all unto him; trusts him with all; leans and lives upon him, and walks on in him till it receives the end of faith, even eternal salvation.

And I am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day. By that which he had committed to him is meant, not the great treasure of his labours and sufferings for Christ, as if he had deposited these in Christ's hands, in order to be brought forth at the great day of account to his advantage; for though his labours and sufferings were many, yet he always ascribed the strength by which he endured them to the grace of God; and he knew they were not worthy to be compared, nor made mention of, with the glory that was to be revealed in him. Rather this may be understood of the souls of those he had been instrumental in the converting of, whom he had commended to Christ, hoping to meet them as his joy and crown of rejoicing another day; though it seems best of all to interpret it either of his natural life, the care of which he had committed to Christ, and which he knew he was able to preserve, and would preserve for usefulness until the day appointed for his death; or rather his precious and immortal soul, and the eternal welfare and salvation of it: and the act of committing it to Christ, designs his giving himself to him, leaving himself with him, trusting in him for eternal life and salvation, believing he was able to save him to the uttermost; even unto the day of death, when he hoped to be with him, which is far better than to be in this world; and unto the day of the resurrection, when both soul and body will be glorified with him; and to the day of judgment, when the crown of righteousness will be received from his hands. And what might induce the apostle, and so any other believer, to conclude the ability of Christ to keep the souls of those that are committed to him, are, his proper deity, he having all the fulness of the Godhead, or the perfections of deity dwelling in him; his being the Creator and upholder of all things; his having accomplished the great work of redemption and salvation, by his own arm; his mediatorial fulness of grace and power; and his being trusted by his Father with all the persons, grace, and glory of the elect, to whom he has been faithful. And now the consideration of all this, as it was a support to the apostle, under all his afflictions, and sufferings for the Gospel, and in a view of death itself, so it may be, as it often has been, a relief to believers, under all the sorrows of this life, and in a prospect of death and eternity. Philo the Jew b speaks in like manner as the apostle here of παρακαταθηκη ψυχης, "the depositum of the soul": though he knew not where to commit it for safety, as the apostle did, and every true believer does.

b Quis rer. Divin. Haeres. p. 498, 499.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

For the which cause I also suffer these things - That is, I suffer on account of my purpose to carry the gospel to the Gentiles; see the notes at Colossians 1:24.

Nevertheless I am not ashamed - compare the notes at Romans 1:16.

For I know whom I have believed - Margin, “trusted.” The idea is, that he understood the character of that Redeemer to whom he had committed his eternal interests, and knew that he had no reason to be ashamed of confiding in him. He was able to keep all that he had intrusted to his care, and would not suffer him to be lost; see Isaiah 28:16.

And am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him - That is, the soul, with all its immortal interests. A man has nothing of higher value to intrust to another than the interests of his soul, and there is no other act of confidence like that in which he intrusts the keeping of that soul to the Son of God. Hence, learn:

(1) That religion consists in committing the soul to the care of the Lord Jesus; because:

1. We feel that we cannot secure the soul’s salvation ourselves.
1. The soul is by nature in danger.
2. If not saved by him, the soul will not be saved at all.

(2) That the soul is a great and invaluable treasure which is committed to him.

1. No higher treasure can be committed to another;
1. In connection with that the whole question of our happiness on earth and in heaven is entrusted to him, and all depends on his fidelity.

(3) It is done by the true Christian with the most entire confidence, so that the mind is at rest. The grounds of this confidence are:

(a)What is said of the mighty power of the Saviour;

(b)His promises that he will keep all who confide in him (compare the notes at John 10:27-29;

(c)Experience - the fact that those who have trusted in him have found that he is able to keep them.

(4) This act of committing the soul, with all its interests, to the Saviour, is the true source of peace in the trials of life. This is so because:

(a)Having done this, we feel that our great interests are secure. If the soul is safe, why need we be disturbed by the loss of health, or property, or other temporal comforts? Those are secondary things. A man who is shipwrecked, and who sees his son or daughter safe with him on the shore, will be little concerned that a casket of jewels fell overboard - however valuable it might be:

1. All those trials will soon pass away, and he will be safe in heaven.
1. These very things may further the great object - the salvation of the soul. A man’s great interests may be more safe when in a prison than when in a palace; on a pallet of straw than on a bed of down; when constrained to say, “Give us this day our daily bread,” than when encompassed with the wealth of Croesus.

Against that day - The day of judgment - called “that day,” without anything further to designate it, because it is the great day; “the day for which all others days were made.” It seems to have been so much the object of thought and conversation among the early Christians, that the apostle supposed that he would be understood by merely referring to it as “that day;” that is, the day which they were always preaching about, and talking about, and thinking about.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 12. I am not ashamed. — Though I suffer for the Gospel, I am not ashamed of the Gospel; nor am I confounded in my expectation; his grace being at all times sufficient for me.

For I know whom I have believed — I am well acquainted with the goodness, mercy, and power of Christ; and know that I cannot confide in him in vain.

That which I have committed unto him — This is variously understood. Some think he means his life, which he had put, as it were, into the hands of Christ, in order that he might receive it again, in the resurrection, at the great day. Others think he means his soul. This he had also given into the hands of his faithful Creator, knowing that although wicked men might be permitted to take away his life, yet they could not destroy his soul, nor disturb its peace. Others think that he is speaking of the Gospel, which he knows will be carefully preserved by the great Head of the Church; for, though he shall be soon called to seal the truth with his blood, yet he knows that God will take care that the same truth shall be proclaimed to the world by others, whom God shall raise up for that very purpose.