21
A KEY TO HOLY SCRIPTURE
am made a minister'. Notice the personal emphasis, not merely `I', but `I Paul - ` not `we', including Timothy, as in
verse 1. Notice also verses 24-27:
`Who now rejoice in my sufferings FOR YOU, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my
flesh for His BODY'S sake, which is THE CHURCH: whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of
God which is given to me for YOU, to fulfil (complete) the word of God; even the mystery which hath been hid
from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to His saints: to whom God would make known what
is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in (among) you, the hope of glory'.
`The mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds' (Col. 4:3).
One other epistle is written from prison, viz., 2 Timothy:
`Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner'. `Onesiphorus ... oft
refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain' (1:8,16).
`... my gospel: wherein I suffer trouble, as an evil doer, even unto bonds' (2:8,9).
`At my first answer (defence) no man stood with me ... (notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and
strengthened me); that by me the preaching might be fully known, and that all the GENTILES might hear'
(4:16,17).
This last chapter contains the answer to the wish expressed when, bound in the spirit, Paul faced his second
ministry. There, he says, `that I may finish my course'; here he says, `I have finished my course' (4:7).
Chapter 17
THE GOOD DEPOSIT
Paul's unique ministry
It appears from all the statements cited above, that the prison ministry of Paul was definitely related to some
special phase of truth peculiarly connected with the Gentiles. In 2 Timothy 1:11-14 he says of the gospel:
`Whereunto I am appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles. For the which cause I also
suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know Whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He
is able to guard my trust unto that day. Hold fast the pattern of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in
faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. That good trust do thou guard through the Holy Spirit, which dwelleth in
us' (Author's translation).
It is usual to look at the words of Paul (1:12) as meaning that he had entrusted his future welfare to the hands of
Christ. The original leaves the passage open. It simply reads, the trust of me. In the next verse but one the apostle
uses the same words of Timothy. In 1 Timothy 6:20 it occurs again, `O Timothy, guard that trust'.
The pattern
Now between the apostle's reference to the trust which he held, and the trust given to Timothy, comes the
reference to his own teaching as constituting a pattern for Timothy. Again in 2 Timothy 2:2 this very personal note
is sounded: `The things that thou hast heard of ME among many witnesses, the same entrust thou to faithful men who
shall be competent to teach others also'. That which is partly suggested in chapter 1 is demonstrated in chapter 2.
`The trust' of 1:12 and 14 is paratheke; in 2:2 `commit' or `entrust' is parathou. `That good trust', therefore,
was the body of truth entrusted to Paul when he became the prisoner of Jesus Christ for the Gentiles, and passed on
to Timothy, and by him to others. Enviable apostolic succession! To this doubtless the apostle referred when he
said, `I have kept the faith'. This special trust overwhelms the apostle as he thinks of all that it means. In 1 Timothy
1:11-14 he speaks of being entrusted with the gospel, who before was a blasphemer and a persecutor. The same
spirit is manifested in Ephesians 3:8,9, `Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I
should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; and to make all men see what is the fellowship
(dispensation) of the mystery'. Let us read Paul's own statement in Ephesians 3:2-11 :