Serving God as His witnesses and servants in an unbelieving world is not easy. It often involves personal suffering, as the stories of Christian martyrs, ancient and contemporary, demonstrate. If it is not martyrdom, it may be ridicule, prejudice, loss, and deprivation. Will we run away then? If one really believes in the gospel and the uniqueness of Jesus, there is less likelihood. Shaky belief will result in shaky Christians who will flee at the first sign of trouble. But those who know Jesus and are convinced of gospel truths will have the conviction, commitment and courage to stand their ground for the gospel.

Paul refused to change his gospel message to suit his listeners. He knew that the gospel of Jesus was a “stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles” (1 Corinthians 1:23). The Jews had problems with the weakness of a crucified Christ—their concept of the Messiah was couched in power and might. The Greeks found the message of Christ too simplistic when compared with the sophistication of their philosophies. Instead of catering to the narrow perspectives of his listeners, Paul faithfully preached the uncorrupted version, convinced that “God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength” (v. 25). He thus resolved “to know nothing… except Jesus Christ and him crucified” (2:2). The apostle was not willing to change or compromise his preaching.

For his faithfulness to the gospel message, Paul suffered much. He knew his calling and was faithful to it. He also knew that as a result, suffering would be a common experience for him. “And of this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher. That is why I am suffering as I am” (2 Timothy 1:11–12). The suffering was not for his own faults but because of the gospel and his ministry for Christ. There are several passages in Scripture that list Paul’s many sufferings—they included beatings, imprisonment, stoning, false charges, and other forms of severe persecution (2 Corinthians 4:8–12, 6:4–10, 11:23–29). In all of these, Paul held his head high as a faithful servant of Christ and steward of the gospel.

A man in his situation may be tempted to consider what others think. The world admires and follows a “successful” man; in the world, such success would involve prosperity, fame, and the absence of pain and suffering. A suffering servant of God may feel ashamed if he worries about what people might say. One would think that it is humiliating to suffer—especially to be treated as “scum of the earth, the refuse of the world” (1 Corinthians 4:13). But Paul was thick-skinned in this matter. He did not care how he appeared in the eyes of the world. He was not ashamed to be a prisoner for the sake of the gospel. In fact, he considered it to be a great honour to “bear the marks of Jesus” (Galatians 6:17), and when he appeared disfigured due to the various beatings and tortures, he did not hide in shame but held his head high. He had every reason to do so because he saw Jesus as his greatest example. Jesus bore the cross with dignity and invites His followers to carry the cross to follow Him (Luke 9:23).

As demonstrated in the life of Paul, suffering did not bring shame but joy. Writing from the Roman prison, he testified: “I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead” (Philippians 3:10–11, emphasis added). Paul could write with joy from a prison and exhort his readers to “rejoice in the Lord always” (4:4) because in his sufferings he felt an intimacy with Jesus, who had suffered for him, in an immeasurable and unimaginable way. When he suffered for his Lord and the gospel, instead of feeling self-pity and shame, Paul felt an inexpressible joy. His sufferings brought him closer in fellowship with his Lord.

Consider this:

Study the various biblical accounts of Paul’s calling. What do they say about how Paul understood his ministry? What were his priorities? How would he have been encouraged to remain faithful to Christ, especially when circumstances were difficult? What lessons can you learn about your own calling to serve Christ?

Excerpted and adapted from Faithful to the End: A Preacher’s Exposition of 2 Timothy by Robert M. Solomon. ©2014 by Robert M. Solomon. Used by permission of Discovery House Publishers. All rights reserved.

Related Resources:

Truth with Love: Sharing the Story of Jesus.. Sharing the gospel is the most important conversation we can have with someone. But sometimes talking with people of other faiths and cultures can be challenging. Discover how you can tell others about Jesus, be knowledgeable and respectful of differences, and stand firm in your own beliefs. Find out more here.

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