Paul in his second epistle to Timothy urged him to not be ashamed of the gospel. He wrote: “Be not ashamed of the testimony of the Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God.” (2 Timothy 1:8) One might reasonably ask, “Why?” Why not be ashamed of the gospel? After all, it was illegal and it had landed Paul himself in prison.
The next few verses offer two excellent reasons why we should never, under any circumstances, be ashamed of the gospel. First, God has “saved us, and called us with an holy calling.” (2 Timothy 1:9) There are many honorable and prestigious callings one may pursue in this life but none compare to our holy calling. In a world of violence, vulgarity, and every other expression of evil, holiness stands out as a model of the way life ought to be.
Second, Jesus Christ has “brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.” (2 Timothy 1:10) Man has a built-in longing for immortality. Our psyche is repelled by death. The gospel of Christ, and it alone, offers to man real hope of life and immortality.
What a combination: the most noble life possible in this world and immortality in the next. We ought not to be ashamed of the gospel. In fact, we should not even be shy, timid, hesitant, or reluctant to share the gospel with others. We have the greatest message in the world.
Claude