“I Have Kept the Faith”

A wave of emotion may have swept over the young pastor as he read the words of his longtime mentor: “I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7). We can only imagine how these words affected him as they generated half a lifetime of memories.

Timothy had witnessed many of Paul’s triumphs, as well as many of his sufferings. He had been with the apostle when he first preached the gospel in Europe (Acts 16:1-3, 6-13), and he had been there when Paul and Silas were beaten and jailed.

The young pastor had served with Paul in many of the cities in which God had raised up congregations (Philippians 2:19-22), though Timothy had then been too young to take a leading role. Even so, “Timothy seems to have been one of the most constant companions of the Apostle Paul” (The Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible, Vol. 5, p. 752).

Now Paul, the man who had been like a father to him (2 Timothy 1:2), was in a Roman prison for the second time. And this time his prospects for release seemed dim.

Paul himself had accepted his circumstances, writing, “For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand” (2 Timothy 4:6). He was facing Roman execution.

“I have kept the faith” in context

As Timothy read Paul’s second letter to him, he probably couldn’t help but notice how many of the once faithful followers of Christ had abandoned—or worse, stood in opposition to—the apostle. The letter is strewn with names, most of which mean little to us but may have meant a lot to Timothy.

In the first chapter of the book, Paul wrote that “all those in Asia have turned away from me” (2 Timothy 1:15), then mentioned Phygellus and Hermogenes by name. Did Timothy know these men? We don’t know, but Paul named them for a reason, and this turn of events was surely sobering to the young pastor.

The next chapter names Hymenaeus and Philetus as individuals who had uttered “profane and idle babblings” (2 Timothy 2:16-17). The final chapter notes that Demas had forsaken Paul and that “Alexander the coppersmith did me much harm” (2 Timothy 4:10, 14).

In reading about all these individuals, most previously part of the Church of God, Timothy was likely moved by how quickly they had let go of their faith. This is the context in which Paul wrote that, in contrast to so many others, he had “kept the faith.”

A letter of reassurance

Even though Paul wrote about other Christians who had abandoned the faith, this epistle is not disheartening in tone. On the contrary, it is filled with comforting words that help balance the apostle’s stark statements about his own future. This consolation is especially evident in the first chapter.

In a sense, Paul was telling Timothy, “I did it, and so can you!” Paul began with his customary greeting, in which he mentioned the desire that God grant grace and peace to the recipients. All of the apostle’s letters include these two elements in the beginning verses. The greeting conveys his genuine concern.

The two letters to Timothy, however, include the additional element of mercy (1 Timothy 1:2; 2 Timothy 1:2). This inclusion may have been prompted by Timothy’s health issues (1 Timothy 5:23), but may also reflect concern about struggles the young pastor faced in his ministry (Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Vol. 11, p. 349). Either way, they reveal his mentor’s loving concern.

Paul moved on from his greeting to another striking bit of encouragement. Paul, one of the most dedicated and industrious servants of God—the apostle called to take the gospel to the gentiles—took time to pray for his protégé! In fact, he wrote, “Without ceasing I remember you in my prayers night and day” (2 Timothy 1:3).

The first chapter of this letter goes on to remind Timothy of the faith of his grandmother Lois and his mother Eunice (verse 5). But perhaps the strongest encouragement comes later, in the final chapter of the book, when Paul wrote of his own experiences, declaring that “the Lord stood with me and strengthened me” (2 Timothy 4:17).

A letter of pastoral direction

Paul’s second epistle to Timothy does more than inform the young man of Paul’s situation, and it does more than offer encouragement. It is also a letter of sober advice offered under difficult circumstances. It is the guidance of a mentor to his protégé put forward in the face of death.

Paul knew that trial and persecution confronted Christians throughout the Roman world. His sense of pastoral responsibility spurred him on in his efforts to prepare Timothy for his own inevitable spiritual battles.

Paul may well have seen Timothy as a successor in his ministerial role. According to The Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible (Vol. 5, p. 753), this last letter of Paul to Timothy seemingly “is the picture of a man passing the torch to his successor. Paul’s confidence and trust in Timothy as a worthy successor are very evident.”

That’s probably why Paul issued a solemn charge to Timothy in this letter. The Greek word diamartyromai, translated in the New King James Version as “charge,” might be better translated as “solemnly charge” (Mounce Reverse Interlinear New Testament) or “charge earnestly” (Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary, p. 96).

The apostle wanted Timothy to grasp the significance of what he was writing. He began his instruction by saying, “I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Timothy 4:1). Invoking the names of the Father and the Son emphasized the importance of what follows. After this invocation, Paul directed Timothy to “preach the word!” (verse 2).

After issuing this directive to Timothy, Paul wrote, “I have kept the faith.” He had accepted his circumstances, and he had realized that other men would carry on in his place. Timothy was certainly one of those men, and he was undoubtedly moved by these words from his longtime teacher and friend.

Learning how we can keep the faith

Although this letter is addressed to Timothy, and although Paul used it to “pass the baton,” so to speak, much of what the aging apostle wrote is good counsel for all Christians.

It’s not surprising that the first bit of counsel Paul offered Timothy was that he “stir up the gift of God which is in you” (2 Timothy 1:6). God’s help often comes through His Holy Spirit, which is one of the most important keys to a Christian’s success in the face of adversity.

We accomplish this stirring most often through prayer—through being in touch with our Creator on a regular basis. This was true in the first century, and it is true today.

One of the ways that the Spirit then helps Christians is in our efforts to understand the Bible. The Holy Spirit opens our minds to God’s truth, but we must also be careful about how we handle Scripture, “rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15).

Paul warned Timothy not to be sidetracked by some scintillating new slant on Scripture, but to “hold fast the pattern of sound words which you have heard from me, in faith and love which are in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 1:13; see also 3:14-17).

Keeping the faith in difficult times

Another critical key to keeping the faith, however, is a little more difficult than stirring up the Spirit or studying God’s Word. That key is being mentally and spiritually prepared for the challenges that always come.

That’s because when we choose to obey God, we make ourselves different from the world. We do not pursue the same goals, and what we value seems odd to the world around us.

Following that different course often leads to suffering and even persecution. We may lose jobs, for example, when we choose to keep God’s Sabbath holy, or we may find ourselves isolated when we choose not to endorse so-called alternative lifestyles that are opposed to God’s clear instructions. That’s why Paul wrote that “all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution” (2 Timothy 3:12).

This is not the only reference Paul made to suffering. The apostle encouraged Timothy to be prepared to suffer—to “share with me in the sufferings for the gospel”—noting his own sufferings a few verses later (2 Timothy 1:8, 12).

Paul spoke of this inevitable suffering several more times. It is to be expected of “all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 2:3, 9; 3:12). Knowing that these sufferings will come gives us time to prepare ourselves, and such spiritual preparation is important if we hope to keep the faith.

Study even deeper into this important epistle in our article “2 Timothy: Paul’s Last Letter.”

“I have kept the faith” as a summary statement

When Paul wrote “I have kept the faith” toward the end of this very personal and moving letter to his beloved protégé, the words conveyed several profound concepts. First, of course, they were words of acceptance. Paul recognized that his life and work were coming to an end.

Second, these words would also encourage Timothy and others. Why? Because they showcased the faith of a man who looked to God, even in the face of death. Just as Paul had directed Timothy to consider the faith of his mother and grandmother, the apostle called attention to his own faith, not to brag, but to comfort and inspire.

Finally, these words were a sober reminder to a young pastor of his own challenges and duties. In a sense, Paul was telling Timothy, “I did it, and so can you!”

As we read through this letter, we should see more than the example of a man who poured out his life in service to God. We should see the epistle as encouragement to all who follow Christ, as a sober reminder of our duty as God’s elect, and as a question we should ask ourselves.

Will we, at the end of our lives, be able to echo Paul’s words and say, “I, too, have kept the faith”?

Continue on this path by studying the biblical instruction in the article “How to Grow in Faith.”