“Remember
that Jesus Christ, made of the seed of David, was raised again from the dead
according to my Gospel, wherein I suffer trouble as an evil doer, even unto
bonds: but the word of God is not bound. Therefore I suffer all things for
the elect’s sake, that they might also obtain the salvation which is in Christ
Jesus, with eternal glory” (2 Timothy 2:8-10, Geneva Bible).
This
suffering is not just Paul’s – he gives a command to Timothy to suffer, as
well. Three times.
- “Be not therefore ashamed of the testimony of
our Lord, neither of me his prisoner: but be partaker of the
afflictions of the Gospel according to the power of God, Who hath
saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works,
but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given to us through
Christ Jesus before the world was, But is now made manifest by that
appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath
brought life and immortality unto light through the Gospel” (1:8-10). This is a command.
- “Thou therefore suffer
affliction as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No man that warreth,
entangleth himself with the affairs of this life, because he would please
him that hath chosen him to be a soldier” (2:3,4). This is a command.
- “...suffer adversity” (4:5). Again, this is a
command.
The only
other place this verb is used in the N.T. is in James, where we are given the
means by which we are meant to endure suffering. “Is any among you
afflicted? Let him pray” (James 5:13). “The grace of faith...is also
increased and strengthened by the work of the Spirit through...prayer...” This
is the “means appointed by God” in our Gospel suffering (1689 Baptist
Confession of Faith, 14.1).
Growth in
grace through prayer is God’s intended purpose in Gospel suffering for the
elect.
The Gospel
suffering of the elect is also a means of God’s effectual calling in the
witness of the Church:
- “Behold, I send you as sheep in the midst of the
wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and innocent as doves. But
beware of men, for they will deliver you up to the Councils, and will
scourge you in their Synagogues. And ye shall be brought to the governors
and kings for my sake, in witness to them, and to the Gentiles. But
when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for
it shall be given you in that hour, what ye shall say. For it is not ye
that speak, but the spirit of your Father which speaketh in you” (Matthew 10:16-20). We are to
suffer for Christ’s “sake...in witness to them.”
- “...this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience
toward God endure grief, suffering wrongly...and if when ye do
well, ye suffer wrong and take it patiently, this is acceptable to God. For
hereunto ye are called: for Christ also suffered for you, leaving you
an example that ye should follow his steps, Who did no sin, neither was
there guile found in his mouth. Who when he was reviled, reviled not
again: when he suffered, he threatened not, but committed it to him that
judgeth righteously. Who his own self bare our sins in his body on the
tree, that we being dead to sin, should live in righteousness: by whose
stripes ye were healed” (1 Peter 2:19,21-24). This is one of the places where “W.W.J.D.”
actually applies.
This is not a defeatist theology. This
is the God-decreed means by which we will reign with Christ, Who has “all power...in
heaven, and in earth” (Matthew 28:18).
- “Then Peter said, ‘Lo, we have left all, and have
followed thee.’ And he said unto them, ‘Verily I say unto you, there is no
man that hath left house, or parents, or brethren, or wife, or children
for the kingdom of God’s sake, Which shall not receive much more in this world,
and in the world to come life everlasting’” (Luke 18:28-30).
- “And ye are they which have continued with me in
my tentations. Therefore I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath
appointed unto me, That ye may eat, and drink at my table, in my kingdom,
and sit on seats, and judge the twelve tribes of Israel” (Luke 22:28-30).
- “Confirming the disciples hearts, and exhorting them
to continue in the faith, affirming that we must through many afflictions
enter into the
- “If we be children, we are also heirs, even the heirs
of God, and heirs annexed with Christ: if so be that we suffer with him,
that we may also be glorified with him. For I count that the afflictions
of this present time are not worthy of the glory, which shall be showed
unto us”
(Romans 8:17,18).
- “If we suffer, we shall also reign together with
him” (2 Timothy 2:12).
- “I John even your brother and companion in tribulation,
and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the Isle called
Patmos, for the word of God, and for the witnessing of Jesus Christ” (Revelation 1:9).
- “And I saw seats: and they sat upon them, and
judgment was given unto them, and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded
for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which did not
worship the beast, neither his image, neither had taken his mark upon
their foreheads or on their hands: and they lived, and reigned with Christ
a thousand years. But the rest of the dead men shall not live again, until
the thousand years be finished: this is the first resurrection. Blessed
and holy is he, that hath part in the first resurrection: for on such the second
death hath no power: but they shall be the Priests of God and of Christ, and
shall reign with him a thousand years” (Revelation 20:4-6).
Do we believe His Word? We are to ascend to the throne through Gospel suffering.
If the Church is surprised by
suffering, it will be because the Word was not faithfully preached in the
pulpit. If the preachers are surprised, it will be because they preached from
something other than the Word.
May we preach and hear the full
message of Gospel suffering unto growth in grace, unstoppable spread of the
Gospel, and Kingdom reign with Christ.
“Yea, and all that will live godly
in Christ Jesus, shall suffer persecution” (2 Timothy 3:12).
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