bible study
title: it's based on a who
key passage: 2 timothy 1:8-14
but i am not ashamed, for i know whom i have believed, and i am convinced that he is able to guard until that day what has been entrusted to me. (2 timothy 1:12, nlt)
through the ages, countless men and women have tried to convince others to become christians. you've probably seen them on tv, the street corners, or heard them on the radio. these missionaries have a long tradition dating back to the first days of christianity and a man named paul.
we know about paul because some of the letters he wrote to believers have been preserved for us in the bible. paul wrote a couple letters to a young man named timothy who was leading the new church in the city of ephesus. the second letter (2 timothy) was written while paul was in prison, awaiting death for preaching about Jesus.
instead of despair or self-doubt, this letter is full of encouragement and hope. his reason for that comes in the first chapter. "but i am not ashamed, for i know whom i have believed" (2 timothy 1:12). what's really striking in this verse, though, isn't what he said, it's what he didn't say.
here, near the end of his life, waiting for execution, paul didn't say, "for i know what i have believed." his life, his career and his ministry for which he was about to die wasn't based on a "what", it was based on a "who": Jesus Christ.
when Jesus walked the earth, he told his followers, "if anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink" (john 7:37, esv). "let the children come to me, and do not hinder them" (luke 18:16). "i am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger and whoever believes in me shall never thirst" (john 6:35, esv). over and over again, Jesus emphasized that a truly fulfilled life came through him, not just from him.
Jesus didn't come to preach a few sermons and teach moral lessons. he came to lay down his life, to forgive our sins against god and to allow us to live with him in peace and joy forever. no teaching can accomplish this; only a person, only Jesus.
paul found comfort in his last days because of his relationship with a person--Jesus--not from a set of moral beliefs. and christianity has always been that way--it's about a relationship with a person, not about conforming to a set of rules. do you know Jesus?
consider it
the difference between believing in a "who" or a "what" can seem like a minor thing. but as you think about today's passage, consider the following questions.
in what ways does paul describe his faith in "relational" terms?
how does paul indicate that God is active in his life?
why is the mention of the holy spirit in verse 14 important to us today?
apply it
the sermons Jesus taught were important and have many things to teach us, but it's no mistake that most of the gospels show us what he did, rather then tell us what he taught.
pick one of the gospels (matthew, mark, luke or john) and read through it over the next several days. as you read, take note of the things Jesus does. ask, "is this a man i would trust and want to be friends with if i saw him today?" when you read about Jesus death and resurrection, ask, "why would Jesus go through so much pain and agony for me?"
for more the whole story, go back to our homepage and click on "the problem."
express it
prayer wouldn't even be possible if christianity were only a set of rules. when you pray, remember you have the unique privilege of speaking to another person--to God. because of this, we not only speak to god through our prayers, but he can speak to us. express your love for god today by both talking to him, and letting him talk to you through his word, the bible.
