“And what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also” – 2 Timothy 2:2
As Paul wrote to his dear friend, Timothy, he had four generations of faithfulness on his mind:
- Paul (generation 1)
- Timothy (generation 2)
- Those Timothy will teach to follow Jesus (generation 3)
- Those they will teach to follow Jesus (generation 4)
Four generations of believers who receive the good news of Jesus Christ, believe it, are transformed by it, and then pass it on to others who likewise taught to take up their cross and follow Jesus daily.
That’s how the gospel spread all over the world! That’s how it must continue to spread, until it reaches people from every ethnic group, tribe, and language on earth. Faithful men and women must share good news with others and teach them how to follow Jesus. Including by sharing this same good news as they go through life.
So, what about you? If Jesus is your Lord, then you’ve been entrusted with the same gospel message Paul and Timothy were. Are you actively entrusting it to others? Are you helping them understand how to share it with still others? Are you swapping encouraging testimonies with them about sharing and discipling, the way Paul and Timothy did?
If so, God bless you and may you continue in the power of the Holy Spirit! If not, why not? What’s holding you back? What do you need to equip or encourage you to take your place in the long chain of faithful people stretching back 2000 years and continuing forward until Jesus returns? #FollowJesus