"Truths to Be Kept in Mind"
2 Timothy 2:8 - 13
Sunday, March 7th, 2010

In verses 8-13 here, Paul enumerates some of the elements of the doctrine which he had passed on to Timothy in the presence of many witnesses:

There are two primary truths to be kept in mind 1. The resurrection of Christ, the preaching of which had led to Paul’s imprisonment (7-9). 2. Suffering for the church and dying with Christ lead to eternal life and spiritual honor (9-12).

The historical view of the resurrection, presented by the Gospels and believed in the Christian church of every denomination and sect, is that the resurrection of Christ was an actual though miraculous event, in harmony with his previous history and character, and in fulfillment of his own prediction.

This resurrection was a re-animation of the dead body of Jesus by a return of his soul from the spirit-world, and a rising of body and soul from the grave to a new life, which, after repeated manifestations to believers during a short period of forty days, entered into glory by the ascension to heaven.

The object of the manifestations was not only to convince the apostles personally of the resurrection, but to make them witnesses of the resurrection and heralds of salvation to the entire world.

“Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God, (Which he had promised afore by his prophets in the holy scriptures,) concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh; and declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead (Romans 1:1-4KJV).”

He asserts in this Roman passage that God made promises by His prophets in the Holy Scriptures concerning his Son.

Isaiah 9:7 (740-700BC) says, “Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even forever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.”

Early in his ministry (Luke 4:16-21), Jesus said that he fulfilled the prophecies of Isaiah: “The Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord (Isaiah 61:1-2KJV).”

Jeremiah 23:5 (Circa 585BC) says, “Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth.”

To encourage Timothy in suffering, which we will shortly discuss, the apostle puts him in mind of the resurrection of Christ (v. 8): Remember that Jesus Christ, of the seed of David, was raised from the dead, according to my gospel.

We are to look to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who, for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross, despised the shame, and has now sat down at the right hand of the throne of God (Hebrews 12:2). The incarnation and resurrection of Jesus Christ, heartily believed and rightly considered, will support a Christian under all sufferings in the present life.

The resurrection of Christ from the dead is reported by the four Gospels, taught in the Epistles, believed throughout Christendom, and celebrated on every “Lord’s Day,” as an historical fact. It is revered as the crowning miracle and divine seal of his whole work, as the foundation of the hopes of believers, and as the pledge of their own future resurrection.

The Christian church rests on the resurrection of its Founder. Without this fact the church could never have been born, or if born, it would soon have died a natural death.

The miracle of the resurrection and the existence of Christianity are so closely connected that they must stand or fall together. If Christ was raised from the dead, then all his other miracles are sure, and our faith is impregnable; if he was not raised, he died in vain and our faith is vain.

It was only his resurrection that made his death available for our atonement, justification and salvation. Without the resurrection, his death would be the grave of our hopes; we otherwise would still be unredeemed and under the power of our sins.

A gospel of a dead Savior would be a contradiction and wretched delusion. This is the reasoning of Paul, and the force of this reasoning is irresistible.

The resurrection of Christ is therefore emphatically a test question upon which the truth or falsehood of the Christian religion depends. It is either the greatest miracle or the greatest delusion which history ever recorded!! .