Being trusted with the gospel

A friend texted me yesterday, disillusioned and struggling and ended his message, “but we keep on loving.” It moved and encouraged me.

It is with this spirit that Paul urges Timothy. He doesn’t want him to just copy him like a biscuit-cutter. He wants Timothy to have a similar pattern to what he has lived his life like.

“What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus. ¹⁴ Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you—guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.” (2 Timothy 1 v 13-14)

This pattern isn’t built on human wisdom or cultural trends. It’s rooted “in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.” He wants him to continue in the faith but also to keep on loving. Notice how Paul connects doctrine with disposition—sound teaching must be accompanied by genuine faith and Christ-like love. Truth without love becomes harsh legalism; love without truth becomes empty sentimentality. Both together create the authentic Christian witness.
Perhaps the most encouraging aspect of this charge is Paul’s reminder that Timothy won’t guard this deposit of the gospel alone. The Holy Spirit “who lives in us” provides the power and wisdom needed for this monumental task. This same Spirit who inspired the Scriptures also empowers those called to preserve and proclaim them.
The Holy Spirit’s help isn’t passive—it’s active, personal, and continuous. He provides discernment to distinguish truth from error, courage to stand firm under pressure, and wisdom to communicate eternal truths in contemporary contexts.

There’s something deeply moving about Paul’s confidence in Timothy. Despite the young man’s apparent timidity and the challenging circumstances facing the early church, Paul entrusts him with the gospel’s preservation. This reveals God’s pattern of working through ordinary people in extraordinary ways.
The same trust extended to Timothy extends to us. We may feel inadequate for such a weighty responsibility, but that’s precisely why Paul points to the Holy Spirit’s help. Our insufficiency becomes the stage for God’s sufficiency.
May we, like Timothy, prove worthy of the trust placed in us. And may we find in the Holy Spirit’s presence the power to guard well the precious deposit entrusted to our care.