The paradox of the gospel

Paradoxes are puzzles where logical thinking leads to impossible or contradictory conclusions. They’re like mental knots that seem unsolvable, yet they reveal important truths about how we think and understand the world we live in. They remind us that reality doesn’t always conform to our expectations and that contradiction might be built into the fabric of thought and being.

Paul will reveal a paradox to Timothy. He doesn’t sugarcoat the cost of faithful ministry. He suffers. Ministry isn’t immune to suffering—it often invites it. Yet Paul doesn’t present this as a reason for despair, but as validation that the gospel is worth opposing, and therefore worth defending.

“Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David. This is my gospel, ⁹ for which I am suffering even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But God’s word is not chained. ¹⁰ Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory.” (2 Timothy 2 v 8-10)

Here comes one of Scripture’s most powerful paradoxes: “But God’s word is not chained.”

Paul’s body may be confined, his movements restricted, his freedom stripped away. But the gospel? The gospel moves freely. It breaks through prison walls, crosses enemy lines, and transforms hearts in ways that no earthly power can stop or predict.

When we feel constrained by circumstances, opposition, or limitations, we can take heart: God’s word is not chained. His purposes will not be thwarted by human opposition or our human frailties.

I have a friend who is a seasoned missionary. At the moment she is not travelling and that’s not because of her age but her health. I messaged with her yesterday and she told me she was knitting baby items so that they can be sold online and the money she receives back she gives to missions work. She has discovered what Paul was teaching Timothy.

In seasons of discouragement, we remember that our foundation is Jesus Christ—raised, reigning, and worthy of our devotion regardless of circumstances.

In times of limitation, we trust that God’s word is not chained by our weaknesses, failures, or restrictions. His purposes move forward through imperfect vessels.

In moments of suffering, we find meaning not in the pain itself, but in its connection to God’s larger work of salvation in the world.

Paul’s words from his Roman cell continue to strengthen believers facing opposition, discouragement, and the ordinary challenges of faithful Christian living. They remind us that ministry—whether formal pastoral work or the everyday calling of following Christ—is anchored in eternal realities that no earthly power can touch.

The gospel that sustained Paul in chains is the same gospel that sustains us today. Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David—this is our unshakeable foundation. This is why we endure. This is our hope of glory.