For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline. So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner. But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God… (2 Timothy 1:7-8)

Paul reminds Timothy that “God did not give us a spirit of timidity,” or a spirit of cowardice, “but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline,” that is, a spirit of soberness and self-mastery. It is common to infer from this that Timothy is a timid person. The text allows this possibility, but does not directly suggest it. Rather, the inference is made from the text due to the popular assumption that whenever Paul says something, it means that precisely the opposite is being believed or practiced among his readers.

That is, if Paul admonishes Christians to live in peace with one another, then this must mean that there is discord among them. Again, this is possible, but unless the text states that his readers have this problem, the interpreter has no right to infer that this must be the historical context behind the passage. As with other cases, no historical context is required to properly understand the admonition, and that the believers should live in peace is a general teaching that is always applicable.

It is an insult to the apostle to assume that whenever he encourages someone, it is only because the opposite is happening. If you give encouragement to someone only when he obviously needs it, then you are not a very good Christian, or even a good friend. Do you tell someone to have courage only when he is fearful? Where were you before he became fearful?

Also, Paul does not contrast only timidity with power, but he says that God has given us a spirit of power, and of love, and of self-mastery. To assume that the historical context is always the opposite of what Paul says requires us to believe that Timothy is not only a timid person, but that he is also full of hate and out of control. There is no evidence that he is such a person, and it seems that commentators do not dare to go this far. The ridiculous assumption is arbitrarily applied, and abandoned when the implication becomes too farfetched by the interpreter’s standard. The lack of logical validity in making inferences and the lack of consistency in its application render the assumption useless as a principle of biblical interpretation.

It is possible that Timothy is too timid, but we do not know this. The text does not tell us. What we know is that Paul has been imprisoned, that there are enemies who oppose the gospel, and that even some who served the cause with the apostle have now abandoned him. We know all this because this letter tells us all this. It is more appropriate to associate this with Paul’s encouragement for Timothy to remain steadfast. Given this harsh environment and unfavorable trend, Paul warns Timothy not to succumb to the pressure. Whether Timothy is in danger of succumbing to the pressure is entirely uncertain, and for an accurate understanding of the letter, entirely unimportant.

Paul contrasts timidity with power, love, and self-control, or the ability to master or possess one’s own thoughts and emotions. The contrast suggests the shades of meaning given to these words. Thus the “power” does not refer to miracle-working power, but spiritual and moral courage.

We can be even more specific than this. Verse 8 says, “So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner.” This tells us what Paul has in mind when he talks about timidity and power. To be timid is to be too embarrassed to testify about the Lord Jesus, to tell people what you know about him, and what they need to believe about him. It is to be too afraid to tell people who he is, what he came to do, and that although he was killed, he was raised from the dead, and that he is now alive and in power, and that he will judge all men.

Then, although we know that only Christ deserves our worship and adoration, and that all his ministers are but mere men, God has arranged human relationships among his people so that they may serve his cause with their combined strength and talents, and a sense of solidarity as fellow-servants of Christ. To be a coward is to be too embarrassed to support and to identify with God’s people, especially those who are persecuted for proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is to be too afraid to acknowledge our association with the teachers of the faith.

Christians have no reason to be embarrassed. We have done nothing wrong in believing and preaching Jesus Christ. Our faith does not make us inferior, or less intelligent or ethical. In fact, it is an insult to the Lord to be embarrassed. Our faith is in him, not in ourselves. And our message is about him, not about ourselves. Should Jesus be ashamed of himself? Should he be embarrassed about what he said and what he did when he was on earth? Should he apologize for his present position and ministry? What has he done wrong?

No, the Christian faith is the only true and rational system of belief. Even the zenith of human intelligence and ability cannot compare to it, since as the Scripture says, even the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength (1 Corinthians 1:25). For the Christian, this wisdom from God is not elusive, but it has been given to us through the gospel (1 Corinthians 1:18-24), so that we even have “the mind of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:16). Thus non-Christians are in the inferior position. They are the foolish and wicked ones. They are the ones who should be embarrassed. And when God’s Spirit uses our preaching to open their eyes, this is what happens – they become ashamed of themselves. The Spirit brings conviction to their hearts, so that they can finally see themselves for what they are.

One commentator says that the Spirit does not transform a timid person into a powerful personality, but that he gives us enough for each situation. Rubbish. The same commentator does not say that God gives us just enough love for each situation, that he will make each believer nothing more than a barely loving person. Paul says that God gives us a spirit of power! He gives you a different spirit than what you were born with, and exchanges your natural timidity with courage and might. Perhaps this commentator’s remark is more autobiographical than expositional.

The Lord is not a God of enough, but a God of plenty. When Jesus fed the five thousand with five loaves of bread, how many basketfuls of pieces were left over? And when he fed the four thousand with seven loaves of bread, how many basketfuls of pieces were left over? Do you still not understand?