“But the word of God is not bound!”
Paul, 2 Timothy 2:9
Paul tells Timothy about the chains he endures for the sake of the gospel. In this brief letter, he names Phygelus and Hermogenes as two have turned away from him (1:15); Hymenaeus and Philetus as having swerved from the truth (2:17-18); Demas (4:10) as one who has loved the present world too much; and Alexander the coppersmith (4:14) as someone who harmed Paul greatly. Paul draws strength from the knowledge that even the great leader Moses faced opposition from Jannes and Jambres (3:8). And even though he is “a prisoner” (1:8), “bound with chains as a criminal” (2:9), Paul bears this indignity proudly.
How is this possible? I believe it has much to do with the way Paul has pondered the meaning of the resurrection. You cannot separate the glory of the empty tomb from the shame of the cross. Elsewhere Paul speaks of the cross as a scandal. We know that the ancient world considered it to be indelicate to even speak of crucifixion in polite company due to its savagery. The Romans engineered crucifixion to be the most painful, shameful way to die, truly the worst of human imagination. And yet, this barbaric act of exposure is central to the Christian gospel. What does this say about our God? What does this reveal about how far He’s willing to go to secure our redemption? And after suffering on the cross, absorbing the worst we have to offer, Jesus rises three days later, victorious over sin and death and the devil himself.
This transformative story has radically altered the way Paul understands suffering, particularly suffering for the cause of Christ. He teaches Timothy what he himself has learned: “Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God…” (2 Tim. 1:8). Whereas others might abandon the cause because of the shame of this suffering, Paul remains adamant: “But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that Day what has been entrusted to me,” (2 Tim. 1:12). Paul is supremely confident that the empty tomb has changed everything. The eternal power of God on display in the resurrection has given Paul a thoroughly temporary view of human suffering in the present.
This much is evident in his words in 2 Timothy 2:
Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, the offspring of David, as preached in my gospel, for which I am suffering, bound with chains as a criminal. But the word of God is not bound! Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.
2 Timothy 2:8-10
Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead.
And you will obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.
Remember the cross and you’ll experience the empty tomb.
With this in mind, you can endure everything, even chains.
Because you know that it all ends in glory.
Even though Paul’s freedom has been restricted, he sees that that the word of God cannot be contained. It’s power is alive in the world, transforming hearts and minds with the Good News of Jesus. Take one mouthpiece off the board and it will be replaced by ten more — because the Spirit is on the move, igniting the hearts of men with the holy fire of eternity. This is why Paul commissions Timothy to the important work of entrusting the gospel message to faithful men who will continue to pass it down in the church throughout the ages.
No jail cell can keep the word of God bound.
No empty tomb can ever hold it back.
Another apostle, John, refers to Jesus as the logos, the preincarnate Word who was with the Father in the beginning (John 1:1). Jesus is the faithful incarnation of God’s Word, spoken and brought to life. And by recording the death and resurrection of Jesus, John reaches the same conclusion: the Word of God is not bound! The Word has come to life on the other side of death — and this is our hope of glory!
May these words of Good News encourage you today.
The Word of God is not bound.
already & not yet 