After inviting Timothy to join him in suffering (for a good reason), Paul continues in verses 11 and 12 of 2 Timothy 1. This is what Paul was called to do, and this is what I think that he is asking Timothy to remain faithful in (along with Paul).
And of this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher. That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet this is no cause for shame, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day.
2 Timothy 1:11-12 NIV
https://bible.com/bible/111/2ti.1.11-12.NIV
Now, Paul didn’t necessarily choose his current path in life. He probably made some of his own choices at first, when he was younger. When he got the chance to get on the “rabbi track”, he apparently stepped into it with gusto! In fact, he seems to have taken on the role of learning to be a Pharisee so aggressively that he missed Jesus at first. Paul got so wrapped up in a teaching or a role or a specific group that he literally missed the fulfillment of the prophecies that he had been memorizing.
Later, though, Paul was called by Jesus Christ. As Paul wrote here in 2 Timothy, he was “appointed” to a role that is described with three words. Whether these were three roles or – as I suspect – three parts to the same role, these describe Paul’s calling. Let’s take a look at those three parts of what Paul was appointed to do for the gospel:
A “herald” [NIV] or a “preacher” [NASB]. Paul wasn’t just called to hear the good news. He was called to proclaim it. A herald doesn’t merely receive news from the king. The herald is expected to get the word out – maybe using one of those cool trumpets with banners hanging off of it! In the same way, if any of the preachers (from the congregation I’m a part of) spent all of their time studying the Bible, the study itself might be good for them, but we’d have a hard time calling them a preacher if they never told others about what they were learning! After all, the king – Jesus Christ – commanded His disciples to share the good news.
An “apostle”. What made Paul an apostle? I think that this includes, 1) Paul having met Jesus personally (after Jesus’ resurrection and ascension), 2) Paul having received a special commission from God and maybe, 3) Paul having received a special gift or other equipping from the Holy Spirit for this purpose. I don’t think that any of us are apostles in quite the same way as Paul was, but many of the same responsibilities and instructions that Jesus gave to His apostles also apply to other followers of Jesus. The study guide refers to one who is “sent out”, and I think that we’re each sent to do something for God.
A “teacher”. Paul wasn’t just called to get the word out (like a herald or a preacher). He had a role of instructing others and developing them to understand the truth fully. Not everyone agrees that preaching and teaching are different roles in the church, but I happen to feel that they are (although I’m not dogmatic about it). In broad terms, I think of preaching as calling people to hear truth, presenting aspects of that truth, and compelling listeners to take action based on that truth. Teaching, in my mind, is filling in the details, covering all of the specifics that the preaching didn’t have time to cover, explaining how others can use the teachings of Jesus and the leading of the Holy Spirit in our everyday lives, and encouraging students to develop their own skills through their own study and practice. There’s obviously some overlap, here, but there should be: both preachers and teachers in the church are working from the same truth, led by the same Holy Spirit, and working towards the same goal.
So, how about you and me? Are we following the path that we want, pursuing what is popular or what others (even those in the church) tell us to do? Or, like Paul experienced later in life (i.e., after he met Jesus), are we following a path that God has called us to, even if that results in making some enemies? God may not call to you in a voice from Heaven, like He did for Paul, but God has a plan, a purpose, and a promise for you. It might not be what you expected – or even what you thought that you wanted – but it is far better than anything else you and I could invent on our own.
From Sunday School lesson prepared for March 16, 2025
References:
- 1717 Bible Studies, 2 Timothy, © 2025 Christian Standard Media.
- Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
- Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. Copyright by The Lockman Foundation.
- The College Press NIV Commentary – 1, 2 Timothy & Titus, by C. Michael Moss. © 1994 College Press Publishing Co.
Those Who Sin Differently 