2 timothy 1, not fear, but faith

Read 2 Timothy 1 at Bible Gateway.

This chapter forms an interesting chiastic structure:

2 Tim 1:5-18
1a) 2 Tim 1:5, Genuine faith of Timothy, his mother, and grandmother;
1b) 2 Tim 1:6, I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through laying on of my hands;
1c) 2 Tim 1:7, Not fear: God not given us a spirit of fear, but power + love + sound mind;
1d) 2 Tim 1:8a, Do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner;
1e) 2 Tim 1:8b, But share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God;
1f) 2 Tim 1:9, Who has saved + called us with a holy calling, not by works but by His purpose + grace;
central axis) 2 Tim 1:10, “… but has now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel;”
2f) 2 Tim 1:11, Paul’s holy calling to the Gentiles as preacher, apostle, and teacher;
2e) 2 Tim 1:12a, For this reason I suffer;
2d) 2 Tim 1:12b, Nevertheless I am not ashamed;
2c) 2 Tim 1:12, But faith: I know who I believed + He keeps what I committed to Him until that Day;
2b) 2 Tim 1:13-14, Hold fast what you heard from me + that good thing, keep by the Holy Spirit;
2a) 2 Tim 1:15-18, Faithlessness of all those in Asia who have turned away from Paul.

Look at the C pair! God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind. And why do we have confidence so that we are not afraid? We know in whom we have believed, and that He is able to keep what we have entrusted to Him until that Day. He is able … it matters not if we are able, which we aren’t, for He is able.

And what have we entrusted to Him? We have transferred our sin, and our life, to Him, and He has transferred His right standing, and His eternal, abundant life, to us. He is able to keep our life safely in Him until that Day. Yes, they may kill the body … but after that, there is nothing more they can do, and our life is hid with Christ in God.