Transcript

ANNOUNCER: At the end of his life, Paul said to Timothy, words of a great hymn, “I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I’ve committed to Him until that day.” What had Paul committed to God? And when is that day? Thank you, friend, for joining us. This is Grace in Focus. We’ll have a discussion about these questions coming right up. Grace in Focus is a production of the Grace Evangelical Society and comes to you each weekday, right here. The Grace Evangelical Society has a website, it is faithalone.org. There you can find out about our initiatives, our national and regional conference schedule, and about our free online seminary where you can earn an Mdiv degree. That’s faithalone.org. 

And now with today’s question and answer discussion, here are Bob Wilkin and Leon Adkins. 

BOB: And Steve is asking a question about 2 Timothy, chapter 1 and verse 12. Could you read 2 Timothy 1:12, and then I’ll read his question? 

LEON: Second Timothy 1:12. “For this reason, I also suffer these things. Nevertheless, I am not ashamed. For I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that day.” 

BOB: And in the New King James, the word Day is capitalized. Now, Steve has two questions. Question one, what is Paul’s committed thing that God is able to keep? In other words, what did Paul commit to the Lord Jesus Christ? Because in context, he’s talking about the Lord Jesus Christ and what he committed to Him. And secondly, what is meant by “that day”? What day is Paul talking about? Now, we looked at a few commentaries. I believe you have the Tyndale commentary over there written by Guthrie. And Guthrie says there’s two options, that it’s either he committed to Jesus or God or Jesus committed to Paul, right? Could you read that part?

LEON: The word translated that which I have committed unto him may literally my deposit. The deposit could be understood either as what God entrusted to Paul or what Paul entrusted to God. 

BOB: Okay. Now, hang on. If it is the first what God entrusted to Paul, he goes on to say that would be what the gospel and his doctrine. All right. Now, if it is the other, how did he describe the other what Paul committed to God?

LEON: Would be Paul’s very soul or himself? 

BOB: Okay. Now, he actually quoted another commentator named White, right? And what did White say? 

LEON: That on the day of account, he will not be found wanting. 

BOB: And he also didn’t White also say that it was his very soul that was at stake? 

LEON: His very soul. 

BOB: Okay. How did he say you said the day of accounting? 

LEON: Yes, he would not be found wanting. 

BOB: Well, although Guthrie is not crystal clear, it seems pretty clear that what he’s talking about there is the Great White Throne Judgment. And it sounds like he’s saying when God judges the works of Paul, He’s going to say, okay, this guy’s good enough to get into the kingdom, something like that, right?

LEON: He’s got the works. 

BOB: And it sounds like work salvation. It’s very far from clear. Now, here’s someone else. This is D. Edmund Hebert, Zane Hodges really liked him for his commentary on Hebrews. His discussion here is a little bit confusing. He does use the word deposit just like Guthrie does and says this is a deposit. He says on the one hand, the deposit is the message which Jesus gave him to preach, which is partially what Guthrie was saying was an option. But he goes on to say this: He says, since the preaching of the gospel was his very life, his labors in the proclamation and defense of that message, leading to think of the day of future reward. And listen to this: against that day looks forward to the future day when Paul will stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ to receive his reward for his gospel labors. I think that D. Edmund Hebert has it right. The issue here is not the Great White Throne Judgment. 

See, most people in Christianity and most commentators think there’s one judgment. One eschatological judgment called the Great White Throne Judgment. And they think the Judgment Seat of Christ is another name for that judgment. And they think everybody’s going to be judged. And God’s going to look at their works. And he’s going to say, okay, these people are not found wanting, wasn’t that Guthrie’s or White, whoever he was quoting? And then the people whose works aren’t enough aren’t going to get in. 

Well, the problem with that is first of all, that contradicts John 3:16, right? 

LEON: Yes. And many other passages. 

BOB: Many passages. And it also contradicts the Great White Throne passage in Revelation 20:11-15, because according to that passage, who is cast into the lake of fire? Is it the person whose works are found wanting? No, because although books are opened and they are judged according to their works, verse 15 says, anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire. So the condition for escaping the lake of fire is being in the book. And what do we need to do Leon to get in the Book of Life? 

LEON: Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. 

BOB: And if we do, we’ll never perish. We’re secure forever. 

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BOB: So let’s now consider Steve’s two questions. Number one, what is this committed thing? In light of the fact that Paul is talking about his sufferings that he experiences for serving Christ, I would say the things which he committed unto the Lord Jesus Christ would be all of his ministry, all of his works. 2 Corinthians 5:9-10, “we must all appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ,” we all meaning all believers “that each one may be recompensed for the deeds done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.” 

If you tie that in with this verse, Paul is talking about all the deeds he’s done. He has committed all of those. Now, if you tie that in with 1 Corinthians 3:10-15, he’s saying all the works that we do that are gold, silver, and precious stones, those are all going to survive the Judgment Seat of Christ, the fiery judgment. And they’re going to be the pure part, you know, like when you would melt down silver or gold to get rid of the dross, you’re left with the pure silver or the pure gold. Well, that’s what God’s going to do. He’s going to eliminate all of the wood, hay, and straw. 

I remember hearing Zane Hodges teach on that passage and he said, the gold, silver, precious stones are not just good works. They’re works with eternal value and the wood, hay, and straw are not bad works. They’re works that lack eternal value. 

So let’s say you spend a lot of time fishing 40 hours a week fishing and 40 hours a week working. And you didn’t go to church. You didn’t pray. You didn’t read your Bible. You didn’t evangelize anyone. You weren’t really spending any time with your wife and kids because you were out fishing all the time every spare minute. So you’re not training your children. You’re not doing the things you’re not loving your neighbor as yourself. You’re not giving to the Lord’s work. 

Well, fishing is not sinful, but it is wood, hay, and straw, right? When Paul talks about the things he’s committed to him, he’s not talking about his fishing. He’s not talking about his golf game. He’s talking about the good works he’s done. Remember Matthew 6:19-21 where Jesus talked about where we should lay up treasure? What is it that he’s saying we should be laying up and for what? 

LEON: Depositing treasure in heaven, not on earth. 

BOB: Do a lot of people lay up treasure on earth? 

LEON: I would say that’s the lifestyle of most Americans today. 

BOB: So their goal is to accumulate as much stuff as they can, right? In this life. But Paul’s goal was to lay up treasure in heaven. I remember I got an email from a guy and he said, I know I can’t take it with me, so I’m sending some on ahead and here’s a gift to Grace Evangelical. And by the way, we appreciate all of you who give to Grace Evangelical Society, but we do not want you to give a penny to Grace Evangelical Society unless you’re doing your fair share in your local church, because God has called upon us to be supporting our local church first and foremost. If you have extra money, you’re that’s available to give to missionaries or to give to schools or to give to parachurch organizations, great. 

But all of what we say and do and give is all part of what we’ve committed unto him. And the second part of Steve question is what is that day? So Leon, what is that day? 

LEON: I see it as the day that we stand before Jesus at the Judgment Seat of Christ to be rewarded for whatever works we have done with the right motives under the filling of the Holy Spirit. 

BOB: That’s a good point. Motives do matter too, right? So if we’re doing it to be seen by men, Matthew 6:1-18, well, then if we’re praying fasting and giving to impress people, guess what? That’s your full reward. You don’t you haven’t laid anything up. But if you don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing or if you’re praying in your closet and you’re doing all these things in secret, God’s going to reward you publicly. So by the way, who is judged at the Judgment Seat of Christ?

LEON: Believers only. 

BOB: Okay, and probably we’re thinking here only of church age believers. In other words, there’s a separate judgment for Old Testament believers. And then secondly, when is the Judgment Seat of Christ? 

LEON: I believe it will be after the rapture and before Christ’s second coming. 

BOB: Okay. So one option is it’s during the seven years of the tribulation. Another option, the one I hold, is it’s during the 75 days between the end of the tribulation and the beginning of the Millennium. But both views say it’s before the Millennium, right? Because those who are going to rule with Christ have to be picked before that. When is the Great White Throne Judgment? 

LEON: That’s when it’s all over and the unbelievers will be judged according to their works. 

BOB: Okay, so the unbelievers are after the Millennium and it’s according to their works. But the reason they’re sent to the lake of fire is because of the Book.  Not the books of works, but the Book of Life. And the reason they didn’t get in the Book of Life is not because of their works. It’s because they never believed in the Lord Jesus Christ for the free gift of eternal life.

Well, thanks so much, Steve. Great question. I love this passage. You might check it out in the Grace New Testament commentary. It’s a bit self-serving since I wrote the commentary on first and second Timothy, but you can see what I had to say about that there. And we have a number of articles at faithalone.org on 2 Timothy 1:12. Beautiful verse. Love it. And Leon, what are we going to do? 

LEON: Keep grace in focus. 

BOB: Amen. 

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On our next episode: Are Old Testament and Tribulation saints in Christ? Please join us and in the meantime, let’s keep grace in focus.