The Good Deposit

The chains are binding his hands and feet. His accommodations are cold and dark. Many have deserted him and at times he is lonely for the life he once had. He knows the end is near and that soon he will be in heaven with Jesus and that brings joy; but there is also an urgency to give some parting words of wisdom to his beloved associate in this time of great persecution.

The apostle Paul mentors young Timothy. Now that Paul knows his time on earth is short, he feels it imperative to give Timothy one last farewell letter. In this letter, Paul offers encouragement to stand firm in the faith and warns of the perilous times ahead.

Included in Paul’s message to Timothy are the following words:

“Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you – guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.” (2 Timothy 1:14 NIV)

I find the concept of “deposit” to be an interesting turn of phrase. In our day and age, we usually think of a deposit as money we put down on something we want. We put a small amount of money towards a bigger item that we will be able to get someday in the future. This instalment we pay is supposed to guarantee a future reward.

In the case of Paul, his use of the word deposit refers to the Gospel. Paul’s writing is almost in the form of a will – bequeathing the Gospel to his beloved Timothy. He entrusts this precious Good News to Timothy, asking him to take care of it and to share it with others. It also has promise of a future reward – eternal life in Christ Jesus.

For me a significant part of this verse is the use of the word “guard”. Paul knows that it will be a struggle to share the Gospel – the good deposit. He is asking Timothy to protect and defend the Gospel – not on his own, but with the help of the Holy Spirit. Part of that is through sound teaching of the Word.

As I ponder this verse, I wonder what I do to shield the message of the Gospel. Do I guard the good deposit? Our times are no less rough than those from when Paul is writing. The Christian church suffers persecution daily. All around us are people determined to undermine God’s Word and to lead others astray.

Firstly, I take to heart that, while Paul asks Timothy to keep the Gospel message secure, he doesn’t ask him to do it alone. I, like them, have the Holy Spirit working through me. I don’t have to figure it all out myself. The same Holy Spirit who has guarded and preserved the Word throughout the centuries is there aiding me.

The same is true for us all – we don’t go at the Christian life alone. We have the rich Word of God to inspire and strengthen us. There are church communities to which we can belong and gain hope and encouragement and sound Biblical teaching.

Our society is not Christian focused on the most part. Daily we face the same kinds of trials that Paul and Timothy did. Many are out there who are actively trying to destroy Christians and all that they stand for. We have to be continually on guard to protect ourselves from the onslaught of the devil and all his tricks.

As believers in Christ, we are not promised an easy road. We are living in hope of eternal life with Jesus in heaven. It is important that we keep aware of those negative influences in our day-to-day dealings. When things get challenging, we can draw our strength from Almighty God who provides all we need to sustain us throughout our days.

Paul left Timothy a lasting legacy of God’s grace and mercy. May we be able to leave such a legacy with anyone God places in our paths.

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