2 Timothy 1:8
in 2 Timothy 1So do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, or of me, His prisoner. Instead, join me in suffering for the gospel by the power of God.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Be not ashamed therefore of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but suffer hardship with the gospel according to the power of God;
KJV
Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God;
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This verse in 2 Timothy 1
Commentary
13 notes on this verseBe not - ashamed of the testimony - The testimony of Christ is the Gospel in general, which proclaims Christ crucified, and redemption through his blood. In the sight of the world, there appeared to be reason why a man should be ashamed of this; ashamed of him who was crucified as a malefactor; but, when this Gospel became the power of God to the salvation of every one that believed, it was a subject to exult in. Hence the apostle, Rom 1:16 (note), said, I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ.
This site's exposition
do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord
Paul names the testimony of our Lord and himself, His prisoner, together, so shame at either is shame at the same gospel. He calls Timothy to join me in suffering for the gospel, a shared suffering rather than a watched one.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers4 voices
"For God hath not given us the spirit of bondage again to fear; but of power, and love, and of a sound mind. Be not therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, or of me his prisoner," he writes to Timothy. Such shall he be "who cleaves to that which is good," according to the apostle, "who hates evil, having love unfeigned; for he that loveth another fulfilleth the law." If, then, this God, to whom we bear witness, be as He is, the God of hope, we acknowledge our hope, speeding on to hope, "saturated with goodness, filled with all knowledge."
Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner; but share in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God. Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord. Many miserable people, examining …
"Be not thou, therefore, ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner; " for he had said before: "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
There is nothing worse than that man should measure and judge of divine things by human reasonings. For thus he will fall from that rock a vast distance, and be deprived of the light. For if he who wishes with human eyes to apprehend the rays of the sun will not only not apprehend them, but, besides this failure, will sustain great injury; so, but in a higher degree, is he in a way to suffer this, and abusing the gift of God, who would by human reasonings gaze intently on that Light. Observe accordingly how Marcion, and Manes, and Valentinus, and others who introduced their heresies and pernicious doctrines into the Church of God, measuring divine things by human reasonings, became ashamed of the Divine economy. Yet it was not a subject for shame, but rather for glorying; I speak of the Cross of Christ. For there is not so great a sign of the love of God for mankind, not heaven, nor sea, nor earth, nor the creation of all things out of nothing, nor all else beside, as the Cross. Hence it is the boast of Paul, "God forbid that I should glory, save in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ." (Gal. vi. 14.) But natural men, and those who attribute to God no more than to human beings, stumble, and become ashamed. Wherefore Paul from the first exhorts his disciple, and through him all others, in these words: "Be not thou ashamed of the testimony of our Lord," that is, "Be not ashamed, that thou preachest One that was crucified, but rather glory in it." For in themselves death and imprisonment and chains are matters of shame and reproach. But when the cause is added before us, and the mystery viewed aright, they will appear full of dignity, and matter for boasting. For it was that death which saved the world, when it was perishing. […]
The Medieval Church1 voice
Many wretched people, judging by human notions about that which is above our understanding, consider it a shame to proclaim that the Son of God was crucified, not knowing that by the power of His Cross the condemned man became a son of God. But …
6 more voices on this verse
The Medieval Church2 voices
He said that if he suffers that he must not be ashamed.
Then when he says, do not be therefore ashamed, he specifies the use of grace: first, he removes what is contrary to its use; second, he exhorts him to use it, at but labor with the Gospel. Now a person may be hindered from preaching …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Of the testimony of our Lord - The gospel, and of testifying the truth of it to all men. Nor of me - The cause of the servants of God doing his work, cannot be separated from the cause of God himself. But be thou partaker of the afflictions - Which I endure for the gospel's sake.
Be not then therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
Timothy might easily be tempted to be ashamed of one in prison, especially as not only worldly shame, but great risk, attended any recognition of Paul the prisoner. be thou partaker--with me. of the gospel--rather, as Greek, "for the Gospel," that is, suffered for the Gospel (2Ti 2:3-5;
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord - Do not be ashamed to bear your testimony to the doctrines taught by the Lord Jesus; Joh 3:11, Joh 3:32-33; Joh 7:7; compare Act 10:22; Act 20:24; 1Co 1:6; Rev 22:16. Paul seems to have apprehended that Timothy was in some danger of being ashamed of this gospel, or of shrinking back from its open avowal in the trials and persecutions to which he now saw it exposed him. Nor of me his prisoner - Of the testimony which I have borne to the truth of the gospel. This passage proves that, when Paul wrote this Epistle, he was in confinement; compare Eph 3:1; Eph 6:20; Php 1:13-14, Php 1:16; Col 4:3, Col 4:18; Phm 1:9. Timothy knew that he had been thrown into prison on account of his love for the gospel. To avoid that himself, there might be some danger that a timid young man might shrink from an open avowal of his belief in the same system of truth. But be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel - The sufferings to which the profession of the gospel may expose you; compare the notes at Col 1:24. According to the power of God - That is, according to the power which God gives to those who are afflicted on account of the gospel. The apostle evidently supposes that they who were subjected to trials on account of the gospel, might look for divine strength to uphold them, and asks him to endure those trials, relying on that strength, and not on his own.
The words behind it
20 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Μὴ | me | Not | G3361 → | 1066 times |
| οὖν | oun | therefore | G3767 → | 497 times |
| ἐπαισχυνθῇς | epaischuntheas | you may be ashamed of | G1870 → | 11 times |
| τὸ | to | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| μαρτύριον | marturion | testimony | G3142 → | |
| τοῦ | tou | of the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| κυρίου | kuriou | Lord | G2962 → | 711 times |
| ἡμῶν | hemon | of us | G3165 → | 1936 times |
| μηδὲ | mede | nor | G3366 → | |
| ἐμὲ | eme | of me myself | G1473 → | 839 times |
| τὸν | ton | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| δέσμιον | desmion | prisoner | G1198 → | |
| αὐτοῦ, | autou | of Him, | G846 → | 5565 times |
| ἀλλὰ | alla | but | G235 → | 635 times |
| συγκακοπάθησον | sugkakopatheson | do suffer together | G4777 → | |
| τῷ | to | for the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| εὐαγγελίῳ | euangelio | gospel | G2098 → | 73 times |
| κατὰ | kata | according to | G2596 → | 468 times |
| δύναμιν | dunamin | [the] power | G1411 → | 119 times |
| θεοῦ | theou | of God | G2316 → | 1312 times |
ΜὴNot
meG3361 →1066 times
οὖνtherefore
ounG3767 →497 times
ἐπαισχυνθῇςyou may be ashamed of
epaischuntheasG1870 →11 times
τὸthe
toG3588 →19766 times
μαρτύριονtestimony
marturionG3142 →
τοῦof the
touG3588 →19766 times
κυρίουLord
kuriouG2962 →711 times
ἡμῶνof us
hemonG3165 →1936 times
μηδὲnor
medeG3366 →
ἐμὲof me myself
emeG1473 →839 times
τὸνthe
tonG3588 →19766 times
δέσμιονprisoner
desmionG1198 →
αὐτοῦ,of Him,
autouG846 →5565 times
ἀλλὰbut
allaG235 →635 times
συγκακοπάθησονdo suffer together
sugkakopathesonG4777 →
τῷfor the
toG3588 →19766 times
εὐαγγελίῳgospel
euangelioG2098 →73 times
κατὰaccording to
kataG2596 →468 times
δύναμιν[the] power
dunaminG1411 →119 times
θεοῦof God
theouG2316 →1312 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Romans 1:16I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, first to the Jew, then to the Greek.
it leads to
- Mark 8:38
If anyone is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in His Father’s glory with the…
- Luke 9:26
If anyone is ashamed of Me and My words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His glory and in the glory of the Father and of the…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 1 Peter 4:16
But if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but glorify God that you bear that name.
- 2 Timothy 1:12
For this reason, even though I suffer as I do, I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have…
- Psalms 40:9–10
I proclaim righteousness in the great assembly; behold, I do not seal my lips, as You, O LORD, do know.
- Mark 8:38
Through
2 Timothy 1:12For this reason, even though I suffer as I do, I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have…
it leads to
- Jude 1:24
Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you unblemished in His glorious presence, with great joy—
- 1 Peter 4:19
So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should entrust their souls to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.
- 2 Timothy 4:8
From now on there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but to all who…
- Jude 1:24
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies3
About 2 Timothy
This page draws on 13 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Clement of Alexandria, The Stromata Book 4; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, Homily on 2 Timothy 2; John Damascene, Commentary (church-history corpus); John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Oecumenius, COMMENTARY ON 2 TIMOTHY; Tertullian, Scorpiace; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on 2 Timothy and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on 2 Timothy.