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An article by Dr.P.J.Alexander
 
Edited for general publication with the author's permission
by
"Simply Christians"^{UK CHARITY No.1056018}
 
Dr.P.J.Alexander is an elder of the church of Christ meeting in Tambaram, Chennai, India
 
Quotations are from the Revised King James' Version by Fred Miller

2 TIMOTHY 1:12
 
"I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed to him against that day."

"FOR I KNOW HIM WHOM I HAVE BELIEVED"
 
INTRODUCTION
 
The most brutal and awful persecution of Christians by the Emperor Nero of Rome was in full progress. One of the victims of this persecution was the Apostle Paul. He was brought to Rome and imprisoned the second time. It was during this imprisonment awaiting his death, which was in A.D. 68, that he wrote his last letter, the Second Epistle to Timothy. He tells him that he is living in the expectation of being "offered up" but through it all is the note of Christian triumph, the statement of the man who knows whom he has believed and to whom he is committed in his life and his death.
 
BODY
 
Despite the sufferings, troubles, dangers and agonies, Paul, while in the prison of Rome made this statement "I know whom I have believed" He tells Timothy that he knows who Jesus Christ is, in whom he has believed.
 
Who is Jesus Christ? and how did Paul believe in Him?
 
What was his belief or faith in Jesus Christ?
 
To answer this question we must go back to his old life as the Hebrew man, Saul of Tarsus.
 
He was a disbeliever of Jesus Christ. He did not believe Him to be the Son of God nor the Messiah who was to come into the world. He thought and believed, as did all the other Jewish Pharisees, scribes and High Priests, that Jesus was a blasphemer and a liar. He, like those Jews, hated Jesus and His teachings. He thought, Jesus of Nazareth, was just an ordinary man who was speaking words against God, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Like most prominent Jews, he would have very much wanted to have Him executed.
 
When Jesus was crucified on the cross, he was in Jerusalem and apparently did not care to go and see Him. It seems he was quite nonchalant about Jesus then. He had no interest in the death and burial and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. In fact he did not believe that Jesus rose from the dead on the third day, even though the resurrection news echoed around the city of Jerusalem.
 
When many people began to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, he did not like it and in fact, he wanted to kill all those believers. He wanted to wipe out the name Jesus from the Jewish history. When Stephen was stoned to death he was there on the spot, guarding the clothes of the Jews who stoned Stephen. We read about this in Acts 7:58.

And cast him [Stephen] out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul.

In Acts 8: 1-3, Luke writes

And Saul was consenting to his death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him. As for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering into every house, and hauling men and women committed them to prison.

Then , in Acts 9:1-5, Luke continues:-

And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest, and desired letters from him to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly a light from heaven shined round about him: And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying to him, Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? And he said, Who are you, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom you are persecuting:

This was how the breathing out threatenings and slaughter of Saul against the Christians was stopped by the Lord Jesus Christ.
 
Was Saul an ungodly man ? No - not at all. He was a strong believer in the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and all his forefathers. He was a Hebrew and a Pharisee of the stock of Israel and was circumcised on the eighth day. But was a brilliant religious fanatic in keeping the Law of Moses.
 
He was also a great man of wisdom and a Greek scholar. But the name of Jesus disturbed him greatly. He thought that Jesus was a blasphemer in saying He is the son of God. So, he, with Jewish zeal and belief wanted to destroy Christianity once for all. But on his way to Damascus the Lord Jesus Christ appeared to him and stopped him from all his Jewish activities.
 
Dear readers, when he saw the great light shining from Heaven he knew that it was God, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. He thought he was right in persecuting and killing all Christians. He thought that he was doing this for the God of Heaven. But, when he heard that voice - "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?" - he was greatly confused. So he asked "Who are you, Lord?" Then, the answer that came from that great light, disturbed him very deeply. He never would have imagined or thought that such an answer would be given to him then. The answer was "I am Jesus whom you are persecuting". He was completely nonplussed.
 
What happened then? Luke gives the details in Acts 9: 6

And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what will you have me to do? And the Lord said to him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told you what you must do.

As he lay there the Lord Jesus told Saul He had work for him to do. This is recorded in Acts 26:16-18

But rise, and stand on your feet: for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to make you a minister and a witness both of these things which you have seen, and of those things in which I will appear to you; Delivering you from the people, and from the Gentiles, to whom I now send you, To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith that is in me.

What happened afterwards? In verse 8 of Acts 9 we are told:

Saul arose from the earth; and when his eyes were opened, he saw nobody: but they led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus.

When he opened his eyes he could see nothing with them. He had lost his sight. Then when he had been brought into the city of Damascus the Lord instructed a Jewish man of faith, named Ananias, to go to Saul and to get him to be baptized and to open his eyes. So Ananias, that devout Jew, came to Saul and placing his hands on him prayed and Saul's eyes were opened. Then Ananias told Saul:-

And now why do you wait? arise, and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord. [Acts 22:16]

Thus the man Saul was baptized into Christ for the forgiveness of his sins - that very day. He became a new creature. Old things were passed away and all things had become new in his life. He is now a believer in Jesus Christ and he then knew in whom he had believed! And immediately he began to preach Jesus Christ, giving a strong testimony that Jesus is the Son of God.
 
During his conversion, Saul [whose Roman name was Paul] had seen the glory and power of the Lord Jesus Christ. He did not see Jesus as the lowly Son of Man who walked about on this earth. Instead he saw him in the form of a great light, shining above the brightness of the sun! He with his physical eyes could not see him and his eyes were blinded by that great light from the heaven. When he heard the voice of the Lord of glory speaking unto him, he shuddered and trembled at his voice.
 
Dear readers, such was the power and might of the Lord Jesus Christ then, that Paul knew that God as Jesus Christ, was speaking to him. He then knew in whom he had believed! That is why he wrote in 1.Timothy 3:16

And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: 

God was manifest in the flesh,
justified in the Spirit,
seen by angels,
preached to the Gentiles,
believed on in the world,
received up into glory.

 
Paul says that the mystery of Godliness is that God was revealed in the flesh. In other words he says God revealed himself in the form of man, and was justified in the spirit and seen by angels.
 
When Jesus was in the world he was seen by angels and this was a evidence that God became a Man. Then he was preached to the Gentiles. Then he was believed on in the world as the Son of God. Then after his death, burial and resurrection he was received up into glory - He ascended into Heaven!
 
Dear readers, this was how Paul believed Jesus Christ and he knew in whom he had believed.
 
Then, in 2.Timothy 1:12 he says he is not ashamed of all the sufferings and humiliation he had undergone because, he says that he knew in whom he had believed. His faith was in Jesus Christ and he was sure that his loving Saviour is able to keep what he had committed to him against that day.
 
He writes in II Timothy 4:7,8:-  

I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: From now on there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but to all those also who love his appearing.

CONCLUSION
 
Dear readers, we have so far seen how and why Paul says that he knew in whom he had believed. He believed Jesus Christ and he knew what and who Jesus Christ is.
 
Dear readers, do we believe on the Lord Jesus Christ as Paul did? Are we willing to suffer for Him? as Paul suffered ? Do we have that Faith that was in Paul. Think on these things.

Copyright 2004  Dr.P.J.Alexander

"I live by the faith of the Son of God,who loved me, and gave himself for me"  Paul  [Galatians 2:20]