Words matter when those words serve to bear witness to what God has revealed in scripture. Peter confirms this by saying that those who speak should do so “as one who speaks oracles of God, using their gifts to serve others.” (1 Peter 4:10–11). When God provides insight, conviction, and clarity, the call is not to shrink back. The call is to be faithful to Him by using the gifts He has given as a means to serve others. Jeremiah knew this tension well—he tried to stay silent,

In this blog, we will posit a biblical contextual backdrop as reasonable explanation for understanding 2Timothy 4:1-8. We will see that because of the “brutal, malicious and treacherous” nature of the Ephesian people, as described by the apostle Paul, Timothy possibly became fearful and timid of any further potential hostile encounters with these Ephesians, resulting in him becoming too disheartened and too frightened to continue his preaching and teaching ministry among the