Hold onto His Word

Paul wrote the book of Second Timothy during a challenging period for the Early Church, when Nero's insanity led to the widespread persecution of believers. Nero's methods of persecution were brutal and cruel. At that time, Timothy served as the pastor of the church in Ephesus. He knew that if Nero's secret police ever captured him, they would take pleasure in killing him in a barbaric manner. The threat against his life caused Timothy to feel fearful. To address this, Paul reminded Timothy in Second Timothy 1:7 that God does not give us a spirit of fear, but instead gives us power, love, and a sound mind.

I want to emphasize the phrase "sound mind," which comes from the Greek word "sophroneo." This word is a compound of "sodzo" and "phroneo." "Sodzo" means to be saved or delivered, suggesting that something or someone is now safe and secure after being rescued, revived, and protected. One commentator suggests that "sodzo" could even depict a person who was on the verge of death but was revived and resuscitated by the infusion of new life. The second part of the phrase "sound mind" comes from the Greek word "phroneo," which encompasses a person's intelligence and entire thought process, including rationale, logic, and emotions. It refers to all the mental processes involved in functioning and reaching conclusions.

When "sodzo" and "phroneo" are combined into "sophroneo," it describes a mind that has been delivered, rescued, revived, salvaged, and protected, and is now safe and secure. Therefore, even if your mind is tempted by fear, as Timothy's was, you can rely on God's Word and the Holy Spirit to work in you, delivering, rescuing, reviving, and salvaging your mind. This means your rationale, logic, and emotions can be shielded from irrational, absurd, baseless, and irrational thoughts that have previously plagued your mind. All you need to do is hold onto God's Word and the guidance of His Spirit.