3 but has in due time manifested His word through preaching, which was committed to me according to the commandment of God our Savior;
which was committed [entrusted] to me
God entrusted Paul with preaching the message of His word. He deposited it with him. God, as well, will trust what we do with the gospel.
according to the commandment of God our Savior;
The concept of “God our Savior” is common in 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus (1 Ti 1:1; 2:3; 4:10; Ti 2:10; 3:4). The New Testament calls God our Savior eight times. Normally the Bible speaks of Jesus as our Savior (the next verse), but here God is our Savior. God is our Savior because salvation originates with Him. Paul’s message did not come from some human source. It came from a command of God. We have a Savior God.
PRINCIPLE:
God entrusts us with the gospel.
APPLICATION:
God deposits the gospel with us. He expects us to share it with others. It must not die with us. God expects us to deposit the gospel with others. Someone told me about the gospel; now I tell someone else. After we tell others about the gospel, we have discharged our responsibility. The responsibility shifts to the hearer.
1 Co 9: 16 For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for necessity is laid upon me; yes, woe is me if I do not preach the gospel!17 For if I do this willingly, I have a reward; but if against my will, I have been entrusted with a stewardship.
Ga 2: 7 But on the contrary, when they saw that the gospel for the uncircumcised had been committed to me, as the gospel for the circumcised was to Peter
1 Th 2: 4 But as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, even so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who tests our hearts.
1 Ti 1: 11 according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God which was committed to my trust.
1 Ti 6: 20 O Timothy! Guard what was committed to your trust, avoiding the profane and idle babblings and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge—
2 Ti 1: 14 That good thing which was committed to you, keep by the Holy Spirit who dwells in us.
