2 Timothy 12ti 1

Chapter 1:9, 10: "Not according to our works," or responsibility. The history of the responsible man ended with the cross. There atonement was made, and God's eternal purposes came out. The cross maintained the responsibility of man and the authority of God. Through it we get out by redemption into the state where it was His purpose and grace to put us before the world began. The Church has nothing to do with this earth except to go through it.
The tide of the gospel had gathered a crowd of people into this wonderful calling, but the tide began to ebb, and all were going back again (ch. 1:15). Positive power is needed in such a time, as well as having the truth. There are two things that are worthy of notice: first, that we now have only the power of good in the midst of evil, but the evil is never set to rights till the Lord comes. The instant the power of good is not there, you get away down the stream. Second, how the good that God set up failed so fast. But this has always been so. The counsels of God as to what He set up were made known, and the power of evil came in at once to frustrate the counsels.
Verse 12: "For the which cause," etc. He was a prisoner for having carried the testimony to the Gentiles. He had entrusted his happiness to Christ, and He would keep it for him against that day.
In verses 13 and 14, he passes on the testimony to Timothy who would commit "the truth" to faithful men who could teach it to others. The Church had ceased to be a guarantee for "the truth," or the doctrines of Christianity and of Christ.