⁸Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord or of me His prisoner …

Shame has become an import word in our day, being potent in affecting people deeply. A standard lexicon of the ancient Greek language (BDAG) describes the word underlying “be ashamed” in our text as “to experience a painful feeling or sense of loss of status because of some particular event or activity.” English dictionaries variously describe it as the feelings of embarrassment or guilt when one does not live up to one’s own or society’s standard.

Shame began in the Garden of Eden. Originally Adam and Eve were “not ashamed” (Gen. 2:25) and were without clothing. But after their sin, they hid themselves and their shame with coverings of leaves (Gen. 3:7, 10). They had fallen short of God’s standard by disobeying, and the guilt was so painful, it separated them from God through fear. Shame always separates people either from other people or from God. But more so, shame separates people from themselves through self-judgment and self-rejection.

Paul uses the same concept, “shame,” in talking about the fear of testifying about our Lord to an unbelieving world. There are two sides to this situation. When we contemplate witnessing for Christ, we may fear “the painful feeling or sense of loss of status” with those we are trying to reach. No one likes rejection; some fear it more than others. But that comes with the territory of witnessing. Paul writes later, “Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Tim. 3:12).

The other side of being ashamed comes from our inner sense of failure when we give in to our fear of shame before others. We feel guilt and embarrassment when we do not live up to our responsibility to speak up for Christ. We know what we ought to do, and even more what we desire to do, yet we give in to the fear. This shame is worse than what we feel in front of unbelievers; it is the shame of our own failure to be faithful to our Lord.

We do not want what Jesus said to be true of us: “[W]hoever is ashamed of Me and My words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His glory” (Luke 9:26). Paul is not shaming us into witnessing, but helping us avoid the shame we bring on ourselves when we shrink back from speaking up for Jesus Christ to others.

The path to overcoming the fear of sharing the gospel with others is through the Spirit of God, who gives us power, love, and sound discipline.

Lord, give me the strength to courageously speak up for You before others.