“For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day” (2 Tim. 1:12). This verse has been twisted to teach that we should teach the man and not the plan of salvation.  The fact is that those who were guided by the Holy Spirit preached both the man and His plan. When Philip “preached Jesus” the eunuch understood that he needed to obey His plan. He said, “See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?” (Acts 8:37). One who does not teach the plan revealed by Christ is not really preaching Christ.

Others have put a different twist on Paul’s statement in 2 Timothy 1:12. They say that Paul knew whom he believed, not what he believed. The (unnecessary) conclusion drawn is that it does not matter what you believe, as long as you believe in Christ.

This false teaching has been advocated by denominations for years. It denies any objective standard of authority. Each man decides what he should do regardless of what Jesus said. The truth is that one cannot not believe in Christ and deny what He revealed. The context of the passage clearly shows that it makes a difference what we believe. Paul said that we are saved in Christ, according to God’s purpose and grace, which was revealed through the gospel (2 Tim. 1:10). Then he said, “Hold fast the pattern of sound words which you have heard from me…” (v. 13). The gospel and the sound words is what was revealed through Christ. The revelation cannot be divorced from the Revelator. The same Bible that reveals the Man reveals His plan and to respect one is to respect the other.