The emotion-filled time when I obeyed the gospel stands out vividly in my memory even though over 30 years have passed. I was baptized when I was twelve years old during a gospel meeting held by Wayne Fussell at the Lee’s Summit congregation in Missouri where I was raised. I made up my mind to become a Christian and took extra clothes with me to church that night. Once we got to church I visited with Jerri Triplett (Jerri Young now) and told her I was going to be baptized and did she want to also? Then, when the invitation song started I went forward and so did Jerri. I remember I could not stop singing as I walked down the aisle, I was so nervous. Then followed our confessions and baptisms in the baptistery there at the building. What wonderful memories for all of God’s children as we remember the time when we were "born again".

Each facet of our obedience to the gospel is both precious and important to understand. In recent years the confession has come under fire in some quarters so I want to examine what the Bible has to say about "The Good Confession." Questions I intend to answer include: Is a confession necessary when we obey the gospel? If it is, does it make any difference what we say? Is what we have said through the years and handed down from generation to generation sufficient or is there something else that is necessary? Does it make any difference what Bible translation we use to learn about the confession? All of these questions deserve Bible answers.

I believe the Bible teaches confession is necessary when we obey the gospel because of what we read about Timothy.

The "good profession" or good confession," as the same word is translated in the next verse, is describing the time when Timothy obeyed the gospel. He made a statement before others and they were witnesses to his statement. His statement was acceptable to God and commended by the Apostle Paul.

When Jesus sent the twelve forth to preach to the Jews as described in Matthew 10 he warned them they could expect many problems. He reassures them and us with these words:

Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny)’ before my Father which is in heaven. (Matt 10:32-33KJV)

We can conclude from these passages there is never a time when it is wrong to confess Christ in our lives, whether at the beginning of our walk with God, during a time of persecution, or at the end of a long life in his service. Obviously our confession of Christ is important since Jesus’ response is to confess us to God the Father.

In Matt 10:32 and Luke 12:8 the construction of this verb (the word translated confession) with en, in, followed by the dative case of the personal pronoun, has a special significance, namely, to confess in a person's name, the nature of the confession being determined by the context, the suggestion being to make a public confession. (p224)

Confess is from HOMOLOGEO, and I shall give Robinson's definition of the word... "To speak or say together, in common, i.e., the same things, hence to hold the same language, to assent, to accord, to agree with." To confess one, then, means to admit being in agreement with him and endorsing his teaching. (vol. 5, p37)

Timothy’s confession is referred to by Paul as being "The Good Confession." Let us take a closer look at this passage to see what is being taught.

Combat the good combat of faith: lay hold on eternal life; to which, also, you have been called, and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. I charge you, in the presence of God, who makes all alive-and of Christ Jesus; who witnessed to Pontius Pilate the good confession; (The Living Oracles)

Timothy’s profession or confession is compared to what Christ did when appearing before Pilate. It follows then, in order to understand what Timothy said we need a better understanding of what Pilate heard from Jesus.

But, in order to understand Christ’s confession to Pilate, we need to look first at what Christ confessed to the Jews.

Jesus’ confession to the Jews:

The Jews were aware of old testament prophecies concerning the Messiah, the anointed one of God, the Christ.

I and my Father are one. Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him. Jesus answered them, Many good works have I she wed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me? The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God. Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods? If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken; Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God? If! do not the works of my Father; believe me not. But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him. (John 10:30-38 KJV)

Jesus to the Jews during his trial:

Jesus’ confession is later referred to by those who mocked him while he was on the cross:

While we have looked at what Jesus said to the Jews, we still have not looked at what Jesus said to Pilate. Before we look at what Jesus said to Pilate, let me ask a question: Have you ever tried to explain a religious concept to someone of the world? That is what the Jews are about to attempt to do with Pilate.

Several years ago when Don Pruitt and I were in Russia we went into a restaurant to eat lunch. The only other people in the place were two Russian men. As was usual, we enlisted anyone’s help ordering our meal, because we spoke no Russian, and the waiter spoke no English. The two Russian men spoke a few words of English so between all of us we ordered something to eat. During the course of our meal the waiter delivered a bottle of wine to our table, which we did not order. The two Russian men had ordered it for us at their expense, usually a great honor in their country. Oh no! Now what do we do? We told the waiter "No Thanks!" This prompted our benefactors to come over to our table. They had been drinking, and not a little. We told them in English we do not drink, but they did not understand. Then we tried to find words they would understand to convey the message we do not drink. We eventually used the word "priest" pointing at ourselves and then at the wine shaking our heads. That word they understood, but their response was "So?" Evidently, Russian Orthodox priests do imbibe. Finally, they went back to their table, obviously upset and not completely understanding, but knowing we were not going to drink. We were faced with explaining a religious concept to someone of the world.

We see an example of a worldly person attempting to explain such a conversation in Acts 25. Paul was accused by the Jews of a crime worthy of death. The Jews had presented their case against Paul to Festus and Festus is relating what he heard to King Agrippa.

It is difficult to explain religious concepts to people of the world, even when you speak the same language. That is what the Jews were faced with when they needed to explain to Pilate the crime Jesus had committed that was worthy of death. Now, notice how the Jews reported Jesus’ confession to Pilate:

What did Jesus confess? To the chief priest and Jews he affirmed he is the Christ, the Son of God. The Jews reported to Pilate, "He is Christ a King." Pilate's response lets us know what he understood: "Art thou the King of the Jews?" Jesus’ response to Pilate is, "Thou sayest it." Those familiar with figures of speech will recognize this as a synecdoche, where a part stands for the whole. What was told Pilate stands for all that Jesus had revealed to the Jews.

So, what is the good confession? It certainly includes all that Jesus told the Jews, that he is Christ and the Son of God.

Jesus’ confessions to the Jews and their report to Pilate agree with Peter’s earlier confession:

Let us ever be reminded, Jesus tells all mankind that the truth Peter declared is the foundation of the church. What is that truth? That Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God! We dare not lose sight of that important and wonderful point.

How do we come to know that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God? Is this some miraculous knowledge that God places in our hearts? Not at all. John answers our question:

John is saying the result of studying what God inspired him to write, of learning about the life, death, burial, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus is to conclude that he is the Christ, the Son of God.

When Christ was to be born the angel told Mary her baby would be "holy" and that he "shall be called the Son of God" (Luke 1:35). When Jesus was baptized God the Father declared from heaven: "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased" (Matt 3:17). Paul tell us that Jesus’ resurrection from the dead declares him to be the "Son of God with power" (Rom 1:4).

An expected and natural consequence of learning about Jesus is to confess who he is and to tell others about him. When Paul was converted he immediately started preaching. What did he preach?

Other references to the confession remind us of the importance and preciousness of the profession of our faith. When John the Apostle was combating the problems of his day he again places importance on the confession.

Hopefully, thus far in our study we have sufficiently proven that confession when we obey the gospel is necessary, and that the confession we make should include reference to Jesus being the Christ, the Son of God in keeping with the example of Timothy whose confession follows the example of Christ.