Paul was on trial for sharing the message given him by Jesus which was unpopular with the establishment. At his trial he had no one to stand with him before the Roman court. Even though alone, he didn't complain because...
"Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me …" (II Timothy 4:17).
The Lord is all he needed. Earlier in this letter to Timothy he had lamented...
"… All they who are in Asia are turned away from me…only Luke is with me …" (II Timothy 1:15).
Paul was willing to walk alone for the sake of the truth. He did not walk away from the message that Jesus had commissioned him to share with mankind, even when it meant losing his religious status with lifelong friends...
"For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ" (Philippians 3:8)
And what was the message that had cost him the "loss of all things"?
"God was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their tresspasses against them, and has committed unto us the word of reconciliation...It is for this we labor and strive, because we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of believers. Prescribe and teach these things." (2 Corinthians 5:19; 1 Timothy 4:10-11)
Imagine, all in Asia had "turned away" from Paul for teaching that God is "in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself" and is "the Savior of all men". Religion divides mankind into the haves and have nots, and sucks the life out of the truth, preferring the doctrines of men. Jesus said of the Pharisees who rejected him for eating and drinking with sinners...
"For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God" (John 12:43).
And Paul said the "word of reconciliation" he was commissioned to share was not to please his religious friends...
"Do I seek to please men? For if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ" (Galatians 1:10).
Paul had been trained at the feet of these Jewish religious leaders and fully intended to become one of them...
"I studied under Gamaliel and was thoroughly trained in the law of our ancestors...circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee." (Acts 22:3; Philippians 3:5)
Jesus was not rejected by sinners, but the religious leaders who preferred their tradition to the Word of God. Jesus told them...
"...you nullify the word of God by the tradition you have handed down." (Mark 7:13)
These men cast out of their synagogues those they deemed sinners but Jesus went to those sinners to encouraged them with good news, not threaten them with condemnation...
"If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. He who believes in me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water...come unto me all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls, For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." (John 7:37-39; Matthew 11:28-30)
GRACE is the living water that should be flowing from our churches, not the threat of condemnation. A woman caught in the very act of adultery was brought to Jesus by the religious Jews to see if he would condemn her...
“Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?... Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her...At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. Jesus straightened up and asked her, Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you? No one, sir, she said. Neither do I condemn you. Go and leave your life of sin." (John 8:4-11)
"If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. He who believes in me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water...come unto me all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls, For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." (John 7:37-39; Matthew 11:28-30)
GRACE is the living water that should be flowing from our churches, not the threat of condemnation. A woman caught in the very act of adultery was brought to Jesus by the religious Jews to see if he would condemn her...
“Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?... Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her...At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. Jesus straightened up and asked her, Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you? No one, sir, she said. Neither do I condemn you. Go and leave your life of sin." (John 8:4-11)
He did not approve of her sin, and told her to leave it. But he did NOT say "...go and sin no more or you will be tortured forever in hell." He had come to save her, and all other sinners, not condemn.
"All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God...God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world but to save the world through him." (Romans 3:23; John 3:17)
The church I grew up in embrace people who attend and do a pretty good job of accepting them for who they are and lovingly encourage them to leave a life of sin. That is a good thing. But the leaders of this same church condemn everyone whos does not join up to eternal separation from God. That is a bad thing. Anyone who is willing to point that out will walk alone - "notwithstanding, the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me".