"I am a winner in the Lord." "We shall overcome, in Jesus' name." "We are more than conquerors." Slogans like these have become very popular in prosperity gospel churches. You can tell by the name some of these churches have chosen for themselves, such as Overcomers, Winners and Victory churches. This "victory now" attitude is fast making its way into mainline churches like the Catholic and Anglican churches. In light of today's second reading from 2 Timothy, where St. Paul celebrates his victory, it would be nice for us to stop and ask ourselves, "What is of Christian victory?" When Paul declares that the Lord will save him from every evil (2 Timothy 4:8), does that mean that, as a man of God, no pains, hardships or sufferings would ever be his portion in life, as prosperity gospel preachers claim? These questions will help us clear some misunderstandings on what the Bible teaches on Christian victory.

Persecution was a defining experience of the first Christians at the time when most of our new Testament books were written. Paul, the stated writer of 2 Timothy, was a victim of such a persecution. He was facing charges for treason against the state on account of his belief in Christ. To add to his woes, even his friends, the Christians for whom he had spent his life, abandoned him and did not come to his defence. As he says, himself, "At my first defence no one came to my support, but all deserted me" (2 Tim 4:16). The trial did not go well for Paul. It was clear that he was losing the case. Maybe he was already convicted and only awaiting sentencing. Maybe he was already sentenced to death and was on death row awaiting execution. What is clear is that Paul knew for sure that he was not going to get out of prison alive. So he decides to write to Timothy, his spiritual son, urging him not to be discouraged at the prospect of his imminent death but to continue with courage his work of preaching Christ.

Paul is not deluding himself. He knew that time was up, as far as his life in this world is concerned. Yet that does not discourage him. He does not complain that the Lord has abandoned him into the hands of his enemies. He does not lament that the Lord has failed him by letting his accusers win the case. Rather he rejoices that the time has come for him to receive the crown of righteousness from the Lord whom he served so faithfully. This is what death means for Paul. For Paul, arrest, imprisonment, punishment, torture, and even death itself come from the Lord as much as life, health and freedom. Paul sees the hand of the Lord at work in these circumstances. "All things work together for good for those who love God" (Romans 8:28). All things, including death.

Even though Paul lost the case, he still said that he was saved from the lion's mouth. For Paul death was not the lion's mouth, since he was not saved from death. For him the lion's mouth was apostasy, or denying the faith so as to escape death. Denying the faith, not death, is the worst thing that could happen to a believer. So Paul acknowledges the Lord for saving him from the lion's mouth and makes the general affirmation, "The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and save me for his heavenly kingdom" (verse 18). The evil attacks that Paul has in mind are not those that affect the body only, such as shipwreck, flogging, stoning, and so on. The Lord did not rescue him from many of those (2 Cor 11:23-27). For him, the only rescue that counts is being rescued for the heavenly kingdom. This is the victory that counts, in the long run.

Paul's teaching and example show us that the popular gospel that says that material prosperity is the ultimate measure of faith is a lie. The faith of our fathers and mothers, the faith of St. Paul, is the faith that accepts material prosperity when it comes, but does not deny God even when it does not (Phil 4:12).