Chapter Four: Last Words (2 Timothy 4)
Key theme: Preparation for the ministry in the last days
I.THE PASTORAL APPEAL—chapter 1
II.THE PRACTICAL APPEAL—chapter 2
III.THE PROPHETIC APPEAL—chapter 3
IV.THE PERSONAL APPEAL—chapter 4
(2 Tim. 1)
(2 Tim. 2)
(2 Tim. 3)
(2 Tim. 4)
2 Timothy 1
When Paul wrote the letter we know as 2 Timothy, his situation had changed drastically. He was now a prisoner in Rome and was facing certain death (). For one reason or another, almost all of Paul’s associates in the ministry were gone and only Luke was at the apostle’s side to assist him (). It was a dark hour indeed.
But Paul’s great concern was not for himself; it was for Timothy and the success of the Gospel ministry. As in his First Letter to Timothy, Paul encouraged his beloved colleague to be faithful. As we have learned, Timothy was timid, suffered from physical ailments, and was tempted to let other people take advantage of him and not assert his authority as a pastor.
Paul sent Tychicus to replace Timothy at Ephesus so that Timothy might join Paul at Rome (, ). God would soon move Paul off the scene, and Timothy would take his place and continue to give spiritual leadership to the churches. It would not be an easy task, but Timothy could succeed with the Lord’s help. In his first chapter, Paul gave Timothy three essentials that he must possess to have success.
The ministry of the Gospel is no place for a “timid soul” who lacks enthusiasm. In fact, courageous enthusiasm is essential for success in any kind of work. Paul compared this attitude to stirring up a fire into full flame (). We must not conclude that Timothy was backslidden or lacked spiritual fire. Rather, Paul was encouraging his associate to keep the fire burning brightly so that it might generate spiritual power in his life. Paul gave Timothy four encouragements.
Paul’s love (vv. ). “Timothy, my dearly beloved son” is much stronger than “Timothy, my own son in the faith” (). It is not that Paul loved Timothy less when he wrote that first letter, but that Paul was now expressing it more. As Paul’s life drew to a close, he realized in a deeper way how dear Timothy was to him.
Paul’s own circumstances were difficult, and yet he was greatly encouraged. For one thing, he was Christ’s ambassador (“apostle”); and he knew that his Master would care for him. Whatever happened to him was in the hands of God, so there was no need to fear. Furthermore, Paul had “the promise of life” in Jesus Christ, and Christ had defeated death (). No wonder Paul was able to extend to Timothy “grace, mercy, and peace.” (It is worth noting that Paul added “mercy” to his greetings when he wrote to the pastors—; ; . Paul knew that pastors need mercy!)
Paul’s prayers (vv. ). What an encouragement to know that the great apostle was praying for him! Paul, who knew Timothy’s weaknesses and problems, was able to pray definitely and with a real burden on his heart. His praying was not routine; it was done with compassion and concern. Knowing that he would soon die, Paul was anxious that Timothy join him at Rome for those last days of fellowship and ministry. This would bring joy to Paul’s heart.
We must not assume that Paul tried to defend his evil actions before his conversion by claiming he did it all with “a pure conscience.” After all, he was guilty of causing terror among Christians, forcing people to blaspheme by denying Christ, and agreeing to the murder of Stephen! It is true that Paul thought he was serving God (see ), and that he was in spiritual ignorance (), but these facts cannot guarantee a pure conscience.
Paul had known God from his earliest years because he was “an Hebrew of the Hebrews” (). His ancestors had given him the orthodox Jewish faith. But when he met Jesus Christ, Paul realized that his Jewish faith was but preparation for the fulfillment Christ gave him in Christianity. He did not serve God with a pure conscience “from his forefathers,” as the King James Version says. Rather, he heard about the true God from his forefathers; and now he was serving that God with a pure conscience. The fact that he had a pure conscience helped give power to his prayers.
Paul’s confidence in Timothy (v. ). Paul did not think that Timothy’s tears were evidence of failure or insincerity. Paul was sure that Timothy’s faith was genuine, and that this faith would see him through in spite of the troubles he was facing. Apparently Lois, Timothy’s grandmother, was the first one in the family won to Christ; then his mother, Eunice, was converted. Timothy’s father was a Greek (), so Eunice had not practiced the orthodox Jewish faith. However, Timothy’s mother and grandmother had seen to it that he was taught the Scriptures (); and this was great preparation for the hearing of the Gospel. When Paul came to Lystra on his first missionary journey, that was probably the occasion for Timothy’s conversion. When Paul returned on his second journey, he enlisted Timothy into Christian service.
Paul had watched Timothy’s life and service during those years they were together. He was certain that Timothy’s faith was genuine. In fact, Timothy’s heritage was a great one; for he was reared in a godly home, trained by a wonderful apostle, and given marvelous opportunities for serving the Lord.
God’s gift to Timothy (vv. ). Paul reminded Timothy of the time God called him into service and the local church ordained him. Paul had laid his hands on Timothy (). Through Paul, God had imparted to Timothy the spiritual gift he needed for his ministry. The laying on of hands was a common practice in apostolic days (; ), but no believer today has the same authority and privileges that the Apostles did. Today, when we lay hands on people for the ministry, it is a symbolic act and does not necessarily impart any special spiritual gifts to them.
It is the Holy Spirit who enables us to serve God, and through Him we can overcome fear and weakness. The word fear in means “timidity, cowardice.” The Holy Spirit gives us power for witness and for service (). It is futile for us to try to serve God without the power of the Holy Spirit. Talent, training, and experience cannot take the place of the power of the Spirit.
The Holy Spirit also gives us love. If we have love for lost souls and for the people of God, we will be able to endure suffering and accomplish the work of God. Selfishness leads to fear because, if we are selfish, we are interested only in what we will get out of serving God, and we will be afraid of losing prestige, power, or money. True Christian love, energized by the Spirit (), enables us to sacrifice for others and not be afraid. The Spirit gives love ().
He is also the One who gives self-control (“a sound mind”). This word is related to the words sober and sobriety that we often meet in the pastoral letters (, ; ; , , , ). “Self-discipline” is a better translation of “sound mind” (). It describes a person who is sensibly minded and balanced, who has his life under control. The Amplified Version reads, “calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control.”
Timothy did not need any new spiritual ingredients in his life; all he had to do was “stir up” what he already had. Paul had written in his first letter, “Neglect not the gift that is in thee” (). Now he added, “Stir up—stir into flame—the gift of God.” The Holy Spirit does not leave us when we fail (); but He cannot fill us, empower us, and use us if we neglect our spiritual lives. It is possible to grieve the Spirit () and quench the Spirit ().
Timothy had every reason to be encouraged and to have spiritual enthusiasm in his ministry. Paul loved him and prayed for him. His experiences in life had been preparation for his ministry, and Paul was confident of the genuineness of Timothy’s faith. The Spirit within him would give all the power needed for ministry. What more could he want?
“Not ashamed” is a key idea in this chapter: Paul was not ashamed (); he admonished Timothy not to be ashamed (); and he reported that Onesiphorus was not ashamed of Paul’s chain ().
Be not ashamed of the Lord’s testimony (vv. ). Timothy’s natural timidity might make it easy for him to avoid circumstances that demanded witness and involved suffering. Once again, Paul gave his associate needed encouragement.
God gives us power (v. ). By nature, none of us enjoys suffering. Even our Lord prayed, “Father, if Thou be willing, remove this cup from Me” (); and Paul prayed three times for God to remove his painful thorn in the flesh (). But suffering may well be a part of a faithful Christian life. Christians should not suffer because they have done wrong (; ); rather, they sometimes suffer because they have done right and served God. When we suffer for doing good, then we are sharing Christ’s sufferings () and suffering on behalf of the whole church ().
Years ago, I read about a Christian who was in prison because of his faith. He was to be burned at the stake, and he was certain he would never be able to endure the suffering. One night, he experimented with pain by putting his little finger into the candle flame. It hurt, and he immediately withdrew it. “I will disgrace my Lord,” he said to himself. “I cannot bear the pain.” But when the hour came for him to die, he praised God and gave a noble witness for Jesus Christ. God gave him the power when he needed it, and not before.
God has called us by His grace (v. ). We are part of a great eternal plan that God determined “before the world began.” God knows the end from the beginning. He has purposes for His people to accomplish for His glory. Suffering is a part of His plan. Jesus Christ suffered in the will of God here on earth, and all those who trust in Him will also suffer.
The emphasis in this verse is on grace. God saved us; we did not save ourselves (; ). He called us, not on the basis of our good works, but wholly on the basis of His grace. It is His purposes that we are to fulfill; and if these purposes include suffering, then we can accept it by faith and know that God’s will is best. This is not fatalism. It is confidence in the wise plan of our gracious Heavenly Father.
All of this grace was given to us in Jesus Christ. We could not earn it; we did not merit it. This is the grace of God!
Christ has defeated death (v. ). When we are timid it is because we are afraid. Of what are we afraid? Suffering and possible death? Paul himself was facing death as he dictated this letter. But Jesus Christ has defeated our last enemy, death! By His own death and resurrection, Christ has “abolished death” (made it inoperative, taken out the sting). “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?” ()
Christ was not only the Destroyer of death (see ), but He was also the Revealer of life and immortality. In the Old Testament the doctrines of eternal life, death, resurrection, and the eternal state were in the shadows. Here and there you find glimpses of light; but for the most part, the picture is dark. But then Jesus Christ shone His light on death and the grave. Through the Gospel, He has given us assurance of eternal life, resurrection, and the hope of heaven.
Religious groups that teach “soul sleep” and other strange doctrines usually get their ideas from the Psalms and Ecclesiastes. Instead of allowing the clear light of the New Testament to shine on the Old, they look at the New through the shadows of the Old! If you turn your back on the light of the Gospel, you will only cast another shadow and make the scene darker.
“Immortality” (, KJV) means “incorruptibility,” and refers to the resurrection body. The present body is corruptible; it dies and decays. But the glorified body we shall have when we see Christ will not be subject to decay or death (; ). In fact, the heavenly inheritance that we share will be “incorruptible and undefiled, and [one] that fadeth not away” ().
Be not ashamed of the Lord’s prisoner (vv. ). Though a prisoner, Paul was still bearing witness for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Sad to say, the people in Ephesus had deserted Paul in his time of need (). Many of them could have come to Rome to witness on Paul’s behalf, but they did not. They were even ashamed to be identified with the apostle! It would have made Timothy’s ministry in Ephesus (and in the surrounding cities; see ) much easier if he had gone along with the crowd; but Paul admonished him to remain true. He gave four reasons why Timothy should not be ashamed of his association with Paul, the prisoner.
Paul was called by God (v. ). Jesus Christ had met Paul on the Damascus road (Acts 9) and had personally called him into the ministry. Paul was a herald (“preacher”) of the Gospel. In ancient times, a “herald” was the official messenger of the king or emperor, and his message was treated with great respect. The fact that professed believers in Asia were rejecting Paul did not change his calling or his message.
Paul was not only a herald; he was also an apostle, “one sent with a commission.” Not every Christian was an apostle of Jesus Christ, for a person had to meet certain qualifications and be chosen by the Lord personally, or through His Spirit (see ; ; ). An apostle represented Jesus Christ. To reject an apostle was to reject the Lord.
Paul was a teacher of the Gentiles. This meant that he shepherded local churches. It was this word Gentiles that put him into prison in Rome the first time (). The Gentile believers in Asia should have shown their appreciation of Paul by rallying to his support, for after all, it was Paul who brought them the Good News of salvation. But instead they were ashamed of him and tried not to get involved.
Paul was confident in Christ (v. ). Paul was not ashamed! Why? Because he knew that Christ was faithful and would keep him. Note his emphasis on the person of Christ: “I know whom I have believed.” Salvation is not the result of believing certain doctrines, though doctrines are important. A sinner is saved because he believes in a Person—Jesus Christ the Saviour. Paul had deposited his soul in the care and keeping of the Saviour, and Paul was sure that Jesus Christ would faithfully guard that deposit. What difference did it make to Paul what happened on any certain day? What really mattered is what will happen on “that day” when Jesus Christ rewards His servants (see ; ).
In these difficult days, it is important that we stand true to Christ and be willing to suffer for Him and not be ashamed. We may not be put into prison, as was Paul; but we suffer in other ways: the loss of friends, being bypassed for a promotion, loss of customers, being snubbed by people, etc. It is also important that we stand by God’s servants who are suffering for righteousness’ sake.
Throughout the centuries God’s work has been done by men and women who stood steadfast in their hours of trial. It would have been convenient for them to have compromised, but they stood firm. Paul was such a man, and he encouraged Timothy to follow his example in a twofold loyalty.
Be loyal to God’s Word (vv. ). God had given the deposit of spiritual truth to Paul (), and he had given it to Timothy (). It was now Timothy’s solemn responsibility to “hold fast” () and “guard” (, NIV) the precious deposit of Christian truth, and to pass it along to others ().
The word form () means “a pattern, an architect’s sketch.” There was a definite outhne of doctrine in the early church, a standard by which teaching was tested. If Timothy changed this outhne or abandoned it, then he would have nothing by which to test other teachers and preachers. We today need to hold fast to what Paul taught for the same reason.
However, note that Timothy’s orthodoxy was to be tempered with “faith and love.” “Speaking the truth in love” () is the divine pattern. How easy it is to become pugnacious in our desire to defend the faith, or a witch-hunter who creates problems.
It was the Holy Spirit who committed the truth to Timothy, and He would help him guard it. Apart from the ministry of the Spirit, we are in the dark when it comes to understanding the Word of God. It is He who must teach us () and enable us to guard the truth and share it with others.
From the beginning of human history, Satan has opposed God’s Word. “Yea, hath God said?” was Satan’s first word to mankind (), and he continues to ask that question. Throughout the history of the church, the Word of God has been attacked, often by people within the church; yet it still stands today. Why? Because dedicated men and women have (like Paul and Timothy) guarded the deposit and faithfully handed it to a new generation of Christians. When a church or any other Christian organization goes liberal, it usually starts with a weakening of their leaders’ convictions about the Word of God.
Be loyal to God’s servant (vv. ). The province of Asia in that day comprised the Roman districts of Lydia, Mysia, Caria, and Phrygia. Paul was forbidden to minister in this area on his second missionary journey (); but on his third journey, he stayed nearly three years in Ephesus, the capital of Asia, and evangelized the entire area (Acts 19; ). The seven churches of Asia were all in this area (, ).
We do not know who Phygelus and Hermogenes () were. It is likely that they were leaders in the church who opposed Paul and would not come to his defense in Rome. You would think that the Asian believers would have stood by Paul; but, instead, they were ashamed of him and at the same time (whether they knew it or not) ashamed of Christ (see ).
It was certainly a dark hour for Paul. Demas had forsaken him (). His other associates had been sent to distant places of ministry. False doctrines were spreading in the church (). How Paul would have loved to be free to preach the Word and defend the faith—but he was in a Roman prison. It was up to Timothy to get the job done.
But there was one man who dared to leave Ephesus and come to Rome to assist Paul—Onesiphorus. His name means “profit-bearing,” and he certainly was a profitable friend to Paul. It is possible that he was a deacon in the church at Ephesus (“ministered” in comes from the word that gives us “deacon”). During Paul’s ministry at Ephesus, Onesiphorus was a faithful minister, along with his household. Since Timothy had pastored the Ephesian church, he would know this choice saint.
Let me add here that every pastor is thankful for those faithful members who assist him in the work of the Lord. My wife and I have found choice saints in each of the three churches we have served—people whose homes were open to us (and they didn’t tell the whole church we were there!), whose hearts felt our burdens and needs, and whose prayers sustained us in difficult times. These believers minister behind the scenes, but the Lord will reward them openly “in that day” ().
Onesiphorus traveled from Ephesus to Rome and diligently looked for Paul so he might minister to the prisoner’s needs. It seemed difficult for him to find his former pastor (). Perhaps some of the Roman Christians were still opposed to Paul as they had been during his first imprisonment (see ). Perhaps the Roman officials were not cooperative and did not want their choice prisoner to receive any help. In his first imprisonment, Paul was in his own house (); but now he was in a Roman prison under careful guard.
But Onesiphorus persisted! He located Paul and risked his own life to stand with him and assist him. Some students believe that Onesiphorus was also arrested and possibly executed. They base this on the fact that Paul greeted the “household of Onesiphorus” in , but not the man himself. Also, Paul asked for present mercies for the household, but future mercies for Onesiphorus (, ).
But the problem is this: If Onesiphorus was dead, then Paul prayed for the dead (); and we have no authorization in the Bible to pray for the dead.
We have no proof that Onesiphorus was dead when Paul wrote this letter. The fact that Paul asked God to bless the man’s household, but that he did not mention the man, simply means that at the time Onesiphorus was not with his household. “When he was in Rome” () suggests that, at that writing, Onesiphorus was not in Rome. Therefore, he was somewhere between Rome and Ephesus; so Paul prayed for him and his household. There was no need to greet Onesiphorus, for Paul had just spent much time with him; so Paul only greeted his household.
Onesiphorus was not ashamed of Paul’s chain. The apostle was manacled to a Roman soldier twenty-four hours a day. Onesiphorus could have invented many excuses for staying in Ephesus. But instead he made the dangerous journey to Rome and ministered to Paul. “He often refreshed me” was Paul’s description of this man’s ministry. The Greek word means “to cool again.” “Bracing me like fresh air” is the way the Amplified Bible translated it. How we thank God for Christians who are “a breath of fresh air” in our hours of trial!
Were it not for Paul’s letter, we would never know that Onesiphorus had served Paul and the church. But the Lord knew and will reward him “on that day.”
The essentials for a successful ministry have not changed: courageous enthusiasm, shameless suffering, and spiritual loyalty.
2 Timothy 2
While attending a convention, I noticed a man wearing two name badges. When I asked him why, he replied, “Oh, I’m having an identity crisis!”
Paul did not want Timothy to have an identity crisis, so he carefully explained what a pastor is and does. (Of course, the same principles apply to all Christians.) Paul represented seven pictures of the Christian minister.
The ministry is not something we get for ourselves and keep to ourselves. We are stewards of the spiritual treasure God has given us. It is our responsibility to guard the deposit and then invest it in the lives of others. They, in turn, are to share the Word with the next generation of believers.
It is important that we get our original treasure from the Word of God, and not from the ideas and philosophies of men. We do not test modern teachers by their popularity, education, or skill. We test them by the Word of God, and particularly the doctrines of grace as given by Paul. It is not we who examine Paul to see if he is right; it is Paul who examines us!
It takes strength to teach the Word of God. We must dig out of the rich mines of Scripture the “gold, silver, precious stones” that are hidden there (see ; ; ; ). This strength can only come from God’s grace. The secret of Paul’s great ministry was the grace of God ().
The ability to study, understand, and teach the Word of God is a gift of God’s grace. “Apt to teach” is one of God’s requirements for the pastor (; ). “Apt to teach” implies apt to learn; so a steward must also be a diligent student of the Word of God.
Paul often used military illustrations in his letters. This is not surprising since he lived in a military state and was in prison himself. He described in these verses the characteristics of a “good soldier of Jesus Christ.”
He endures hardship (v. ). Many people have the idea that the ministry is a soft job. Preachers are often the butt of jokes that suggest they are lazy and should be ashamed of accepting their salaries. But a dedicated Christian minister is in a battle that requires spiritual endurance (see ).
He avoids worldly entanglements (v. ). He is totally committed to his Commanding Officer, the One who enlisted him. In our case, this is Jesus Christ. I recall a story about a Civil War soldier who happened to be a watchmaker. One day the bugle sounded and the men were told to break camp. “But I can’t go now!” the soldier complained. “I have a dozen watches to repair!”
It is sometimes necessary for a pastor, or a pastor’s wife, to be employed because their church is not able to support them. This is a sacrifice on their part and an investment in the work. But a pastor who is fully supported should not get involved in sidelines that divide his interest and weaken his ministry. I have met pastors who spend more time on their real estate ventures than on their churches. Our purpose is to please the Lord, not ourselves.
He magnifies Jesus Christ (vv. ). “Remember Jesus Christ!” is the way this phrase should be translated. It sounds almost like a war cry, like “Remember the Alamo!” or “Remember Pearl Harbor!” Jesus is the Captain of our salvation (), and our purpose is to bring honor and glory to Him. What an encouragement Jesus Christ is to a suffering Christian soldier! For He died and rose again, proving that suffering leads to glory, and that seeming defeat leads to victory. Jesus was treated as an evildoer, and His soldiers will be treated the same way.
The best way to magnify Christ is through the ministry of the Word. Paul was bound, but God’s Word cannot be bound. “His Word runneth very swiftly” (). “The Word of God grew and multiplied” ().
He thinks of the whole army (v. ). “The elect” are God’s people, chosen by His grace and called by His Spirit (). Paul not only suffered for the Lord’s sake, but he also suffered for the sake of the church. There were yet many people to reach with the Gospel, and Paul wanted to help reach them. A soldier who thinks only of himself is disloyal and undependable.
He trusts his Commanding Officer (vv. ). This “faithful saying” is probably part of an early statement of faith recited by believers. (For other “faithful sayings” in the pastoral letters, see ; ; and .) It is faith in Jesus Christ that gives us victory (). We do not fear the enemies, for He has already conquered them. Through our identification with Christ in death, burial, and resurrection, we have won the victory (see Rom. 6).
What a pair of paradoxes! Death leads to life! Suffering leads to reigning in glory! We have nothing to fear! The important thing is that we not “disown” our Lord; for if we disown Him here, He will disown us before the Father (). In that great “roll call” in glory, when the “medals” are given out, we will lose our reward if we disown His name.
But Paul makes it clear () that even our own doubt and unbelief cannot change Him: “He abideth faithful; He cannot deny Himself.” We do not put faith in our faith or in our feelings because they will change and fail. We put our faith in Christ. The great missionary, J. Hudson Taylor, often said, “It is not by trying to be faithful, but in looking to the Faithful One, that we win the victory.”
Paul sometimes used athletic illustrations in his writings—wresthng, boxing, running, and exercising. The Greeks and the Romans were enthusiastic about sports, and the Olympic and Isthmian games were important events to them. Paul had already urged Timothy to exercise like an athlete (). Now Paul admonished him to obey the rules.
A person who strives as an athlete to win a game and get a crown must be careful to obey all the rules of the game. In the Greek games in particular, the judges were most careful about enforcing the rules. Each competitor had to be a citizen of his nation, with a good reputation. In his preparations for the event, he had to follow specific standards. If an athlete was found defective in any matter, he was disqualified from competing. If, after he had competed and won, he was found to have broken some rule, he then lost his crown. Jim Thorpe, a great American athlete, lost his Olympic medals because he participated in sports in a way that broke an Olympic rule.
From the human point of view, Paul was a loser. There was nobody in the grandstands cheering him, for “all they which are in Asia” had turned away from him (). He was in prison, suffering as an evildoer. Yet, Paul was a winner! He had kept the rules laid down in the Word of God, and one day he would get his reward from Jesus Christ. Paul was saying to young Timothy, “The important thing is that you obey the Word of God, no matter what people may say. You are not running the race to please people or to get fame. You are running to please Jesus Christ.”
This is another favorite image found in Paul’s letters. Paul once compared the local church to a cultivated field in which all the believers worked together (). Each Christian has his particular task to perform—plowing, sowing, watering, or harvesting—but it is God alone who gives the increase.
Several practical truths are found in this image of the farmer and field. For one thing, a farmer has to work. If you leave a field to itself, it will produce mostly weeds. Solomon had this truth in mind when he wrote about the field of the sluggard (). Real ministry is hard work, and a pastor (and church members) ought to work in their spiritual field as diligently as a farmer works in his field. Pastors do not punch clocks, but they ought to be up in the morning and at their work just as if God blew a whistle for them.
A farmer needs patience. “See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the fall and spring rains” (, NIV). A pastor friend of mine often reminds me, “The harvest is not the end of the meeting—it is the end of the age.”
A farmer deserves his share of the harvest. “The hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops” (, NIV). Paul is stating here that a faithful pastor ought to be supported by his church. The same idea is found in , where Paul used a soldier, a farmer, and a herdsman to prove his point: “The laborer is worthy of his reward” (). Paul deliberately gave up his right to ask for support so that nobody could accuse him of using the Gospel for personal gain (). But this policy is not required for all of God’s servants.
As a local church grows and progresses, the people ought to faithfully increase their support of their pastors and other staff members. “If we have sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much if we reap a material harvest from you?” (, NIV) It is sad to see the way some local churches waste money and fail to care for their own laborers. God will honor a church that honors His faithful servants.
Something else is true in this image of the farmer: The spiritual leaders who share the Word with the people are the first ones to enjoy its blessings. The preacher and the teacher always get more out of the sermon or lesson than do the hearers because they put much more into it. They also get great joy out of seeing planted seeds bear fruit in the lives of others. Farming is hard work, and it can have many disappointments; but the rewards are worth it.
The word study () has nothing to do with books and teachers. It means “to be diligent, be zealous.” It is translated in this way in , , and also in . The emphasis in this paragraph is that the workman needs to be diligent in his labors so that he will not be ashamed when his work is inspected. “Rightly dividing” means “cutting straight” and can be applied to many different tasks: plowing a straight furrow, cutting a straight board, sewing a straight seam.
The pastor is a workman in God’s Word. The Word is a treasure that the steward must guard and invest. It is the soldier’s sword and the farmer’s seed. But it is also the workman’s tool for building, measuring, and repairing God’s people. The preacher and teacher who use the Word correctly will build their church the way God wants it to be built. But a sloppy worker will handle God’s Word deceitfully in order to make it say what he wants it to say (). When God tests our ministries in His local churches, some of it, sad to say, will become ashes ().
An approved worker diligently studies the Word and seeks to apply it to his own life. An ashamed worker wastes his time with other “religious duties” and has little or nothing to give his class or congregation. An approved worker does not waste his time arguing about “words to no profit” () because he knows that such arguing only undermines God’s work (see ; ).
An approved workman will shun “godless chatter” (, NIV; and see ), because he knows it only leads to more ungodliness. I fear that some “sharing times” do more harm than good as well-meaning people exchange their “spiritual ignorance.”
An approved workman knows that false doctrine is dangerous, and he will oppose it. Paul compared it to gangrene (). Much as gangrene spreads, infects, and kills other tissue, so false doctrine spreads and infects the body of believers, the church. This infection must be exposed and removed. Only the “sound [healthy] doctrine” of the Word of God can keep a church healthy and growing.
Paul named two men who were false teachers, and he also identified their error. It is likely that the Hymenaeus named here () is the same man named in . We know nothing about his associate, Philetus. Both of them “wandered from the truth” by teaching that the resurrection had already taken place. Perhaps they taught that salvation is resurrection in a spiritual sense, so a believer must not expect a physical resurrection. But the denial of a physical resurrection is a serious thing (see ), for it involves the resurrection of Christ and the completion of God’s plan of salvation for His people. No wonder these false teachers were able to “overthrow the faith of some” (). The Resurrection is a foundational truth of the Gospel.
Each of us as God’s workman will be either approved or ashamed. The word approved means “one who has been tested and found acceptable.” The word was used for testing and approving metals. Each trial that we go through forces us to study the Word to find God’s will. As we rightly use the Word, we succeed in overcoming our trials, and we are approved by God. Martin Luther once said that prayer, study, and suffering make a pastor; and this is true. We cannot be approved unless we are tested.
What does it mean to be “ashamed”? Certainly it means that such a workman’s work is below standard and cannot be accepted. It means loss of reward. In fact, in Paul’s day, a builder was fined if he failed to follow the specifications. When the Lord judges our works, it will be revealed whether we as workmen have handled the Word of God honestly and carefully. Some who are now first will end up last!
In this illustration, Paul described a “great house,” which is the professing church. The foundation of the house is safe and secure because God’s seal is on it. (In the Bible, a seal is a mark of ownership and security. No one would dare break a Roman seal.) Paul quoted Moses: “The Lord knoweth them that are His” (). This refers to the Godward aspect of the Christian life: God chose us who trust Him as His elect (see ).
But there is also a manward aspect of the Christian life: “Let everyone that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity” (). This refers back to , where the Lord warned the people to get away from the tents of Korah and the rebels. In other words, those who are the elect of God prove it by living godly lives. We are chosen in Christ “that we should be holy and without blame” ().
This great house not only has a solid foundation that is sealed, but it also has vessels (utensils of various kinds) for performing household functions. Paul divides the utensils into two categories: those of honor (gold and silver) and those of dishonor (wood and clay). He is not distinguishing between kinds of Christians, but rather is making a distinction between true teachers of the Word and the false teachers he described (). A faithful pastor is like a gold or silver vessel that brings honor to Jesus Christ. The head of a house displays his costhest and most beautiful utensils and gets honor from them. I remember the first time I viewed the crown jewels of England in the Tower of London, along with the priceless table vessels and utensils. I was overwhelmed with their glory and beauty. That is the kind of beauty God gives to his servants who faithfully handle the Word of God.
False teachers are not valuable; they are like wood and clay. They are utensils to dishonor, no matter how popular they may be today. Wood and clay will not survive the test of fire. It is worth noting that the name Timothy comes from two Greek words which together mean “God-honoring.” Paul was encouraging Timothy to live up to his name!
The important thing is that the honorable vessels not be contaminated by the dishonorable ones. The word “these” () refers to the vessels of dishonor (). Paul is admonishing Timothy to separate himself from false teachers. If he does, then God will honor him, set him apart, and equip him for service. “Useful to the Master” (, NIV)—what a tremendous honor that is! A useful human vessel of honor does not get involved in the popular things of the world, even the “religious world.” He must remain holy, and this means he must be separated from everything that would defile him.
This includes the sins of the flesh as well (). Paul used a similar admonition in —“Flee … follow … fight.” True Bible separation is balanced: we flee sin, but we follow after righteousness. If we are not balanced, then we will be isolated instead of separated. In fact, God’s man Paul commands us to fellowship “with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart” (). After all, this is the purpose of the ministry of the Word (). It is sad when true believers are isolated because of a false view of separation.
For God to be able to use us as vessels, we must be empty, clean, and available. He will take us and fill us and use us for His glory. But if we are filled with sin or defiled by disobedience, He will first have to purge us; and that might not be an enjoyable experience. In the “great house” of the professing church, there are true believers and false. We must exercise spiritual discernment and be careful that we are vessels sanctified unto honor.
“Servant” () is the Greek word doulos which means “slave.” So Paul called himself “a slave of Jesus Christ” (; ). A slave had no will of his own; he was totally under the command of his master. Once, we Christians were the slaves of sin, but now we are the slaves of God (). Like the servant in Old Testament days, we say, “I love my master … I will not go out free” ().
God’s slave does not have an easy time teaching the Word. Satan opposes him and tries to trap his listeners (). Also, some people are just naturally difficult to teach. They enjoy “foolish and stupid arguments” (, NIV) and have no desire to feed on the nourishing Word of God. Until you have experienced it, you have no idea how difficult it is to impart spiritual truth to some people.
How easy it would be to ignore them! But then Satan would get them. Paul admonished Timothy to avoid the arguments that create strifes, but not to ignore the people. He must not argue or fight. He must be patient and gentle, teaching the Word of God in meekness. It is not enough just to expose error and refute it; we must also teach positive truths and establish the saints in faith.
A servant of God must instruct those who oppose him, for this is the only way he can rescue them from Satan’s captivity. Satan is a liar (). He captures people by his lying promises, as he did Eve (see Gen. 3; ). A servant’s purpose is not to win arguments but to win souls. He wants to see deceived persons brought to repentance (“I was wrong—I have changed my mind”) and the acknowledging of the truth.
The word recover () describes a man coming out of a drunken stupor. Satan makes people drunk with his lies, and the servant’s task is to sober them up and rescue them. The last phrase in can be interpreted three ways: (1) they are delivered from the snare of the devil who took them captive to do his will; (2) they are taken captive by God’s servant to do God’s will; (3) they are delivered out of the snare of the devil, who took them captive, to do God’s will. I prefer the third interpretation.
As you survey these seven aspects of the work of the ministry, you can see how important and how demanding a work it is. The ministry is no place for a loafer because it demands discipline and work. It is no place for a shirker because there are enemies to fight and tasks to be completed.
Church members need to pray for their pastors and encourage them in the work of the Lord. Church officers should faithfully do their work so that the pastors can devote themselves to their own ministry (see ). Churches should provide enough financial support for the ministers so that they can fully devote themselves to the work of the ministry.
In other words, ministers and members should labor together in the work of the Lord.
2 Timothy 3
The emphasis in this chapter is on knowledge and responsibility. Paul informed Timothy about the character of the last days, and then instructed him how to respond. Action must be based on knowledge. Too many Christians are like the pilot who informed his passengers, “We are lost, but we are making very good time.”
“These last days” began with the ministry of Jesus Christ () and will continue until He returns. They are called the “last days” because in them God is completing His purposes for His people. Because our Lord has delayed His return, some people scoff at the promise of His coming (); but He will come as He promised.
Within this period of “last days” there will be “times” (seasons) of different kinds; but as the “times” draw to a close, they will become perilous. This word means “dangerous, hard to deal with, savage.” This is the same Greek word that is used to describe the two violent demoniacs of Gadara (). This suggests that the violence of the last times will be energized by demons ().
There is no doubt that these characteristics started to appear in Paul’s day, and now they have increased in intensity. It is not simply that we have more people in the world, or better news coverage. It appears that evil is deeper and of greater intensity, and that it is being accepted and promoted by society in a bolder way. It is not that we have small pockets of rebellion here and there. All of society seems to be in ferment and rebellion. We are indeed in “terrible times” (, NIV).
Paul gave Timothy three instructions to obey in order that his ministry might be effective during perilous times.
“From such turn away” (). A faithful believer should have nothing to do with the people Paul described in this section. It is important to note that these people operate under the guise of religion:“Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof” (). They are “religious” but rebellious! Paul discussed three facts about these people.
Their characteristics (vv. ). At least eighteen different characteristics are listed here, and Paul probably could have listed more. There is an emphasis on love: “lovers of their own selves,” lovers of money (“covetous”), “lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God.” The heart of every problem is a problem in the heart. God commands us to love Him supremely, and our neighbors as ourselves (); but if we love ourselves supremely, we will not love God or our neighbors.
In this universe there is God, and there are people and things. We should worship God, love people, and use things. But if we start worshiping ourselves, we will ignore God and start loving things and using people. This is the formula for a miserable life; yet it characterizes many people today. The worldwide craving for things is just one evidence that people’s hearts have turned away from God.
Of course, if someone loves and worships himself, the result will be pride. “Ye shall be as gods” was Satan’s offer to Eve (), and the result was that people “changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshiped and served the creature more than [rather than] the Creator” (). Man became his own god! The creature is now the creator! “Boasters, proud [arrogant], blasphemers [given to contemptuous and bitter words]” ().
“Disobedient to parents” suggests that this apostasy reaches into the family. Children are “unthankful” and do not appreciate what their parents have done for them. They are “unholy” in their attitude toward their parents. “Honor thy father and thy mother” is not widely taught or respected.
The phrase “without natural affection” is the translation of one word that describes “family love.” The family is under attack these days, and, as go its families, so goes the nation.
In place of the natural love that God has put into men and women and families, today we have a good deal of unnatural love which God has condemned (see ; ). It is confusion, and God will judge it ().
Not only in homes, but out in society and the business world, the characteristics of these perilous times may be seen. “Trucebreakers” () describes people who will not try to agree. They are unyielding and irreconcilable and must have their own way.
In order to defend their position, they become “slanderers” [“false accusers,” KJV] and try to tear down the reputations of others. Unfortunately, some of this activity goes on even among professed Christians. “Christian leaders” accuse one another in the pages of their publications.
“Incontinent” means “without self-control.” The motto of our society today is “Do your own thing and enjoy it!” Sad to say, some of the children born to these people do not always enjoy it because they are deformed or handicapped as the result of drugs, alcohol, or venereal diseases.
This lack of self-control reveals itself in a number of ways. “Fierce” means “untamed, brutal.” When these people cannot have their way, they become much like savage beasts. Instead of honoring what is good, they despise what is good and honor what is evil. In society today the standards of right and wrong have been twisted, if not destroyed. “Woe unto them that call evil good and good evil,” cried Isaiah the prophet ().
“Traitors” () describes people who betray others and cannot be trusted. Neither friendship nor partnership makes any difference to them; they lie and break their promises whenever doing so helps them get their own way.
“Heady” means “reckless, rash, acting without careful thought.” Paul did not condemn honest adventure, but foolish endeavor.
“High-minded” does not describe a person with lofty thoughts. Rather, it means a person who is “puffed up” with his importance. “Conceited” is a good synonym.
“Lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God” does not suggest that we must choose between pleasure and God; for when we live for God, we enjoy the greatest pleasures (). The choice is between loving pleasure or loving God. If we love God, we will also enjoy fullness of life here and forever; but the pleasures of sin can only last for a brief time (). No one can deny that we live in a pleasure-mad world; but these pleasures too often are just shallow entertainment and escape; they are not enrichment and true enjoyment.
Paul stated that these people he has just described would consider themselves religious! “Having a form of godliness” () suggests an outward appearance of religion, not true Christian faith; for they have never experienced the power of God in their lives. Form without force. Religion without reality.
Their converts (vv. ). The fact that Paul described “silly [‘weak-willed,’ NIV] women” does not suggest that all women are like this, or that men are not vulnerable to the wiles of false teachers. In Paul’s day, women were especially susceptible to this kind of experience since they had a low status in society. Whether men or women, people who fall for this false religious system have the same characteristics.
They are burdened with guilt and looking for some escape from bondage and fear. They find themselves unable to control their various desires (“divers lusts,” KJV). The emphasis here may be on sexual problems. Finally, they are always searching for truth, trying this approach and that; yet they are never able to be satisfied. This kind of person is fair game for the cultists and the religious racketeers.
These false religious leaders take advantage of the problems people have, and promise them quick and easy solutions. They “worm their way in” and soon control people’s lives. It is not long before these leaders grab their followers’ loyalty, money, and service. And their “converts” are worse off than they were before. They still have their problems, but they have been duped into thinking that all is well.
And, remember: All of this underhanded activity is done in the name of religion! No wonder Paul told Timothy, “From such turn away.”
Their religious leaders (vv. ). Read Exodus 7–9 for the record of the contest between Moses and the Egyptian magicians. Tradition says that the magicians were Jannes and Jambres, two men mentioned by Paul (). These men opposed Moses by imitating what he did. When Aaron’s rod turned into a serpent, the magicians cast down their rods and they turned into serpents. Moses turned the water into blood, and the magicians followed with the same miracle. When Moses brought up all the frogs, the magicians duplicated the miracle. But when it came to the miracle of the lice, the magicians could not imitate it ().
Satan is an imitator; what God does, Satan counterfeits. The religious leaders in the last days will have a counterfeit faith, and their purpose is to promote a lie and resist the truth of God’s Word. They deny the authority of the Bible and substitute human wisdom and philosophy. In their attempt to be “modern,” they deny the reality of sin and people’s need for salvation. “Reprobate” is the word Paul used to describe them. This means “tested and found counterfeit.”
Jannes and Jambres were finally exposed and made fools of by the judgments of God. This will also happen to the leaders of false religions in the last days. When God’s judgments fall, the true character of these counterfeits will be revealed to everyone.
Paul turned from the false leaders to remind Timothy that he (Paul) had been a faithful servant of God. It is important in these difficult days that we follow the right spiritual leaders. What are their characteristics?
Their lives are open for all to see (v. ). Paul had nothing to hide. Like his Master, he could say, “In secret have I said nothing” (). “My manner of life from my youth … know all the Jews,” Paul had told Agrippa (). Timothy had lived and labored with Paul and knew the man well. Paul had not hidden behind extravagant claims or religious propaganda.
They teach true doctrine (v. ). “My doctrine” in Paul’s case meant the true faith, the Gospel of Jesus Christ. No matter how appealing a preacher may be, if he does not preach the truth of God’s Word, he does not deserve our support. On radio and TV today, we have a great deal of “pseudo-Christianity” which is a mixture of psychology, success motivation, and personality cults, with a little bit of Bible thrown in to make it look religious. Beware!
They practice what they preach (v. ). Paul’s “manner of life” backed up his messages. He did not preach sacrifice and live in luxury. He gave to others far more than he received from them. He stood up for the truth even when it meant losing friends and, in the end, losing his life. Paul was a servant, not a celebrity.
Their purpose is to glorify God (v. ). There was never a question about Paul’s “purpose” in ministry: He wanted to do God’s will and finish the work God gave him to do (; ). The Apostle Paul was a man of “faith” who trusted God to meet his needs. He was a man of “long-suffering” who bore up under people’s attacks. He was a man of love (“charity”) who willingly gave himself to serve others.
The word patience at the end of means “endurance, the ability to stick with it when the going gets tough.”
They are willing to suffer (vv. ). Paul did not ask others to suffer for him; he suffered for others. The fact that he was persecuted from city to city was proof that he was living a godly life. Some people today have the idea that godliness means escaping persecution, when just the opposite is true.
I wonder how Paul would match up with today’s concept of a Christian leader. He would probably fail miserably. If he applied for service with a modern mission board, would he be accepted? He had a prison record; he had a physical affliction; he stirred up problems in just about every place he visited. He was poor, and he did not cater to the rich. Yet God used him, and we are being blessed today because Paul was faithful.
The only way to defeat Satan’s lies is with God’s truth. “Thus saith the Lord!” is the final answer to every question. Evil men and deceivers are going to get worse and worse. They will deceive more and more. Why? Because they are being deceived by Satan! In these last days, there will be more deception and imitation; and the only way a believer will be able to tell the true from the false is by knowing the Word of God.
Timothy had been taught the Word of God from the time he was a child. Some people are prone to say, “Well, I needed the Bible when I was younger; but I can do without it now that I’m older.” How wrong they are! Adults need the guidance of the Word far more than children do because adults face more temptations and make more decisions. Timothy’s grandmother and mother had faithfully taught him the Old Testament Scriptures. (The word whom in is plural, referring to these women; see .) Timothy was to continue in what he had been taught. We never outgrow the Word of God.
This is a good place to admonish Christian parents to teach their children the Bible. In our home, my wife and I used Kenneth Taylor’s Bible Stories with Pictures for Little Eyes; in fact, we wore out two copies! What a joy it was to see our older children who had learned to read share the stories with the younger ones and help them answer the questions. Little by little, the children graduated to older Bible storybooks and then to Bibles of their own. We were fortunate that our Sunday School included a Bible memory program. As soon as your child is born, surround him with the Word of God and prayer. You will not have this opportunity after he grows up.
In this paragraph, Paul made some important statements about the Scriptures:
They are the Holy Scriptures (v. ). “The sacred letters” is a literal translation. The suggestion is that young Timothy learned his Hebrew alphabet by spelling his way through the Old Testament Scriptures. The word for holy means “consecrated for sacred use.” The Bible is different from every other book—even books about the Bible—because it has been set apart by God for special sacred uses. We must treat the Bible as the special book it is.
The way we treat the Bible shows others how much or how little we respect it. While I don’t want to become a crank in this matter, I must confess that I hate to see a Bible on the floor. When we are carrying a Bible and other books, the Bible should be on the top. There is a difference between properly marking a Bible as we study and defacing it by careless marking. I have seen people put a cup of coffee on a Bible! Paul gives us the right attitude toward the Word of God ().
The Scriptures lead us to salvation (v. ). We are not saved by believing the Bible (see ), but by trusting the Christ who is revealed in the Bible. Satan knows the Bible but he is not saved. Timothy was raised on the Holy Scriptures in a godly home. Yet it was not until Paul led him to Christ that he was saved.
What is the relationship of the Bible to salvation? To begin with, the Bible reveals our need for salvation. It is a mirror that shows us how filthy we are in God’s sight. The Bible explains that every lost sinner is condemned now () and needs a Saviour now. It also makes it clear that a lost sinner cannot save himself.
But the Bible also reveals God’s wonderful plan of salvation: Christ died for our sins! If we trust Him, He will save us (). The Bible also helps give us the assurance of our salvation (see ). Then the Bible becomes our spiritual food to nourish us that we might grow in grace and serve Christ. It is our sword for fighting Satan and overcoming temptation.
The Scriptures are true and dependable (v. ). “All Scripture is God-breathed” (NIV). The doctrine of the inspiration of Scripture is vitally important, and a doctrine that Satan has attacked from the beginning (“Yea, hath God said?” []). It is inconceivable that God would give His people a book they could not trust. He is the God of truth (); Jesus is “the truth” (); and the “Spirit is truth” (). Jesus said of the Scriptures, “Thy Word is truth” ().
The Holy Spirit of God used men of God to write the Word of God (). The Spirit did not erase the natural characteristics of the writers. In fact, God in His providence prepared the writers for the task of writing the Scriptures. Each writer has his own distinctive style and vocabulary. Each book of the Bible grew out of a special set of circumstances. In His preparation of men, in His guiding of history, and in His working through the Spirit, God brought about the miracle of the Scriptures.
We must not think of “inspiration” the way the world thinks when it says, “Shakespeare was certainly an inspired writer.” What we mean by biblical inspiration is the supernatural influence of the Holy Spirit on the Bible’s writers, which guaranteed that what they wrote was accurate and trustworthy. Revelation means the communicating of truth to man by God; inspiration has to do with the recording of this communication in a way that is dependable.
Whatever the Bible says about itself, man, God, life, death, history, science, and every other subject is true. This does not mean that every statement in the Bible is true, because the Bible records the lies of men and of Satan. But the record is true.
The Scriptures are profitable (v. ). They are profitable for doctrine (what is right), for reproof (what is not right), for correction (how to get right), and for instruction in righteousness (how to stay right). A Christian who studies the Bible and applies what he learns will grow in holiness and avoid many pitfalls in this world.
The Scriptures equip us for service (v. ). Earlier Paul had called Timothy a “man of God” (); but here Paul states that any Christian can become a person “of God.” How? By studying the Word of God, obeying it, and letting it control his life. It is worth noting that all of the “men of God” named in Scripture—including Moses, Samuel, Elijah, Elisha, David, and Timothy—were men who were devoted to God’s Word.
Two words in this verse are especially important: “perfect” and “furnished.” The word translated “perfect” means “complete, in fit shape, in fit condition.” It does not begin to suggest sinless perfection. Rather, it implies being fitted for use.
“Furnished” has a similar meaning: “equipped for service.” In other words, the Word of God furnishes and equips a believer so that he can live a life that pleases God and do the work God wants him to do. The better we know the Word, the better we are able to live and work for God.
The purpose of Bible study is not just to understand doctrines or to be able to defend the faith, as important as these things are. The ultimate purpose is the equipping of the believers who read it. It is the Word of God that equips God’s people to do the work of God.
The times are not going to get better, but we Christians can become better people, even in bad times. We must separate ourselves from that which is false, devote ourselves to that which is true, and continue in our study of the Word of God. Then God can equip us for ministry in these difficult days, and we will have the joy of seeing others come to a knowledge of the truth.
2 Timothy 4
A great person’s last words are significant. They are a window that helps us to look into his heart, or a measure that helps us evaluate his life. In this chapter, we have Paul’s last words to Timothy and to the church.
It is interesting that Paul expressed no regrets as he came to the end. He even forgave those who made his situation difficult (). More than seventeen people are referred to in this chapter, which shows that Paul was a friend-maker as well as a soul winner. Though his own days were numbered, Paul thought of others.
The apostle gave three final admonitions to Timothy, and he backed each of them up with a reason.
“I charge thee” should read “I solemnly witness.” This was a serious moment, and Paul wanted Timothy to sense the importance of it. It was serious, not only because Paul was facing death, but even more because both Paul and Timothy would be judged one day when Jesus Christ appeared. It would do us all good to occasionally reflect on the fact that one day we will face God and our works will be judged.
For one thing, this realization would encourage us to do our work carefully and faithfully. It would also deliver us from the fear of man; for, after all, our final Judge is God. Finally, the realization that God will one day judge our works encourages us to keep going even when we face difficulties. We are serving Him, not ourselves.
“Preach the Word!” is the main responsibility that Paul shared in this section. Everything else he said is related to this. The word “preach” means “to preach like a herald.” In Paul’s day, a ruler had a special herald who made announcements to the people. He was commissioned by the ruler to make his announcements in a loud, clear voice so everyone could hear. He was not an ambassador with the privilege of negotiating; he was a messenger with a proclamation to be heard and heeded. Not to heed the ruler’s messenger was serious; to abuse the messenger was even worse.
Timothy was to herald God’s Word with the authority of heaven behind him. The Word of God is what both sinners and saints need. It is a pity that many churches have substituted other things for the preaching of the Word, things that may be good in their place, but that are bad when they replace the proclamation of the Word. In my own pastoral ministry, I have seen what the preaching of the Word can do in churches and in individual lives; and I affirm that nothing can take its place.
Timothy should be diligent and alert to use every opportunity to preach the Word, when it is favorable and even when it is not favorable. It is easy to make excuses when we ought to be making opportunities. Paul himself always found an opportunity to share the Word, whether it was in the temple courts, on a stormy sea, or even in prison. “He that observeth the wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap” (). Stop making excuses and get to work!
Preaching must be marked by three elements: conviction, warning, and appeal (“reprove, rebuke, exhort”). To quote an old rule of preachers, “He should afflict the comfortable and comfort the afflicted.” If there is conviction but no remedy, we add to people’s burdens. And if we encourage those who ought to be rebuked, we are assisting them to sin. Biblical preaching must be balanced.
God’s speaker must be patient as he preaches the Word. He will not always see immediate results. He must be patient with those who oppose his preaching. Above all else, he must preach doctrine. He must not simply tell Bible stories, relate interesting illustrations, or read a verse and then forget it. True preaching is the explanation and application of Bible doctrine. Anything else is just religious speechmaking.
Paul gave the responsibility—“preach the Word” ()—and he also gave the reason (). The time would come (and it has been here for a long time!) when most people would not want the “healthy doctrine” of the Word of God. They would have carnal desires for religious novelties. Because of their “itching ears” they would accumulate teachers who would satisfy their cravings for things that disagree with God’s truths. The fact that a preacher has a large congregation is not always a sign that he is preaching the truth. In fact, it may be evidence that he is tickling people’s “itching ears” and giving them what they want to hear instead of what they need to hear.
It is but a short step from “itching ears” to turning one’s ears away from the truth. Once people have rejected the truth, they turn to fables (myths). It is not likely that man-made fables will convict them of sin or make them want to repent! The result is a congregation of comfortable, professing Christians, listening to a comfortable, religious talk that contains no Bible doctrine. These people become the prey of every false cult because their lives lack a foundation in the Word of God. It is a recognized fact that most cultists were formerly members of churches.
Note the emphasis on Scripture: “Preach the Word … with … doctrine … They will not endure sound doctrine … they shall turn away their ears from the truth” (). This emphasis on sound (healthy) doctrine runs through all three of Paul’s Pastoral Epistles, and this emphasis is surely needed today.
“Make full proof of thy ministry” means “fulfill whatever God wants you to do.” Timothy’s ministry would not be exactly like Paul’s, but it would be important to the cause of Christ. No God-directed ministry is small or unimportant. In this final chapter, Paul named some co-laborers about whom we know nothing; yet they too had a ministry to fulfill.
A young preacher once complained to Charles Spurgeon, the famous British preacher of the 1800s, that he did not have as big a church as he deserved.
“How many do you preach to?” Spurgeon asked.
“Oh, about 100,” the man replied.
Solemnly Spurgeon said, “That will be enough to give account for on the day of judgment.”
We do not measure the fulfillment of a ministry only on the basis of statistics or on what people see. We realize that faithfulness is important and that God sees the heart. This was why Timothy had to be “sober in all things” (, NASB) and carry on his ministry with seriousness of purpose. (We have met this word “sober” many times in these letters.)
Timothy was not only a preacher; he was also a soldier () who would have to “endure afflictions” (). He had seen Paul go through sufferings on more than one occasion (; ). Most of Timothy’s sufferings would come from the “religious crowd” that did not want to hear the truth. It was the “religious crowd” that crucified Christ and that persecuted Paul and had him arrested.
“Do the work of an evangelist” () would remind Timothy that all of his ministry must have soul-winning at its heart. This does not mean that every sermon should be a “sawdust trail, hellfire-and-brimstone” message, because the saints need feeding as well. But it does mean that a preacher, no matter what he is preaching, should keep the lost souls in mind. This burden for the lost should characterize a pastor’s private ministry as well. (See for a description of a balanced ministry.)
God has given special men to the church as evangelists (; ); but this does not absolve a pastor from his soul-winning responsibility. Not every preacher has the same gifts, but every preacher can share the same burden and proclaim the same saving message. A friend of mine went to hear a famous preacher, and I asked him how the message was. He replied, “There wasn’t enough Gospel in it to save a flea!”
Paul gave the reason behind the responsibility (): He was about to move off the scene and Timothy would have to take his place. In this beautiful paragraph of personal testimony, you find Paul looking in three different directions.
He looked around (v. ). Paul realized that his time was short. He was on trial in Rome and had been through the first hearing (). But Paul knew that the end was near. However, he did not tremble at the prospect of death! The two words “offered” and “departure” () tell us of his faith and confidence. “Offered” means “poured out on the altar as a drink-offering.” He used the same picture in . In effect Paul was saying, “Caesar is not going to kill me. I am going to give my life as a sacrifice to Jesus Christ. I have been a living sacrifice, serving Him since the day I was saved. Now I will complete that sacrifice by laying down my life for Him.”
The word departure () is a beautiful word that has many meanings. It means “to hoist anchor and set sail.” Paul looked on death as a release from the world, an opportunity to “set sail” into eternity. The word also means “to take down a tent.” This parallels , where Paul compared the death of believers to the taking down of a tent (tabernacle), in order to receive a permanent, glorified body (“house not made with hands”—a glorified body, not a “mansion” in heaven).
Departure also has the meaning of “loosing a prisoner.” Paul was facing release, not execution! “The unyoking of an ox” is another meaning of this word. Paul had been in hard service for many years. Now his Master would unyoke him and promote him to higher service.
Paul looked back (v. ). He summed up his life and ministry. Two of the images here are athletic: like a determined wrestler or boxer, he had fought a good fight; and, like a runner, he had finished his lifelong race victoriously. He had kept the rules and deserved a prize (see ; ). The third image is that of a steward who had faithfully guarded his boss’ deposit: “I have kept the faith” (). Paul used this image often in his pastoral letters.
It is heartening to be able to look back and have no regrets. Paul was not always popular, nor was he usually comfortable; but he remained faithful. That is what really counted.
Paul looked ahead (v. ). A Greek or Roman athlete who was a winner was rewarded by the crowds and usually got a laurel wreath or a garland of oak leaves. The word for “crown” is stephanos—the victor’s crown; we get our name Stephen from this word. (The kingly crown is diadema, from which we get “diadem.”) However, Paul would not be given a fading crown of leaves; his would be a crown of righteousness that would never fade.
Jesus Christ is the “righteous Judge” who always judges correctly. Paul’s judges in Rome were not righteous. If they were, they would have released him. How many times Paul had been tried in one court after another, yet now he faced his last Judge—his Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. When you are ready to face the Lord, you need not fear the judgment of men.
The crown of righteousness is God’s reward for a faithful and righteous life; and our incentive for faithfulness and holiness is the promise of the Lord’s appearing. Because Paul loved His appearing and looked for it, he lived righteously and served faithfully. This is why Paul used the return of Jesus Christ as a basis for his admonitions in this chapter (see ).
We are not called to be apostles; yet we can win the same crown that Paul won. If we love Christ’s appearing, live in obedience to His will, and do the work He has called us to do, we will be crowned.
“Hurry and get here!” is the meaning of the admonition to Timothy (). Tychicus would take Timothy’s place in Ephesus (). As Timothy hurried to Rome, he could stop in Troas and get the cloak, books, and parchments (). Paul probably left them there in his haste to depart. It is touching to see that, in his closing days on earth, Paul wanted his dear “son in the faith” at his side. But he was also practical: he needed his cloak for warmth, and he wanted his books for study. The “books” would be papyrus scrolls, perhaps of the Old Testament Scriptures; and the “parchments” would be books made from the skins of animals. We do not know what these “parchments” were, but we are not surprised that a scholar such as Paul wanted material for study and writing.
Before he ended the letter, Paul urged Timothy to “come before winter” (). Why? All the ships would be in port during the winter since it would be too dangerous for sailing. If Timothy waited too long, he would miss his opportunity to travel to Paul; and then it would be too late.
Why should Timothy be diligent and faithful? Look at , which gives part of the answer: Some in Paul’s circle were not faithful, and he could not depend on them. Demas is named only three times in the New Testament; yet these three citations tell a sad story of failure. Paul listed Demas along with Mark and Luke as one of his “fellow laborers” (). Then he is simply called “Demas” (). Here () it is, “Demas hath forsaken me.”
Paul gave the reason: Demas “loved this present world.” He had, as a believer, “tasted … the powers of the world to come” (); but he preferred “this present evil world” (). In his Pilgrim’s Progress, John Bunyan pictured Demas as the keeper of a silver mine at the Hill Lucre. Perhaps it was the love of money that enticed Demas back into the world. It must have broken Paul’s heart to see Demas fail so shamefully; yet it can happen to any believer. Perhaps this explains why Paul had so much to say about riches in his pastoral letters.
Another reason why Paul wanted Timothy in Rome was that his next hearing was coming up and only Luke was with him. The believers in Rome and Ephesus who could have stood with Paul had failed him (); but Paul knew that Timothy would not fail him. Of course, the Lord had not failed Paul either! () The Lord had promised to stay with Paul, and He had kept His promise.
When Paul had been discouraged in Corinth, the Lord came to him and encouraged him (). After he had been arrested in Jerusalem, Paul again was visited by the Lord and encouraged (). During that terrible storm, when Paul was on board ship, the Lord had again given him strength and courage (). Now, in that horrible Roman prison, Paul again experienced the strengthening presence of the Lord, who had promised, “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee” ().
But note that Paul’s concern was not for his own safety or comfort. It was the preaching of the Word so that Gentiles might be saved. It was Paul’s special calling to minister to the Gentiles (see Eph. 3); and he was not ashamed of the Gospel, even in the great city of Rome ().
What a man! His friends forsake him, and he prays that God will forgive them. His enemies try him, and he looks for opportunities to tell them how to be saved! What a difference it makes when the Holy Spirit controls your life.
“I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion” (). Who or what is this “lion”? It cannot mean a literal lion because Paul was a Roman citizen and, if convicted, he could not be thrown to the lions. Instead, he would be executed by being beheaded. Was “the lion” the Emperor Nero? Probably not. If he had been delivered from Nero, then this meant he was acquitted; yet, he had only had a preliminary first hearing. The lion is a symbol of Satan (). Perhaps Paul was referring to some scheme of the devil to defeat him and hinder the work of the Gospel. To be “saved from the lion’s mouth” was a proverbial saying which meant “to be delivered from great danger” ().
But for a Christian, there are things even more dangerous than suffering and death. Sin, for example. This is what Paul had in mind (). He was confident that the Lord would deliver him from “every evil work” and take him to the heavenly kingdom. Paul’s greatest fear was not of death; it was that he might deny his Lord or do something else that would disgrace God’s name. Paul was certain that the time had come for his permanent departure (). He wanted to end his life-race well and be free from any disobedience.
It is heartening to see how many people are named in the closing part of this last letter Paul wrote. I believe that there are at least 100 different men and women named in Acts and Paul’s letters, as a part of his circle of friends and fellow laborers. Paul could not do the job by himself. It is a great man who enlists others to help get the job done, and who lets them share in the greatness of the work.
Luke () is the “beloved physician” who traveled with Paul (). He is author of the Gospel of Luke and the Book of Acts. (Notice the “we” sections in Acts, the eyewitness reports of Dr. Luke.) Paul probably dictated this letter (2 Tim.) to Luke. Being a doctor, Luke must have appreciated Paul’s reference to gangrene (, NIV).
Crescens () was sent by Paul to Galatia. We know nothing about him, nor do we really need to know. He was another faithful laborer who assisted Paul in an hour of great need.
Titus () was Paul’s close associate and, along with Timothy, a trusted “troubleshooter.” Paul had left Titus in Crete to straighten out the problems in the churches there (). As we study Paul’s letter to Titus, we get better acquainted with this choice servant of God. Titus had met Paul at Nicopolis during that period between Paul’s arrests (). Now Paul had summoned him to Rome and sent him to Dalmatia (our modern Yugoslavia).
Mark () was a cousin of Barnabas, Paul’s first partner in missionary service (). His mother was a noted Christian in Jerusalem (, ). Unfortunately, John Mark failed on that first missionary journey (, ). Paul refused to take Mark on the second trip, and this led to a falling-out between Paul and Barnabas (). However, Paul now admitted that John Mark was a valuable worker; and he wanted Mark with him in Rome. How good it is to know that one failure in Christian service need not make one’s whole life a failure.
Tychicus () was a believer from the province of Asia () who willingly accompanied Paul and probably ministered as a personal servant to the apostle. He was with Paul during his first imprisonment (; ). Paul sent Tychicus to Crete to relieve Titus (). Now he was sending him to Ephesus to relieve Timothy. What a blessing it is to have people who can replace others! A relief pitcher may not get all the glory, but he may help win the game!
Carpus () lived at Troas and gave Paul hospitality. Paul must have departed in a hurry (was he being sought for arrest?) because he left his cloak and books behind. However, Carpus was a faithful brother; he would guard them until somebody picked them up to take to Paul. Even such so-called menial tasks are ministries for the Lord.
Is Alexander the coppersmith () the same Alexander mentioned in ? Nobody knows, and there is no value in conjecturing. The name was common, but it is possible that this heretic went to Rome to make things difficult for Paul. Satan has his workers too. By the way, Paul’s words, “The Lord reward him according to his works” (), are not a prayer of judgment, for this would be contrary to Jesus’ teaching (). “The Lord will reward him” is a better translation.
Prisca (or Priscilla) and Aquila () were a husband-and-wife team that assisted Paul in many ways (see , ; ; ). Now they were in Ephesus helping Timothy with his ministry. It is wonderful when God’s people do their work regardless of who their leader is.
Onesiphorus () and his household we met in 2 Timothy 1.
Erastus () might be the treasurer of Corinth (); and he might be the same man who ministered with Timothy in Macedonia ().
Trophimus () from Ephesus was a friend of Tychicus (), and the man whose presence with Paul helped to incite that riot in Jerusalem (). He had been serving at Miletus, but now he was ill. Why did Paul not heal him? Apparently not every sick person is supposed to be miraculously healed.
The other people mentioned () are unknown to us, but certainly not to the Lord.
“Grace be with you” () was Paul’s personal farewell, used at the end of his letters as a “trademark” that the letter was not a forgery.
The Bible does not record the final days of Paul. Tradition tells us that he was found guilty and sentenced to die. He was probably taken outside the city and beheaded.
But Timothy and the other devoted believers carried on the work! As John Wesley used to say, “God buries His workmen, but His work goes on.” You and I must be faithful so that (if the Lord does not return soon) future generations may hear the Gospel and have the opportunity to be saved.