October
19th
2 Timothy 4
1:
I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who
shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom;
2: Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove,
rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. 3: For the time
will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their
own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching
ears; 4: And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and
shall be turned unto fables. 5: But watch thou in all things, endure
afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy
ministry. 6: For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my
departure is at hand. 7: I have fought a good fight, I have finished
my course, I have kept the faith: 8: Henceforth there is laid up for
me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge,
shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also
that love his appearing.
D.
Allegiance to the Lord Personal messages
9:
Do thy diligence to come shortly unto me: 10: For Demas hath forsaken
me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto
Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia. 11: Only Luke
is with me. Take Mark, and bring him with thee: for he is profitable
to me for the ministry. 12: And Tychicus have I sent to Ephesus. 13:
The cloke that I left at Troas with Carpus, when thou comest, bring
with thee, and the books, but especially the parchments. 14:
Alexander the coppersmith did me much evil: the Lord reward him
according to his works: 15: Of whom be thou ware also; for he hath
greatly withstood our words. 16: At my first answer no man stood with
me, but all men forsook me: I pray God that it may not be laid to
their charge. 17: Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and
strengthened me; that by me the preaching might be fully known, and
that all the Gentiles might hear: and I was delivered out of the
mouth of the lion. 18: And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil
work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be
glory for ever and ever. Amen. 19: Salute Prisca and Aquila, and the
household of Onesiphorus. 20: Erastus abode at Corinth: but Trophimus
have I left at Miletum sick. 21: Do thy diligence to come before
winter. Eubulus greeteth thee, and Pudens, and Linus, and Claudia,
and all the brethren. 22: The Lord Jesus Christ be with thy spirit.
Grace be with you. Amen.
Again
Paul gives this solemn commandment before the Lord to Timothy. He
emphasises its dignity by saying that it is before God and The Lord
Jesus Christ who will be the judge of those who are alive and those
he will raise from the dead at his appearing and before his kingdom.
So what is this solemn duty? Just one thing. Preach the word. And
says Paul you are to do this whether it is welcome or not. You are to
convict of errors, rebuke sharply, bring comfort with patience and
teaching. Paul says there will come a time when men will not be able
to cope with healthgiving teaching but gather a pile of teachers who
will tickle their ears. They will turn their backs on the weighty
truth because they prefer light stories. So look out for this and
endure the flak that you will receive. Do the work of an evangelist
(a missionary) and fully prove your ministry. Timothy, says Paul, l
am ready to be sacrificed and the time of my ‘exit’ (The word is
to set sail) is coming near. I have fought the good fight. I have
finished my race. I have kept ‘the faith’. A wreath of
righteousness is waiting for me which the Lord Jesus the righteous
umpire will give me on the day when l met him. And not just to me but
all those who long for his appearing. Try to come to see me Timothy
as soon as possible. Because Demus has left me in the lurch (He fell
in love with this old world) and he has gone to Thessalonica.
Crescens has gone to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia. Only Luke the
faithful doctor is with me. Then we have a touched remark, Paul says,
Take hold of Mark, and bring him with you: for he is useful to me for
the ministry. This dear young man who had accompanied Paul on his
first missionary journey and who left Paul and Barnabas when things
got tough, and who was the cause of the separation of Paul and
Barnabas. Tychicus had been sent on an errand to Ephesus. Paul asks
Timothy to bring the cloak which he left behind at Troas with Carpus,
bring it he says with the books (Written on papyrus) and the
parchments (Written on Velum – calf skin or sheep or goat skins) It
may be true that the word ‘cloak’ would be better translated as
‘container’ or a truck which contained these precious writings.
No Jew would let go of his written ancestry. Of course we have no
means of knowing what they contained. Paul warns Timothy by saying
that Alexander the coppersmith did much harm to Paul and that God
will set matters right between them. He says be very wary of him,
because he opposed me publically. Then Paul tells Timothy of his
first hearing. He says at my first defence l stood alone, nobody
stood with me (may God have mercy on them) However the Lord stood
with him making his presence known. And the Lord strengthened me so
that my doctrine was fully explained and for all the Gentiles to hear
and l did not receive a sentence of immediate death from my opponent.
(Paul uses the word lion for his opponent, he might have been
thinking of Satan or Nero or his chief Jewish accuser) And he says
the Lord did deliver me from every evil thing against me and he says
l am confident that he will preserve me unto the kingdom of Heaven
(The Messianic Kingdom) And then Christ will have all the glory for
ever and ever - Amen. Lastly Paul gives a number of greetings asking
Timothy to come to him before winter. Then he closes with the
blessing - The Lord Jesus Christ be with thy spirit. Grace be with
you. Amen.
- What charge does the old missionary give to his student?
- How does Paul describe his ow ministry?
- What things does Paul ask for?
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