Nepal Teaching #2: 2 Timothy 4:1-22

Preaching the Word and Finishing Well (v.1-8)

2 Timothy 4:1–2 “I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.

Preach the Word faithfully (1-2)

The charge that Paul gives Timothy is more serious when he mentions God’s presence.

Because God sees everything, the authoritative command is more weighty.

Jesus is the Judge of everything and when He returns for a second time He will judge all things.

As church leaders, we must hold firm to God’s Word or else we will fall short in disobedience.

We will all answer to how we respond to God’s commands.

If Timothy decides to do other than what Paul commands here, the consequence will be great.

Paul commands him to preach the Word, with emphasis on the Gospel!

The verb “preach” means “to proclaim publicly”. Preaching is not a private matter, it is a public one.

Preaching God’s Word is a wonderful privilege, but it is a heavy responsibility.

We preach what God has breathed out according to 3:16-17.

Only the Word is able to make one wise unto salvation!

App: We as church leaders will have to give an account to God one day.

It is most important to preach the main point of every passage, not what we want.

Will we be faithful to preach God’s Word or our own agenda?

Preaching the Word requires several things:

Be ready: This phrase means “to continually persist in.” The idea is that the more we know God’s Word, the more readiness we will have to preach and teach it.

There is never a moment where we are called to stop preaching the Word.

We must preach the Word whether our listeners like it or not.

We will have to preach in good times and bad times with urgency.

This will include preaching the Gospel in the midst of persecution.

This will mean that we face human approval or disapproval of the message.

Ill: Think about the soldier who is ready for battle at all times. An army or prime minister does not want a soldier who is not ready for battle.

App: This means that in order to be prepared to preach well, we need to know the Word well.

Your preaching will only be as effective as the depth in which you know Jesus personally.

Reprove: This means to correct someone in their error of doctrine or practice. The word “reprove” means “to expose by the light.”

As we teach truth, the Spirit of the Word will open the blind eyes of sinners to see the beauty and truth of the Gospel.

It is a command to preach the truth even when it is not convenient.

We as leaders correct error that leads to the spread of false teaching.

We teach truth, not human opinions.

Rebuke: This word means to give warning or disapproval to those teaching/living ungodly.

It is very similar to the word reprove.

We call out believers for living sinful lifestyles that do not reflect the Gospel that saved them.

We hold each other and our churches accountable to God’s Word that we may live.

Exhort: This word means to urge strongly.

When our churches are crippled by fear or anxiety about the Nepali government or radicals, church leaders need to encourage their flocks well.

As leaders, we urge people to obey what the Bible says.

Jesus says to take the Gospel to the nations, so we command people to share their faith with everyone.

Preaching is authoritative and shows what people must believe and do.

These things do not happen quickly, so we do these things with patience and continue teaching.

We trust and pray that God will sanctify His Church.

Immediate results may not come but remain faithful.

App: Do not be discouraged if you do not see immediate results! The kingdom of God is like a tiny seed that grows into a mighty tree over time.

The Reason for Paul’s Command (v.3-4)

For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.

Paul is telling Timothy that people will try and get him to change his message.

This time cannot be avoided as long as we preach the truth at all times.

There will be people who no longer love the truth but pursue after passions instead.

Those who are in error tend to love their sin very much. They do not want to listen to someone or something that confronts them in their sin.

This is like the prosperity gospel that preaches God will make you happy, healthy, and wealthy as long you have enough faith.

This gospel is a lie straight from Satan, and yet it deceives many people who are seeking to be comfortable in their sin.

Illustration: Have you ever wanted someone to lie to you to make you feel better?

There is a temptation to avoid the truth to make our lives easier and more comfortable.

Application: We continue preaching the Gospel which has the power to transform lives. We call sinners to repent by sharing this truth.

If we preach lies, then we will not make and mature disciples.

We need to guard against preaching lies for the sake of comforting our preferences.

In our sin, we naturally suppress the truth of God’s Word, but we need it make us new creations in Christ.

It is God’s Word that achieves that end.

An Encouraging List of Commands (v.5)

As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

Paul draws a contrast between Timothy and the ones who love lies. He encourages Timothy to remain steady and faithful.

Sober-Minded: As leaders, we need to have wisdom and think clearly.

Lies will always confuse and distract from thinking with godly wisdom.

This also means that we must remain calm under scrutiny or pressure from outsiders.

Self-control and stability are necessary qualities for a leader in ministry.

Endure Suffering: As leaders, be willing to face the consequences of preaching the Gospel.

There will come a time when we are tempted to complain, but press on in thankfulness that God is still good.

2 Timothy 3:12 “Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,”

Imitate Jesus as you walk through suffering because He is worth it.

Evangelist: As leaders, we are called to always be sharing the Gospel.

Preaching the Gospel must be our core identity.

This is not easy and it is often hard work seeing people come to know Jesus.

Being an evangelist takes continuous work.

Evangelism is the first step in making a disciple of Christ.

A church leader must do all these things if we are to complete our ministry that God called us to.

App: Pray that God would give you all of these qualities to help you complete your ministry. We can only pursue these tasks by God’s grace.

Paul’s Faithful Example (v.6-8)

For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.

Paul reflects on his own ministry and tells Timothy that he knows that his life is coming to an end.

He uses sacrificial language that we see in the Old Testament.

Paul was a living sacrifice for Jesus Christ.

Romans 12:1–2 ESV

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

His departure is another metaphor for death and going to be with Christ.

2 Corinthians 4:17 “For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison,”

Paul is passing the torch of ministry to Timothy, and he was helping Timothy prepare for it.

Paul uses two images to describe how he has fulfilled the ministry God gave him. Paul did not measure his success, but he tells Timothy that he has been faithful to the Lord.

Fight: Paul was primarily a warrior for Christ. We fight on because Jesus is worthy to be fought for.

Ministry is hard work and tiring. There will be conflict and opponents we have to battle with.

We rest in His grace and continue going to battle for His glory.

This fight is to trust Jesus and defeat sin.

Race: Paul lived almost his whole life proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We run to the very end of the race because Jesus is worthy.

Ministry is not a quick sprint. It is a marathon that lasts till we die.

Hebrews 12:1–2 ESV

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

Paul fought and ran until he could not anymore.

God has a reward for us who finish till the end. This reward is totally worth all the suffering and hardship we face in this life for Christ’s sake.

We received the righteousness of Christ in this life. We will receive permanent righteousness in heaven.

James 1:12 says this: “Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.”

Application: Brothers and sisters, the only way we can persevere to the end is by holding on to Jesus.

This promise gives us motivation because we will one day be with our Savior Jesus, not just for a crown.

Jesus is our righteousness so He is our crown; He is our reward when we finish the race.

We stay in the fight and run the race to the end by depending on Jesus daily.

This same crown awaits us! Hebrews 3:14 “For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end.”

End of session 1.

Finishing Well in Fellowship (v.9-12)

2 Timothy 4:9–12 “Do your best to come to me soon. For Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia. Luke alone is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is very useful to me for ministry. Tychicus I have sent to Ephesus.”

In some of Paul’s last moments, he cries out for his brother to come visit him.

Paul was alone in a cold Roman prison cell, so you can imagine the state that he was in.

He desires to see his spiritual son again before he is executed.

“Human friendship is the loving provision of God for mankind.”

We have all that we need in Jesus, but God created us for relationships.

Timothy was a faithful brother in the Lord and friend.

App: Let us strive to be a faithful example like Timothy to our other brothers and sister in Christ.

Hebrews 10:24–25 “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.”

v.10-12: It is easy to see here that Paul was struggling with grief and depression.

These hardships are not absent from the believer’s life.

We may experience them as leaders for the sake of the Gospel.

Paul had been deserted either through betrayal or because the Gospel called his partners away from him.

App: When this happens, how will we respond? Are we going to respond sinfully or hold tight to Jesus in those moments?

Brothers and sisters, strive to stay in touch with one another so that we are not alone in Gospel work.

We are all working for the same thing so let us do it together. Be quick to reach out to your brothers and sisters for help!

We may have people like Demas in our lives. These people will abandon ship when ministry gets hard and go back to the world.

Remember, Paul said to “flee youthful passions” associated with the world.

Demas is an unfaithful example who we should be warned about. He left Paul utterly abandoned.

The temptations of the world are strong, but we must love Jesus more than the world. Jesus is better!

We must also seek to love one another more than we love the world.

1 John 2:15–17 “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.”

Ill: It would be like your favorite professional cricket player going to play for a rival team. Betrayed your team.

App: Brothers and sisters, I want you all to discuss how we can keep from betraying one another like Demas did Paul.

Remind one another of the Gospel.

Hold each other accountable.

Be intentional.

Call to repentance.

Encourage one another consistently.

Crescens, Titus, and Tychicus were three men who were Paul’s partners.

They received his blessing to go back to certain ministry responsibilities.

They did not abandon Paul because the work got harder.

The Gospel was going forth to Galatia, Dalmatia, and Ephesus!

Luke was the only one who stayed with Paul. Luke was a doctor who perhaps took care of Paul and wrote his biography.

Luke wrote one of the Gospels and the whole book of Acts.

He had been with Paul for a long time. This is the kind of companion and loyal friend we need to be to each other.

When preaching the Gospel and ministry gets difficult, we need lean on one another for support.

App: Luke encourages us to become like companions as he was to Paul.

Paul requested Timothy to also bring Mark with him.

Mark had been one who left Paul early on in the book of Acts, but it seems that Paul has restored fellowship with him.

He says that Mark was now useful to him in ministry.

This same Mark was also the one that wrote the Gospel of Mark.

App: This relationship shows that we need to show each other grace.

We are not perfect, so we must be quick to show grace and forgive just as Jesus did when we did not deserve it.

Are there any unrestored relationships in your life where you are neglecting to show grace to that person?

Bring that before the Lord today, and go reconcile that relationship for the sake of the Gospel advancement.

Paul presses in to these Gospel relationships.

Finishing Well in the Word (v.13-22)

2 Timothy 4:13 “When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, also the books, and above all the parchments.”

Paul urges Timothy to bring several things to him in Rome.

Cloak: This clothing item would have served the purpose of keeping Paul warm and some comfort. Paul was likely anticipating winter in Rome. It was probably a very expensive item as well.

The Roman prisons were poorly built and in would have been difficult to breathe in the bad conditions.

In the winter, the floor he slept on would have been very cold.

It is easy to see Paul’s humanity; he had basic needs.

App: This is an example that leads us to help meet each other’s physical needs.

Books: This most likely refers to the Old Testament scrolls that Paul would have had from being a Pharisee.

If you are in prison, you are usually bored so what better way to pass time than to read Scripture.

In Paul’s lowest moment, he asked for God’s Word. He did not ask for food or water, but the Bible.

App: Will God’s Word be enough for us when we have nothing else? Is this Book more valuable to us than food and drink?

We need to treasure His Word in our hearts because it is the most important thing in our lives as believers.

Parchments: These were a special type of paper that was used for writing letters.

Paul most likely wanted to write more letters to all the churches that he had helped plant.

They also could have contained early Christian material such as the words of Jesus.

Paul’s concern for the Word of God lasted till the very end of his life.

App: Is it our main concern in life? Are we devoting our lives to it like Paul is here?

2 Timothy 4:14–15 “Alexander the coppersmith did me great harm; the Lord will repay him according to his deeds. Beware of him yourself, for he strongly opposed our message.”

Again, Paul shares the name of another opponent of the Gospel, Alexander.

Alexander was a coppersmith, so he made idols for a living. It is reasonable to see why he would be at odds with Paul as he is preaching the Gospel. The Gospel calls people out of idolatry and into true life.

Paul does not seek revenge, but leaves that in God’s hands. God is the righteous Judge who will pay back judgment to enemies of His people.

App: We must do well to remain calm and self-controlled when we face Gospel opposition.

God is sovereign and just; He will take care of injustice and evil done to his people.

We must avoid these kinds of people who oppose the Gospel message. It is the truth so we hold it closely and proclaim it boldly. We pray earnestly that God would not let conflict limit the spread of the Gospel.

Here in Nepal brothers and sisters, be on watch for people like this. Pray for godly wisdom and discernment when this comes.

2 Timothy 4:16–18 “At my first defense no one came to stand by me, but all deserted me. May it not be charged against them! But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. So I was rescued from the lion’s mouth. The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.”

Paul refers to his first hearing where he would have initially stood before Roman officials.

He had no one there to help or encourage him.

Even though Paul was betrayed and deserted, he echoes the words of Jesus: “Father forgive, for they know not what they are doing.”

He had been shown mercy after his stoning of Stephen, so he forgave them.

Paul is following in the footsteps of Jesus.

App: Paul’s example compels us not to hold grudges of those who have wronged us, including close friends or loved ones.

Is there someone in our life that we have not forgiven? Do that now.

v.17: More importantly, the Lord was with Paul through these hardships.

Jesus is always standing by and with His people.

Remember He said, “And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

There is never a moment when the Lord is not present.

We can always depend on the One who called and saved us! He will give us strength by the Holy Spirit.

We do not need to fear man because we belong to Jesus and we fear Him.

He gives us the strength to proclaim the Gospel in hard situations.

App: Where and to whom is God calling you to proclaim the Gospel?

It could be here in Biratnagar, your cities, the mountains, or a different country. God calls us to share boldly and wisely.

v.18: Paul shows his absolute trust and confidence in Jesus because he was a sufficient Savior.

Jesus would bring Paul into heaven and deliver him from physical death.

God is the Author of salvation so He deserves all the glory.

Genesis 50:20 “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.”

God permits the evil that the Romans do to Paul for His glory and Paul’s good.

This is the ultimate hope of all who trust in Christ.

Because we will be with Christ after we die, that is when we truly start living.

Because Jesus rose from the grave that gives all of us hope!

App: Going back to verse 8, we have an eternal reward waiting for us. We look forward to heaven, not what this world can offer.

2 Timothy 4:19–22 “Greet Prisca and Aquila, and the household of Onesiphorus. Erastus remained at Corinth, and I left Trophimus, who was ill, at Miletus. Do your best to come before winter. Eubulus sends greetings to you, as do Pudens and Linus and Claudia and all the brothers. The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you.”

Prisca is a shortened name for Priscilla. Her and Aquila were close friends with Paul.

They most likely were helping Timothy with ministry in Ephesus.

Paul loved them very much because they were faithful and committed to the Gospel.

Onesiphorus was also in Ephesus, and Paul mentioned him earlier in chapter 1:16.

He was a faithful brother as well and served without shame.

Erastus was likely a keeper of money at the church in Corinth.

Trophimus was a brother that helped deliver the collection of money with Paul to Jerusalem during his third missionary journey.

He is mentioned in Acts 20 and Acts 21. Miletus was a coastal city south of Ephesus.

Paul wanted Timothy to come before winter because travel would have been very difficult to come by ship.

Paul wanted the cloak, books, and parchments, but also wanted to see Timothy before Paul was executed.

The brothers and sisters Paul mentions at the end were Christians in Rome.

They likely came and visited Paul and Luke.

App: Paul had a lot of Gospel relationships, and we should too.

Be quick to greet each other and share the love of Christ.

Paul’s second letter to Timothy ends with with a blessing and a reminder of the Lord’s grace. Paul usually ends all of his letters with “Grace be with you.”

The blessing is directed to Timothy alone, but the plea for God’s grace is to the entire church where the letter would be read.

We need the Lord to always be with us, so it is reassuring to know that God is everywhere present. He is here in this room with us encouraging our souls by His Word.

God is so great and greatly to be praised and yet He wants to humbly be here with us! Let us thank Him for His nearness!

Nothing else could sustain Timothy’s ministry and the church in Ephesus except for God’s grace. Nothing would encourage the church better than the truth that the Lord’s grace would be with them.

His grace saves us and strengthens us to serve Him.

It is only by reminding ourselves of God’s grace that we will be able to endure.

Closing App: As we close, the same is true for each one of us. We must depend on God’s grace in our lives if we are to fight the good fight and finish the race of faith.

Let us constantly remind one another of God’s blessing of salvation in Christ Jesus!

Jesus is faithful, and He will build His church here in Biratnagar, all of Nepal, all of Asia, and the nations of the world.

Because He is faithful, we can be faithful to Him and rest in His grace.

Paul’s letter started with grace and it ends by grace.

May you be encouraged that the Lord called you by His grace and carries you now by His grace and will one day receive you into His heavenly kingdom by grace.

“The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you.”