2Ti 4:1-8. Tony van Drimmelen. As Paul writes some of his last words, his primary concern is that the gospel would be preached faithfully. Humanly speaking, there is so much that could lead Timothy to abandon that task, so Paul provides a strong motivation to keep Timothy going. Though Timothy will face opposition and rejection as he preaches, he and his listeners will eventually face the judgment of God and the coming of Christ and his kingdom (4:1). These eternal realities can motivate Timothy to persevere, just as they enabled Paul (4:6-8). When we accept the same eternal realities our calling in life takes on the unique perspective of the gospel. We will want to ‘preach’ the gospel (4:2) and to “discharge all the duties” of our ministries faithfully (4:5).
