2 Timothy 4:1-8

Verse 1

I think it’s important to note that this is still in the same context of “in the last days” that Paul began speaking about in chapter 3.

This is the final charge that Paul gives to Timothy, and like the others it is written as a command from a commanding officer to his troops. And like the other charges that Paul gave this is important for Timothy to take seriously and carry out to the best of his abilities.

But again, we remember that Paul had to remind or encourage Timothy to fulfill his role some 25 times throughout 1-2 Timothy because of Timothy’s timidity or reluctance to stand firm and at times go against the grain and proclaim truth in a world with many voices telling lies.

Notice again how Paul carefully and directly words this charge. Timothy is charged...

in the presence of (in the sight of) - The idea of the phrase is that the one you are in the presence of is fully aware of your presence and is looking upon you. That’s a pretty intense way to address Timothy who is already known for being timid and probably necessary to motivate him properly. The bigger picture here is that Timothy (like us) is living before God and therefore should live for God fully.

Notice also that we see a familiar idea that Paul has used before as he charges Timothy in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus.

It’s that familiar idea that we’ve seen Paul use already that uses a structure in the Greek grammar that fuses the 2 (God and Christ Jesus) as one. Therefore there is no doubt that Paul believes in the divinity of Christ Jesus.

Now a couple specific things about Jesus here that are important to note

Jesus will (soon) judge the living and the dead

Jesus will (soon) appear

The reason these things are important to note is because is shows that from Paul’s earliest writings in 1 Thessalonians to his last letter here in 2 Timothy that Paul consistently held to the belief and taught that Jesus Christ was God come in the flesh who is also Lord of all and was coming back soon and would judge all righteously. Paul literally (as did the other Apostles) believed that Jesus would return in his lifetime.

Can you imagine how excited Paul would be if he lived today?

With all this Coronavirus media coverage it’s easy to forget that we currently have Russia and Saudi Arabia fighting about oil prices with the US trying to prevent them from going to war over it. That is important because in Ezekiel 38 we have what most scholars (myself included) believe to be Russia leading the invasion and attack on Israel and you have Saudi Arabia being the nation leading the opposition to Russia and that being called the battle of Gog and Magog at the end of the age. Not only do we have that going on, but we have all the heart attitudes that Paul laid out in the first half of chapter 3, as well as the things Jesus said to watch for in Matthew 24. Things like the persecution of the church in many places throughout the world, the grave deception taking place within many parts of the church today, lawlessness in the church increasing and love decreasing, and yet with all of that we live in the age when the gospel has now been proclaimed throughout the world to just about every nation.

I say all of this to put a godly and Biblical excitement into our hearts today. If Paul believed Jesus could come back at any moment, how much more should we be expecting His soon return?

And if we expect Jesus to return quickly, how should we respond in our hearts and with our lives?

First, we should ask the Lord to examine our hearts and our lives as King David the Psalmist said...

Psalm 139:23–24 ESV

23 Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! 24 And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!

And once business has been done with God, we should follow the same charge that Paul is giving to Timothy and to every Pastor that followed his day in the next verse.

Verse 2

Preach - it was the word that described the messenger of the king who would speak a message to the people in the public square on behalf of the king.

Preach the word! This is the primary role that Timothy (Pastors) has been given as evidenced from everything else Paul has written to him up to this point.

It is this wonderful, necessary, sobering, and Holy Spirit dependent call on Timothy’s life that is needed to combat the days ahead and it is this same call for every preacher and Pastor today. But notice that it is a calling to a way of life not for a weekly event.

Preach the word - not opinion pieces, not just Timothy’s favorite parts or doctrines of the Bible, not what is popular theologically this week, not what the people want to hear, but to preach the word.

It is from sections like these that we see the charge of the Pastor today. It is why we teach verse by verse, chapter by chapter, book by book within Calvary Chapel churches. You don’t need to here my favorite chapters taught (though each week I seem to have a new favorite, and that being the text before us), nor do you need me to have a yearly sermon series on my preferred doctrine, nor a yearly series on the importance of tithing, being baptized, serving in ministry, or any other pet project I might want to teach on. What we as a church need is for me and the other Pastors to preach the word and all of the word as Paul declared to the Ephesian elders (where Timothy is called to Pastor the churches) on his way to Jerusalem where he would be arrested and sent to Rome...

Acts 20:26–27 ESV

26 Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all, 27 for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God.

In season and out of season - The idea in the Greek is when it is easy and when it is difficult.

Timothy is called to not just preach the word, but to live a life in readiness to serve God and others with his gift and calling to preach and teach the word of God both in season and out of season.

This requires the kind of devotion to God and His word which brings about time spent with God in prayer, in worship, and in study of His word.

Timothy wasn’t just called to prepare a Bible study for Sunday morning each week, he was called to a lifetime of Bible study and close fellowship with God so that he could be called upon by God at any moment to minister the word of God to people in any situation because it wasn’t going to Timothy’s opinion on a matter that was going to help their situation, it was always and only going to be the word of God that every person in any situation would need.

reprove - to state that someone has done wrong, with the implication that there is adequate proof of such wrongdoing

rebuke - to express strong disapproval of someone

exhort - the root word means to call someone near to you. Exhort is to cause someone to be encouraged or consoled

And God’s word is able to accomplish such a task because...

Hebrews 4:12 ESV

12 For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

And yet all of this was to be done with complete patients (longsuffering) and teaching.

Timothy (and Pastors today) had a calling to let the word of God transform his own life first and then to rightly represent God to the people through a patient and faithful teaching of the scriptures.

This is why if you come to one of the Pastors for advise or council we will tell you what the Bible says about your situation and not tell you what we think about it.

(First time I taught this on a Monday night in Belen...)

Verses 3-4

Now all of this was important for Timothy do put into constant practice now because of what was to come. Again I say the same applies today and possibly more difficult today as we live in times when people have itching ears just as Amos said...

Amos 8:11–12 ESV

11 “Behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord God, “when I will send a famine on the land— not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord. 12 They shall wander from sea to sea, and from north to east; they shall run to and fro, to seek the word of the Lord, but they shall not find it.

What Amos was referring to wasn’t a problem with the preacher, but with the hearers.

Notice that Paul is warning Timothy what the days ahead (I’d even say our day) would look like.

wander - it was a word in ancient Greek that described a dislocated joint.

You see the importance of us and of Timothy being told to preach the word regardless of the days ahead is to remember that God’s word will stand forever...

Isaiah 40:6–8 ESV

6 A voice says, “Cry!” And I said, “What shall I cry?” All flesh is grass, and all its beauty is like the flower of the field. 7 The grass withers, the flower fades when the breath of the Lord blows on it; surely the people are grass. 8 The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.

Verse 5

As for you - as opposed to those with itching ears that wander off after their man appointed teachers.

Since the church will fall into such a sad state Timothy is to

always be sober-minded - exercise self control, be watchful

endure suffering - this is written as sharp military style command

do the work of an evangelist - bring the gospel when teaching the word

fulfill his ministry

Verse 6

Timothy is to do all that Paul has already said because Paul can no longer fulfill such a roll on this earth as his time has come to a close.

Paul was about to die at the hands of the Emperor Nero. Since Paul was a Roman citizen we know he would not be crucified, which meant he would most likely be decapitated.

But please don’t forget that the time of Paul’s departure was not for Nero to decide but for God.

departure - the word in Ancient Greek spoke of taking down a tent, it described an army setting out, or of a ship that was loosed from the dock and hoisting its sail to sail away.

time of my departure has come - the word picture is that death already stood by Paul

Verse 7

This is one of those verses that is typically shared at the funeral of a faithful saint.

And now Paul sums up his last 30 years following Jesus with 3 short sentences.

I have fought THE good fight

I have finished THE race (course)

I have kept (to keep by guarding) THE faith

Verse 8

Henceforth - what remains

crown (stephanos) - the crown of victory

the righteous judge - not a judge in a courtroom, but rather like an umpire or referee on an athletic field

Peter said the same thing in his address to church elders

1 Peter 5:1–7 ESV

1 So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: 2 shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; 3 not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock. 4 And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. 5 Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” 6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, 7 casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.

And this is for all who have loved His appearing!

Have you loved Jesus? He loved you and everyone else in this whole world that He came in love to make a way for us to have a restored relationship with our Creator God even though we are undeserving sinners...