2 Timothy 4
October 1
Reading: 2 Timothy 4
1 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: 2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. 3 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, 4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. 5 As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.
6 For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 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.
9 Do your best to come to me soon. 10 For Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia. 11 Luke alone is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is very useful to me for ministry. 12 Tychicus I have sent to Ephesus. 13 When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, also the books, and above all the parchments. 14 Alexander the coppersmith did me great harm; the Lord will repay him according to his deeds. 15 Beware of him yourself, for he strongly opposed our message.
16 At my first defense no one came to stand by me, but all deserted me. May it not be charged against them! 17 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. 18 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.
19 Greet Prisca and Aquila, and the household of Onesiphorus. 20 Erastus remained at Corinth, and I left Trophimus, who was ill, at Miletus. 21 Do your best to come before winter. Eubulus sends greetings to you, as do Pudens and Linus and Claudia and all the brothers.
22 The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you.
The final chapter that Paul wrote to Timothy begins with a charge to preach the Word, and to do so when people want to hear it and when they do not. There are many things that we can spend our time proclaiming and talking about, but most of the time for most of us, and certainly for pastors, there is nothing more important to say than what God says.
Following this, Paul once more writes about the dangers of false teaching and of saying what people want to hear. People will actually want to be deceived. It makes them feel better for a while.
By now you will have noticed just how much of the New Testament is devoted to warnings about false teaching, false teachers, and the people who listen to them. What we speak and what we believe is hugely important. It can be the difference between eternal life and an eternity in hell. What you believe really matters. The truth matters.
When we speak about truth, we are not talking about what people think about Democrats or Trump or COVID or a vaccine or the economy or elections or what car one ought to drive. These are things that matter little compared to what God says. We must be careful not to get pulled into arguments about things that no one knows or are matters of opinion. In the Bible the truth is what God says.
In verses 6-8, Paul is reflecting on his life. He is ready to die and expecting that he will die, but is content because of the hope the Lord has set before him. Unlike these false teachers, he has not lived for worldly gain, but for eternal reward. Therefore, he is well prepared to go on to the next life. (also vss. 16-18)
In the rest of the letter, he gives Timothy personal instructions and warnings against a few dangerous people.
God willing, I would like to finish my life on this earth as Paul did.