Second Timothy - Chapter 4 Summary
PRECIOUS REWARDS
2ND TIMOTHY 4:1-22
Application: The student will learn to live in anticipation of the fulfillment of the promises God has made to those who serve Him.
PAUL IS NEARING THE END OF HIS LIFE.
HE HAS BEEN CONDEMNED TO DIE BY BEHEADING BY EMPEROR NERO AND HE WAS ACCEPTING THE COMING DEATH.
BUT BEFORE HE LEFT THE WORLD PAUL WANTED TO ONCE MORE SEND SOME WISDOM & THOUGHTS TO HIS SPIRITUAL SON, TIMOTHY.
EVEN THOUGH HE WAS MANY MILES FROM TIMOTHY PHYSICALLY, PAUL WAS CONTINUING TO ACT AS A SPIRITUAL FATHER AND TEACHER TO THE YOUNG MINISTER AT EPHESUS.
THESE PARTICULAR WORDS ARE THE LAST KNOWN WORDS OF PAUL IN OUR BIBLE SO IT MAKES SENSE FOR US TO SEE HIS MIND AT THIS PRECIOUS MOMENT.
PAUL HAD NO REGRETS AND HAD FORGIVEN THOSE NEEDING HIS FORGIVENESS.
HE FINDS JOY IN THOSE HE HAD LED & HELPED ALONG HIS JOURNEY.
SO NOW PAUL PROVIDES HIS FINAL TESTIMONY TO TIMOTHY HERE IN CHAPTER FOUR.
VERSE 1 IS A GOOD BEGINNING BECAUSE IT IS A SOLEMN CHARGE TO TIMOTHY, AN ORDER FROM HEADQUARTERS.
HE WANTS TO BE SURE TIMOTHY UNDERSTANDS THAT THE LORD JESUS WILL JUDGE BOTH THE LIVING AND THE DEAD WHEN HE RETURNS TO BEGIN HIS FINAL KINGDOM ON EARTH.
WE KNOW FROM PAUL'S TEACHING TO THE CHURCH MEMBERS AT THESSALONICA THAT HE BELIEVED THE RETURN OF JESUS WAS IMMINENT.
THIS IS THE REASON WE HAVE 2ND THESSALONIANS, TO EXPLAIN TO MEMBERS THAT THOSE WHO WERE DYING WERE GOING TO BE AMONG THOSE RAISED TO SEE JESUS AT THAT GREAT DAY.
HERE THE WORDS "SHALL JUDGE" MORE LITERALLY MEAN "IS ABOUT TO JUDGE" IN THE GREEK SO WE SEE PAUL STILL HELD TO HIS BELIEF THAT THE 2ND COMING WAS CLOSE.
NOW IN VERSE 2, PAUL INSTRUCTS TIMOTHY TO PREACH THE WORD.
HIS CHARGE IS AGRESSIVE AND STRONG.
BE READY IN SEASON OR OUT OF SEASON.
CONVINCE
REBUKE
EXHORT
EVEN IN LONGSUFFERING
& TEACHING.
THIS REMINDER WAS COVERED CONSISTENTLY IN PAUL'S PREVIOUS WRITING TO TIMOTHY.
2ND TIMOTHY 1:8
DO NOT BE ASHAMED OF THE TESTIMONY OF OUR LORD.
2ND TIMOTHY 1:13
HOLD FAST THE PATTERN OF SOUND WORDS.
2ND TIMOTHY 2:15
COMMIT THE THINGS TO FAITHFUL ONES THAT YOU HAVE HEARD FROM ME. RIGHTLY DIVIDE THE WORD OF TRUTH.
2ND TIMOTHY 2:24
A SERVANT OF THE LORD MUST BE ABLE TO TEACH.
2ND TIMOTHY 3:16
ALL SCRIPTURE IS GIVEN BY INSPIRATION OF GOD.
TIMOTHY IS ADMONISHED TO BE READY ALWAYS TO PREACH THE WORD.
HE WAS TO BRING THE TRUE WORD OF GOD TO BEAR ON THE VERY LIVES OF THOSE LISTENING.
HIS JOB WAS TO PREACH IT AND TEACH IT AND THEN BE ASSURED THAT GOD WILL TAKE IT FROM THERE BY CHANGING HEARTS.
FAITH COMES BY HEARING BUT SALVATION IS THE GIFT TO THOSE WHO ARE CHOSEN AND DRAWN BY THE HEAVENLY FATHER.
VERSES 3 & 4 ARE GIVEN AS A GREAT REMINDER OF THE NEED OF FAITHFUL PREACHING.
MAN GENERALLY MAY NOT ENDURE SOUND DOCTRINE, BECAUSE MAN COMMONLY FOLLOWS HIS OWN DESIRES, HAVING ITCHING EARS.
EARS MAY BE TICKLED BY THE CURIOUSITY OF NEW AND FALSE TEACHING, CAUSING THE EARS TO ITCH FOR MORE SCRATCHING.
WHEN IT HAPPENS THOSE EARS WILL BE TURNED AWAY FROM THE TRUTH, TURNING TOWARD FABLES & UNTRUTH.
ARE WE NOT SEEING THIS FACT EACH & EVERY DAY IN AMERICA?
THESE FABLES ARE PRESENT AMONG US STILL TODAY, SUCH AS:
YOU MUST EARN YOUR WAY TO HEAVEN
GOD ONLY LOVES YOU WHEN YOU ARE GOOD
CHRISTIANS ARE BETTER THAN OTHER MEN BY BIRTH
TIMOTHY WAS TO FULFILL HIS MINISTRY, BE WATCHFUL, ENDURE AFFLICTIONS, AND DO THE WORK OF AN EVANGELIST, REACH OUT AND TOUCH THE HEARTS OF ALL HE MET.
HE WAS NOT TO TURN AWAY AND TO BE STRONGLY SURE HE TOLD THOSE WHO DID TURN THAT THEY WERE WRONG AND SHOULD REPENT.
A MINISTRY CAN BECOME NO LONGER FULFILLED FOR SEVERAL REASONS:
FEAR
UNBELIEF
CARES OF THE WORLD
CRITICISM
DISCOURAGEMENT
BESETTING SIN
ALL THESE MUST BE BATTLED DAILY WITH NO RETREAT.
NOW IN VERSES 6-7 PAUL ALLOWS HIS CONFIDENCE IN TRIUMPH TO SHINE THROUGH.
HE SAYS HE HIMSELF IS AN OFFERING TO GOD AND THAT HIS TIME OF DEPARTURE IS NEAR.
HE HAS FOUGHT THE GOOD FIGHT AND HAS FINISHED THE RACE.
HE HAS KEPT THE FAITH THAT HE HAD PASSED ONWARD TO TIMOTHY BY THE LAYING ON OF HIS OWN HANDS.
PAUL MENTIONS HIMSELF AS A DRINK OFFERING, HARKENING US BACK TO GENESIS 35:14 AND EXODUS 29:40.
HE IS CONNECTING HIS OWN MINISTRY TO THE ORIGINAL COMMANDS.
IN VERSE 8 PAUL REVEALS HE KNOWS A CROWN OF RIGHTOUSNESS IS LAID UP FOR HIM, AND WILL BE GIVEN TO HIM ON HIS ARRIVAL AFTER DEATH.
THE CROWN IS ALSO LAID UP FOR ALL WHO LOVE THE APPEARING OF THE LORD JESUS.
WE SHOULD REMEMBER THAT THE REVELATION TEACHES US IN 4:10 THAT THOSE SO CROWNED WILL CAST THEIR CROWNS AT THE FEET OF THE LORD.
PAUL IS REFLECTING ON ONE OF THE MOST PRECIOUS PROMISES FOR ALL BELIEVERS.
OUR MEETING WITH JESUS AFTER WE DRAW OUR LAST BREATH HERE IS CLEARLY AND SIMPLY A REWARD TIME.
THE JUDGEMENT OF BELIEVERS IS ONLY A MATTER OF GREATER OR LESSER REWARDS.
HOW DO WE KNOW THAT?
ROMS 8:1 TEACHES US THAT THERE IS NOW NO CONDEMNATION OF THOSE IN CHRIST JESUS.
VERSES 9-13 ARE HIS LAST WORDS FROM PRISON.
HE ASKS FOR TIMOTHY TO COME TO HIM AND RFLECTS ON THOSE WHO HAVE FORSAKEN HIM, LOVING THE WORLD MORE THAN THE GOSPEL.
HE SAYS ONLY LUKE IS WITH HIM.
ALL OTHERS ARE GONE.
HE WANTS TIMOTHY TO GET MARK AND BOTH OF THEM TO COME TO HIM.
HERE WE SEE JOHN MARK HAS BEEN RESTORED IN THE HEART OF PAUL AFTER THE ISSUES BETWEEN THEM WE SEE IN ACTS 15.
HE ASKS TIMOTHY TO BRING HIS CLOAK THAT HE HAS LEFT AT TROAS WITH A MAN NAMED CARPUS.
IT IS LIKELY THAT THERE WERE BOOKS OF SCROLLS WRAPPED WITHIN THE CLOAK AND HE WANTS TO HAVE THEM BEFORE HE LEAVES THIS WORLD.
HE NOW GIVES IN VERSES 14-15 A WARNING TO BEWARE OF ALEXANDER THE COPPERSMITH WHO HAS GREATLY RESISTED THE WORD OF GOD AND DID PAUL MUCH HARM.
IN 1ST TIMOTHY 1:20 PAUL REVEALED THAT THIS MAN HAD TURNED AGAINST PAUL.
MANY EARLY CHURCH WRITERS HAVE SAID THAT THIS IS THE MAN WHO TURNED PAUL IN TO THE ROMAN AUTHORITIES AND INFORMED AGAINST PAUL TO ASSURE A GUILTY SENTENCE WOULD BE MADE BY NERO.
PAUL ASKS THE LORD TO FIND A WAY TO REPAY ALEXANDER.
NOW IN VERSES 16-18 PAUL WRITES OF GOD'S FAITHFULNESS TOWARD HIM WHEN HE STOOD ALONE IN THE COURTROOM AND THE LORD GAVE HIM STRENGTH TO CONTINUE TO WITNESS FOR GOD.
PAUL ALSO ASKS FOR FORGIVENESS FOR ALL WHO FORSOOK HIM.
HE ALLOWED NO BITTERNESS TO RULE HIM NEAR HIS END.
HE MAKES VERY SURE TO SAY THAT ALL GLORY GOES TO GOD.
NOW PAUL ENDS BY PROVIDING CLOSING GREETINGS TO OTHER FRIENDS BY NAME.
WE NOTICE HE SPECIFICALLY MENTIONS ONE MAN, TROPHIMUS, WHO HE LEFT IN A SICKNESS CONDITION IN MILETUS.
WE KNOW BY THE TEACHING OF ACTS 14 AND 19 THAT PAUL WAS GIVEN POWER BY GOD TO HEAL.
BUT HE LEFT THIS FAITHFUL MAN SICK.
HE ALSO NEVER HEALED TIMOTHY OF HIS AFFLICTIONS.
THERE IS A GOOD LESSON HERE.
WE SEE THAT THIS GREAT APOSTLE AND TEACHER DID NOT HAVE THE HEALING POWER TO USE AT HIS OWN WILL.
HE COULD ONLY GIVE A GIFT OF HEALING IF IT WAS IN GOD'S WILL AND IN GOD'S TIMING.
SPURGEON PREACHED A POWERFUL SERMON ON THIS VERSE 160 YEARS AGO AND IN IT EXPLAINED THE MEANING FOR US:
IT IS THE WILL OF GOD THAT SOME GOOD MEN SHOULD BE IN ILL HEALTH.
GOOD MEN MAY BE LAID ASIDE BY ILL HEALTH EVEN WHEN THE NEED FOR THEIR EFFORTS SEEMS MOST CRUCIAL.
GOOD MEN ARE FULLY ASSURED THAT THE WORK OF GOD WILL GO ON WITH OR WITHOUT THEM.
SO THE LESSON FOR US HERE IS THAT WE MUST RESPECT THE SOVEREIGN WILL OF THE LORD WHO KNOWS BEST AND ALWAYS USES US FOR HIS OWN PURPOSE, NOT ALWAYS OURS.
NOW IN THE FINAL VERSES PAUL ASKS THAT THE LORD JESUS CHRIST BE WITH THE SPIRIT OF TIMOTHY AND THAT GRACE BE WITH HIM IN HIS WORK.
PAUL DEARLY LOVED THIS YOUNG MAN AND HIS PRAYER IS FOR THE LORD AND TIMOTHY TO GROW CLOSER AFTER PAUL IS NO LONGER HERE.
HE ENDS WITH HIS "AMEN" WHICH MEANS "SO BE IT" OR "MAY IT BE".
PAUL'S CONFIDENCE IS CLEAR AS HE ENDS WITH HIS THOUGHTS IN VERSE 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...".
PAUL KNEW WHERE HE WAS GOING WHEN HE DIED.
HE KNEW HE WOULD SOON ENTER THE HEAVENLY KINGDOM, AND HE GAVE GOD THE GLORY FOR IT.
