August 18, 2014 2nd Timothy Chapter 4

2nd Timothy Chapter 4

Originally posted Friday, October 3, 2008 

2nd Timothy, Chapter 4:1-8 Exhortation to Timothy

Previously we read of those who were spreading the false teaching that the resurrection had already occurred (2:17b-18). The author condemns this as heretical and not in accord with the Gospel. Such a teaching is set in the context of the "distressing times of the last days." In such times many will easily be influenced by those of "corrupt mind and counterfeit faith" and will turn away from godliness and truth. The author is alarmed as he witnesses the threatened undoing of a generation's worth of effort which began with Paul's preaching of the Gospel. It is in this spiritually tumultuous milieu, rife with "myths and speculations" that he issues his clarion call to the churches to "preach the word." The English of vs. 1 weakens the force of the invocation. The Greek order is "I solemnly charge you before God and Christ Jesus, the one about to judge the living and the dead by his appearing and [also that] of his kingdom." We can sense the urgency in his words. Although he will not make predictions, he believes the appearing of Christ and Christ's kingdom is near if not imminent. The "word" is to be preached with persistence, without interruption and convincingly with rebuke, encouragement and patience.

The word is to be preached without regard to the convenience of the moment. The right time is any time (vs. 2). The author characterizes the time in words familiar to anyone who has studied the canonical and non-canonical history of Jewish and Christian end times speculation. What we read beginning in vs. 3 is not unlike the perennial theme which has reappeared with every generation for more than two thousand years. Human susceptibility - or misplaced hope for a better world, when it comes to end times speculation, is never ending. We are not satisfied with open ended futures. Invent or envision a new interpretation of symbolic language and put a meaning to world events and the latest package will cause many to reject sound reasoning, have itching ears and "accumulate" teachers who will reinforce their hopes for certainty (vs. 3). Such as these, the author writes, "turn away from...the truth and wander away to myths" (vs. 4). 

In the midst of all of this, the church must do the work of evangelism (vs. 5). What is necessary is the preaching of the Gospel, not the sideline distractions which do not speak to the issues of a life in and for Christ as one of his disciples ever striving for that godliness (Spirit led discipleship) of which Paul wrote and this author stresses as of first importance.

As we read vss. 6-8 we are reminded of Paul's own words in Phil. 3:12-14. We can also be aware of 1 Tim. 1:15-17 which serves as a prelude and invocation to our present text. Between the two passages we find a capsule view of the beginning and end of Paul's ministry as interpreted by our author. Vss. 6-8 are well known and have been often quoted in times of grief as well as hope beyond grief. The three phrases of vs. 7 are the best we can say of ourselves or anyone else who has lived a life in Christ: "I have fought the good fight; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith." The rest is up to God.

2nd Timothy, Chapter 4:9-22 Personal Instructions and Greetings

The final passage is a collection of events and situations relating to Paul, taken from other letters and oral tradition. Some parts may be from the time of Paul's imprisonment. The writer uses such words as desertion (Demas), great harm (Alexander) defense, abandonment, opposition and rescue. The setting could be Ephesus (lion's mouth) or Paul's last confinement in Rome before his death. In any case they are characteristic of his life as an evangelist among the Gentiles full of hardship but never without confidence in God and hope in Christ. The letter ends with a series of greetings to people we remember, especially in Acts. Most such as Prisca and Aquila and Claudia had been a significant part of Paul's Christian life and served as coworkers with him in proclaiming the Gospel. Taken together with the previous mention of opposition and imprisonment, we can read this as a brief review of Paul's work. It is the image of our own existence: there are friends and detractors, rejection and acceptance, failure and success, being alone and remembered by friends. He really did fight the good fight, finish the race and keep the faith.