2 Timothy
Chapter 4
Bible TextNotes and Thoughts
1 ¶ I charge thee therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at His appearing and His Kingdom:
2 preach the Word. Be instant in season and out of season. Reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.
3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but having itching ears, they shall heap to themselves teachers in accordance with their own lusts.
4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned toward fables.
5 But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill thy ministry.
6 For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand.
7 I have fought a good fight; I have finished my course; I have kept the faith.
8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness which the Lord, the righteous Judge, shall give me on that Day--and not to me only, but unto all those also who love His appearing.
9 ¶ Use diligence to come shortly unto me,
10 for Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and has departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia.
11 Only Luke is with me. Take Mark and bring him with thee, for he is profitable to me for the ministry.
12 And Tychicus have I sent to Ephesus.
13 The cloak that I left at Troas with Carpus, when thou comest, bring with thee, and the books, but especially the parchments.
14 Alexander the coppersmith did me much evil; the Lord reward him according to his works.
15 Beware thou also of him, for he hath greatly withstood our words.
16 ¶ At my first answer no man stood with me, but all men forsook me. I pray God that it may not be laid to their charge.
17 Notwithstanding, the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, that by me the preaching might be fully known, and that all the Gentiles might hear. And I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion.
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. Amen.
19 Salute Prisca and Aquila and the household of Onesiphorus.
20 Erastus remained at Corinth, but Trophimus I have left sick at Miletus.
21 Try with diligence to come before winter. Eubulus greeteth thee, and Pudens and Linus and Claudia and all the brethren.
22 The Lord Jesus Christ be with thy spirit. Grace be with you. Amen.
  To Paul this was a serious moment, he did not know how much longer he was to be permitted to live, These could be the last words Paul would have for Timothy and the church. Paul now give final instructions for Timothy.
v1,2 "I charge thee" reads "Take my witness," Paul is saying:- "Timothy this is important, before God and Jesus, who will judge my action, We are to preach the message, come what may." This reminds us that we must serve Jesus carefully and faithfully as one day we will be judged, not by man, but by God.
"Preach the Word," is Paul's command. The word used is saying "preach like an herald" An herald was a messenger from the king, he was giving the words of the king and should be listened too and not be ignored. The herald did not have any powers to discuss and possibly change the message he had for the listeners.
v3,4 Keeping to the true teaching is very important because in the "end times" people will look for teaching which pleases them, even if it is opposite to the true teaching from God, they will prefer "religious novelties" to the Word of God. Many Bible students believe that we are in the end times right now.
Because of the desires by the people we must note that a large church does not always indicate that the teaching is from God, the preacher may just be satisfying their "itchy ears."
v5-8 Complete your ministry.
Winning souls for Christ should be the main aim of any ministry. However, this may not involve large evangelical meetings every week. Paul knew that he was about to move off of the scene, Timothy was one of the "heralds" to take his place.
Paul briefly looks back, death did not worry him, he was "ready to be offered." Rome was not taking his life, Paul was giving it for his Lord Jesus. The Greek word translated "Departure" was used when a boat pulled up the anchor and set sail, Paul was about to 'sail off' into eternity with his Lord.
Paul looked at his life as a soldier, he had "fought a good fight;," as an athlete, "finished my course." Never failing in trusting his Lord.
v8 Paul now looks ahead, He was about to get his reward, "a crown of righteousness" for a faithful life. That crown is also available for any who have taken Jesus as their Saviour.
v9-22 Final thoughts for fellow workers, some sadly given.
Paul wants Timothy with him in Rome, only Luke was with him, v11.
The local church had deserted Paul v16.
Demas had turned back to the world.
v10 Crescens had been sent to the Galatians, Titus to Dalmatia, modern day Yugoslavia. Tychicus to Ephesus to release Timothy.
v13 Carpus had looked after Paul when he was preaching in Troas, Paul must have been forced to leave in an hurry and is asking Timothy to bring a cloak and books.
v14 Who is "Alexander the coppersmith?" We are not told but he is a servant of Satan. Paul does not pray for punishment, he asks the Lord "to reward him" with what he deserves.
v19 Prisca and Aquila, an husband and wife team who had worked with Paul many times. Acts 18:1-3; Acts 18:24-28; Rom 16:3-4; 1 Cor 16:19
v19 Onesiphorus:- see 2 Tim 1:16
v20 Erastus:- possibly Corinth treasurer Rom 16:23 and Acts 19:22
Trophimus:- See Acts 20:4. He was sick and for some reason Paul had not healed him. It shows that not all sick people are meant to be healed by a miracle healing.
For the other names listed there are no other references.
v17-18 Though others had deserted him, Paul knows that the Lord Jesus Christ will not let him down
Who, what was Paul delivered from? "the mouth of the lion." This could not be The Emperor Nero as Paul was still in prison. In 1 Peter 5:8 Peter said "the devil walketh about as a roaring lion," Paul is therefore referring to Satan.

Easy English Translation




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