The letter of 2nd Timothy was written around 66 AD, shortly before Paul’s death. Unlike 1 Timothy, which was written during his fourth missionary trip and subsequent imprisonment, 2 Timothy was written during his imprisonment under Emperor Nero. 1 Timothy was written while Paul was under house arrest, while 2 Timothy was written from a dungeon. In both cases, Paul’s awaiting a verdict from Nero. This one would end in his execution. This is chronologically the last letter Paul wrote.
1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, in keeping with the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus, 2 To Timothy, my dear son: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
Paul’s introduction is slightly different from other letters. First, he addresses it as an apostle of Christ, showing us his allegiance. The unique part, which we do not find in his other letters, is the “promise” of life that is Jesus Christ. Paul understands that he is close to death, therefore the understanding of that promise is even more urgent.
What is the promise? It is that those who give their entire selves to Christ share in the reward of eternity. In this letter Paul will lay out the groundwork for our part of the promise of following. He will discuss loyalty and how we are to flee from the evil of the world. It is his final plea.
In his letters to Timothy and Titus, Paul wishes upon them three things: grace, mercy and peace. The mercy part is the addition to the pastoral letters. Perhaps ministers and leaders need more mercy than others. Mercy is the main component of forgiveness. Ministers are sometimes held to a higher standard than others and in the eyes of their followers cannot fall, have blemishes or faults. They are the ones who should have all the answers. But ministers are human too, and Paul is eluding to that fact. People should have a forgiving heart toward their spiritual leaders, even if there are human mistakes along the way.
Thanksgiving 3 I thank God, whom I serve, as my ancestors did, with a clear conscience, as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers. 4 Recalling your tears, I long to see you, so that I may be filled with joy. 5 I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.
Paul’s prayer life is strong and Timothy is in his thoughts and prayers daily. There is a father-son bond here, a master and pupil attachment that transcends a mere friendship. Timothy has become a son to Paul and Paul is delighted by his son.
The story of Paul and Timothy is tracked through the book of Acts. In Acts 14, Paul comes to Lystra on his first missionary trip. There he healed a crippled man, which caused great celebration. But the praise soon turned to chaos as opposition swooped in and attempted to stone him to death.
On his second trip to Lystra he met Timothy as a young man. There we also meet Lois, who was a believer, although his father was not (Acts 16:1). The mother Lois, and the grandmother Eunice, brought Timothy up as a believer until Paul took Timothy away as a pupil of his. But none of this was possible without the firm faith of the generations who instilled in Timothy the truth. Here’s a brief history of Timothy’s journey:
Lived in Lystra (modern Turkey) Father was Greek, mother a Jewish Christian (Acts 16:1) From his childhood he was taught the OT (2 Ti 1:5;3:15) Paul circumsized him and took him on journeys (Acts 16:3) Timothy helped Paul evangelize in Macedonia and Achaia (Acts 17:4, 18:5) Was with him during Paul’s long missionary stay in Ephesus (Acts 19:22) Traveled with Paul to Macedonia and Corinth, back to Macedonia and to Asia Minor (Acts 20:1-6) He was with Paul during Paul’s first Roman imprisonment (Phil 1:1) After Paul’s release ,Timothy stayed in Ephesus to take care of issues there(Timothy 1 & 2) Timothy is acknowledged as the “co-sender” of six letters (2 Cor, Philippians, Colossians,1 & 2 Thessalonians and Philemon). At the end of his life, Paul requested Timothy join him at Rome (2 Tim 4:9, 21) Timothy himself was imprisoned, but released (Hebrews 13:23)
6 For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands.
Paul here refers to a character trait of Timothy’s that needs to be dealt with. It seems that Timothy could be timid in some situations. Paul wants to remind him of his true power.
It is easy for us to forget about our power. We live in a world which fights for us to suppress the power that God has given us, to channel it into avenues the world believes is the right way. Of course, the world (the mechanism that is in opposition to the word of God), has its own value system.
We have great power within us, set inside us on the day we first authentically believed. The gift of God that needs to be fanned back into existence is the dormant spirit that has been crushed and maligned by the world. It lays inside each one of us, eager to expand. The NASB version of scripture may say it best: it says to kindle afresh the gift of God.
This letter, a letter of encouragement, is also a rise into action. We cannot be passive about this power inside us. Just because God gifted you doesn’t mean you are using his gift to its full advantage. A fire, left to itself, will burn out. In Timothy’s case, he didn’t lose this gift; it simply needs to be reignited. Jesus commands us to make a definitive stand in our lives (Luke 14:25-35).
7 For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.
This spirit is not one rooted in fear. It is a courageous spirit. A bold spirit. The definition of courage is this: to act or speak fearlessly despite real or imagined dangers. Boldness takes action regardless of risk. It is most closely associated with assertiveness.
In Acts 2:1-40, Boldness is one of the first characteristics the Holy Spirit imparted to believers after Jesus ascended. In that story there is an obvious journey: Transformation: the fear of the apostles turned to boldness Application: the boldness affected others Conclusion: 3000 people were baptized
Because the spirit was poured into them and it was a spirit of boldness, their induction into boldness had wide and lasting effects. We, holding the spirit inside us, can access the same power if we understand the spirit. The spirit is based in power, love and self-discipline.
Spiritual boldness comes from the Holy Spirit. It compels a person to speak truth in love even when it may not be welcomed. It compels a person to speak what is right regardless of how terrifying it may be (Matt 10:16-20).
This is different from worldly boldness. Worldly boldness is defined by these:
Pushy and confrontational Thrives on popular approval Ignores caution/sensitivity
Proverbs 13:16 says it best: All who are prudent act with knowledge, but fools expose their folly.
Boldness, with discernment, is important because:
Boldness reminds us that God is with us Boldness reinforces that what must be said is important Boldness is motivated by passion for Christ Boldness is not self-centered (our natural desire for comfort and popularity is set aside)
Proverbs again is a good place to go for wisdom:
The wicked flee though no one pursues, but the righteous are as bold as a lion. – Proverbs 28:1
Understanding that God did not give us the spirit of timidity is important because the boldness of our lives, based in God’s Love, is what propels us forward to do His work. Here’s a simple equation:
Boldness (1 Cor 13:4-8) + Love + Humility (1 Peter 5:6) = Light in the darkness (Matt 5:14)When we are convinced that our message is life giving and eternal, we can speak with boldness, knowing God will impact the recipient’s world. Isaiah 55:10-11
God gives us Power, Love and Self-Discipline Power: When we do his work, his power supports us (Luke 12:11-12) Love: Agape Love (unconditional) How much we can love and serve others (John 13:1-11) Sound Mind: Calm, self-controlled mind
We cannot concentrate on what God hasn’t given us; must focus on what he has given us
When we focus on fear (timidity), we weaken ourselves We must concentrate on the what God has given us (Power, Love and Sound Mind) Without boldness, we can’t fulfill God’s purpose We must use our gifts to touch people in a needy world So we can be the light they need
8 So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner. Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God.
If we take the power that is offered to us, we are not ashamed of the story of God, His people, of our savior and our right to eternity. It may seem foolish to a world that has its own value system and regularly attacks and knocks us around so much that we may even question our faith. But the true power is in remembering the promise (Joshua 1:9).
9 He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, 10 but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.
God calls us to a holy life. Oftentimes we get this backwards. We believe that it was us that found Him, but in reality, He called us (John 6:44). The reason He calls us is for the plan he has for our life (Jeremiah 1:5). The grace of God is revealed through Christ. We have a better understanding of who God is, through Jesus, and what God wants in our lives.
11 And of this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher. 12 That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet this is no cause for shame, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day.
Paul understands the power which has been given to him. He is a messenger for the gospel, a herald to announce Christ’s power to people through the generations. Also, he understands that there is a suffering component to it. His mission, as with ours, is not a cakewalk to Heaven. There will be opposition. There will be moments of severe doubt. There will be trouble. But the obstacles are not the focus: the mission is.
13 What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus. 14 Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you—guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.
Sound teaching: Paul draws on this idea later in the book, but also in many of his other books. Remember, anywhere Paul went, there was tremendous opposition to Christ. Christianity was just sprouting in the tremendous shadow of pagan worship, emperor worship, and a string of religion that looked like Christianity but instead manipulated the scripture. Paul’s warning is to guard the sacred teaching, for there are many wolves roaming the streets, hungry and vicious. But the key to all of this is faithfulness. We must be loyal to walk in the light and the life that God requires of us.
Examples of Disloyalty and Loyalty 15 You know that everyone in the province of Asia has deserted me, including Phygelus and Hermogenes.
We may think that Paul, after all of his mission trips and efforts for early Christianity, would be hailed as a living legend, flocked and applauded and praised. But as we read this letter, we see the opposite. His great efforts are largely dismissed. Other Christians have abandoned him.
In contrast to verses 13-14, Phygelus ad Hermogenes have not stayed strong in the word. Their abandoning of Paul shows us that the worldly influence has marked them.
16 May the Lord show mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, because he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains. 17 On the contrary, when he was in Rome, he searched hard for me until he found me. 18 May the Lord grant that he will find mercy from the Lord on that day! You know very well in how many ways he helped me in Ephesus.
In a final contrast, we see that Onesiphorus has the mark of a true follower. He helped Paul. He was a bold believer. He searched for Paul and didn’t give up until he found him.
2 Timothy 2
1 You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.
In chapter 1 we learned of the great plea Paul has for his protege. The plea is to be strong and remember the power that resides in Timothy, placed there by God. It’s Timothy’s charge to access that power. Timothy, it seems, has a proclivity toward timidity. But Paul reminds that he wasn’t built with a spirit of fear but one of power, love and strength. The second part of his message is found here in chapter 2. It is to realize where the strength comes from: it comes from remembering the grace that Jesus has granted him.
God’s strength was available to Timothy, but is also available to us. It doesn’t come to us passively; we must act upon it. We must take a step toward God (James 4:8). We must seek Him first, and He, and His power, will be made available.
This power doesn’t come to us through our own strength. It comes to us through submission. To understand the relationship, we have to first submit to it. When we submit to God’s power, His power is made attainable.
2 And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.
1 Timothy 6:12 eludes to this moment in Timothy’s life, when he was entrusted to follow God and teach others. It was done in the body of Christ, amongst a variety of believers who laid hands upon him. His work, as a church leader, was to pour into other people’s lives, affect them for God, strengthen their walk, so he could eventually pass his teaching onto them. This succession of trusted people to deliver God’s word shows us the reason why pride can’t come into the picture. Because each person is a piece of a larger truth. They all contribute to their own ministry, and to others. They do their one piece of a greater ministry.
3 Join with me in suffering, like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 4 No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in civilian affairs, but rather tries to please his commanding officer. 5 Similarly, anyone who competes as an athlete does not receive the victor’s crown except by competing according to the rules. 6 The hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops. 7 Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this.
First, Paul asks Timothy to join him in suffering. Why would he want to do that? What’s the benefit of suffering? Anyone who does God’s work also suffers in doing it. Not all the time, but there are moments when suffering through it, enduring the hardship of it, is required. Because of this requirement, a good soldier should expect hardship during his duty. A soldier, because he experiences adversity, doesn’t give up, but digs in and finds a way through it. It’s part of the job. A solider also must give up civilian affairs, as Paul puts it. This means that when one becomes soldier, his mind remains on his duty. The “civilian” issues, like bills, family, friends, the entanglements, are left behind and his duty becomes the overriding focus. The effectiveness of his job relies on his focus as a soldier.
The soldier also wants to please his commanding officer. Put in spiritual terms, this is Jesus. We want to please Jesus. But how do we do that? We first understand the things Jesus cares about. We align ourselves with how he wants us to operate in our lives. We move to please him in the way we live our daily lives.
In the same way Paul draws a comparison of an athlete. An athlete must compete according to the rules. He can’t make up the rules. We must understand what God demands of us and shape our lives inside His rules, not our own.
Paul also talks about the hard-working farmer. The key here is hard-working. The ministry, in which Paul is discussing, is like the solider (one of focus), of an athlete (who must understand the rules) and a farmer (who works hard). Ministry is not for those who have no desire to work hard. As a minister, whatever teaching is taught must be ingested first, understood, and delineated properly. Just like the farmer, he must get the first share of the crops before parsing them our to others.
8 Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David. This is my gospel, 9 for which I am suffering even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But God’s word is not chained. 10 Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory. 11 Here is a trustworthy saying: If we died with him, we will also live with him;
12 if we endure, we will also reign with him. If we disown him, he will also disown us; 13 if we are faithless, he remains faithful, for he cannot disown himself.
Paul reminds Timothy of the reason why the gospel is important. Jesus was raised from the dead. He was descended from David. The Old Testament Prophets pointed to this. The lineage doesn’t simply begin with the birth and end with the death. It shows the eternal implications of Christ. It is why Paul is willing to go to his death.
Paul endures everything he went through in his life for the sake of the people who he can effect with his gospel. He can be imprisoned, beaten, stoned, left for dead, but it is worth the mission. If he were a soldier and quit, he wouldn’t receive the victory. If he were an athlete and quit, he wouldn’t win the contest. If he were a farmer and quit, he wouldn’t yield a crop.
Dealing With False Teachers 14 Keep reminding God’s people of these things. Warn them before God against quarreling about words; it is of no value, and only ruins those who listen.
Timothy’s job, as a church leader, was to keep his congregation on task. Focused. Moving forward. Working. He knew that it was, and is, incredibly easy to get off track, to begin to argue about small things that have the ability to swing us away from proper teaching. As a leader, Timothy’s charge, and ours, is to avoid the endless and fruitless debates of items which aren’t of vital importance. When we focus on the minutia and forget the core messages and fall into the pattern of human opinions and polarizing ourselves and others, we become ruined. As a leader we can’t do that, because we have people we influence. If we get caught up in it, we run the risk of ruining not only ourselves but others. 15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.
Paul’s plea to Timothy is apparent: Strive to be approved not by men, but by God. If we are striving for God’s approval in all things, then our conduct, our words, our actions and most importantly, our handling of the truth, will be in alignment with God.
The KJV interprets this verse as “dividing the word” properly. This in an interesting way to look at it, because dividing the word conjure a sword. A sword can cut straight or crooked, depending on the way it is cut. It is important to cut the word cleanly, or disseminating it for the truth it carries, instead of interpreting it the way you believe.
There are many religions and cults that do this regularly. In order to fit their narrative, they may concentrate on a verse or set of verses, remove the context and use those clipped verses to verify their behavior. This “cherry-picking” process is harmful and deadly and has led many people astray.
16 Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly. 17 Their teaching will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, 18 who have departed from the truth. They say that the resurrection has already taken place, and they destroy the faith of some. 19 Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.”
What is Godless chatter? It is the things that take our focus off of God. When we indulge in it, it opens a door in us that is difficult to close. Like a drug, profane chatter can be very seductive and can take us down a road of destruction. It will take us further from he truth. We will become more ungodly. Hymenaeus is mentioned in 1 Timothy 1:20 as a man Paul delivered to Satan so that he would learn not to blaspheme. His, and Philetus’s departure from the truth falls into this category of godless chatter. It has blown into full-throated unbelief - but it probably began with allowing godless chatter to come into their life.
But in verse 19, Paul reminds us that despite all of this strife, God’s still in charge. He knows who belongs to Him and who doesn’t (Numbers 16:5, Number 16:26-27). And of those who belong to Him, there is the greater charge of abiding by His laws. This seal has the two components: If you belong to Him then you must abide by His Laws.
20 In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for special purposes and some for common use. 21 Those who cleanse themselves from the latter will be instruments for special purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work.
Continuing with another metaphor, Paul talks about a variety of articles in a large house. Some are for special purposes, some are not.
Those who cleanse themselves from the latter (dishonor) will be set aside for special purposes. Realize that this is not passive. We have a part in this. We could call this self-cleaning or self-preparation the giving up of wickedness for something better, the focus, the running the race, the hard work of the former metaphor. This work in us is really God’s work, but our part in giving up our sins is important to understand (1 John 1:9).
What the master of the house does in this metaphor is he sets aside the those articles used for special purpose. This is what is called being sanctified. This process is about people being made holy, ready to do God’s work as it appears in one’s orbit.
22 Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. 23 Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. 24 And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful.
The evil desires of our youth are still tempting to us. They remind us of times that we thought were better, freer, lovelier, but we were really in a prison that had walls closing in on us. Like the Israelites complaining about Manna and pining for Egypt where they were slaves, we do a similar thing. But Paul says there is something much better. Righteousness: doing right. Following God earnestly. Faith: Knowing that God is there and to be trusted with your life. Love and Peace: understanding the better things that God cares about.
All of these things are what we should pursue. Letting the bad things go is good, but it’s never enough. We must also pursue righteousness. Part of the things we must flee from are the entangled madness of human interactions that draw us into arguments, fights and temptation because they draw us further from the truth. Consequently, we must pursue kindness, be able to teach effectively, and not to resent.
25 Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, 26 and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.
One of the most important phrases in this set of verses is “come to their senses”. Sin has a way of taking us away from the calm and strong mind he has given us. Our instruction to others is not to gain superiority but to bring them back to an understanding of the truth. This fight is spiritual. Our job is to help others see that, so they can regain the truth and escape the trap.
2 Timothy 3
1 But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. 2 People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, 4 treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.
Although Paul begins this passage with speaking of terrible times, the passage is essentially about the heart of people. Remember, Paul is writing this letter while imprisoned, knowing that his days are coming to an end. His thoughts and hopes are still with Timothy, hoping that he can help Timothy harness the strength inside him to move forward as a great and powerful force in Ephesus. This charge to Timothy is at the same time a charge to us.
Secondly, Paul says that the people he describes will be a sign of the condition of the world in the last days. The detrimental condition of the world will be centered around the erosion of the people in it. It is easy to imagine that people will be numb to this behavior, the children will be reared in it, the religious leaders overwhelmed by it. Perhaps the religious leaders will succumb to this and become a part of the problem and won’t understand the dire nature of the world. Jesus speaks of this in his day in Matthew 16:3: ‘Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times. Lovers of themselves: Is there something inherently wrong with loving yourself? Our current society lauds this, telling us that it is healthy and self-affirming to love ourselves. Sometimes this leads to pride. Other times it leads to sin. The preoccupation with ourselves can lead to the preoccupation to feed ourselves with a variety of vices. It can also lead to self-delusion. If we come to the conclusion that we are built in a certain way (according to our own assessment), then we can justify sin in new ways. Perhaps the love of self is where all of the following descriptions Paul uses flows from.
Paul says this in Romans 12:3: For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. What Paul means is that we have to think of our lives, attributes, talents, gifts, even thoughts, with the sobriety of what has been given to us. If we aren’t appreciating what has been given, then we can easily fall into the trap of entitlement.
Lovers of money: Money is something we all need to survive in our society. To earn money for those we are entrusted with is important. But it isn’t everything. Far too many people have been driven to madness by wanting more than they have, only too learn to late that the dangling coins they desired were just out of reach. John D. Rockefeller was one of the richest men in the early 1900s. He became a billionaire and started Standard Oil. He is often considered one of the richest men who ever lived. A reporter once asked him “How much money is enough?” Rockefeller answered “just a little more.” Do you see that with that understanding he could never get to a place of comfort, joy or peace? He would continue to chase the rabbit, so to speak, wandering through the forest for ages, never with it completely in reach. Solomon talks about this affliction in Ecclesiastes 5:10-12:
Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income. This too is meaningless. 11 As goods increase, so do those who consume them. And what benefit are they to the owners except to feast their eyes on them? 12 The sleep of a laborer is sweet, whether they eat little or much, but as for the rich, their abundance permits them no sleep.
When we love money for money’s sake, and forget that money is simply a tool, then we have fallen into the trap that the love of money offers.
Boastful, proud, abusive: The problem with these three are the same: they are about the self. Boasting is about telling the world how great and wonderful you are, pride is about feeling how wonderful you are, and abusiveness (blasphemous in KJV) is the natural outward expression of a self-absorbed person.
Disobedient to their parents: The breakdown of authority in the family is a signal of the society’s health on a whole. In Ephesians 5:21-33 Paul lays out the criteria for a healthy family. It begins with the husband and wife loving Christ independently. The love for Christ is the foundation of the individuals, and only becomes stronger as they come together as a couple. The man is the spiritual head of the household and the woman has a place of a co-leader in the household with different duties. This love is expressed to the children who in turn understand the importance of the family unit. The child’s response to this is obedience. If he/she is obedient to the parents (led by Christ), then the unit is not fractured.
But in our society we’ve experienced a complete breakdown of this unit. The men do not stand up and the women cannot lead the way a man should. The child is suspended in-between understanding what he is supposed to do. Therefore he rebels. In all eras this is true, but in the end times we will see the complete breakdown of this godly concept, spawning millions of children who are disobedient and looking for new ways to belong.
Ungrateful, unholy without love, unforgiving: Thanklessness is a sign of entitlement. People will believe they deserve their good fortune and have no concept in thanking God for their provision. Unholy without love is the idea that people will be without familial love. They won’t have a concept of the family unit and it won’t be important to them. Unforgiving is the hardness of their heart. They would rather be bitter and spiteful, hang onto their hate and sadness instead of rectifying it.
Slanderers: Slander is the act of telling a mistruth in order to hurt or shame another person. In our society, social media is a conduit for this. It becomes an often anonymous source of spewing hatred onto the airwaves. Slander in our political system is rampant and accepted. In political elections it is encouraged to misrepresent the other side in order to make one side seem better. This is bandied by surrogates and sycophants who spin the mistruths into a palatable new truth, muddying the truth to the point of ambiguity.
The problem, when we look at it spiritually, is that slandering is a lie. It is an Act of the Flesh (discord, jealousy, selfish ambition, dissensions, faction, and envy) and is the type of sin that affects the slanderer, the people around him and the person it is directed at.
Without self-control: Self control is one of the Fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22). A Fruit of the Spirit is an outward sign that the Holy Spirit is working inside you, just as an Act of the Flesh is an outward sign that you do not have the Holy Spirit operating within. If we cannot operate with self-control, then we are acting simply on instinct. Life becomes about feeding what we crave, gluttonous scoops of whatever satisfies us, regardless if they are within God’s Law or not.
Brutality: The brutal nature of man can also be called the base nature of man. There are many examples of brutality in our culture. We see the horrible way people treat each other. We see vicious crimes. We see people operating with an unloving, unforgiving, stone-cold heart.
Not lovers of the good: In our culture we see an abhorrence to the ways that good people live. To go to church, to have a quiet life, to be respectful and respectable all sound extremely boring and ridiculous. Where’s the drama? Where’s the calamity and excitement? Our modern world often craves this and those with restless hearts do as well.
Treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God: Paul lists a number of other characteristics of a society gone wrong, but again they all track back to one solid truth: they are all about the self-absorbed person. Treacherous (traitors in KJV) people are able to overturn their loyalties for their own selfish purposes. Rash (headstrong) people act out without considering others, conceited (haughty) peoplebelieve in their own abilities and truths. Lovers of pleasure are only concerned with their own satisfaction. It all comes down to the self-fulfilling attitude that blocks others out while they satisfy their own lusts. Having a form of godliness but denying its power: Our culture is very good about creating our own truth. This is called Moral Relativity. When we create our own truths and call them good, it may seem good to us and others, but it very well may not have any bearing on the real truth. In the 1960s, many people sought the wisdom of the gurus teaching of far-east techniques and concepts. We could look at this from the outside and say, “that seems good for them. They’re trying to find God and enlightenment.” When we see them, they may seem filled with a joy and peace we could only hope for. It seems Godly, it seems like they’ve found something we’ve all missed. But the guru cults largely closed down by the mid-seventies with a generation of young people wandering out of the cults addicted to drugs, sexually abused, and with no real clarity about God or holiness. When we don’t have a firm grasp on the the vine, we can easily wither and die.
Have nothing to do with such people: With all the things Paul listed, it seems he sets a very difficult order for us to follow. How can we possibly do this? And are we supposed to? Didn’t Christ tell us to be like Him, and didn’t he spend his time with the tax collectors and harlots in an effort to bring them into the kingdom? Paul is making a very strong point that is perhaps clearer in 1 Corinthians 15:33: Do not be deceived: “Evil company corrupts good habits.” If we are consistently around people like this, we are more likely to be corrupted by them. Human nature dictates that we are social creatures and all have a yearning to belong to others. If we are willingly connected to people with the above characteristics, we are walking a tightrope. The better idea is to surround ourselves with affirming people, who carry the same Godly values, so that we won’t fall into the trap of slow immersion into a lifestyle that will bring us to ruin. When we choose to be led by the spirit and abandon controlling our own fate, we have a head-start on understanding where God wants us to be and who he wants us to be attached with. This is the principle of abandoning self and submitting to Godly influence. When we submit to this influence, then the false doctrine that surrounds us and the empty philosophies that yearn to capture us suddenly aren’t as threatening. It is easier to see their false natures. It is the same with people. Those people with false natures, the ones who secretly or ignorantly hope to corrupt, are easier to see as well.
6 They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over gullible women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, 7 always learning but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth.
How does this captive spirit work? The spirit Paul talks about is the spirt of antichrist, also spoken of in 1 John 2:18-19. This is the spirit active in the world both in Paul’s time and in ours. The problem, as Paul puts it, is that it infiltrates the home first, and no one is the gatekeeper, then the gate is wide open to any teaching.In Paul’s time women were mostly home, not operating in the world in as large a way as a man, so susceptible to errant teaching if the foundation is not solid. Those who are gullible, whether man or woman, are in danger because they haven’t anchored themselves to any deeper or meaningful truth; all teaching sounds rational and true to them.
In this time of swirling truths, there is an intelligence that is in the air, a way to proceed intelligently without ever reaching the real truth. Perhaps intellectualism is what Paul is discussing here. There may be many avenues of study and intellectual debate, but none of it arrives at the truth and becomes a simply display of ego.
8 Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so also these teachers oppose the truth. They are men of depraved minds, who, as far as the faith is concerned, are rejected. 9 But they will not get very far because, as in the case of those men, their folly will be clear to everyone.
Jannes and Jambres were the magicians who dueled Moses in Egypt (Exodus 7:8-13). As they were able to produce magic in order to delegitimize Moses’ claim of being send by God, the teachers who tout alternate religions, self-help theologies, cults, and cultural phenomenons, also work in opposition to God. It may seem like some self-help teachers and gurus do work in alignment with God and surely some do, but most are teaching for their own self-aggrandizing purposes. Even so-called Christian leaders fall into this. Paul calls these men having “depraved” minds, who are working outside the tenants of faith and creating their own inroad. In time their motives will be revealed.
A Final Charge to Timothy 10 You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, 11 persecutions, sufferings—what kinds of things happened to me in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra, the persecutions I endured. Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them. 12 In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, 13 while evildoers and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.
Paul instructs us to understand a few important things about Christian life. First, it isn’t easy. If we want to pursue God and fight for God, we must endure pain and misery. It wasn’t easy for Paul to take on this mission but his pain and suffering was a footnote in how he performed his mission. The concept is this: whatever suffering is endured is temporary. God provided for Him throughout all of it, and we must view life as the same. We may want more and desire in different aspects of our life, but looking back into the past we must understand God provided what was needed, not always what was desired. Like the complaining Israelites int he desert, they wanted meat and fish like they had in slavery in Egypt, even in the midst of being provided for with manna. God gave them what they needed. Instead of understanding the provision and being thankful they grew resentful.
Persecution is part of the walk. We will be demeaned, perhaps ridiculed, maybe fired or bullied or worse. But again, God provides from those who are his. In this persecution there is an uphill battle, an impossible mountain to climb that doesn’t seem conquerable. But God doesn’t ask us to get to the top. He often just asks us to reach as far as we can, pass the backpack off to someone else and allow them to continue the journey. We are only able to do a portion of the work, the work allotted to us. Evil will continue. Wrongdoing will grow. Hardness of heart will expand. But if no one is acting as a light in the darkness, will anyone be able to see it?
14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, 15 and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
This final piece of Paul’s work is as much for Timothy as it is for us. Continue in what you have learned (1 John 2:20). Don’t let the world culture swarm over you. You have knowledge that can help you form a cocoon around the imposing world. That cocoon must expand to fit others. Timothy knew this because his mother and grandmother taught him. This teaching has gained him wisdom that can only be verified and strengthened through scriptures. The scriptures are God-breathed; that means they are straight from God, written through the inspired hearts and hands of men. The God of the universe has given us a manual in which we can understand who God is and what he desires from us as human beings.
If this is the inspired word of God, then we have to understand that it is ALL beneficial for us. We may not agree with how God does some things, but if it is of God, we must understand and follow its authority. To neglect that means we are in opposition to His authority.
The scripture is good for a variety of things:
Teaching: It is there to help us and help others. As our faith grows, we will be able to share with others in fundamental ways. When we group with others and learn and grow, we begin a community of like-minded people who can help us reinforce our own beliefs.
Rebuking: When something isn’t in alignment with God’s Law, we have the right to address that with others. Rebuking means to “call out” items that are in opposition to God, whether it be within yourself or others. In calling out it must be gentle and constructive. But you can’t rebuke someone or something without understanding the word itself, so being in connection to the word is important.
Correcting and training in righteousness: Like teaching and rebuking, the bible is essentially there to help us train. To train in righteousness means to train to do the right things. But what are the right things? Those are the things that God cares about. By understanding the scriptures we can come to conclusions about what God loves and what he wants from us. When we align ourselves with others to explore and understand those things better we are using the scriptures as a training manual to understand God and others in this life.
In this training, we begin to understand the heart of God. It works inside us, activating the Holy Spirit. We begin to listen, grow, and the things that God wants for us become the same things we want. When we listen to God, we become equipped. But what is God equipping us for? For good works. That is the amazing thing about scripture. Ultimately it is training us to do God’s work, to learn, listen, and jump into action.
2 Timothy 4
1In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: 2 Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.
Paul’s reality is a bleak one. He is in prison awaiting a final sentence. He knows that his time is short, yet there is still a great hope in Jesus’ second coming. At this point Paul has been preaching for close to thirty years, and his charge to Timothy carries a heavier meaning. Dianarturomai (charge in English) carries a solemnity to it, a testimony with legal connections. The testimony here is “under oath”, a real and binding stamp on Paul’s dissertation.
Preach the word: Paul’s first charge to Timothy is to not just interact with the word intellectually, but to preach the word from a spiritual core. The word must be part of him, in and around him; he must live in it and it must pour out of his life.
Be prepared in season and out of season: The second charge is to be ready all the time. In season is when the teaching comes easy. Out of season is when it is difficult. But the charge isn’t to pick our moments. The charge is to be ready for the opportunities that flow in and out of one’s life.
Correct, rebuke and encourage: Using the teaching of 2 Timothy 3:16-17, any of these actions must be accompanied by understanding. We must be connected to God’s word and understand the depth it can have for our life and others. Correction is when we seek to change behavior we see in others or even ourself. This is not judgment; it’s about measuring behavior against the word of God and bringing another back into the fold. Rebuking is calling out incorrect behavior sternly, but again, in the framework of the word of God. Encouragement is to bring people along in their spiritual evolution, again under the auspices of the word of God.
With great patience and careful instruction: You’ll note that both of these ways take great careened effort of the individual. We must operate gently in these avenues. We must come to others with understanding and endurance. Some problems and situations have a long shelf life. It takes many times of connection and instruction before someone can move forward. Instruction must always be in the framework of the word of God. Both of these are most effective when there is connection to the word and to others.
3 For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. These verses are very powerful and applicable to our own time as well as during Paul’s time. Paul describes a time when people won’t listen to sound doctrine. Why? Remember, there is a spiritual assault active against all people, including Christians. The assault isn’t always overtly evil. Many times it’s a series of small steps that take us away from he path in subtle ways. Before long, the subtlety of evil brings us from a spiritual viewpoint to a world viewpoint. We’ve gone from the spiritual (selflessness) to the temporal (selfishness). Once we are in the temporal viewpoint, we want to feed our selfish nature, which often means we reinforce our selfishness by creating falsehoods in our personal theology. We create our own truths and look to outside sources for reinforcement of faulty ideas.
Once we’ve created new truth, we get rid of it by creating a new morality. That means that we create a new truth. These are not ideas reinforced by the word of God by by the world viewpoint. If we live long enough in it, we create a lifestyle. It becomes part of our identity until the new truth we’ve created is as essential to us as the air we breathe. We’ve turned away from the truth and now believe myths about ourself and the world around us.
5 But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.
Timothy’s charge, as is ours, is to realize that our ministry is important work. There is clutter and confusion at every turn in the world system. The world viewpoint, after all, is built on the chassis of misinformation and lies. It is a corruption of God’s truth, meant to confuse and bewilder us just enough to take our eyes off the truth.
Keep your head in all situations: This is a very important bit of advice. How often do we keep our head in all situations? In the tornado of world events, it’s easy to lose our head. We become afraid, angry, envious and gluttonous. We starve ourselves of truth and buy into the lies and the worldly anger. It gives us a sense of control. But we really don’t have control, do we? Control is a fallacy and we’re always running after it. If I just worry enough, if I just work hard enough, if I just think hard enough. None of this works. In all situations it is important to stay rooted to the word of God, to use the strong mind and spirit given to us, and to remember the eternal implications of our actions.
Endure hardship: Patience is important when we are going through trials. Trials are meant to form us into a new way of connection with God and interacting with our world. Many times we consider trials as something in the way of progress. But God uses these to form us more fully. We are formed through patience to test our faith and build us stronger (James 1:2-4).
Do the work of an evangelist: Not all of us consider ourselves evangelists, but we are in the ways that God has shaped us. Some can speak to large groups while others are better one on one. Some reach others through art or writing or acting while others reach people through teaching and activity. Our work as an evangelist is spreading the gospel in the way we were designed.
Discharge all the duties of your ministry: We are required to give it all we have. If we are giving ourselves fully to the ministry, then not only obvious gifts and talents will come forward for use, but the hidden ones as well.
6 For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time for my departure is near. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
Paul’s depiction of being “poured out” has a dual purpose. First, he is giving the illustration of a drink offering (Genesis 35:14). It was a legitimate OT way of sacrificing to God. But he is also revealing that he has given every bit of time, focus and energy to God and that offering is now being given to God. He knows his life is ending soon.
Oftentimes Paul used the analogy of the Christian life as as a race (1 Corinthians 9:24, Philippians 3:12-14, Acts 20:24). The point was never to win the race, but to finish it inside the rules. How does this apply? Our Christian life is about how well we operate with what we have, where we are, and who we affect. We are weighed down by sin, guilt and regret, but it isn’t about throwing it all off and becoming perfect. It’s about finishing the race as well as we can by following Jesus’ teachings and helping others.
8 Now there is in store 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 longed for his appearing.
Paul was focused on the race, but he understood the reward for finishing well. Some believe that he may have been too focused on the reward. Paul’s motivation, however, is plainly on running the race the best he can for the reward.
Personal Remarks 9 Do your best to come to me quickly, 10 for Demas, because he loved this world, has deserted me and has gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, and Titus to Dalmatia. 11 Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is helpful to me in my ministry. 12 I sent Tychicus to Ephesus. 13 When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, and my scrolls, especially the parchments.
We see Paul in a lonely state toward the end of his life. So many have left him. Luke is the only one with him presently, but he yearns for Timothy. Demas went away from Paul because he loved the world. He fell into the worldly view and forgot the spiritual eternity he needed to follow. Crescens and Titus (we don’t know anything about Crescens but we know Titus was a faithful follower and was preaching) both seemingly went to other areas to carry God’s word forth. Mark (John Mark) and Paul had a falling out during Paul’s first missionary journey (Acts 13:13). He later joined with Peter and eventually proved himself to Paul during Paul’s first imprisonment.
14 Alexander the metalworker did me a great deal of harm. The Lord will repay him for what he has done. 15 You too should be on your guard against him, because he strongly opposed our message.
Paul warns Timothy of this man, who originally was mentioned in 1 Timothy 1:20. Whatever specific harm was done to Paul is unknown, but there is a sense of betrayal and blasphemy. Judging from many of the warnings given to Timothy about yoking himself to certain godless people, we may be able to discern that Alexander had some of these traits.
16 At my first defense, no one came to my support, but everyone deserted me. May it not be held against them. 17 But the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. And I was delivered from the lion’s mouth. 18 The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Even though most had left Paul, Paul knew that God would not abandon him. Although some left for duty, others left out of sin and moving away from God. But Paul does not show bitterness to them. He still understands the great truth about trials: that God uses them for teaching and provides for us during and after.
Final Greetings 19 Greet Priscilla and Aquila and the household of Onesiphorus. 20 Erastus stayed in Corinth, and I left Trophimus sick in Miletus. 21 Do your best to get here before winter. Eubulus greets you, and so do Pudens, Linus, Claudia and all the brothers and sisters. 22 The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you all.
These are Paul’s final words, and they are simple ones. They are the words of a man who loved and trusted God and used his final letter to build up Timothy so he could build up others. It is a letter of encouragement and acknowledgement that we all have a scope of influence that we are responsible for. We aren’t responsible for correcting all of the world’s problems or saving everyone in our sight, but we are responsible to run the best race we can.