The Personal Appeal

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Preach the Word

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We have divided this chapter into three instructions:

1. Preach the Word.
2. Fulfill your ministry.
3. Be diligent and faithful.

Remember, these are Paul's last words to Timothy and to the church. It is worthwhile to note that Paul expresses no regrets, he even forgives those who had made his life so difficult. Note, as we study this chapter, that Paul mentions 17 people which indicates that even though his own days were numbered, his thoughts were still of others.

Notice the importance that Paul puts upon what he is about to say. He takes an oath before God and Jesus Christ who will be his judge, that what he is prophesying is true. Here Paul is proclaiming "God the Creator" and "Jesus Christ, the Judge". John saw this "judgment" even though it had not taken place and, even as I write, still has not taken place, he was privileged to foresee it and John wrote about it in Rev. 20:11. Here Paul says, "I charge you, in the presence of God and Jesus Christ,....do these things:

1. "Preach the Word." The charge is to Timothy, every teacher, every minister, every parent, every Christian who witnesses. Preach, teach and witness of the Word of God as it is recorded in the Gospel. God's Word, as men of old were led, of the Spirit, to write, i.e., Paul wrote 13 books, John wrote 5 books, Peter wrote 2 books and Luke wrote 2 books. Matthew, Mark, James, and Jude each wrote one book. One book, Hebrews, the author is unknown. These 8 men, led of the Spirit, wrote the Word of God. Paul charges Timothy to proclaim the Word like a "herald". A herald was the "town crier", the proclaimed of news, who always began his announcement by crying, "Hear ye, hear ye". Notice Timothy was to do this "in season and out of season". Wiersby says that means he was to do it at every opportunity not just on Sunday morning. Preaching should afflict the comfortable and comfort the afflicted. Paul knew that souls were won to Christ through the "foolishness" of preaching. The Holy Spirit can and will use the feeblest of preachers.
2. "Convince, rebuke and exhort." These are the three steps of a good evangelistic sermon. Convince the lost of their need of a Savior, rebuke them for their sins and exhort the Gospel, God's plan of forgiveness for sins and the sinner's means of salvation.
3. "Be unfailing in patience and in teaching." Paul warns Timothy that this will take a lot of patience. Results are what we all want and expect. But in the Lord's work, results are left to His discretion. We are not responsible for results, only for being obedient to His calling.

Now why was it so necessary for Timothy to do this and why is it so necessary for us to do this? Because, "The time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching." Paul wrote this 1900 and some years ago. In less than 30 years after he wrote this, it came true in Ephesus. Sound Bible teaching has always been "down-played" and today we see in every denomination, good Bible literature being replaced by "psycho-religious literature of the "new age" that entertains rather than teaches. Paul describes this type of literature as "appealing to people with itching ears". People who do not want to hear the truth, it makes them uncomfortable. This results in a congregation of comfortable Christians, listening to comfortable teaching that contains no biblical doctrine. "They will select for themselves teachers that suit their own liking and turn away from listening to the truth. "Because of this, they will wander into myths.

The summery of these verses is that ministers are not sent to entertain, they are sent to Preach the Word in patience, convince, rebuke and exhort people of sin and assure them of God's plan of forgiveness and salvation.

Fulfill Your Ministry

In these verses, Paul lists 3 areas that Timothy should concentrate on in order to fulfill his ministry.

1. "Be steadfast and dependable." The R.S.V. calls this "being steady in all things". The K.J. calls it "being watchful in all things". The New Am. Std. calls it "being sober in all things". The Williams translation calls it "having a cool head". Beck translates "having a clear head". All of these adjectives, steady, watchful, sober, cool and clear headed, sum up what Paul sought for Timothy as his #1 attitude toward his ministry. It told Timothy to be on the look out for Satan and to watch out for the many devious ways that Satan would cause trouble there at Ephesus.
2. "Endure suffering." It says "endure afflictions" in the K.J. Paul was not asking Timothy to do something that he would not do. He believed that every one that was fulfilling their Christian calling, would be persecuted in some way. He accepted persecution as a way of life after he became a Christian. He did not want Timothy to "break down" or "water down" his ministry in the face of adversity or for the sake of escaping adversity.
3. "Do the work of the Evangelist." The work of the "evangelist" , according to Matthew Henry, was to be an Apostles deputy and "feed the sheep", pastor the churches that the Apostles had started. Paul had started (planted a seed) the church at Ephesus. Apollos had nurtured (watered) it. God honored their efforts by giving the increase. Paul had sent Timothy to "feed the sheep". Thus the work of the Evangelist (Pastor) was to build upon what had been done before and keep the flock headed in the right direction. This was no small chore.

In these verses, Paul, without any hesitation, sets the facts straight. He was about to be sacrificed. He had done his part. It would now fall upon Timothy to carry on. He expresses no remorse, but is cheerfully looking forward to his reward. It brought comfort to Paul to know that he had done his best. "I have fought the good fight." "I have finished the race." "I have kept the faith." He was now looking forward to his death which he calls his "release".

Life, after he became a Christian, had been tough for Paul. He had been wiped three times, had been stoned and left for dead, had been ship wrecked, had been imprisoned, had been condemned by his Jewish brothers and even condemned by many of his Christian brothers. It would appear that all but Luke had deserted him. So death to Paul was a release. It is believed that Paul was in his middle 50's when he was martyred. Death was probably by the sword sense he was a Roman citizen.

So Paul could say, with assurance, that there was for him, in heaven, the "Crown of Righteousness". What is the Crown of Righteousness? Who will receive it? The Crown of Righteousness is eternal life with Christ. When we accept Christ we are "made right" with God. Righteousness is "imputed" or given or guaranteed and made an irrevocable part of our inheritance. It will be perfected in Heaven. This "rightness" with God will be our crown as it was Paul's.

Be Diligent and Faithful

We see here a man caught between his personal needs and the needs of the church at Ephesus. Paul really needed Timothy at this time in his life, but he felt that Timothy was needed more at Ephesus, however he did extend to him an invitation to come to Rome, if and when he felt he could leave Ephesus.

Notice what had happened to his friends at this crucial time in his life. "Demas, in love with this world, has deserted me." Now Demas was from Thessalonica. He had spent considerable time with Paul during his imprisonment in Rome. Paul had used him as a messenger to Colossae and Philemon. He had served Paul well for many years but now, when Paul needed him most, he had gone back home to Thessalonica. "Crescens has gone to Galatia." We know nothing about this man other than he apparently had gone to Rome, sent by the church at Galatia, to help tend to Paul's needs and he to left at a time when Paul needed him most. "Titus has gone to Dalmatia." It is not clear where Titus originally came from. He had, like the others, gone to Rome to aid Paul during this time of imprisonment. Paul had sent him to the Island of Crete to settle some difficulties that had arisen there and he had returned to Rome, but now, it seems, he had left for Dalmatia which is the present, or was in 1990, Yugoslavia.

Apparently Paul had sent Tychicus to Ephesus to relieve Timothy so that Timothy could come to Rome. Paul, assuming that Timothy would come as soon as Tychicus arrived in Ephesus, here asks Timothy to bring with him the coat that he had left with Carpus at Troas. Apparently, when Paul left Toras, having wintered there, it was warm and he did not need his coat so he left it with a man by the name of Carpus. He wanted Timothy to pick up the coat on the way to Rome along with some books and Parchments.

Then he speaks of Alexander the coppersmith, who apparently had done a great wrong to Paul. We know very little about this man but Matthew Henry says that he represents those, in this world, who put obstacles in the way of the Word of God. Some are Christians, some are not. Paul believed that the Lord would take care of these individuals.

From verse 16 it would seem that Paul had been previously imprisoned and brought to trial. At that time, no one stood by him to give him strength and support, no one spoke for him or took his part, all, Paul says, deserted him. But Paul was released and he gives the Lord credit for this. The Lord still had work for Paul to do amongst the Gentiles, so he was rescued from the "lions mouth". Notice Paul's assurance that the Lord would look after him and rescue him from every evil, and ultimately make him a part of God's Heavenly Kingdom. Paul gives God the glory. About three years after his release, Paul was again arrested and imprisoned in Rome and it was at this time that Paul wrote this book.

Conclusion

Paul closes this letter to Timothy with some last minute greetings and instructions:

1. Greet Priscilla (Prisca) and Aquila. These two were husband and wife. The were very good friends to Paul. They had lived in Rome and because of persecution, left and went to Ephesus. They had worked with Paul both as missionaries and as fellow tradesmen, in the tent making business.
2. Greet the household of Onesiphorus. Onesiphorus was an Ephesian who had gone to Rome to aid Paul and returned perhaps because of ill health as it seems from this greeting, that he had died as Paul only speaks of his "household".
3. Erastus, who was at Corinth. Erastus is believed to have been the Treasurer of Corinth, at least, he had a very high office there. He had been sent by Paul, after he was converted, to Macedonia to witness there. He corresponded with Paul while Paul was in prison.
4. Trophimus Paul had left ill at Miletus. Trophimus was a Gentile convert from Ephesus. He had accompanied Paul on his last missionary journey into Asia and then to Jerusalem, where Paul, without thinking, took him into the Temple past the point where Gentiles were allowed which resulted in Paul's arrest and subsequent trial in Rome. It would appear that Paul had left him at Miletus when he became ill.
5. Then Paul sends greetings from the brethren at the church at Rome. He mentions four in particular. Embolus and Peens, about whom nothing is known, and Linus, who is believed to have succeeded Peter as Bishop of Rome, and Claudia, who is the only woman mentioned by Paul.

In closing, Paul asks Timothy to do his best to come to Rome before winter, and oh yes, don't forget my coat, besides travel in winter was very treacherous. Then Paul closes with a prayer or benediction that the Lord might be with Timothy as he struggled with the many problems there at Ephesus. It was Paul's profound wish that God's Grace would be with Timothy.

GRACE....
Unmerited favor,
God's love outpoured,
God's strength and leading,
"Grace be with you, Timothy."  
Amen.

So Paul conclude, what we believe to be, his last letter. He started the letter with an appeal to Timothy as his Pastor and ended it with an appeal as his friend.

THUS ENDS SECOND TIMOTHY

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