1 I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: 2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. 3 For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, 4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. 5 As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.
6 For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Henceforth there is laid up 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 loved his appearing.
Personal Instructions
9 Do your best to come to me soon. 10 For Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia. 11 Luke alone is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is very useful to me for ministry. 12 Tychicus I have sent to Ephesus. 13 When you come,
Final Greetings
19 Greet Prisca and Aquila, and the household of Onesiphorus. 20 Erastus remained at Corinth, and I left Trophimus, who was ill, at Miletus. 21 Do your best to come before winter. Eubulus sends greetings to you, as do Pudens and Linus and Claudia and all the brothers.
22 The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you.
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2 Timothy - overview by The Bible Project. https://youtu.be/urlvnxCaL00
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2 Timothy - overview by The Bible Project. https://youtu.be/urlvnxCaL00
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In our reading yesterday where Paul warns Timothy (in 2 Tim 3:5) to avoid certain kinds of people. This is not the sort of thing we often associate with ‘pastoral advice and counsel', is it?. We more often like to think of using God’s word to encourage people or to urge them to love their enemies and be tolerant to all. And yet at the end of yesterday’s chapter we are told that God’s word is useful not only for teaching and instructing but also for rebuking and correcting. This is because we would come across difficult and divisive people, and some who are hostile to the gospel and who will oppose our work and mission.
In today’s chapter, Paul warns Timothy to avoid someone called ‘Alexander The Coppersmith’ who he accuses of having done him 'great harm', opposing his message. We aren’t given further insight as to what Alexander actually did but get the impression Timothy knew very well who he was, and now Paul was asking him to avoid him like the plague! Alexander was probably an example of the godless people spoken of in 3:5, those who 'have a form of godliness but deny its power', in other words, act all religious but reject the same power that is able to make them godly.
As we seek to follow and serve God in the gospel we will encounter some fickle people (like Demas, v10) who walk away when things get difficult. Some will distort gospel truth and draw followers who are swayed by ‘discipleship-made-easy’ gimmicks for a season but don’t stay the course. But we will encounter some good people too…. faithful people like Crescens, Titus, Mark, Luke and Tychicus, who got on with what they had to do.
What about us? Paul urges us to ‘continue in what we have learned and have firmly believed’ (3:14), and here in this final chapter, he says: 'As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfil your ministry.' (v5)
In following Paul’s advice to fulfil our ministry we will encounter some bad apples like Alexander the Coppersmith from time to time. But let’s remember his timely words from v17-18 and follow his example:
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.
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