Bible Version: New International Version (NIV)
Application Notes: Life Application Study Bible (NIV)
2 TIMOTHY 4
1 In 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. 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. 5 But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.
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. 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Application Notes
4:1-2 It was important for Timothy to preach the gospel so that the Christian faith could spread throughout the world. We believe in Christ today because people like Timothy were faithful to their mission. It is still vitally important for believers to carry out the mission of spreading the gospel. Most of the billions of people alive today do not know Christ. He is coming soon, and he wants to find his faithful believers ready for him. It may be inconvenient to take a stand for Christ or to tell others about his love, but preaching the Word of God is the most important responsibility the church and its members have been given. Be prepared for, courageous in, and sensitive to God-given opportunities to tell the Good News. If you are a pastor or church leader, be careful not to lean on your own agendas, platforms, or clever sayings. Preach the Word and trust the Holy Spirit to be at work in your congregation.
4:2 Paul encourages Timothy to "be prepared in season and out of season." He knew time was short and that Timothy might be tempted not to preach during difficult times of persecution or to skip over passages of Scripture that were particularly convicting. Paul exhorts Timothy to preach anyway. Always be ready to serve God in any situation, whether or not it is convenient. Be sensitive to the opportunities God gives you, and take advantage of them.
4:2 Paul told Timothy to "correct, rebuke and encourage." It is difficult and humbling to accept correction, to be told we need to change. But no matter how much the truth hurts, we must be willing to listen to it so we can more fully obey God. If you are leading a Bible study or are discipling others. patiently correct people who are off target and encourage them in the truth.
4:3-5 Many speakers, teachers, and writers talk about the pursuit of knowledge. But often they don't want knowledge--they want power. Such people won't listen to "sound doctrine." Instead, they "turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths." You can see this everywhere, from compromising churches to university campuses. People claiming to have a bit more enlightenment than what the dusty Bible has to say; people claiming to improve on God's words. Such people have several things in common: (1) They do not tolerate the truth. They have no interest or respect for absolute truth or any standard for judgment. (2) They reject truth for sensationalism. They want truth that gets them noticed and draws people to them. What they feel, what works for them, what seems compelling-that becomes their truth, and they claim an absolute right to it. They don't allow anyone to even attempt to tell them differently. (3) They gather viewpoints to suit their selfish desires. Although they profess objectivity, they defend their viewpoints by using their own experiences. which just happen to support their own needs and desires.
Such teachers have a following because they are telling people "what their itching ears want to hear." These people are following myths. Be careful. False teaching can be found in many places--even in some churches. Like Timothy, you must "keep your head in all situations" and seek God's Word for the truth.
4:5 To keep focused on the task at hand when you are jarred and jolted by people or circumstances, don't react quickly. In any work of ministry that you undertake, thinking clearly in every situation makes you morally alert to temptation, resistant to pressure, and vigilant when facing heavy responsibility.
4:6-8 As he neared the end of his life. Paul could confidently say that he had been faithful to his call. Thus, he could face death calmly, knowing that he would be rewarded by Christ. Is your life preparing you for death? How do you live each day in light of eternity? Paul confidently expected and looked forward to seeing Jesus again. The Good News of Jesus proclaims that all believers, from the insignificant and average to giants of the faith like Paul-will receive the heavenly reward of being with God for eternity. Paul gave these words to encourage Timothy and us so that no matter how difficult the fight seems, we can keep fighting. When we are with Jesus Christ, we will discover that everything we experienced for Christ's sake was worth it.
4:8 In Roman athletic games, a laurel wreath, or crown. would be given to each winner. A symbol of triumph and honour, it was the most coveted prize in ancient Rome. Paul uses this analogy when he writes of a "crown of righteousness." (See 2 Corinthians 5:10 and the note on Matthew 19:27 for more on the rewards awaiting us for our faith and deeds.) Although Paul would not receive an earthly reward, he would be rewarded in heaven. Whatever we may face--discouragement, persecution, or death--we know we will receive rewards with Christ in heaven.
4:9-10 Paul was virtually alone and probably lonely. No one had come to his trial to speak in his defence (4:16), and Demas had left the faith. Crescens and Titus had left, but not for the same reasons as Demas. Paul did not criticise or condemn them. Demas had been one of Paul's coworkers (Colossians 4:14; Philemon 1:24), but he had deserted Paul because, as Paul said, he "loved this world." In other words, Demas loved worldly values and worldly pleasures. There are two ways to love the world: God loves the world as he created it and as it could be if it were rescued from evil; others, like Demas, love the world as it is, sin and all. Do you love the world as it could be if justice were done, the hungry were fed, and people loved one another? Or do you love what the world has to offer--wealth, power, pleasure--even if gaining it means hurting people and neglecting the work God has given you to do?
4:11-12 Mentioning Demas reminded Paul of more faithful coworkers. Luke had travelled much with Paul, writing both the Gospel of Luke and the book of Acts (much of which is a firsthand account). Tychicus, one of his most trusted companions (Acts 20:4; Ephesians 6:21; Colossians 4:7; Titus 3:12), had already left for Ephesus.
That Paul asked Timothy to bring Mark might surprise us. Mark had left Paul and Barnabas on the first missionary journey, and this had greatly upset Paul (Acts 13:13; 15:36-41), causing a rift between Paul and Barnabas that was so severe that they parted company. Somewhere along the line, Paul had given Mark a second chance and Mark had proven to be a worthy helper. We don't have all the details in Mark's changed life or Paul's change of heart, but Paul realised that people can change.
These few words hold an important lesson. We should recognise that people can grow and mature in character and faith, and we must not hold them back from ministry or leadership for faults in the past that have now been corrected. When we encourage someone and open our minds to the possibility that he or she has changed and matured, we may be salvaging a significant ministry. Mark went on not only to be Paul's good friend and a trusted Christian leader (Colossians 4:10; Philemon 1:24) but also to write the Gospel of Mark.
4:13 Paul's arrest had probably occurred so suddenly that he had not been allowed to return home to gather his personal belongings. Because he was a prisoner in a damp and chilly dungeon, Paul asked Timothy to bring him his cloak. Even more than the cloak, Paul wanted his parchments. These may have included parts of the Old Testament writings about Jesus, copies of his own letters, or other important documents.
4:14-15 Alexander may have been a witness against Paul at his trial, and he may have been the Alexander mentioned in 1 Timothy 1:20.
4:17 With his mentor in prison and his church in turmoil, Timothy was probably not feeling very brave. Paul may have been subtly telling Timothy that the Lord would stand by him, as he did Paul, and give him the courage to continue to preach and teach the gospel. God always gives us the strength to do what he has commanded. This strength may not be evident, however, until we step out in faith and actually begin doing the task.
4:18 Here, Paul is affirming his belief in eternal life after death. Paul knew the end was near, and he was ready for it. Paul was confident in God's power even as he faced death. Anyone facing a life-and-death struggle can be comforted knowing that God will bring each believer safely through death to his heavenly kingdom.
4:19-22 Paul ends the final chapter in this book and in his life by greeting those who were closest to him. Although Paul had spent most of his life travelling, he had developed close and lasting friendships. Too often, we rush through our days, barely touching anyone's life. Do you have someone like Paul--a mentor or teacher who provides leadership, accountability, and encouragement? Do you have someone like Priscilla or Aquila--a coworker or peer who prays with you in times of stress, loves you, and supports you? Do you have someone like Timothy--a younger leader whom you are helping, encouraging, and discipling? Like Paul, we should take time to weave our lives into others' through close personal relationships.
4:19-20 Priscilla and Aquila were fellow Christian leaders with whom Paul had lived and worked (Acts 18:2-3). Onesiphorus visited and encouraged Paul in jail. Erastus was one of Paul's trusted companions (Acts 19:22), as was Trophimus (Acts 20:4; 21:29).
4:22 As Paul reached the end of his life, he could look back and know he had been faithful to God's call. The time had come to pass the torch to the next generation, preparing leaders to take his place so that the world would continue to hear the life-changing message of Jesus Christ. Timothy was Paul's living legacy, a product of Paul's faithful teaching, discipleship, and example. Because of Paul's work with many believers, including Timothy, the world is filled with believers today who are also carrying on the work. What legacy will you leave behind? Whom are you training to carry on your work? We have the awesome responsibility to do all we can to keep the gospel message alive for the next generation.
Taken from Life Application Study Bible - Third Edition - (NIV)