FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT (2 TIMOTHYY 4)
What would you say to your family and friends if it were near the end of your life? When my wife had breast cancer, she thought of writing a letter to every family member and friend. Lately she had chosen her funeral songs – Lord of the Universe, Hope of the World; Seek Only They Perfect Way, and Be Thou My Vision. We have also jokingly asked a friend to be in charge of all the music at our funeral. She wants to invite all her students and wants her eulogy to be sent to all. Lastly she wants to have an invitation for attendees to accept Christ.
Twice in 2 Timothy Paul called Timothy “my son” (2 Tim 1:6, 2:1), including once as “my beloved son” (2 Tim 1:6). Paul was at the end of his ministry. According to tradition, the apostle was executed in Rome in 67, shortly after he wrote this epistle.
How are you concerned for God’s word? What is most important for God’s church and people? What reminders do you have for them? What are your parting words?
Suffice Yourself in God’s Word: Ministry & Preaching of the Word:
Be Focused to the Finish
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 men 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. (2 Tim 4:1-4)
At the close of a service, a preacher was stopped by a gentleman who, after conceding that the sermon possessed certain commendable features, added, “But it had one noticeable defect!” The startled minister, on inquiring what this defect was, received the following reply: “I am a Jew. I have only recently been born again. Up to that time I attended the synagogue. But there was really nothing in your sermon that I could not have heard in the synagogue, nothing that a Jewish rabbi might not have preached.” (from Illustrations of Bible Truths # 538)
In lieu of God’s “appearing” (v 1, 4:1 8), which is mentioned more times in 2 Timothy than in any book of the Bible Paul gives a charge to readers. “I give you this charge” (NIV) in verse 1, or “I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ” (KJV), is found only in Paul’s letters to Timothy, one other time in 1 Timothy 5:21.
Paul’s urgent and important message in this last chapter to Timothy comes with five imperatives in verse 2 alone: preach, be prepared, correct, rebuke, and encourage. Words related to the ministry of the word include the Word (v 2), instruction (v 2), doctrine (v 3), teachers (v 3), and truth (v 4).
What is the best way to counter bad doctrine? Good doctrine from the study of God’s word. Preach the word has to do with content, “be prepared” is continuity/constancy, and the last three has to do with to convince/correct, to confront/condemn and to comfort.
Preach the word is the motto at my alma mater, Dallas Theological Seminary, where the front lawn has those words carved in stone. It is to communicate or teach God’s word with passion and purpose. Paul reminded Timothy to preach God’s word, not secular philosophy, pop psychology, self-help, worldly wisdom, prosperity theology or social justice. Even though they are all imperatives their function can be divided into what, when and how. Preach the word is the task or mandate, “in season and out of season” refers to time or moment, and the last three refers to the method. The first is the priority, the second is the preparedness, and the third is the process.
Why? There is a “because” or “for” in verse 3. The four actions of false teachers include “Put up” is translated as “bear” (Acts 18:14, 2 Cor 11:1, 4, Eph 4:2, Col 3:13) and “endure” (2 Thess 1:4, 2 Tim 4:3) in KJV. The idea of “put up” (anechomai) comes from the preposition “up” and the verb “have,” or the English equivalent “I have it up to here!” “Sound doctrine” (v 3) occurs in Pastoral Epistles only (1 Tim 1:10, Titus 1:9, 2:1). Pastor and leaders are front and center in the battle against the attacks on the Bible and sound teaching:
Titus 1:9 He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.
Titus 2:2 You must teach what is in accord with sound doctrine. Sound doctrine refers to doctrine that is not compromised, inferior, incomplete and inadequate. False teacher seek to undermine and not uphold the faith, dilute and not deepen but the faith, weaken believers and reduce the content. Not easily shaken,
The five imperatives of Paul to Timothy is contrasted with the four actions of false teachers who are a danger to the church and the flock.
“Gather” (v 3) teachers to themselves. Gather is to more than to add, but to accumulate further, i.e. (figuratively) seek additionally. The last two verbs are formed from the word “turn” – the first is turn away from and the second is turn out of. 2x. Their purpose is to outnumber and outmaneuver and overturn you politically, as we see how the liberals seek for election in conservative churches and denominations.
False teachers attack the church to no end. They love nothing more than substitute myths for truth, slip in courage, shake believers’ faith, stumble unsuspecting believers, and surrender the faith. It is happening in many liberal seminaries that undermines the Bible and the students. First they attack the Bible’s authenticity, authority, and authorship.
Strengthen Yourself in God’s Work – Mindset and Preparedness of the Worker: Finish Well - Be Fit for the Fight
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 has come for my departure. 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. (2 Tim 4:5-8)
The results revealed that roughly 7 percent of the world’s best juniors were able to make the transition to a top-100 men’s or women’s player, and barely 1 percent reached the top 10. American Beats American for U.S. Open’s Junior Title
Ian Thorpe, also known as the Thorpedo, is the winner of five Olympic gold medals, the most won by any Australian, and was the most successful athlete at the 2000 Summer Olympics. At the age of 15, he became the youngest ever individual male World Champion. He was named Swimming World Swimmer of the Year four times and became the first person to win six gold medals in the 2001 World Championship, altogether winning eleven World Championship golds.
After the Athens Olympics in 2004, Thorpe took a year away from swimming, but announced his retirement in November 2006, citing waning motivation. Four years later, he announced his return to swimming. He competed at Australia's Olympic Trials in 2012, eight years after he left competitive swimming, but failed to make the team.
Life in ministry is not about how good or great you are, or how far you have gone but how far can you go. Not about the distance you have traveled but the duration but durability, not the length but the longevity, not the extent but its extension, not how fast but is finish. Finishing well in this life is not so much about who is the best or greatest at something, Paul begins with an emphatic “you” personal pronoun in verse 5, which he will contrast with “I” in verse 6, stressing the worker’s person and preparedness.
In verse 4, there are four imperatives in verse 5. “Keep your head” is watch (nepho) or be sober (1 Thess 5:6, 8, 1 Peter 1:13, 5:8) in KJV or self-controlled (1 Peter 4:7, 1 Thess 5:8) in NIV. It means being alert, aware, awake, attentive, not asleep, aimless or .
The first is to be proactive, the second is to be positive. Heightened awareness is substantiated by the quality of suffering. “Endure hardship” (kakopatheo) means more than hardship. It means “evil” (kakos) times and bad things. Other translations are “suffer trouble” (2 Tim 2:9) and “endure afflictions” (2 Tim 4:5). 2 Timothy talks about enduring hardship more than any book in the Bible (2 Tim 2:9). Undaunted
The first is to be proactive, the second is to be positive, and the third is to be participants. The third imperative reminds Timothy not to forget who he is, an evangelist.
“Discharge” means “carry to the end” in Greek, not to be halfhearted, leave halfway, or be half full . Not interrupted, inadequate or retreat, regress or relapse.
Timothy is not left defenseless, doomed. The urgency of Paul is intensified and increased with the personal pronoun “I” – “For I, I am already” in Greek (v 6). There are two occasions Paul used the “I” personal pronoun, at the beginning of the letter (2 Tim 1:11 “I, I was appointed”) and the end of the letter “I, I am already being poured out.”
There is a second “for” (gar) in the passage. The first has to do with false teachers’ present activity, the second has to do with Paul’s future activity. “Poured out like a drink” means ready to be offered in Greek. Paul is the perfect example. Paul says three things using the perfect tense. One is to fight, the second is to finish, and the third is to be faithful. A good fight is contrasted with “endure hardship,” which is actually “endure evil.” Fight (agonizaomai) is agonize in English.
One is in the ring, the second is in the filed, and the last is in the soul. One is indoor, the other is outdoor, and the last is upward. The other way to see a fight is with someone, a course is with a standard, and the faith is with God. The first is a contest with others, the second is a course in life, and the third is a commitment to God.
Fought the Good Fight Finished the Race Kept the Faith
Ring Field Life
Indoor Outdoor Upward
Contest Course Continuation
Opponent Obstacles Objective
People Path Purpose
Surround Yourself with Godly People – Members and Partners at the Workplace - Be Faithful to the Finish
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. 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. 22 The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you. (2 Tim 4:9-22)
One of the most stirring missionary testimonies is that of Robert Morrison, the first Protestant missionary to China who was a missionary at heart but never in trade. He was a translator with the East India Company. During those days missionary activity was illegal in China and the Roman Catholics hounded him in Macau. Undeterred, he published printed Bibles, prayers, hymns and pamphlets, a dictionary, a grammar book. His wife died after twelve years if marriage. When he arrived in Macau, the Secretary to the first embassy to China discouragingly points out all the difficulties and hardships that he fails if he tries to set up as a missionary in China. The catholic government in Macau opposed his presence in Macau, so he had to travel to Canton three days later. His wife returned to England for five years due an incurable disease, only o die a year after in Macau. Seeing his interest in learning Chinese, the local people charged him a high price. After 25 years of work he translated the Bible into Chinese but could only baptized ten Chinese believers. Missionary efforts were restricted at that time to Macau and Guangzhou, so he spent half a year at both places, leaving his sick and dying wife and kids in Macau.
Faithfulness means you stick to a commitment after the shine wears off.
Faithfulness means keeping to a task when you want to quit.
Faithfulness is free of feelings. It is allegiance, not affection. It is looking to God and not others.
Do you know how many people are listed in Paul’s list and who are they? Names included are Demas, Crescens and Titusin verse 10, Luke and Mark in verse 11, Tychicus in verse 12, Carpus in verse 13, Alexander in verse 14, Priscilla and Aquila and the household of Onesiphorus in verse 19, Erastus and Trophimus in verse 2o, and Eubulus, Pudens, Linus, Claudia and all the brothers in verse 21. There should be 17 names, but the focus is on three with more details on them linked by the conjunction “for” or “because” (gar) (vv 10, 11, 15). I called these three individuals the bad, the good, and the ugly.
The first was Demas, because he loved this world, has deserted me and has gone to Thessalonica (v 10). Serving the Lord can be a lonely experience as Paul found out. The focus is not on loving the world but on the word “desert” occurs twice, Demas (v 10) deserted Paul and so did everyone else (v 16). Desert means withdrawing support or fellowship to leave a person stranded or stuck, to be alone and abandoned. No wonder the verb desert and the noun desert wasteland are the same in English. Paul used the most dramatic of words to describe the desertion, found only twice in the gospels when Jesus uttered on the cross, “"My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (Matt 27:46, Mark 15:34).
The second person was Mark - bring him with you, because he is helpful to me in my ministry (v 11). “Bring” is an imperative, followed by the reason (gar), that “he is helpful to me.” Helpful (euchrestos) is more than just helpful. The prefix “good” (eu) is added, which is the quality, to be excellent. If you remember Mark’s history with Paul, Paul did not think it wise to take Mark on a missionary journey because he had left the team midway and had not continued with them in the work. As a result Paul and partner Barnabas had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company. (Acts 15:37-40). “Sharp disagreement” occurs for the first time in the Bible.
The worse, the third, is Alexander the metalworker did me a great deal of harm. The Lord will repay him for what he has done (v 14). 15 You too should be on your guard against him, because he strongly opposed our message (vv 14-5). Thi is a first time much and evil are palced together, so we can imagine how hurt and helpless Paul was at the treatment by Alexander. He was at the mercy of Alexander, who not only did (KJV), he cause to show (endeiknumi), or act out in full display.
