CHAPTER 4

(A.D. 66)

LAST CHARGE

¹I charge you therefore (has the weight of a legal affirmation) before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ (should have been translated, Our God, even Christ Jesus), Who shall judge the quick (living) and the dead (refers to the fact that all Believers will stand at the Judgment Seat of Christ) at His appearing and His Kingdom (refers here to the Second Advent);

²Preach the Word (refers to the whole body of revealed Truth, which means the entirety of the Word of God); be instant in season, out of season (presents the idea of the Preacher holding himself in constant readiness to proclaim the Word); reprove (the Preacher is to deal with sin, both in the lives of his unsaved hearers and in those of the Saints to whom he ministers, and he is to do so in no uncertain tones and terms), rebuke (a suggestion in some cases of impending penalty), exhort with all longsuffering and Doctrine. (This tells us that the reproving and the rebuking must be done with gentleness. As well, the longsuffering refers to a gentleness that continues even when the Message is met with rejection. However, the Doctrine is not to change, even though it is rejected.)

³For the time will come when they will not endure sound Doctrine (sound Doctrine pertains to overriding principles: the Salvation of the sinner, and the Sanctification of the Saint; the Cross is the answer for both, and is the only answer for both); but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears (refers to the people who have ears that itch for the smooth and comfortable word, and are willing to reward handsomely the man who is sufficiently compromising to speak it; hearers of this type have rejected the Truth and prefer to hear the lie);

⁴And they shall turn away their ears from the Truth (those who follow false teachers not only turn away their ears from the Truth, but see to it that the ears are always in a position such that they will never come in contact with the Truth), and shall be turned unto fables. (If its not the Message of the Cross, then it is fables [I Cor. 1:18].)

⁵But watch thou in all things (carries the idea of watching ones own life, Ministry, and the Doctrine which we are proclaiming), endure afflictions (carries the idea of not allowing hardships, difficulties, or troubles to hinder ones carrying forth of ones Ministry; it is a sharp command given with military snap and curtness; Wuest says, How we in the Ministry of the Word need that injunction today. What a softy we sometimes are, afraid to come out clearly in our proclamation of the Truth and our stand as to false doctrine, fearing the ostracism of our fellows, the Ecclesiastical displeasure of religious leaders so-called, or even the cutting off of our immediate financial income. [I would rather walk a lonely road with Jesus than be in a crowd, without His fellowship]), do the work of an Evangelist (keep trying to get people Saved), make full proof of your Ministry (does it match up with the Word of God?).

PAUL

⁶For I am now ready to be offered (the word ready signifies that the Holy Spirit had already told the Apostle the time had now come; the word offered speaks of the Drink-Offering poured out upon the Sacrifice about to be offered, which, in effect, was the lesser part poured out upon the most important part; only one who considered himself less than the least of all Saints could write in such deep humility), and the time of my departure is at hand. (This presents the fact that the servant of the Lord is immortal until his work is done.)

⁷I have fought a good fight (should have been translated, I have fought the good fight; Paul fought his fight with sin to a finish, and was resting in a complete victory), I have finished my course (he had been faithful in carrying out that which had been assigned to him), I have kept the Faith (refers here to the deposit of Truth regarding the meaning of the Cross and the Resurrection of Christ, with which the Lord had entrusted Paul):

⁸Henceforth there is laid up for me a Crown of Righteousness (the Victors Crown), which the Lord, the Righteous Judge, shall give me at that day (at the Judgment Seat of Christ): and not to me only, but unto all them also who love His appearing. (This Victors Crown will go to all who consider His appearing precious.)

INSTRUCTIONS

⁹Do your diligence to come shortly unto me (Timothy was in Ephesus, about 1,000 miles from Rome; consequently, it was a journey which at best would take several weeks; whether the young Apostle made it there in time or made it at all, is not known):

¹⁰For Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica (presents a sad Commentary regarding one who had been blessed with such a golden opportunity); Crescens to Galatia (mentioned here only; tradition says he founded the Church in France), Titus unto Dalmatia (modern Yugoslavia).

¹¹Only Luke is with me (presents the one who wrote the Gospel that bears his name, as well as the Book of Acts). Take Mark, and bring him with you (John Mark, who wrote the Gospel of Mark, the nephew of Barnabas): for he is profitable to me for the Ministry. (This presents a tremendous commendation by the Apostle concerning Mark.)

¹²And Tychicus have I sent to Ephesus. (It is believed Tychicus conveyed this very Epistle, the last one written by Paul, to Timothy and was perhaps instructed to replace Timothy at Ephesus, while the young Apostle came to Rome.)

¹³The cloak that I left at Troas with Carpus, when you come, bring with you(quite possibly it was summer when Paul wrote this Epistle, and if he survived till winter, he would need this cloak), and the Books, but especially the Parchments (refers to the Old Testament Books).

¹⁴Alexander the coppersmith did me much evil (it is the Work of God Paul laments, which causes him to mention this person): the Lord reward him according to his works (barring Repentance, Judgment will ultimately come most assuredly on all those who attempt to hinder the Work of God, and do so by attempting to hinder the worker for God):

¹⁵Of whom you beware also (presents this individual as a tool of Satan; incidentally, he lived in Ephesus where Timothy was now Ministering); for he has greatly withstood our words (strongly opposed our Message of the Cross).

¹⁶At my first answer no man stood with me, but all men forsook me (when one is down, and anyone can do any negative thing to him or her they so desire without any fear of reprimand or censure, but will rather be applauded, one quickly finds exactly how many true Christians there really are; regrettably, there arent many!): I pray God that it may not be laid to their charge. (The Apostle pleads to the Lord for these weak, unnerved friends of his who, solely through fear and not ill-will to the cause, had deserted him, that their actions not be laid to their charge.)

¹⁷Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me (presents the fact that the Apostle experienced an unusual degree of the Presence of the Lord during this time); that by me the preaching might be fully known (that he might give a full proclamation of the Gospel before Nero, not compromising it at all), and that all the Gentiles might hear (in his defense before Nero, the trial room would have been filled with Gentiles, important dignitaries from all over the Roman Empire; from the lips of Paul, they would hear the Gospel): and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion. (This phrase has been debated almost from the time it was uttered by Paul. It does not refer to being delivered from Nero, because he was not acquitted. As well, it had no bearing that he would be thrown to the lions, as thought by some, because Roman citizens, which Paul was, did not suffer such a fate. It probably referred to the entire situation at hand, and Satans efforts to hinder the Message of Paul, which Satan was not able to do.)

¹⁸And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work (which harks back to the previous Verse), and will preserve me unto His Heavenly Kingdom (even though said in the future tense, actually has to do with the entirety of his life): to Whom be Glory forever and ever. Amen. (This presents the Apostle bursting to an ascription of praise to the Lord Who he has loved so long and so well and, in all his troubles and perplexities, had never left him friendless.)

BENEDICTION

¹⁹Salute (greet) Priscilla and Aquila (two of Pauls earliest friends), and the household of Onesiphorus. (This presents the same Brother mentioned in II Tim. 1:16.)

²⁰Erastus abode at Corinth (probably means he had now gone back to that city, which, in effect, was his home): but Trophimus have I left at Miletum sick.

²¹Do your diligence to come before winter (hence, bringing the cloak). Eubulus greets you, and Pudens, and Linus, and Claudia, and all the Brethren. (This presents some of the Christians in Rome whose names have been immortalized by their being included in Pauls Letter.)

²²The Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit (invokes the Resurrection Name of our Lord). Grace be with you. Amen. (The First Epistle written by Paul was I Thessalonians, which was addressed to the Church. This last one was addressed to a Preacher. This tells us that for the Church to be right, the Preacher must first be right.)