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2 Timothy 4

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The Solemn Charge to Preach 1–5

1
I chargetheein the sight of God, and of Christ Jesus, who shall judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: ​
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preach the word; be urgent in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. ​
3
For the time will come when they will not endure the sound doctrine; but, having itching ears, will heap to themselves teachers after their own lusts; ​
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and will turn away their ears from the truth, and turn aside unto fables. ​
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But be thou sober in all things, suffer hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfil thy ministry. ​

Paul's Confidence in the Face of Death 6–8

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For I am already being offered, and the time of my departure is come. ​
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I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith: ​
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henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give to me at that day; and not to me only, but also to all them that have loved his appearing. ​

Urgent Personal Requests and Warnings 9–18

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Give diligence to come shortly unto me: ​
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for Demas forsook me, having loved this present world, and went to Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia. ​
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Only Luke is with me. Take Mark, and bring him with thee; for he is useful to me for ministering. ​
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But Tychicus I sent to Ephesus.
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The cloak that I left at Troas with Carpus, bring when thou comest, and the books, especially the parchments. ​
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Alexander the coppersmith did me much evil: the Lord will render to him according to his works: ​
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of whom do thou also beware; for he greatly withstood our words.
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At my first defence no one took my part, but all forsook me: may it not be laid to their account. ​
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But the Lord stood by me, and strengthened me; that through me the message might be fully proclaimed, and that all the Gentiles might hear: and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion. ​
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The Lord will deliver me from every evil work, and will save me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be the glory for ever and ever. Amen. ​

Final Greetings and Benediction 19–22

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Salute Prisca and Aquila, and the house of Onesiphorus. ​
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Erastus remained at Corinth: but Trophimus I left at Miletus sick.
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Give diligence to come before winter. Eubulus saluteth thee, and Pudens, and Linus, and Claudia, and all the brethren. ​
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The Lord be with thy spirit. Grace be with you. ​

Bible text: American Standard Version (1901) · Public domain

Study Notes for 2 Timothy 4

Verse 1

I charge thee therefore — Diamarturomai, to testify solemnly, the verb of the oath in 1 Tim 5:21, 'I charge thee before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ'. Christ is named as the one 'who shall judge the quick and the dead' (cf. Acts 10:42), and the charge looks to 'his appearing and his kingdom', the 'appearing' of v.8.

Verse 2

be instant in season, out of season — Ephistemi, to stand by or come upon, is the verb of 'the time of my departure is at hand' in v.6. 'In season, out of season' (eukairos, akairos), the second word found only here, covers every occasion. 'Reprove, rebuke, exhort' are matched by 'longsuffering and doctrine', the two things Timothy knew in Paul (3:10).

Verse 3

sound doctrine — Hugiaino, to be healthy, the Pastoral Epistles' word for teaching (1 Tim 1:10; 6:3; 2 Tim 1:13; Titus 1:9; 2:1). 'Itching ears' (knetho) and 'heap' (episoreuo) each occur only here: hearers pile up teachers according to their own 'lusts', the opposite of enduring 'sound' teaching.

Verse 4

turned unto fables — Muthos, a story or invented tale, is the word of 1 Tim 1:4 ('fables and endless genealogies'), 1 Tim 4:7, Titus 1:14 and 2 Pet 1:16 ('cunningly devised fables'). The ears 'turn away' (apostrepho) from the truth, the reverse of the 'knowledge of the truth' that 3:7 says some never reach.

Verse 5

the work of an evangelist — Euangelistes, a bringer of good news, occurs three times: here, of Philip (Acts 21:8) and in the gifts of Eph 4:11. 'Make full proof' is plerophoreo, to carry out in full, the verb of Paul's own preaching 'fully known' in v.17. 'Watch' (nepho) is to be sober, as in 1 Pet 1:13.

Verse 6

ready to be offered — Spendo, to be poured out as a drink offering (cf. Num 28:7), the verb of Phil 2:17, 'if I be offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith'. 'Departure' (analusis), a loosing, occurs only here; its verb is the 'depart' of Phil 1:23, 'having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ'.

Verse 7

I have fought a good fight — 'Fight' (agon) is the contest of 1 Tim 6:12, 'Fight the good fight of faith', and 'fought' is its verb, as in 1 Cor 9:24–25. 'Course' (dromos) is the race, as in Acts 20:24, 'that I might finish my course with joy'. The three clauses are all in the perfect tense: fought, finished, kept.

Verse 8

a crown of righteousness — Stephanos, the victor's wreath of 1 Cor 9:25, 'an incorruptible' crown. 'Laid up' (apokeimai) is the word of Col 1:5, 'the hope which is laid up for you in heaven'. 'The righteous judge' gives it 'at that day', and 'not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing'.

Verse 9

Do thy diligence — Spoudazo, to hasten, to be eager, the verb of 'Study to shew thyself approved' (2 Tim 2:15) and repeated in v.21, 'Do thy diligence to come before winter'. It joins the wish of 1:4, 'Greatly desiring to see thee'.

Verse 10

Demas hath forsaken me — 'Forsaken' is egkataleipo, the verb of Christ's cry, 'why hast thou forsaken me?' (Mark 15:34), and again in v.16, 'all men forsook me'. Demas, who sent greetings in Col 4:14 and Philem 24, 'loved this present world' (cf. 1 John 2:15, 'Love not the world'); Crescens went to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia.

Verse 11

Only Luke is with me — 'Only' stands against the departures of v.10. 'Take' (analambano) Mark: he is the John Mark whom Paul had 'thought not good to take' (Acts 15:38). 'Profitable' is euchrestos, well-useful, used of Onesimus ('profitable to thee and to me', Philem 11) and of a vessel 'meet for the master's use' (2 Tim 2:21).

Verse 13

the cloke — Phelones, a cloak, and membrana, 'parchments', each occur only here, as does the name of Carpus. Troas is the port of Acts 16:8 and 20:5–6. 'The books' (biblion) are asked for, 'but especially the parchments'; the verse does not say what they contained.

Verse 14

Alexander the coppersmith — Chalkeus, a worker in bronze, occurs only here. The Lord who 'shall give' Paul the crown (v.8) is asked to 'reward' Alexander, with the same verb, apodidomi, 'according to his works' (cf. Rom 2:6). The prayer is left to the Lord, as in Ps 28:4, 'Give them according to their deeds'.

Verse 16

my first answer — Apologia, a defence in answer to a charge, the word of 'my defence' (Acts 22:1) and 'an answer' (1 Pet 3:15). 'Forsook' is the verb of v.10. His prayer 'that it may not be laid to their charge' echoes Stephen's 'Lord, lay not this sin to their charge' (Acts 7:60) and Christ's 'Father, forgive them' (Luke 23:34).

Verse 17

the Lord stood with me — Paristemi, to stand by, as when 'the Lord stood by him' (Acts 23:11) and the angel of God 'stood by me this night' (Acts 27:23). 'Strengthened' is endunamoo (cf. Phil 4:13). The preaching 'fully known' (plerophoreo, as in v.5) reaches 'all the Gentiles', as the Lord said of him in Acts 9:15. 'The lion's mouth' recalls Ps 22:21.

Verse 18

deliver me from every evil work — 'Deliver' is rhuomai, the verb of 'out of them all the Lord delivered me' (3:11), of v.17 and of 'deliver us from evil' (Matt 6:13). 'Preserve' is sozo, to save, 'unto his heavenly kingdom' (epouranios, the word of 'heavenly places' in Eph 1:3). The prayer ends in the doxology, 'to whom be glory for ever and ever'.

Verse 19

Prisca and Aquila — Prisca is the short form of Priscilla, the wife of Aquila (Acts 18:2; Rom 16:3, 'my helpers in Christ Jesus'), who 'laid down their own necks' for Paul's life (Rom 16:4). 'The household of Onesiphorus' receives the greeting; earlier Paul asked mercy 'unto the house of Onesiphorus' for he 'oft refreshed me' (2 Tim 1:16).

Verse 21

before winter — The request of v.9 is repeated with a date. Paul reckons by the seasons elsewhere: 'abide, yea, and winter with you' (1 Cor 16:6) and 'to winter' at Nicopolis (Titus 3:12). Eubulus, Pudens, Linus and Claudia are each named only here in the New Testament.

Verse 22

Grace be with you — 'Thy spirit' is singular, addressed to Timothy; 'you' is plural, taking in the church with him. The same closing wish ends 1 Tim 6:21 ('Grace be with thee') and Titus 3:15 ('Grace be with you all'), and 'Grace be with you' ends Col 4:18.