67 AD (4 years later)

• Paul is in prison in Roman
  
  

FULFILL YOUR MINISTRY
2 TIMOTHY 4
1 I solemnly charge you before God and Christ Jesus, who is going to judge the living and the dead, and because of his appearing and his kingdom:

• “Before God and Jesus Christ” – they are watching you
• Judge the living – Judgment Seat of Christ
• 2 Corinthians 5:10 - For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each may be repaid for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.[1]
• “good” = righteousness or “evil” = self righteousness
• Judge the dead – Great White Throne Judgment
• Revelation 20:11-15 - Then I saw a great white throne and one seated on it. Earth and heaven fled from his presence, and no place was found for them. 12 I also saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life, and the dead were judged according to their works by what was written in the books. 13 Then the sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them; each one was judged according to their works. 14 Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15 And anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.[2]
• “his appearing” – Everything had to be prepared to perfection.

2 Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; correct, rebuke, and encourage with great patience and teaching.

• “preach” – aloud, publicly in all seasons
• “correct” (point out) those in error (an appeal to the emotions).
• “rebuke” those in sin (an appeal to the mind).
• “encourage” those living in harmony with God's will (an appeal to the will).
• Christian reproof without the grace of long-suffering has often led to a harsh attitude intensely harmful to the cause of Christ.

3 For the time will come when people will not tolerate sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, will multiply teachers for themselves because they have an itch to hear what they want to hear. 4 They will turn away from hearing the truth and will turn aside to myths.

• Who are “they” – those following his teaching now? (believers)
• In the future, “they” would only listen to speakers who told them what they wanted to hear (false doctrine, entertainment, etc.).
• They would choose to believe myths rather than the truth (e.g., evolution, humanism, reincarnation, legalism, etc.)

5 But as for you, exercise self-control in everything, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

• JOB OR MINISTRY?
• A job is one you choose;
• A ministry is one Christ chooses for you.
• A job depends on your abilities;
• A ministry depends on your availability to God.
• In a job you expect to receive;
• In a ministry, you expect to give.
• A job done well brings you self-esteem;
• A ministry done well brings honor to Jesus Christ.
• In a job, you give something to get something;
• In a ministry, you return something already given to you.
• A job well done has temporal pay for service.
• A ministry well done brings eternal rewards.

6 For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time for my departure is close.

• Paul believed that he would die very soon.
• "poured out" - like the daily drink offerings in Judaism
• After the Jewish priest offered the lamb, ram, or bull in this ritual, he poured wine beside the altar.
• Symbolized the dedication of the believer to God in worship.
• The apostle believed that Nero would not release him from prison but would execute him.
• Christian tradition confirms that Paul died as a martyr in Rome.

7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

• Paul probably meant that he had run in the noblest race of all, namely, the ministry of the gospel.
• NOT that he had done his best in the contest.

8 There is reserved for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on that day, and not only to me, but to all those who have loved his appearing.

• This reward will go to all Christians like Paul who, by the way, they lived, demonstrated a longing for the Lord's return.
• Not all Christians are anxious for the Lord to return since some know they need to change their way of living.

BELIEVERS' CROWNS
Title                      Reason         Reference

• An Imperishable Crown         For leading a disciplined life                        1 Cor. 9:25
• A Crown of Rejoicing             For evangelism and discipleship                 1 Thess. 2:19
• A Crown of Righteousness    For loving the Lord's appearing                   2 Tim. 4:8
• A Crown of Life                      For enduring trials                                       James 1:12; Rev. 2:10
• A Crown of Glory                   For shepherding God's flock faithfully         1 Pet. 5:4

FINAL INSTRUCTIONS
9 Make every effort to come to me soon,

• Paul evidently had reason to believe that his execution was imminent.[3]

10 because Demas (Dee-moss) has deserted me, since he loved this present world, and has gone to Thessalonica. Crescens (Creese-kees)) has gone to Galatia (Gala-tia), Titus to Dalmatia (Dalma-tia).

• The constitutional method of inflicting capital punishment on a Roman citizen was by the lictor's (emperor’s bodyguard) axe.
• The criminal was tied to a stake; cruelly scourged with the rods, and then beheaded.
• Demas loved this present world. He gone!

11 Only Luke is with me. Bring Mark with you, for he is useful to me in the ministry. 12 I have sent Tychicus to Ephesus. 13 When you come, bring the cloak I left in Troas with Carpus, as well as the scrolls, especially the parchments.

• Luke is most likely transcribing for Paul
• Mark had just previously left Paul & Barnabas.
• Mark had caused division between Paul & Barnabas.
• This is a statement of encouragement & affirmation after the incident.
• Tychicus was sent to relieve Timothy, whom Paul was requesting, and his cloak… winter was coming… he was frail… looking for comfort.
• Parchments – OT, or even his own writings… still wanted to study.

 
14 Alexander the coppersmith did great harm to me. The Lord will repay him according to his works. 15 Watch out for him yourself because he strongly opposed our words.

• Possible reference to 1 Timothy 1:20 – Turned him over to satan.
• Not a salvation issue.

16 At my first defense, no one stood by me, but everyone deserted me. May it not be counted against them.

• Customarily, under Roman law, accused prisoners underwent a preliminary hearing before their trial.
• At this hearing, witnesses could speak on behalf of the accused.
• In Paul's case, no one came to his defense.
• This was probably because when Rome burned in July of 64 AD
• Nero blamed the Christians.
• From then on, it was dangerous to be a known Christian in Rome.
• Neither local Christians nor Paul's fellow workers were willing to stand with the apostle.
• Paul hoped the Lord would not hold their failure against them.

17 But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that I might fully preach the word and all the Gentiles might hear it. So I was rescued from the lion’s mouth.

• Evidently, Paul could give a word of witness at his hearing that furthered his mission to the Gentiles.
• He had so far escaped death, though he was ready to die as a martyr.
• The "lion's mouth" may refer to the lions in the Roman Coliseum that were devouring Christians at the time.
• However, the Romans would have beheaded Paul rather than thrown him to the lions since he was a Roman citizen.
• More a general allusion to Satan's instruments of evil that have always sought to destroy God's faithful servants.

18 The Lord will rescue me from every evil work and will bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever! Amen.

• Paul knew he would die a martyr's death (vv. 6-8), but he saw death as God's vehicle to deliver him from an evil deed (his execution) and to bring him into his Lord's presence.
• For this prospect, he glorified God.

 
BENEDICTION
19 Greet Prisca and Aquila, and the household of Onesiphorus.

• Greetings to his old friends Prisca (Priscilla) and Aquila, who then lived in Ephesus.
• He also greeted the loyal family of Onesiphorus, whom he had written about earlier (1:16).

20 Erastus has remained at Corinth; I left Trophimus (trophy-mose) sick at Miletus (Mee-Le-toes).

• Erastus and Trophimus were old associates of Timothy

21 Make every effort to come before winter. Eubulus greets you, as do Pudens (Poo-dees), Linus (Lean-ose), Claudia, and all the brothers and sisters.

• Winter severely restricted travel in some parts of the Roman world.
• Timothy needed to leave Ephesus soon to reach Rome without difficulty.
• Paul relayed the greetings of four other brethren, probably local, whom Timothy evidently knew, as well as the greetings of all the local Christians.

22 The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you all.[4]

• Paul first wished the Lord's ministry of grace on Timothy's spirit, perhaps encouraging him to remain faithful.
• Paul’s last recorded written words.
• Then he wished God's grace for all this epistle's readers (plural "you" in the Greek text).
• Paul avoided indulging his disappointments.
• Paul could rejoice in the victory won in the life of Mark.
• Paul found no room for vindictiveness toward those who hurt or opposed him."

______________________________________________
“Understanding the Spirit's role, how would you communicate this message if your eighteen-year-old son had made up his mind to walk away from everything you have taught him, morally, ethically, and theologically, unless he had a compelling reason not to?”

[1] Christian Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2020), 2 Co 5:9–10.
[2] Christian Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2020), Re 20:11–15.
[3] A. Duane Litfin, “2 Timothy,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 759.
[4] Christian Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2020), 2 Ti 4:1–22.

67 AD (4 years later)

• Paul is in prison in Roman
  
  

DIFFICULT TIMES AHEAD
2 TIMOTHY 3
1 But know this: Hard times will come in the last days.

• Last days = Season before the Lord Returns (Tribulation, etc.)?
• Today, we live in the last days, that period between Christ’s exaltation and his return.[1]
• So why worry about how bad things are?

 

• When an individual's center of gravity shifts from God to self, a plethora of sins can spring up.[2]

2 For people will be lovers of self (self-centered, narcissistic, self-absorbed)1, lovers of money (money hungry), boastful (of their own importance, self-promoting), proud (in attitude, arrogant, stuck up), demeaning (abusive to others, scoffing at God, profane), disobedient to parents (unresponsive to parental discipline, contemptuous), ungrateful (unthankful, unappreciative, crude), unholy (impure, nothing is sacred, coarse), 3 unloving (heartless, callous, hateful, dog eat dog), irreconcilable (unforgiving, unbending), slanderers (of others, speaking with malicious gossip), without self-control (impulsively wild), brutal (uncivilized, cruel, savage), without love for what is good (antagonistic, haters of good, no interest of good, cynical), 4 traitors (betrayal of friends, treacherous), reckless (headstrong, rash, ruthless), conceited (puffed up with pride, wrapped in a mist of self-delusion, bloated windbags), lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God (devoted to personal pleasure, addicted to lust and allergic to God), 5 holding to the form of godliness but denying its power (religious). Avoid these people!

• This last characteristic clarifies that those individuals described in verses 2-4 would even claim to be Christians (i.e., false teachers and their followers).
• Timothy was to avoid association with people who demonstrated these characteristics except, of course, for purposes of evangelism and instruction.
• Who influences who?

6 For among them are those who worm their way into households and deceive gullible women overwhelmed by sins and led astray by a variety of passions, 7 always learning and never able to come to a knowledge of the truth.

• These false religious leaders take advantage of the problems people have and promise them quick and easy solutions.[3]
• TV evangelists are a great example for today.
• They were listening to the false teachers and Judaizers.
• They had an insatiable curiosity about religion but little discernment to distinguish truth from error.[4]
• Today we have Google doctors, tik tok scientists and Facebook selective knowledge.

8 Just as Jannes (yawn-ees) and Jambres (yawm-brees) resisted Moses, so these also resist the truth. They are men who are corrupt in mind and worthless in regard to the faith. 9 But they will not make further progress, for their foolishness will be clear to all, as was the foolishness of Jannes and Jambres.

• Paul used the Egyptian magicians who opposed Moses in the plagues (Exod. 7:11; 9:11) to illustrate the fate of these false teachers.
• 1,400 years earlier… they are still mentioned by name.
• They turned staffs into snakes but couldn’t compete with Moses in boils.
• Jewish oral or written tradition preserved their names even though the Old Testament did not.
• As these magicians, the false teachers opposed God's revealed truth, possessed corrupt minds, and were outside the fold of the faithful.
• They would proceed only so far, as their Egyptian predecessors did.
• Their foolishness would become common knowledge when their power proved inadequate.

 
STRUGGLES IN THE CHRISTIAN LIFE
10 But you have followed my teaching (ministry), conduct (ministry), purpose (ministry), faith (life), patience (life), love (life), and endurance (life), 11 along with the persecutions and sufferings that came to me in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra. What persecutions I endured—and yet the Lord rescued me from them all.

• The fact that Paul was delivered from his persecutions was to be an encouragement to Timothy.

Romans 8:38—39 -- For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.[5]
12 In fact, all who want to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.

• Some “prosperity” messages will not filter here.
• This course is in opposition to the world system.
• Confrontation and conflict are inevitable.

13 Evil people and impostors will become worse, deceiving and being deceived.

• This statement does not contradict what Paul said in verse 9.
• In verse 13 he meant that evil becomes more intensive as time passes.
• In verse 9, he meant that teaching evil does not necessarily become more extensive and captures a wider audience as evil worsens.

14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and firmly believed. You know those who taught you, 15 and you know that from infancy you have known the sacred Scriptures, which are able to give you wisdom for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.

• Jewish parents were expected to teach their children the Law from age five onwards.
              - Bate Safair (Torah – First 5 books)
              - Bate Talmude (Law & Prophets)
              - Bate Midrash (rabbi disciple)
• 1:5 - I recall your sincere faith that first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and now, I am convinced, is in you also.[6]
• What you know is reliable and powerful.

16 All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.[7]

• It is God's Word, the expression of His person (heart, mind, will, etc.).
• This was the view of the Old Testament that Jews in the first century commonly held.
• 2 Peter 3:15-16 (67 AD, same year as 2 Timothy) - 15 Also, regard the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our dear brother Paul has written to you according to the wisdom given to him. 16 He speaks about these things in all his letters. There are some things that are hard to understand in them. The untaught and unstable will twist them to their own destruction, as they do with the rest of the Scriptures. [8]
• They are profitable for doctrine (what is right),
• for reproof (what is not right),
• for correction (how to get right),
• and for instruction in righteousness (how to be right)."

 

• “man of God” – direct reference to Timothy
• Also to those who commit themselves to God
• What completes you for every good work?
              - The Helper
              - The Scripture
• “good work” is not the goal… it is the byproduct of what we have been given.

[1] Lea, T. D., & Griffin, H. P. (1992). 1, 2 Timothy, Titus (Vol. 34, p. 223). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.
[2] Lea, T. D., & Griffin, H. P. (1992). 1, 2 Timothy, Titus (Vol. 34, p. 224). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.
[3] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 2, p. 250). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
[4] Lea, T. D., & Griffin, H. P. (1992). 1, 2 Timothy, Titus (Vol. 34, p. 228). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.
[5] Christian Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2020), Ro 8:38–39.
[6] Christian Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2020), 2 Ti 1:5.
[7] Christian Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2020), 2 Ti 3:1–17.
[8] Christian Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2020), 2 Pe 3:15–16.

67 AD (4 years later)

• Paul is in prison in Roman
• Nero has been persecuting the believers in Rome.
• Believers are staying clear of Paul.
• No one came to support Paul in his preliminary hearing.
• Luke visits Paul and pens the letter for Paul.
• Paul knows his time is near.
• Paul warns Timothy about those who will fall away from the faith.
• Needs to encourage Timothy to keep discipling.

 
BE STRONG IN GRACE
2 TIMOTHY 2
1 You, therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.
 -   Be

• strong (dunamus = power) – empowered with grace
• To be enabled
• We are empowered by Jesus… not our own strength.
• Continuous active cooperation & dependence with Jesus

2 What you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, commit to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.
 -   Thankful to be gone occasionally.

• Keith, Matt, Doug, Phil, Shannon, Luke, Scott and others are incredible at teaching.
• We had 16 people at our Logos class on Tuesday.
• “Faithful”… not ordained.
• We do not test modern teachers by popularity, education, or skill.
• We test them by the Word of God, particularly the doctrines of grace given by Paul.[1]
• You are encouraged to do ministry here.
• Hand off… Figure this thing out… Go… Go…

3 Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.

• We are in a spiritual battle.
• It is all around us.

4 No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in the concerns of civilian life; he seeks to please the commanding officer.

• Stay focused… don’t be distracted with nonsense.
• Our time can be consumed with “good things”…
• Bump that up to “excellent things”.
• Choose the right priorities.

5 Also, if anyone competes as an athlete, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules.

• Romans were enthusiastic about their sports.
• Fishers Basketball won Sectionals – Rob Bell
• An Olympic athlete swore an oath to a statue of Zeus that they had physically trained for at least ten months.

6 The hardworking farmer ought to be the first to get a share of the crops.

• Planting and nurturing leads to a harvest.
• All three illustrations teach us that faithfulness is a huge portion of the formula that leads to reward.

7 Consider what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything.

• Caught vs Taught
     - Avitar –
              Neytiri: Why save you? 
              Jake Sully: Yeah, why save me? 
              Neytiri: You have a strong heart. No fear. But stupid! Ignorant like a child! 
              Jake Sully: Well, if I'm like a child, then maybe you should teach me. 
              Neytiri: Sky People cannot learn, you do not see. 
              Jake Sully: Then teach me how to see. 
              Neytiri: No one can teach you to see

8 Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead and descended from David, according to my gospel,

• The mention that Christ 'descended from David' shows that Christ has messianic qualifications and is the heir to the glorious promises of God for David.
• 2 Samuel 7:11-14 - “ ‘The Lord declares to you: The Lord himself will make a house for you. 12 When your time comes and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up after you your descendant, who will come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He is the one who will build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 14 I will be his father, and he will be my son.”[2]
• “my gospel” – This message had been entrusted to Paul.
• The Truth is being distorted… among the Church… Facebook

9 for which I suffer to the point of being bound like a criminal. But the word of God is not bound.

• Paul had been the chief suppressor & oppressor of Christianity.
• Now he has suffered the most due to his gospel.

10 This is why I endure all things for the elect: so that they also may obtain salvation, which is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory. 11 This saying is trustworthy:
For if we died with him, (positive)
we will also live with him; (positive)
12 if we endure, we will also reign with him; (positive)
if we deny him, he will also deny us; (negative)

• Great White Throne Judgment (nonbelievers) of the Judgment Seat (believers).

13 if we are faithless, he remains faithful,
for he cannot deny himself. (negative)

• Jesus will fulfill His Word either way.
• No matter what your choice may be.

 
AN APPROVED WORKER
14 Remind them of these things, and charge them before God not to fight about words. This is useless and leads to the ruin of those who listen.

• What are subjects that are causing Christians to “split hairs”?
• Reformed Theology; Evolutionism, End times/
• What about Law & Grace?

15 Be diligent to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who doesn’t need to be ashamed, correctly teaching the word of truth.

• Just as a construction worker can point out “bad work”… so can a teacher.

16 Avoid irreverent and empty speech, since those who engage in it will produce even more godlessness, 17 and their teaching will spread like gangrene. Hymenaeus (Hi-ma-knee-us) and Philetus (fill-eat-us) are among them.

• Paul had already turned Hymenaeus over to satan in 1 Timothy 1:20.
• Get to a point where you can distinguish “religious talk” vs truth.
• Gangrene is described as a sore that eats at the flesh.
• There is a difference between “getting into the weeds” of the Word vs the Word being active in nourishing others.
• How are we helping people (each other) if we just sit here on Sunday morning and study the Word?
• Spiritual constipation.

18 They have departed from the truth, saying that the resurrection has already taken place, and are ruining the faith of some.

• Certain carryovers from their pagan religions.
• Spiritual resurrection – sinless perfection?

19 Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation stands firm, bearing this inscription: The Lord knows those who are his, (Numbers 16:5) and let everyone who calls on the name of the Lord turn away from wickedness.

• We still have to make choices.
• Repentance – change your mind about your behavior.
• Who leads us to repentance? Romans 2:4 – “Or do you despise the riches of his kindness, restraint, and patience, not recognizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?”[3]

20 Now in a large house there are not only gold and silver vessels, but also those of wood and clay; some for honorable use and some for dishonorable. 21 So if anyone purifies himself from anything dishonorable, he will be a special instrument, set apart, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work.

• Those who become students of the Truth vs.
• Those who have a lack of commitment to study & even proclaim false truths.
• There will be a separation here on earth… not a salvation issue.

22 Flee from youthful passions, and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.

• Youth movements: Veganism, peace, etc. Passion, reformed theology…
• 18-34 years old are more agenda driven
• Typically, in relation to the media/social networks
• They determine what is cool, what is right/wrong and what we tend to focus on in the world.

23 But reject foolish and ignorant disputes, because you know that they breed quarrels.

• These questions are going to be brought before you…
• Calvinism vs Arminianism
• Predestined vs Free Will
• Preterist vs Futurist
• Law vs Grace

24 The Lord’s servant must not quarrel, but must be gentle to everyone, able to teach, and patient, 25 instructing his opponents with gentleness. Perhaps God will grant them repentance leading them to the knowledge of the truth. 26 Then they may come to their senses and escape the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.[4]

• Who grants repentance? God does…

Through His kindness…

• Should I defriend blatant sinners on Facebook?
• There is a difference between acceptance & teaching with gentleness.
• How will those who have a sinful nature or are walking in their flesh ever come to know how much Jesus loves them?
• How will the addicted ever come to know how much Jesus loves them?
• How will a left-wing liberal tree-hugging hippie ever come to know how much Jesus loves them?
• How will the staunch right-wing, good doing, 10 commandment card carrier ever come to know how much Jesus loves them?
• It certainly will not be because of the Westboro Baptist Church in Kansas City.
• Why would the younger generation want to have anything to do with that type of religious condemnation?
• How do I engage them in conversation enough to intrigue them?
• The focus has to remain on Jesus alone.

[1] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 2, p. 245). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
[2] Christian Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2020), 2 Sa 7:11–14.
[3] Christian Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2020), Ro 2:4.
[4] Christian Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2020), 2 Ti 2:1–26.

64 A.D.

• Rome was burned, and the blame was placed on the Christians.
• Therefore, being a public Christian or follower of Paul became dangerous.

War in Jerusalem - Spring 66 A.D.

• The Jewish revolt against Rome begins.
• For the next four years, war will rage between Jewish revolutionaries and Roman soldiers, beginning in Judea and spreading throughout Israel.
• There is great unrest and discord in the city of Jerusalem.
• The Christians leave the city and disperse into the Gentile churches outside of Israel.

67 A.D.

• Paul is still imprisoned in Rome.
• Priscilla and Aquila are still in Ephesus, trying to save the church from the constant threat of heresy.
• The false teachers are winning out, and there is a wholesale departure from Paul’s ministry in Asia Minor.
• Further, because Paul is imprisoned, the Christians no longer wish to associate with him out of fear that they, too, will be imprisoned.
• Two brothers in Christ that Paul trusted Phygelus (fe-jealous) and Hermogenes (Hermo-je-knees) turn away from him.
• Demas forsakes Paul because of his love for the world and returns to Thessalonica.
• Paul sends a man named Crescens to Galatia and Titus to Dalmatia (Illyricum) to work with the churches there.
• He sends Tychicus and Onesiphorus back to Ephesus to help Priscilla and Aquila.
• Paul’s preliminary hearing (primo actio) occurs, but no one is present to support him. (2 Timothy 4:16)
• Due to Paul's lack of support, the trial goes forward.
• Upon hearing this, Luke immediately visits Paul in prison.
• Some survivors from Nero’s persecution of the Roman church also visit Paul to check on him occasionally.
• Among them are Eubulus, Pudens, Linus, and Claudia.
• Paul is burdened for the future of the churches.
• He knows that his time of departure is near.
• Paul longs to see Timothy and prays for him day and night.
• He wishes to encourage Timothy in his calling, to exhort him to be optimistic and strong in the face of his opposers, to warn him of the coming apostasy (falling away), and to remind him of those intangible things that he (Paul) has deposited in him over the years.
• Nero committed suicide in June 68 A.D.

 
Date: Fall of 67 A.D.

• (4:21 - Make every effort to come before winter.)

 
Author: Paul (Prison in Rome)

• (2:9 - For this, I suffer, to the point of being bound like a criminal)
• Knew he was going to die soon (4:6 - For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time for my departure is close.)

Recipient: Timothy (Ephesus – Several references)

• 2 Timothy was written as a personal letter to Timothy to encourage him and ask him to come see him in Rome.
• Written to a friend who understood his theology.
• Not Titus: a church that didn’t understand.
• Not 1 Timothy: a church understood but chose to ignore.

GREETING
2 TIMOTHY 1
1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by God’s will, for the sake of the promise of life in Christ Jesus:

•  When friends desert us, and opposition becomes intense, nothing gives Christians confidence like the assurance that we are doing God's will.

2 To Timothy, my dearly loved son.

•  This description emphasized Paul's affection for Timothy and his relationship with him as a spiritual son and protégé whom he had nurtured in the faith.

Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.


THANKSGIVING
3 I thank God, whom I serve with a clear conscience as my ancestors did, when I constantly remember you in my prayers night and day. 4 Remembering your tears, I long to see you so that I may be filled with joy. 5 I recall your sincere faith that first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and now, I am convinced, is in you also.

•  Paul voiced in his first epistle to Timothy thanks for his own salvation and ministry (1 Tim. 1:12 - I give thanks to Christ Jesus our Lord who has strengthened me, because he considered me faithful, appointing me to the ministry[1]).
•  In this second epistle, he began with thanks for Timothy's salvation and ministry.
•  His tears – Due to the separation in 1 Timothy 1:3 - As I urged you when I went to Macedonia, remain in Ephesus so that you may instruct certain people not to teach false doctrine 4 or to pay attention to myths and endless genealogies.[2]
•  How do your family members influence your faith?
•  What is it about Moms?

6 Therefore, I remind you to rekindle the gift of God that is in you through the laying on of my hands.

•  Timothy received divine enablement to do the work God was leading him into.
•   It was not Paul that gave Timothy the Spirit… It was purely symbolic.
•   March 26, 1989 – I was “ordained” and had hands laid upon me.

7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but one of power,, love, and sound judgment.

•   7 God doesn't want us to be shy with his gifts, but bold and loving and sensible. (The Message)
•   7  For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline. (NAS)
•   7 For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline. (NIV & NLT)
•   “us” – Encouragement to Timothy but included himself so as not to call out.
•   What did they have to be “fearful/timid” of? Nero & the Romans!
  
  

NOT ASHAMED OF THE GOSPEL
8 So don’t be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, or of me his prisoner. Instead, share in suffering for the gospel, relying on the power of God.

•   Nothing for you to be ashamed of… I’m in prison because I have been spreading the Gospel.
•   What if the same thing happens to you!?!
•   It would be worth it!
•   Just trust the Lord.
  

9 He has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began.

•   God has delivered us from the penalty and power of sin.
•   He has called us to a special purpose, not because of us but by His free choice.
•   Not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace.
•   He enables us to achieve this purpose by His sufficient grace that comes to us in Christ.
•   Which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began.
•   Our calling took place before the creation of the universe (cf. Eph. 1:4; Rom.16:25; Titus 1:2)

10 This has now been made evident through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who has abolished death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.

•   But God has revealed its full dignity only since Christ has come.
•   Jesus Christ destroyed the effects of death and made it possible for us to live with God eternally.

11 For this gospel I was appointed a herald, apostle, and teacher,

•   The gospel is the revelation of this plan, but Timothy appears to have felt ashamed of it!
•   Paul proudly acknowledged that God had appointed him, of all people, a herald (announcer), an apostle (establisher), and a teacher (perpetrator) of this good news.
•   What an honor and privilege it is to communicate the gospel

12 and that is why I suffer these things. But I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that he is able to guard what has been entrusted to me, until that day.

•   Paul suffered imprisonment and the discomforts associated with it because he preached the gospel.
•   Nevertheless, he was not ashamed of the gospel or himself.
•   His confidence lay in the person of God.
•   He believed that God is faithful.
•   God would protect something that Paul had placed with God for His protection and preserve that until the day he would see Christ face to face.
  
  

BE LOYAL TO THE FAITH
13 Hold on to the pattern of sound teaching that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.

•   Timothy felt the temptation to modify his message and stop preaching it.
•   Paul urged him, therefore, to continue preaching the same message he had heard from Paul and to do so with trust in God and love for people, which Jesus Christ would supply.
•   "With his usual skillful way with words, Paul is saying in effect that as God has guarded the deposit of his life (and will guard Timothy's) so also Timothy must guard the deposit of the faithful account.

14 Guard the good deposit through the Holy Spirit who lives in us.
 

•   He should guard God's revelation that God had entrusted to him as a minister of the gospel (cf. 1 Tim. 6:20).
•   The indwelling Holy Spirit (as well as the Son, v. 13) would enable him to do so.
•   "The appeal has come full circle.
•   It began with God's Spirit and his power and ended with the Spirit's enabling power."

15 You know that all those in the province of Asia have deserted me, including Phygelus and Hermogenes.

•   The Christians in Ephesus and in the province of Asia where Ephesus stood had so thoroughly abandoned Paul that he could say all had turned from him.
•   Paul may have meant all the leaders or his former colleagues who had left him by himself in prison in Rome.
•   Probably not all these people had turned from the gospel; the statement is probably exaggerated.
•   Timothy was the last to maintain his loyalty to and support of Paul in that group, and he was now feeling tempted to abandon him.
•   Phygelus and Hermogenes' names occur nowhere else in Scripture.
•   They had been strong supporters of the apostle in the past but had eventually turned away from him as the rest.

16 May the Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, because he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains. 17 On the contrary, when he was in Rome, he diligently searched for me and found me. 18 May the Lord grant that he obtain mercy from him on that day. You know very well how much he ministered at Ephesus.[3]

•   Onesiphorus (lit. help-bringer) may have been dead when Paul wrote this epistle (cf. v. 18; 4:19).
•   "In the Apocryphal Acts of Paul and Thecla, Onesiphorus is spoken of as a convert of Paul's who gave him hospitality on his first visit to Iconium."
•   Onesiphorus' remaining household was an exception to the "all" above (v. 15), or perhaps they had felt differently and had later reaffirmed their loyalty to Paul.
•   In any case his family had diligently and unashamedly sought out Paul and had ministered to him during his current imprisonment.
•   For this Paul wished the Lord would show Onesiphorus "mercy" at the judgment seat of Christ (cf. "that day" in v. 12).
•   Because Onesiphorus had "found" Paul, Paul hoped that Onesiphorus would "find" mercy from the Lord.
•   Paul seems to have envisioned a scene in which all his unfaithful brethren would stand before the Lord, Onesiphorus among them, namely, Christ's judgment seat.
•   God would express displeasure with the failure of the others, but Onesiphorus would escape that shame (cf. 1 John 2:28).
•   Timothy knew about Onesiphorus' earlier faithful ministry in Ephesus.
•   Paul also referred to this to encourage Timothy to throw in his lot with Onesiphorus and his family rather than with those who had turned against the chained apostle.
•   "Moral behavior is best learned by observing such commitment in others.
•   Children learn this behavior from parents.
•   Young Christians learn it from older Christians.
•   Ultimately moral behavior cannot be taught merely by character-building courses in public schools.
•   Christians must see moral commitment as a sterling example in others.
•   "Paul was not ashamed to present himself as the initial example he gave to Timothy.
•   He did not doubt that his behavior was worth imitating.

  Christian leaders today need to have such a commitment to Christ that they are unashamed to say in humility, 'If you want an example to follow, look at me!'"

[1] Christian Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2020), 1 Ti 1:12.
[2] Christian Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2020), 1 Ti 1:3–4.
[3] Christian Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2020), 2 Ti 1:1–18.

2 Timothy 4
1 I solemnly charge you before God and Christ Jesus, who is going to judge the living and the dead, and because of His appearing and His kingdom:

• “Before God and Jesus Christ” – they are watching you
• Judge the living – Judgment Seat of Christ
• 2 Corinthians 5:10 - For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each may be repaid for what he has done in the body, whether good or bad.
• “good” = righteousness or “bad” = self righteousness
• Judge the dead – Great White Throne Judgment
• Revelation 20:11-15 - Then I saw a great white throne and One seated on it. Earth and heaven fled from His presence, and no place was found for them. [12] I also saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life, *(Rev 3:5) and the dead were judged according to their works by what was written in the books. [13] Then the sea gave up its dead, and Death and Hades gave up their dead; all were judged according to their works. [14] Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. [15] And anyone not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.
• “his appearing” – Everything had to be prepared to perfection.

2 Proclaim the message; persist in it whether convenient or not; rebuke, correct, and encourage with great patience and teaching.

• “proclaim” – aloud, publicly in all seasons
• “rebuke” those in sin (an appeal to the mind).
• “correct” (point out) those in error (an appeal to the emotions).
• “encourage” those living in harmony with God's will (an appeal to the will).
• Christian reproof without the grace of long-suffering has often led to a harsh attitude intensely harmful to the cause of Christ.

3 For the time will come when they will not tolerate sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, will multiply teachers for themselves because they have an itch to hear something new. 4 They will turn away from hearing the truth and will turn aside to myths.

• Who is “they” – those who are following his teaching now. (believers)
• In the future “they” would only listen to speakers who told them what they wanted to hear (false doctrine, entertainment, etc.).
• They would choose to believe myths rather than the truth (e.g., evolution, humanism, reincarnation, legalism, etc.)

5 But as for you, be serious about everything, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

• JOB OR MINISTRY?
• A job is one you choose;
• A ministry is one Christ chooses for you.
• A job depends on your abilities;
• A ministry depends on your availability to God.
• In a job you expect to receive;
• In a ministry you expect to give.
• A job done well brings you self-esteem;
• A ministry done well brings honor to Jesus Christ.
• In a job you give something to get something;
• In a ministry you return something that has already been given to you.
• A job well done has temporal remuneration;
• A ministry well done brings eternal rewards.

6 For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time for my departure is close.

• Paul believed that he would die very soon.
• "poured out" - like the daily drink offerings in Judaism
• After the Jewish priest offered the lamb, ram, or bull in this ritual, he poured wine beside the altar.
• Symbolized the dedication of the believer to God in worship.
• The apostle believed that Nero would not release him from prison but would execute him.
• Christian tradition confirms that Paul died as a martyr in Rome.

7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

• Paul probably meant that he had run in the noblest race of all, namely, the ministry of the gospel
• NOT that he had done his best in the contest.

8 There is reserved for me in the future the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on that day, and not only to me, but to all those who have loved His appearing.

• This reward will go to all Christians like Paul who, by the way they lived, demonstrated a longing for the Lord's return.
• Not all Christians are anxious for the Lord to return since some know they need to change their way of living.

BELIEVERS' CROWNS
Title                      Reason              Reference

• An Imperishable Crown    For leading a disciplined life           1 Cor. 9:25
• A Crown of Rejoicing        For evangelism and discipleship      1 Thess. 2:19
• A Crown of Righteousness   For loving the Lord's appearing    2 Tim. 4:8
• A Crown of Life       For enduring trials                James 1:12; Rev. 2:10
• A Crown of Glory     For shepherding God's flock faithfully       1 Pet. 5:4

Final Instructions
9 Make every effort to come to me soon, 10 for Demas has deserted me, because he loved this present world, and has gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia.

• The constitutional method of inflicting capital punishment on a Roman citizen was by the lictor's (emperor’s bodyguard) axe.
• The criminal was tied to a stake; cruelly scourged with the rods, and then beheaded."

11 Only Luke is with me. Bring Mark with you, for he is useful to me in the ministry. 12 I have sent Tychicus to Ephesus. 13 When you come, bring the cloak I left in Troas with Carpus, as well as the scrolls, especially the parchments.

• Luke is most likely transcribing for Paul
• Mark had just previously left Paul & Barnabas.
• Mark had caused division between Paul & Barnabas.
• This is a statement of encouragement & affirmation after the incident.
• Tychicus was sent to relieve Timothy who Paul was requesting and his cloak… winter was coming… he was frail… looking for some comfort.
• Parchments – OT, or even his own writings… still wanted to study.

14 Alexander the coppersmith did great harm to me. The Lord will repay him according to his works. 15 Watch out for him yourself because he strongly opposed our words.

• Possible reference to 1 Timothy 1:20 – Turned him over to satan.
• Not a salvation issue.

16 At my first defense, no one stood by me, but everyone deserted me. May it not be counted against them.

• Customarily under Roman law accused prisoners underwent a preliminary hearing before their trial.
• At this hearing, witnesses could speak on behalf of the accused.
• In Paul's case no one had come to his defense.
• This was probably because when Rome burned in July of 64 AD
• Nero blamed the Christians.
• From then on it was dangerous to be a known Christian in Rome.
• Neither local Christians nor Paul's fellow workers were willing to stand with the apostle.
• Paul hoped the Lord would not hold their failure against them.

17 But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that the proclamation might be fully made through me and all the Gentiles might hear. So I was rescued from the lion’s mouth.

• Evidently Paul was able to give a word of witness at his hearing that furthered his mission to the Gentiles.
• He had so far escaped death, though he was ready to die as a martyr.
• The "lion's mouth" may be a reference to the lions in the Roman Coliseum that were then devouring Christians.
• However the Romans would have beheaded Paul rather than thrown him to the lions since he was a Roman citizen.
• More a general allusion to Satan's instruments of evil that have always sought to destroy God's faithful servants.

18 The Lord will rescue me from every evil work and will bring me safely into His heavenly kingdom. To Him be the glory forever and ever! Amen.

• Paul knew he would die a martyr's death (vv. 6-8) but he saw death as God's vehicle to deliver him from an evil deed (his execution) and to bring him into his Lord's presence.
• For this prospect he glorified God.

Benediction
19 Greet Prisca and Aquila, and the household of Onesiphorus.

• Greetings to his old friends Prisca (Priscilla) and Aquila who then lived in Ephesus.
• He also greeted the loyal family of Onesiphorus of whom he had written earlier (1:16).

20 Erastus has remained at Corinth; I left Trophimus sick at Miletus.

• Erastus and Trophimus were old associates of Timothy

21 Make every effort to come before winter. Eubulus greets you, as do Pudens, Linus, Claudia, and all the brothers.

• Winter severely restricted travel in some parts of the Roman world.
• Timothy needed to leave Ephesus soon so he could reach Rome without undue difficulty.
• Paul relayed the greetings of four other brethren, probably local, who Timothy evidently knew, as well as the greetings of all the local Christians.

22 The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you.[1]

• Paul first wished the Lord's ministry of grace on Timothy's spirit, perhaps to encourage him to remain faithful.
• Paul’s last recorded written words.
• Then he wished God's grace for all the readers (plural "you" in the Greek text) of this epistle.
• Paul avoided indulging his disappointments.
• Paul could rejoice in the victory won in the life of Mark.
• Paul found no room for vindictiveness toward those who hurt or opposed him."

________________________________________________
“Understanding the Spirits role, how would you communicate this message if your eighteen-year-old son had made up his mind to walk away from everything you have taught him, morally ethically and theologically, unless he had a compelling reason not to?”

[1] The Holy Bible: Holman Christian standard version. (2009). (2 Ti 4:1–22). Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers.

67 AD (4 years later)

• Paul is in prison in Roman
• Nero has been persecuting the believers in Rome.
• Believers are staying clear of Paul.
• No one came to support Paul in his preliminary hearing.
• Luke visits Paul and pens the letter for Paul.
• Paul knows his time is near.
• Paul warns Timothy about those who will fall away from the faith.
• Needs to encourage Timothy to keep discipling.

 
2 Timothy 3
1 But know this: Difficult times will come in the last days.

• Last days = Season before the Lord Returns (Tribulation, etc.)?
• Today we are living in the last days, that period between Christ’s exaltation and his return.[1]
• So why worry about how bad things are?
• When the center of gravity in an individual shifts from God to self, a plethora of sins can spring up.[2]

2 For people will be lovers of self (self-centered, narcissistic, self-absorbed)1, lovers of money (money hungry), boastful (of their own importance, self-promoting), proud (in attitude, arrogant, stuck up), blasphemers (abusive to others, scoffing at God, profane), disobedient to parents (unresponsive to parental discipline, contemptuous), ungrateful (unthankful, unappreciative, crude), unholy (impure, nothing is sacred, coarse), 3 unloving (heartless, callous, hateful, dog eat dog), irreconcilable (unforgiving, unbending), slanderers (of others, speaking with malicious gossip), without self-control (impulsively wild), brutal (uncivilized, cruel, savage), without love for what is good (antagonistic, haters of good, no interest of good, cynical), 4 traitors (betrayal of friends, treacherous), reckless (headstrong, rash, ruthless), conceited (puffed up with pride, wrapped in a mist of self-delusion, bloated windbags), lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God (devoted to personal pleasure, addicted to lust and allergic to God), 5 holding to the form of godliness but denying its power (religious). Avoid these people!

• This last characteristic makes clear that those individuals described in verses 2-4 would even claim to be Christians (i.e., false teachers and their followers).
• Timothy was to avoid association with people who demonstrated these characteristics except, of course, for purposes of evangelism and instruction.
• Who influences who?

 
6 For among them are those who worm their way into households and capture idle women burdened down with sins, led along by a variety of passions, 7 always learning and never able to come to a knowledge of the truth.

• These false religious leaders take advantage of the problems people have, and promise them quick and easy solutions.[3]
• TV evangelists are a great example for today.
• They were listening to the false teachers and judaizers.
• They had an insatiable curiosity about religion but little discernment to distinguish truth from error.[4]

8 Just as Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses, so these also resist the truth, men who are corrupt in mind, worthless in regard to the faith. 9 But they will not make further progress, for their lack of understanding will be clear to all, as theirs was also.

• Paul used the Egyptian magicians who opposed Moses in the plagues (Exod. 7:11; 9:11) to illustrate the fate of these false teachers.
• 1,400 years earlier… they are still mentioned by name.
• They turned staffs into snakes but couldn’t compete with Moses in boils.
• Jewish oral or written tradition preserved their names even though the Old Testament did not.
• As these magicians, the false teachers opposed God's revealed truth, possessed corrupt minds, and were outside the fold of the faithful.
• They would proceed only so far, as their Egyptian predecessors did.
• Their foolishness would become common knowledge when their power would prove inadequate.

 
The Sacred Scriptures
10 But you have followed my teaching (ministry), conduct (ministry), purpose (ministry), faith (life), patience (life), love (life), and endurance (life), 11 along with the persecutions and sufferings that came to me in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra. What persecutions I endured! Yet the Lord rescued me from them all.

• The fact that Paul was delivered from his persecutions was to be encouragement to Timothy.
• Romans 8:38 - And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from his love. Death can't, and life can't. The angels can't, and the demons can't. Our fears for today, our worries about tomorrow, and even the powers of hell can't keep God's love away. [39] Whether we are high above the sky or in the deepest ocean, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

12 In fact, all those who want to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.

• Some “prosperity” messages will not filter here.
• This course is in opposition to the world system.
• Confrontation and conflict are inevitable.

13 Evil people and impostors will become worse, deceiving and being deceived.

• This statement does not contradict what Paul said in verse 9.
• In verse 13 he meant that evil becomes more intensive as time goes on.
• In verse 9 he meant that the teaching of evil does not necessarily become more extensive and capture a wider audience as evil becomes worse.

14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and firmly believed. You know those who taught you, 15 and you know that from childhood you have known the sacred Scriptures, which are able to give you wisdom for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.

• Jewish parents were expected to teach their children the Law from the age of five onwards.
              - Bate Safair (Torah – First 5 books)
              - Bate Talmude (Law & Prophets)
              - Bate Midrash (rabbi disciple)
• 1:5 - I know that you sincerely trust the Lord, for you have the faith of your mother, Eunice, and your grandmother, Lois.
• What you know is reliable and powerful.

16 All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.[5]

• It is God's Word, the expression of His person (heart, mind, will, etc.). This was the view of the Old Testament that Jews in the first century commonly held.
• 2 Peter 3:15-16 (67 AD, same year as 2 Timothy) - And remember, the Lord is waiting so that people have time to be saved. This is just as our beloved brother Paul wrote to you with the wisdom God gave him— [16] speaking of these things in all of his letters. Some of his comments are hard to understand, and those who are ignorant and unstable have twisted his letters around to mean something quite different from what he meant, just as they do the other parts of Scripture and the result is disaster for them.
• They are profitable for doctrine (what is right),
• for reproof (what is not right),
• for correction (how to get right),
• and for instruction in righteousness (how to be right)."
• “man of God” – direct reference to Timothy
• also to those who commit themselves to God
• What completes you for every good work?
              - The Helper
              - The Scripture
• “good work” is not the goal… it is the byproduct of what we have been given.

[1] Lea, T. D., & Griffin, H. P. (1992). 1, 2 Timothy, Titus (Vol. 34, p. 223). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.
[2] Lea, T. D., & Griffin, H. P. (1992). 1, 2 Timothy, Titus (Vol. 34, p. 224). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.
[3] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 2, p. 250). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
[4] Lea, T. D., & Griffin, H. P. (1992). 1, 2 Timothy, Titus (Vol. 34, p. 228). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.
[5] The Holy Bible: Holman Christian standard version. (2009). (2 Ti 3:1–17). Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers.

67 AD (4 years later)

• Paul is in prison in Roman
• Nero has been persecuting the believers in Rome.
• Believers are staying clear of Paul.
• No one came to support Paul in his preliminary hearing.
• Luke visits Paul and pens the letter for Paul.
• Paul knows his time is near.
• Paul warns Timothy about those who will fall away from the faith.
• Needs to encourage Timothy to keep discipling.

 
Be Strong in Grace
2 Timothy 2
1 You, therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.

• Be
• strong (dunamus = power) – empowered with grace
• We are empowered by Jesus… not our own strength.
• Continuous active cooperation & dependence with Jesus

2 And what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, commit to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.

• Thankful to be gone occasionally
• Keith, Matt, Terry and others are incredible at teaching.
• “Faithful”… not ordained.
• We do not test modern teachers by their popularity, education, or skill.
• We test them by the Word of God, and particularly the doctrines of grace as given by Paul.[1]
• You are encouraged to do ministry here.
• Hand off… Figure this thing out… Go… Go…

3 Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.

• We are in a spiritual battle. It is all around us.

4 No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in the concerns of civilian life; he seeks to please the recruiter.

• Stay focused… don’t be distracted with nonsense.
• Our time can be consumed with “good things”…
• Bump that up to “excellent things”
• Choose right priorities

5 Also, if anyone competes as an athlete, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules.

• Romans were enthusiastic about their sports.
• An Olympic athlete swore to an oath at a statue of Zeus that they had physically trained for at least 10 months.
• "It's been crazy for me," Joe Jr. said. "I never thought you'd see a 55-year-old running back. I'm just proud of him. He made his mind up to do something and stuck to it."

6 The hardworking farmer ought to be the first to get a share of the crops.

• Planting and nurturing leads to a harvest.
• All three illustrations teach us that faithfulness is a huge portion of the formula that leads to reward.

7 Consider what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything.

• Caught vs Taught
     - Avitar –
              Neytiri: Why save you? 
              Jake Sully: Yeah, why save me? 
              Neytiri: You have a strong heart. No fear. But stupid! Ignorant like a child! 
              Jake Sully: Well, if I'm like a child, then maybe you should teach me. 
              Neytiri: Sky People cannot learn, you do not see. 
              Jake Sully: Then teach me how to see. 
              Neytiri: No one can teach you to see

8 Keep your attention on Jesus Christ as risen from the dead and descended from David. This is according to my gospel.

• The mention that Christ 'descended from David' shows that Christ has messianic qualifications and is the heir to the glorious promises of God for David.
• “my gospel” – This message had been entrusted to Paul.
• The Truth is being distorted… among the Church… Facebook

9 I suffer for it to the point of being bound like a criminal, but God’s message is not bound.

• Paul had been the chief suppressor & oppressor of Christianity.
• Now he has suffered the most due to his gospel.

10 This is why I endure all things for the elect: so that they also may obtain salvation, which is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory. 11 This saying is trustworthy:
For if we have died with Him,
we will also live with Him; (positive)
12 if we endure, we will also reign with Him; (positive)
if we deny Him, He will also deny us; (negative)

• Great White Throne Judgment (nonbelievers) of the Judgment Seat (believers).

13 if we are faithless, He remains faithful,
for He cannot deny Himself. (negative)

• Jesus will fulfill His Word either way.

 
14 Remind them of these things, charging them before God not to fight about words; this is in no way profitable and leads to the ruin of the hearers.

• What are subjects that are causing Christians to “split hairs”?
     - Reformed Theology; Evolutionism
     - What about Law & Grace

15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who doesn’t need to be ashamed, correctly teaching the word of truth.

• Just as a construction worker can point out “bad work”… so can a teacher.

16 But avoid irreverent, empty speech, for this will produce an even greater measure of godlessness. 17 And their word will spread like gangrene; Hymenaeus and Philetus are among them.

• Paul had already turned Hymenaeus over to satan in 1 Timothy 1:20.
• Get to a point where you can distinguish “religious talk” vs truth.
• Gangrene is described as a sore that eats at the flesh.

18 They have deviated from the truth, saying that the resurrection has already taken place, and are overturning the faith of some.

• Certain carryovers from their pagan religions.
• Spiritual resurrection – sinless perfection?

19 Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation stands firm, having this inscription:
The Lord knows those who are His, and
Everyone who names the name of the Lord
must turn away from unrighteousness.

• We still have to make choices.
• Repentance – change your mind about your behavior.

20 Now in a large house there are not only gold and silver bowls, but also those of wood and clay, some for honorable use, some for dishonorable. 21 So if anyone purifies himself from anything dishonorable, he will be a special instrument, set apart, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work.

• Those who become students of the Truth vs.
• Those who have a lack of commitment to study & even proclaim false truths.
• There will be a separation… not a salvation issue.

22 Flee from youthful passions, and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.

• Youth movements: Veganism, peace, etc. Passion, reformed theology…

23 But reject foolish and ignorant disputes, knowing that they breed quarrels.

• These questions are going to be brought before you…
     - Calvinism vs Arminialism
     - Law vs Grace

24 The Lord’s slave must not quarrel, but must be gentle to everyone, able to teach, and patient, 25 instructing his opponents with gentleness. Perhaps God will grant them repentance leading them to the knowledge of the truth. 26 Then they may come to their senses and escape the Devil’s trap, having been captured by him to do his will.[2]

• Who grants repentance? God does…
• Through His kindness…
     - Should I de-friend blatant sinners on Facebook?
     - There is a difference between acceptance & teaching with gentleness.
     - How will those who have a sinful nature or are walking in their flesh ever come to know how much Jesus loves them?
     - How will the addicted ever come to know how much Jesus loves them?
     - How will a left-wing liberal tree-hugging hippie ever come to know how much Jesus loves them?
     - How will the staunch right-wing, good doing, 10 commandment card carrier ever come to know how much Jesus loves them?
     - Why would the younger generation want to have anything to do with that type of religious condemnation?
     - How do I engage them in conversation enough to intrigue them?

[1] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 2, p. 245). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
[2] The Holy Bible: Holman Christian standard version. (2009). (2 Ti 2:1–26). Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers.