II Timothy 4
Preach the truth until Christ returnsverses 1-5
I charge you therefore before God – and the Lord Jesus Christ
WHO shall judge the quick and the dead at
HIS appearing and HIS kingdom
Preach the word – Be instant in season – out of season
reprove – rebuke – exhort with all long-suffering
and doctrine
FOR the time will come when they will
not endure sound doctrine
but after their own lusts shall they heap
to themselves teachers
having itching ears
And they shall turn away their ears from the truth
and shall be turned to fables
BUT watch you in all things – endure afflictions
do the work of an evangelist
make full proof of your ministry
Personal testimony of Paulverses 6-8
FOR I am now ready to be offered
and the time of my departure is at hand
I have fought a good fight – I have finished my course
I have kept the faith
HENCEFORTH there is laid up for me a CROWN of righteousness
which the Lord – the righteous judge
shall give me at that day – and not to me only
but to all them that love HIS appearing
Personal instructions to Timothyverses 9-13
Do your diligence to come shortly to me
for Demas hath forsaken me
having loved this present world
and departed to Thessalonica
Crescens to Galatia – Titus unto Dalmatia
ONLY Luke is with me
Take Mark – and bring him with you
for he is profitable to me for the ministry
and Tychicus have I sent to Ephesus
The cloak that I left in Troas with Carpus – when you come
bring with you – and the books
but especially the parchments
Personal warning regarding Alexanderverses 14-15
Alexander the coppersmith did me much evil
the Lord reward him according to his works
of whom be you ware also
FOR he has greatly withstood our words
Personal deliverance of Paulverses 16-18
At my first answer no man stood with me
BUT all men forsook me
I pray God that it may not be laid
to their charge
Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me
and strengthened me
that by me the preaching might be fully known
and that all the Gentiles might hear
and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion
And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work
and will preserve me unto HIS heavenly kingdom
to WHOM be glory for ever and ever AMEN
Personal greetings of Paulverses 19-22
Salute Prisca and Aquila – and the household of Onesiphorus
Eratus abode at Corinth
BUT Trophimus have I left at Miletus sick
Do you diligence to come before winter
Eubulus greets you – and Pudens – Linus – Claudia
and all the brethren
The Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit
Grace be with you AMEN
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. (1651 “reprove” [elegcho] means to expose, tell one’s fault, convince, refute, correct, to call to account, demand an explanation, show error, or prove guilty)
DEVOTION: Jesus Christ gave a formula to HIS disciples when they were to confront someone who had a fault. They were to go one on one. Then take two or three witnesses. Finally to bring it before the church.
Paul is instructing Timothy to preach the Word of God with power. He was always to be ready to give an answer for what he believed. He was to minister to the people.
Part of ministering to the people was to confront them if they were doing something that was not pleasing to the LORD. This is not easy. It needs to be done by a leader after much prayer and making sure he has the facts straight.
Confronting people is never easy. I try to teach that those we want to confront need to know that we are doing it in love and with concern for their spiritual growth. Some people accept constructive criticism regarding something they are doing wrong well. Others do not accept such criticism.
If proper instruction is given each Sunday regarding how a believer is to live it will be easier to talk with someone about what is going on in their life.
If there is never proper groundwork done in the pulpit it is hard to confront in the home. It is all about ministering properly before a problem or sin is exposed. People know when the Holy Spirit has them under conviction. They need someone to come alongside and get them back on the right path with love.
Paul teaches that we need to “speak the truth in love” which means we have that responsibility.
CHALLENGE: Remember to get the facts straight first and then meet one on one with an individual. Don’t bring it up in prayer meeting as a prayer request!!!!
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 5 But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry. (2099 “evangelist” [euaggelistes] means a preacher of the gospel, or a bringer of good tidings)
DEVOTION: Paul thought his time was short. He was in prison and wanted to be visited by his fellow workers. He wanted Timothy to come to him. He had been taken to court and most of the disciples had left him high and dry. He was strengthened of the LORD at that time. He prayed for those who had left him.
Paul warned Timothy that before the time of the LORD’S return people would not endure sound doctrine. They would want to hear preachers who would tell them that they were OK the way they were. They wanted preachers who would tickle their ears.
Paul wanted Timothy to watch for these things but also to make sure that he continued to preach the gospel. Remember the gospel is the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. That is the good news that is to be shared with all those in our world. After individuals become followers of Christ they start obeying the Word of God with their actions. Actions don’t save only Jesus Christ saves. Actions show that someone has believed the gospel but they are not part of the gospel.
The world is full of people who have never heard the “good news” of the gospel. The gospel is the dead, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. HE died on the cross for the sins of the world. HE went into the grave after HIS death. HE arose from the dead on the third day according to the Word of God. All that HE did for us is found in the Old Testament. God knew before the foundation of the world that HIS Son would have to die for our sins.
God is not surprised by what has happened in the past. God is not surprised by what is happening today. God will not be surprised by anything that happens in the future. HE is omniscience.
Paul was telling Timothy to tell people the good news. We are to be bringers of good tidings to our world. There are people in our world that no pastor can ever reach. We are the ones who deliver the message to our world. We are God’s bringers of good tidings to our world.
If we don’t reach our family and friends, WHO WILL? Are we spreading the good news of the gospel – the death, burial and resurrection of Christ? HE died for all the world and offers repentance and salvation to all who will believe. Take the gift to them. We are the only ones who can.
If anyone is receiving these devotions that has never given their life over to the LORD, please do so now. If there are any questions regarding God’s plan, please write me. Thanks.
CHALLENGE: Obey the command to spread the good news to all in your world.
: 11 Only Luke is with me. Take Mark, and bring him with you: for he is profitable to me for the ministry. (2173 “profitable” [euchrestos] means useful, easy to make use of, valuable, beneficial, serviceable, or helpful)
DEVOTION: There are some people who have a bad start to their Christian life. They wanted to serve the LORD but when the going got tough they ran. There are some who don’t have a lot of courage growing up and so when it comes to representing Christ to strangers they have a hard time. They know they should do it but they want to always run. This was a problem with John Mark. He went on a missionary journey with Paul and Barnabas and when the going got tough he went home.
Now years later we find that Paul calls on this same man to come to him. He calls him helpful to the ministry. He realized that he just needed more encouragement which he was given by Barnabas. He grew in the LORD to the point that Paul wanted him on his team.
We will have setbacks in our Christian life. We should never give up on ourselves or others. We have to work with each individual with the attitude of encouraging them to grow as they encourage us to grow in our relationships with others.
Jesus Christ is not going to give up on us once we join HIS family. HE will sent just the right people and circumstances our way to help us more forward toward maturity and usefulness in HIS service.
CHALLENGE: We all have a ministry. Wait on the LORD to show you your ministry. Never give up.
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
: 14 Alexander the coppersmith did me much evil: the Lord reward him according to his works. (591 “reward” [apodidomi] means pay, render, pay back, cause to happen, or to recompense.)
DEVOTION: There is a time to name names of those who are not faithful to the ministry. They are against Jesus Christ and HIS teachings. These are usually people who are not believers. I don’t think that Alexander was a believer. He was someone who did everything he could against Paul and anyone who was preaching the Gospel faithfully.
He loved his false idols. His business was to have people worship the idols he made. If they all became Christians, he would lose his livelihood. So, he caused problems for those who were preaching repentance from worshiping false gods.
In our society there are people who don’t want others to be followers of Christ because they want to live in a world without any restrictions on what they can say and do. They want to have no absolutes in their world. They absolutely want to be free from any Biblical restrictions on their lifestyle.
So when the Bible says that something is sin and we preach that it is sin and they are practicing this something they don’t want to hear it. In fact, they don’t want us to have the right to say what we think. They are trying to get all the teachings of Jesus to be hate crimes against them. It is working in some areas.
Remember that we have to answer to the LORD for our words and actions. If HE tells us to do or say something, we need to do it no matter what the cost. We need to speak the truth in love but still speak the truth.
CHALLENGE: While speaking the truth in love we can be punished by those who don’t believe Jesus is the only way to heaven.
:16 At my first answer no man stood with me, but all men forsook me: I pray God that it may not be laid to their charge. (3049 “laid to charge” [logizomai] means 1 to reckon, count, compute, calculate, count over. 1a to take into account, to make an account of. 1a1 metaph. to pass to one’s account, to impute. 1a2 a thing is reckoned as or to be something, i.e. as availing for or equivalent to something, as having the like force and weight. 1b to number among, reckon with. 1c to reckon or account. 2 to reckon inward, count up or weigh the reasons, to deliberate. 3 by reckoning up all the reasons, to gather or infer. 3a to consider, take into account, weigh, meditate on. 3b to suppose, deem, judge. 3c to determine, purpose, decide. [Strong, J. (1995). Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon. Woodside Bible Fellowship].)
DEVOTION: When is the last time you really held a grudge? You were just so angry that all you wanted to do was to get even with the person who had offended you. For some of us, the struggle with anger over our perceived rights is stronger than others. It is also true that we tend to hold grudges against the people who we hold closest to us (for example, our spouse).
Paul had every right to be angry with those who had injured him and were responsible for his imprisonment. In fact, he says that at his first trial everyone forsook him. That was likely due to the fear of persecution as even the Christians witnessed the harshness of those who were opposed to Jesus Christ. It probably caused Paul to have fear at his sentencing as well, because no one had supported him.
But Paul does an amazing thing here—he asks that these things not be laid to the charge of those who had abandoned or even persecuted him. Jesus had emphasized the importance of forgiving our enemies, and Paul applies this instruction in this passage. The only way to be free from the mental focus on our enemies is to release them through full forgiveness. This means to surrender my right to get even with them.
Forgiving others can be difficult, especially if there is an injury which is very severe to us. It may take being willing to ask God to help us to forgive them on a daily (or more frequent) basis until we are no longer in bondage to the anger we have about what they have done to us. However, we need to learn to fully forgive others as we ourselves have been fully forgiven.
CHALLENGE: Is there anyone you want to get revenge on today? If so, stop for a minute and think about the grace of God toward you. Then figure out a way to fully forgive them, and serve that person in the name of Christ. That is how the gospel is spread! (MW)
DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:
BODY
Chastity (Purity in living)
Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)
Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)
Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)
Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)
SOUL
Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)
Frugality (wise use of resources)
Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)
Booksverse 13
Parchmentsverse 13
Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)
Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)
SPIRIT
Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)
Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)
Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)
Paul prayed for those who left himverse 16
Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
Preach the Wordverse 2
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
Godverses 1, 16
God the Son (Second person of the Godhead –God/man, Messiah)
Lordverses 1, 8, 14, 17, 18, 22
Jesusverses 1, 22
Christverses 1, 22
Lord Jesus Christverses 1, 22
Judge quick and deadverse 1
Appearingverse 1
Kingdomverses 1, 18
Righteous Judgeverse 8
Strengthened Paulverse 17
Heavenly kingdomverse 18
Glory given HIMverse 18
God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)
Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)
Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)
Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)
Demas forsaken Paul (Thessalonica)verse 10
Crescens to Galatiaverse 10
Titus to Dalmatia verse 10
Luke with Paulverse 11
Mark to go to Paulverse 11
Profitable to ministry
Tychicus to Ephesusverse 12
Troas with Carpusverse 13
Timothy bringverse 13
Bring books and parchments
Alexander the coppersmithverse 14
Much evil
Lord reward him according to works
Greatly withstood our words
Gentilesverse 17
Prisca and Aquilaverse 19
Household of Onesiphorusverse 19
Erastus at Corinthverse 20
Trophimus in Mileturnverse 20
Eubulusverse 21
Pudensverse 21
Linusverse 21
Claudiaverse 21
Brethrenverse 21
spirit verse 22
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Not enduring sound doctrineverse 3
Lustsverse 3
False teachersverse 3
Itching earsverse 3
Turn away from truthverse 4
Turn to fablesverse 4
Forsaken Paulverses 10, 16
laid to their charge
Loved this present worldverse 10
Evilverses 14, 18
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Preachverse 2
Instant in season
Out of season
Reproveverse 2
Rebukeverse 2
Exhortverse 2
Long-sufferingverse 2
Sound doctrineverses 2, 3
Truthverse 4
Watchverse 5
Endure afflictionsverse 5
Evangelistverse 5
Ministryverse 5
Good fightverse 7
Finished my courseverse 7
Kept the faithverse 7
Love HIS appearingverse 8
Diligenceverse 9
LORD stood with Paulverse 17
Strengthenedverse 17
Deliveredverses 17, 18
Preserve verse 18
Graceverse 22
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Church (New Testament people of God)
Preach the wordverses 2, 17
Reprove
Rebuke
Exhort with all longsuffering
Doctrine
Sound doctrineverse 3
Work of an Evangelistverse 5
Ministryverses 5, 11
Paulverses 7, 8, 17, 18
Fought the good fight
Finished my course
Kept the faith
Crown of righteousness
Strengthened
Delivered from mouth of lion
Delivered from every evil work
Preserved
Brethrenverse 21
Last Things (Future Events)
Judge the quick and the deadverse 1
Christ’s appearing and kingdomverse 1
Departureverse 6
Crown of righteousnessverse 8
That dayverse 8
Lord reward Alexander according to his worksverse 14
Mouth of the lionverse 17
Heavenly kingdomverse 18
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QUOTES regarding passage
14, 15 We know nothing further about “Alexander.” This was a common name; so there is no necessary identification with the Alexander of Acts 19:33 (comments) or 1 Timothy 1:20 (see comments there). He is called a “metalworker” (chalkeus, only here in the NT). Since the word comes from chalkos, “copper,” it originally was used for a “coppersmith” (KJV), but later in a more general sense for a worker in any metal, especially iron.
We do not know when, where, or in what way Alexander did Paul “a great deal of harm.” One good guess is that he had been responsible for the apostle’s arrest and imprisonment.
“The Lord reward him according to his works” (KJV) sounds like an imprecatory prayer. But the oldest and best Greek text does not have apodōē (the optative of wishing) but the future indicative apodōsei, “will repay.” It is not an imprecation but a prophecy. Paul warns Timothy to be on guard against this malicious enemy who “strongly opposed our message” (logois, “words”). This may possibly have included not only Paul’s preaching but his defense before the court, mentioned in the next verse. (Earle, R. (1981). 2 Timothy. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Ephesians through Philemon (Vol. 11, pp. 415–416). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.)
Alexander the coppersmith (Ἀλεξανδρος ὁ χαλκευς [Alexandros ho chalkeus]). Old word, only here in N. T., for metal-worker (copper, iron, gold, etc.). Possibly the one in 1:20, but not the one in Acts 19:33f. unless he afterwards became a Christian. Did me much evil (μοι κακα ἐνεδειξατο [moi kaka enedeixato]). Evidently he had some personal dislike towards Paul and possibly also he was a Gnostic. Will render (ἀποδωσει [apodōsei]). Future active of the same verb used in verse 8, but with a very different atmosphere. (Robertson, A. T. (1933). Word Pictures in the New Testament (2 Ti 4:14). Nashville, TN: Broadman Press.)
4:14–15. Alexander the metalworker may be the same man named in Acts 19:33–34, or more likely, the person in 1 Timothy 1:20. But since the name Alexander was common, one cannot be certain. The Alexander referred to here was well known to Timothy and had done a great deal of harm to Paul by opposing his message. The apostle had no desire for personal revenge, as may be seen by his reference to Psalm 62:12: The Lord will repay him for what he has done (cf. Rom. 12:19). Yet Paul was concerned lest Timothy run afoul of Alexander’s attacks. Hence his warning to be on your guard against him. (Litfin, A. D. (1985). 2 Timothy. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 2, p. 759). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
Is Alexander the coppersmith (2 Tim. 4:14) the same Alexander mentioned in 1 Timothy 1:20? Nobody knows, and there is no value in conjecturing. The name was common, but it is possible that this heretic went to Rome to make things difficult for Paul. Satan has his workers too. By the way, Paul’s words, “The Lord reward him according to his works” (2 Tim. 4:14), are not a prayer of judgment, for this would be contrary to Jesus’ teaching (Matt. 5:43–48). “The Lord will reward him” is a better translation. (Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 2, p. 257). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
4:14 Alexander the coppersmith. Probably not the same man whom Paul delivered to Satan along with Hymenaeus (1Ti 1:20), since Paul singles him out as the one who was a “coppersmith.” This Alexander, however, may have been an idol maker (cf. Ac 19:24). did me much harm. Alexander opposed Paul’s teaching and likely spread his own false doctrine. He may have been instrumental in Paul’s arrest and may even have borne false witness against him. Cf. Ac 19:23ff. the Lord will repay him. Paul left vengeance in God’s hands (Dt 32:35; Ro 12:19). (MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2006). The MacArthur study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (2 Ti 4:14). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers.)
Ver. 14. Alexander the coppersmith did me much evil, &c.] This seems to be the same person that was at Ephesus in the tumult, when the apostle was there, Acts 20:33, 34 and whom he afterwards delivered to Satan, along with Hymeneus, for blasphemy, 1 Tim. 1:20. It was very likely he had lately been at Rome, though now returned to Ephesus, and had done great injury to the apostle’s character, and had reproached and reviled him as a man of bad principles and practices; his business is mentioned, to distinguish him from any other of that name, and to shew the insolence of the man, that though he was an illiterate person, and in such a mean station of life, yet took upon him to resist the apostle and his doctrine. The Lord reward him according to his works; which may be considered either as an imprecation upon him, as knowing him to be a wicked blasphemer, and a reprobate person; and which arose, not from private resentment, and on account of the private injury he had done to him; but from a pure zeal for the glory of God, and the honour of his name, without mingling his own spirit and passions with it: or as a prophecy, or declaration of what would be; and so the Alexandrian copy, and the Vulgate Latin and Syriac versions, read, the Lord will render to him, &c. (Gill, J. (1809). An Exposition of the New Testament (Vol. 3, p. 343). London: Mathews and Leigh.)
FROM MY READING:
(Remember the only author that I totally agree with is the HOLY SPIRIT in the inerrant WORD OF GOD called THE BIBLE! All other I try to gleam what I can to help me grow in the LORD!!)
Conflict is a part of live and a part of leadership. To be a leader means that we are constantly confronting people with personal spiritual, and organizational change. Change inevitably leads to conflict as the old contends with the desired new. An effective leader is one who does not respond to conflict with further hostility but rather strives to lovingly and properly resolve the conflict. A quarrelsome individual is one who sees conflict as a threat and challenge and responds to it as such. Paul states that we are not to be “quarrelsome” (I Tim. 3:3)
(p. 57, Developing Leaders for the Small Church by Glenn C. Daman)
Thousands of babies died in the United States yesterday… from abortion. The scariest pandemic of our lifetime. (AMEN)
Carolynn quotes (NY): While it looks like things are out of control, behind the scenes there is a GOD who hasn’t surrendered HIS authority (A.W. Tozer)
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