2Tim 4:1-5
I Charge You
We are winding down Paul’s last preserved letter and as so much of
this letter, it contains personal information from Paul to Timothy.
In chapter 3, Paul began talking to Timothy about end times and giving
Timothy council concerning them. Remembering that Paul had no way of
knowing that the end times would not come for at least 2,000 years, he
was actually giving counsel that he thought Timothy might use in his
lifetime.
Paul was still thinking last times in chapter 4, \\#3-4\\. So
everything that Paul was telling Timothy, was for him (and others) to
use to stay faithful and to ward off the end times for as long as
possible.
\\#3:1-9\\ Character of end times
\\#3:10-13\\ Contrast of godly
\\#3:14-4:5\\ Command to Timothy
The first command Paul gave to Timothy relating to the end times was
related to his faith, continue in the things you have learned
\\#3:14\\. The second command dealt with his actions \\#4:1-5\\.
We can study this command in three thoughts:
I. \\#1\\ The Charge
A. Paul used that word.
1. "charge" means "to protest to someone, to witness to
them."
2. The idea is to make them understand.
3. Paul was telling Timothy that he really needed to
understand what he was about to tell him.
B. Our church uses that word today when we commission someone
to the ministry of a deacon or a preacher.
1. We preach to them and try to make them understand the
sacred position and calling that God has given to them.
2. We emphasize to them that the future hangs upon them and
those like them to stay faithful to the things of God.
C. Paul accentuated the charge by stating two facts with it.
1. Fact 1 - He charged Timothy before the presence of God and
Jesus Christ.
a. Paul was not just telling Timothy something important.
b. He was telling him something from God, moving the
scales of importance far beyond all of man’s
concerns.
2. Fact 2 - The Lord Jesus Christ shall judge the living
(quick) and the dead at Jesus’ appearing and at the
appearing of His kingdom.
a. Paul charged Timothy while drawing his attention to
the day when Jesus would return, judge the world,
and establish His kingdom.
b. That is detailed \\#Rev 19:11-19\\ and
\\#2Thess 1:7-10\\.
c. The implication is that how Timothy, other preachers,
and the body of Christ take heed to these words will
effect this event.
d. I do not mean we can change this event but we can
delay it, as has been done by every generation that
has gone before us until this present hour.
D. What else could Paul have said to emphasize the importance of
what he was about to tell Timothy?
II. The Commands
A. This section is made up of a series of short, easy to
understand commands.
1. The first five, I believe pertain more to what all
preachers and Christians need to do to put off the devil
and to delay the end times.
2. The second four are likewise important but their emphasis
seems more personal, more from Paul directly to Timothy.
B. (1) \\#2\\ Preach the Word - I was tempted to actually count
this as two commands.
1. "Preach" - Proclaim, tell, make the people to know
a. This word is not limited to formal preaching. Anyone
can and everyone should be a preacher, a teller of
the Word. God has called us all to be "preachers"
of the Word.
b. I am always amazed at the simplicity of God’s plan.
(1) The devil cannot and will not be put off by
elections, by building big churches, by
elimination of hunger or poverty.
(2) We will never delay the end times by advances
made in medicine, science, or even peace.
(3) The only way to put off the end times is to
preach.
2. "the Word" - But what must be proclaimed is singular. Only
the Word of God will do.
a. I fear there is not as much distinction between the
pulpit and the pew as some might think.
b. Many Christians do not read their Bibles. They do not
study them, meditate upon them, or memorize them.
c. I fear the pulpits do not either.
(1) Preachers have a briefcase full of messages they
either wrote or, more than likely, copied.
(2) They may shift a few points around or change
their illustrations, but they basically have
their book of sermons and that’s it.
(3) They can’t create their own sermons because they
are not into the Bible enough to see how it
relates.
(4) That is normal for a young preacher, but if they
are in the Bible and called, at some time, they
should catch afire!
3. I believe here is the downfall of our day. We have
churches that have no Bible and pulpits that have no
preachers.
C. (2) Be instant, in season and out of season.
1. Be ready. Everyone has to study, but there should be one
topic that every Christians is always ready to proclaim,
the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ!
2. Be ready when you feel like you have God’s power and be
ready when you do not.
a. Secret- Preachers do not alway sense God’s power.
b. Just like secretaries, data entry, mechanics, and
farmers sometimes feel like they are going through
the motions, so do preachers and Christians.
c. Tell this story anyway!
d. It is not the teller of the story that has to feel the
power of God. It is the one hearing it!
D. (3-5) Reprove, rebuke, and exhort
1. Paul mentioned some terms like these in \\#2Tim 3:15\\,
"for reproof for correction.
2. All five of these words are different but similar.
3. "Reprove" means to convince, convict, tell a fault,
admonish.
a. The word then means that we are to use the Word of God
to persuade men concerning spiritual matters.
b. It may come as surprise, but people have never been
eager to accept the Bible. People have always had to
be convinced.
c. That is OUR privilege and duty now.
4. "Rebuke" - To stop, to forbid, to censure, to tax, to
censure
a. We are to unleash the Word of God in such a way that
it stops the sinner from continuing in his sins.
b. There must be a balance of both godly force and love.
c. Many tend to be timid when it comes to telling people
what the Bible says.
(1) They do not want to "offend" them, to lose them
as a friend, or to look narrow minded.
(2) Consider what is at stake, their soul.
(3) We certainly do not want to offend or to give
God’s enemies any more ammunition, but we are
must be strong enough in our presentation that
the sinners do know what the Bible says.
5. "exhort" - The word means to call, to ask, to invite.
a. Christians cannot force others to the truth, but we
can invite them to choose Jesus.
b. Notice the conditions Paul listed:
(1) With longsuffering, patience that hurts.
(2) With doctrine - Doctrine is truth, facts. When
speaking of the Bible, is refers to Bible
truth.
E. \\#5\\ (6) "watch thou in all things"
1. Notice the personal pronounce, "thou." Paul was directing
this specifically to Timothy.
2. Watch means to stay alert, on guard.
a. A sleeping Christian not only misses opportunities.
b. He/she also misses changes in directions.
c. The world, the devil, and sin have changed directions.
(1) The devil is no longer hidden but out in the
open.
(2) Sin has come out of the shadows and is boldly
standing in the light.
(3) Yet the world stands and applauds. They are
spiritually asleep.
F. (7) "endure afflictions" - Hard times were not going to stop with
Paul’s death. Timothy must get ready for what he would have
to go through to stay faithful.
G. (8) "do the work of an evangelist"
1. Evangelists have two primary duties in the church.
a. They stir revival.
b. They win souls.
2. We must all be evangelists.
3. If we do not see souls saved and the church aflame, the
church will die.
I. (9) "make full proof of thy ministry"
1. Notice again the personal pronoun.
2. Demonstrate that God has called you.
III. \\3-4\\ The Complication
A. \\#3\\ By the end times, people will not put up with sound
doctrine.
1. That is not a prophecy anymore. It is a fact.
2. However, like all prophecies, since Jesus has not
returned, people’s attitude toward the Word of God and
preaching is only going to get worse.
B. Instead of Bible preachers, we have those who preach fluff.
Every time you buy one of their books or advertise for them,
you are promoting their worthless teaching.
C. \\#4\\ They shall and they have had a part in turning the
people from the Word of God.
1. We first had the name it and claim preachers who were
greedy and immoral, causing much of the world to turn
from preaching in disgust.
2. Now we have those who only preach a feel good gospel,
making the few of will listen to preaching think all
preaching is supposed to be like that.
IV. \\#9-10\\ Cause
A. There was a reason Paul was telling Timothy these things.
B. It was because so many had turned from the truth.
1. \\#2Tim 1:15\\ Hermogenes and Phygellus
2. \\#2Tim 2:17\\ Hymenaeus and Philetus
3. \\#2Tim 2:10\\ Demas
C. Demas was mentioned by Paul in two other letters:
1. \\#Colossians 4:14\\ - 62 AD
2. \\#Phm 1:24\\ - 63 AD
3. 2Timothy - 67 AD
D. No doubt many had turned since Rome burned and Nero
charged the Christian with doing it in 64 AD.
1. So much so, that Paul probably figured the rapture and
the anti-Christ were soon to come.
2. But first, there had to be the falling away—and that
seemed to be happening all around Paul.
3. So he charged Timothy, "Don’t let it happen to you!"
<OutlineIndex> <Close Window>
