Thought On This Chapter
2TIM 4:7 I have fought a good fight, I have finished my
course, I have kept the faith:
It should be the desire of all Christians to be able to
say the same thing when their life is ending. We should all fight a good
fight. We should keep the faith. Paul kept the faith in both belief
and in action. Paul had a real practical working faith. And he did
not fight the battle for a day or a month or a year, but until the end.
Paul finished his course. He did not stop within sight of the finish line.
He went all the way to the end. What a joy it is to see Christians that
are 82 years old still out door knocking. Their hearts are still on fire
for the Lord. That is the way that it should be. Our devotion to the
Lord should get stronger with the years and not weaker. Paul finished his
course and he says that he will be rewarded for it.
2TIM 4:8 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 unto all them also that love his appearing.
This crown is not only for Paul. Everyone who
fights a good fight and finishes his course will also receive this reward at the
judgment seat. May we all strive to follow Paul's example and fight a good
fight all the way to the end.
Thought On This Chapter
2TIM 4:14 Alexander the coppersmith did me much evil:
the Lord reward him according to his works:
All that Alexander did to Paul is unknown. But
rest assured it was pretty bad. The Bible calls it much evil. Being
a Christian does not give you a free pass on the attacks of the wicked.
The Bible warns us of this.
Joh 15:18 If the world hate you, ye know that it hated
me before [it hated] you.
2Ti 3:12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ
Jesus shall suffer persecution.
Some persecution will come so what should our reaction
be? We see the answer in verse 14. Paul writes, the Lord reward him
according to his works. That is faith. That is knowing that God sees
all things, and that He will make sure that justice is done. In His way;
in His time. Paul just turned it all over to God. This is the
Biblical response.
Rom 12:19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but
[rather] give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance [is] mine; I will
repay, saith the Lord.
We are not to take matters into our own hands.
There are many reasons for this. One is that if someone hurts you and you
don't let it go, then the anger and bitterness will eat you up. Instead of
that God says give it to me. Two taking vengeance is a bad testimony and
dishonors our Lord. Three when we take matters into our own hands it
is showing a lack of faith. We are to be obedient and let God handle it.
We are to walk by faith and not by sight. When we trust it to God, that
honors Him. Four, we don't have the foresight or the wisdom to properly
meet out the right level of judgment or in the right way. But God does.
I only quickly mentioned a few reasons. I am sure you can think of more.
We should never strike out in vengeance. Instead we should follow the
example of Paul. Does this mean that I should not even mention it.
No. Look at verse 15.
2TIM 4:15 Of whom be thou ware also; for he hath
greatly withstood our words.
Where it is NOT biblical to strike back in vengeance,
it is biblical to simply warn others. If you know an Alexander the
coppersmith, then you should warn those you know. Why? so that they
don't get hurt. What would not be loving is to say nothing and let those
you love get hurt by the same person that did evil to you.
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King James Bible Main Index:
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2 Timothy 4 |
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[2]
[3]
[4]
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2TIM 4:1 I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom;
2TIM 4:2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.
2TIM 4:3 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;
2TIM 4:4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
2TIM 4:5 But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.
2TIM 4:6 For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand.
2TIM 4:7 I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:
2TIM 4:8 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 unto all them also that love his appearing.
2TIM 4:9 Do thy diligence to come shortly unto me:
2TIM 4:10 For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia.
2TIM 4:11 Only Luke is with me. Take Mark, and bring him with thee: for he is profitable to me for the ministry.
2TIM 4:12 And Tychicus have I sent to Ephesus.
2TIM 4:13 The cloke that I left at Troas with Carpus, when thou comest, bring with thee, and the books, but especially the parchments.
2TIM 4:14 Alexander the coppersmith did me much evil: the Lord reward him according to his works:
2TIM 4:15 Of whom be thou ware also; for he hath greatly withstood our words.
2TIM 4:16 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.
2TIM 4:17 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.
2TIM 4:18 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.
2TIM 4:19 Salute Prisca and Aquila, and the household of Onesiphorus.
2TIM 4:20 Erastus abode at Corinth: but Trophimus have I left at Miletum sick.
2TIM 4:21 Do thy diligence to come before winter. Eubulus greeteth thee, and Pudens, and Linus, and Claudia, and all the brethren.
2TIM 4:22 The Lord Jesus Christ be with thy spirit. Grace be with you. Amen.
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General Information About the Book of 2 Timothy.
Notice the spread of apostasy from 1 Timothy to 2
Timothy.
In 1 Timothy we see that:
Some have turned aside.
Some have made shipwreck.
Some have been led astray.
And some have erred.
In 2 Timothy we see that:
All have turned away from Paul. 2Ti 1:15 This
thou knowest, that all they which are in Asia be turned away from me; of whom
are Phygellus and Hermogenes.
And all forsook him. 2Ti 4:16 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.
Apostasy was rampant before the New Testament was even
finished. It is amazing to me that people will not believe that there are
early corrupted manuscripts when apostasy was already very common. Older
is not necessarily better.
Thought on this Chapter 2TIM 4:3 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;
If there ever was a day when this has been true, it is
today. Many people will not endure sound doctrine. It is not just
that they don't like it. No they will not endure it at all. They
will even ridicule men who preach sound doctrine. Doctrine is simply
teaching from the Word of God. Instead of hearing preaching and teaching
that convicts and demands a decision and a change in their life, they want feel
good messages. 2TIM 4:4 And they shall
turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
They will turn their ears away from the truth. This results in them being
turned unto fables. That is fables plural. There are more than you
can count. Two common ones today are they believe the fable that God is ok
with Satan's heavy beat flesh feeding rock-n-roll music in the church house.
Another is the fable that God is ok with changing His Holy Word.
What are we to do about it? We need to realize that we are not going to
stop it. God said that this day would come. We cannot change
everybody else. You cannot force anyone to embrace sound doctrine.
All you can do is be true to God's Word.
2TIM 4:2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke,
exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. We are to
preach the Word. It does not matter if people like it or not. In
fact in this day and age more people are going to hate it than like it.
Most are not going to endure it. Do not let that get to you. It is
to be expected in the age in which we live.
Preachers need to keep reproving people, rebuking them, and exhorting them.
He is to do it with all longsuffering and with doctrine.
He needs to stay true to the calling of God. Do not let your preacher give
in to the pressure to preach feel good messages. Do not let your preacher
give in to the pressure for entertainment. Encourage him to keep on
reproving, rebuking, exhorting with doctrine. |
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