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 TIMOTHY -
Paul’s Example and Teaching.* 10You have followed my teaching, way of life, purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, 11persecutions, and su erings, such as happened to me in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra, persecutions that I endured. Yet from all these things the Lord delivered me.g 12In fact, all who want to live religiously in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.h 13But wicked people and
charlatans will go from bad to worse, deceivers and deceived. 14But you, remain faithful to what you have learned and believed, because you know from whom you learned it,i 15and that from infancy you have known [the] sacred scriptures, which are capable of giving you wisdom for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.j 16* All scripturek is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for refutation, for correction, and for training in righteousness,* 17so that one who belongs to God may be competent, equipped for every good work.l
4Solemn Charge.*
1I charge you in the presence of God and of
Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the
dead, and by his appearing and his kingly power:a
2proclaim the word; be persistent whether it
is convenient or inconvenient; convince, re-
primand, encourage through all patience and
teaching.b 3For the time will come when people
will not tolerate sound doctrine but, following their own desires and insatiable curiosity,* will accumulate teachersc 4and will stop listening to the truth and will be diverted to myths.d 5But you, be self-possessed in all circumstances; put up with hardship; perform the work of an evangelist; ful ll your ministry.
Reward for Fidelity. 6* e For I am already being poured out like a libation, and the time of my departure is at hand. 7* I have competed well; I have nished the race;f I have kept the faith. 8* From now on the crown of righteousness awaits me, which the Lord, the just judge, will award to me on that day,g and not only to me, but to all who have longed for his appearance.
3:16
The Scriptures are to be relied on—they can be used to teach, counsel, guide, refute, and show us the way to salvation. How do you use the Scriptures?
Ruins of Antioch, a city where Paul was persecuted. First- century Christians often faced persecution, particularly if they lived in urban areas. There are still many Christians persecuted around the world today; they can take comfort from Paul’s reassuring words: “The Lord will rescue me
from every evil threat and will bring me safe to his heavenly kingdom” (4:18).
Paul advises Timothy to stick to his task, when convenient and inconvenient. Does inconvenience get in your way in the practice of your faith?
CHAPTER 3
g. [3:11] Acts 13:50; 14:5, 19 / Ps 34:20.
h. [3:12] Jn 15:20; Acts 14:22.
i. [3:14] 2:2.
j. [3:15] Jn 5:39.
k. [3:16] Rom 15:4; 2 Pt 1:19–21.
l. [3:17] 2:21.
CHAPTER 4
a. [4:1] 1 Tm 5:21; 6:14 / Acts 10:42; Rom 14:9–10; 1 Pt 4:5.
b. [4:2] Acts 20:20, 31; 1 Tm 5:20.
c. [4:3] 1 Tm 4:1.
d. [4:4] 1 Tm 1:4; 4:7; Ti 1:14.
e. [4:6] Phil 2:17.
f. [4:7] 1 Tm 1:18; 6:12; Jude 3 / Acts 20:24; 1 Cor 9:24; Heb 12:1.
g. [4:8] 2:5; Wis 5:16; 1 Cor 9:25; Phil 3:14;
Jas 1:12; 1 Pt 5:4; Rev 2:10.
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* [4:1–5] The gravity of the obligation incumbent on Timothy to preach the word can be gauged from the solemn adjuration: in the presence of God, and of Christ coming as universal judge, and by his appearance and his kingly power (2 Tm 4:1). Patience, courage, constancy, and endurance are required despite the opposition, hostility, indi erence, and defection of many to whom the truth has been preached (2 Tm 4:2–5).
* [4:3] Insatiable curiosity: literally, “with itching ears.”
* [4:6] The apostle recognizes his death through martyrdom to be imminent. He regards it as
an act of worship in which his blood will be poured out in sacri ce; cf. Ex 29:38–40; Phil 2:17.
* [4:7] At the close of his life Paul could testify to the accomplishment of what Christ himself foretold concerning him at the time of his conversion, “I will show him what he will have to
su er for my name” (Acts 9:16).
* [4:8] When the world is judged at the parousia, all who have eagerly looked for the Lord’s
appearing and have sought to live according to his teachings will be rewarded. The crown is a reference to the laurel wreath placed on the heads of victorious athletes and conquerors in war; cf. 2 Tm 2:5; 1 Cor 9:25.
* [4:9–13] Demas either abandoned the work of the ministry for worldly a airs or, perhaps, gave up the faith itself (2 Tm 4:10). Luke (2 Tm 4:11) may have accompanied Paul on parts of his second and third missionary journeys (Acts 16:10–12; 20:5–7). Notice the presence of the rst personal pronoun “we” in these Acts passages, suggesting to some that Luke (or at least some traveling companion of Paul’s) was the author of Acts. Mark, once rejected by Paul (Acts 13:13; 15:39), is now to render him a great service (2 Tm 4:11); cf. Col 4:10; Phlm 24. For Tychicus, see Eph 6:21; cf. also Acts 20:4; Col 4:7.