2 Timothy 4

Notes

Ver. 1. Since therefore you are so much surrounded by enemies, and so richly furnished with the infinitely excellent and useful oracles of God, and the gifts and graces of his Spirit, I solemnly charge you, as in the immediate presence of the all-seeing God and heart-searching Saviour, and as you will answer it to him when he shall appear in all the glories of his divine and mediatorial dignity to judge the world, 2. Preach the inspired truths of God with the utmost earnestness, diligence, and perseverance on the Lord's-day, or other occasions; in times of peace and of persecution, in public or in private, as often as you have opportunity; and in a free, open, and faithful declaration of the whole counsel of God—with all meekness, patience, constancy, and perseverance—apply them, as occasion offers, for convincing, reproving, and reclaiming the erroneous and immoral, and for counselling, exhorting, and encouraging believers to go on in the way of righteousness. 3. For as already some Jews, so hereafter many pretended Christians, being, through their own pride, lusts, passions, and prejudices, provoked at and enraged against the wholesome, pure, unmixed doctrines of the gospel, will not endure to hear them, but will seek out and multiply to themselves such false teachers as will tickle their ears with new and unscriptural notions agreeable to their vitiated taste; 4. And through their love of novelties, to gratify their curiosity and corrupt inclinations, will turn a deaf ear to the truths of the gospel, and eagerly listen to, and favourably embrace, every vain, empty, or senseless story, to amuse themselves and keep their consciences easy. 5. Be therefore on your guard against such persons and their errors, and take every opportunity to confute them, and establish the truth in opposition to them; watch against all temptation, and over your own spirit and conduct, and for the souls committed to your care, in every circumstance. Bear with meekness and patience whatever tribulations your adversaries bring upon you; and notwithstanding all their attempts to dishearten and silence you, go on in the name and strength of the Lord, thoroughly performing all the parts of your ministry with fidelity, care, and diligence, to the edification of believers and the conviction of gainsayers. 6. For, as for me, I am on the point of pouring out my blood, as a martyr for Christ, and in confirmation of the doctrines which I have preached; and the time when my soul shall leave my body, and depart from earth to heaven, there to be for ever with the Lord, and my body to be dissolved into its original dust, is now at hand. 7. Yet in this situation I have the comfortable testimony of the Spirit of God and of my own conscience that I have been enabled to act, like a good soldier of Jesus Christ, with courage, fidelity, and success, in fighting under his banner and direction against all his and his church's enemies. I have held on my way, through all the trials, labours, and difficulties to which I have been called; and am just finishing my course of life, obedience, suffering, and services; and I have all along lived by faith on the pure doctrines of the gospel, and been faithful in professing, publishing, and defending them, and acting agreeably to them. 8. And the rich experience I have had of the grace of God assisting, animating, and succeeding me in my work, encourages my joyful hope and confidence that I shall in a little time receive that glorious reward which is laid up in Christ and reserved in heaven—that perfection of holiness and happiness secured by his sacrifice, and which he, as the faithful and righteous Judge of the world, shall publicly and freely bestow upon me in the last judgment; and not only on me, but on all those who have by faith, and with pleasure and suitable preparation, waited, looked, longed, and hoped for his great-and glorious appearing. 14, 15. Alexander the coppersmith has, by his false accusations and otherwise, proved a most malicious and bitter enemy to me. I therefore leave him, as an utter and irreclaimable apostate, to the righteous anger of God, to be punished according to his deeds in time and eternity. Beware of him, for he has violently set himself against and inflexibly opposed the gospel of salvation, which I preach to the Gentiles as well as Jews. 16, 17. At my last appearance to take my trial before the emperor Nero, none of my Christian friends, who might have been of use to me, had courage enough to own and countenance me, or to appear as witnesses on my behalf, but all deserted me, as his disciples did my Master Christ. I heartily pray the Lord may forgive them their sin in so doing, and render them deeply penitent for it. But, while they deserted me, my almighty and fast Friend, the Lord Jesus, appeared for me, and strengthened me by his Spirit to make such a bold and plain representation of my cause as fully manifested that the gospel, in its matter and success, is of God, and no way hurtful to the interests of civil government, and gave many of the Gentiles who were present an opportunity of hearing it; yea, he marvellously delivered me from the rage and cruelty of the emperor, who, under the influence of his father the devil, sought to destroy me. 18. And, by his Word and my past experience, I have an entire confidence in his power, faithfulness, and grace, that he will always keep me from doing anything unworthy of the Christian or minister, though it be to escape the most cruel persecutions or death, and enable me, with faith and patience, to persevere in his way till he transport me to his glorious kingdom above. 22. May the Lord Jesus dwell in and fill all the powers of your soul with his presence, graces, and influences—to guide, support, strengthen, comfort, and sanctify you.

Ver. 13. The cloak. As some think, a cloak-bag, or portmanteau. Whatever it was, the mention of it affords a striking evidence of the disinterestedness of the apostle, who now, at the close of a long and laborious ministry, needed to send to such a distance for an article apparently of so little value. Of the other articles—'books and parchments'—nothing certain can be discovered; and in all such cases conjecture is of little value. C.

Ver. 14. Surely this prayer of the apostle needs no such apologies as commentators have laboured to make for it. For if God will 'reward every man according to his works,' surely it cannot be wrong to pray that he would do soon what he has promised to do finally! If such a petition were an ebullition of passion, it were sin. As an appeal from man to a wise, merciful, and righteous God, it is piety. C.

Reflections.—Ministers, as well as others, have great need to be excited to their work by serious reflections on the last, the general judgment.—How extensive is their office! There is need of much activity, patience, perseverance, boldness, and impartiality—and happy and honoured are they who are faithful—in it. Christ stands by, assists, and delivers them in their warfare, and at last graciously rewards them and all his friends with inexpressible blessedness. And it is a mercy to have him with us when some basely desert or oppose us, or are necessarily at a distance from us. To what dreadful lengths in wickedness apostates from Christ will go! and to what certain ruin they expose themselves! But not the best can stand fast unless the Lord Jesus be with their spirit.

Concluding Remarks on the Second Epistle to Timothy.

This, though not the last in order of position, is probably the last the apostle ever wrote. About this time Nero, an emperor proverbially cruel, had set fire to Rome, and, in order to divert the public odium from himself, charged the crime against the Christians, and had them condemned to death in great numbers; some were crucified; others being covered with combustibles and burned as night-lights in his gardens; others covered with skins of wild beasts and exposed to dogs; others cast to the lions (Tacitus, Annales, lib. xv. cap. 44). Under these circumstances, and in prospect of some such death, the apostle wrote. And certainly it thus serves in an especial manner 'to show with what composure a Christian can die.' C.