4 In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: 2 Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. 3 For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. 5 But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.
6 For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time for my departure is near. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me but also to all who have longed for his appearing.
Personal Remarks
9 Do your best to come to me quickly, 10 for Demas, because he loved this world, has deserted me and has gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, and Titus to Dalmatia. 11 Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is helpful to me in my ministry. 12 I sent Tychicus to Ephesus. 13 When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, and my scrolls, especially the parchments.
14 Alexander the metalworker did me a great deal of harm. The Lord will repay him for what he has done. 15 You too should be on your guard against him, because he strongly opposed our message.
16 At my first defense, no one came to my support, but everyone deserted me. May it not be held against them. 17 But the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. And I was delivered from the lion’s mouth. 18 The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory forever and ever. Amen.
Final Greetings
19 Greet Priscilla [Greek Prisca, a variant of Priscilla] and Aquila and the household of Onesiphorus. 20 Erastus stayed in Corinth, and I left Trophimus sick in Miletus. 21 Do your best to get here before winter. Eubulus greets you, and so do Pudens, Linus, Claudia and all the brothers and sisters.[ The Greek word for brothers and sisters (adelphoi) refers here to believers, both men and women, as part of God’s family.]
22 The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you all.
NOTES:
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, indifference, 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 sacrifice; 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 suffer 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 affairs 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 first 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.
4:10 Galatia: some manuscripts read “Gaul” or “Gallia.”
4:14–18 Alexander: an opponent of Paul’s preaching (2 Tm
4:14–15), perhaps the one who is mentioned in 1 Tm 1:20. Despite Paul’s
abandonment by his friends in the province of Asia (cf. 2 Tm 1:15–16), the
divine assistance brought this first trial to a successful issue, even to the
point of making the gospel message known to those who participated in or
witnessed the trial (2 Tm 4:16–17).
4:19 Prisca and Aquila: they assisted Paul in his ministry
in Corinth (Acts 18:2–3) and Ephesus (Acts 18:19, 26; 1 Cor 16:19). They risked
death to save his life, and all the Gentile communities are indebted to them
(Rom 16:3–5).
4:20 Erastus: he was the treasurer of the city of Corinth
(Rom 16:24); cf. also Acts 19:22. Trophimus: from the province of Asia, he
accompanied Paul from Greece to Troas (Acts 20:4–5).
4:21 Linus: Western tradition sometimes identified this Linus with the supposed successor of Peter as bishop of Rome, and Claudia as the mother of Linus (Apostolic Constitutions, fourth century).
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