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Turn with me in your Bibles to
2 Timothy chapter 4 for our meditation this evening before the supper.
2 Timothy chapter 4. Our focus will be on the departure
of the Apostle Paul, specifically in verses six to eight, but I'll
read beginning in verse one to the end of the chapter. So 2
Timothy 4, this is the last epistle that the Apostle Paul wrote.
It's dated around AD 64 or 65. He was confident or conscious
of the fact that he was going to die. And so this is basically
his word in his 11th hour First, a corporate command in
terms of what the church is supposed to carry on with, and then he
gives some specific directions to Timothy at a personal level. So, beginning in 2 Timothy, chapter
4, verse 1, I charge you, therefore, before God and the Lord Jesus
Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at his appearing
in his kingdom, Preach the word, be ready in season and out of
season. Convince, rebuke, exhort with
all long-suffering and teaching. For the time will come when they
will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires,
because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves
teachers, and they will turn their ears away from the truth
and be turned aside to fables. But you be watchful in all things,
endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your
ministry. For I am already being poured
out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at
hand. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race,
I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for
me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous
judge, will give to me on that day. And not to me only, but
also to all who have loved is appearing. Be diligent to come
to me quickly, for Demas has forsaken me, having loved this
present world, and has departed for Thessalonica. Crescens for
Galatia, Titus for Dalmatia. Only Luke is with me. Get Mark
and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for ministry.
And Tychicus I have sent to Ephesus. Bring the cloak that I left with
Carpus at Troas when you come, and the books, especially the
parchments. Alexander the coppersmith did
me much harm. May the Lord repay him according
to his works. You also must beware of him,
for he has greatly resisted our words. At my first defense, no
one stood with me, but all forsook me. May it not be charged against
them. But the Lord stood with me and
strengthened me so that the message might be preached fully through
me and that all the Gentiles might hear. Also, I was delivered
out of the mouth of the lion, and the Lord will deliver me
from every evil work and preserve me for his heavenly kingdom.
To him be glory forever and ever. Amen. greet Prisca and Aquila
and the household of Anesophorus. Erastus stayed in Corinth, but
Trophimus I have left in Miletus sick. Do your utmost to come
before winter. Ubulus greets you, as well as
Pudens, Linus, Claudia, and all the brethren. Lord Jesus Christ,
be with your spirit. Grace be with you. Amen. Well,
let us pray. Our Holy Father, we thank you
for this, your written word, and we pray now that the Spirit
who gave it would guide us as we consider this departure, the
statement of the Apostle Paul at the eleventh hour of his own
life, how we thank you, God, for the grace that you give,
not only in justification, but as well in sanctification, and
you enable us to persevere to the very end. May we learn this
lesson. May we appreciate that grace
that you have given to us in the Gospel. that we with Paul
would bless you for every spiritual blessing that you have given
to us in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus our Lord. Again,
forgive us now, cleanse us in the blood of the Lamb, guide
us by your Spirit, and we pray through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Well, as I said, there is first and foremost a formal command
with reference to the church as she continues in the death
or after the death of the Apostle Paul. And that is found simply
in verse 2, preach the word, be ready in season and out of
season. And then in verses 9 and following,
we see the apostle give some instructions to Timothy of a
personal nature. He wants his cloak. He wants
the books. He wants the parchments. As well,
he notices this Alexander the coppersmith. He prays an imprecatory
psalm about that particular man. and then he cautions the saints
of Christ. And then it's a pretty wonderful way that he ends here
in verse 22. The Lord Jesus Christ be with
your spirit. Grace be with you. Amen. Again, the last words that
the apostle penned prior to his death at the hands of Nero. So
as we look at this particular section in verses 6 to 8, I want
to look first at the apostle's present situation in verse 6,
secondly the apostle's past perseverance in verse 7, and then finally
the apostle's future hope in verse 8. So as he is in a prison
cell, this is his second Roman imprisonment. The book of Acts
ends at about AD 60 to 62 with Paul in prison there, but he's
ultimately released from that imprisonment. He goes out and
he continues in ministry, but he is re-arrested. And in this
particular event, he knows that his time is short. He knows that
he's going to die. As I said, it is his 11th hour. So I think it is very instructive
for us to see what is in the mind of a man in his 11th hours. I've already mentioned the corporate
command in verse 2, preach the word. He doesn't say, Timothy,
be the nicest guy in Ephesus. Be the most gregarious guy. Be the guy that always goes and
has coffee with everybody. No, the emphasis in Timothy's
ministry is on the proclamation of the truth. Notice in verse
5 in chapter 4, but you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions,
do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. That's
the emphasis in terms of the pastoral ministry or the eldership,
proclamation and teaching. That doesn't mean he's not supposed
to be nice. That doesn't mean he can't ever
have coffee with people, but rather the emphasis is upon the
last command of the apostle to the church. Not entertain them,
not woo them, but rather preach to them. That's what Paul says. So that is uppermost in terms
of this particular context. So as we look first at the apostle's
present situation, we notice his status. Note the metaphor
that he uses in verse six. for I am already being poured
out as a drink offering." Now, if you go back to the book of
Philippians, he uses this language. Philippians chapter 2, specifically
at verse 17. You can turn there. This is a
metaphor that reflects the Old Testament sacrificial system. In Philippians 2.17, yes, and
if I am being poured out as a drink offering on the sacrifice and
service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. Backing
up just a little bit to chapter one, specifically at verse 19. Again, this is the first Roman
imprisonment about the years AD 60 to 62. He understands that
it's possible that he may die, but he doesn't have that certitude
that he has when we come to 2 Timothy 4. So notice in Philippians 1.19,
for I know that this will turn out for my deliverance through
your prayer and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, according
to my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I shall
be ashamed, but with all boldness as always. So now also Christ
will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death.
Again, the potential is there. He could die in that cell or
outside that cell in some public execution. Notice what he says
in verse 21, "...for to me to live is Christ, and to die is
gain. But if I live on in the flesh,
this will mean fruit for my labor. And yet what I shall choose,
I cannot tell." For I am hard-pressed between the two, having a desire
to depart and be with Christ, which is far better. Nevertheless,
to remain in the flesh is more needful for you. And being confident
of this, I know that I shall remain and continue with you
all for your progress and joy of faith, that your rejoicing
for me may be more abundant in Jesus Christ by my coming to
you again. So the possibility is there.
The potential is there. He uses that similar language
in chapter 2 at verse 17. But as history testifies, and
as these letters manifest, Paul did get out of prison. He continued
to fight on. He continued to labor on behalf
of the churches. He continued to minister, and
he continued to write letters. Most likely, he wrote 1 and 2
Timothy and Titus after he had gotten out of that first imprisonment. I would argue that he wrote Hebrews
at that time as well, but there's some debate in terms of authorship
of Hebrews. So back to our text in 2 Timothy
4.6, for I am already being poured out as a drink offering. It's
Old Testament ceremonial language. When the priest offered up sacrifice,
there would be a drink offering that went alongside of it. The
language of offering or sacrifice should not be seen the way Christ's
sacrifice or offering was made, for atonement. Rather, Paul's
offering was in the cause of Christ and for the confirmation
of the gospel and the faith of the saints in it. So he's using
that metaphorical language. He's using that Old Covenant
language, not again in the sense that he is atoning for the sins
of the recipients of his letters, but rather he is confirming the
gospel of their salvation. He is confirming his ministry
as an apostle of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. And the
fact that this is imminent does not mean it's immediate. Because
again, he makes these personal commands or instructions rather
to Timothy in terms of bringing him a cloak, bringing him the
parchments, bringing him the books. So the metaphor is that
old covenant language. But then the specific meaning
is at the end of verse six, so the second half, and the time
of my departure is at hand. We just saw that same verb utilized
in Philippians chapter 1 at verse 23. The word is used as a euphemism
for death. The time of my departure is at
hand. It's not suggesting that somebody's
going to break into the prison, get him out of there, and take
him to Mexico where he can hide from all of the authorities.
The departure that he has in view is his death. The departure
that he has in view is his martyrdom. And in terms of Paul's reality,
this is not surprising based on what had happened in his life
previous. Turn back to 2 Corinthians 11. 2 Corinthians 11, specifically
at verse 22, where he's contrasting these false apostles with himself. In fact, much of 2 Corinthians
reads as a defense of the apostle Paul. Not because Paul was a
megalomaniac. Not because Paul had a massive
ego. Not because Paul had to be seen
as the great and mighty Apostle Paul. But no, false apostles
had gone to the church in Corinth, and they had tried to usurp the
authority and the teaching ministry of the Apostle Paul. That's why
in 2 Corinthians, he defends his integrity. Because if he
is compromised, his gospel is compromised. If he is questioned,
his gospel is questioned. So when we see these passages
in 2 Corinthians where he's defending himself, it's only insofar as
the gospel is at stake. In Philippians 1, he doesn't
care if people think bad of him as long as the truth is being
preached about Jesus. So here he makes the contrast
between the false apostles, which he speaks of previously in this
chapter, or in this book. Well, actually look at verse
14. And no wonder, for Satan himself transforms himself into
an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing
if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of
righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.
And then notice the contrast in verse 22. Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites?
So am I. Are they the seed of Abraham?
So am I. Are they ministers of Christ?
I speak as a fool. I am more. In labors more abundant,
in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths
often. From the Jews, five times I received
40 stripes minus one. Three times I was beaten with
rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked.
A night and a day I have been in the deep, in journeys often,
in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own
countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city,
in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea. in perils
among false brethren, in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often,
in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness,
besides the other things, what comes upon me daily, my deep
concern for all the churches, who is weak and I am not weak,
who is made to stumble and I do not burn with indignation." Back
to our text, if you would have asked the Apostle Paul at some
point in his life and ministry, how do you think you're going
to die? He probably would have said, in not a pretty way, that
type of a career, that type of suffering, that type of enmity
from unbelieving Israel and from the Roman state, that kind of
a life pattern typically suggests that you're not gonna exit in
the quietness of your bed being attended by nurses. Most likely,
it's going to be violent. Most likely, it's going to be
bloody. Most likely, it's going to be cruel. And I should tell
you that about this time, or at the time that Paul is writing
this, Nero was nuts. When Paul writes Romans, Nero
isn't nuts. Nero was never a bulwark of integrity
and godliness and righteousness, but Nero had good advisors around
him that hedged him in, that kept him in. By the time the
mid-60s roll around, Nero, according to John Fox, was the beast. And
that's precisely what we find in Fox's Book of Martyrs in terms
of Paul's martyrdom. John Fox says the first of the
ten persecutions was stirred up by Nero about AD 64. His rage
against Christians was so fierce that Eusebius records, quote,
A man might then see cities full of men's bodies, the old lying
with the young, and the dead bodies of women cast out naked,
without reverence of that sex in the open streets, end quote.
Fox continues, many Christians in those days thought that Nero
was the Antichrist because of his cruelty and abominations.
Paul also suffered under this persecution when Nero sent two
of his esquires, Pharaoh and Parthemius, to bring him to his
execution. They found Paul instructing the
people and asked him to pray for them so they might believe.
Receiving Paul's assurance that they would soon be baptized,
the two men led him out of the city to the place of execution
where Paul was beheaded. This persecution ended under
Vespasian's reign, giving the Christians a little peace. So
Paul understands the time of his departure is at hand. Paul
understands that he's going to go the way of all flesh. Paul
understands that he has served his master, and we'll see that
in just a moment with the language that he uses in verse 7. But
before we get to that, in terms of the apostles' past perseverance,
let's note the connection with the main or primary command of
verse 2. Notice again in chapter 4 at
verse 2, preach the word. This is Paul's admonition, ongoing
command, and instruction to Timothy that is to be normative in the
church until the Lord Jesus Christ returns. Brethren, when I condemn
pastors or preachers that engage in entertainment or that repel
down and they've got the mic or they're superheroes, that's
because of this text. The task is quite simple, it's
clearly delineated, it's absolutely positively easy to understand.
Preach the word! Not entertain the masses, not
be the nicest guy on the face of the earth, but preach the
word. You only had one job, preach
the word. Why has the church fumbled the
ball so drastically in the last hundred years? Why have we turned
attention to entertainment? Why have we turned attention
to catering to men's felt needs? Why have we turned attention
to inculcating self-help instead of the proclamation of God's
holy truth. So Paul tells Timothy, preach
the word. And then Paul gives Timothy three
reasons why he's supposed to preach the word. The first is
the departure of the church. Second is the nature of Timothy's
ministry. And third, it's the departure
of the apostle Paul. So notice, Verse 2, preach the
word, be ready in season and out of season, convince, rebuke,
exhort with all longsuffering and teach it. So not only the
command, preach the word, but the manner by which that command
is to be carried out. Not preach the word with your
hands in your pocket in a sort of a chatty environment. No,
you preach the word. This is the roar of God Most
High. You don't just sort of suggest
it. You don't just put it out there as one philosophy among
many. No, you convince, you rebuke, and you exhort. The first reason
is verses 3 and 4. 4. The time will come when they
will not endure sound doctrine. What's the antidote to a professing
people of God that no longer want to hear the Word preached?
Preach the Word. You don't say, well, okay, what
is it that you want? We want self-help. We want therapy. We want encounter sessions. We
want you to move the pulpit and get a big easy chair and just
tell us stories. That's not what the church is
supposed to do or the pastor is supposed to do when persons
will no longer endure sound doctrine. Notice he continues to tease
this out in verse three, but according to their own desires,
because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves
teachers. They will turn their ears away
from the truth and be turned aside to fables. You know what
that seems to intimate? That when the professed people
of God turn from sound doctrine, when they want their itching
ears to be dealt with, there's going to be a class of men out
there that will do that. There are going to be the Joel
Osteen's. There are going to be the self-help
guys. There are going to be the cheerleaders. There are going to be the CEOs.
There'll always be a class of men that kowtow to the people,
the professing people of God, and do exactly what they want.
But that's never God's intention. You don't do exactly what they
want. You give them exactly what they need. And they need the
proclamation of the truth of God with conviction, with rebuke,
with exhortation, and with instruction in righteousness. So the first
reason Timothy is supposed to preach the word is because the
people of God, or the professed people of God, are going to depart
from that word. Notice the second reason in verse
5. But you be watchful in all things. Endure afflictions. Notice. Paul assumes that a faithful
ministry will be accompanied by afflictions. In fact, go up
to chapter 3, specifically at verse 10. In chapter 3 at verses
1 to 9, he describes the characteristics of those in the last days, that
time between the first and second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Not something in our future, but the messianic reign of our
Lord from the right hand of the Father. What's it going to look
like in professing churches in those last days or in those last
times? Well, it's going to be men who
love themselves. It's going to be men who love
pleasure. And it's going to be men who love money. They have
a form of godliness. These aren't heathen. These aren't
pagans. These aren't Muslims. These aren't
Hindus. They have a form of godliness, but they deny its power. They
have a form of Christian religion, but they deny its power. So then
notice that Paul makes this contrast in verse 10, but you. Here's
what they look like, Timothy, but you. But you have carefully
followed my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, long-suffering,
love, perseverance, persecutions, afflictions, which happened to
me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra, what persecutions I endured. And out of them all, the Lord
delivered me. Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ
Jesus will suffer persecution. So when he says what he says
to Timothy in 2 Timothy 4 at verse 5, Timothy doesn't have
this sort of a moment where he says, what do you mean endure
afflictions? He's already said that. Timothy, it is the consistent
report amongst the faithful of Christ that when they live godly
in this present evil age, they are afflicted. They're opposed.
They are hated. They are oppressed. They are
persecuted. So the nature of Timothy's ministry, verse 5,
you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work
of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. Again, you only had
one job. It wasn't to be a CEO. It wasn't
to be a cheerleader. It wasn't to be the entertainer-in-chief.
You're to preach the word. You're to be watchful in all
things. You're to endure afflictions. You're to do the work of an evangelist.
You're to fulfill your ministry. In other words, that ministry
that he specified in 2 Timothy 4, 2. Preach the word. Be ready
in season and out of season. So the first reason, the departure
of men. The second reason, the ministry
of Timothy. Thirdly, the ministry, or the
departure rather, of Paul. Notice how verse 6 starts, 4. I think it's connected to the
previous context. Why should Timothy preach the
word? Because Paul's going to die.
See, Paul is concerned with not his legacy the way that Barack
Obama is, but he's concerned about his legacy in terms of
the church of the Lord God Most High. He's concerned that men
take the baton and continue to preach the word. The apostle
Paul, up to his dying breath, I mean, when you read the latter
half of this, he's strategizing. He's in a prison cell and he's
moving troops from one place to another. Why is that? Because
he understands the nature of the combat. He understands the
mission. He understands that it's about
the proclamation of Christ. and him crucified to the entirety
of the empire, such that Jesus will make many disciples through
his blood." So the Apostle Paul uses his own departure as an
argument as to why Timothy ought to preach the word. So that's
the Apostle's present situation. Look at his past perseverance
in verse 7. He makes this statement, and
I want to qualify it. He's not boasting. He's not boasting. He's not engaged in saber-rattling
here. He's not saying, oh, what a great
guy I am. No, he was always dependent upon
God's grace. He doesn't mention God's grace
in this particular statement, but he mentions God's grace throughout
his corpus of literature. And so we know he's dependent
upon God's grace, but he's not boasting here. Rather, he is
not, and as well rather, he is not speaking in triumphalistic
terms. He's not a health, wealth, prosperity
guy. Look at what I've done. I have sealed the deal. I have
finished. I have done it by myself. No,
he's not doing that. He speaks as a man who's persevered
by the grace of God to the very end. He doesn't mention, as I
said, God's grace here, but look back for a moment at 1 Timothy
chapter 1. 1 Timothy chapter 1, specifically at verse 12.
1 Timothy 1.12, I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled
me because he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry.
Although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent
man, but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.
And the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant with faith
and love which are in Christ Jesus. This is a faithful saying
and worthy of all acceptance that Christ Jesus came into the
world to save sinners of whom I am chief. The man who thinks
he's the chief sinner isn't going to congratulate himself in the
11th hour at a job well done. Just because he doesn't mention
God's grace there in verse 7, everywhere it is assumed that
it's God's grace that enabled him to get to this 11th hour. Look at 2 Timothy chapter 2.
2 Timothy chapter 2, specifically
at verse 1. You therefore, my son, be strong
in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. If Timothy is going to
make it to the end, it's not based on Timothy's strength.
He needs to be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. So for Paul, he understood that
the means by which he gets to this 11th hour is because of
Jesus. In fact, look at what we have
there in 2 Timothy chapter 4. Specifically, after, you know,
verses 9 to 15, he's talking about the various movements of
man. Demas has forsaken me, verse
10. He loved this present world. He departed for Thessalonica,
Crescens for Galatia, Titus for Dalmatia. Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you
for he is useful to me for ministry. That's large hearted on the part
of Paul. You got to remember the first missionary journey.
Paul and Barnabas parted ways with a bit of a sharpness and
it was over John Mark. See, Paul didn't say, well, that's
it, you're dead to me. Never again will you be useful to me
in ministry. That's absolutely positively not the way that Paul
dealt with people. Get Mark and bring him with you.
For he is useful to me for ministry. Tychicus, I have sent to Ephesus,
bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas when you come,
and the books, especially the parchments. There's no fanfare. There's not a bunch of groupies
outside of his jail cell. You know, let Paul go. He's our
hero. I mean, in many ways, he just
died in pretty much obscurity. Notice what he continues to say.
He says, Alexander the coppersmith did me much harm. Notice, may
the Lord repay him according to his works. Brethren, if you've
got a problem with the imprecatory Psalms of David, you've got a
problem with the prayers of the Apostle Paul. 1 Corinthians 16.22,
if anyone does not love the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be anathema.
Alexander the coppersmith did me much harm. May God continue
to bless him? No! May the Lord repay him. And by the way, Timothy, and
all saints that are reading this, you also must be aware of him,
for he is greatly resistant to our words. Now note verses 16
and 17. There's a sharp contrast. It's
unfortunate at the times the new King James throws a chapter
heading in there. Notice in verse 16, at my first
offense, no one stood with me, but all forsook me. May it not
be charged against them, but But the Lord stood with me and
strengthened me. So though all men may depart
from him, the Lord stood with him and strengthened him, so
that when he has to appear before the tribunal, he's not there
alone. It's God's grace that sustains
him. So we need to understand his statement there in verse
7 is simply a factual report of God's grace in his life and
the perseverance he was able to engage in. So back to verse
7, notice the language. First, I have fought the good
fight. Turn back to 1 Corinthians 9. He uses this language there.
1 Corinthians 9. Notice with each of these things
that he speaks of, fighting, racing, keeping. Brethren, those
aren't easy things. I'm gonna probably say it many
times, but the reason that Paul can say what he says here in
his 11th hour is because he did this throughout his life. In
other words, if you want to come to the 11th hour with that kind
of God-be-graced confidence, it is absolutely crucial that
we live that way in the here and now. In other words, we ought
to be fighting the good fight. We ought to be running the race. We ought to be keeping the faith.
Notice in 1 Corinthians 9, at verse 24, do you not know that
those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Do
you love it? He's not about that egalitarian,
just get a trophy because you competed. No, get a trophy because
you won. This whole idea where we have,
you know, said that competition is bad, it's certainly not a
biblical approach to things. Do you not know that those who
run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? So what do
we do with all the others? Well, you give them trophies
so they don't feel bad. Run in such a way that you may
obtain it. And everyone who compares for the prize is temperate in
all things. Now notice his implication here.
Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable
crown. You'll notice that the language
of the games gets into Paul's writings on occasion. It does
in verse eight. The righteous judge gives what?
He gives a crown. He gives a crown. Why do you
think that might have been? I don't know for certain, but
as a tradesman whose specialty was tent making, when they'd
have big athletic competitions, they probably had some tents
that they would set up. He was familiar with the athletic
games in his own age. And he argues from the lesser
to the greater. So these guys compete in athletics. They get up at 0 dark 30. They
regulate their protein and their carbs and their fats. They don't
go out on Friday night and drink with all the other people in
the city. They go to bed early. They resist
all those things. Why? Because it will impede upon
their progress as an athlete. You know why they do that? Because
they get a laurel wreath that they can wear on their heads.
And they'll get a couple of tickets to the theater. That's what they
do that for. They engage in that rigorous
lifestyle for that kind of an earthly prize. So look at what
he says. He says, and everyone who competes
for the prize is temperate in all things. Now, they do it to
obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. Therefore, I run thus, not with
uncertainty. Thus, I fight not as one who
beats the air, but I discipline my body and bring it into subjection,
lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become
disqualified. So he uses this language of fighting
the good fight. Therefore I run, thus, not with
uncertainty, thus I fight, not as one who beats the air." His
previous encouragements to Timothy set forth this sort of reality
as well. Look back at 1 Timothy 1.18.
1 Timothy 1.18, this charge I commit to you, son Timothy, according
to the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by
them you may wage the good warfare. It's the emphasis of the apostle
upon the Christian ministry, and as well the Christian life
as a whole, that it's not always attended with bluebirds and rose
petals and just rosy things. Christian life can be hard, brethren,
it's a fight. It's a race. It's a faith to
be kept. So in order, at the 11th hour,
to be able to look back on your life and say, I have done those
things, of course, by the grace of God, we know that to be the
case, it's because he had been doing that. Notice in 1 Timothy
6.12, "...fight the good fight, lay hold on eternal life, to
which you were also called and have confessed a good confession
in the presence of many witnesses." And then that same situation
in 2 Timothy 2.1, "...you therefore, my son, be strong in the grace
that is in Christ Jesus." He then uses various illustrations
to underscore what that looks like. Notice in verse 4, no one
engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this
life that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier. And
also if anyone competes in athletics, he is not crowned unless he competes
according to the rules. The hardworking farmer must be
first to partake of the crops. Consider what I say and may the
Lord give you understanding in all things. So when we get to
this reflection upon his past perseverance, it really gives
some solidity to the previous exhortations. He's not telling
Timothy to do anything that he hasn't done. He has practiced
what he preached, and now he has come to the point where he's
going to die. So he says, I have fought the
good fight. It's a good fight because it's
God's fight. And that fight, unfortunately, is both external
enemies and internal enemies. It'd be nice if it was only Philistines
that we had to deal with, but oftentimes it's professing Israelites. Oftentimes the problems come
from within, and you'll see that in Paul's writings as well. Alexander
the coppersmith did me much harm, may the Lord repay him. He doesn't
say that willy-nilly about every heathen he ever met that gave
him a raw deal. He doesn't say Nero's about to
do horrible things to me. He says, Alexander the coppersmith,
most likely Alexander had been among the professing people of
God at one point. It was Demas who loved this present
age. It was the others that didn't
stand with him at his first defense. So it's not just the external
enemies. There's a sense, brethren, where
we gather together and rally together and we band together
against those external foes. It's the internal threat that's
more difficult because it's pernicious and it's gangrene-ish and it
spreads and lots of people are affected. So it's a good fight
because it's the Lord's fight, but it's a fight nevertheless.
Notice, secondly, he says, I have finished the race. Same emphasis
we just saw there in 1 Corinthians 9, 24 to 26. The athlete gets
up in the morning. He's rigorous in terms of his
training. He's rigorous in terms of his diet. He's rigorous in
terms of his rest. He's rigorous. Why? Because he
wants a laurel crown and he wants front row seats at the theater.
Remember Paul in Acts 20 at verse 24, the apostle calls for the
elders of Ephesus while he's in Miletus, and he wants to address
them concerning the truths of God. And he says this in Acts
20 at verse 24, but none of these things move me, nor do I count
my life dear to myself so that I may finish my race with joy
and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus to testify
to the gospel of the grace of God. So again, how can he say
he's finished the race if he hadn't been running the race
all the while? You don't just win races, brethren. I can't just get parachuted in
to the finish line and cross the line and say, yeah, I won.
He finished it because he was faithful in hours 1 to 10. And then notice, the last thing
he says, he has kept the faith. Now, the fact that the article
is used there, I think, stresses that the objective sense is in
view. What do I mean by that? There
is a subjective sense. It's my faith in the Savior.
That is certainly true for Paul. God gave him the graces of faith
and repentance such that he could close with the Lord Jesus. There's
a point where Paul was dead in his trespasses and sins. Jesus
comes to him on the road to Damascus. He's awakened. He's regenerated.
He's born again. He's granted the graces of faith
and repentance so that he may lay hold on Jesus Christ. And
then he celebrates that doctrine of justification by faith alone.
If we had to ask the question, what was the primary emphasis
in the apostolic preaching of the apostle Paul? Well, it was
justification by faith alone. So Paul had this subjective faith. He had this subjective hold upon
the Lord Jesus. He never relinquished it. There's
probably times brethren where it was tough. I mean, the second
Corinthians passage that we read there in chapter 11, That's tough. Remember Dr. Renahan's sermon
from last Sunday evening. Being in that dungeon of dungeons,
it's a tough place to be. Him and the Ezraite maintained
faithfulness in the midst of all that. And I would argue that
Paul maintained faithfulness in the midst of all of that.
But it's tough. You know that affliction at times
causes us to stumble. Hardships at times causes us
to doubt. Hardships at times cause us a
bit of difficulty. So Paul's subjective faith, his
hold on Jesus, he had kept it. But I think the emphasis is on
the objective content of Christianity. I have kept the faith. In other
words, I have not compromised the doctrine of justification
by faith alone. I have not compromised theology
proper. I have not compromised the hypostatic
union of our Lord. I have not compromised the faith
that was once for all delivered to the saints, that was entrusted
by God to me. I ran to the very end, holding
it firm. I think that's the emphasis that
we're supposed to glean here. I have fought the good fight.
I have finished the race. I have kept the faith. I have
held on to it. Again, not anything he hasn't
commanded Timothy. Go back to 2 Timothy chapter
1, specifically at verse 13. Hold fast the pattern of sound
words which you have heard from me in faith and love which are
in Christ Jesus. That good thing which was committed
to you, keep by the Holy Spirit who dwells in us. So you've got
to understand what's going on here. God gave Paul this body
of Christian truth. Paul is about to die. He's already
passed that body of Christian truth on to Timothy, and he wants
Timothy to hold on to it too. He wants Timothy to retain the
standard of sound words. He wants Timothy to understand
that good thing which was committed to him. And he wants Timothy
to preach the word, to convince, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering
and teaching. Because this is the way the gospel
of Jesus progresses. This is the way the kingdom of
Jesus advances. This is the way people enter
into the church from every tribe, tongue, people, and nation. It's
not because they have wisdom. It's not because they've made
good decisions. It's because God, through the foolishness
of the message preached, saves those who believe. So the Apostle
personally kept the faith by continuing to believe the promises
of God, all the while defending the faith from all the enemies
of the gospel, both external and internal. The Apostle said
he kept the faith at the end of his life because he consistently
kept the faith during his life. This is a recurring theme, brethren.
We're not fighting the good fight, and we won't be able to reflect
in that eleventh hour, I fought the fight, I've finished the
race, I've kept the faith, unless we're doing it. And I realize
when we come to the supper, doing and command and law and duty,
all that sort of thing, that's pretty much not what we're supposed
to consider. We're supposed to consider the
doing and the dying and the rising of the Lord Jesus Christ. But
as those conquered by sovereign grace, as those who are to shine
His lights in a crooked and perverse generation, as those who are
supposed to testify concerning God's grace in this present evil
age, we also want to represent our Savior well. That life of
gratitude isn't simply singing, and it is, it isn't simply praying,
and it is, but it's the way that we live. It's our lives, our
lives marked by that gratitude with which, to which God in His
grace is due. So the apostle Paul at the 11th
hour is faithful because he was in hours one to 10. And then
finally notice the apostles future hope. He speaks of the hope and
then he speaks of an encouragement. Notice the hope, verse eight. Finally, he says, there is laid
up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous
judge will give to me on that day. Notice the imagery. of the games continues. I finished
the race. What happens when you finish
the race successfully? You're crowned the victor. What
happens when you engage in a life of temperance and you're an athlete
and you work harder and you work more diligently and you're better
trained than your opponent? What happens at the end of that
particular match? Your opponent is the loser, and
you are the winner. You get wreaths or crowns around
your head. You get front row tickets to
the theater. You get the accolades of men. So the apostle, keeping
with that imagery of the games, says that there is this crown
of righteousness laid up for me. And notice this. Paul doesn't
have this, you know, martyr syndrome where, you know, I'm just going
to take it and I'm just going to suffer and I'm going to be
brutalized and that's just, you know, godliness. No. He's looking
beyond the present affliction to the future crown. In fact,
look at Hebrews. He's kind of like Moses a bit
in this regard. Look at Moses in Hebrews chapter
11. Hebrews chapter 11, specifically at verse 24. By faith Moses,
when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's
daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people
of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin. Why? Because
it's always good to be miserable. It's always good to suffer. It's
always good to hurt. It's always good to be, you know,
just this lemon-sucking, foul-mouthed guy that never looks like he's
happy. No! Look at what the text goes
on to say. Esteeming the reproach of Christ
greater riches than the treasures in Egypt, for he looked to the
reward. In other words, brethren, there
is this motivation in the hearts of Moses and the motivation of
the Apostle Paul. What steadies you when you're
fighting the good fight, when you're running the race, when
you're keeping the faith? What steadies you is the reality
that one day you're going to receive the crown of righteousness
from the judge of all the earth. In other words, there's that
impetus relative to Emmanuel's land that keeps us head held
high, running the race with endurance, running with endurance rather,
the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author
and finisher of our faith. So the Apostle Paul looks to
that reward. He says the same thing in Philippians
chapter 3, verses 13 and 14. He says, So he is pressing on. He has
fought the fight. He has run the race. He is keeping
the faith. Why? Because he knows that his
Lord is with him. He knows that communion with
God is the bestest of all things. And he knows that in this present
life, he enjoys it. But according to Philippians
1.21, to die is gain. In other words, passing into
the presence of Christ is even better than having Christ in
this present age. Not again that it's bad to have
Christ in this present age, but for me to live is Christ and
to die is gain. And notice how he describes this
crown. Finally, there is laid up for
me the crown of righteousness. Brethren, make sure that we don't
get this wrong. The fellow that preached justification
by faith alone, the fellow that preached that were justified
freely by God's grace, justification means forgiveness of sins and
the imputation of Christ's righteousness. Don't imagine for a moment that
Paul is saying, I've earned the crown of righteousness. By my
fighting the good fight, by my running the race, by my keeping
the faith, I've earned this right to this crown of righteousness.
No. The Lord Jesus Christ himself,
the Lord our righteousness, is the judge who passes this on
to him. It's his righteousness. It's
the imputed righteousness. Listen to Gil. This is called
a crown of righteousness because it comes through the righteousness
of Christ. It is that which gives a right
unto it and without which it cannot be enjoyed. Listen to
Augustine. How would God render the crown
as a righteous judge if he had not first given grace as a merciful
father? And how would there have been
a righteousness in us had it not been preceded by the grace
which justifies us? And how would that crown have
been rendered as due had not all that we have been given when
it was not due? This isn't a reward for Paul's
performance. This is a confirmation of what
God had done in the salvation of Paul through justification
by faith alone. And don't you love it? It's the
Lord, the righteous judge, who passes that crown on to him.
But then notice, he ends with this note of encouragement. Now,
we should do this once in a while. If you were sitting in a prison
cell and you knew that Nero was nuts, You knew that the city
burned and he blamed Christians. You knew that when he had parties,
he would take Christians and light them on fire and they would
be the torches so that people at his parties could function
and do their thing. And we just go to Home Depot
and buy a lantern or whatever. We get an electrician over and
put some outdoor patio lights here. Nero would burn Christians
so that they would be able to see the debauchery that would
involve his parties. So you know all that. I've got
to think that your mind's pretty much consumed with you, unless
you're Paul. He doesn't just say that this
crown of righteousness is for only me. It's, you know, I'm
the chief performer as the chief sinner. I'm also now the chief
performer, the one who's fought well, the one who's run well,
the one who's kept the faith well. Notice, will give to me
on that day and not to me only, but also to all who have loved
his appearing. The apostle encourages Timothy
and all believers with this statement that what Paul had isn't unique
to Paul. The doctrine of justification
by faith that Paul preached, when those were justified, those
received it by God's grace, were justified freely by His grace,
they will receive that crown of righteousness. It's not unique
to the Apostle Paul. It is rather something that God
conveys to all of His people. The reality that every believer
must fight, persevere, and keep the faith in light of the second
coming of Christ. That's what he's orienting our
minds toward. In other words, there is not
only a record of what he is enduring, but there is an encouragement
to his young companion, Timothy. There is an encouragement to
all of the recipients of this letter originally, and there
is an encouragement to every recipient subsequent to that.
What's he saying? Fighting the good fight, running
the race, keeping the faith, always issues in life in Emmanuel's
land. It always results in the presence
of the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. It always results
in that pinnacle of covenant blessing where God says, I will
be your God and you shall be my people. Towner says the closing
encouragement reminds all readers that while responsibilities in
God's service may differ, All, including the Apostle, are called
to participate in the same contest, at the same level of faithful
performance, with a view to receiving the same reward." And again,
make sure we qualify that. It's not, I do this in order
that. I do this because of that. And
when I receive that crown of righteousness, it's once again
an affirmation that Jesus' blood and righteousness is the means
by which I enter into heaven. You ask Paul, why did you fight
the good fight? Why did you run the race? Why
did you keep the faith? Because Jesus loved me and he
gave himself for me. Well, in conclusion, the example
of the Apostle Paul is most excellent here. It is wonderful. And not
just because he was Paul and an apostle, but as Towner reminds
us, it's whatever our state is. We're not all called to be apostles.
The apostolic ministry is no longer. We're not all called
to be elders. We're not all called to be deacons.
We're not all called to be missionaries. But we all are all called by
God's grace to fight the good fight, to run the race and to
keep the faith. And we have the great confidence
that when by grace we do that, we enter into the presence of
the King who loved us and gave himself for us. So Paul's example
is most excellent for the people of God. I would suggest if you're
not a believer here this morning or this evening, I would like
to encourage you to think about something. Consider the infinite
worth and glory of Jesus Christ. Why does Paul do this? Do you
ever stop and think about that? Maybe you've been to church,
you haven't believed the gospel, you're kind of wondering what
is this all about? Well, let me tell you really
simple what it's all about, that Christ Jesus is worth this. For to me to live is Christ and
to die is gain. There's an old saying, is what
you're living for worth dying for? Well, for the believer,
yeah. What we're living for is Jesus.
Is it worth dying for? Yes, because it's more Jesus. For to me to live is Christ and
to die is gain. So the infinite worth and the
glory and the majesty of Jesus Christ, it's good. Paul's not complaining here.
There's not an ounce in verse 7, I've fought this good fight,
I've finished the race, I've kept the faith. No, he doesn't
do that. He's just rehearsing the facts
of the matter. He's encouraging Timothy. Finally,
there's a crown of righteousness laid up for me. The judge of
all the earth is going to hand it to me. But not just to me,
but to everyone else whose love is appearing. In other words,
those who are conquered by sovereign grace understand that Christ
is everything. Consider as well the certainty
of the day of judgment. Listen to what Paul says. Finally,
there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord,
the righteous judge, will give to me on that day. We're obviously
trafficking here in the context of believers. But if you're an
unbeliever, you've got to realize that according to Paul in Hebrews
9, it's appointed for men once to die. And then what? Then comes
judgment. You're going to meet the selfsame
righteous judge. It's either he's going to hand
you a crown of righteousness or he's going to cast you off
into everlasting fire that we saw this morning in Matthew's
gospel in chapter 25. As well, consider the righteousness
of the judge. There's no wiggle room out of
this. Well, you know, I hope he grades on a curve. I hope
he doesn't really know what I did in 1982. I hope he doesn't really
see what I've been like in the privacy of my own family or home.
I hope he doesn't notice what I do when I'm driving by. No,
no, he's the righteous judge. He's the omnipotent God. We were
reminded of that this morning. The eyes of the Lord are in every
place, beholding the good and the evil. And then as well, consider
the imputed righteousness of the Lord. There's a blessed statement
by the Apostle in 2 Corinthians 5.21, he says that God made Him,
Christ, who knew no sin, to be sin for us, that we might become
the righteousness of God in Him. In other words, the doctrine
of imputation, Christ took the punishment that was due for us,
and then God takes His righteousness and hands it to us. So the way
of appropriation is to believe on Him, to look unto the Lord
Jesus Christ and you shall be saved. But I wanna end on encouragement
for believers, preparation for the end. We prepare a lot, don't
we? You're probably cleaning your
decks and your patios and you're getting your barbecue out. You're
preparing, because we're pretty sure the rain's gonna end one
of these days. We're pretty sure we're gonna go back to the tennis
courts. We're pretty sure that there's gonna be a sun once again.
We prepare for everything, brethren. We prepare for dinner, we prepare
for college, we prepare for buying homes, we prepare for marriage.
How many of us are preparing for that 11th hour? And again,
I'm not preaching duty here, I'm preaching live in such a
way that you're fighting the good fight, that you're running
the race, that you're keeping the faith. Preparation to die
well comes from having lived well. And I think that's an emphasis
that we glean from this particular passage. I would suggest, secondly,
in terms of encouragement to believers, perseverance necessary. The Apostle Paul persevered in
the good and in the bad. When the bad comes, he doesn't
say, well, forget it, I'm done. No, he digs deep by God's grace
and he goes on. We studied this on Wednesday
night. We're gonna finish it on Wednesday, this coming Wednesday,
the doctrine of perseverance of the saints in 2nd London Confession,
chapter 17. It's God's grace that preserves
us. God puts his fear in our heart so that we may not depart
from him. It's God who begins a good work
in us and will complete it in the day of Jesus. But by God's
grace, we persevere. In other words, we fight the
good fight. We run the race. We keep the faith. And then a
perspective for the future. I got to confess for my own part,
I don't think about heaven enough. And I'm not saying that's all
I should ever think about, or that's all you should ever think
about, and you may think about it a lot more than I do, so perhaps
I'm preaching to me alone. The thought of Emmanuel's land
is a future, a reality that serves as a present impetus to live
in a manner that's consistent with our gospel calling. Everyone
who has this hope in him, 1 John 3, purifies himself even as he
is pure. The thought of laying eyes upon
the Son of God ought to function in such a way as to cause us
to engage and fight the good fight, to run with endurance
the race that is set before us, and to keep the faith. Our subjective
hold on Christ and the doctrinal content of Christianity We're
not gonna be defectors, we're not gonna be apostates, we're
not gonna give away the theological goods, but we're gonna hold onto
it as a sacred deposit and pass it down to future generations. May God bless us and may God
help us and may God encourage us to do what the apostle does. And we know it's not because
the apostle was great himself, but he had God's grace, which
is great in itself. Well, let us pray. Our Father
in heaven, we thank you for your word. We thank you for the Lord
Jesus Christ. We thank you for what we see,
not only in Paul, but the history of martyrdom displays for us
men and women and boys and girls who saw Jesus as altogether lovely
and chief among 10,000. We read about persons going to
stakes. We learn about them going to
the fire. We learn about them being drowned. We learn about
the apostle Paul losing his head. We learn about other apostles
suffering at the hands of the godless state. And Lord, we know
why they do that, because to live is Christ and to die is
gain. May you give us that perspective
and may you give us grace and help to be strong in the Lord
Jesus Christ. And we pray in his most blessed
name. Amen. Well, you can turn with
