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We can turn in your Bibles to 
2 Timothy chapter 4 as we bring this study of Paul's second letter 
to Timothy to an end this evening. We'll be looking at verses 14 
to 22, but I do want to read beginning in verse 1 of 2 Timothy 
chapter 4. I charge you, therefore, before 
God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and 
the dead at his appearing and his kingdom, preach the word 
Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort 
with all longsuffering 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 his 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 be aware of him, 
or beware of him, for he has greatly resisted our words. At 
my first offense, no one stood with me, but all four shook 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. Great Prisca, and Aquila, 
and the household of Anesiphorus. 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 
Pudence, Linus, Claudia, and all the brethren. The Lord Jesus 
Christ be with your spirit. Grace be with you. Amen. Let us pray. God, we thank you 
for this letter. We thank you that it is the last 
of the Apostle Paul's words. As we study the last words in 
this last letter tonight, may you encourage our hearts and 
may we see again this portrait of a man of God. May we see the 
God whom he served, for certainly as he relates his situation, 
it is theological in nature. He reports concerning what God 
is doing. Our Father, I pray that we would 
look at all things in that light, that when we have difficult circumstances 
and trials and hardships, we would see what God is doing in 
the midst of such things. Help us to think in this manner, 
help us to think theologically, and help us to glorify You in 
so doing. Again, we pray for the forgiveness 
of sins, and we pray for the ministry of Your Holy Spirit. 
And we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen. Well, as we bring 
this letter to a close, we saw in chapter 4 Paul's last formal 
command to Timothy. That was in verse 2, where he 
says, "...preach the word, be ready in season and out of season, 
convince, rebuke and exhort with all longsuffering and teaching." 
That is the last formal command given to the corporate body of 
Christ. Timothy is representative there, 
not only of gospel ministers, but of the church. And the last 
formal command that Paul gives is to preach the Word, not to 
be the most likable, not to be the friendliest, not to be the 
most popular, not to be the celebrity, but rather, Timothy, be faithful 
to preach the word, and there's reasons why he is to do so. In the first place, the time 
will come when they will not endure sound doctrine. The departure 
and the defection of the church means that Timothy is to preach 
sound truth. Secondly, Timothy's very ministry. This is what God called him for. 
This is what God equipped him to do. you be watchful in all 
things. Verse 5, endure afflictions, 
do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. So Timothy, 
preach the word, because the church won't always receive it. 
Timothy, preach the word, because that is your task, that is your 
function, that is the reason for your existence. But as well, 
preach the word, because Paul is going to die. Verses 6 to 
8, the apostle knew keenly that he was going the way of all flesh. 
He says, and he speaks with this sort of a conviction, I have 
fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept 
the faith. He knows that he is going to 
be with the Redeemer. And then we get to verses 9 to 
the end, and then Paul brings this letter to a conclusion. 
He does so by making a personal request to Timothy in verses 
9 to 13. He wants Timothy to come and 
see him. He wants Timothy to fellowship 
with him. And no doubt, Paul wants to give 
him further instruction and education for the good of the churches. 
And when Timothy comes, he is to bring his cloak, or Paul's 
cloak, And when Timothy comes, he is to bring the books, especially 
the parchments. And then Paul gives a warning 
concerning this man Alexander in verses 14 and 15. He then 
updates Timothy on his own situation in verses 16 to 18. And then 
he ends with greetings and some personal words and benediction 
in verses 19 to 22. So we'll take up our exposition 
this evening under three considerations. First, the warning concerning 
Alexander in verses 14 and 15. Secondly, the report concerning 
Paul's situation in verses 16 to 18. And then the close of 
the letter in verses 19 to 22. But note in the first place, 
verses 14 and 15, Alexander the coppersmith did me much harm. It's common in certain aspects 
or certain sectors of the church to never name the name of persons 
that do you harm. Paul didn't agree with that. 
Paul named specifically this man Alexander. He was indeed 
a coppersmith, and Paul wants Timothy to be on the alert so 
that Timothy does not have to be harmed by this man Alexander. Note specifically the reason 
for the warning. He says, Alexander the coppersmith 
did me much harm. This is why you need to avoid 
him. Most likely, this Alexander hailed from the region of Troas. 
Paul tells Timothy to go to Troas to pick up his cloak, which he 
left at Carpus. When he's in Troas, quite possibly, 
he could bump into this Alexander the coppersmith. And Paul doesn't 
want him to bump into Alexander the coppersmith, because Alexander 
the coppersmith had done much harm to the apostle Paul. Specifically, 
this Alexander is probably the one indicated in 1 Timothy 1 
and verse 20. Alexander was a very common name. 
Some have linked him with the man in Acts 19. That may not 
necessarily be the case. Most likely, the man in 1 Timothy 
1 and verse 20. Paul tells Timothy the specific 
nature of the opposition in verse 15. You also must beware of him, 
for he has greatly resisted our words. In other words, it wasn't 
a personal offense against the person of Paul. It was a resistance 
or a rejection of the Word of God. And Paul the Apostle says 
concerning this Alexander that he did me much harm. Now, it 
may be the case that Alexander was instrumental or key in providing 
evidence to the state against the Apostle. Remember, this is 
the second imprisonment. The apostle is going to die. 
He knows that, he understands that, but he got into prison 
for a specific reason. It could be that Alexander was 
one that presented evidence contrary to Paul. We don't know that for 
certain, but we do know that he did indeed bring much harm 
to the apostle. Now notice what Paul says concerning 
this Alexander. In verse 14, Alexander the coppersmith 
did me much harm, may the Lord repay him according to his works. Pretty strong statement from 
Paul. May the Lord repay him according to his works. This 
whole idea of repayment according to works comes from the Old Testament. We see it as well in the New 
Testament. It refers to the judgment of 
God. Now, there are two different ways we can understand this particular 
statement. In the first place, represented 
in the ESV, the NIV and the NASB, it is simply a statement of fact. 
In other words, what Paul is saying is that the Lord will 
judge him. In the New King James, in the 
King James Version, it's a wish, or not a wish, but it's a prayer. 
It's in a different mood. And what Paul is doing in the 
New King James is he is praying specifically that the Lord God 
will bring judgment to bear upon Alexander. Now, just looking 
at both of these for just a moment, if we take it as what the NIV 
and the ESV and the NASB says, that it's simply a declaration 
concerning God's judgment. In other words, Alexander the 
coppersmith did me much harm, the Lord will repay him according 
to his words. The Apostle Paul understood and 
embraced the retributive justice of God Almighty. The Apostle 
Paul understood and he embraced the retributive justice of God 
Almighty. The retributive justice means 
punishment. It means the dealing out of vengeance. It means to deal with someone 
according to their deeds or works wherein God, the Holy God, brings 
justice to bear upon them. You can see that in the Apostle 
Paul, specifically in Romans 2, 5-11, Romans 12, 19. One of 
the reasons Paul prohibits the people of 
God from avenging themselves, as they are to give place to 
wrath. In other words, God will take 
vengeance on all those who bring harm upon His people. And then 
in 2 Thessalonians 1, 6-8, the Apostle highlights there that 
it's just, it is righteous, it is good with God to deal out 
retribution on those who afflict the people of God. So on the 
one hand, if Paul is simply making a statement concerning the reality 
that God will judge Alexander. It shows us that He understands 
and that He embraces the retributive justice of God. As well, it balances 
out well with what we find in verse 8. Notice in verse 8, 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, and not to me only, but also to all who have loved His 
appearing. So on the one hand, when Jesus 
returns in glory, he will give that crown of righteousness to 
all those who have loved his appearing. And he will, on the 
other hand, take vengeance on those who know not God and on 
those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord. So it is a declarative 
statement telling us that this is the reality. Because Alexander 
the coppersmith did much harm, God will repay him. But if we 
take it the other way, as if it were a prayer of the Apostle 
Paul, I think some Christians get a little bothered by such 
an idea. Oh, we can't pray like that. We can't actually ask God 
to bring his wrath down upon those who would violate his law 
or who would greatly resist his word. We just can't do that. 
I think it was C.S. Lewis who said that the imprecatory 
Psalms of David were not something that Christians ought to follow. 
The imprecatory Psalms of David are not something that we ought 
to pray in like manner. We ought not to pray that God 
will smash the teeth of His enemies or that the righteous will dance 
in the blood of God's enemies. I mean, you can see that throughout 
the Psalter. I mean, in fact, Psalm 137, the 
psalmist says, happy is the one who dashes your little ones upon 
the stone. I mean, there are some heavy-duty 
things going on in the Psalms. So they get to a statement like 
this with reference to Paul, and they ask the question, is 
it legit? Can we pray? Is it something 
that Christians can utter? Can we have a prayer meeting 
on a Wednesday night and say something like what Paul says 
here? Alexander the coppersmith did me much harm. May the Lord 
repay him according to his works. Well, just a couple of reasons 
why I think, whether the variant reading is such or if it is the 
case that it is a prayer. Here, it is not wrong to pray 
this way. It is not wrong to pray this 
way. And you need to see something right now before we proceed. 
When it comes to Alexander the Coppersmith's resistance, it's 
against God's Word. When it comes to Paul's friends 
forsaking Paul, Paul says, may it not be charged against them. In other words, Paul wouldn't 
pray imprecatory prayers upon people that cut him off at the 
superstore parking lot. Paul wouldn't pray imprecatory 
prayers over those who rubbed him the wrong way. Paul would 
pray imprecatory prayers against men who greatly resist the word 
of truth and bring harm against Christ's people. Consider, in 
the first place, the contextual contrast. I've just mentioned 
it. Here in verse 15, he says, May the Lord repay him according 
to his works. Verse 16, At my first offense, 
no one stood with me, but all forsook me. May it not be charged 
against them. That's a prayer. That's a wish. Again, not wish like I have a 
birthday cake and I'm going to make my wish. It's what's called 
the optative mood. It's when we make a request or 
a petition or a prayer before God Most High. As well, consider 
the biblical argument, the imprecatory Psalms of David. David himself 
didn't pray, God, judge and smash the teeth and cause me to dance 
in the blood of the godless because they cut me off in Superstore 
parking lot. No, they were the sworn enemies 
of God Most High. The imprecatory Psalms are the 
expression of God's people concerning injustice. And they call upon 
Yahweh to bring vengeance and destruction upon the enemies 
of the church. Consider the practice of the 
Apostle Paul in other places. I mention Romans 12. You can 
turn there. Romans chapter 12, specifically in verse 17. Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in 
the sight of all men. I should make it clear, whatever 
reading we adopt, They're both true. The Lord will judge Alexander 
the coppersmith because he did Paul much harm. May the Lord 
judge Alexander the coppersmith because he did me much harm. 
They're both accurate. They're both legit. I'm just 
trying to highlight for us something that I think goes unnoticed. 
or something that goes unpracticed, or something that is even looked 
down upon in the church today. This whole idea that the people 
of God, in the church militant, can cry to the living and the 
true God to bring judgment to bear upon the enemies of the 
gospel. Brethren, we ought not to think concerning an abortionist 
who daily murders babies, smile, God loves you and has a wonderful 
plan for your life. Certainly we pray that God save 
him. Certainly we pray that God convict 
him. Certainly we pray that God bring 
him to the cross and cause him to throw away his instruments 
of death and butchery. But if he's going to continue 
to murder babies on a daily basis, we pray God stop him. Keep him from such wickedness 
and lawlessness. Now note what Paul goes on to 
say. Verse 18. If it is possible, 
as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. Good 
counsel. As much as depends on you, live 
peaceably with all men. Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, 
but rather give place to wrath, for it is written, Vengeance 
is mine, I will repay, says the Lord. You need to observe that 
Paul doesn't condemn wrath. Paul doesn't condemn vengeance. Paul condemns the people of God 
inflicting wrath and inflicting vengeance because God has a monopoly 
on it. It is his task, it is his prerogative, 
it is his duty. And when Paul tells us specifically 
to give place to wrath, what's a good manner or a good means 
or a good practice wherein we can give place to wrath? In prayer. Praying the Psalms of David against 
the enemies, again, not of us, but of God. That's a means by 
which we give place to wrath. But notice in 1 Corinthians 16, 
1 Corinthians 16, a statement that in some respects makes the 
Psalms of David look like a walk in the park. 1 Corinthians 16, 
verse 22, if anyone does not love the Lord Jesus Christ, let 
him be accursed. That's a prayer. That's in the 
mood. That's not a declarative statement. 
He's not saying God will bring wrath. He's not saying that God 
will curse him. He is saying, if anyone does 
not love the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be accursed. Now, the 
particular word that Paul uses here means devoted to destruction. We have considered it in our 
studies in the Old Testament, that whole idea of kerem, when 
the city and the property and the persons were put under the 
ban. They were devoted to destruction. 
Well, the New Testament equivalent is the word anathema. Paul uses 
it in Romans chapter 9. Paul uses it in Galatians chapter 
1. Paul uses it here and as well in 1 Corinthians 12. And specifically 
what he says, if anyone does not love the Lord Jesus Christ, 
let him be anathema, let him be accursed, let him be condemned 
to hell. So it wouldn't be out of the 
prerogative of the apostle at the throne of grace to pray an 
imprecatory prayer. May the Lord deal with him according 
to his works. Turn to Galatians 1. Galatians 
chapter 1, in this particular context, there's those who pervert 
the gospel, those who twist and distort the gospel. You see the 
theme. They are violations against God. They are violations against the 
Word of God. They are not personal offenses 
that Paul has sustained. Galatians 1.6, As we have said before, so now 
I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than 
what you have received, note the language, let him be accursed. Not God will curse him, but let 
him be accursed. So it's not out of the ordinary 
to consider back in 2 Timothy 4, verse 14, that what Paul is 
doing there is praying specifically that God will bring judgment 
upon a gross enemy of the gospel. Calvin notes the contrast between 
the way Paul deals with Alexander and the way Paul deals with his 
friends who desert him. And Calvin says, because some 
had fallen through fear and weakness. This is why his friends forsook 
him in the opinion of Calvin, and my opinion as well. Because 
some had fallen through fear and weakness, he desires that 
the Lord would forgive them. For in this manner we ought to 
have compassion on the weakness of brethren. But because this 
man, Alexander, rose against God with malice and sacrilegious 
hardyhood and openly attacked known truth, such impiety had 
no claim to compassion. So you see, on the one hand, 
if it's a declarative statement, God will judge. Absolutely, we 
affirm that. But on the other hand, if it 
is that prayer that God brings judgment to bear upon Alexander, 
we as Christians ought not to freak out. It's one of the reasons 
why it's good to sing the Psalms, brethren. Imagine persons come 
to our church, well, not from the Dutch Reformed background, 
but other persons, and say, why do you have this Trinity Psalter? 
Well, one of the reasons why is it's always good to sing the 
Word of God. Do you know what word God delights 
in the most? His Word. He delights in it when 
we pray it back to Him. He delights in it when we sing 
it. He delights in His Word, so it's always a good thing to 
sing it. But if you read the introduction to that particular 
Psalter, it makes this observation that much of modern hymnody does 
not have the clear demarcation between the righteous and the 
wicked. In other words, a modern hymn writer is not going to write 
a hymn, dear God, smash the teeth of your enemies and cause the 
righteous to dance in their blood. I'm not necessarily saying you 
should go out and write those particular hymns, but there is 
a clear demarcation concerning the righteous and the wicked 
that the Psalter presents in all of its honesty. And it's 
good for us to take those Psalms of David, it's good for us to 
take those Psalms that are not ascribed to David, and to sing 
them, and to pray them, and to internalize them. It isn't wrong, 
and we ought not to be of the mindset that it's necessarily 
evil to pray for God's wrath upon the enemies of the Lord. I would suggest that it's wrong 
not to. Now notice, when he tells Timothy 
in verse 15, you also must beware of him, for he has greatly resisted 
our words. You also must beware of him, 
for he has greatly resisted our words. I respect what Paul does. 
Paul not only took pains to teach Timothy what he was supposed 
to believe, he also took pains to tell Timothy what he was not 
supposed to believe. He cautioned Timothy. He gave 
a beware to Timothy. He told Timothy that there were 
men out there that would prefer to distort the gospel. Again, 
we need to have that overarching theme of positive proclamation, 
declaration, and exposition of Scripture. But there ought to 
be warnings, brethren. When there are Alexanders out 
there doing much harm to the Church and to the people of God, 
it is good for us to identify them. It is good for us to caution 
against reading their books, or following their podcasts, 
or listening to their perverted sermons. The apostle did not 
say, well, you know, give him the benefit of the doubt, receive 
him, sing kumbaya together, and just love Jesus. No, Alexander 
the coppersmith did me much harm. And as I've already indicated, 
the specific nature of his sin, or opposition, is found at the 
end of verse 15, for he has greatly resisted our words. Calvin again. 
He says, from Paul's words in verse 15, for he vehemently opposed 
our discourses, we may infer that he had committed no greater 
offense than an attack on sound doctrine. For if Alexander had 
wounded his person, Paul, or committed an assault on him, 
Paul, he would have endured it patiently. So the contrast couldn't 
be more clear. On the one hand, Alexander did 
this. May God judge him. On the other hand, my friends 
all abandoned me. They left me. They forsook me. 
May it not be charged against them. Paul was the target in 
that instance, and Paul is long-suffering. Paul will absorb it, and this 
isn't something new in Paul's life. In Philippians chapter 
1, in his first imprisonment, he knows that there are gospel 
preachers out there that are doing it not with good purpose, 
or not with good motive, rather. He knows that there is this envious 
spirit, or he knows that there is this angry spirit, or spirit 
of opposition against Paul. But nevertheless, these opposers 
were still preaching the truth, and so Paul is able to rejoice. 
It doesn't matter. Christ is preached. I wonder 
if we would have that. Somebody just despised us, they 
hated us, they loathed our guts, but they nevertheless preached 
the truth as it is in Jesus, would we say, may God bless them? We'd probably say, may the Lord 
repay him according to his works, because he had the audacity to 
speak ill of me. Now we need to cultivate a Pauline 
spirit. Calvin goes on, If Alexander 
had wounded his person or committed an assault on him, he would have 
endured it patiently. But when the truth of God is 
assailed, his holy breast burns with indignation, because in 
all the members of Christ that saying must hold good, the zeal 
of thy house has eaten me up." The text cited when Jesus goes 
in to cleanse the temple in John's Gospel, zeal for thy house hath 
eaten me up. So that's Paul's warning concerning 
Alexander. Notice, secondly, his report 
concerning his situation. This is theological in nature. 
Instead of Paul saying, you know, they feed me gruel here and it's 
quite cold, so, you know, wink-wink, nudge-nudge, Timothy, bring that 
cloak sooner rather than later. I've got nothing to read here, 
so, Timothy, make sure you hasten the day and bring those books. 
He doesn't do that. His report concerning his situation 
is theological in nature. He sees God in the midst of his 
trials. He sees God in the midst of his 
difficulties, and that is precisely what he relates to Timothy. He 
speaks of the Lord's present provision, and he speaks of the 
Lord's future deliverance. That's what we find in verses 
16 to 18. Note in the first place his present 
provision. Paul is rejected by his friends. Verse 16, at my first offense, 
no one stood with me, but all forsook me. You ever wonder how 
that could be? This was Paul, right? You don't 
forsake Paul. Again, this is not something 
new to Paul. In 2 Timothy 1, he already indicates that when 
he comes to Asia, everybody deserts him. Everybody flees from him. 
Hope Paul didn't have an insecurity complex and start to believe 
that it was him. It's not you, it's me, that sort 
of thing. No, he understood that it was 
weakness, trembling fear among the people of God. But all his 
friends forsook him. The reference here, at my first 
defense, can go two ways. Some commentators see it as the 
first imprisonment, the first time. Acts 28 ends with Paul 
in prison in Rome. The present epistles are written 
in that particular time frame. Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 
Philemon, those were all composed by Paul in that first imprisonment. 
And some see this reference here, at my first defense, no one stood 
with me, but all forsook me. I don't think that's what's in 
view. I think it's this current imprisonment, the second imprisonment, 
and probably this defense, this first defense, was something 
like an arraignment or some sort of a preliminary investigation. 
Perhaps this is where Alexander leveled his charges against Paul. 
So Paul is imprisoned. They bring him up to the court 
to testify, and at his first defense, he says, no one stood 
with me. They all left me. It was all 
by myself. It really is a sad picture in 
many respects. His friends forsake him, and 
note his response, may it not be charged against them. George 
Knight says, as culpable as such action was, Paul does not put 
it in the same category as that of Demas, who left Paul out of 
love for the present world. He doesn't say that. At my first 
offense, no one stood with me, but all forsook me. He doesn't 
say, and they loved this present world, like he does with Demas. 
Knight goes on to say, nor does he wish God's just retribution 
on them as he did on Alexander. He says, perhaps he knows that 
those he is thinking of did what they did out of fear, as did 
Jesus' disciples in Mark 14. I mean, we ought not to be utterly 
surprised that Paul's friends forsook him when we consider 
the cross. Our Lord Jesus was forsaken, 
not just by God in terms of His wrath and fury and judgment, 
but He was forsaken by His disciples, His intimate friends. They were 
not present at that particular time. Gil says, with reference 
to Paul's prayer here, he says, so differently does he express 
himself on the account of these than on the account of the coppersmith. 
The coppersmith sinning through malice, willfully and obstinately. These, the friends, through surprise, 
temptation, and weakness. So on the one hand, at my first 
offense, no one stood with me, but all four shook me. May it 
not be charged against them. Surprising in a sense, but if 
we read our Bibles accurately, not so much. Notice what he goes 
on to say, though, concerning the faithfulness of the Lord. 
In my first offense, no one stood with me, but all forsook me. 
Verse 17, but the Lord stood with me. Isn't that beautiful? See, the report of Paul's present 
situation involves the faithfulness of God, the provision of the 
Lord. Paul could sing with us, Trinity 
Hymnal 432, Friends may fail me, foes assail me, He, my Savior, 
makes me whole. The apostle, on the one hand, 
is abandoned by his friends, on the other hand, he says, but 
the Lord stood with me and strengthened me. That shouldn't surprise us, 
brethren. We may be a little surprised 
at the fact that certain friends of the Apostle left him, they 
desert him, they forsake him in his hour of great need. But 
when we read verse 17, as students of Scripture, as students of 
Reformed theology, does verse 17 surprise us in the least? 
Absolutely not. Our God is faithful. Our God 
is consistent. Our God promises the faithful 
remnant of Israel that when they are in Babylon, He Himself will 
be a little sanctuary to them. Our God is faithful. Our God is relentless in the 
pursuit of mercy toward His people. But the Lord stood with me. Christ is present with the Apostle. I think I've told you about Thomas 
Hawkes and Foxe's Book of Martyrs. Thomas was going to be burned 
to death at the stake. And his buddies essentially said, 
let us know how long you can stand the fire. I mean, what 
kind of a request is that? Well, they knew they themselves 
would be going into the fire as well. So Thomas agrees. Sure, I'll let you know. I don't 
think it went quite like that, but that's how I sort of imagine 
it. I'll let you know. So Thomas is in the fire and 
he's melting away and he hasn't given any evidence whatsoever 
that he's able to sustain the pain. And then he raises the 
stomps that are left, that are in melt mode, and kind of crashes 
them together and says that Christ is Lord of the fire. You see, 
Thomas knew what Paul knew and what we all know when we're honest 
and theologically apprised. The Lord Christ doesn't leave 
us. He doesn't depart us. He doesn't 
forsake us. He doesn't leave us on our own. 
It may seem like that. We may perceive it. We may be 
in a trial. We may be in a prison. We may 
be waiting to lose our heads to a Nero. We may have friends 
forsake us, and we may, in weak moments, say, What's going on 
here? But if we think biblically, we 
think theologically, we think consistently, we will be able 
to say, but the Lord stood with me. And not only does the Lord 
stand with him, but the Lord enables him. The Lord empowers 
him. The Lord strengthens him. That's 
what he says. The Lord stood with me and strengthened 
me. I didn't have it in my own strength. I'm not able to watch my friends 
forsake me. I'm not able to see the sword 
of Nero coming down upon my throat with glee and joy and happiness. 
No! It's because of the strengthening 
power of the Lord Jesus Christ. It's because Christ is Lord of 
the fire that I'm able to go through what I'm going through. 
The apostle stresses that abandonment by people was more than compensated 
for by the Lord's presence and empowering. It's Towner on that 
verse. Now notice that Paul doesn't 
stop there. He says, the Lord stood with 
me and strengthened me, and the Lord has a specific purpose, 
so that the message might be preached fully through me and 
that all the Gentiles might hear. What does Paul mean? Paul is 
probably speaking to the culmination of his gospel ministry. Paul 
understood his calling as an apostle to the Gentiles. This 
does not mean he never preached the gospel to the Jews, but Paul's 
primary emphasis was as a preacher to the Gentiles. He rehearses 
that in 1 Timothy. He rehearses that in the book 
of Romans. He indicates that. I think we'd all know that. Paul 
was the missionary or the apostle to the uncircumcised. So what does he mean here? So 
that the message might be preached fully through me and that all 
the Gentiles might hear. I don't think he means all the 
Gentiles without exception. I don't think he means every 
single Gentile. But again, the idea is the culmination 
of his ministry. Where is Paul? Paul is in Rome. Who has Paul appealed to? Caesar. When Paul stood before civil 
magistrates in the book of Acts, when he was before Felix, when 
he was before Festus, and when he was before Agrippa, what did 
Paul say to them? He testified concerning the gospel. He proclaimed the cross. He told 
them about Jesus. So we ought to conclude, we ought 
to infer, we ought to imply, and ought to reason, that when 
Paul meets with Caesar, as he has already appealed to do, he 
is going to preach to Caesar. He is in the very capital, the 
very hub, the very center of Gentileville. And he is going 
to have a hearing with the primary Gentile, even Nero himself. So that Paul is able to muse 
on his current situation. And he's able to say, not only 
is this a bad day, but the Lord stood with me, the Lord strengthened 
me, and in this the Lord is accomplishing His purpose. He sent me as the 
Apostle to the Gentiles. He has brought me full swing. 
He has brought me to fruition. He has brought me to this place. 
So that all the Gentiles might It truly is a most blessed reality 
that the Apostle finishes the ministry that God the Lord had 
entrusted to him, and it ends with his testimony before Caesar, 
before the imperial court, before any and all that would hear him 
in the time span that he had left on earth. And then notice. He says that the Lord had already 
delivered him. Also, I was delivered out of 
the mouth of the lion. Probably not the physical lion. 
I realize that Nero fed people to the lions. I mean, just think 
about that. You see what the early Christians 
were up against? You see what the people of God 
have faced in the history of the church? I saw a quote the 
other day. My son forwarded it to me. It 
said something to the effect. It was David Platt. He said, 
the martyrs understood that the fires that they were burned with, 
something like this, were not anything like what they deserved. 
In other words, the physical fire inflicted by a godless magistrate 
is nothing what we deserve. We deserve eternal hellfire. 
But the fact is that God had saved them, and God calls them 
to go through this, and God called Christians to be fed to lions. Now, most likely, that's not 
what happened. I don't think that Paul was out 
there in the Colosseum, lions were about to pounce, and then 
he got sort of beamed out of the Colosseum. I don't think 
that's what's in view. Some suggest that because Paul 
was a Roman citizen, they would not have fed him to the lions. 
Mentioned before, they did not crucify Roman citizens unless 
the emperor gave a decree, unless the emperor authorized it. So 
perhaps that could have been the case with lion feeding, but 
most likely he's referring to some danger. He's referring to 
some life-threatening situation. It could have been a temporary 
stay of execution. It could have been the case that 
whatever the evident situation was, he had a stay. He was able 
to continue on for several months. He was able to have Timothy visit 
him. He was able to see Timothy again 
and do these things concerning gospel ministry. So God delivers 
him out of the mouth of the lion. That's the present provision. 
Note the future deliverance. It's beautiful. Verse 18, And 
the Lord will deliver me from every evil work, and preserve 
me for His heavenly kingdom. He is certain, isn't He? Why 
is Paul certain? Why is Paul certain in this statement 
when he says, And the Lord will deliver me from every evil work, 
and the Lord will preserve me for His heavenly kingdom. He 
is certain because of God's past faithfulness. He is certain because 
of God's present provision. He is certain because this is 
the way Yahweh has always shown Himself to the Apostle. This 
is the way that the Lord Jesus has operated consistently with 
Paul. So Paul knows of a truth. If 
He's taken care of my past, and He takes care of my present, 
I have every reason to believe that He's going to take care 
of my future. And brethren, we ought to find ourselves in like 
situation. We ought to realize the past 
proven faithfulness of our God is a rock-solid foundation upon 
which to stand in the present, assured that He will continue 
that faithfulness, and to be girded up for the future wherein 
we know that He will prove Himself. faithful. Paul teaches us many 
things in his sufferings and in his trials and in his hardships. Now notice, he will be delivered 
and he will be preserved. This is not a deliverance temporally. He does not think he will be 
acquitted. He does not think that at his 
second defense the judge is going to say, not guilty, off you go. 
He's already said in verses 6 to 8, He already knows that He's 
being poured out as a drink offering. He knows that the time of His 
departure is at hand. He knows that He has fought the 
good fight. He has finished the race and He has kept the faith. 
The deliverance, the preservation that Paul sees is not present. It's not getting out of this 
earthly court. It is future. It is defined as 
heavenly kingdom. I know this of a truth, that 
God the Lord will deliver me and He will preserve me unto 
His heavenly kingdom. So Paul, sitting in this prison 
cell, as I said last time, he's like a general moving troops 
around, strategizing, titching guests. We'll cover for Timothy 
in Ephesus. Timothy, get John Mark and bring 
him to us because he's useful for ministry. Paul sees confidently 
that the Lord is by his side and is strengthening him. And 
Paul never loses sight of the future reality that he will be 
delivered, that he will be preserved, that he will enter into that 
heavenly kingdom. Blessed, blessed reality that 
the Apostle considers. And of course, as we are not 
surprised with Paul, this leads him to doxology. What should 
the consideration of God's deliverance and preservation of us yield? It ought to yield praise. It 
ought to yield worship. It ought to yield the sorts of 
things that Paul does throughout his letters. And the Lord will 
deliver me from every evil work, and He will preserve me for His 
heavenly kingdom. To Him be glory forever and ever. Amen. And contextually, brethren, 
the Lord is Jesus Christ. This is a doxology, an inscription 
of praise and worship unto our Lord Jesus Christ. The Apostle Paul had it developed 
in a mature and a lofty Christology, and he saw that One who was with 
him, that One who strengthened him, was the One who was target 
for doxological praise. Listen to George Knight. He says, 
going beyond what Paul says here about human companionship is 
his expression of absolute confidence in the unfailing presence and 
care of the Lord. The Lord watches over Paul and 
delivers him, even from the most difficult situations, and enables 
him to fulfill, even in that moment of trial, the ministry 
to which he has been called. It's truly amazing. It's not 
the case that Paul didn't finish. You know, we say that of certain 
heroes, you know, Jim Elliot. Oh, he never really got to do 
what he was supposed to do. We think about persons like that, 
we say, you know, God called them to this particular ministry, 
and, you know, they died young, or they died horribly, or they 
died prematurely. God took Paul to the very end 
to do the task that God called Paul to, to witness and to testify 
to the Gentiles. Knight ends by saying, so grateful 
is Paul for such a Lord in the midst of such difficult circumstances 
that he breaks out into a doxology of praise and asks that the Lord 
be glorified forever. In the final verses he gives 
greetings, tells again about a couple of persons, some whom 
we know nothing of. And then he ends with a benediction. 
And this benediction is first particular, and then it is general. Notice in verse 22, the Lord 
Jesus Christ be with your spirit. The Lord Jesus Christ be with 
your Timothy. It's a singular. The Lord Jesus 
Christ be with your spirit. If you're Timothy and you're 
reading this, hopefully your mind goes back to what Paul said 
in verse 16. But the Lord stood with me and 
strengthened me." So that when Timothy reads this, he's probably 
got tears streaming down his face. I must confess there was 
a little bit of tears yesterday as I come to the end of the study 
of 2 Timothy. It's like you're friends with 
Paul. You've been with Paul. You've gone through 1 and 2 Timothy 
with Paul. And you realize that these are 
the last words in the last letter of Paul. It's the last thing 
that the Apostle Paul wrote right here. The Lord Jesus Christ be 
with you, Timothy. I want you to be strong. I want 
you to be empowered. I want you to be enabled. I want 
you to continue to fight the heretics in Ephesus. I want you 
to continue to feed the flock of God. I want you to continue 
to be faithful in preaching the Word. I want you to be ready 
in season and out of season. I want you to do it with conviction 
and with rebuke and with exhortation and with long-suffering and teaching. 
Timothy, I want the Lord to be with your spirit because I know 
that you can't do it in your own strength. And then the final 
aspect is, for the church, grace be with you. Amen. That's plural. That's to the church. Paul always 
begins his letters and he always ends his letters with grace. 
It's not some cheap wish. The apostle knows that the people 
of God are in desperate dependence upon the grace of God for every 
single jot and tittle of their lives. Brethren, in conclusion, 
we learn that there ought to be specific warnings concerning 
specific men. Alexander the Coppersmith did 
me much harm. May the Lord repay him according 
to his works. If there is an enemy of the Lord 
and you are warned about that enemy, don't read their books. 
Don't go from here and say, oh, Butler's brainwashing us. There 
is nothing, nothing to be gained in reading the works of Alexander 
the Coppersmith. You're not going to profit. He 
greatly resists the truth. So don't buy his new book. Secondly, 
we see the constant faithfulness of the Lord. As Paul rehearses 
his situation, it's theology. It's about God, it's about Jesus, 
it's about what the Lord is doing. How many of us would be tempted 
and inclined at this particular juncture to St. Timothy? In these 
final words, can I just complain or vent my spleen a bit? A week after my surgery, One 
week, Monday to Monday. That was the worst of it. It 
was terrible. And I just embraced the grace 
of God and was holy and upright and, you know, welcomed the cross. 
No, I emailed a friend and I vented my spleen. That's my tendency. Maybe it's not your tendency, 
but I know for certain it wasn't Paul's tendency. He doesn't complain 
about the food. He doesn't complain about the 
guards. He doesn't complain about the cell. He doesn't complain 
about things that we might actually be interested in. What's it like 
there? Are they feeding you? Do you have clothes? Do you have 
warmth? Are you being hit? Are you being 
smacked? I mean, we might legitimately... That's not serving the cause 
of God and truth for the Apostle. What Timothy needs to know in 
his situation and in his problems and in his trials is that the 
Lord stood with me and empowered me. And then finally, as we conclude, 
just a couple of thoughts with reference to Paul. He maintained 
constant vigilance with reference to God's Word. Didn't he? You pricked Paul, he bled biblene. Maybe you've heard that before. 
Spurgeon said that of Bunyan. You prick him and he bleeds biblene. What comes out of a Bunyan is 
Bible. That's Paul. That's what characterized 
him. That's why he's our hero. He 
didn't compromise. He didn't shave off the rough 
edges. He preached 16 ounces to the 
pound, faithfully, day in and day out. He maintained constant 
vigilance with reference to God's Word. Positively, he preached 
and taught the people of God. Positively, he silenced the heretics 
who would attack the Word of God. Everything to Paul was the 
veracity of God's Word. Secondly, he maintained constant 
concern for the church. What's he doing? At the very 
end, Timothy, you must beware of him. Timothy, he will greatly 
oppose you too. He will bring much harm on you. 
Timothy, you're a gospel minister. You don't have the time to waste 
with a fool like Alexander. You've got sheep to tend to. 
Paul was concerned to the end for the church. As well, he maintained 
constant dependence upon the Lord God. If that doesn't jump 
out at you from verses 16 to 18, I don't know what will. They 
all forsook me, but the Lord stood with me and He empowered 
me. He strengthened me. He enabled 
me. Constant dependence upon our Lord. Fourthly, he maintained 
constant worship of the Lord God. Really, read a letter of 
Paul and watch how he breaks out into doxology. He's writing 
a letter. Hey Timothy, how you doing? I 
want to talk to you about this, that, and the other. To whom 
be praise, glory, and honor, and worship. Brethren, that ought 
to characterize the people of God. If we've received the saving 
grace of God, the forgiveness of God, the mercy of God, we 
ought to speak well of God. And that's what Paul does in 
his constant worship of the Lord. Fifth, he maintained constant 
care and concern for his friends. Look at verses 19 to 21. I didn't deal with this. But, 
"...greet Prisca and Aquila, and the household of Anesiphorus. 
Erastus stayed in Corinth, but Jophimus I have left in Miletus 
sick. Do your utmost to come before 
winter. Eubulus greets you, as well as Putins, Linus, Claudius, 
and all the brethren." You see, Fort Paul people were very important. Fort Paul friends meant something. 
Fort Paul Christian fellowship was prized and delighted in. As well, sixthly, He maintained 
constant hope for future blessing in the presence of His Lord. 
And the Lord will deliver me from every evil work and preserve 
me for His heavenly kingdom. I wonder at times, my brothers 
and sisters, if we have enough hope for the coming glory. Do 
we look with anticipation and with joy and with thanksgiving 
to the heavenly kingdom? That's where we're heading. This 
train really is bound for glory, and it ought to encourage us, 
it ought to strengthen us, it ought to promote hope, it ought 
to promote faithfulness in the here and now. When I draw my 
last breath, my blessed Lord is going to receive me unto Himself. Paul had that. And finally, he 
maintained constant diligence as a minister of the Christian 
gospel. He was a faithful man from beginning 
to end. This is something that is more 
and more unknown and unseen in our day. Men are not faithful 
to the very end. Brethren, pray for your pastors. 
Pray for your elders. Pray for gospel ministers. Not 
that they would be celebrities, not that they would be the most 
popular, but they would be faithful men! God-fearing men, men cut 
from the cloth of the Apostle Paul, men that will one day be 
able to say, I have fought the good fight, I have finished the 
race, I have kept the faith. Because when all is said and 
done, that's what's important. When all is said and done, faithfully 
carrying out the ministry that God has entrusted to a gospel 
minister, that's everything. not celebrity, not popularity, 
not books, not blogs, not Facebook, not Twitter, not followers, not 
anything but faithful proclamation and declaration of God's holy 
truth. Well, let us pray. Our Father, 
we thank you for what we learned concerning the Apostle Paul. 
And even more so, what we learn concerning our Lord Jesus Christ, 
the fact that He stood with Paul at that first defense, the fact 
that He not only stands with Paul, but He strengthens Paul, 
and that He will deliver and preserve Paul unto that heavenly 
kingdom. And God, may it continually amaze 
us that that's not only Paul's Lord Jesus, but that is our Lord 
Jesus. I pray that you'd help us to 
see Him in the midst of the trials, help us to see Him in the midst 
of difficult circumstances, help us to realize that it is He who 
stands with us, it is He who empowers us, and it is He who 
will bring us to heaven. Go with us now, we pray, through 
Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.