Final Charge
Harvest Ready • Sermon • Submitted
0 ratings
· 5 viewsPaul's Final charge to young Timothy is one that would guide the leadership of churches over the next 2000 years.
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Building off the conviction of the previous passage, Paul now gives Timothy some final instruction.
Notice first the judgements referenced:
who shall judge the quick and the dead
Two judgements can be seen here:
Quick: Ephesians 2:1-6
Dead: Revelation 20:11-12
Considering the fearlessness we may have in doing the work of the Lord, recognizing the commitment God requires of us, as well as the perilous times we are living, pastors are to exhibit the primary goal:
Preach the Word
Preach the Word
- Being instant (meaning urgent, pressing, importunate)
Reprove
Rebuke
Exhort
“Reprove, rebuke, exhort” (vs. 2). Here are three kinds of “preaching.” “REPROVE”: the word means to convince someone of something (see John 16:8). It amounts to correction where someone is wrong. “Rebuke” is a much stronger term (see Titus 1:13; 2:15) and means in the modern vernacular to “bawl somebody out” or to give them a “non sequitor.” A rebuke is “You blew it; don’t do it again.” “You had no right to do that; one more time, and you’ll get it.” “You’re wrong.” “Rebukes” in the Bible occur by handfuls and fistfuls: see Nathan talking to David (2 Sam. 12:7), Abraham talking to Abimelech (Gen. 21:25), David talking to Goliath (1 Sam. 17:45–47), Paul castigating Bar-Jesus (Acts 13:10–11), the people rebuking the King (Saul in 1 Sam. 14:45), Christ contradicting a mother (Matt. 12:48–49), Christ insulting a disciple (Matt. 16:23), Christ ignoring a request (Matt. 15:26), Elijah vilifying a king (1 Kings 21:21), and John telling a king where to head in (Mark 6:18). These negative passages amplify the degenerate character of modern, apostate Christianity. They show there has been a wholesale departure from “preaching the WORD” by the ministers. The ministry of the prophets is about seventy-five percent REBUKES (see Hos. 5:2 and Amos 5:10). A “rebuke” is a weight laid on someone, so the word is often used to describe a painful burden that the sinner has to bear (see Heb. 12:5; Ezek. 25:15; Isa. 51:20; 60:15; etc.). “Exhort” is a stirring-up to action; the modern term is to “motivate.” Literally, it refers to calling someone forward to take action and therefore resembles closely an “invitation” at the close of a service. Moses gives the real exhortation in Exodus 32:26, and there are many other samples in the Old Testament (see especially Ezra 10:10–11; Neh. 8:9–12; Job 38–39; 1 Chron. 29; and Jer. 43–44).
Ruckman, Dr. Peter S.. Pastorial Epistles (1 - 2 Timothy, Titus Commentary) (The Bible Believer's Commentary Series) . BB Bookstore. Kindle Edition.
They Will Not Endure Sound Doctrine
They Will Not Endure Sound Doctrine
This passage is not like chapter 3. Chapter 3 deals with false teachers, non-christians (see cf. 3:7-4:4). No, these are Christians that cannot stand to hear proper Biblical preaching.
heap to themselves
turn away from truth
be turned unto fables
Let us list what the Holy Spirit gave in the passage. 1. Inability to endure sound doctrine: that is, if the Scriptures clearly show a thing to be so (see The Unknown Bible, Bible Baptist Bookstore, 1996, for fifteen examples), the Scriptures at this point are rejected (see “The Big Flap,” Bible Believers’ Bulletin for fifteen more examples). 2. A desire to get rid of preachers and fill their shoes with TEACHERS (vs. 3), because preaching the word (vs. 2) to them is irritating and nerve racking. What is needed is “Bible teachers” in piles and heaps (vs. 3) who will tickle their ears to doctrines that are NOT “sound” (vs. 3). For fifty examples, see the Bible Believer’s Commentaries on Hebrews, Acts, Job, Genesis, Exodus, and the Minor Prophets (1959–2001). For fifty more examples, read the material in the Bible Believer’s Commentaries on Proverbs, Revelation, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians, and the present commentary. 3. A refusal to LISTEN to any Biblical doctrine that is true (vs. 4) if it crosses what they have been taught to believe or “feel” is right (vs. 3). 4. A deeply rooted, strongly reinforced belief in FICTION (“fables,” vs. 4) such as: a. Westcott and Hort, Nestle, Aland, and Metzger were Bible scholars. b. There was a “Lucian recension” at Antioch. c. Christ was crucified on a dogwood tree. d. Men were saved exactly the same way under the Old Testament Law as under New Testament Grace. e. The Rosary will bring you good luck. f. The Bible is inspired only in the “original autographs.” g. The Pope is a Christian. h. Bob Jones University believes “THE BIBLE is THE Word of God.” i. No translation could be inspired. j. Mary can pray for you nineteen hundred years after she died. k. Peace is coming on earth before the Advent of Christ. l. Nuclear disarmament will guarantee peace. m. Greek scholars know the Bible better than Billy Sunday or J. Frank Norris. n. Secondary separation guarantees spirituality. o. “Gain is godliness.” p. The love of money is only “a” root of all kinds of evil. q. The ASV and NIV are “reliable translations” of the Scriptures. r. You can pray a soul out of purgatory. s. Rock Hudson was a martyr. t. CBS is an American organization. u. Roman Catholics are American Christians. v. The NASV is a “Bible.” w. Robert Sumner is a Bible believer. x. The IRS is constitutional. y. Tennessee Temple teaches young men that the AV is the word of God. z. The ecumenical movement answers Christ’s prayer in John 17.
Ruckman, Dr. Peter S.. Pastorial Epistles (1 - 2 Timothy, Titus Commentary) (The Bible Believer's Commentary Series) . BB Bookstore. Kindle Edition.
There is no direct reference to any unsaved, “professing Christian” in the passage, for the ones who turn away their ears turn them away from “SOUND DOCTRINE” (vs. 3). It is this that they cannot “endure.” No unsaved, “professing Christian” in this age would know what “sound doctrine” was in distinction to “unsound doctrine,” for the “natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God...neither can he know them, for they are SPIRITUALLY discerned” (1 Cor. 2:14). The context of those remarks was the simple Gospel of Christ (1 Cor. 15:1–6). The people in 2 Timothy 4 were listening to the truth when they turned away (vs. 4). They were listening to sound doctrine when they found it unendurable (vs. 3), and they were receiving Bible doctrine from “the word” (vs. 2) when they went to their pile of “teachers.” Obviously they were not all “unsaved Liberals.”
Ruckman, Dr. Peter S.. Pastorial Epistles (1 - 2 Timothy, Titus Commentary) (The Bible Believer's Commentary Series) . BB Bookstore. Kindle Edition.
Watch in all Things
Watch in all Things
Endure
Do the work
Make full proof
This is the third set of threes, being a charge to “WATCH” (vs. 5). “Watching” consists of “enduring afflictions.” You are to watch for them, for they will come (see John 16:1–3). You are to expect them (1 Pet. 4:12), so you won’t be shocked when they come (“longsuffering,” vs. 2). You are to harden yourself before they come (see 2:3 and comments). “Watching” consists of doing “the work of an evangelist” (vs. 5), which means soulwinning as well as sheep-tending; it means preaching the Gospel as well as “feeding the sheep” (1 Pet. 5:1–4). It means travelling and taking the good news with you (Rom. 15:20–28). “Watching” means that a man will make “full proof” of his ministry (see 2 Cor. 10:13–18) and show that he has been divinely called, commissioned, equipped, sent, and supported by the Holy Spirit (see Col. 4:17 and comments in that commentary). “Full proof” means what Paul mentioned in Acts 12:25; Acts 13:25; and 2 Timothy 4:7. It means that there should be fruit to prove that the preacher was called, and that he did not enter the ministry as a “profession.”
Ruckman, Dr. Peter S.. Pastorial Epistles (1 - 2 Timothy, Titus Commentary) (The Bible Believer's Commentary Series) . BB Bookstore. Kindle Edition.
Three Men
Three Men
Demas
Demas
for Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world
Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.
Alexander
Alexander
Alexander the coppersmith did me much evil: the Lord reward him according to his works: 15 of whom be thou ware also; for he hath greatly withstood our words.
This is most likely Alexander mentioned in Acts 19:21-41
Notice the prayer of Paul was in imprecatory prayer:
the Lord reward him according to his works
Mark
Mark
Take Mark, and bring him with thee: for he is profitable to me for the ministry.
Characterized as a profitable man for the ministry!
Ww are in desperate need of some “Marks” in these last days!