This evening we're going to be looking at 2nd Timothy chapter 4, verse 9 through to verse 22, Paul's final words to Timothy. Paul's final words to Timothy. A little bit of a recap here, first of all.
In 2nd Timothy chapter 4, verses 2 through to 8, the Apostle Paul said to Timothy, I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at this day, and not to me only, but unto all them that love his appearing. This was Paul's final charge to Timothy.
Paul knew that his time was short and that he would soon be promoted to heavenly glory, and he had that absolute assurance that he would be going to be with Jesus, which is far better. By the grace of God who saved and justified Paul through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, he was able to declare that he had completed the race that Jesus had given him to run, that race being his apostolic ministry. As Paul languished in a dungeon in Rome, barring any miraculous intervention to release him, as there had been in the past, you may recall, think it's Acts chapter 16, that Paul and his travelling companion Silas, they were miraculously released from prison.
Anyway, barring that kind of thing happening again, he knew, Paul knew that his promotion to glory was imminent, and he would very soon behold the glory of his highly exalted Saviour. In 2 Corinthians chapter 5 and verse 8, Paul said to the saints, we are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord. I'm going to just deviate for a second here.
Some of you will know that I sometimes pop into Costa Coffee. Well, I happened to be in there about a week ago, and I was talking to a Christian couple, elderly Christian couple, and they were explaining to me what a wonderful hope we have, but they're not ready to go yet. But I said, well, I am, providing it's the Lord's will for me, I am in his good time.
I always feel that I have to qualify that statement, but as a Christian, I am ready to go and be with the Lord, which is far better. And this is what Paul was saying. We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.
He doesn't say when I've finished, when I've done this and when I've done that, or when you've done this and when you've done that. We're confident and willing rather to be absent from the body and present with the Lord. And the two of them, they looked at me, I could tell they were a bit uncomfortable with what I was saying.
I don't see why. This is a wonderful hope that we have, going to be with Jesus, regardless of our situation in this world, again, in God's good time. So, coming back to Paul here, far from being disquieted, saddened at the prospect and frightened at the prospect of being executed, it's safe to assume that Paul was ready to go home to his heavenly rest, having determined not to know anything amongst men, save Jesus and him crucified.
This evening, we shall be looking at Paul's final words to his beloved representative in Ephesus. In 2nd Timothy, chapter 4 and verse 9, Paul said, Do thy diligence to come shortly unto me. This is Paul speaking to Timothy, of course.
Do thy diligence to come shortly unto me. Then in verse 21, he said, Do thy diligence to come before winter. Whether or not Timothy did actually get to Rome to see Paul before Paul's martyrdom, we don't know.
We're not given that information. This evening, in our final visit to 2nd Timothy, we shall be considering three men that Paul mentions by name, with only one of them being spoken of in glowing terms. So, I'm not going to go through every verse in this passage from verse 9 through to verse 22.
We're just going to look at three characters that Paul mentions. First of all, Demas and his love for this present world. All in all, Demas gets three mentions in the New Testament.
During Paul's first imprisonment in Rome, about four years earlier, when he was under house arrest, he wrote an epistle to Philemon, and in verse 24 of that very short epistle to Philemon, Demas, who is described as a fellow labourer, and also Luke, who wrote Luke's Gospel and Acts of the Apostles, are seen to be in Rome with Paul. At the time Paul was under house arrest and he wrote to Philemon, we can see from that short epistle that Demas and Luke were in Rome with Paul. Also, during that first imprisonment in Rome, Demas is mentioned in Paul's epistle to the Colossians.
In Colossians chapter 4, verse 14, Luke, the beloved physician, and Demas send their greetings to the Colossians. So you've got the pair of them, Luke, the beloved physician, and Demas. Clearly, they're close associates of the Apostle Paul and with him during his house arrest.
But that's all a far cry from what Paul says to Timothy in 2 Timothy, chapter 4, verses 9 and 10, where he says, Do thy diligence to come shortly unto me, for Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica, Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia. Very different, isn't it? What has happened in this second term of imprisonment now that Paul is in chains? It's reasonable to say that Demas, as a close associate of Paul, had been very active in Christian ministry. That is, until such time the Apostle was imprisoned in Rome for a second time, and not only that, he was on death row.
That really probably changed things. One might therefore assume that Demas deserted Paul out of fear of persecution, out of fear of ending up in chains in the same dungeon as the Apostle. But that is not what Paul is saying.
Whilst fear of persecution may have played a part in Demas's decision to go to Thessalonica, the reason that is given in verse 10 is his love for this present world. The word love in verse 10 is derived from agape, which is the highest form of love, and it's not simply an emotion, rather it is a reasoned and active love. And that love for this present world resulted in his abandonment of Paul and his departure to Thessalonica.
For Demas, this present world, with its visible comforts and rewards, proved more desirable and no doubt a lot safer than suffering with a chained Apostle. In fact, it was much more than a desire. As I say, it was a love, an active love that he had for this present world.
Vance Havner, who was a Southern Baptist pastor, said, Demas and all his sort want their crowns now and they will get them in Thessalonica. They have their reward. All who follow Paul will wait for that day.
They have only two days on their calendar, today and that day. The day shall declare it. If we are living just for today, we will go with Demas to Thessalonica.
If we are living for that day, we will stay with Paul and exchange the old rugged cross one day for a crown. Those words of Vance Havner take us back to verses 7 and 8 where, in stark contrast to Demas, Paul, by the grace of God that saved him and kept him, was able to say, I have fought a good fight. I have finished my course.
I have kept the faith. He wasn't boasting there. He was stating these things as fact by the grace of God.
Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day and not to me only but unto all them also that love his appearing. That's the kind of love we want, a love for the appearing of the Lord Jesus Christ, not a love for this present world. Reading about Demas and his 180 degree turn back to his present world, this present world, that he loved so much reminds me of a parable of the Lord Jesus Christ about a sower who went forth to sow.
In that parable there are four different types of ground, only one of which has good fertile soil. The ground is the heart and the seed is the of the kingdom, that is the word of God. In Matthew chapter 13 and verse 7, Jesus says, some seeds fell among thorns and the thorns sprung up and choked them.
The spiritual meaning of that is given in verse 22 where Jesus says, he also that received seed among the thorns is he that here if the word and the care of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word and he becometh unfruitful. The Christian life demands an undivided heart. We cannot maintain a true relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ and at the same time love the values, aims, desires of this present world.
There is no middle ground between loving Christ and loving the world and the things of this world. If you love the world and the things of this world, the love of the Father is not in you. Secondly, we can look at Alexander the coppersmith.
Look at verses 14 and 15. Alexander the coppersmith did me much evil, the Lord reward him according to his works. Of whom be thou aware also for he have greatly withstood our words.
You may recall that there is an Alexander in 1st Timothy chapter 1. It's going back quite some months now. In 1st Timothy chapter 1 verse 18 through to 20, Paul says, this charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before on thee, that thou by the mightiest war a good warfare, holding faith and a good conscience, which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck. Of whom is Hymenus and Alexander, whom I have delivered unto Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme.
So we've got an Alexander in 1st Timothy chapter 1, whom Paul excommunicated because of his blasphemy. It was to teach him not to blaspheme. Not all commentators see the two Alexanders as being one and the same.
Nothing ever seems to be straightforward. These people, these commentators, point out that Alexander was a common name back then and the Alexander in 1st Timothy chapter 1 was a false teacher who was excommunicated in order for him not to blaspheme. Whereas the Alexander in 2nd Timothy chapter 4 is spoken of as being a coppersmith, suggesting that he was a secular antagonist.
That said, it seems that the majority view is that they were both one and the same. If that is the case, then after being excommunicated, instead of showing repentance and being restored, it would seem that Alexander actively and malevolently opposed the apostle who had excommunicated him. That seems plausible to me, but we don't really know that for sure.
Whoever he was, Paul said, the Lord reward him according to his works in 2nd Timothy chapter 4 verse 14. When Paul uttered those words, let the Lord reward him according to his works, it's as well to remember that they were divinely inspired words. They were God-breathed words.
They form part of the scripture, what Paul said there. As such, what Paul said is widely interpreted as being prophetic, rather than being an outburst of vindictiveness and an expression of his own desire for Alexander to be punished by God for opposing him. In support of that view, John Gill points out that the Alexandrian Bible and the Vulgate Latin and the Syriac versions read, the Lord will render it to him.
So Paul is actually stating it as a fact. The Lord will reward him according to his works. Again, it's a suggestion there that Paul was speaking prophetically and saying what the Lord would do.
It's nothing to do with Paul wanting him to be punished or anything else. The great opposition of Alexander the coppersmith towards Paul was ultimately a hostile attack. Well, it was an attack on Paul, but ultimately it was an attack on the Lord Jesus Christ and his gospel.
That's always the case. More generally, all of you who seek to live godly, soberly and righteously in this present world will inevitably, not might, but will inevitably be on the receiving end of hostility and opposition to varying degrees. For it is given unto all of you, not some of you, but all of you who believe in Jesus.
It's given unto you not only to believe in him, but to suffer for his sake. Whilst it is regrettable and particularly distasteful when the opposition comes, no one particularly wants that opposition, and especially when it comes from those who may well have been part of the church and profess faith in Christ, such as Alexander, if indeed he is one and the same Alexander that we can read of in 1st Timothy chapter 1, the Alexander who was excommunicated. It is nevertheless to be expected that persecution that you're on the receiving end of is to be expected in a Christ hating world.
If you don't get it, you are doing an amazing job at hiding from everybody. And not letting on that you're a Christian. And hiding your light under a bushel.
A fantastic job. Not a job that I would congratulate you for though. And when that persecution does happen, it is an occasion for you to rejoice.
As Jesus said to his disciples in Matthew chapter 5 verses 10 through to 12, Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye when men shall revile you and persecute you and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake. Rejoice and be exceeding glad, for great is your reward in heaven.
For so persecuted they the prophets which were before you. It seems to me that those words are for the apostles who succeeded the prophets who were before them. But more generally that applies to all Christians.
Rejoice and be exceeding glad when you suffer persecution and shame for the name of Jesus. All of you who are savingly united to Jesus will be judged according to the works that God has prepared for you to do. At times those works will lead to persecution for Christ's sake, but as Jesus has said, great is your reward in heaven.
It speaks volumes about the grace of God that sinners saved by the grace of God through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ will be recipients of heavenly rewards. When one appreciates that no one can earn salvation, no one can receive salvation as an entitlement or as a reward. It is only by grace through faith that you must be saved from your sins and receive everlasting life.
Yet amazingly, and this is the thing, God's abundant grace extends beyond saving you to giving heavenly honours. We saw that to be the case last time with Paul who would soon be promoted to glory knowing that the righteous judge, the Lord Jesus Christ, will give him a crown of righteousness at his second coming but not only to Paul but to all who are looking for his glorious appearing. Thirdly, we can look at Onesiphorus whose heart was fertile ground.
Earlier we considered Demas whose love, agape love for this present world, resulted in him forsaking Paul and his heart was seen to be thorny ground that choked the word of the kingdom. In stark contrast, we'll consider Onesiphorus. Look at verse 19.
Salute Prisca or Priscilla and Achilla and the household of Onesiphorus. In verse 19, the name Onesiphorus can be seen. However, far from him being named and shamed like Demas and Alexander the coppersmith, Paul asked Timothy to greet him and certain others.
Far from forsaking Paul because of a love for this present world or from withstanding Paul, opposing Paul, Onesiphorus demonstrated by his works that he really was a trophy of God's amazing grace as can be seen in chapter 1 verses 16 through to 18 in this epistle where Paul said the Lord give mercy unto the house of Onesiphorus for he oft refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chain. There's a direct reference to Paul's chains. But when he was in Rome, he sought me out very diligently and found me.
The Lord grant unto him that he may find mercy of the Lord in that day and in how many things he ministered unto me at Ephesus. Thou knowest very well. Onesiphorus served Paul when he was in Ephesus.
Furthermore, whilst Demas and others deserted Paul when he was in chains in a dungeon in Rome, Onesiphorus diligently looked for him and found the dungeon where Paul was being held. In these verses, Paul was commending Onesiphorus to God's mercy as indeed he commended the believers to God's, this is a similar thing, he commended the believers to God's protective care when he said in 1 Thessalonians chapter 5 and verse 23, and the very God of peace sanctify you and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. That's what that was Paul's prayer and his desire for the church in Thessalonica, that your spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless until or unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Therefore Paul, first of all we see with Onesiphorus, Paul was praying that he, that Onesiphorus would find mercy on the day of Christ's appearing, which as a believer, Onesiphorus was a believer, a believer in Jesus, he most certainly would find mercy on the day of Christ's appearing, no doubt about it. And also Paul prayed that the Thessalonian believers would be preserved blameless until, unto the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, speaking of the end of the end of this present wicked age. And they most certainly would be preserved just as all true believers are preserved by God, safe in the hand of Jesus, safe in the hand of God the Father, now and forevermore.
As Jesus has said in John chapter 10, my sheep know my voice, they follow me, I give them everlasting life, none of them shall perish. This is the, this is the words of the Lord Jesus Christ, he says very clearly, none of them shall perish. Even so Paul was praying that Onesiphorus, praying for that God would sanctify Onesiphorus wholly and that his spirit and soul and body would be preserved blameless.
And he prayed similar for the church in Thessalonica. So one might say that Paul was praying biblically because he was praying according to God's will. It is God's will to preserve his saints.
And so Paul was praying according to God's will. Coming back to the parable of the sower, Jesus said in Matthew chapter 13 and verse 8, but other seed fell into good ground and brought forth fruit, some a hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold. When it comes to the spiritual meaning of those words, Jesus said in verse 23, but he that receives seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it, which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty.
This is the true believer. It refers to the person in whose heart the word of God has induced true repentance towards God, someone who has truly received Jesus as his saviour from sin. As a result of God's saving grace reaching him, he now lives a born-again life that is consecrated to God and that brings forth not just some sweet smelling flowers or some lovely green leaves, it brings forth much fruit to the glory of God.
One might confidently and reasonably say that Onesiphorus demonstrated by his faithfulness that his heart was fertile ground that brought forth the fruit of a genuine saving faith in Jesus. That was seen in his diligently seeking out Paul when he was in chains. That's just one little glimpse into a life that was a born-again life lived for the glory of God.
Finally, even the most faithful servant of the Lord Jesus Christ does not stand before the righteous judge on the strength of his own merit and works. The righteousness that Paul speaks of in verse 8, look again at verse 8, henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day, and not to me only but unto all them also that love his appearing that's all true believers. Well, the righteousness that Paul speaks of in that verse is the righteousness of the incarnate Son of God who when he was in the world became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross, for all he came to save.
As for the fruit that Onesiphorus brought forth, that was on account of God's enabling grace and God's gracious preservation of him. Therefore, at Christ's appearing at the end of this present world, your only plea at the judgement seat of Christ must be the abundant fruit of the life of perfect obedience to God, not of yourself but of the Lord Jesus Christ on your behalf and his sacrificial death when he paid the debt of your sin with his own precious blood and his triumphal resurrection from the dead. Amen.
Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing that ye may abound in hope through the power of the Holy Ghost. Amen.
(Transcribed by TurboScribe.ai)