CHAPTER 4
Vs 1
I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge
the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom;

One day, Jesus will be the JUDGE of both the living and the dead!
He will determine the eternal destiny of ALL who have EVER lived!

((Mary was 12 years old. She entered the pie contest for the county fair.
Mary baked a fresh apple pie for her entry.
All the contestants were lined up at a table with their pie in front of them.
The judges came by and tasted each one.
Then the judges conferred with one another to determine the winner.
Finally, the main judge came and pinned the blue ribbon on Mary!
He said, "THIS was the BEST pie!!"
Immediately, the contestant next to Mary (a 40 year old woman) grabbed
Mary's pie and slung it in the face of the main judge who had spoken.
He calmly wiped the pie from his face into his mouth.
Then, he said, "THIS is STILL the BEST pie!!"))

May I follow the interesting story with a couple of truths from the Bible.
FIRST, EVERYONE has two choices....Jesus, or NOT!
And, the Bible tells us JESUS is the BEST choice!!
"O Taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth
in Him!" (Ps. 34:8)

Peter said in Acts 10:42, "And He (Jesus) commanded us to preach unto the
people and to testify that it is HE which was ordained of God to be the JUDGE
of the quick and the dead!"

Following, behind that reasoning, there is a CHARGE.

Vs 2
Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort
with all long suffering and doctrine.

The charge is to be FAITHFUL whether it is POPULAR or NOT!!

Notice that reprove, rebuke, and exhort" is ACCOMPANIED by
"longsuffering and doctrine."

When we preach the Word of God, we can be expected to face riducule
and even defamation.
The Greek for "longsuffering" is mak roth oo mee' ah.
Literally it means PATIENCE!

The word "doctrine" is derived from the Greek didache,
pronounced did akh ay'.
It means here: God-taught instruction!
Remember, by looking at the commentary on 2Tim. 3:16: "ALL Scripture is
given by inspiration of God, and is PROFITABLE for doctrine, for reproof,
for correction, for instruction in righteousness."

STUDYING the Word of God will help you to be well-rounded in God-taught
instruction!! (2Tim. 3:17)

And following, is the reason WHY we should study God's Word diligently!

VSS 3-4
3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their
own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

The Scripture says, "...the time WILL come."
TODAY, we can say, "The time HAS come!!"

People refuse the truth when it shows error in their thinking!
Instead, they choose (out of their own lusts) to teach OTHERWISE!
And, if they are not TEACHING it, they are seeking those who ARE!

That's because they have "itching ears," desiring to HEAR
what PLEASES them!

But we see that people are FICKLE and QUICKLY change their minds.
There are those who have (for YEARS) taught "It's MY body, MY choice."
That was so they could call abortion OK!
But NOW, when faced with hazardous vaccinations, they quickly say
the parents should NOT have a choice!!

VS 5
But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist,
make full proof of thy ministry.

Note, Paul said to Timothy, "BUT YOU!"

If you are reading the Bible as a personal letter to you from God, (which it is)
then, right there it would read the SAME: "BUT YOU!"

"WATCH!" - be VIGILANT over your actions.
"Make FULL PROOF of your ministry!" Give EVIDENCE!
"ENDURE afflictions!" SHOW that difficulty doesn't STOP your testimony!
"DO the work of an EVANGELIST!"
Be SURE of your calling to be an AMBASSADOR for Christ!
The BEST vitamin for a Christian is B 1 !!!

(((A strong man working in a construction site was bragging about his
strength. He challenged the oldest strong man at the sight, saying,
"I bet I can beat Morris in a show of strength! Any takers?"
Morris quickly answered in a mild voice, "I'll take that bet - How about
a week's pay?"
The younger man accepted, and said, "OK, What shall we do?"
Morris said, "Here it is: I bet I can haul something in a wheell barrow
which you cannot haul back!"
The young man said, "Oh that's EASY. I'll take the bet!"
Morris grabbed a wheel barrow, brought it over to the young man, and
said, "Ok...hop in!")))

VSS 6-8
6 For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand.
7 I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:
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.

FIRST, a statement of FAITH.
SECOND, a PROPHESY!

"I am NOW READY!"
Paul knew it was time for his execution.
Our NEXT breath is under God's control!
Can we say we are READY!!

Paul said, "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have
kept the faith!"
Can we say that?

Then Paul speaks surely of His reward: "a crown of righteousness."
This crown is NOT a reward for struggles of earthly distinction!
It is a reward for surrendering to God's WILL in our lives and living for His
purposes.

Jesus is the "RIGHTEOUS JUDGE!"
He will give to ANY and ALL the same crown!
And, HERE is the PROPHECY!
"...and not to me ONLY, but unto ALL them that love His appearing!"

(((Johnny had been throwing rocks at the chickens in the hen yard.
His mother saw, and ran out to stop him. She also told him, "This evening
when your father comes home, I'm going to TELL him about this.")))
Now, do you suppose Johnny looked FORWARD to Dad's return?

Be READY NOW!
LIVE that way!
Don't throw words and actions of meanness, instead, throw MERCY,
GRACE, LOVE and TRUTH!

VSS 9-12
9 Do thy diligence to come shortly unto me:
10 For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is
departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia.
11 Only Luke is with me. Take Mark, and bring him with thee: for he is
profitable to me for the ministry.
12 And Tychicus have I sent to Ephesus.

Paul is now left nearly alone.
Only a few remain with him.
(More about this later.)
He has sent those close to him to care for other churches and people.
He desires to see Timothy, and asks him to come "quickly!"

Demas left.
Crescens went to Glatia.
Titus went to Dalmatia.
Paul had sent Tychicus to Ephesus.

When Timothy comes, Paul desires that he bring Mark with him!

VS 13
The cloke that I left at Troas with Carpus, when thou comest, bring with thee,
and the books, but especially the parchments.

Some things Paul wants Timothy to bring WITH him:
Cloak - it's a cold dark and damp prison.
Books - possibley books containing writings of the Old Testament.
Parchments - maybe these were notes Paul had written while studying.

What gives YOU comfort when you are ALONE?

VSS 14-15
14 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.

In 1Tim., Chap. 1:20, Paul mention Alexander.
He said that man had made "shipwreck" of the faith!
Here, Paul makes it clear that he leaves it to God to take action against that man.

We should also be likewise.
Unless the person is extremely harmful, let God take care of it.

VSS 16-18
16 At my first answer no man stood with me, but all men forsook me:
I pray God that it may not be laid to their charge.
17 Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me;
that by me the preaching might be fully known, and that all the Gentiles
might hear: and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion.
18 And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me
unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Paul's "first answer" probably refers to his first defense of accusations
concerning his trial before Felix (Acts 24).
Then came Festus, taking Felix's place (Acts 25).
When Paul stood before Festus, all the Jews which came from Jerusalem
made complaints against him.
But Paul's answer was to appeal to Caesar.

In BOTH those instances, Paul stood ALONE to defend himself.
Yet, he was NOT alone: the LORD stood WITH him!

The presence of God gave Paul comfort and strength.
It gave him calmness in the face of death.
And, those who witnessed the rial saw a VALIDITY in Christianity!

Those attending the trial were UNbelievers.
Paul believed that he was "sent" to the Gentiles.
And, his testimony, in faith, DELIVERED him from the "mouth of
the lion" - either Nero, or actually being thrown into the arena with lions.

Note that Paul attributed this deliverance to GOD!

VSS 19-22
19 Salute Prisca and Aquila, and the household of Onesiphorus.
20 Erastus abode at Corinth: but Trophimus have I left at Miletum sick.
21 Do thy diligence to come before winter. Eubulus greeteth thee, and
Pudens, and Linus, and Claudia, and all the brethren.
22 The Lord Jesus Christ be with thy spirit. Grace be with you. Amen.

Paul, feeling assured Timothy would come to visit, asks him (on the way)
to GREET (Salute) some people.

Obviously, Timothy would probably take a route of travel!

Prisca (Priscilla) & Aquila had stayed in Asia Minor (see Acts 18:2), which
was the home of Aquila.
Erastus had stayed in Corinth.
Tophimus was ill and stayed in Miletum.

Now, I said we'd have more about Paul being alone.
Vss 22 indicates some names about whom we know nothing.
Perhaps they could have been converts?
But, they were THERE with Paul!

Vs 21 requests Timothy to come before winter.
Perhaps Paul would NEED that CLOAK!

In verse 22, Paul signs off with a prayer.
"The Lord Jesus Christ be WITH thy spirit. GRACE be with you.
AMEN!"

May we pray the same for ALL those whom we know "in Christ!"