EXEGESIS: 2 TIMOTHY 4:1-8 IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE COURSE HOMI 501-DO2 LUO LIBERTY BAPTIST THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY TRAVIS NOWELL HOMI 501-DO2 LUO DOUGLAS MUNTON JULY 6, 2012 TRANSLATION I have taken the NIV Scripture of 2 Timothy 4:1-8 and put my alternate meanings in parenthesis where hypothetical changes could be made. “1In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living (saved) and the dead (unsaved), and in view of His appearing and His kingdom, I give you this (solemn) charge: 2 Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season (at all times); correct, rebuke and encourage —with great patience and careful instruction. 3 For the time will come when people will not put up with (will not tolerate) sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them (appoint and promote) a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to (embrace evil) myths. 5 But you, keep your head (be full of the Spirit) in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge (fulfill) all the duties of your ministry.6 For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time for my departure is near. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day —and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for His appearing. EXEGETICAL ISSUES Textual Variation Second Timothy 4:1-8 is not riddled with textual variations between the various English translations. In fact, it is rather hard to find misunderstandings between several Bible versions. However, some renderings of the word ephistēmi, found in verse two, may confuse the intended meaning of the phrase. The word is found 21 times in the KJV and is used in the following 2 meanings: come upon 6, come 4, stand 3, stand by 3, miscellaneous 5 times.1 In second Timothy verse two, ephistēmi is translated in the KJV as “be instant.” The intended meaning of this word within this context is to literally mean be ready. The NIV better translates ephistēmi to mean “be prepared.” The ASV translates as “be urgent.” The NKJV actually has the best translation as it has the literal meaning portrayed as “be ready.” Key Terms I have fought (agonizomai) the good fight, I have finished (teleo) the course, I have kept (tereo) the faith (2 Tim 4:7).2 Fought, finished, and kept are three verbs Paul uses here to indicate completed actions. Fought designates the struggles he has faced. Finished indicates his accomplished obedience to the will of God. Kept specifies his lifelong unwavering perseverance of faith in Jesus. All three images stem from the Olympic Games.3 Just like opponents in the Olympics, Paul had fought his case for Christ in the synagogues, battled false teaching, and engaged his fleshly desires. Paul not only completed the race, he finished well. Anyone can enter a competition, but a true competitor will finish. Though Paul was arrested, beaten, enslaved, and handed a death sentence, he never took his eyes off the finish line. Olympic athletes took an oath to play by the rules and represent their family and country well. Paul endured until the end and represented Jesus and His Word well. He never wavered, cheated, or cut corners. HISTORICAL CONTEXT Authorship The epistle of 2 Timothy is one of the three Pauline epistles commonly referred to as the Pastoral Epistles. The other two epistles in this trio are: 1 Timothy and Titus. Pastoral Epistles 1 Blue Letter Bible. "Dictionary and Word Search for ephistēmi (Strong's 2186)". Blue Letter Bible. 1996- 2012. 6 Jul 2012. < http:// www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=G2186&t=KJV> 2 Gerhard Kittel, Gerhard Friedrich, and Geoffrey W. Bromiley, eds., Theological Dictionary of the New Testament (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1985), 21. 3 Ibid., 20. 3 was first applied in 1726 by Paul Anton and is still the classification used today.4 There are several arguments presented by modern critics against Pauline authorship of 2 Timothy which are adequately presented and refuted by John MacArthur in his book, 1 and 2 Timothy: Encouragement for Church Leaders.The book of 2 Timothy was written by the Apostle Paul between the years 64 A.D. and 67 A.D.5 Although a minority of modern scholars question the traditionally held position of exclusive Pauline authorship, both the internal and external evidence provide adequate proof in favor of Pauline authorship. Recipent Timothy is the recipient of this final letter from the Apostle Paul. This is stated clearly in the salutation and throughout the entirety of the letter. In the Greek language Timothy’s name is Timotheos6, which literally means “honoring God.”7 According to Acts 16:1, his mother was a believing Jew and his dad was a Greek Gentile. This verse also designates that Timothy was a native of Lystra and had a great reputation among the believers within the surrounding community. It is speculated that Timothy was either converted to Christianity by Paul on his first missionary journey or by his grandmother Lois and his mother Eunice, who are both revealed as spiritual influences in his life in 2 Timothy 1:5.8 Historical Setting The historical setting behind 2 Timothy is awfully glum. It was scribed from a Roman prison. Paul’s experience was very contrary to today’s prison experience of climate controlled, well fed inmates. John Phillips describes the scene in his book Exploring the Pastoral Epistles, 4 W. R. F. Browning, A Dictionary of the Bible, 2nd ed., ed. W.R.F. Browning (Oxford: Oxford University Press, USA, 2010),), 6. 5 Peter Williams. Opening Up 2 Timothy. (Leominster: Day One Publications, 2007), 8-11. 6 James Swanson, Dictionary of Biblical Languages With Semantic Domains : Greek (New Testament). electronic ed., DBLG 5510. (Oak Harbor: Logos Research Systems, Inc.) 7 M.G. Easton, Easton's Bible Dictionary. (Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc. 1996), 34. 8 John F. Walvoord, Roy B. Zuck and Dallas Theological Seminary. The Bible Knowledge Commentary : An Exposition of the Scriptures, V 2 (Wheaton, IL), 397- 398. 4 “He was in the condemned cell in Rome, a terrible hole in the ground with a few wisps of stale straw for a mattress and a hard ledge for a bed. It was a dank, dark, rat-infested place. Paul was lonely and cold. He was under sentence of death.”9 These horrible conditions left Paul without the benefit of adequate clothing against the cold and damp.10 Paul found himself in a time of great persecution under the Emperor Nero. Persecuted Christians were emprisoned, used as human torches to light pagan feasts, and others were thrown to the beasts for entertainment in their great auditorium.11 Purpose Second Timothy is a letter written when Paul is contemplating his death (4:6-8). In chapter four, Paul gives a final charge to his faithful disciple, Timothy. Paul also sets the example for which Christians should live while enduring suffering, and how they should humbly die for their faith.12 Paul is very clear in his explanation to Timothy of what it looks like to fulfill his calling. Paul looked forward to Christ’s return, and focused on his eternal rewards in heaven. Timothy is commanded to preach, reprove, rebuke, and exhort. In doing so, Timothy is further admonished to exhibit self control in all things, endure hardships, do evangelist’s work, and fulfill the ministry, as Paul has successfully done. Paul charges Timothy to set his heart on Christ’s return, faithfully complete the work the Lord has given him through any circumstances, and cling to the truth. 9 John Phillips, Exploring the Pastoral Epistles: An Expository Commentary. (Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Academic & Professional, 2004), 319. 10 Kendell H. Easley, Holman QuickSource Guide to Understanding the Bible (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2002), 336. 11 Tacitus Annals XV.44. 12 D.A. Carson and Douglas J. Moo, An Introduction to the New Testament, 2nd ed. (Grand Rapids, MI.: Zondervan, 2005), 580. 5 Cultural Context To better understand Paul's role with Timothy, it is helpful to understand the specific issues that Timothy encountered. Timothy faced difficulties in Ephesus from inside, as well as, outside the church itself. Within church, Timothy was up against false teachers (2 Timothy 2:14- 18) which would slowly and eventually undermine the faith of believers. Outside the walls of the church, Timothy was battling a culture described by Paul as terrible due to extreme hedonism and insolence (2 Timothy 3:1-5). Also, during Timothy's pastorate, the church experienced its first persecution under Nero, who according to tradition was instrumental in the execution of the Apostle Paul.13 While Timothy faced heresies inside the church and extreme external pressures outside the church, Paul instructs his disciple to "keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry” (2 Tim. 4:5).14 LITERARY ANALYSIS Themes A powerful theme can be ascertained from the first verse of this passage about remaining faithful in the mist of great trouble. Although Paul was physically alone in a dark pit on the brink of martyrdom, he addresses Timothy that he is “in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus.” What a great testimony for Paul to uphold in such a terrible circumstance.