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 :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 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

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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 . 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 . 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 (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 :1, his mother was a believing Jew and his dad was a Greek Gentile. This verse also designates that Timothy was a native of and had a great reputation among the believers within the surrounding community. It is speculated that Timothy was either converted to by Paul on his first missionary journey or by his grandmother and his mother , who are both revealed as spiritual influences in his life in :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 , 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 from inside, as well as, outside the church itself. Within church, Timothy was up against false teachers (: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 (: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. In light of Joshua 1:5,

Paul believed the Lord would never leave him or forsake him, even in his darkest hour. Another significant theme of the passage is Paul’s encouragement for Timothy’s faith and ministry in the face of strong opposition. Paul wanted Timothy to stand up for Christ amongst a people who were being swayed by the world and others who had become unfaithful to their calling. While

13 F.F. Bruce, Paul, Apostle of the Heart Set Free, Pbk. ed. (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2000), 376. 14 Zondervan. NIV Study Bible, Personal Size. (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2011). 6

some had abandoned the fundamental obligation of Scripture as the final authority for faith and church practices, Paul charges Timothy to remain faithful to Scripture and preach the word.15

The Point

Paul then continues to emphasize the practices of ministry that Timothy must extend in order for his leadership to be effective (2 Tim. 4:1-8). Paul encourages his disciple to relate to the people in a way that would both protect the church from evil influences and lead them into a full relationship with Jesus. Timothy is charged to preach, correct, rebuke, and encourage as means of extending the influence of Christ to others. Paul is advocating that Timothy influence the culture of the church in much of the same way that Paul focuses on honorable and dishonorable issues to form behaviors. Paul promotes that Timothy see himself as a soldier that owes obedience to his commanding officer (verse 5), an athlete that must live within certain parameters (verse 7), and a farmer that must await the reward for his hard work (verse 8). Paul uses his own life as an example of someone who has kept the faith and completed his public service (2 Tim. 4:7).

APPLICATION

Contemporary Opposition

Problems from the world outside the walls of church and heredical forces within are not new concepts within ministry. For everything God offers His children, the enemy quickly attempts to counterfeit, confuse, and deceive. Gregory of Nazianzus questioned in the fourth century if anyone is truly prepared to enter the pastoral ministry, stating: "no one, if he will listen to my judgment and accept my advice! This is of all things most to be feared, this is the extremest of dangers in the eyes of everyone who understands the magnitude of success and the

15 Elmer L. Towns, A Journey Through the New Testament: The Story of Christ and How He Developed the Church (Nashville, TN: Thompson Custom Publishing, 2002), 315. 7

utter ruin of failure!”16 Today’s ministers face the same peaks and valleys. Sadly, many new ministers fresh out of seminary are not properly trained for adequately dealing with conflict that inevitably arises within ministry. Alfred Poirer, in his book entitled The Peacemaking Pastor, says “Christ is the reason many enter the pastorate. Conflict is the reason many leave.”17

Current research shows “the factor causing more downfalls than anything in Christian ministry is our isolation from genuine relationship with others.”18 Tomorrow’s spiritual leaders must be rightly mentored and discipled properly, just as Timothy experienced through his mentor

Paul. Other successful biblical examples of mentoring would include: and Joshua, Elijah and Elisha, Jesus and His Disciples, and Paul and Titus. In Johns 17:23, Jesus prayed that the disciples would be one, so that the world would believe. Jesus stressed in this passage that our relationship with one another directly correlates with our effectiveness in ministering others.

Paul's example to us in second Timothy Chapter Four is a great example to understanding how we deeply need each other throughout a life of influencing others for Christ.

Make Disciples

Many folks today think the pinnacle of one’s life of faith is to be called into the ministry.

Those not called are very often perfectly okay with leading a normal ‘Christian’ life.

Unfortunately, they fail to recognize that every believer has in fact been called to go, serve, and evangelize. The Great Commission commands Christians to make disciples. Dave Early, in his co-authored book entitled Ministry Is... How to Share Jesus with Passion and Confidence, points out a significant point about Jesus’ discipleship.

16 Brian A. Williams, The Potter's Rib: Mentoring For Pastoral Formation (Vancouver, B.C.: Regent College Publishing, 2005), 13. 17 Alfred Poirier, The Peacemaking Pastor: a Biblical Guide to Resolving Church Conflict (Downers Grove, IL: Baker Books, 2006), 9. 18 Michael Todd Wilson and Brad Hoffmann, Preventing Ministry Failure: a ShepherdCare Guide For Pastors, Ministers and Other Caregivers (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Books, 2007), 11. 8

Early writes:

As a rabbi, Jesus had disciples called talmidim...In the first century, it was common for gifted students to approach a rabbi and asked, “May I follow you?” in effect, saying, “Do I have what it takes to be like you?” The rabbi either accepted the student as a talmid (disciple) or sent him away to pursue a trade. Yet Jesus the Jewish rabbi broke this pattern whe He chose His own talmidim.19

It is my hope that more men today, well established and learned in the ministry, would take the example of Jesus to heart and actively seek out their own talmidim (disciples). Current research shows that “half of all born-again adult Christians say they have gone through a prolonged period in their lives when they felt very distant or spiritually removed from God.”20 Today, youth and young adults are in desperate need of a spiritual leader who will show interest in them and take the time for proper discipleship.

Preach the Word

Today, preachers are just as eager to say what their parishoneer’s “itching ears want to hear”(2 Tim. 4:3). Some of the current televangelists and mega-church pastors put in some

Scripture here and there just to appease the critics. They actually have little or no real desire to preach the Word of God or tackle any of today’s current issues of homosexuality, live-in partners, abortion, inerrancy of Scripture, and exclusivity of Jesus Christ. Paul’s words are just as beneficial to today’s preachers in America as they ever were to Timothy in Ephesus. John

McArthur agrees within his book entitled Why One Way?. He writes, “Some who call themselves evangelicals are openly insisting that faith alone in Jesus is not the only way to heaven... Others are simply cowardly, embarrassed, or hesitant to affirm the exclusivity of the gospel...”21

19 Dave Earley & Ben Gutierrez, Ministry Is--: How to Serve Jesus with Passion and Confidence (Nashville, TN: B&H Academic, 2010), 43. 20 David Kinnaman with Aly Hawkins, You Lost Me: Why Young Christians Are Leaving Church-- and Rethinking Faith (Nashville, Tenn.: Baker Books, 2011), 63. 21 John MacArthur, Why One Way?: Defending an Exclusive Claim in an Inclusive World (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2002), viii. 9

Basically, Paul exhorts Timothy and the readers to follow that heresy is very dangerous, false teaching will shipwreck the church, and preachers must ruthlessy preach the Word of God.

Closing Thoughts

They say a lion is most fearce near the end of its life. The same can be true of Paul in this passage of study. Paul has lived a great life of victory for Christ, and he is not about to timidly fade away in the Roman jail. By the grace of God, he is able to write to his beloved Timothy. His hand guided by the Holy Spirit coined phrases that have been a light of inspiration and direction for pastors ever since. Truly every minister has been officially warned, charged, and inspired to boldly preach the Word of God without fail.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

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>

Blue Letter Bible. "Paul's Epistle - 2 Timothy 4 - (KJV - )." Blue Letter Bible. 1996-2012. 1 Jul 2012. < http://www.blueletterbible.org/Bible.cfm?b=2Ti&c =4&t=KJV >

Browning, W. R. F. A Dictionary of the Bible. 2nd ed. Edited by W.R.F. Browning. Oxford: Oxford University Press, USA, 2010.

Bruce, F.F. Paul, Apostle of the Heart Set Free. Pbk. ed. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2000.

Carson, D.A., and Douglas J. Moo. An Introduction to the New Testament. 2nd ed. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2005.

Easley, Kendell H. Holman QuickSource Guide to Understanding the Bible. Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2002.

Easton, M.G. Easton's Bible Dictionary. Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1996.

Friberg, Timothy, Barbara Friberg, and Neva F. Miller. Analytical Lexicon of the Greek New Testament. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Academic, 2000.

Gutierrez, Dave Earley & Ben. Ministry Is--: How to Serve Jesus with Passion and Confidence. Nashville: B&H Academic, 2010.

Hawkins, David Kinnaman with Aly. You Lost Me: Why Young Christians Are Leaving Church-- and Rethinking Faith. Nashville: Baker Books, 2011.

Kittel, Gerhard, Gerhard Friedrich, and Geoffrey W. Bromiley, eds. Theological Dictionary of the New Testament. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1985.

MacArthur, John. Why One Way?: Defending an Exclusive Claim in an Inclusive World. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2002.

Phillips, John. Exploring the Pastoral Epistles: an Expository Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Academic & Professional, 2003.

Poirier, Alfred. The Peacemaking Pastor: a Biblical Guide to Resolving Church Conflict. Downers Grove, IL: Baker Books, 2006.

Swanson, James. Dictionary of Biblical Languages With Semantic Domains : Greek (New

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Testament). electronic ed., DBLG 5510. (Oak Harbor: Logos Research Systems, Inc.)

Tacitus Annals XV.44.

Towns, Elmer L. A Journey Through the New Testament: The Story of Christ and How He Developed the Church. Nashville: Thompson Custom Publishing, 2002.

Walvoord, John F., and Roy B. Zuck, eds. The Bible Knowledge Commentary: an Exposition of the Scriptures. Wheaton, Ill.: David C. Cook, 1983.

Williams, Brian A. The Potter's Rib: Mentoring For Pastoral Formation. Vancouver, B.C.: Regent College Publishing, 2005.

Williams, Peter. Opening Up 2 Timothy. Leominster: Day One Publications, 2007.

Wilson, Michael Todd, and Brad Hoffmann. Preventing Ministry Failure: a ShepherdCare Guide For Pastors, Ministers and Other Caregivers. Downers Grove, IL: IVP Books, 2007.

Zondervan. NIV Study Bible, Personal Size. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2011.

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