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2 Tim 4:6-8 and 16-18
Good News Translation (GNT)
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6 As for me, the hour has come for me to be
sacrificed; the time is here for me to leave this
life.
7 I have done my best in the race, I have run the
full distance, and I have kept the faith. [a]
8 And now there is waiting for me the victory
prize of being put right with God, which
the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on
that Day - and not only to me, but to all those
who wait with love for him to appear.
16 No one stood by me the first time I defended
myself; all deserted me.
May God not count it against them!
17 But the Lord stayed with me and gave me
strength, so that I was able to proclaim the
full message for all the Gentiles to hear;
and I was rescued from being sentenced to
death.
18 And the Lord will rescue me from all evil and
take me safely into his heavenly Kingdom.
To him be the glory forever and ever! Amen.
Footnotes
2 Timothy 4:7 kept the faith;
or
been true to my promise.
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Taken from 'word-on-the-web' supplied by
Scripture Union
2 Tim 4:6-8 and 16-18
This is the final chapter of Paul's final letter.
Although some scholars doubt the authenticity of the Pauline epistles, largely because of their different styles to his other letters, they contain such a wealth of personal detail that it seems impossible to believe that anyone else could have written them in his name.
2 Timothy is usually regarded by evangelical scholars as the last letter which we have written by Paul.
Comparing other New Testament writings, it seems that Paul was released after his two year imprisonment in Rome (Acts 28:30), as he had expected (Philippians 1:19,23-26).
He did further mission work, and wrote 1 Timothy and Titus, before being re-arrested and imprisoned.
This reconstruction is supported by early Christian writings (1 Clement 5:7; Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History, 2.22.2-8).
Tom Wright comments that 'Paul lived his life with the clock ticking in the background'* - and it's clear that he thinks his life on earth will come to an end before long.
Paul describes his imminent death as his 'departure' (v 6), a word used for the loosing of the mooring ropes as a ship begins its journey from the shore.
Note his assessment of his life and service as he looks back (v 7) and his expectation as he looks forward (v 8).
Facing martyrdom, Paul's concern is not for himself but for Timothy, in particular that his young protegee will not shrink from his calling but will continue to 'preach the word' (v 2).
The word 'preach' may produce in our minds a picture of a minister speaking in a church building and most of us will think, 'This doesn't apply to me'.
However, the word is literally 'announce' or 'herald', used of an emissary giving a message from a king to a group of citizens, usually in the market place.
So we are all 'preachers' in the sense of having the privilege and responsibility of sharing our faith with those we meet in the 'market places' of our daily lives.
Timothy is charged with doing this 'in season and out of season' (v 2), which does not mean constantly haranguing colleagues, neighbours and family members with the gospel whether they want to hear it or not, but does mean that there will be 'winter' seasons, when our witness seems to produce no fruit, and other seasons when we do see the effects of our lives and words; the key is to be faithful, whether we are in a season of apparent fruitfulness or not.
Consider: if you knew that your 'departure' from this life was near and you had the opportunity to write a letter, or a lengthy email, what would you write and to whom?
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