I. Preach the Word! (4:1-4)

Paul closed the previous chapter by exhorting Timothy to continue in the Word in his own personal life; now he exhorts him to share that Word with others. We must first receive before we can transmit. So important was the preaching of the Word to Paul and to the ministry of the church that he gave Timothy a charge—a "military command"—to keep on preaching the Word. And Paul called upon Christ to witness his charge to Timothy, reminding Timothy that Christ would one day return and test his ministry.

"Preach the Word" (v. 2) implies knowing the Word, rightly dividing it and making it understandable and applicable to the lives of the people. The great Bible expositor G. Campbell Morgan once said, "Our first business is to impart knowledge, and then our purpose must be to lead those whom we teach to obedience." He also said, "Preaching is not the proclamation of a theory, or the discussion of a doubt.... Preaching is the proclamation of the Word, the truth as the truth has been revealed."

"Be instant" means "be ready, be urgent"; and this should be the minister's attitude whether service is convenient or inconvenient. Compare v. 2 with 3:16-17 and you will see that the preacher's duties parallel the purposes for which the Word was given. The minister of the Word does not reprove, rebuke (warn), and exhort with his own words, but with the inspired Word of God.

Why must we Christians proclaim the Word of God? "Because the time will come" (v. 3) when people will not want the Word of God—and that time is upon us! Many church attenders do not want "healthy" (sound) doctrine; instead, they want religious entertainment from Christian performers who will tickle their ears. We have a love for novelty in the churches today. Too often the person who simply opens the Bible and teaches it is ignored, while the shallow religious entertainer becomes a celebrity. Verse 4 indicates that "itching ears" soon become "deaf ears" as people turn away from the truth and believe man-made fables.

II. Fulfill Your Ministry! (4:5-8)

Paul was about to finish his course, but Timothy's life and ministry still lay before him. "Make full proof means "fulfill, accomplish the purpose." How wonderful it is that God has a specific ministry for each of His children (Eph. 2:10). Our task is to find His will and do it as long as we live. This involves watching, enduring, and working.

Paul's argument is clear: he is now about to leave the scene, and somebody must take his place. Young people in our churches need to be reminded that they are the future in the church. Paul declares, "I am ready to be poured out like a drink-offering, and the time is at hand for loosing the anchor and setting sail, for taking down the tent and moving on" (literal translation). Paul has no regrets as he faces eternity: he had been a good soldier, a faithful runner, a faithful steward of the treasure of the Gospel. He looked forward to receiving his reward from the Lord. What was it that kept Paul going during more than thirty years of toil and suffering? He loved Christ's appearing! "The love of Christ constrains us!" (2 Cor. 5:14, nkjv) And all the saints who love His appearing will also be faithful, as Paul was, to serve Him now, and will, with Paul, receive their reward.

Next to losing one's soul and going to hell, the greatest tragedy of life would be to come to the brink of eternity and discover we had missed God's will and wasted our lives on fruitless, transient things.

III. Come Quickly to Rome! (4:9-18)

Why was Timothy to hurry? Demas had forsaken Paul (Col. 4:14; Phile. 24); Crescens and Titus were away ministering; Tychicus had been sent to Ephesus; and only Dr. Luke was with him. As he waited patiently for the Lord to call him home, Paul yearned for the Christian companionship of his son in the faith. In v. 21 Paul urged him to "come before winter" because the shipping season would soon end; it was likely that Paul would be dead if Timothy waited too long.

We first met Dr. Luke in Acts 16:10. It was at this point that Luke joined Paul's party. He was a Gentile and was the author of the Gospel of Luke and the Book of Acts. Luke is mentioned with Demas in Col. 4:14 and Phile. 24, and the contrast is clear: Demas was unfaithful while Luke was faithful to Christ and Paul.

John Mark had been rejected by Paul in Acts 15:37ff but now was accepted. Mark had proved himself in his ministry with Barnabas. Paul was willing to forgive and forget, the mark of a great man.

The word "profitable" in 4:11 is the same as "meet" in 2:21. Mark proved himself "suitable" for the Master's use.

Paul asked for the cloak he had left at Troas; winter was coming, and he would need it in his Roman prison. The "books" were probably some of his own writings; the "parchments" would be his copies of the OT Scriptures. While awaiting trial, Paul would spend his time studying the Word. What an example to follow!

He warned Timothy about Alexander (1 Tim. 1:20; Acts 19:33), who withstood his words (see 3:8). At Paul's first defense (answer), no believer stood with him; but the Lord was still with him, and that is all that mattered! This had always been his encouragement in difficult times (Acts 18:7-11; 23:11; 27:19-25).

IV. Greet My Friends! (4:19-22)

Though facing certain death, Paul still thought about others. How like Christ when He was hanging on the cross. Paul fulfilled the pastoral requirement given in Titus 1:8—he was "a lover of good men." We have met Priscilla (Prisca) and Aquila before (see Acts 18:2, 18, etc.). For Erastus, see Acts 19:22; Trophimus is mentioned in Acts 20:4 and 21:29. The fact that Paul did not heal Trophimus indicates that not all saints are to be healed and that the absence of healing does not necessarily prove a lack of spirituality.

"Grace be with you!" says Paul, and closes his part of the NT writings. "Grace" was the key word in his ministry. May it be the key word in our lives as well.