Charles Ellicott Commentary 2 Timothy 4

I charge you therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ.—The parchment, or papyrus, in St. Paul's prison room on which, probably, Luke (2 Timothy 4:11), the faithful friend, was writing to the Apostle’s dictation, was nearly full. What still had to be said to the chief presbyter of the Church of Ephesus had to be brief. But St. Paul intended the last words to be introduced by a most impressive preface. So before he sums up his directions and exhortations, he appeals to him in these stately and solemn words.

The Greek word rendered “I charge (you),” is more accurately translated as I solemnly charge (you). This charge is made before those divine witnesses, the Eternal Father and the Blessed Son, who are present with me in this Roman prison and equally present with you in your study or church in Asia.

Who shall judge the quick and the dead.—These words must have sounded with remarkable power in the ears of men like Timothy and must have impressed them with an intense feeling of responsibility. The Apostle, in his divine wisdom, was charging these teachers of the Church to be faithful and zealous in their work, reminding them of the ever-present thought that they—whether alive on the day of the Lord’s Coming or, if they had already tasted death, raised from the dead incorruptible (Compare 1 Thessalonians 4:17)—must stand before the Judge and give an account of their stewardship.

On that awe-inspiring morning, every man and woman must render, before the Judge who knows all and sees all, a strict account of the deeds done in the body.

Looking forward to the judgment morning must surely be a spur to any faint-hearted, dispirited servant of the Lord who is disposed to temporize or reluctant to face the dangers that threaten a faithful discharge of duties.

At his appearing and his kingdom.—The older authorities here—instead of the preposition “at”—read “and.” The rendering then would be: “I charge you in the sight of God and Jesus Christ, who will judge quick and dead (I charge you) by His appearing (epiphany) and by His kingdom,” the construction in Greek being the usual accusative of adjuration, as in Mark 5:7 and Acts 19:13. So, too, Deuteronomy 4:26 (LXX): “I solemnly charge you today by heaven and earth.”

The passage, by this restoration of the ancient and, at first sight, more difficult reading, gains immeasurably in strength and power, as we shall see. “By his appearing,” or by His manifestation or epiphany, refers, of course, to the Lord’s coming a second time to judge the earth in the glory of the Father with His angels (Matthew 16:27; 1 Thessalonians 4:16–17).

“And by His kingdom:” His kingdom, that kingdom is meant here which, in the words of the Nicene Creed, “shall have no end.”

This glorious sovereignty of Christ is to succeed what Pearson (Creed, Article VI, p. 529, Chevallier’s edition) calls “the modificated eternity of His mediatorship,” which will end when all His enemies will have been subdued, and He will have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father.

The “kingdom” spoken of here is to commence at Christ’s glorious epiphany or manifestation, when “the kingdoms of the world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of His Christ; and He shall reign forever and ever” (Revelation 11:15).

Timothy was adjured by “the appearing” of Christ, when he would have to stand before Him and be judged; he was also adjured by “His kingdom,” in which glorious state Timothy hoped to share, for was it not promised that His own should reign with Him? (2 Timothy 2:12).

There seems to be something in this solemn, ringing adjuration that reminds us of “a faithful saying.” The germs, at least, of one of the ancient creeds are apparent here, where allusion is made to God (the Father) and to Jesus Christ, the judge of quick and dead, to His coming again with glory, and then to His kingdom.

Preach the word.—The language of the original here is abrupt and emphatic, written evidently under strong emotion and with intense earnestness. St. Paul charged his friend and successor with profound solemnity, as we have seen, “preach,” or proclaim loudly and publicly, as a herald would announce the accession of his king. The exact opposite to what St. Paul would urge on Timothy is described by Isaiah (Isaiah 56:10), when he speaks of God’s watchmen as “dumb dogs, who cannot bark, sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber.”

Be instant in season, out of season.—Some difference exists between commentators regarding the exact meaning to be given to the Greek word translated “be instant.” Some would give it the sense of drawing near to, and as it is not specified in the text to whom Timothy should draw near, they supply from the context “the brethren,” those to whom the word is preached: “draw near to Christian assemblies.” It seems, however, best to understand this rather difficult word as an injunction to Timothy to be earnest and urgent generally in the whole work of his ministry: “Press on, in season, out of season.”

In season, out of season.—In other words, “For your work, set apart no definite and fixed hours, no appointed times. Your work must be done at all hours, at all times. Your work has to be done not only when you are in church, not merely in times of security and peace, but it must be carried on, in the midst of dangers, even if you are a prisoner and in chains, even if death threatens you.”

So Chrysostom—who also uses St. Paul’s words here as an urgent call to ministers to labor on in spite of discouragement and apparent failure—telling them in his own bright, eloquent way, how fountains still flow on, though no one goes to them to draw water, and rivers still run on, though no one drinks at them.

Augustine asks and answers the question to whom “in season” and to whom “out of season” refers: “in season” to those willing, “out of season” to the unwilling. This, however, only touches a portion of the thought of St. Paul, who urges on God’s true servants a restless, sleepless earnestness, which struggles on with the Master’s work in spite of bodily weakness and discouragement, in face of dangers and the bitterest opposition.

Reprove.—Not merely those erring in doctrine, but generally those who are blameworthy: “Was tadelnswerthist.”

Rebuke.—A sharper and more severe word than the preceding. It is used by Jude 1:9, in his report of the words addressed by St. Michael to the devil: “The Lord rebuke thee.” It frequently occurs in the Gospels. (See, for instance, Matthew 17:18, “And Jesus rebuked the devil.”)

Exhort.—Not only is he to remember ceaselessly to watch over the flock, and to reprove and rebuke the erring and sinners, but also with no less diligence to speak comfortable words of encouragement and hope to all, especially the dispirited and sad-hearted.

With all longsuffering and doctrine.—The word translated “doctrine” signifies, rather, teaching. He must reprove, rebuke, exhort, with all gentleness and patience; and in all this he must take care that “teaching”—the teaching which is right, and true, and full of hope—accompanies his rebuke and his words of comfort.

For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine.—Timothy must bear in mind that things in the Church of Christ on earth will not change for the better. The great drag-net of the Church, in its wide sweep, would keep drawing into its meshes something of every kind. Errors now just apparent, he must remember, would attain more formidable dimensions. The thirst for novelties in doctrine, the desire for a teaching which, while offering peace to a troubled conscience, would yet allow the old self-indulgent life to go on as before, would increase.

In full view of this development of error, in sure expectation of a future full of anxious care, Timothy and his brother teachers must indeed be wakeful, watchful, and earnest in their preaching and ministrations. And the thought that more and more of the so-called Christians would dislike the preaching of the “sound doctrine,” as taught by the Apostle, the very knowledge of this growing unpopularity, must serve as an incentive to greater labor, greater zeal, and more loving activity on the part of Timothy and his companions.

But after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers.—“Their own lusts:” this expression gives us some insight into the reason which led to this future apostasy of so many, about which St. Paul warned Timothy. “Their own lusts,” which, at all risks, they would gratify, would serve to alienate them from that severe and strictly moral school of Apostolic teaching, in which the sternest morality was bound up with purity of doctrine, to which school St. Paul’s pupils—men like Timothy and the presbyters of Ephesus—belonged.

These worldly people to whom St. Paul referred, reluctant to part with the hope Christianity taught, and unwilling to live the life that St. Paul and Timothy insisted was necessary for all those who wished to share in that glorious hope, sought out for themselves more indulgent teachers, who would flatter and gratify their hearers with novelties in doctrine, and would, at the same time, lay comparatively little stress on the pure and saintly life.

And they shall turn away their ears from the truth.—This was the punishment of those who would only listen to what was pleasing to them, and which flattered instead of reproved their way of life. They became involved in the many various errors in doctrine which were then taught in the schools of the heretics, and they ended by turning away from every Christian truth. On the “fables” which they substituted for those great and eternal truths, see 1 Timothy 1:4.

But watch thou in all things.—“But do you,” continued St. Paul, “do you be watchful.” The Greek word translated “watch thou,” signifies literally, be sober. It has been well paraphrased, “Keep your coolness and presence of mind, that you are not entrapped into forgetfulness, but as one ever wakeful and ready, be on the watch.”

The word, as it were, sums up all those last directions of St. Paul, from 2 Timothy 2:14. In these, St. Paul charged Timothy to abstain from vain arguments and confine himself to the simple word of truth; to avoid discussions likely to lead to strife; to be patient and gentle with all; and also to separate himself from merely nominal Christians and to keep steadily to the old paths in which the Apostles had walked. He was to be ever watchful in all these things.

Endure afflictions.—And in his watch, Timothy must be ready to suffer. He would remember what had been said before concerning true Christian suffering (2 Timothy 2:3–12), and what was the high reward purposed for such brave endurance. He would remember, too, the hard and faithful life of his master, St. Paul (2 Timothy 3:10–12).

Do the work of an evangelist.—The “evangelists” of the early Church seem to have been preachers of the Gospel: in the first place, assistants to the Apostles and missionaries under their direction. The special functions of a preacher and public teacher seem always to have been allotted to Timothy, and, no doubt, a peculiar persuasive power of oratory was one of the chief gifts conferred on this eminent follower of St. Paul.

In the midst of the many grave and absorbing duties of his charge of the Ephesian Church, he must be mindful not to neglect this great power that he possessed. It is here especially termed “the work of an evangelist,” to remind him that rightly performing this duty required zeal, close work, much study, thought, and prayer. And it was by worthily performing the duties of an evangelist that the many who were turning from the truth to fables would be best won back, by hearing the great facts of the Gospel placed side by side with the tables of the false teachers.

Make full proof of thy ministry.—In other words, “Fully carry out the many duties imposed upon you by your great office.” The office of Timothy, it should be remembered, in Ephesus, included far more than merely those of a preacher or evangelist. He was the presiding presbyter of the Church, to whom its government was entrusted: in fact, the many-sided life of St. Paul was now to be lived by Timothy.